Immortal Druid

The Divine Trinity Sect was said to be the greatest of the Ten Great Sects. Its teachings combined external and internal arts into a single path, emphasizing harmony between body and soul. The foundations of its cultivation methods traced their origins to ancient Buddhist and Daweist doctrines, passed down through countless generations. Situated atop Greater Palm Mountain, the sect stood above the clouds like a sacred land untouched by the mortal world.

Tao Hai stopped at the foot of the ten thousand stone steps leading to the summit. The elders who had accompanied him to the Touch Grass Sect had already gone their separate ways, returning to their respective sects. He stood alone before the mountain, gazing upward at the distant temple halls hidden among the clouds.

Before he could take another step, a terrifying pressure descended upon his shoulder.

Tao Hai's pupils shrank as his knees nearly buckled.

Despite being a Nascent Soul cultivator, he genuinely thought he was about to die for a brief moment. The pressure disappeared quickly as a massive figure stood before him.

Tao Hai immediately cupped his fist into his palm and bowed deeply.

"This disciple greets the Sect Leader. I apologize for acting without permission and causing concern."

The man before him was a bald monk with thick brows and furious eyes. His body was enormous, resembling a mountain carved from flesh and stone. Every breath he took seemed capable of stirring the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Though his appearance was intimidating, a gentle spiritual pressure radiated from him.

This was Tao Yun, Sect Leader of the Divine Trinity Sect, a Soul Transformation cultivator, and Tao Hai's father.

"What were you thinking?" Tao Yun thundered as the gentleness of his spiritual pressure became turbid waves mirroring his fury. "You disappeared from the sect and marched directly into the territory of a supposed immortal. Have you truly become so fearless, or have you simply become stupid?"

Tao Hai raised his head.

"Someone had to do something," he replied. "The Four Sovereign Flags are openly challenging the authority of the Ten Great Sects. If we continue sitting idle, we will only lose more influence. We needed information and power."

The veins on Tao Yun's forehead bulged.

"You call that information gathering? You practically delivered yourself to another power on a silver platter!"

"The situation demanded action!"

A violent spiritual pressure erupted from Tao Yun.

The surrounding air exploded.

Tao Hai was forced to one knee as the weight of a mountain crashed upon his shoulders.

"Son," Tao Yun growled, his voice carrying terrifying authority, "you are underestimating the existence known as an Immortal. Not to mention one who has mastered the art of resurrection. Do you think such a being follows ordinary logic? Do you think your cleverness would matter before someone capable of defying the natural order itself?"

The pressure intensified.

Blood dripped from the corner of Tao Hai's mouth.

"You are the Holy Son of this sect. Your life is not your own. Every action you take affects the future of the Divine Trinity Sect. If your elder brother were here—"

"Enough!"

Tao Hai suddenly forced himself upright.

His legs trembled violently, but he refused to kneel any longer.

"Why is it always about him?" he shouted.

The mountain itself seemed to fall silent.

"It has always been about my elder brother! Every lesson, every comparison, every expectation!"

His fists clenched.

"He's gone! Deal with it!"

Tao Hai had spent his entire life living beneath the shadow of a brother everyone considered perfect. The pride of the Divine Trinity Sect. The future Sect Leader. The genius who had surpassed every expectation. And then he had disappeared. Yet even now, years later, the comparisons never stopped.

"You brat!"

Tao Yun raised one enormous hand, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth trembled in response. Tao Hai tensed, certain his father was about to strike him down, yet the hand never fell. Slowly, Tao Yun lowered it. The crushing pressure disappeared, leaving only an uncomfortable silence hanging between them.

After several moments, Tao Hai finally spoke.

“I confirmed it. The Hermit Sage of the Serenity Lake Domain is truly an immortal. I witnessed things that should not be possible as nature itself bowed instinctively before him, and his presence radiated the same overwhelming power of creation. If the rumors about the hidden backers of the Four Sovereign Flags are true, the coming conflict will surpass anything the Ten Great Sects have faced in thousands of years. We will need strength equivalent to an immortal.”

As he spoke, Tao Hai’s fingers unconsciously brushed against his storage ring. Within it lay the Divine Trinity Sect’s greatest hope, or perhaps its most perilous gamble.

His earlier arrogance at the Touch Grass Sect had not stemmed from pride. It had been deliberate. A reckless test. He had gone there fully expecting to die. Had the immortal possessed a cruel temperament, he would have been crushed on the spot. Instead, what he witnessed left a profound impression on him. The Hermit Sage had tolerated insults, protected the dignity of his people, and displayed remarkable restraint despite his overwhelming power.

