Chapter 198: The Social Etiquette of Peak Cultivators

"Old freak Suitian! Why did you deceive me?!" Hua Xin’s eyes burned as he stared at the mask Ancestor Suitian had casually tossed to the ground. His voice cracked with grief. "If you hadn’t lied to me, Qingrou wouldn’t have shattered her Divine Psyche Incarnation to protect me... she wouldn’t still be trapped in a deep slumber now!"

Hua Sheng’s spirit qi erupted violently. "High Sage Suitian!"

Cracks ran across his skin and hair as he glared at Ancestor Suitian. "Little Xin spoke the truth. The one behind the destruction of the Rebirth Sect... was you!"

Layers of spirit halos surged around Hua Xin as he cried out, "Master, now you see it, don’t you? The year you went traveling, he came to our sect as a guest. He stole the sect’s greatest treasure and turned us master and disciple against each other. It was him! It was him all along!"

His voice tore through the air as cracks spread across his body. "Master, if we strike together, we can kill him..."

Heaven Venerable Hua Sheng bellowed while strange changes raced over him. "My good disciple, my dear Little Xin! I was wrong to blame you all these years. Come! Let us join forces and kill him together! For Little Rou’s sake!"

"Master, let’s do it!"

Both Hua Sheng and Hua Xin shouted in unison.

"Heaven and Earth Rebirth!"

Layers of hair and skin shed as they unleashed their full power and charged toward Ancestor Suitian.

However, just as they neared him, both froze, stopping in their tracks.

Ancestor Suitian remained unmoved. "Don’t you want to bring Hua Qingrou back?"

He projected a phantom image of a pill cauldron. Within it, a delicate young maiden slept peacefully.

"My true intent was only to use the Rebirth Cauldron to force you to guard this place. I never wished to harm Hua Qingrou, nor did I plan to destroy the Rebirth Sect. But your bond as master and disciple was too shallow, and that was what ultimately led to your sect’s downfall.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"On the day Hua Qingrou’s Divine Psyche Incarnation shattered, I too felt deep regret. So I used a secret art our clan can perform only once in a thousand years to preserve the remnants of her Divine Psyche Incarnation within the Rebirth Cauldron. After all these years of nurturing with my spirit qi, her Divine Psyche Incarnation should be mostly restored."

He dispersed the projection and stepped forward. The Rebirth Sect master-disciple duo instinctively staggered back.

"You both know what the Rebirth Cauldron is capable of. The Spirit Body of Heaven and Earth lies just beneath the cliff. With it, you should be able to revive Hua Qingrou with little effort. It may even be possible to grant her eternal life."

Standing just a meter from Hua Xin, Ancestor Suitian asked calmly, "So now, will you still attack me... or will you join me in seizing this opportunity? I remain within your reach. The choice is yours."

"Are you telling the truth?"

Seeing that Ancestor Suitian made no move against them, Hua Sheng trembled all the more violently, and he involuntarily took two steps back. "Do you actually have fragments of Qingrou’s Divine Psyche Incarnation... and it is nearly restored?"

Before Ancestor Suitian could answer, Hua Xin stepped forward, bowing deeply. "High Sage Suitian, I will join you. I will no longer pursue past grudges. All I ask is to see Qingrou’s Divine Psyche Incarnation."

"Do not worry. Once this matter is settled, I will take you both to the Central Continent. Even if it requires the Jun Clan to exhaust every last resource, we will work together to awaken her."

Ancestor Suitian glanced toward the mist still surging in the distance. "This journey is aided by Daoist Tian Ji’s foresight into fortune and danger, and Venerable Shuang Dao’s help in dispersing the fog. Everything should proceed smoothly. Since we all have what we seek, there will be no inner strife."

Sensing faint traces of space laws at the valley’s entrance, he said, "I can already feel the space law here. Let me show you the girl, so you can decide with certainty."

He cut his palm, using his Blood Essence to force open a void passage. On the other side lay a secret chamber, at its center an ancient cauldron three zhang tall.

Hua Xin’s emotions collapsed at the sight of the girl within. "Little Rou... That’s... Little Rou’s Divine Psyche Incarnation!"

Tears streamed down his face as he stumbled toward the void passage. "Little Rou! Xin-gege is here! I’ve come for you!"

Hua Sheng moved to summon the cauldron with his spirit qi, but suddenly, the void passage shattered into fragments. The secret chamber on the other side faded into nothingness.

Fury and panic erupted as both Hua Sheng and Hua Xin glared at Ancestor Suitian. "High Sage Suitian, what is the meaning of this?! Why did the passage vanish? Do you intend to hoard the Rebirth Cauldron and remain our enemy?!"

"No... it’s not that. Pft—" Ancestor Suitian coughed up a mouthful of Blood Essence, his face paling. "The collapse of the passage wasn’t my doing. That same force disrupting the space laws has returned, and its influence is spreading."

