CHAPTER 245: LU CHEN'S MYSTERIOUS IDENTITY

Standing between them, Daoist Tian Ji lightly stroked his white beard. "Calm down, both of you. The secret realm is about to open. I am older than the two of you, so take my advice and let this end here."

Ancestor Suitian and Daoist Du both turned toward Daoist Tian Ji. The light of their spells gradually dimmed, yet the weapons clashing in the sky still refused to stop. Neither was willing to be the first to lower their arms.

Seeing their stubbornness, Daoist Tian Ji smiled gently and spoke in a calm, admonishing tone. "If no greater opportunities await us, our time will soon be over anyway. What does it matter which family stands higher?"

Streams of pure white spirit qi radiated from his body, spreading outward. The poison daggers and lightning spears suspended in the air began to slow.

Daoist Tian Ji focused on the weapons and raised his hands, gently waving them through the air. One by one, the weapons returned to their owners.

Having settled half the matter, he placed one hand behind his back and stroked his beard with the other. "Besides, we have long stepped down from the stage of history. Whatever glory we once had has long been washed away by time."

His gaze swept across Daoist Du and Ancestor Suitian, his aura steady and undiminished. From within his robes, he drew out his life-bound Heavenly Spirit-Gathering Disk and twirled it casually before them. The faintly emerging laws upon its surface served as a silent warning that he could strike at any moment.

Squinting slightly, he chuckled. "The battlefield now belongs to the younger generation. Let's see what they're capable of."

Daoist Tian Ji watched as the two began to retract their auras. His own, already at the peak of the Human Core Realm and showing signs of breaking through to the Heaven Core Realm, flared outward, forcibly pushing them apart. "Fellow Daoists, are these terms agreeable?"

Daoist Du's gaze swept across the hovering daggers. His pupils rotated twice as a thought crossed his mind. Without another word, he bowed deeply toward Daoist Tian Ji. "Esteemed Daoist, I will heed your counsel and end this matter today."

He glanced at Daoist Tian Ji, then swept his cloak behind him, recalling the daggers. "If I ever require your help in the future, I hope you'll lend me your aid."

"Of course, of course. All I have left now is the art of foresight. Should trouble arise, I will do my utmost to assist," Daoist Tian Ji said with a soft laugh, then turned to Ancestor Suitian. "Come now, High Sage Suitian, heed my words as well. Let this be a draw, and allow the young ones to have their moment in the spotlight."

Seeing Daoist Du sheath his daggers, Ancestor Suitian said coolly, "Very well. I will take your advice."

He let out a cold snort, dispersing the lightning spear, and bowed to Daoist Tian Ji.

Daoist Tian Ji clasped his hands in front and returned the bow with a smile.

Taking the opportunity, both Ancestor Suitian and Daoist Du fully withdrew their spells.

Thanks to the formation Ancestor Suitian had set up in the backyard of the Scripture Hall, the cultivators there remained immersed in their training, unaware of the clash between Daoist Du and Ancestor Suitian, or that Lu Chen might be the potential heir of the Heavenly King.

After the confrontation, neither Ancestor Suitian nor Daoist Du spoke again, leaving the atmosphere awkward. Those qualified to speak remained silent, while those who wanted to speak dared not. The two respected venerables, Hua Xin and Shuang Dao, exchanged glances before turning their attention to Daoist Tian Ji.

Sensing their gaze, Daoist Tian Ji twirled his Heavenly Spirit-Gathering Disk once more, then chuckled and stepped to the cliff's edge with his hands clasped behind him.

His eyes turned toward Lu Chen. Seeing that Lu Chen now stood atop the wooden dragon, he asked, "All of you have cultivated for tens of thousands of years. Can anyone tell me which sect this young man's techniques come from?"

At his words, the venerables gathered near the cliff's edge and focused their attention on Lu Chen. Daoist Tian Ji had merely voiced what everyone else was already thinking. They all wanted to know which sect could nurture a young cultivator wielding such profound techniques.

The ten venerables lined the cliff. Some had their hands behind their backs, while others manipulated their enchanted artifacts, each silently analyzing Lu Chen's techniques.

Daoist Hong Yun studied him closely and mused, "The formation under his feet is quite advanced. It resembles the exclusive formation of Western Mountain's Deer Ridge. I was there three thousand years ago. They would never teach such a thing to outsiders."

"No, he is not from the Western Mountain," said Heaven Venerable Hua Sheng, shaking his head as he pointed to the vines in Lu Chen's hands. "Those vines come from Azure Mountain Manor's mainline inheritance, but his seem even purer than the original tradition."

