Chapter 26

After resting for a while, Hengyi left Hu Baijie and said, "I will report to Master about the Poison Man Sword."

Hu Baijie was lost in thought and smiled in response.

Hengyi entered the Grand Elder Hall and saw Dàyuan wielding the Mountain God Sword in the air. Seeing him, Dàyuan hurriedly said, "Close the door."

Hengyi closed the door and reported on the handling of the Poison Man Sword, then handed over the red sword that had returned to its original form.

Dàyuan was indeed overjoyed, holding the sword with great affection and muttering, "A soul-integrated magical weapon! A soul-integrated magical weapon! This is truly a divine sword, Hengyi! Heaven is indeed favoring our San Yuan Sect! The San Yuan Sect should rise, it should rise!"

Seeing his Master happy, Hengyi was naturally happy too. However, every time Dàyuan spoke of grand dreams, Hengyi felt a great deal of pressure.

Replacing Hu San would be very difficult. Hu San was a powerful figure at the Celestial Sovereign realm, and he wouldn't have been able to found the Hu Hai Sect otherwise. Moreover, the Heavenly King Sect, which had close ties with the Hu Hai Sect, also had a Celestial Sovereign realm master. Outnumbered and outmatched, the San Yuan Sect had little hope for the time being. The Hu Hai Sect's internal forces were deeply entrenched, and even though his Master now had significant power, it was difficult to win over the Hu Hai Sect disciples. Reviving the San Yuan Sect was as hard as moving mountains.

In fact, up to this day, neither Dàyuan nor Hengyi had a clear, specific plan to achieve their goals. They were taking it one step at a time, hoping for the future and waiting for the right opportunity.

But Dàyuan had not given up hope, and neither would Hengyi.

"Does Hu Baijie know the details of the divine sword?"

"The disciple only mentioned that it is a blood-drinking type and can increase the true qi condensation by tenfold. I didn't mention the other two abilities."

Dàyuan was somewhat relieved. If these abilities were exposed, he felt that Hu San would definitely kill Hengyi to seize the treasure! The ability of a blood-drinking weapon to grow stronger by absorbing the enemy's true qi and enhancing its own power and replenishing itself was powerful, especially for close-range attack spells. The Hu Hai Sect's spells and techniques were not primarily close-range, except for the Four Great Spells, which were somewhat similar. Hu San probably wouldn't kill Hengyi for the sword, but if he knew the truth, he would be unable to resist!

Increasing true qi condensation by tenfold was an extremely high ability, a basic pursuit for magical weapons in the Immortal Sect. The Mountain God Sword only increased it by fivefold, and nothing more.

True qi gathering was a rare and formidable ability. The killing power of an Immortal Sect practitioner's weapon was naturally inferior to spells, because even if a magical weapon could carry and infuse enough true qi, the meridians couldn't withstand it. Infusing enough true qi into a regular weapon to increase its killing power was less effective than casting spells, but doing so would leave many meridians needing rest and unable to cast spells. However, the ability to guide true qi could change this. A magical weapon with true qi gathering could absorb the equivalent of three-tenths of the owner's natural qi from the environment, keeping it in this state. This made it powerful without wasting the user's true qi, and it wouldn't affect the meridians or hinder other spells. It even didn't require the owner to expend any energy.

It was as if every sword strike by the owner could produce a power surpassing many spell techniques! The value and strength of this ability were self-evident.

True qi gathering was itself one of the most precious abilities of magical weapons in the Immortal Sect. With all these abilities combined, the power of this divine sword was so great that Dàyuan found it hard to believe. Perhaps the Hu Hai Sect's treasure records were too limited, as they didn't even mention the existence of such a magical weapon. With such a magical weapon, Hengyi wouldn't need to consider other similar abilities in the future, as the same abilities couldn't be activated simultaneously.

"The details of the divine sword must remain with Master. You must not speak of it to your fellow disciples or the third Master. The third Master is not cautious enough, and the younger disciples are still children with a tendency to show off. If they accidentally reveal it, it could bring disaster. You must be extremely careful! Remember, the details of the divine sword are your life! Revealing them is no different from suicide!" Dàyuan was particularly serious and made Hengyi swear on the spot.

"The disciple will follow the mission! I swear not to reveal it to anyone!" Hengyi quickly knelt and swore. Dàyuan helped him up and had him put the sword away. "Master doesn't doubt you, but knows how important this is, as it concerns your life!"

"Yes, the disciple understands."

"Hengyi, you are not the same as before. In the future, Hu San will certainly give you opportunities to participate in external trials and exchanges with other Immortal Sects. Your performance in the cultivation assessment was too conspicuous. Master regrets not being more cautious in the past, and didn't expect you to take things so seriously. From now on, you must not do this. Being brave and unafraid of danger is good, but unnecessary showiness is arrogance and can put you in unnecessary danger." Dàyuan recalled the assessment, feeling both proud and fearful. He had long wanted to advise Hengyi, and if he hadn't encouraged Hengyi to perform at his best, Hengyi wouldn't have been so determined to do his best.

"The disciple will remember." Hengyi quickly agreed.

"Shi Niang—"

"Shi Niang!"

"Oh, you are so diligent..."

The voices of the San Yuan Sect's younger disciples outside made Dàyuan give Hengyi a meaningful look, and Hengyi understood and remained silent.

When the door opened, a woman walked in, and Hengyi quickly bowed respectfully. "This is Hengyi, greeting Shi Niang."

