Ninth In the World

A piece of news spread like wildfire in the entire Dao World almost as soon as it happened: Jiang Dai from the Dai He Hall had flown off the handle once again.

Jiang Dai had gone to the Great Buddha Mountain and asked the sect to hand Ding Chi over. However, the Great Buddha Mountain had refused adamantly without even bothering to ask why. After all, this was different from the Azure Sacred Elixir Sect of the past.

In a fit of anger, Jiang Dai had smashed the gates of the Great Buddha Mountain into pieces. Three Primordial Chaos experts and seven peak Primordial Dao experts from the Great Buddha Mountain had joined forces to attack Jiang Dai.

This battle had destroyed half of the Great Buddha Mountain in the end. Jiang Dai had killed two Primordial Chaos experts and four peak Primordial Dao experts. The price he had paid to do that? Some insignificant injuries.

In the end, Ding Chi had chosen to leave the Great Buddha Mountain. Only then did Jiang Dai give up on exterminating the Great Buddha Mountain and change targets to chase after Ding Chi instead.

After this happened, the Great Buddha Mountain sealed its gates and disappeared from the Dao World.

It was then that the Dao World cultivators realized what kind of person Jiang Dai was exactly: an infamous one. That year, he had exterminated the Azure Sacred Elixir Sect single-handedly.

Today, this infamous fellow had appeared again, almost wiping out the Great Buddha Mountain over some trivial matters.

This was what most of the Dao World cultivators thought of this situation. After all, this had happened because Ding Chi, who had come out of the Dao Ridge, had failed to pass the Inspection Array set up by Jiang Dai.

Setting up an Inspection Array outside the Dao Ridge was already considered an unreasonable act. Now, Jiang Dai had actually vented his anger on the Great Buddha Mountain. His arrogance and forcefulness were evident.

…

In the hall of the First Evolution Dao Sect…

Sect Master Fei Xuan had recently reformed the entire First Evolution Dao Sect with great fanfare. The ambiance of the sect had completely changed ever since he had killed the Second Elder and Third Elder and removed some Hall Masters and Peak Masters who had been in coalition with the two Elders.

The Hall Masters and Peak Masters participating in this meeting were mostly newly-promoted.

Fei Xuan’s gaze swept over the mass of Elders and Peak Masters in satisfaction. Then, he announced, “The First Evolution Dao Sect has recently cleansed itself and is finally walking down the right path. However, the sect is lacking successors. Therefore, I suggest that we immediately start recruiting new disciples. Anyone with a good aptitude should be cultivated and given priority. Oh yes, as far as outer sect disciple Di Jiu, who left the sect, is concerned… Valley Master An, please quickly find him and ask him to come back. He is really not bad.”

Everyone understood what Fei Xuan was implying. The only genius the First Evolution Dao Sect could be proud of was Jin Zhuohang, but he was too close to the Second Elder. Fei Xuan would not dare cultivate such a disciple, no matter how talented they were, to be his successor.

There were other geniuses as well, but Shao Rongqin, for example, was the personal disciple of the Second Elder.

An Tuning stood up, cupped her fists, and said, “Yes, Sect Master. Di Jiu should still be inside the Dao Ridge. I will inform him once he comes out. He is someone with a sense of propriety and astounding talent, especially in the Alchemy Dao. Our sect lacks genius disciples like him.”

Fei Xuan, who nodded his head, was about to reply when a gray-robed deacon suddenly arrived at the entrance of the conference hall hastily. He looked anxious as he announced, “Sect Master, I have something urgent to report.”

Fei Xuan knew that the foreign affairs deacon would not have come here so anxiously if this was nothing urgent. Thus, he nodded his head. “Come in and speak.”

“Yes, Sect Master.” The gray-robed deacon swiftly entered the hall, bowed, and said, “I just heard that Jiang Dai from the Dai He Hall went to the Great Buddha Mountain and…”

Before the deacon could finish his sentence, Fei Xuan interrupted him with a frown. “What has that got to do with us?”

Terrified, the deacon replied, “The reason Jiang Dai went to the Great Buddha Mountain was because the Great Buddha Mountain’s disciple, Ding Chi, ignored the Inspection Array Jiang Dai laid out at the Dao Ridge when he left the ridge. Jiang Dai went to the Great Buddha Mountain to demand that the sect hand Ding Chi over. They ignored his request, so he forcibly attacked the Great Buddha Mountain’s Defense Array. Three Primordial Chaos experts and seven peak Primordial Dao experts from the Great Buddha Mountain joined forces to attack Jiang Dai. Unfortunately, in the end, Primordial Chaos Sacred Emperor Constant Void and Sacred Emperor Lonely Dearth were killed along with four other Primordial Dao experts…”

Fei Xuan drew in a breath of cold air. He knew who Sacred Emperor Constant Void and Sacred Emperor Lonely Dearth were, and he was definitely not their match. Now, however, they had fallen in the process of attacking Jiang Dai and combining forces with others.

