"How could I? But anyone who dares to take on the mission of slaying that colossal beast is probably only in the second or third layer of Qi Induction. Their abilities shouldn't be below ours; otherwise, why would they go to such lengths to bring him back?"

"Should we seek help from Senior Brother Yun as well?"

Wang Chang pondered for a long moment, then nodded. "Not only must we seek Senior Brother Yun's help, but we also need several other junior brothers. It must be foolproof! It can't be helped if we have to share a piece of the pie," he paused, "but we absolutely must not mention the storage pouch to them."

He and Liu Yue walked far away, finding a secluded spot to discuss things in low voices. They thought their conversation was perfectly secret, unaware that every word had already fallen into the ears of the Immaterial Heavenly Demon's incarnation.

Feng Zikang smiled, rose, and pushed the door, finding it indeed locked tight.

"We have arrived at the Mount Tai Sword Sect. What are your plans, Junior Brother?"

Huo Zhongguang poked his head out again, frowning as he looked around, seemingly dissatisfied with the environment of the Mount Tai Sword Sect. Compared to the military families of Dragon-Tiger Mountain, the yuanqi here was overly mixed and chaotic. It was even more uncomfortable for cultivators than the thinness found in the Nine Heavens, making one wonder why the Mount Tai Sword Sect chose this location...

"Let me investigate first."

Feng Zikang settled comfortably onto the couch. The Immaterial Heavenly Demon's incarnation, however, trailed Wang Chang and Liu Yue toward the main hall. Though these two harbored ulterior motives upon returning to the sect, they still needed to pay their respects to the Sect Master first.

The architecture of the Mount Tai Sword Sect was indeed magnificent and imposing, far grander than the few dilapidated small buildings on Sunset Peak at Dragon-Tiger Mountain. Unfortunately, all this was merely the splendor of the mortal world; even the grandest main hall couldn't shake off a lingering vulgarity.

Hanging over the main gate was a plaque of purple sandalwood, inscribed with four large characters in bold, iron-like strokes: "Sword Qi Pierces the Heavens!"

These were written by the Daoist Qingmu in the past. The calligraphy held a sharp sword intent, accompanied by an inviolable, imperial aura that shot straight into the firmament. Even three hundred years later, though the characters were aged and dust-covered, Feng Zikang's Immaterial Heavenly Demon's incarnation felt a searing heat upon viewing them, as if bathing in fire.

"Truly remarkable knowledge,"

Feng Zikang, seated on the couch, nodded and murmured his praise. Huo Zhongguang scratched the back of his head, bewildered, only guessing that he was using some secret technique to scan the interior and exterior of Mount Tai, unaware of what he truly meant.

The Immaterial Heavenly Demon's incarnation followed the two into the main hall, only then feeling a refreshing coolness as the intense fiery sword intent vanished.

In the center of the vast hall sat a man with a square face, a three-strand beard beneath his chin, silkworm-eyebrowed and phoenix-eyed, radiating righteousness. He wore his Daoist bun high, clad in a deep black robe, with a luminous jade sword strapped to his back. Three flowers converged above his head, and an aura of prosperity billowed behind him—clearly a cultivator whose Dao Foundation was already established.

"Greetings, Master! Father!"

The two approached the hall floor and performed deep bows of salutation.

This middle-aged Daoist was the Sect Master of the Mount Tai Sword Sect, the direct disciple of Daoist Qimu, Liu Yuansu, who had already achieved Foundation Establishment.

The rules of the Mount Tai Sword Sect were extremely strict. Even though one was his own son and the other his beloved disciple, they could only kneel and salute ten paces from the Sect Master, daring not to act presumptuously.

"Hmm,"

Liu Yuansu snorted from his nose without lifting his eyes. He picked up a teacup from a small table beside him, took a sip, slowly set it down, and rested his spirit for a moment before finally speaking.

"You may both rise. Yue'er, how did the mission go?"

As Sect Master, he naturally knew that although his son possessed outstanding talent, his foundation was shaky. His first attempt to slay the sea beast had failed, requiring his senior brother's help—a matter he had tacitly allowed. With Wang Chang involved, this mission should have been easily accomplished, so he hadn't worried.

"Uh..."

Upon returning to the sect, Liu Yue's mind was entirely consumed by his conspiracy of murder and plunder. Only now did he recall that the mission had not been completed. Before leaving, he had boasted grandly, and now returning in failure made his face flush slightly.

"Father," I was simply too unlucky. When I arrived at that location, the giant beast had already been killed by a youth from their village..."

"What?"

Liu Yuansu’s expression shifted slightly, and he gripped the armrests of his chair. "Repeat that?"

It was true that Liu Yue wasn't lying; the Two-Finned Whale Shark had indeed been slain by the young village boy, Xiaogouzi...

He paused, wondering why his usually rigorous father was showing such agitation.

"Father, the rampaging beast in that village was a Two-Finned Whale Shark, perhaps a century old, nearly becoming a demon. It was killed by an unknown youth from the village,"

Liu Yue’s voice grew softer as he gradually understood the reason for his father’s change in demeanor.

"Oh," Liu Yuansu nodded slowly, his expression fluctuating. "Did you bring that boy back?"

A mere mortal youth capable of slaying a century-old Two-Finned Whale Shark must possess exceptional talents. If he were to cultivate, who knew what realm he could reach? The Mount Tai Sword Sect had the advantage of proximity and naturally sought to bring him into the fold first.