"Ah! You are Hengyi? Dàyuan has been praising you today." The woman looked younger than Hu Baijie but was actually twenty-five years old, a bit older than Hai Shan. Her name was Hu Yuan, and she was of high seniority, the daughter of the youngest concubine's son from over sixty years ago. Hu San's son died during his cultivation in the Immortal Sect, leaving only Hu Yuan, who had no cultivation talent. For many years, she and her mother had been confined to a cold palace. If not for her engagement to Dàyuan, she might have been arranged to live a secular life outside the Immortal Mountain.

Hu Yuan was young and beautiful, with a well-proportioned figure, but her eyes lacked vitality, always showing a depth that didn't match her age. She was very reserved and calm, rarely smiling, and her smile now seemed particularly forced.

"Master, Shi Niang, the disciple will take my leave." As Hengyi closed the door, he saw Hu Yuan's obvious relief, clearly showing that she was also tired of the unfamiliar interaction.

The next day dawned.

During the top ten cultivation assessment, Hengyi and Hu Baijie were seated beside Hu San to watch. Behind Hengyi was Hai Yuntian, who had just been promoted to the Northern Region Chief Elder. When their eyes met, Hai Yuntian smiled kindly, and Hengyi quickly returned the smile.

The newly appointed Chief Elder sat next to Hengyi. When Hengyi greeted him, he smiled and waved. "No need for formalities, we are not strangers. I have a deep friendship with Elder Dàyuan, so don't be formal with me. If the New Cultivation Hall needs anything, just let me know."

"Master often mentions the Chief Elder's guidance and support." Hengyi knew from Hu Baijie that his Master's promotion had nothing to do with the new Chief Elder. Dàyuan, of course, also knew that Hu Baijie had revealed this information through Hengyi to avoid forming an alliance with the Chief Elder. They were to be grateful to Hu San, and Dàyuan decided not to interact much with the Chief Elder openly but to maintain a relationship secretly. Therefore, he had instructed Hengyi on how to handle the situation.

The Chief Elder was indeed pleased to hear this.

The top ten cultivation assessment went smoothly, and the next day's results greatly excited Hengyi and brought glory to Dàyuan.

All ten San Yuan Sect disciples, including Wang Feizi, secured positions and received rewards.

Although many Hu Hai Sect disciples were secretly不服气 (unconvinced), thinking that their earlier cultivation of the Four Great Spells gave them an advantage and that their lack of cultivation foundation as servants before the assessment was a huge benefit, the results were undeniable. The New Cultivation Hall's reputation soared, and everyone knew the power of the Four Great Spells. In contrast, the Old Cultivation Hall's glory faded, and after that, it was deserted. The twenty-odd cultivation elders had nothing to do, and almost no Hu Hai Sect disciples went there to learn the old methods, all crowding into the New Cultivation Hall.

On the third day after the top ten cultivation assessment, under Hu San's personal supervision, Dàyuan and Hu Yuan were married.

The celebration lasted until late at night, and the guests finally dispersed.

Hengyi supported Dàyuan to the new bridal chamber in the rear hall.

Just before they arrived, the seemingly drunk Dàyuan suddenly stopped Hengyi.

"Master isn't drunk?" Hengyi still supported Dàyuan, fearing that someone might be watching. The Hu Hai Sect had countermeasures for Hu Baijie's talismans, and Dàyuan had bought protective jade pendants, so he wasn't afraid. However, if someone was nearby, it wouldn't go unnoticed.

Dàyuan stared at the light leaking from the bridal chamber window, silent for a long time.

"Master, do you like Shi Niang?" Hengyi had long wanted to ask this, but never had the chance.

"Foolish disciple... Master has been a bachelor for over thirty years. In the past, I and the others most wanted to start a family! Regardless of her beauty, I would be happy. But disciple, she is a member of the Hu family, and we must prioritize the greater good. Master dares not like her, nor can I like her!" Dàyuan's eyes welled with tears, and only he understood his feelings at that moment.

Hengyi decided to speak his mind, not wanting his Master to carry such thoughts. He couldn't forget the words his Master had once said: "A man, once married, must be responsible and care for his wife..." Those words were right and should not be violated. "The disciple remembers the words Master once said..."

"Hengyi, don't say more. Master knows what you want to say, but the situation is different, and it doesn't allow it!" Dàyuan always regretted those teachings, as he had been pretending to understand, using idealistic ideas to guide his disciples, which made Hengyi take them seriously and treat them as truth.

"The disciple believes in Master! The disciple doesn't know if Shi Niang is helping the Sect Master, and Master doesn't know either. If that's the case, why can't Master find out before making a decision? Just guessing and abandoning the responsibility of a husband, treating Shi Niang as an enemy, isn't that giving up from the start?" Hengyi's eyes shone as he looked at Dàyuan, who knew Hengyi's personality and couldn't dissuade him. "Master, promise me, Master will find out. Master won't treat her as an enemy first, but if she truly sides with Hu San and doesn't treat Master as a husband, then Master can't like her and must treat her as an enemy..."

Hengyi smiled happily. "The disciple believes it won't be the case. Why would someone like Hu San win Shi Niang's heart? Master is so good, Shi Niang will surely see right and wrong!"

Dàyuan nodded silently, letting Hengyi support him to the door, then pushed it open and went in alone...

Hengyi stood for a moment, hoping that Master and Shi Niang would be devoted to each other and live happily ever after.

Suddenly, a sound came from behind, and Hengyi quickly turned around, seeing Hai Yuntian descending from the air.

"Hengyi, the Sect Master has called you. Chen Zizai has arrived."

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