Chapter 641: The Four Heavenly Ministers' Daoist Heritage!

The Five Heavenly Declines...

Wang Sheng stood beside the bed with Mu Wanxuan and Yaoyun, keeping vigil over the aged Star Deity.

Only now that they were closer to him did the old man's full condition become clear. The suffering that this true deity of the Heavenly Court had endured was far worse than it appeared from afar.

Zhuge Lin carried some kind of treasure within his chest. Wang Sheng did not know what it was, yet he could sense the boundless vitality it released. Only through it did Zhuge Lin manage to hold on until now. As the old man himself had said, he was already like a cripple. The slightest use of immortal power could cause him to collapse.

"Junior Brother..."

Mu Wanxuan's eyes revealed a trace of concern.

She had no real memory of this elder, nor any recollection of her previous life. Yet during the thousand-year dream upon the Platform of Immortal Dream, she had seen someone much like him.

The figure had been a refined middle-aged scholar, utterly unlike the frail old man before her now. Nevertheless, Zhuge Lin truly had been something like an uncle to Hua Qing.

Wang Sheng glanced at the grand array protecting the pavilion.

Yaoyun said softly, "The Star Deity set this array up himself. I cannot undo it. We can only wait for him to awaken."

Zhuge Lin coughed violently, slowly opened his eyes, and vacantly stared upward. After a long pause, a faint glimmer of clarity returned.

"I have been discourteous. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

Yaoyun replied gently, "I am no longer a princess of the Heavenly Court. Now, I am merely a sword spirit who follows her sword master. Senior, please don't force yourself to talk. Just rest for now."

"

Aiyh.

"

Zhuge Lin sighed and waved a hand. His emotions gradually steadied as the green light around him seemingly suppressed the turmoil within his Dao Heart. Once his aura settled, he slowly sat up. His gaze fell on the floating armor and greatsword before him, causing him to freeze for a moment.

Fearing that the sight would stir painful memories, Wang Sheng quietly put away the sword and armor. "Senior, please don't let your grief overwhelm you."

"What difference does it make? He's already gone, and there's so much I regret. I don't even know where my wretched body will drift to next... When Brother Li's remnant soul dispersed, was his heart at peace?"

Yaoyun lowered her voice. "I intended to teach him a spirit cultivation method, but he refused to live on with a broken body."

"Yes, that definitely sounds like Brother Li." Zhuge Lin's tone softened. "Enough of this matter. The dead cannot be pursued. My broken body and severed soul may not last much longer. I have made a spectacle of myself before you."

He turned his gaze to Mu Wanxuan.

"Little Qing, do you need alchemical pills? These days, I can only refine pills."

Mu Wanxuan shook her head gently. In her stead, Wang Sheng explained, "Senior, to be frank, we came today because of my senior sister's cultivation. Since she seems to have been born from a divine tree in her previous life, we hope she can use the tree to raise her cultivation."

"Oh?" Zhuge Lin was briefly startled, then understanding dawned. "No wonder you sought comprehension pills from the Qiling Immortal Sect to break through a bottleneck. You are in a hurry with your cultivation. Little Qing and that divine tree share the same origin. Since the tree has accumulated immense spiritual power, it can certainly help her swiftly recover her cultivation. However..."

Wang Sheng quickly asked, "Is there a problem?"

The hesitation in Zhuge Lin's eyes vanished as quickly as it appeared. He smiled. "In what world would I find a problem in helping Little Qing with her cultivation? Give me a moment. I will arrange it at once."

The old man drew a small mud pellet from his sleeve. He crushed it in his palm, and a streak of green light shot away and vanished.

Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan exchanged a glance and breathed a quiet sigh of relief. They had taken considerable risks to investigate the Qiling Immortal Sect. First, they spent a fair amount of Spirit Stones and precious materials, then unexpectedly received guidance from Lin Feiyao. Afterward, using the pretext of exchanging alchemical pills, they had managed to meet Zhuge Lin.

Originally, they had expected to endure many twists and turns. They even thought they would have to come up with a proper excuse before they could enter the mustard seed realm under the sect's watchful eyes.

This turn of fate and encounter with a Star Deity of the Heavenly Court was completely unexpected.

After crushing the pellet, Zhuge Lin raised a hand and shut down the surrounding array. Softly, he asked, "Little Qing, considering you're hoping to speed up your cultivation, are there people bothering you? Though I cannot move freely, I have taken in some disciples and grand disciples over the years. They may not yet be pillars of strength, but they can handle small matters."

Wang Sheng lowered his voice. "There is no need for concern, Senior. My senior sister's true spirit is damaged, which affects even her speech. Once she reaches the True Immortal Realm, her true spirit will mend more quickly."

Zhuge Lin frowned slightly. "Little Qing, may I see your left hand?"

"

Mm.

" She rolled up her sleeve and extended her jade-white left hand.

Zhuge Lin placed a finger on her wrist and closed his eyes in thought.

Meanwhile, Yaoyun softly remarked, "I'll go recover my spiritual power. Call for me if anything happens."

She transformed into a sword and returned to the Qiankun Ring.

As soon as she left, streaks of light shot in from beyond the valley. Eight white-haired elders—five men and three women—hurriedly descended before the pavilion, alarming the young medicine attendants and pill refiners working throughout the valley.

They were already somewhat accustomed to such scenes, though.

"Has Elder Zhuge's old illness flared up again?"

"Even the sect master has been alerted..."

"Elder Zhuge is our sect's grandmaster of alchemy. No amount of concern would be excessive."

Cha Yue, who had been strolling through the valley, stopped in surprise at the sight. She quickly flew toward the pavilion, fearing that the two people she had brought had caused trouble. Even if Zhuge Lin had instructed her to leave their guests with him earlier, she would still inevitably face punishment from the sect if something had gone wrong.

