Start with a red name

The High Priest of the Holy Mountain looked at Geng Xuan with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation.

Just then, footsteps came from behind.

His brows furrowed immediately, for he recognized the sound of the footsteps.

Soon, footsteps approached him.

He turned his head and saw that the person beside him was indeed his disciple, Xiuna.

He immediately rebuked:

"Who asked you to come in?"

Knowing Hugh's personality and to avoid any unforeseen complications, he deliberately didn't bring her along this time, leaving her outside instead.

Now, without a word, he barged in, giving him a headache and prompting him to reflect on whether he had been too lenient with this disciple.

Unexpectedly, after he uttered this rebuke, Huna next to him was stunned for a moment, her eyes first showing a blank look, then turning her head to look around, and then she was completely astonished.

"This...this...Teacher...I don't know!" Shuna stammered.

"What do you mean?" The High Priest of the Holy Mountain frowned.

"I felt a moment of confusion, and then I found myself standing next to you," Shuna said, a hint of fear showing on her face.

For her, she was not afraid of a strong person who could directly overpower her; this unknown was what made her most uncertain.

Upon hearing her words, the High Priest of the Holy Mountain frowned so deeply that he could snap steel bars.

However, he quickly realized something and turned to look at Geng Xuan.

He was immediately met with a pair of smiling eyes.

"It's you?!" the High Priest of the Holy Mountain asked, his expression a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.

The verification was successful. Overjoyed, Geng Xuan did not deny it. He weighed the string of beads in his hand and smiled:
"It also deserves credit... This little toy is quite something!"

Before the High Priest of the Holy Mountain could react to his affirmative answer, the somewhat frightened Shuna suddenly widened her eyes, almost popping them out of her head, and instinctively jumped back to distance herself from him.

In her mind, nothing could be more terrifying than what she had just experienced.

The person in front of her was able to control her actions without her even realizing it!
Just thinking about it—no, something so terrifying—was something Shuna didn't dare to even contemplate.

The moment I thought of this, my scalp tingled and my spine went cold!

The High Priest of the Holy Mountain behaved somewhat more politely, but his sharply narrowed pupils betrayed his inner emotions.

However, he quickly realized what was happening and shook his head, saying:

"Impossible! I know its effects very well; it doesn't have that kind of effect at all!"

Geng Xuan smiled and said:

"Of course, it's not entirely due to the effect of these beads; I also added some of my own techniques."

Geng Xuan was quite satisfied with the results of this small trial.

Only he himself knew that the amazing effect he achieved in front of this master and disciple pair was somewhat due to luck.

Through the bracelet in his hand, he found Shuna's "ripples".

Because of his familiarity with the changes in "ripples", he also noticed that although Shuna was forcibly left outside, her mind was like it was being scratched by cat claws, and she was thinking about coming in with him.

That's why he was able to easily use "mind control" to subdue her and follow her inner desires, causing her to subconsciously take the first step and come here.

This is somewhat like "using someone else's strength against them" or "taking advantage of someone's misfortune."

Otherwise, if he wanted to use "mind control" to subdue Shuna, or even command her to do things against her will as she desires, it wouldn't have been as easy as it is now. However, he only needs to know this situation himself.

The master and apprentice in front of him were clearly quite startled by his "casual" action.

Geng Xuan was happy with this arrangement and naturally didn't bother to clarify.

This show of force has been quite effective.

After a moment of stunned silence, the High Priest of the Holy Mountain regained his senses and offered even more bargaining chips.

"I can give you true control over the entire Xuanyou and Youzhou states!" he said.

"Oh? Real control?" Geng Xuan raised an eyebrow, asking curiously, "You can't possibly incite those tribes to rebel against me, can you?"

His gaze subtly sharpened.

The High Priest of the Holy Mountain shook his head:
“If I wanted to, I could indeed free some tribes from your control… However, that’s not what I’m talking about. I won’t do something that would push people into a fire.”

Geng Xuan did not reply, but his sharp gaze softened considerably.

The high priest of the holy mountain spoke to himself:
"When people talk about the Xuanyou and Youzhou, they usually don't include the entire Xuanyou and Youzhou, but only the area south of the middle section of the two states."

However, the area north of the central section, which is the frigid far north where the aurora borealis can be seen year-round, is usually not included.

Upon hearing this, a look of realization dawned on Geng Xuan's eyes.

"...Because of the harsh climate and difficult conditions, the population of the far north is not very large."

For the same reason, those who can live and thrive here are not only physically strong, but also possess exceptionally good character.

At this point, the High Priest of the Holy Mountain paused, then continued:
"Few people know that the earliest 'Azure Wolf Heaven' belief was born in this far north."

This place has always been a carefully cultivated reserve for our 'Holy Mountain lineage'.

Upon hearing this, Geng Xuan nodded slightly, realizing what was happening.

"...You may have noticed, or you may not have noticed, that although the tribes living and multiplying in the southern part of the two states also cultivate, the success rate is very low, and it is even rarer for them to have outstanding cultivation."

Lack of resources, lack of better inheritance... these are certainly reasons, but there is another unknown reason, which is that our 'Holy Mountain Lineage' has a secret method that allows us to discover those exceptionally talented believers in advance.

...These people will be secretly guided and settled in the far north surrounding the holy mountain.

Upon hearing this, Geng Xuan's eyes widened suddenly.

This was quite unexpected for him.

Seeing this, the High Priest of the Holy Mountain gently shook his head and said:
"Don't overthink it. We don't have any special plans behind this."

We simply don't want these promising young talents to be wasted in pointless clashes.

At this point, he looked at Huna beside him, sighed, and said:

"Anyone with a bit of ability is never content with their lot. Once they learn a skill, they can't wait to prove it to others immediately."

But I know very well that such collisions are like eggs hitting a rock... So why make them bleed from head to toe?!

Geng Xuan remained silent.

The high priest of the holy mountain seemed to be speaking from the heart.

Perhaps that's really what he thought.

However, this approach has objectively preserved the most essential elements of the "Canglang Believers."

Moreover, according to the High Priest of the Holy Mountain, this was not his doing alone, but a "cause" that the "Holy Mountain lineage" has upheld for generations. (End of Chapter)