This Young Master is not Cannon Fodder

Chapter 382: Disappearance

Tianyi stilled. He never expected Sect Master Xia to say he would step down, but after thinking about it, he realized the reason. Sect Master Xia had already entered the Extremity Immortal Realm, and the position of sect master no longer mattered.

Why not use Xia Yushan’s matter to stand down?

Still, it would leave an irrevocable mark on his record. Tianyi couldn’t help but stare suspiciously at Sect Master Xia. “You aren’t just paying lip service, are you?”

Sect Master Xia shook his head. “With Grand Elder Xi’s strength and your strength, would I be able to do such a thing? Even if you and Grand Elder Xi let my disciple live, he won’t.”

“He?”

“That’s right, the Concealed Emperor,” Sect Master Xia said.

Tianyi turned silent. After a while, he asked. “Who is the Concealed Emperor?”

When his mother entered the Origin Immortal Realm, he had thought her status would exceed the eternal grand elder of the Buzhou Immortal Sect, but after visiting the forbidden grounds, Tianyi realized his folly. The Concealed Emperor likely wasn’t an immortal emperor, but an immortal sovereign or possibly a divinity of the Immortal Court from the primordial era.

Since Caishen could grasp a chance at life and survive to modern times, what about the other divinities?

Sect Master Xia shook his head. “I can’t tell you, but you should know soon.”

“What do you mean?”

“All grand elders will meet His Majesty.”

Tianyi ignored the terms of address as his mouth hung open. “You were being serious? You really are going to make me a grand elder?”

“Of course,” Sect Master Xia said with certainty. “There is no requirement for becoming a grand elder except for strength. If you don’t qualify for the position of grand elder after obliterating a part of the Earth Continent along with the Eight Pillar Sect, I think only Grand Elder Xi will be eligible.”

“That was an accident. I didn’t expect my technique to be that devastating,” Tianyi said, looking away.

“Even if it was an accident, your strength has already reached the requirement. Although it isn’t official yet, let me address you again. Greetings, Grand Elder Xi,” Sect Master Xia said with a salute.

Tianyi could feel the corner of his lips quirk upward, but he forced it down. “Don’t think I’ve forgiven you for Xia Yushan’s action just because of your words.”

Sect Master Xia only slightly smiled. He could see that Tianyi’s anger had mostly dissipated. “It’s my fault. I should have never given him the Emotion Severance Sutra.”

“Emotion Severance Sutra?” Tianyi repeated. He had heard of it before, but didn’t think much of it. Now, his views had changed. “Such a problematic cultivation method should be made taboo.”

“I was afraid that Yushan would develop an inner devil, and the Emotion Severance Sutra is the best method to overcome inner devils.” Sect Master Xia sighed. “Unfortunately, he was still unable to overcome the shadow of his heart.”

Tianyi recalled Xia Yushan’s confession to Daoyi. “Love? Did he love Daoyi that much?”

Still, he didn’t feel sorry. If you truly loved someone, you shouldn’t be willing to kill them. In Tianyi’s eyes, this wasn’t love at all, but selfishness. “Rather Emotional Severance Sutra, it should be called the Art of Selfishness.”

Sect Master Xia didn’t deny Tianyi’s words. In the long history of the Huang Realm, all those who cultivated the Emotion Severance Sutra either committed a taboo in their pursuit of the path or fell before they could do so. He had hoped Xia Yushan would have been different, but he was wrong beyond his wildest imagination.

At this point, Sect Master Xia had transitioned to planning the ceremony announcing the Buzhou Immortal Sect’s hegemony over the Huang Realm.

He didn’t know why the Concealed Emperor ordered him to plan the ceremony when the Saintly Scholar School still remained. Sect Master Xia knew that the Saintly Scholar School wasn’t their secret ally like the Cultivator Alliance. Otherwise, they would have unified the Huang Realm over a hundred thousand years ago. Still, that didn’t prevent him from obeying the Concealed Emperor’s decree.

During the labor, his attendant reported something out of the blue. “Redseal wants to see me?”