Tao Hai took a deep breath, then dropped to both knees. The sudden movement startled even Tao Yun.

“Father,” he said, pressing his forehead to the stone staircase. “The Immortal Sage of the Touch Grass Sect is a just man with a righteous heart.”

Tao Yun’s expression darkened, but Tao Hai continued before he could interrupt.

“I request permission to share two divine arts of our sect. One shall be offered to convince the Sage to stand alongside the Ten Great Sects. The second… shall be offered in exchange for resurrecting our immortal ancestor.”

Absolute silence met Tao Hai, instead of righteous fury.

Tao Yun was red with anger, but he held himself back. "You brat..."

Tao Hai understood the full gravity of his request. The divine arts of the Divine Trinity Sect were priceless treasures passed down through countless generations. It was the very foundation upon which the sect stood. That was precisely why he had risked everything to test the Sage’s character. Had the immortal proven wicked, he would never have dared make such a proposal. But after what he had witnessed, he believed the risk was justified. The future of the sect demanded it. Perhaps even the future of the whole continent itself.

"Please, Father."

Tao Hai pressed his forehead firmly against the stone.

"I beg you."

A monstrous pressure descended from the heavens, shattering the clouds above Greater Palm Mountain. The ten thousand steps groaned beneath the immense force as Tao Hai felt the world itself attempting to crush him.

"You've lost your mind!"

Tao Yun's roar shook the mountain as he finally lost his patience.

"You dare ask me to hand over the legacy of our ancestors to an outsider? Generations of forefathers bled and died protecting those divine arts! Countless ancestors sacrificed their lives to preserve them through calamities and wars! And now you wish to give them away? Have you forgotten who you are?"

Tao Yun's voice thundered across Greater Palm Mountain.

"Have you forgotten what it means to be the Holy Son of the Divine Trinity Sect?"

The mountain trembled under the wrath of a father, a sect leader, and a guardian of an inheritance that had endured for thousands of years.

However, Tao Hai remained stubborn.

"Father, if the ancestor returns and the Hermit Sage stands with us, the Divine Trinity Sect does not have to die!"

The moment the words left his mouth, an even more terrifying spiritual pressure descended from above. Tao Hai coughed up another mouthful of blood as the stone beneath his feet shattered, his body nearly forced flat against the ancient staircase.

Every bone in Tao Hai's body groaned under the weight of his father's fury, yet he refused to lower his head. The Divine Trinity Sect's roots originated from two supreme inheritances that had survived countless ages. The first was the TriDivine Method, a legendary cultivation art reserved exclusively for the Sect Leader. It granted Divine Might, Divine Speed, and Divine Flesh, allowing its wielder to dominate cultivators of the same realm. The second was Divine Sense, a sacred spiritual art entrusted only to the Holy Son. More than a technique, it was the symbol of succession itself.

It was through Divine Sense that Tao Hai had judged the character of the Hermit Sage. His father knew this, which was why Tao Yun did not immediately dismiss his claims.

Instead, the Sect Leader narrowed his eyes and asked a seemingly unrelated question.

"What do you know about the Heavenly Domain Sect?"

Tao Hai frowned.

The sudden change in topic caught him off guard.

"They possess immortals within their upper ranks," he answered. "Only an immortal can kill another immortal. If the rumors of their involvement are true, then we need the strength of the mysterious immortal from the Serenity Lake Domain now more than ever."

Tao Yun looked down on him. "Is that all?"

Tao Hai's expression darkened.

"And they are backing the Four Sovereign Flags," he said through gritted teeth. "They are also responsible for my elder brother's death."

A scoff escaped Tao Yun.

"So you knew."

The Sect Leader looked at him with understanding rather than surprise.

"No wonder your killing intent has grown so intense."

Tao Hai clenched his fists.

For years, the disappearance of his elder brother had remained an unhealed wound. Few knew the truth, and fewer still dared to speak of it.

“If you think this war is your chance to avenge your brother,” Tao Yun said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion, “then kill that thought now. Revenge? Against them? Do you even know how the Heavenly Domain Sect sees us?”

“Ants,” answered Tao Hai without hesitation.

Tao Yun shook his head, a trace of dark amusement flickering across his face.

