Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Lin Zhao was taken aback, feeling a little uneasy.

Beichen Zhenjun's strength and sect status are too high. I don't know where to take him. Why?

He remained outwardly calm, but secretly sent a message to True Monarch Qingyuan via the sect's token.

After sending the message, he waited for a while, but Qingyuan Zhenjun ignored him.

Beichen Zhenjun naturally noticed the commotion, but without turning his head, his tone held a hint of a half-smile:

"Alright kid, it was True Monarch Qingyuan who told me to take you out."

Lin Zhao put the token away.

If True Lord Beichen said so, then it must be true.

Given Beichen Zhenjun's status in the sect, there was really no need for him to lie to him.

Even the most precious Luo Tian Palace in his possession, Bei Chen Zhenjun also has a Bei Chen Palace of the same rank.

Not to mention he also possesses a fifth-tier spiritual treasure, the Seven Kill Sword.

Besides, he's just a clone, so any accident won't affect the main body.

Lin Zhao followed True Monarch Beichen out of the sect.

After leaving the sect, True Monarch Beichen wandered around aimlessly.

Sometimes, when I visit a town inhabited by ordinary people, I'll sit in a teahouse for half a day, listening to the locals chat about this year's harvest and the various gossips circulating in town.

Sometimes, venturing into dangerous places, in miasma-filled swamps, they would spend half a day examining a single, ordinary medicinal herb.

On one occasion, he even concealed his cultivation level and infiltrated a group of Qi Refining cultivators.

They followed them into what was called a secret realm—which was nothing more than the cave dwelling of a fallen Foundation Establishment cultivator, the most valuable thing inside being a few bottles of second-tier pills.

Beichen Zhenjun disguised himself as an old rogue cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refining in the group, with Lin Zhao as the "old rogue cultivator's nephew."

Naturally, he could only act as an assistant, carrying things, scouting, and running away, leaving no stone unturned.

As the group of Qi Refining cultivators left, they patted Lin Zhao on the shoulder and said they would like to cooperate again in the future.

Tired of playing, True Monarch Beichen released Beichen Palace, directly tearing through space and teleporting away.

They traveled through several domains along the way.

One day, they arrived at a place called Tianhao Domain.

Lin Zhao looked down at the mountains and cities below, his expression somewhat complicated.

Beichen Zhenjun asked him what was wrong.

Lin Zhao said, "Back when the sect's grand examination was held, I met some mortals here. I promised to send them back to their hometowns, but they never made it back."

Beichen Zhenjun remained silent for a while.

He slowly said, "When a dynasty prospers, the people suffer; when a dynasty falls, the people suffer."

Lin Zhao glanced at him with some surprise.

These words, coming from the mouth of the high-ranking and powerful Beichen Zhenjun, felt somewhat out of place.

Moreover, the tone of his voice carried a sense of personal connection.

One day, he found an injured Qi Refining cultivator by the lake and obtained a cultivation manual from him, thus embarking on the path of cultivation.

He didn't continue reminiscing, but instead changed the subject, talking about the so-called two factions that formed within the sect due to ideological differences.

One faction believes that mortals should be protected, while the other believes in the absolute law of the jungle.

Beichen Zhenjun shook his head: "There are no absolute factions, just those with vested interests."

For example, I—I show no mercy to any outside forces that infringe upon the interests of my sect, and sometimes I even wipe out the countless mortals under their command.

But I also feel that mortals under the rule of sects should be protected. By this standard, I should be considered a protector.

But some people call us conservatives, thinking we should be more proactive, with the capable rising and the weak falling.

He continued speaking as he walked, his tone relatively even: "The recent turmoil in the sect is actually quite understandable; it's not that complicated."

To put it bluntly, those Nascent Soul elders from various sects occupy high positions and monopolize too many cultivation resources.

The young generation, who have just advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, want more say and more resources.

Simply put, it's a coup, forcing some old guard to step down.

Lin Zhao froze, a chill running down her spine.

Beichen Zhenjun is not young either, over two thousand years old. Discussing this kind of topic in front of him is too dangerous.

Seeing his stiff expression, Beichen Zhenjun smiled instead: "Of course, that includes this old fellow as well."

Fortunately, I did as they wished.

Lin Zhao forced herself to calm down.

He didn't believe that True Lord Beichen was truly disheartened.

How could an old monster who has cultivated to the peak of the Nascent Soul stage possibly abdicate with a so-called coup?

At this point, there is only one possibility for him to voluntarily step down.

Lin Zhao tentatively asked, "Is True Monarch planning to break through to the Nascent Soul stage?"

Beichen Zhenjun did not give a direct answer.

He simply said, "I have relinquished my position as Lord of Cangming Palace, and Xuan Yang Zhenjun has taken over."

Of course, according to the sect's rules, the Cloud Sea Hall and the Azure Sea Hall cannot be controlled by the same lineage.

Therefore, the sect leader must also be replaced, with True Monarch Tianyi taking over.

Lin Zhao was completely stunned; this was the real big deal.

Of the five halls and seven chambers of the sect, the two most important are the Cloud Sea Hall and the Azure Sea Hall.

The Cloud Sea Hall is responsible for the sect's daily affairs, while the Azure Sea Hall controls the sect's core decision-making.

Normally, even if the heads of these two halls change, they are usually separated by a certain period of time.

The simultaneous replacement of personnel is a major move that the sect has never made before.

Beichen Zhenjun seemed not to notice his expression and continued speaking.

"You know Xuan Yang. He's on par with me in the late Nascent Soul stage, no, he's now at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage."

He's also the youngest, ambitious, and wants to break through to the Nascent Soul stage; he'll likely cause quite a stir within the sect soon.

"Yu Shu only operates in the shadows; he won't confront us directly."

"True Lord Tianyi is a disciple of the sect's Supreme Elder, Dao Yitian. Don't underestimate him; he might be even more terrifying than Xuan Yang. He advanced to the Nascent Soul stage at just over two hundred years old."

Having just advanced to the next level, his strength is already comparable to that of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. He also has the background of a Deity Transformation cultivator. In the future, these two will inevitably engage in open and covert struggles.

At this point, True Lord Beichen changed the subject: "You will likely face off against Xuan Yang in the future."

Lin Zhao frowned and asked, "I have never had any dealings with True Monarch Xuan Yang. Our statuses are worlds apart. How could we possibly be facing each other?"

Beichen Zhenjun looked at him and said, "The problem lies in your identity as a secret disciple."

Do you know how many secret disciples this sect has produced in the past ten thousand years?

Lin Zhao paused for a moment.

A secret disciple... He knew this identity was special, but surely it wouldn't attract the hostility of a Nascent Soul Peak cultivator?

"I'm not entirely sure, but there should be quite a few."

"Just you."

Lin Zhao was stunned.

"impossible."

He almost instinctively retorted, "Secret disciples are at the same level as the Holy Son, but they have the hope of advancing to the Nascent Soul stage. In the past ten thousand years, the sect has produced several Nascent Soul Heavenly Lords."

Beichen Zhenjun explained, "In recent years, quite a few people in the sect have been qualified to become secret disciples."

There are four in this generation: you, True Lord Tianyi, that girl Linglong, and True Lord Xuanyang.

They are all beings who have the potential to become deities in the future.