Lord Shenxiu
Chapter 255: Lake Throw-In (Bonus 4000)

Chapter 255: Chapter 255: Lake Throw-In (Bonus 4000)

"Please extend your hand, Young Master."

The old man said with a smile.

Zhong Shenxiu extended his left hand, inwardly sneering.

If a woman had come for a reading, just with that request alone, she’d most likely have gotten smacked, and his stall would have been trashed.

The old man, however, seriously felt his bones, a flicker of surprise crossing his face, "What an impressive set of indestructible bones... I am adept at discerning energy, and when I saw the five-colored light above your head transforming into a dragon and tiger guarding you, I knew you were undoubtedly a true disciple of the Dao, specifically, of the Supreme Dragon and Tiger Sect, practiced in the Dragon and Tiger Daoist Skill, most authentic indeed."

"Hmm, the light seven feet above, with five strands of golden thread within, signifies one who has refined their Divine Skills, deserving indeed of the title... immensely powerful!"

"Who are you, exactly?"

As soon as the old man had spoken his first words, Zhong Shenxiu’s face had already changed drastically, and he was nearly standing up in alarm.

But looking around him, he still could not gauge the old man’s depth, realizing this person might even surpass Master Ming Xue, the Primordial Pill Old Monster.

Whatever the other wished to do, he had no choice but to let himself be manipulated, unless he committed suicide on the spot, gambling that the other couldn’t suppress the Nine Death Rebirth Divine Power in time!

While his thoughts churned, he still opted not to leave.

"You, Young Master, possess immense mana and astonishing Divine Skills. Among those from the Daoist path, you could be considered a seed for the True Inheritance, what a pity, a pity..."

The old man kept shaking his head, deeply regretful.

"I beseech the senior to enlighten me."

By this time, Zhong Shenxiu realized the man’s profound cultivation and, reflecting on his own issues with progressing in the Divine Power Realm, stood up to give a respectful bow.

"You’re unaware of what kind of deviant methods you’ve cultivated, turning your physical body into something akin to a magical treasure, comparable to those few great monsters known for their physical dominance... If it were only that, it would still be a fine enhancement. But within you, there seems to be an odd force, causing your foundation to be impure!"

The old man looked at Zhong Shenxiu with a pitying glance, "Why destroy your organs and extinguish your innards to achieve Primordial Pill? It’s to capture that one breath of utmost purity. With two major hidden dangers within you, if there were only one, you might still be unimpeded. But with both interwoven, the chances of restarting your cultivation from scratch are incredibly slim... In this lifetime, I fear you’ll never reach the Primordial Pill!"

In this lifetime, no hope for the Primordial Pill!

Hearing this judgment, Zhong Shenxiu was like struck by lightning, expressionless.

Boom!

Around him, the market, the stream of people, the festival lanterns, the street performers... even the whole town dissipated into mist, revealing the true nature of the station.

All before had been but a mirage, an illusion technique that managed to completely elude Zhong Shenxiu’s detection.

All had dissipated, yet this old man remained unchanged.

Around him, several figures appeared - it was Sima Shu, Lan Ying’er, and other Cultivators.

"Su," Sima Shu looked at Zhong Shenxiu with a complex expression and said softly, "This person is Master Jiu Ru from our sect, specially here to receive us. Master Jiu Ru possesses a Divine Power that can conjure thousands of illusions, turning the unreal into reality, so palpable it’s like being there. He also has a natural spiritual eye; after cultivating his Divine Power, he excels at seeing through all types of foundations. He came because he heard of our sect finding a raw gem..."

What he left unsaid was that the other also had the duty of identifying spies.

Yet, within the illusion of the mirage city, the state of a person’s heart would also externalize, and Master Jiu Ru had already confirmed that this person harbored no ill intentions towards the Supreme Dragon and Tiger Sect, nor was he a spy.

’This is still the plight of a Loose Cultivator; without a mentor within the sect to guide him, Su is prone to stray into deviant paths, making a misstep and forever losing sight of the true path. I must take this as a warning.’

Sima Shu reminded himself internally.

"Master Jiu Ru, is there really no way to remedy this?" Lan Ying’er looked at Zhong Shenxiu with concern.

