Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 968: Senior Brother Dai, I’ve Also Brought Back a Reclusive Expert
At the summit of Heaven’s Gate Peak...
“Junior Brother Dai...I observe that your complexion has improved considerably compared to previous years. Have you grown more adept at managing the Great Mission Hall?”
“Being adept is one thing, but the most important factor is that the three great diabolic creeds have quieted down significantly. I no longer have to waste so much effort in analyzing intelligence regarding their matters. Speaking of which, I really must thank Junior Brother Lu for that.”
Dai Bufan took a sip of Wudao Enlightenment Tea and reclined on the monarch chair, looking comfortable.
If this had been in the past, he wouldn't have had such leisure to visit Heaven’s Gate Peak to sip tea and chat with Yun Zhi. He would have been hunched over his desk, organizing intelligence and issuing missions.
“Little Junior Brother has a distinctive way of doing things, but it often yields unexpected gains. You should have some insight into that, Junior Brother Dai.”
“I wonder what kind of luck Junior Brother Lu has. Wherever he goes, something always happens. I just heard that a battle broke out at the immortal palace yesterday. They captured two Great Qian cultivators—one was a Transcendent Tribulation cultivator and the other a half-immortal.”
Dai Bufan finished the cup of Wudao Enlightenment Tea, then poured himself another.
Back when he first heard Lu Yang report on Transcendent Tribulation and half-immortal battles breaking out here or there, he would be startled. But now, his Dao heart had been tempered through numerous trials. Battles involving Transcendent Tribulation cultivators and half-immortals could no longer stir so much as a ripple.
“It seems the Great Qian cultivators have finally grown restless.”
“Big Senior Sister, I’m back.” Lu Yang waved to Yun Zhi, delight overflowing from his visage.
“Senior Brother Dai, you’re here too.” Lu Yang was surprised to see Dai Bufan. It was rare for the latter to visit Heaven’s Gate Peak.
“Back from the immortal palace?” Yun Zhi signaled with her eyes for Lu Yang to sit.
Just two days prior, she had traveled to the Moon Laurel Immortal Palace to feed a bowl of Twins River water to Elder Zhu Hong. She hadn’t expected that barely two days later, the immortal palace would come under attack by Great Qian cultivators. Fortunately, it didn’t result in any casualties.
“Big Senior Sister, Senior Brother Dai, come try these mooncakes and spirit fruits. They’re specialties of the immortal palace.” Lu Yang retrieved two bundles from his identity jade tablet—one filled with osmanthus mooncakes and the other with spirit fruits he had found delicious after shrinking.
“How thoughtful of you, Little Junior Brother.” Yun Zhi picked up a spirit fruit and took a small bite.
She had numerous dealings with the Moon Laurel Immortal Palace and had tasted such mooncakes and spirit fruits many times before. But since this is a gesture from Little Junior Brother, it holds a different meaning.
Dai Bufan took a mooncake and ate it alongside his Wudao Enlightenment Tea. “Osmanthus-filled mooncakes? It’s been a while since I ate them. That’s very thoughtful of you, Junior Brother Lu.”
“Junior Brother Lu, did you gain anything from your trip to the Moon Laurel Immortal Palace?”
Lu Yang thought, Senior Brother Dai truly has incredible foresight. My trip to the immortal palace has been worthwhile, and I’ve gained much.
“Just yesterday, the Demon-Subduing Divine Lord and the Devil-Vanquishing Divine Lord of the Great Qian Dynasty slipped into the immortal palace with the intention of felling the Moon Laurel Tree Ancestor. The Demon-Subduing Divine Lord was at the Transcendent Tribulation Stage, and the Devil-Vanquishing Divine Lord was a half-immortal. However, with Sect Ancestor Fang, the Moon Laurel Tree Ancestor, and the Moonchaser True Person from the immortal palace joining forces to fend off the enemy, the immortal palace suffered little damage.”
Dai Bufan showed little surprise, merely letting out an impassive “oh.” “So the half-immortal on the immortal palace’s side was indeed the Moonchaser True Person?” The intelligence he received had only stated that “suspected to be the Moonchaser True Person.” Now, he had directly confirmed the identity through Lu Yang.
“By chance, I learned some of the truth.
