Chapter 172: Gufeng’s Show of Strength, Taichu’s Cautious Reply

Chang Aotian bowed slightly and replied, “Reporting to Ancestor Huanglong, three days ago, our sect’s Uncle-Master Zuo Long broke through to the Spirit Tree Realm. Our sect’s founding ancestor was greatly pleased and has prepared a small banquet on our Gufeng Mountain. He has specially dispatched us disciples to invite you and the esteemed Hall Masters to attend.”

“So that’s how it is!” A golden glint flashed in Sect Master Huanglong’s eyes. After a moment of thought, he asked, “This seat remembers that your Uncle-Master Zuo Long is not yet a hundred years of age?”

“That is correct. In fifteen days, it will be his hundredth birthday,” Chang Aotian said with a faint smile. “Our sect’s founder has decided to hold a ‘Tree Transformation Banquet’ for him then, which happens to coincide with his birthday.”

After he finished speaking, the five Hall Masters exchanged another look, their hearts filled with shock. The Gufeng Sect had a breakthrough to the Spirit Tree Realm just seven years ago, and now, another one. In contrast, it had been more than twenty years since anyone in the Taichu Sect had reached that realm.

If not for the three Unsurpassed Purple Seeds and two Gray Seeds they had recruited last year, the expressions on their faces would have certainly been very ugly. But with these five disciples of excellent aptitude, they had a solid foundation for the future and were able to appear quite calm.

“Your esteemed sect is truly full of talent! To have another breakthrough to the Spirit Tree Realm just seven years after the last. This is a sign of your great revival!” Huanglong said with a slight smile. “For Zuo Long to break through is a joyous occasion. The Gufeng Sect and the Taichu Sect have been on good terms for generations. Of course we cannot be absent. In the coming days, an elder from our sect will lead some disciples to offer our congratulations and share in your good fortune!”

Chang Aotian wore a humble smile, though in his heart, he was thinking, But of course. Your Taichu Sect hasn’t held a Tree Transformation Banquet in over twenty years; you’ve been left far behind by us. But his words were exceedingly modest. “Ancestor Huanglong is too kind. Your esteemed sect is a model for the entire cultivation world. Our own sect’s founder has often sighed that all the good disciples have been taken by you, leaving only scraps like myself for our Gufeng Sect.”

Although his tone was humble, his words were a needle hidden in cotton. If not for the special seeds they had recruited last year, this would have been a stinging slap in the face. But as it was, Huanglong was very pleased and said repeatedly, “Master Gufeng is too modest, too modest!”

Huanglong then pointed to Chang Aotian and Xu Qing and said to his five Hall Masters with a look of admiration, “Aigh, it is a pity that our Taichu Sect does not have such outstanding disciples. It makes one almost ashamed to let our own juniors go out.” The five Hall Masters immediately smiled and nodded in agreement.

“Since this is your first time to our Emperor Peak, why not stay for a few days? In a few days, a batch of our new disciples will be ‘Entering the Mortal World,’ and it is on the way to your esteemed sect. If you have no other urgent business, please stay here for a few days.”

“We will obey Ancestor Huanglong’s decree!” Chang Aotian said, bowing deeply with Xu Qing. “Thank you for your generosity, Ancestor. Your Emperor Peak is a true earthly paradise; we were just wondering how we might ask for your grace to allow us to stay for a few days.”

Huanglong nodded and instructed his attendant, “Prepare the Shuhua and Shuyu Courtyards. Please have them settle in for a few days and treat them well. These esteemed guests from the Gufeng Sect must not be neglected.”

The five Hall Masters were surprised. Those two courtyards were reserved for high-ranking and exceptionally powerful cultivators. Why were these two juniors being given such accommodations?

After the visitors had left, the impatient Guyun asked, “Uncle-Master Huanglong, why did you let them stay? Don’t we need to keep the secret of our three Unsurpassed Purple Seeds?”

