Chapter 1350: The Old Sect Leader and the Young Sect Leader (Third Update)
Wei Suifeng coughed repeatedly. As the founding patriarch of the Celestial Demon Sect, the sect had indeed not informed Qin Mu about the appointment of a new sect leader.
Qin Mu stared at him. Wei Suifeng coughed for a long time, almost coughing up blood, but still couldn't bluff his way through, so he had to say, "You haven't been usurped, have you? You're still alive and well, aren't you?"
Qin Mu glared at him darkly. "I just turned seventeen, and I'm already the old sect leader? When did you depose me? You could at least have let me know!"
Yu Chenzi wisely shut his mouth and said nothing, thinking to himself, "The Celestial Demon Sect has always acted like demons. They appointed a new sect leader without even notifying the old one. If this were any other sect, it would have split apart long ago! This is their internal affair, so I shouldn't meddle."
Wei Suifeng sighed helplessly. "The matter of appointing the young sect leader was discussed jointly by all the hall masters, elders, heavenly kings, protectors, and holy maidens of the Celestial Demon Sect, and it was approved by the successive sect leaders' spirits. Si Youyou, as the former holy maiden, also nodded in agreement! Of course, when they came to ask me, I nodded too..."
Qin Mu fumed, "But I'm still alive! Shouldn't you have informed me first before appointing a young sect leader?"
"Who knew if you were dead or alive? Who knew where you were?"
Wei Suifeng also grew angry. "After you became the holy sect leader, you ran all over the place, either courting death or on the road to courting death! When have you ever returned to the Celestial Demon Sect? When you disappeared, everyone speculated that there was a fifty percent chance you were alive and a fifty percent chance you were dead. Only when you showed up and they observed you could they confirm whether you were alive or dead! Should we wait until you're dead to appoint a young sect leader?"
Qin Mu stammered, "Fine, appoint one if you must. No need to get angry. But you could have at least notified me..."
Wei Suifeng snorted. "When you return to Eternal Peace, have you ever visited the Celestial Demon Sect? The hall masters originally didn't plan to appoint a young sect leader, but every time you came to Eternal Peace, you left in a hurry soon after and never handled any sect affairs. After I returned, they found me and asked me to temporarily act as sect leader. Naturally, I refused, so everyone chose a young sect leader to temporarily take over the role. This young sect leader is someone you're familiar with."
Qin Mu's heart stirred.
Wei Suifeng sent someone to fetch Granny Si and Wen Yuan. After a moment, Granny Si arrived with a handsome, fair-skinned youth with rosy lips. Qin Mu quickly stepped forward to greet him. "Patriarch, long time no see."
The young man Wen Yuan smiled. "Sect leader, please don't be like this. I am now the young sect leader, and you are still the sect leader. In name, I am still your disciple!"
Qin Mu stood dumbfounded.
This youth was none other than the Celestial Demon Sect's young patriarch, who had somehow reincarnated, been reborn as a youth, and become his nominal disciple!
Granny Si blinked and laughed. "Wen Yuan is doing quite well now. He's also very outstanding in the Dao Academy. Of course, I am Qin Mu's teacher, so I am his patriarch."
She felt quite pleased.
Back then, Wen Yuan was her patriarch, and he always looked like a youth, so he was called the young patriarch. Now the tables had turned, and she had become Wen Yuan's patriarch!
After some catching up, Granny Si said meaningfully, "Wen Yuan, strive to get rid of the old sect leader as soon as possible, and you'll be the new sect leader!"
Qin Mu chuckled. "That's probably not going to happen in this lifetime..."
Granny Si shot him a fierce glare, and Qin Mu quickly shut up.
Yu Chenzi coughed and said, "Everyone, let's continue."
He paused and went on, "Granny Si, Wen Yuan, and Youming Taizi studied for a long time and concluded that the problem lies in the process of crossing from the Heavenly Palace into the Southern Heavenly Gate. So they began experimenting, trying to have their primordial spirits pass through the Northern Heavenly Gate. After their primordial spirits passed through the Northern Heavenly Gate, they gained many insights into the Dao, and by using the Northern Emperor's divine abilities, they finally successfully entered the Dao realm. Granny Si, Wen Yuan, is that correct?"
Granny Si and the young Wen Yuan nodded.
"We told this to the others in the Dao Academy, and many began to experiment, gradually developing the functions of the Four Heavenly Gates," Granny Si said.