Originally, Redseal should have been sealed for at least a few hundred more years, but because of the arrival of war, he was released. If he performed well, his sentence would be reduced and he may even be rewarded if he contributed enough. Because of their friendship, Sect Master Xia had dispatched him to destroy the headquarters of the Drifting Feather Sect.

As Sect Master Xia willed, Redseal had performed admirably. Although it wasn’t likely for him to return to his previous position as the Head Elder of Justice Hall, he could still take other important positions.

“Let him in,” Sect Master Xia after a moment of consideration.

Redseal’s appearance became even more fragile instead of recovering. Now, instead of a middle-aged man, he appeared closer to an elderly man now. His back had a noticeable slouch and his hair seemed thin, capable of falling out at any moment. He didn’t even greet Sect Master Xia and practically shouted, “Do you know where Ban’er is?! I tried looking for him, but it’s as if he disappeared.”

Sect Master Xia frowned. He couldn’t help but stare at Redseal. Did he develop an inner devil? “Have you checked his soul lamp?”

Redseal’s eyes light up. “Yes, Ban’er’s soul lamp!”

Without bidding goodbye, he flew out of the room. Sect Master Xia returned to planning the ceremony, but he couldn’t help but feel something was off. He ordered his attendant to send someone to check on Lovespot’s soul lamp.

His feeling turned true as he the attendant reported that Lovespot’s soul lamp had extinguished. Still, that ominous premonition didn’t disappear and only increased. Not knowing what crazy actions Redseal would commit in his grief, he ordered the Brocade Immortals to monitor Redseal while he pulled up a report on Lovespot’s actions.

Sect Master Xia noticed something was off after reading the report. Lovespot had been dispatched to the Drifting Feather Sect with another squad. Redseal should have paid more attention to Lovespot, yet, how did Lovespot’s entire squad disappear without a trace?

He also noticed that Zi Zun was also part of the squad. As a potential Heavenblessed, Sect Master Xia kept tabs on him too. Coupled with Lovespot’s mysterious “death”, Sect master Xia felt something off. This feeling was cemented when he noticed that someone actually dispatched Brocade Immortal Thirty-Seven to monitor Lovespot and that the Brocade Immortal had mysteriously vanished, too.

Aside from himself, the only one able to order the Brocade Immortal was the Concealed Emperor. Sect Master Xia had originally only thought it was strange, and planned to investigate after everything settled down, but the Concealed Emperor’s involvement changed things.

Sect Master Xia immediately left Central Peak and made his way toward Broken Heaven Valley.

While the situation on the Heaven Continent and Earth Continent calmed down as the truth disseminated. Confucius entertained a guest. “Oh, you want to follow me? Are you sure you don’t want to stay in the Huang Realm?”

Across from the grand founder of the Saintly Scholar School was a slovenly Daoist with a sword strapped across his back, Daoist Lu. “Hehe, that Xi kid might be interesting, but there’s really not much that makes me want to stay here. I plan to watch the creation of a new realm and maybe I can go further on my path. If not, I’ll go travel to the Broken Primordial World again.”

Daoist Lu took a swig from his wine jug and then glanced at Confucius. He sighed. “Besides, there’s not many of us from our era that survived.”

“Isn't there one in the Buzhou Immortal Sect?”

“Haha, compared to us, he can only be considered a junior,” Daoist Lu said. “Besides, I don’t like the Jade Pure Lineage much.”

Confucius smiled and said nothing as he brought a teacup to his lips. After taking a sip, “It seems the Buddhists might be taking action soon.”

“Hehe, the Huang Realm just experienced a great war, but the Buzhou Immortal Sect has already set their sights on the demon clan. The next Divine Beast-Human War might erupt much sooner than any of us think. And now, those Buddhists want to interfere. Did they think their chance has come?” Daoist Lu asked.

“Who knows,” Confucius said.

Daoist Lu took another swig from his jug before snickering. “Since time immemorial, it looks like you never do anything, but don’t you always benefit the most?”