Dao Lord: Starting from a Top-grade Golden Core

Xuzhuang’s round trip took about a month. Fortunately, everything at True Form Temple was as he had left it. Though it couldn’t yet be called flourishing, the disciples were all self-motivated and diligent in their cultivation.

Xuzhuang found a disciple at random and asked a few questions. After the disciple replied that the Sect Leader, Daoist Zhang, was in the hall handling affairs, he seized the opportunity to ask Xuzhuang for guidance. Xuzhuang didn’t hesitate to offer a few pointers. The disciple was overjoyed and, after thanking him profusely, hurried off to the Alchemy Chamber to cultivate.

’Excellence is born of diligence. The atmosphere at True Form Temple is quite good now, but there are far too few disciples. This isn’t good for long-term development,’ Xuzhuang mused. ’Although my Sect Leader only said I would be overseeing things for a while, I’m here in this realm now. As long as it doesn’t interfere with my own cultivation, I might as well try to accomplish something.’

After mulling it over a few times, Xuzhuang had the beginnings of a plan, though it wasn’t yet clear. ’I should find an opportunity to discuss this with Daoist Zhang and Zeng Quanfeng,’ he thought.

So, Xuzhuang put the matter aside and rode the wind, quickly arriving before the Hall of Councilors. Looking inside, he saw Daoist Zhang holding a jade letter, his brow deeply furrowed in what seemed to be great distress.

As Xuzhuang stepped into the hall, Daoist Zhang sensed his presence. He looked up, saw Xuzhuang, and quickly rose to greet him with a bow. "Junior Martial Uncle Xu, you’ve returned."

There was no one behind Xuzhuang. Although Daoist Zhang had prepared himself for this, he couldn’t help but feel a flicker of disappointment. Clinging to a sliver of hope, he asked, "Was your trip successful, Junior Martial Uncle? Did you find any trace of Junior Brother Meng?"

Xuzhuang nodded slightly, then shook his head. "I found some traces, but I wouldn’t call the trip a success."

Daoist Zhang’s heart first leaped with joy, then sank. He asked in a strained voice, "Forgive my ignorance, Junior Martial Uncle, but please, explain."

Xuzhuang slowly began, "Following the Tracing Technique, I tracked him all the way to a ten-li stretch of desert within the Redlands to the southeast..."

As Xuzhuang recounted the details, Daoist Zhang’s expression grew visibly dark.

Hiding a world within a single grain of sand, a ten-li desert becoming a boundless space... such a thing was far beyond his comprehension. Compared to when Meng Fusheng was missing without a trace, knowing his location now but having no way to rescue him filled Daoist Zhang with a profound sense of helplessness.

After a long silence, Daoist Zhang sighed heavily. "If that’s the case, we can only hope that heaven protects the worthy, and Junior Brother Meng will be alright."

Xuzhuang considered for a moment, then said comfortingly, "You needn’t be so dejected, Nephew. The situation isn’t hopeless yet."

Hearing this, Daoist Zhang quickly asked, "Please, elaborate, Junior Martial Uncle."

Xuzhuang stroked his chin, musing, "After I reach the Nascent Soul realm and several of my Divine Techniques are perfected, I should have a decent chance of delving deeper into that sand-grain space. I will go back then and try to find Nephew Meng."

Daoist Zhang’s spirits lifted. He knew the rules the Tai Su Orthodox Sect used to select its True Disciples, and he had witnessed Xuzhuang’s Divine Techniques and Magical Power firsthand. He knew that for someone who had formed a Top-grade Golden Core, reaching the Nascent Soul realm was simply a matter of time.

As for how long it would take for Xuzhuang to reach the Nascent Soul realm, Daoist Zhang, being his junior, naturally wouldn’t press him for an answer. He could only think to himself: ’Junior Brother Meng has been missing for six years... it will be seven soon. But his Life Lamp shows his life isn’t in danger, so he must be far from the end of his rope.’

With this thought, Daoist Zhang’s heart felt much lighter. It was a small comfort, but a comfort nonetheless.

Having settled the matter concerning Meng Fusheng, Xuzhuang chatted casually with Daoist Zhang for a bit before asking, "When I arrived just now, I saw you with a furrowed brow, Nephew. Is there some difficult matter you’re dealing with?"

Daoist Zhang seemed to be jolted back to the present. "Your timing is perfect, Junior Martial Uncle," he replied. "This is something I must discuss with you."

Xuzhuang nodded. "Go on, Nephew."

Daoist Zhang said, "Junior Martial Uncle, have you heard of the Divine Flow Sect?"

Xuzhuang raised an eyebrow. He had been at the True Form Temple for several months now; of course he wasn’t ignorant of the surrounding powers.

From what he knew, the Divine Flow Sect was one of the few major sects among the sixteen provinces. It dominated the Land of Three States, possessed considerable power, and was very ambitious. One of the three states under its control was Fenglan Province, just north of Yunlan, and in recent years, it had been eyeing Yunlan Province covetously.

"Of course I know of the Divine Flow Sect," Xuzhuang said. "What is this about, and how does it relate to them? Just tell me the whole story, Nephew."

Daoist Zhang said, "Two days ago, the Divine Flow Sect sent someone to deliver this letter. It says that their Chief Steward in Fenglan Province, Young Master Chu Wei, intends to personally visit the True Form Temple. *Sigh*."

Daoist Zhang sighed softly and said, "I’ve heard this man is extremely arrogant. The Divine Flow Sect is not on good terms with our True Form Temple, so I’m afraid this visit bodes ill."

"Oh? Young Master Chu Wei." Hearing a name that sounded vaguely familiar, Xuzhuang’s eyes narrowed. "That name isn’t entirely unfamiliar. For him to be in charge of an entire province, his status in the Divine Flow Sect must be quite high, I imagine?"

Daoist Zhang replied, "He does indeed hold a high position in the Divine Flow Sect, but not because of his own merits. It’s because his background is immense—he is the youngest son of the Divine Flow Sect’s Venerable Chu River."

Perhaps knowing that Xuzhuang had limited knowledge of other sects, Daoist Zhang continued, "Over a hundred years ago, Venerable Chu River reached the Nascent Soul Third Layer. He is currently the most powerful cultivator in all sixteen provinces. Having such a backer is why Young Master Chu Wei can act so arrogantly."

"Nascent Soul Third Layer?" Xuzhuang’s brow twitched. "For a sect limited to these sixteen provinces to have such a cultivator... no wonder they’re so ambitious."

Daoist Zhang said worriedly, "Indeed. With Venerable Chu River, the Divine Flow Sect is naturally ambitious. If not for the rules of the Celestial Waterfall Dharma Assembly, why would they have remained confined to the Land of Three States?"