“The Moon Laurel Tree Ancestor has developed spirit intelligence and become a true living being, and her name is Bai Ye. Something went wrong during the Moonchaser True Person’s cultivation, and she has no choice but to share a moon laurel avatar with Bai Ye. In the day, the Moonchaser True Person controls it; at night, Bai Ye takes over.
“Bai Ye enjoys listening to my stories. During my time at the immortal palace, she came to me every night. Before long, we became acquainted.”
“So that’s how it is.” Dai Bufan nodded pensively. Junior Brother Lu really is fated with high-level cultivators. He took another bite of his mooncake.
Lu Yang continued, “Since Bai Ye and the Moonchaser True Person cannot leave the Great Snow Mountain, Bai Ye proposed moving one of its peaks to our Dao-Seeking Sect. That way, she and the Moonchaser True Person could come together. From what she said, it sounds like she plans to stay for the long term.”
Cough, cough, cough! Dai Bufan choked on his mooncake, coughing violently and pounding his chest.
“Senior Brother Dai, are you alright?” Lu Yang asked with concern.
Dai Bufan swallowed the mooncake with difficulty and waved to indicate he was fine, then turned to Lu Yang with a peculiar expression. “Are you saying that you’ve abducted the Moon Laurel Immortal Ancestor and the founder of the Moon Laurel Immortal Palace to our Dao-Seeking Sect?”
Lu Yang hastily denied any involvement. “Bai Ye proposed it on her own. It has nothing to do with me.”
“It must have something to do with you.” Dai Bufan knew well that he couldn’t completely believe Lu Yang’s nonsense.
Yun Zhi was also surprised to hear that Bai Ye and the Moonchaser True Person would come to the Dao-Seeking Sect.
“Is there anything else?” Dai Bufan asked, exasperated. I thought I was mentally prepared, yet Lu Yang’s actions still caught me off guard.
“Oh, oh, and one more thing. I encountered a reclusive expert with unfathomable cultivation at the immortal palace. I invited him back. Would you like to meet him, Senior Brother Dai?”
“A reclusive expert?” Dai Bufan was perplexed. “Where?”
Lu Yang showed him the ancient black ring on his middle finger. “Inside this ancient ring, which contains its own small world.”
“In that case, I’ll have to trouble you to introduce him to me, Junior Brother Lu.” Learning about a reclusive expert was part of gathering intelligence.
Yun Zhi raised an eyebrow, instinctively sensing that the “reclusive expert” whom Lu Yang mentioned was no ordinary figure. She followed Lu Yang and Dai Bufan into the ancient ring’s small world.
Inside, mist permeated the air, limiting visibility. Even when Dai Bufan extended his spiritual consciousness, it was useless. The mist of unknown origin was somehow capable of blocking spiritual consciousness.
A massive silhouette flickered in the distance, gone before he could make out what kind of living being it was. Dai Bufan felt inexplicably tense.
“Junior Brother Lu, where is this reclusive expert?” Dai Bufan whispered.
Lu Yang didn’t speak, simply pointing upward.
Dai Bufan looked up and saw that the colossal figure hidden in the mist had drawn near, appearing enormous and elongated.
A giant dragon’s head that seemed to be cast from pure gold emerged from the mist, mysterious and majestic. The dragon lowered its head, its crystalline eyes reflecting Dai Bufan’s figure.
Dai Bufan shuddered. The dragon did not deliberately release its oppressive pressure, but he still sensed a terrifying oppressive pressure emanating from it. This was the unmistakable aura of an individual who had long reigned at the top.
This reclusive expert is undoubtedly a renowned big shot.
“Junior Brother Lu, who exactly is this great expert?”
“This is the Great Venerable Dragon Mandate, worshipped by the East Sea Dragon Tribe. He also has another identity—the Heaven Mandate Immortal, one of the Four Ancient Immortals, who commands the power of heavenly tribulations. With Senior Heaven Mandate Immortal here, you will surely be safe when undergoing tribulations in the future.”
The golden dragon spoke in human tongue, his words sacred and ancient, carrying the desolate essence of primordial ages. “Young one of later generations, you wished to meet one?”
Dai Bufan’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.
The Heaven Mandate Immortal scratched his scales with a claw, vexed. “Why are cultivators of later generations so timid?”