Yu Chenzi said, "Now the system of the Four Heavenly Gates has been basically fully developed by the gods of the Dao Academy. However, there is one peculiarity: many people can gain insights into the Dao when passing through the four gates, but they cannot enter the Dao. The probability of entering the Dao is very low—only one or two out of a hundred gods can manage it. In the end, it still depends on talent."
Qin Mu paced back and forth, deep in thought. The Four Heavenly Gates realm was not created solely by Granny Si and Youming Taizi; it was a collective effort by the geniuses of the Dao Academy.
Granny Si, the young Wen Yuan, and Youming Taizi were the pioneers, building upon the original Southern Heavenly Gate to address its shortcomings.
They were not even half a Heavenly Sovereign, but being able to make such a groundbreaking achievement was already extraordinary!
The people of the Dao Academy had great potential. Granny Si and Youming Taizi were geniuses who integrated the Dao realm with the Heavenly Palace system, destined to leave a significant mark on the future cultivation system.
Their contribution to the future cultivation system was no less than that of the Dao Ancestor or Brahma.
"What the Dao Academy lacks is vision."
Qin Mu stopped pacing and suddenly looked up. "Hua Xuanxiu, Granny Si, Wen Yuan, Youming Taizi, and everyone who contributed to the Four Heavenly Gates realm, this time you will all come with me to the Ancestral Court!"
Wei Suifeng's eyes lit up, and he could barely contain his excitement.
Qin Mu glanced at him and sneered, "Big senior brother, did you contribute to the Four Heavenly Gates realm?"
"Yes!"
Wei Suifeng grinned slyly. "I founded the Celestial Demon Sect. Si Youyou is the former holy maiden of my Celestial Demon Sect, Wen Yuan is the patriarch who passed down the teachings, and Hua Xuanxiu is the disciple of my disciple—though my disciple is a bit slow. If I hadn't founded the Celestial Demon Sect, there would be no holy maiden, no patriarch, and even no sect leader of the Celestial Demon Sect!"
Qin Mu's momentum immediately deflated. He stammered, "If you want to go, just go. Why bring up all that ancient history? Our Celestial Demon Sect has always respected the old and cherished the young. At most, the new sect leader kills the previous one..."
Everyone prepared to set out. The situation in the Yuan Realm was now stable, and the experts of the Dao Academy had no reason to stay. Following Qin Mu to the Ancestral Court to broaden their horizons was an exciting prospect.
However, Qin Mu did not set off immediately. He waited a few more days until Village Chief returned from You Heavenly Sovereign, bringing Pharmacist along.
"You Heavenly Sovereign checked almost the entire population of Eternal Peace, which is why it took so long."
Village Chief tossed Qin Mu a small booklet. "This is what You Heavenly Sovereign found. It lists all the cultivators and gods in Eternal Peace who might be reincarnations of the Ten Heavenly Sovereigns of the Heavenly Court, from the Eternal Peace Calamity to the present! Pharmacist, have some tea."
The two sat down, slowly boiled water, and brewed tea, occasionally glancing at Qin Mu.
Qin Mu steadied himself and opened You Heavenly Sovereign's booklet. His expression gradually grew serious.
The booklet was written in You Heavenly Sovereign's handwriting. The first few pages listed the names of the Ten Heavenly Sovereigns of the Heavenly Court: Hao, Xiao, Hong, Zu, Lang, Huo, Gong, Yan, Qiang, and Xu. Behind each name were two or three suspected reincarnations of the Ten Heavenly Sovereigns!
Every Heavenly Sovereign had reincarnations, including Hong Heavenly Sovereign and Huo Heavenly Sovereign, who had resisted the reforms most fiercely!
Even Xiao Heavenly Sovereign, whose two reincarnations Qin Mu had already killed, now had a new reincarnation in Eternal Peace—a baby just two or three months old!
Of course, You Heavenly Sovereign noted in the booklet that these were only suspicions and not certainties. These Heavenly Sovereigns possessed immense divine power and were almost all proficient in the Dao of Youdu, making it impossible for You Heavenly Sovereign to be certain. Moreover, some had set up deliberate misdirections, using others to obscure You Heavenly Sovereign's investigations.
"These old schemers..."
Qin Mu gritted his teeth, but then noticed that the booklet had over a dozen more pages. He paused and continued flipping through.