But at that time, he and Wang Chang had fled in haste; they hadn't thought of that. Moreover, that child harbored a deep hatred for them—how could he agree to join the Mount Tai Sword Sect? Wang Chang and Liu Yue exchanged glances, uncertain how to explain this to the Sect Master.

Feng Zikang secretly sneered. Xiaogouzi’s life essence and potential for several decades had been forcibly stimulated by him. Forget cultivation; surviving a few extra years would be questionable. These two were clueless, mistaking this for innate talent.

Liu Yue scratched his head for a long time before finally summarizing the situation in Zhacun village, vaguely explaining how Xiaogouzi hated him to the bone. He completely omitted any mention of Feng Zikang's appearance, causing Feng Zikang to inwardly scoff.

"Foolish!"

Liu Yuansu slammed the table and leaped up, kicking Wang Chang, who stumbled backward, his face grim.

"You are utterly muddle-headed! How could you let such a youth run wild among the common people? A minor grudge means nothing! It would have sufficed for you to apologize with thorns on your back—it was your own reckless actions that disgraced your status as cultivators! Truly idiotic!"

Liu Yuansu's tirade terrified Liu Yue, who had always feared his father. He immediately kowtowed repeatedly, acknowledging his mistakes without stopping.

Wang Chang also scrambled up, kowtowing repeatedly to beg forgiveness.

Liu Yuansu's expression softened slightly. "Enough! Since you claim this youth possesses such potential, that even the combined strength of you two might not be his match—truly rare and excellent material—Chang'er, go find Senior Brother Shen. Have him bring eight Qi Induction disciples with him to that Zhacun village. You must bring that miraculous youth back. I will personally impart skills to him, so that he may bring glory to the Mount Tai Sword Sect in the future."

He glanced at his son and his beloved disciple, snorting cool air from his nostrils, "Otherwise, should we rely on you two?"

Wang Chang and Liu Yue remained silent, fearful to speak.

Liu Yuansu waved his hand dismissively. "Fine! You may leave now. In the future, devote more effort to your cultivation, and stop wasting time playing games. The son of the Mount Tai Sect Master being unable to defeat a mere village boy—isn't that shameful?"

This was a lesson for his son. Liu Yue meekly agreed, and together with Wang Chang, they hurried out of the hall. Only after they had distanced themselves significantly from the main hall did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Father is truly something..." Liu Yue sighed, "He still wants to bring that youth into the sect. Does he not think I've been disgraced enough?"

Wang Chang, however, smiled faintly, thinking privately that the Sect Master's son, despite his decent cultivation, was truly an imbecile in every other aspect.

If the Sect Master genuinely intended to accept the youth into the sect, why would he specifically instruct Senior Brother Shen, who was in the late Qi Induction stage, to bring eight disciples along? Wasn't the intention clearly to kill the boy if he refused to comply?

If Xiaogouzi truly possessed extraordinary talent, or if something he consumed had made him so powerful, and since he held a grudge against the Mount Tai Sword Sect, if he could not be recruited, he would have to be eliminated. Wang Chang shuddered at the Sect Master's ruthlessness, yet deeply admired it.

"Forget it. Let's not worry about that matter. Anyway, if that little bastard shows up, we have a way to finish him off!" Liu Yue gritted his teeth, clenching his fist and swinging it, "Let's think about whether to use the Eighteen-Coil Sword Array to kill that rogue cultivator disciple in one go, or if we should call fewer people?"

Wang Chang pondered for a moment. "The Sect Master just told us to find Senior Brother Shen. Should we perhaps include him too, just to be absolutely safe?"

"Are you insane?" Liu Yue's face showed shock. "Senior Brother Shen is late-stage Qi Induction. If he comes, won't he demand the lion's share? What benefits would we have left?"

"Not necessarily," Wang Chang shook his head. "If we promise him twenty or thirty spirit stones, he will surely agree to help. Since we aren't telling anyone about that rogue cultivator possessing a storage treasure, no one knows. If he can casually take out fifty spirit stones, he must have more on him. Even if we use all fifty spirit stones to curry favor, it’s not a loss."

His eyes gleamed. "Perhaps there are even some magical artifacts in the storage pouch... Wouldn't that be..."

"Magical artifacts?" Liu Yue also showed a look of longing, then shook his head with a wry smile. "If he has magical artifacts, even with all of us together, we might not be a match for him."

"That's why we need a swift attack, a single decisive blow. This brat, despite his low cultivation, has many strange things about him. He might truly possess some artifact with immense power. If we let him get his hands free, we might not come out on top. I've thought this through all the way here: I suggest inviting both Senior Brother Shen and Senior Brother Yun, along with all our brothers. We'll say this brat offended you, and you're too enraged to let it go. Offer fifty spirit stones as a stake; they will certainly agree."

A sinister smile curved Wang Chang's lips. "Once the Eighteen-Coil Sword Array is set up, we kill him with the first strike. No matter what magical artifact he has, he'll be dead before he can even use it!"

"Brilliant plan!" Liu Yue slapped his hands in admiration, gritting his teeth. Fifty spirit stones for fifty spirit stones—you can't catch a wolf without sacrificing the cub!

"Let's do it!"

Feng Zikang's Immaterial Heavenly Demon's incarnation listened to their plotting and chuckled inwardly, unconcerned. Since it was only a conspiracy of this magnitude, he had no need to worry. The incarnation drifted lazily back towards the main hall.

The secret between the Mount Tai Sword Sect and Dragon Tooth Island—this outwardly righteous yet ruthlessly effective Sect Master Liu Yuansu must know it. He still needed to keep watch over him first.