"Eggy, why do you say that?" Eggy's sudden remark left Chu Feng somewhat bewildered. The Dragon Daoist was clearly very kind and had been of tremendous help to him — how could he not be trustworthy?
"You're still too green. Just because he did you a favor and happens to be the founding ancestor of your sect, you trust him a hundredfold. But put yourself in his shoes for a moment — think it through carefully. Are you really worth his trust? Why should he trust you so readily?"
"He was the greatest expert to roam the Nine Provinces Continent a thousand years ago. A man like that would possess not only extraordinary skill but also a mind that's anything but simple. The fact that he discovered me, and that sharp insight into your unusual body — it all shows he's a very formidable character."
"If I'm not mistaken, back when they explored the Imperial Tomb, he absolutely wasn't alone. Those tens of thousands of white bones we saw — they were probably the sacrifices who entered the tomb alongside him."
"And he said it himself: deep within the tomb, there are still the remains of Heaven Martial realm powerhouses. That tells you the expedition back then must have gathered experts from all across the Nine Provinces."
"But with so many experts entering the tomb, how come only he survived? Remember — when facing an absolutely overpowering enemy, one strike is enough to kill, and even divine consciousness would be scattered in an instant, leaving no chance of survival. Yet he lived, and obtained a precious pearl."
"Furthermore, you yourself said that the Dragon Daoist's cultivation was built on the benefits he gained from the Imperial Tomb. So he definitely understands the tomb better than anyone else. And that means those people's deaths..."
"Enough. I know what you're trying to say. You're suggesting that everyone who died exploring the Imperial Tomb was used by my sect's founder, aren't you?" Before Eggy could finish, Chu Feng cut in.
"That's right. If those people really entered the tomb with him, then more likely than not they were used by him. A person like that has a character problem — do you think he's worth trusting?"
"Never mind that this is only your suspicion. Even if those people really were killed by the founder, it's very possible they were all his archenemies who made the first move against him. Anyway, history is history, and their lives and deaths have nothing to do with me. I don't intend to dig into it."
"As for whether you think my founder is trustworthy — I'm not that stupid. I'll keep my guard up. Besides, once I attain the methods of a Purple-cloaked Spirit Realm Master, even if the founder tries to use me, he probably won't be able to harm me." Chu Feng said with full confidence.
"Fine, just call me paranoid then. After all, it's hard for an old fox like that to genuinely trust anyone." Seeing Chu Feng's untroubled confidence, Eggy dropped the matter.
With that, the two of them brought back all the benefits they had obtained from the Dragon Daoist and returned to the Core Area of the Azure Dragon Sect. Chu Feng headed straight for Su Mei's residence.
Ever since before his trip to the Spirit Realm, when they had exchanged only a few brief words, the two of them hadn't had a proper heart-to-heart in a long time. Chu Feng missed the little girl quite a bit, and now that he finally had time, he naturally wanted to go coax her.
Along the way, every disciple and elder he passed greeted him with a bow. When he walked past the gathering spots of the female disciples, he could hear shrieks of excitement, and glancing to the side, he'd see those girls staring at him with unblinking, predatory eyes.
Chu Feng actually found this rather satisfying. This was the respect he had earned with his own strength. At least within the Azure Dragon Sect, he was no longer the brat everyone laughed at — he was the number one disciple everyone wanted to curry favor with.
However, Su Mei wasn't in the sect, so Chu Feng went to Su Rou's residence. To his surprise, Su Rou was also absent. At first he felt a bit worried, thinking it was unusual for both sisters to have disappeared together.
But once he learned that it was recently their eldest brother's birthday and they had gone to celebrate, he relaxed.
"Young friend Chu Feng, this old man has been looking for you everywhere!" Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded from behind him.
"Sect Master!" Turning around, Chu Feng saw Li Changqing, the Azure Dragon Sect Master, standing behind him with a beaming smile.
"Sect Master, your aura..." What surprised Chu Feng was that Li Changqing's aura had undergone a change — it was no longer the Xuan Wu Seventh Stage from before. In just the span of a few days, the old man had actually broken through to the Xuan Wu Eighth Stage.
That level of cultivation was on par with Lin Ran's from before — truly the pinnacle of the Xuan Wu realm. That was nothing short of remarkable.
"Haha, I originally planned to break through to the Eighth Stage before your life-and-death battle with Gong Luyun. Unfortunately, the breakthrough came a few days later than I'd planned, nearly putting the Azure Dragon Sect in jeopardy."
"Fortunately, young friend Chu Feng befriended Lord Qi Fengyang, or else our Azure Dragon Sect's thousand-year legacy might truly have been destroyed in my generation." Li Changqing said in a joking tone.
"Heh, Sect Master, hearing you say that truly makes this junior feel deeply ashamed." Chu Feng felt somewhat embarrassed, because if Qi Fengyang hadn't arrived, the Azure Dragon Sect would have truly faced destruction that day — and that catastrophe had been entirely his doing.
"Haha, so the kid can actually feel embarrassed! Come, come, come — keep me company for a cup of tea. I happen to have some matters to discuss with you." Seeing Chu Feng's guilty expression, Li Changqing burst into hearty laughter once more.
After that, Li Changqing brought Chu Feng to a quiet pavilion. With a wave of his broad sleeve, he tossed several books in front of Chu Feng. "Chu Feng, take a look at these."
"These are!!!" A quick glance was enough to shock him. Chu Feng was stunned to discover that these were Intermediate Mystic Arts and Sixth-rank Martial Arts — and all of them were the works of the Dragon Daoist himself, genuine ultimate techniques left behind by a supreme expert.
"Our sect's founding ancestor is the Dragon Daoist himself — how could he possibly lack Intermediate Mystic Arts and Sixth-rank Martial Arts? The problem was that our sect had been too declining for too long, and we feared other sects would come plundering, so we kept these hidden."
"Before you have the ability to guard your wealth, it's best not to flaunt it — otherwise you'll only attract unnecessary trouble, or even a fatal crisis."
"But things are different now. Our Azure Dragon Sect is destined to rise, and it's time to bring these out. Otherwise people will laugh that even though our sect has been elevated to first-rate status, it still carries itself like a second-rate sect." Li Changqing said.
"Sect Master is truly meticulous and thorough in his planning. This disciple is in awe." At that moment, Chu Feng couldn't help but cup his fists toward Li Changqing with genuine respect.
He had come to realize that the old man Li Changqing was no simple character. All those years of hiding his identity and serving as a gatekeeping elder in the Core Area hadn't been in vain — he had quietly cultivated many talented seeds, and now that he had resumed his role as Sect Master, those talents were receiving proper guidance.
Moreover, Li Changqing had established an entirely new set of sect laws, giving the Azure Dragon Sect a complete makeover. It truly had the momentum of a rising power.
PS: The author has some matters to attend to and needs to go out. If there's no update by 9 PM, I recommend you don't wait up — there will be extra chapters tomorrow.