Jun Laoye hurried forward to support him. "Ancestor, are you alright?"

Turning toward the cliffside of the Scripture Hall, Jun Laoye’s voice broke with terror. "An... Ancestor, look! The black mist! It’s surging toward us!"

At the valley’s entrance, the cultivators that had been gathered by the black-robed men all raised their heads, stunned by the sight of the black mist tornado.

Ancestor Suitian gently pushed aside Jun Laoye’s supporting hand and straightened, showing no sign of faltering. "It’s nothing... it's just the backlash of a law. I merely grasped a thread of the space law; this degree of backlash poses no harm."

"The mist is surging... It’s finally about to begin."

He formed a seal with both hands and stepped forward, eyes fixed on the rolling mist. Muttering to himself, he activated his Divine Eye with a sharp cry. Two bolts of lightning shot out to either side. "Why are you still standing there? Must I invite you in person?"

At once, five streaks of light appeared before him. They were Heaven Venerable Ban Yao, Daoist Du, Venerable Tian Suo, Daoist Hong Yun, and Venerable Yong Nian.

"So you finally remembered us. Turns out even rivals can become teammates. This display of top cultivators’ dealings is truly entertaining." Daoist Du stepped forward, glancing at the venerables beside Ancestor Suitian, his voice dripping with scorn. "Who would have thought that the renowned Heaven Venerable Hua Sheng and Venerable Hua Xin would once have a master-disciple squabble?

"And the bloodthirsty Venerable Shuang Dao, I never imagined you would serve an enemy willingly for your granddaughter. Filial sons, dutiful fathers, brothers respectful to one another... what a supposedly tear-jerking story. Yet somehow, I find all of you nauseating."

When the venerables remained unmoved, he sneered at Ancestor Suitian. "Old freak, don’t expect us to play along. We came here for the treasures beneath the mist. Your threats mean nothing."

Daoist Du advanced slowly, purple-black miasma seeping from his body. "Still, I don’t mind lowering myself to cooperate with you this once. As for who claims the hidden trove when the mist clears... that's up to luck and fortune."

"You wish." Ancestor Suitian growled, unleashing a massive palm of spirit qi that shattered Daoist Du on the spot. "The treasure may be unclaimed, but this is still Jun Clan territory. It’s only fair that we claim seventy percent of the spoils."

"

Heh

, seventy percent? Where do you get the audacity to ask for that much?" Standing atop her Snow Python, Heaven Venerable Ban Yao mocked coldly. "Do you take us for fledgling juniors, easily fooled with crumbs?"

"

Hehehe

, Heaven Venerable Ban Yao, seems he really does take us for children." Venerable Tian Su sneered, spirit qi chains coiling around him. "Low-grade techniques mean nothing to us. But when it comes to top-tier inheritances, every scrap must be fought for."

Daoist Du’s voice drifted through the air as he reformed beside Venerable Shuang Dao. "If any of you are willing to join us, I can deliver what Suitian promised. After all, my main body is also at the High Sage level. I command countless arts of resurrection and reviva—"[1]

Before he could finish, Ancestor Suitian unleashed another palm strike at him. "Old freak Du, your chatter never ends."

Threads of black-purple mist surged toward Hua Sheng, condensing once more into Daoist Du’s withered figure. "Give it up, Suitian. This body is nothing but condensed toxins. You can shatter me ten thousand times, but I can reform as many times as I wish."

He barely finished before Ancestor Suitian crushed him again. Three breaths later, Daoist Du reappeared beside Hua Xin. "Hua Xin, you’re the youngest here. You should understand flexibility. When this is over, come meet my main body. Your beloved, your sect brothers... if you wish them revived, it’s no problem."

"Daoist Du..." Ancestor Suitian narrowed his eyes at the reformed figure. This time, he did not rush to strike. Divine light flared beneath his feet as he growled, "If I’m not mistaken, you can only keep restoring yourself because of that miasma."

"Tell me. What happens if I drag you into my Heavenly Lightning dimension while you’re unguarded? Will you still resurrect then?"

The lightning spirit qi around him surged violently. One by one, spears of spirit qi shot up from the ground, each radiating a thin, deep-black wall of energy, trapping Daoist Du within.

"

Hmph...

"

Sensing the menacing aura closing in, Daoist Du retreated to Heaven Venerable Ban Yao’s side and shouted nervously, "Old freak, you’re only acting tough because you’re facing my clone. If you’ve got the guts, come fight my main body!"

1. A High Sage is far beyond ordinary elders or venerables, commanding respect even among other top-tier cultivators. They often possess a profound understanding of the Dao, laws, or cultivation techniques, and are seen as almost untouchable or legendary figures within the story world. ☜