"You're both mistaken," said Venerable Shuang Dao, his gaze fixed on the massive sword in Lu Chen's grip. "That boy must be from the Nantian Sect. The fire dragons in his sword strikes clearly derive from their Dragon-Slaying Sword Art."

He tore open his robe to reveal a dragon-shaped scar on his chest. "When I visited the Nantian Region for medicine, I witnessed that fierce, domineering sword style. Only the sect leader's line is permitted to wield it."

The venerables stood at the cliff, each voicing their own theories and citing their experiences to justify their reasoning.

"Heh... you're all exaggerating," Venerable Ban Yao chuckled. "If we take your words at face value, then his clone just now used high-grade lightning and ice techniques. Why not go further and claim he's from the Jun Clan, or perhaps the Northern Region?"

"But I have really seen the spells he used before! They matched exactly what I described."

The three venerables bristled at Ban Yao's mockery and quickly defended themselves. "At our realm, eidetic recall is almost instinctive. How could we possibly be mistaken?"

"Hehehe, fellow Daoists, it seems your eyes are indeed sharp," Daoist Tian Ji waved a hand, cutting their argument short. "The techniques you mentioned are indeed secret arts of certain sects. But that doesn't mean they can't be replicated. I, for one, know a way to gather them all into a single person."

At his words, the venerables turned toward him, their faces puzzled.

Daoist Tian Ji waved his hand again. "The Western Mountain is not the only one that excel in formations. Before the Abyssal Demonic Spirits invaded the continent, nearly every sect studied formations.

"As for the vine techniques, there are countless variations across the world. Who's to say Azure Mountain Manor holds the only lineage? Have you forgotten the vines the Green Emperor once wielded?"

He chuckled softly. "The Nantian Sect's Dragon-Slaying Sword Art is merely a fragment obtained tens of thousands of years ago. With secret realms awakening now, it's entirely possible Lu Chen stumbled upon another piece."

"As for the lightning, ice, and wind blades, there's nothing strange about one person mastering multiple elements. Did Empress Bai Hong not once cultivate all five elements to their peak?"

Daoist Tian Ji's tone softened as he steered the discussion back to Lu Chen, twirling his white beard with a smile. "None of those things are the real issue. With enough opportunities, anyone could reach this level."

He paused briefly. "But I do have a doubt. The art of manifesting three bodies. I recall that as the Reverse Execution of the Three Corpses Art, and that art can only be performed after one comprehends a law."

His voice trailed off, leaving the question in the air. "Lu Chen's cultivation is, at most, at perfect mastery of the Qi Regulation Realm. How could he possibly know the Reverse Execution of the Three Corpses?"

"Daoist Tian Ji, have you forgotten? Lu Chen has a mentor behind him," Daoist Du sneered, eyes narrowing at the light surrounding Lu Chen. "With someone from the Outside as his mentor, the family behind him must possess countless arts and methods, perhaps even ones that allow early comprehension of laws."

Daoist Du's tone turned playful and cold. "Frankly, his entire path to becoming an emperor might already be laid out for him. Still, I'm curious how this brat did it. How did he fuse so many elements into both himself and his clones without suffering any backlash?

"Twenty-five thousand years ago, Empress Bai Hong managed it too, but she never became a true empress. Since then, countless others have tried to follow her path of five-element cultivation. How many of them met a good end?"

Daoist Du sneered. "The answer is none. Records show that apart from Empress Bai Hong, every single one either mutated into a fiend or died from self-detonation."

A faint purple mist continuously seeped from Daoist Du's body. As he spoke, the poisonous vapor slid back into his mouth and nose like fish darting in and out of water. He licked his lips with a long tongue. "With someone from the Outside as his mentor, Lu Chen's identity must be extraordinary. Even if he doesn't belong to one of the Seven Aristocratic Clans, no family would allow him to cultivate all five elements without understanding the risk."

His eyes gleamed with greed, as if he were ready to tear Lu Chen apart to uncover the secrets of his body.

The other venerables listened closely as Daoist Du recounted the long history of failed five-element cultivations.

Ancestor Suitian, seated in his vine chair, swayed gently as he watched the spells Lu Chen unleashed. He said calmly, "I'll offer you all a word of advice. Keep this as a discussion only. Do not act. I merely intended to test his aptitude, but I've been warned several times by that powerful presence."

Ancestor Suitian took a sip of tea, then walked to the cliff's edge, gazing in the direction of Jun Laoye. "We've all guarded this place for thousands of years and endured hardships together, don't say I didn't warn you. If you dare to pry into the secret behind Lu Chen, be prepared to be executed by the one in the sky."

"Do you take me for a fool?" Daoist Du snorted. "After so many years of cultivation, who here isn't a cunning old fox? Do we really need your reminder?"