Huanglong smiled mysteriously, stroking his beard. “This visit from these two juniors is one part showing off and one part probing for information. If we didn’t let them stay, that old fellow, Master Gufeng, would surely grow suspicious. For the next few days, we will hide the three Purple Seeds well and strictly forbid anyone they have contact with from speaking a word. The Shuhua and Shuyu Courtyards are here on Emperor Peak. The environment is elegant, and they are close to the Taichu Grand Hall, where ordinary disciples cannot approach. Arranging for them to stay here, on the one hand, shows weakness and respect for their Gufeng Sect’s rise. On the other, it also reduces their chances of coming into contact with ordinary disciples. And besides, it is more convenient to monitor them here.”

Hearing this, the five Hall Masters had a sudden realization.

Guyun then said, “I have heard of this Zuo Long of theirs. I believe he is a full seed, his aptitude close to that of a Gray Seed. For such a disciple to reach the Spirit Tree Realm in under a hundred years, it seems the Gufeng Sect is truly about to prosper!”

Huanglong just smiled. “Let them be proud for now. In less than a hundred years, our sect will continuously produce experts at the Spirit Tree Realm. With five special seeds this time, the future will certainly belong to our Taichu Sect!”

Guyun smiled. “Indeed. Never mind the three Unsurpassed Purple Seeds; even my own untalented Gray Seed disciple, Zhang Yang, has excellent aptitude. With my guidance, his future may not be inferior to that of a Purple Seed.” As he boasted, the faces of the other Hall Masters, except for the uninterested Xuanji and the content Su Baihua, grew tense, realizing they would have to fight over the remaining special seeds.

Huanglong, seated on high, pondered for a long time before speaking. “For this ceremonial visit to the Gufeng Sect, who do you think we should send?”

Guyun immediately seized the opportunity. “With such a grand display from them, if the disciples we send are too shabby, we will be laughed at. We cannot send a Purple Seed…”

Everyone nodded in unison. To send a Purple Seed out was not a show of strength, but an invitation for disaster. The moment they left, a supreme great sect might come and annihilate them.

“But we need someone who is presentable, yet not too ostentatious. Who should we send?”

“Why not send my disciple, Zhang Yang?” Guyun suggested. “He is a Gray Seed. He will not bring shame upon our sect, nor will he be too ostentatious.”

Before Huanglong could even speak, Su Baihua interjected. “That would be inappropriate. Zhang Yang’s personality is just like his name—too flashy. What if he causes trouble outside?”

Huanglong also nodded. “Hall Master Su is right. That child’s personality is too ostentatious. I think that Murong Chao child is not bad. He is also a Gray Seed and comes from a noble family; he understands etiquette. He would be the best choice.”

With the Sect Master having made his decision, the matter was settled. Then, Xuanji raised a question. “Since the disciple has been chosen, we must also choose an elder to accompany him. A Gray Seed might not start a war, but he will surely be coveted by many sects and could be assassinated on the road.”

Everyone agreed.

“In that case, we can’t just send any elder,” Guyun said, his eyes darting around. “But we also can’t trouble the Elder’s Council. How about we choose one from among us Hall Masters? I have been quite idle recently. Why not give this task to me?”

“No!” the other three Hall Masters shouted in unison. They all knew that this smiling Guyun was a snake in the grass. If Murong Chao were to be attacked on the road, he would likely just stand by and watch.

Huanglong also saw through his scheme and turned his gaze to the master of the Summer Cloud Hall. “Hall Master Xia, you will make the trip.” Since Huanglong himself had come from the Summer Cloud Hall, this man was his most trusted choice.

“With the delegation settled, we should now discuss the ‘Entering the Mortal World’ trial,” Huanglong said, leaning back in his chair. “I feel we should follow the old rules: don’t put all the eggs in one basket. Scatter them to different places to experience different things. As for the arrangements, the disciples who have sprouted leaves will have one-on-one guides, and for those who have not, one guide can lead a group.”

“That is wise, Uncle-Master,” one of them said. “But how should we arrange the trial for the three Unsurpassed Purple Seeds?”

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