If I stay in the Hehuan Sect, I'll live off the pampered daughters of the Heavenly Pride Sect.

As the shadows of the leafless ancient tree swayed, an old man appeared on the empty prayer mat beneath it.

No one could tell where he came from.

He wore a faded gray-white Taoist robe, his hair was casually tied up with a wooden hairpin, his face was thin, and his eyebrows were long, drooping beside his eyes.

He didn't look like a supreme elder in charge of the sect's secret teachings; he looked more like an old gatekeeper basking in the sun at the foot of the mountain.

Mo Chengyue glanced at it twice and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

At least he doesn't look fierce.

Xie Buci nudged him with her knee and whispered, "Don't relax."

Mo Chengyue replied in a low voice, "Senior Brother, your reminder is very unlucky."

Xie Buci said, "The more approachable an elder in a sect seems, the less you should take them seriously."

Mo Chengyue said, "I'll remember that and write it into the survival manual in the Scripture Pavilion later."

A Golden Core disciple in the front row overheard the two whispering. He hesitated for a moment, but finally turned around and said, "Senior Brother Xie, Senior Brother Mo, the Supreme Elder has arrived."

Xie Buci smiled and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

Mo Chengyue immediately sat up straight, his face full of honesty and obedience.

The Golden Core disciple glanced at him, then at Xie Buci, his expression quite complex.

Xiao Qinghan sat in the row of Qi Refining disciples, her gaze sweeping over Mo Chengyue before quickly returning to his own.

The female disciple next to her, who was practicing Qi cultivation, was so nervous that her palms were sweating. She asked in a low voice, "Senior Sister Xiao, will the Supreme Elder test our knowledge of the scriptures right away?"

Xiao Qinghan said, "If you test me, I will answer."

The female disciple asked with a pained expression, "What if I can't answer?"

Xiao Qinghan said, "Then let others answer."

The female disciple was taken aback, then whispered, "This will work?"

Xiao Qinghan said, "It's better than talking nonsense."

Hearing this from several rows of prayer cushions, Mo Chengyue mentally gave Senior Sister Xiao a thumbs up.

This is the true wisdom of survival on a serious lecture platform.

The old man sat under the tree, glancing around the temple grounds.

Forty or fifty disciples bowed their heads in unison.

The gray-robed steward bowed and said, "This disciple greets the Supreme Elder."

Everyone followed suit and bowed.

"This disciple pays respects to the Supreme Elder."

The old man waved his hand.

"Sit down. Today, let's not talk about rules, but about tradition."

The robes rustled softly in the temple, and everyone sat down again.

The old man looked at the young and old faces with a satisfied expression.

"It's not too shameful that we can fill all these prayer cushions."

Someone couldn't help but chuckle, then quickly shut up.

The old man looked in that direction.

"What are you laughing at? I'm just telling the truth."

The disciple immediately lowered his head.

"This disciple knows his mistake."

The old man said, "There's no need to admit your mistake; being able to laugh means you're still listening."

Xie Buci said in a low voice, "This person has a better temper than rumored."

Mo Chengyue said in a low voice, "Senior Brother, don't raise the flag."

The old man suddenly looked over.

"Those two from Qingquan Peak, they talk a lot?"

Xie Buci immediately cupped his hands in greeting.

"Elder, you misunderstand. I was just reminding my junior brother to listen carefully."

Mo Chengyue followed suit and bowed.

"The disciple is being reminded."

The old man looked at Mo Chengyue for a moment.

"You certainly know how to respond."

Mo Chengyue said sincerely, "This disciple is usually quiet."

Xie Buci looked down at the ground and shrugged.

Xiao Qinghan lowered her eyes, her lips quickly pressing down.

The old man snorted.

"It's best to speak less; I don't want to hear any nonsense today."

Mo Chengyue nodded immediately.

"I have noted it down."

The old man looked away and pointed at the crowd.

"Your presence here today indicates that you have all benefited from the ancient methods of our sect."

"Some have completed half of the incomplete scripture, some have only grasped the beginning, some have followed the old path, and some have just begun to understand it."