Before she could reach the pavilion, the eight figures had already rushed inside. The array around the pavilion flared to life once more, cutting off all outside perception. Cha Yue frowned, utterly at a loss for words.

The eight figures had just burst inside when one of them anxiously called out, "Elder Zhuge! Are you alright?"

Another demanded, "Who are these people? What are they doing here?"

Zhuge Lin softly reprimanded, "Don't be rude."

The elders lowered their heads in unison.

The Daoist elder at the front steadily instructed, "Activate the grand array first."

The one beside him immediately reactivated the pavilion's array with practiced ease. Afterward, the eight stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"Greetings, Venerable Master."

"

Mm,

no need for formalities," Zhuge Lin replied. He was now as composed as when Wang Sheng had first seen him. Rising slowly to his feet, he ordered, "Wensheng, please show everyone to their seats."

"Yes, Master," the leading Daoist elder answered respectfully.

Two elderly women quickly gathered the scattered medicinal herbs and jade bottles. Two other white-haired elders retrieved two rows of chairs from storage artifacts and set them in place. In moments, they had neatly tidied up the cluttered space. It was clear that Zhuge Lin rarely bothered to clean the place himself.

When the eight reactivated the array and addressed Zhuge Lin as "Venerable Master," Wang Sheng finally understood how the old man had stayed hidden all these years.

He had likely founded the Qiling Immortal Sect, then concealed himself here in plain sight, freely refining pills and medicines. Even if the Heavenly Court's enemies noticed the Qiling Immortal Sect, the entire sect would reveal no flaw, making it the perfect cover.

Wang Sheng even suspected that these eight powerful elders weren't aware that their master had once been a Star Deity of the old Heavenly Court.

Once the eight had taken their seats, Zhuge Lin pointed at Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan. Solemnly, he said, "These two are disciples of my closest friend. I will protect them even if it costs me this old life. From this day on, you are to treat them with utmost care."

"As you command, Master," the eight answered in unison, each giving the martial siblings friendly looks.

Wang Sheng could not see through their cultivation at all. Hence, Yaoyun telepathically informed him that four of them were Golden Immortals. The lean elder at the front had even reached the peak of it. The remaining four were near the Golden Immortal Realm, not far from Wang Beifeng at his prime.

They had a powerful force, but across the entire Eastern Sky Region, they would barely qualify as a large sect. Without a Taiyi Golden Immortal overseeing them, they would struggle to rank among the truly great powers.

Wang Sheng had never felt that the North-River Sword Sect was particularly strong. After all, since his days on Earth, he had always heard of powerful beings, like the Three Pure Ones, Haotian, and Ziwei. When the Heavenly Court had flourished, Grand Dao and Taiyi Golden Immortals had been everywhere.

But the Heavenly Court had once ruled the Three Realms. It was not the same as an ordinary sect. Now, comparing the Qiling Immortal Sect with the North-River Sword Sect, he finally understood that the North-River Sword Sect was truly formidable.

It had looked as though it had suffered a major loss at the thirteen qi planets, but in reality, the only one embarrassed was a somewhat influential elder from the sect's Six Peaks.

Wang Beifeng ranked only sixth or seventh in his own lineage.

Wang Sheng pondered deeply until Zhuge Lin softly asked Mu Wanxuan, "Little Qing, what is your junior brother called?"

"Fei Yu," she whispered.

"Fei Yu... That Daoist name is somewhat unusual."

She pointed at herself. "Bu Yu."

Smiling, Zhuge Lin nodded. "

Mm,

that does carry a certain charm. It is a virtue to observe much without speaking, to see through things without exposing them."

Wang Sheng was rendered speechless.

As expected of her relatives.

Zhuge Lin added, "Fei Yu, Little Qing, I will have Wensheng take you to the divine tree shortly. However, there is something I must make clear beforehand."

"What is it, Senior?"

Zhuge Lin looked at his eight disciples and said in a low, steady tone, "All of you listen carefully. This concerns the future path of the Qiling Immortal Sect and is something you have to keep in mind.

"I was once an officially appointed deity of the Heavenly Court. I followed Emperor Qinghua and oversaw the lands of the Eastern Sky Region. The mustard seed realm, where you once stayed for many years, was the emperor's former residence.

"If, in the future, you are willing to aid in the restoration of the Heavenly Court, you may choose your moment and join those great seniors who have long worked for this cause. If you are unwilling, then remain here and cultivate in peace. There is no need to involve yourselves in the old affairs of the Heavenly Court. Once war begins, calamity becomes endless. I do not wish for you to repeat past mistakes. Decide your own paths in time."

The eight elders had varied reactions. Some looked enlightened, while some appeared deeply moved. Others seemed as though they had long suspected the truth and now smiled knowingly.

Zhuge Lin added, "We have a matter to take care of today. Wensheng, you will preside over it. Little Qing is to enter the former residence to cultivate. She will be going to a place that contains the Daoist heritage that the emperor left behind. However, many trials guard it.

"When the Five Heavenly Declines hit us, the emperor foresaw the calamities to come and preserved his complete Daoist heritage. I have remained here partly to seek a successor for him. Now that Little Qing has arrived, there is no need for me to search any further. She was always the emperor's most favored disciple.

"Once she begins her cultivation, the restrictions that the emperor left will activate. The entire Eastern Sky Region will sense it. Since the Qiling Immortal Sect may be affected, we have to prepare in advance."

Wang Sheng's eyebrows knit tightly.

What the hell is happening?

He had the sudden feeling that this was following a familiar script, yet it also felt far more complicated than that.