The deacon added, “In the end, Ding Chi escaped from the Great Buddha Mountain. Jiang Dai went to chase after him, allowing the Great Buddha Mountain to rest. The sect has already sealed its gates…”

Fei Xuan understood what was going on. This matter indeed was related to the First Evolution Dao Sect. After all, the First Evolution Dao Sect and the Great Buddha Mountain were both part of the Five Major Sects.

Since Jiang Dai had caused trouble to the Great Buddha Mountain, the First Evolution Dao Sect had to work with the other three major sects to question Jiang Dai. However, Jiang Dai’s infamous reputation was well-known. After all, he had exterminated the Azure Sacred Elixir Sect several hundred thousand years ago. How could the rest of the major sects dare to confront Jiang Dai?

The deacon added, “The people who failed to pass Jiang Dai’s Inspection Array when they left the Dao Ridge were Ding Chi from the Great Buddha Mountain and Di Jiu, who had just left our sect…”

“What?” Fei Xuan stood up suddenly, as he sensed that something was amiss about this whole matter.

It would be alright if this did not affect the First Evolution Dao Sect. If it did…

Fei Xuan’s mouth twitched. The First Evolution Dao Sect’s strength was not much greater than the Great Buddha Mountain’s. After the death of the Second Elder and the Third Elder, their strength was now inferior in comparison.

Before Fei Xuan could speak, he heard a clear voice announcing, “Jiang Dai from the Dai He Hall came to visit Sect Master Fei Xuan of the First Evolution Dao Sect.”

Fei Xuan clenched his fist tightly. “Let’s go and meet Jiang Dai.”

“Should I notify Ancestor Yan Yun, Sect Master?” asked a Hall Master anxiously.

Fei Xuan waved his hand. “There’s no need. The Ancestor will automatically be notified if Jiang Dai dares to attack the sect’s Defense Array.”

Fei Xuan took the sect’s Hall Masters and Elders along. When they arrived at the entrance of the sect’s array door, Jiang Dai was standing before the array door with his hands clasped behind him.

He looked as though he had come here for sightseeing.

“It is you, Hall Master Jiang. I apologize for welcoming you so late.” Fei Xuan greeted him as he cupped his fists and tried to speak in his most polite tone.

Jiang Dai did not even bother to return the courtesy and cup his fists. Instead, he coolly inquired, “There is a disciple in your sect called Di Jiu. I’m looking for him about some personal matters. Please call him over, Sect Master Jiang.”

Fei Xuan sighed and replied, “It is true that Di Jiu was originally an outer sect disciple of the First Evolution Dao Sect and did enter the Top 12 at the Great Age Elixir River Competition. I intended to promote him to a core disciple, but due to internal conflict, two Elders refused to make Di Jiu a core disciple. This caused him to lose hope in us and disaffiliate himself from the First Evolution Dao Sect before he entered the Dao Ridge. Thus, he is no longer a disciple of the sect.”

Jiang Dai frowned and sent out a flying sword. A short moment later, a red beam landed on his palm. He nodded his head at Fei Xuan and said, “Inform the Dai He Hall immediately when Di Jiu returns or once you receive any news. Sorry for disturbing you.”

Upon saying that, Jiang Dai took a step forward. A faint ripple appeared in space and he disappeared without a trace.

“This person is so arrogant,” grunted a Peak Master unhappily.

“Quiet!” barked Eldest Elder Zhong Zhongling. Out of everyone there, he was the most aware of how terrifying the arrogant Hall Master Jiang was.

An Tuning sighed. “Thankfully, Di Jiu has already disaffiliated himself from the First Evolution Dao Sect…”

Fei Xuan sighed and said despondently, “This only shows how helpless we are. If the First Evolution Dao Sect is truly powerful, how could we allow an outsider to interrogate us before the array door of the sect? Even though Di Jiu has already disaffiliated himself from the sect, he was once an outer sect disciple of the First Evolution Dao Sect after all.”

Fei Xuan turned around dispiritedly while sending a silent message to An Tuning. “Valley Master An, if you are aware of Di Jiu’s whereabouts, immediately tell him to escape as far away as he can.”