"Let me ask you a question first: do you know why the Joyful Union Sect is called the Joyful Union Sect?"

The dojo was quiet for a moment.

A Foundation Establishment disciple mustered his courage and said, "Because our sect takes the mutual support of Yin and Yang as its way."

The old man looked at him.

"It sounds like you're reciting a memorized text."

The Foundation Establishment disciple said awkwardly, "I did memorize it."

The old man said, "It's not shameful to memorize something; it's shameful to memorize something and not understand it."

Another female disciple whispered, "Is it because our sect's ancient methods are based on dual cultivation?"

The old man nodded.

"This sentence is more realistic than the previous one."

Some disciples were talking in hushed tones.

"The Supreme Elder is really direct."

"This is the Hehuan Sect's lecture hall; it would be strange if we didn't go directly there."

"I used to think that ancient methods were just a kind of exercise."

"I also thought it was something gathering dust in the corner of the library."

Mo Chengyue's eyelids twitched when he heard the words "Scripture Pavilion".

Xie Buci leaned closer and said, "The corner is covered in dust, doesn't it look like your usual post?"

Mo Chengyue said, "Senior Brother, I suspect that you disturbed my listening to the Dao in front of the Supreme Elder."

Xie Buci said, "You can file a complaint."

Mo Chengyue said, "I won't take the initiative."

Xie Buci said, "Then you won't refuse?"

Mo Chengyue said, "I will not take responsibility today."

Xie Buci almost burst out laughing.

The old man raised his eyes.

Xie Buci immediately sat up straight.

Mo Chengyue looked at the ancient tree, his expression even more innocent than the records of the steward's office.

The old man said, "The term 'dual cultivation' has been passed down from generation to generation, and it has become frivolous and narrow in its meaning."

"Some people only see the surface and don't know the inside."

"When some people hear these two words, they think of shortcuts, pleasures, and how to borrow someone else's cultivation."

"If that's all there is to it, the Joyful Union Sect should have been renamed the Mischief Sect long ago."

Several disciples in the dojo couldn't help but chuckle.

Xie Buci smiled as well.

Mo Chengyue said in a low voice, "This name sounds quite fitting for certain peaks."

Xie Buci said, "You're really bold."

Mo Chengyue said, "I didn't name names."

The old man ignored them and continued, "Our sect's ancient methods have been passed down for a long time and have many names."

"The Yin-Yang Virtue Harmony Classic, the Yin-Yang Harmony Classic, the Yin-Yang Harmony Heart Classic, and many other related names."

"Different names, different emphases."

"Some people value the physical body, some value the spirit, some value true essence, and some value character."

"To put it fundamentally, it all stems from the practice of dual cultivation, which has been modified generation after generation."

A female cultivator at the Golden Core stage raised her hand in greeting.

"Elder, if the names are different, will their cultivation paths clash?"

The old man said, "That's a good question."

The female cultivator sat up straighter.

The old man said, "If you are greedy, then of course there will be conflict."

Everyone immediately fell silent.

The old man said, "If you only learn the principles and choose the parts that suit you, you can verify them with each other."

The female cultivator replied, "This disciple understands."

The old man said, "You may not understand, but at least you know not to practice recklessly."

The female cultivator's ear tips turned red.

Someone nearby whispered, "The Supreme Elder really knows how to keep things simple."

"It's convenient, but it's a bit stingy."

"It's better to stab someone than to walk away."

The female disciple practicing Qi cultivation next to Xiao Qinghan quickly took out a jade slip, preparing to record it.

Xiao Qinghan reminded him, "Listen first."

The female disciple said, "I'm afraid I'll miss something."

Xiao Qinghan said, "First understand the general outline, then memorize the details."

The female disciple nodded.

"Senior Sister Xiao, you really resemble an elder who teaches classes."

Xiao Qinghan said, "I am currently only at the Qi Refining stage."

The female disciple whispered, "But you're sitting here more steadily than many of the Golden Core senior brothers in front of you."

Xiao Qinghan did not respond to that sentence.

Mo Chengyue glanced at her from afar and thought to himself, "After Senior Sister Xiao dispersed her power, her temperament became even more composed."