“No,” the Sect Leader said, his smile utterly devoid of warmth. “Cattle. That is how they see us.”

The words struck Tao Hai harder than the spiritual pressure ever had. A chill crawled down his spine. For a moment, he almost wished his father had simply agreed to him or maybe said something less euphemistic like "swarm of pests.”

Tao Yun suddenly let out a bitter laugh, laced with self-mockery. “At least we’re better than ants, right?”

Tao Hai stared at him, voice thick with disbelief. “How is that any better?”

The laughter faded, and silence returned.

After several moments, Tao Hai asked the question that had haunted him for years. "So my elder brother... What exactly happened to him?"

Tao Yun’s expression hardened.

“There is no need for you to know the details. However, you must understand one thing clearly. The Heavenly Domain Sect and the Four Sovereign Flags will not stop with the Ten Great Sects. Ever since the Willow Order withdrew from the cultivation world, external powers have been slowly asserting themselves across our continent. The Heavenly Domain Sect is merely the strongest among them.”

He paused, his gaze sharpening.

“What makes you believe the immortal you speak so highly of does not represent yet another external force?”

Tao Hai reasoned. "Because he's backed by the Willow Order."

"Do you truly believe that?"

The question caused Tao Hai to hesitate.

Tao Yun let out a long sigh.

“The Willow Order is a tiger that has lost its teeth. They were once the guardians of this continent, and their name alone was enough to deter any invaders. But those days are long gone. The time is ripe for the Heavenly Domain Sect to claim this continent, and no one is going to stop them.”

Tao Hai wanted to argue and deny it, yet the conviction in his father's voice left him unable to respond.

"Since they will not stop at the Ten Great Sects," Tao Yun continued, "they will inevitably clash with the Willow Order and the Touch Grass Sect."

Tao Hai gritted his teeth. "So what are you suggesting? That we wait for our deaths? That we let them destroy us?"

To his surprise, Tao Yun nodded. "You are expelled from the sect."

Tao Hai stared at his father in complete disbelief as he took an involuntary step backward. His eyes widened, and for a moment, he wondered if he had misheard. "What!?" he shouted. "Expelled? You're expelling me from the sect?" His voice rose with anger and confusion. "What is the meaning of this?! Have you truly decided to abandon everything? After all these years, after everything the Divine Trinity Sect has sacrificed, you're just going to throw us away and wait for our destruction?"

Tao Yun's expression remained calm. "You will not be alone. I have already expelled your seniors and juniors. Only the elders and I remain within the Divine Trinity Sect."

The implications struck Tao Hai immediately.

His face turned pale.

"Father..."

Tao Yun ignored the horror in his son’s voice and continued, “Gather your fellow disciples. Hide from the world and survive. After the Ten Great Sects are destroyed, negotiate with the Touch Grass Sect or the Willow Order from a position of strength. You still possess our ancestor’s corpse. Use it. The destruction of the Ten Great Sects combined with the remains of an immortal ancestor will force them to resurrect him.”

The logic was brutal, practical, and utterly horrifying.

Yet Tao Yun did not stop. “Once the ancestor returns, rebuild. This is my final order to you, my son. Now go.”

Tao Hai’s eyes reddened. Every instinct in his body rebelled against those words. The Divine Trinity Sect had stood for thousands of years, so how could he simply abandon it? How could he watch it die?

“No,” he whispered before he could stop himself. His fists trembled. “We can’t give up.”

A faint smile appeared on Tao Yun’s face. His smile was tired, proud, and unbearably sad.

“That is precisely why you must leave.” The Sect Leader stepped forward and placed a heavy hand on his son’s shoulder. For the first time since their confrontation began, the pressure contained no anger, only deep affection. “Become the hope of the Divine Trinity Sect.”

Tao Hai’s vision blurred as his father’s words sank deep into his heart. For several moments, neither father nor son spoke.

Then Tao Hai bowed deeply. When he straightened, his expression had turned resolute. Without another word, he turned and began descending the mountain, step by step.

Behind him, his father remained standing alone before the mountain, a solitary figure guarding a sect already sentenced to death. Tao Hai never looked back. If he did, he feared he would lose the strength to leave.

Yet as he made his way down Greater Palm Mountain, his mind refused to surrender. "There has to be another way," he thought. "There must be."

The Hermit Sage. The Touch Grass Sect. The Willow Order. Somewhere among them lay a path his father could not see. And Tao Hai swore he would find it before it was too late.