"If there were a remedy, then one might as well gouge out my eyes..."

Master Jiu Ru stood up, not pretending anymore, and said indifferently, "Su Daoshi... since you are the chosen disciple of Long Hezi, you may join our Supreme Dragon and Tiger Sect. However, with no future prospects, you cannot enter the Inner Sect but only serve as an Outer Door Steward. Would you be willing?"

Upon these words, Sima Shu and the others felt a chill in their hearts.

The Su Daoshi of before was a Heavenly Pride, mastering five powerful Divine Skills, a shoo-in for the Inner Sect.

Even the possibility of becoming a True Inheritor was within reach.

His future had seemed bright with confidence in reaching the Primordial Pill and even a substantial chance at cultivating the undying Primordial Spirit.

Now, it had all been brought low by a single sentence.

They had harbored envy in secret, solely because this man’s talent and opportunities were so astonishingly threatening to their status. Yet now, seeing a genius reduced to dust, they couldn’t help but feel a touch of sorrow as the fox grieves for the rabbit’s death.

After all, with Su Daoshi’s hopes for the Primordial Pill dashed, he posed no more threat to them, and on the contrary, he had saved their lives!

When they thought about it, it felt somewhat different.

"I am willing," the disciple said.

Zhong Shenxiu seemed stunned and after a long while, he finally murmured softly, "It’s just that... my insides are burning with pain. I’m afraid I cannot return to the sect immediately. My lords, please forgive me for taking my leave now..."

"Good!"

Master Jiu Ru nodded and looked no more at him.

...

Zhong Shenxiu staggered out of the post house in a daze.

Those eight words echoed incessantly in his mind.

For this life, no hope for the Primordial Pill... For this life, no hope for the Primordial Pill...

He thought about all the schemes he had plotted to earn a volume of the true teachings.

He remembered the thrilling risks he took to kill Zhang Taiyi and seize the inheritance.

And the resolve to risk life and limb to sneak into the Supreme Dragon and Tiger Sect for the secrets to immortality.

All that... had turned into a joke!

For an ordinary seeker of the Dao, realizing that after all the calculation, hardship through fire and water, and risking life itself, it was all for naught, it wouldn’t be surprising for one to go mad on the spot!

It was only because his wisdom, honed through countless lives, prevented him from losing his composure.

"An Outer Door Steward?"

As Zhong Shenxiu aimlessly wandered, he recalled a boastful remark from Zhang Taiyi in his prime — "Within my Supreme Dragon and Tiger Sect, which Superpower Disciple would dare to cultivate Fifth Grade Divine Power? They would be banished from the Inner Sect immediately to be a steward, toiling away at the Outer Gate."

This showed that the Outer Door Steward position was often assigned to Superpower Disciples who had no future and were clearly abandoned.

But back then, could he afford not to accept?

Clearly not!

He had already learned the Dragon Tiger Pill Book. If he had uttered a single word of refusal to join, Master Jiu Ru might likely have killed him on the spot to reclaim the Daoist Skill!

Perhaps they were willing to offer him a position as an Outer Door Steward out of respect for the lineage of the transmission and his prior meager contributions.

Hence, he had to accept.

But to visit the Supreme Dragon and Tiger Sect for the lowly post of an Outer Door Steward was far too unworthy.

Master Jiu Ru had already seen so much; if Shenxiu really went to the mountain gate and was scrutinized by the Dharma Body Experts, they might strip him bare!

Therefore, he could only leave dejectedly, despondently, his heart filled with cold desolation, unwilling to go to that heartbreaking place at the sect!

Half of this was pretense, and half was true emotion showing through; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been enough to deceive that old fox.

What truly made Zhong Shenxiu unable to bear it was, apart from his meticulous planning turning to naught, being toyed with by that old fox.

Even if the other party had come to scrutinize him openly, it would have been more palatable than this pretense of disdainful arrogance.

"Heh heh... Just for a Primordial Pill, to be placed so high above? I must achieve the Primordial Pill," he mused wryly.

Coming to his senses, he found himself standing, unawares, in front of a lake as clear as jade.

Then, he heard an alarmed cry ringing in his ears: "Oh no, someone’s going to jump into the lake!"

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