Immortality starts from the liver proficiency

Chapter 720 The Time to Make a Sacrifice Has Come

That silent smile is more powerful than any words.

The atmosphere inside the hall became somewhat tense for a moment.

Xu Yunfan met the gaze of the True Lord of Pudu, which seemed to see through people's hearts, and his mind raced.

He understood that in the face of a seasoned demon like Pudu Zhenjun, any amount of explanation would be futile.

The other party doesn't need evidence; they only believe in their own judgment and deduction.

Moreover, when he attained enlightenment in the Eastern Wilderness, it was a momentous event. Not only did the True Lord of Universal Salvation help him stop the great Bodhisattva of the Pure Land of Bodhi, but Xu Yunfan naturally remembered it.

Pudu Zhenjun clearly pinned the blame for Qingyuan's death on him.

Now, the other party is using this as an excuse to demand that he take responsibility. In reality, they want him to take over some of the sphere of influence or troublesome matters left behind by True Monarch Qingyuan, and to bind it more deeply with the Shenxiao Dharma Lineage that they have newly established, so that he becomes a true core pillar of the Yuanshi Sect, rather than just a newly promoted True Monarch.

The more extensive the lineage, the more outstanding the disciples, and the more prosperous the fortune, the more profound Xu Yunfan, as the master of the lineage, naturally becomes. This is a real benefit.

However, the greater the responsibility and the deeper one gets caught up in the sect's vortex, the more complicated things become.

Pudu Zhenjun is laying the groundwork for the future of the Yuanshi Sect and also balancing internal forces.

After all, including Xu Yunfan, the Yuanshi Sect now only has three Golden Core True Monarchs.

Weighing the pros and cons, Xu Yunfan knew he didn't have many options.

The anger on his face gradually subsided, turning into a thoughtful expression. He stopped acting and, after a moment, as if he had figured something out, cupped his hands and said solemnly, "Senior brother is right. Junior brother misspoke just now. Senior brother Qingyuan's matter is indeed regrettable."

Senior brother's words must be for the sake of the sect's overall interests. Since this matter is beneficial to the sect's inheritance and development and strengthens the foundation of our Yuanshi Sect, as a member of the Yuanshi Sect, I have an inescapable responsibility!

"I, Xu Yunfan, have taken on the task of accepting disciples, passing on the Dharma, and continuing the lineage!"

You have to give something in return.

Seeing that Xu Yunfan finally agreed, the smile on Pudu Zhenjun's face became more genuine, and he nodded: "Good. Junior Brother is very righteous, which is a blessing to the sect."

He said no more, stood up and said, “This matter must be taken seriously. When selecting disciples, quality is more important than quantity. If you have any questions, you can come to Chenghua Mountain to find me.”

Having said that, his body emanated a Daoist aura, and his figure vanished like a bubble, as if he had never existed.

After seeing off Pudu Zhenjun, Xu Yunfan stood alone in the magnificent and solemn main hall of Shenxiao Palace, his brows slightly furrowed.

This old monster would never speak without reason.

His divine sense swept across the vast Shenxiao Mountain below.

Amidst the undulating mountains, purple-gold lightning flashes intermittently, pavilions and towers dot the landscape, and disciples' cave dwellings stand in rows.

The Taoist chants resounded in the lecture hall, thunder roared in the cultivation field, and the furnaces in the weapon-refining workshop and alchemy room burned continuously.

A vibrant and thriving scene.

The sect now has quite a few disciples, tens of thousands, all of whom practice the Divine Firmament Thunder Technique. They are protected by the True Lord's fortune, and their cultivation speed is much faster than in the outside world.

But as Pudu Zhenjun said, and as Xu Yunfan himself saw, none of these disciples could be considered outstanding or remarkable.

Even his former teacher, Bi Yuan, who led him into the Dao Sect back then, has only managed to barely establish a Dao Foundation now, thanks to the abundant spiritual energy of Shenxiao Mountain and the feedback of his own fortune as a True Monarch. His foundation and potential are limited, and without a great opportunity, he has no hope of achieving the Golden Core stage.

Perhaps after five lifetimes, it will fade into obscurity.

