Only I am Venerable

Qin Li shook his head. "Although I don’t understand what you’re saying, Elder, I can guarantee I won’t harm the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace. It’s a wonderful place, filled with beautiful women..."

"Heh heh, is that so? Then what do you think of me?" Elder Hu giggled, giving Qin Li a flirtatious wink.

Some say a woman in her thirties is at her most charming and alluring. Elder Hu was like a perfectly ripe fruit, exuding a tempting fragrance that made one want to take a bite.

"You... are very beautiful!" Qin Li said awkwardly, his dark face flushing a deep red.

"Is that so?" Elder Hu chuckled softly. She stood up, walked over to Qin Li’s side, and said, "Then how about I marry you? Would you find your big sister too old?"

"Er..." Qin Li was genuinely speechless now.

"Hee hee!" Elder Hu laughed and extended a slender, pale finger to poke Qin Li’s forehead. "I’m just teasing you. Even if you wanted to marry me, I wouldn’t have you!"

"..." Qin Li felt his face darken with exasperation.

At that moment, Elder Hu was almost certain in her heart. ’This seemingly simple and honest, dark-skinned young man is Qin Li. I wasn’t lying; I truly have a gift for never forgetting a person’s eyes.’ Many in the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace knew of this ability.

However, Elder Hu had no intention of exposing Qin Li. She had never held any ill will toward him. As for Han Mei’s claim that a Moon Shaking Immortal Palace disciple had died at Qin Li’s hands, Elder Hu was rather dismissive. Setting aside how Han Mei had instigated the conflict with Qin Li in the first place, death was a perfectly normal occurrence in battle. Moreover, judging from what she knew of Qin Li’s past, he was definitely a young man of admirable character.

Han Mei, on the other hand, was like a spoiled child. She might mature one day, but certainly not now. If the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace were handed over to Han Mei at this moment, it would truly begin its decline.

The Moon Shaking Immortal Palace had been powerful for many years, but whether it was Elder Hu, the yellow-robed Elder Mo, or even Palace Master Mingyue Ascendant, they all believed the Immortal Palace had walked into a dead end.

If they couldn’t make some changes, then once the old ancestors, Supreme Elders, and renowned figures like Ascendant Ku Bamboo passed away, the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace would inevitably decline.

The reason was simple: The balance in the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace was too skewed toward women.

To change this situation, they had to recruit more male disciples. Yet, talented young men would rather choose Tongtian City or even weaker sects than the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace.

Ultimately, it was because of the existence of a domineering Saintess like Han Mei, which led the vast majority of female disciples in the Immortal Palace to be utterly disdainful of men.

Even if they liked a man, they would still approach him with a domineering attitude.

Everyone has their dignity, man or woman. Especially in this male-dominated world, men’s pride tended to be stronger. Not to mention male Martial Artists—who among them would be willing to grovel before a woman?

Elder Hu and the others had tried to change this situation, but it was difficult. The tradition of female superiority and male inferiority was already deeply ingrained in the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace. To break this tradition, they needed an extremely powerful man to take the helm.

Only under the leadership of such a person could the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace truly rise again and enjoy enduring prosperity.

Even Mingyue Ascendant agreed with this point.

Although Mingyue Ascendant had already chosen Han Mei as her future successor, if a male disciple of truly stunning talent were to burst onto the scene, she would change her mind for the sake of the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace’s future.

This was something not even Han Mei knew.

However, for many years, Han Mei had dedicated herself to one thing: vehemently suppressing the male disciples of the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace, making it rare for any of them to rise through the ranks.

Perhaps it was instinct, or perhaps it was selfishness, but both Elder Hu and Elder Mo were extremely disgusted by Han Mei’s actions. Therefore, upon discovering Qin Li, Elder Hu’s first reaction was, ’This man, who can so thoroughly toy with Han Mei, definitely has the ability to lead the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace further and higher!’

That was why Elder Hu had publicly announced she would find the most powerful person in the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace to be Qin Li’s master. She believed that as long as that old ancestor was willing to step forward, Qin Li would be unable to escape her grasp.

Because no matter how strong Qin Li was, he was just a Martial Artist at the Pill Nascent Soul Transformation stage, the same realm as Hai Jinzun. But that old ancestor was a Great Power of the Thunder Tribulation Realm!

Furthermore, that old ancestor had already entered the Thunder Tribulation Realm over three thousand years ago!

The path from the Thunder Tribulation to the Earth Immortal realm was long, like a vast, uncrossable chasm. In the Primordial Era, it was considered good if even one in a hundred thousand reached the Earth Immortal realm. Today, there probably wasn’t even one in a million.

Therefore, the Thunder Tribulation Realm practically represented the strongest power on the Celestial Essence Continent.

When Elder Hu explained her thoughts to Mingyue Ascendant, the Palace Master, who had just been listening to Han Mei’s complaints, was taken aback.

