Chapter 746: I Will Not Associate with Petty Men
This was Chen Yan’s first time meeting the legendary figure.
More than seventy years ago, when Yun Yichen was still Sect Leader of the Kongshan Sect rather than its Supreme Surveillance Elder, Chen Yan was serving as Solemn Martial Elder of Kongyuan Mountain. Back then, he had heard Yun Yichen recount Li Haoran’s anecdotes from years past many times.
Even without Yun Yichen’s stories, Chen Yan had long heard about Li Haoran’s deeds in his youth.
The foremost figure in the immortal path of Chenping Continent today, the close friend of the Falling Star Realman from eight thousand years ago, and the Supreme Pivot Elder who had governed the Kongshan Sect for seven thousand years, Li Haoran was a living legend, the only person in Chenping Continent today who had personally witnessed the era before its Path to Immortality was severed.
“This junior pays his respects to Supreme Pivot Elder Li!”
Standing in the hall, Chen Yan bowed respectfully to the diminutive old man seated above the steps.
Li Haoran did not speak at once. He simply sized up the handsome young man before him, who had taken off the daoist robes embroidered with gilded cloud crane patterns that represented Kongyuan Mountain and changed into a spotless pure white daoist robe.
A glimmer of light, difficult to detect, passed through his eyes.
“Congratulations, Supreme Elder Chen, on reaching Unity through Myriad Transformations.”
After a pause of about half a breath, Li Haoran finally spoke to Chen Yan:
“From setting foot on the path of cultivation to breaking through to the seventh realm, you took a little over three hundred years in total... This cultivation speed is no worse than Yichen’s.”
Li Haoran was comparing Chen Yan with Yun Yichen.
“I originally planned to summon Yichen to the Pivot Court as my deputy after he comprehended his natal divine ability, stepped down as Sect Leader, and entered the Four Supreme Courts. But who could have expected that, after several hundred years, the position of Supreme Surveillance Elder of the Surveillance Court would still be vacant? I had no choice but to have Yichen govern the Surveillance Court.”
Li Haoran paused briefly before continuing:
“But he thinks highly of you. I hope you won’t disappoint Surveillance Elder Yun’s expectations.”
“This junior will do everything in his power.”
Chen Yan bowed as he replied.
“Speaking of which, there’s something I’ve always been curious about.”
The unremarkable-looking, diminutive old man above the steps leaned forward slightly and spoke:
“Back then, Supreme Imperial Law Elder Huo greatly admired your Master, Lu Li, and wanted to summon him into the Imperial Law Court. But your Master insisted on going to the Martial Pacification Court instead. He said that, compared to the Imperial Law Court, which administered the sect’s rules, the Martial Pacification Court, which taught techniques and carried out external campaigns of slaughter, was a better fit for him... Do you know about this?”
“That is indeed what happened,” Chen Yan replied.
“When I heard about it, I was quite surprised. Someone had only just entered the upper three realms, yet already dared to offend Supreme Imperial Law Elder Huo. What an interesting person,” Li Haoran said.
Chen Yan could sense the probing in Li Haoran’s words.
He was no longer the greenhorn he had once been.
Over the three hundred and seventy years of his life, he had served in positions such as chief disciple of Kongyuan Mountain, Dao Sect Wanderer of the Kongshan Sect, Scripture Hall Elder of Kongyuan Mountain, and Solemn Martial Elder of Kongyuan Mountain.
After so many years of experience, Chen Yan had become far more composed and calculating.
“Master has always been that way,” he replied, wearing a helpless smile as he shook his head.
“What an interesting person. When I get the chance, I’ll meet him too,” Li Haoran said with a smile.
Chen Yan said nothing, merely bowing slightly once more.
The truth was nothing like the explanation Lu Li had given back then.
Lu Li had rejected the invitation from Huo Mu, the sect’s Supreme Imperial Law Elder, and entered the Supreme Martial Pacification Court instead.
Chen Yan had been just as shocked when he heard the news.
In his eyes, his Master had completely lost his mind.
After more than three hundred years together, Chen Yan and Lu Li had long since formed a deep bond. He did not want Huo Mu to target the Master who had supported him ever since he first joined the Kongshan Sect.
Chen Yan knew all too well just how powerful Huo, the Supreme Elder who oversaw the Supreme Imperial Law Court, truly was.
More than three thousand years ago, Supreme Pivot Elder Li, then the foremost figure in the immortal path of Chenping Continent and the man who had nearly absolute control over all affairs of the Kongshan Sect, suddenly relinquished the power in his hands for reasons unknown. From then on, he kept to himself.
The person who took over the authority Li Haoran relinquished was Huo Mu.
Now, not only was the power of the Kongshan Sect’s Imperial Law Court entirely concentrated in Huo Mu’s hands, but much of the Pivot Court’s authority had also fallen to this Supreme Imperial Law Elder.
Everyone knew that Grand Elder Qi, who now held a high position in the Pivot Court, was quite close to Huo Mu.
When Chen Yan pressed Lu Li about why he had defied Huo Mu and entered the Supreme Martial Pacification Court, Lu Li gave only a brief reply.
“I will not associate with petty men.”
Chen Yan was at a loss for words when he heard Lu Li’s answer.
More than a hundred years had passed since Lu Li entered the Supreme Martial Pacification Court.
Every so often, Chen Yan would inquire after Lu Li’s situation.
After all, as Solemn Martial Elder of Kongyuan Mountain, Chen Yan did not have permission to enter the Supreme Martial Pacification Court.
The few chances they had to meet came only when Lu Li took the initiative to visit his disciple.
From what Chen Yan had learned over the years, Huo Mu did not seem to have made things difficult for Lu Li.
Chen Yan did not know whether this was because Huo Mu was magnanimous, or because he himself was currently mired in trouble.
For after relinquishing the authority he had held more than three thousand years ago, Li Haoran had now begun gradually reclaiming some of the power he had delegated.
Although Huo Mu was now immensely powerful, everything he possessed could be stripped away with a single word from Li Haoran.
It could be said that ever since the Path to Immortality in Chenping Continent was severed,
Li Haoran was the Kongshan Sect.
And the Kongshan Sect was Li Haoran.
Such was the absolute control wielded by the foremost figure in the immortal path of Chenping Continent today.
About a hundred years ago, Qin Qingyu of the Star Heaven Sect had also cultivated to the peak of Dao Union. She had become the foremost figure in the immortal path of the Star Heaven Sect and, after Li Haoran, the second-ranked cultivator in Chenping Continent. She had also taken up the position of Supreme Surveillance Elder of the Star Heaven Sect.
Though Qin Qingyu and Li Haoran were both at the peak of Dao Union, she still could not be compared with him.
People believed it was only a matter of time before Qin Qingyu surpassed Li Haoran.
The potential she had displayed already far surpassed Li Haoran’s in his day. Indeed, people were even more inclined to mention her alongside Immortal Venerable Fusheng and the Falling Star Realman.
But Li Haoran was the greatest Dao Union cultivator in all of Chenping Continent’s history.
If not for the limits imposed by heaven and earth, he would have become Chenping Continent’s thirty-second Immortal Ascension cultivator thousands of years ago.
The cultivators of Chenping Continent did not expect Qin Qingyu to surpass Li Haoran.
They were waiting to see whether she could break through the limits of this domain and reach the Immortal Ascension Realm.