Xu Yunfan was also helpless.

The other early followers, such as Xuezhen, Qingming, Ni Laotou, and Ma Yi Laodao, performed reasonably well, but they were merely the best of the worst. They were far from being able to truly inherit his mantle and stand independently in the future of the Yuanshi Sect. Is Pudu Zhenjun trying to increase the Yuanshi Sect's foundation?
Xu Yunfan scoffed at this, saying that with the Dao Lord behind the Yuanshi Sect, even if it were to be destroyed, the Dao Lord would not stand idly by.

Could it be that he's plotting to seize the position of a Great True Sovereign in the late Golden Core stage?

Xu Yunfan frowned slightly. In the Taihua Spirit Ruins Realm, not to mention the small and medium-sized sects in various states, just considering the Wancheng Sword Sect, the Bodhi Pure Land, and the Yuanshi Sect, the top combat power is at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm.

As for the late-stage Golden Core realm, there are none at all, and the reason is unknown; it cannot even be found in ancient texts.

Ultimately, it's because I lack sufficient knowledge and understanding that I'm not clear on many things.

"A vast lineage may enhance one's foundation, but without successors, it is ultimately just a castle in the air..."

Xu Yunfan pondered to himself.

Pudu Zhenjun is right. Some truly promising talents may perish in the struggles or dangers before they even have a chance to shine in the cruel environment of Yuanshi Sect.

If they can be discovered early and brought under the wing, given some protection and guidance, they might actually be able to cultivate a few useful talents who can not only strengthen the foundation of the lineage and share the affairs of the sect, but also become an asset in the future.

However, Xu Yunfan didn't take it too seriously; Pudu Zhenjun had a deeper meaning behind this.

Xu Yunfan had no choice but to comply with the request of the True Lord of Salvation.

"It seems I really need to personally select a few disciples."

Xu Yunfan made up his mind.

His gaze fell upon the area below Shenxiao Mountain. The Yuanshi Sect was the overlord of the Northern Continent, a vast territory containing countless mortal kingdoms.

When selecting disciples, one cannot simply look within one's own Shenxiao Mountain. One must search in the vast world where outer disciples struggle to survive and inner disciples fiercely compete, and go to the edges of dangerous and secret realms to see those unpolished gems that are struggling on the brink of life and death yet still shining with potential.

However, there's no rush to do this.

The most urgent task is still to make arrangements within the cycle of suffering.

After confirming that Pudu Zhenjun had left, he reactivated the great formation and once again focused his mind on the links in the attribute panel.

On the edge of the sea of ​​suffering, Han Shi remained immersed in the dark and gloomy clouds, meticulously carrying out orders under Xu Yunfan's guidance.

New array flags and more complex array hubs were continuously being driven into the broader spatial nodes surrounding the Bone Island.

Some disappeared beneath the towering waves of blood, connecting with the earth's veins and malevolent forces; others embedded themselves within massive skeletons, stirring up the resentment of the dead.

Some are suspended within the gray, gloomy clouds, gathering an atmosphere of deathly stillness.

The power of the "Nine Nether Profound Fiend Immortal Slaying Thunder Array" was being reinforced layer by layer. The outermost Myriad Tribulations Yin Fiend Extinction Sword Array, which originated from the Boundless Sea of ​​Bitterness and the Turbid Fiend of Killing Karma, was also becoming more and more solid, its fierce aura restrained yet unleashed.

Han Shi's facial muscles twitched slightly every time a flag was thrust into a dangerous position.

His fear did not disappear; on the contrary, it deepened as the formation became more and more perfect.

As he watched those arrays radiating an aura of destruction being set up by his own hands, he seemed to see his possible future fate.

Once the battle begins, you will surely be trapped inside, crushed to pieces, and your soul and spirit annihilated.

Those scattered thoughts of resistance or escape that had just been forcibly suppressed seemed increasingly ridiculous and powerless during the process of setting up the formation.

He could only suppress all his thoughts again and resignedly continue to carry out Xu Yunfan's every instruction.

In Xu Yunfan's field of vision, the attribute panel clearly reflected the complex and suppressed emotional fluctuations in Han Shi's soul link.

(End of this chapter)