She looked at Elder Hu and gave a wry smile. "Elder Hu, Mei’er was just here. She insisted that this Qin Fang is Qin Li, and yet you now want to recommend him to Elder Yongchun. If he really is Qin Li... won’t we be put in a difficult position?"

"Miss, you know what kind of temperament Han Mei has. I’m not biased against her, but she is not fit to become the Sect Leader Venerable of the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace, at least not for the next hundred years. Besides, we’ve been trying to find outstanding male disciples for years. This Qin Fang is a super-genius, even more exceptional than Hai Jinzun! So what if he is Qin Li? No matter who leads, the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace will still be the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace. It’s not like its name will change to the ’Qin Shaking Immortal Palace,’ right? Back in the Primordial Era, our sect was just a Small Sect. The second-generation ancestor wasn’t the founder’s daughter. Han Mei herself is just another disciple, isn’t she? Even if this Qin Fang really is the legendary Qin Li, as long as he becomes our disciple and has the ability, then what’s the harm in letting him become the Sect Leader?"

"But, if he really is Qin Li, not only does he have a feud with the Hai Family, he’s also endlessly entangled with Purple Eyes..." Mingyue Ascendant murmured, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.

"Heh, Miss, even without Qin Li or Purple Eyes, would we and the Hai Family... really continue to coexist peacefully forever?" Elder Hu gave a faint smile and said, "Sometimes, a proper war can actually stimulate a sect’s strength and improve its cohesion."

"Oh, you..." Mingyue Ascendant glanced at Elder Hu with a sense of helplessness. In private, the two had always spoken casually, as they did in the past. Elder Hu called her "Miss" because she had once been Mingyue Ascendant’s personal handmaiden. Most of her power had been taught to her by Mingyue Ascendant.

"As for Mei’er... sigh." Mingyue Ascendant sighed again. It was clear this disciple was a major headache for her. Although she defended her apprentice in public, Mingyue Ascendant was, in fact, more aware of Han Mei’s flaws than anyone. She always felt that time would allow Han Mei to mature, and that young people needed the chance to make mistakes.

"If I may say something that might anger you, Miss," Elder Hu said softly, "weren’t you also not the Saintess back in your day? The Saintess from that time... heh."

"Forget it. Let’s not speak of her." Mingyue Ascendant immediately cut Elder Hu off. She then said, "Since you’ve put it that way, I’ll go see Ancestor Elder Yongchun. If the Ancestor agrees, then we’ll see if this Qin Li... oh, I mean Qin Fang, can shoulder this heavy responsibility."

Elder Hu beamed and rose to take her leave.

After Elder Hu left, Mingyue Ascendant gently rubbed her temples and let out a soft sigh. She stood up and walked outside, waving off several attendants who tried to follow. Mingyue Ascendant glanced at a mountain peak hundreds of miles away, then swept her gaze over a dense forest nearby. With a flash, her figure vanished into thin air.

A long while later, a figure emerged from that dense forest. Dressed in a snow-white gown, she possessed a peerless beauty, but her expression was icy cold, as if a frosty aura emanated from her body.

This person was none other than Han Mei.

Han Mei gazed with some confusion in the direction her master had departed. ’I don’t know if Master just noticed me, but even if she did, it’s no big deal.’

Han Mei wondered, ’What on earth did Elder Hu say to Master to make her look so pleased when she left? And then Master left immediately after. Where did she go?’

Suddenly, a thought struck Han Mei like a bolt of lightning. Her face instantly turned pale. She clenched her hands into fists, veins bulging, and with a flash, her figure also vanished from the spot.

Mingyue Ascendant sped all the way to the foot of an unremarkable mountain. The peak was only five or six hundred meters high with a gentle slope, covered in all sorts of towering ancient trees, giving it a tranquil and secluded feeling.

"Old Ancestor, Mingyue has come to pay her respects," Mingyue Ascendant said, her voice no louder than a normal speaking tone.

After a moment, a clear, crisp voice like a silver bell suddenly echoed from within the mountain, sounding like that of a girl of sixteen or seventeen.

"What brings you here? Come in."

As the voice spoke, the scene before Mingyue Ascendant’s eyes suddenly changed. The towering, densely packed ancient trees abruptly parted to either side, revealing a path several meters wide before her.

"The Old Ancestor’s Magical Power has improved again. This is worthy of celebration!" Mingyue Ascendant exclaimed in amazed praise as she stepped forward onto the path.

"It’s just a few parlor tricks, nothing worth celebrating." The voice remained crisp and pleasant, incredibly soothing to the ear. Mingyue Ascendant even had the illusion that the Old Ancestor’s voice had merged as one with the mountain itself.

’This is a truly supreme realm!’

’This is the ultimate pursuit for any person!’

As Mingyue Ascendant thought this, she looked up and saw a young girl in a floral dress standing in front of a cave estate ahead. She had a tranquil expression on her face as she watered a flower at the entrance.