Just as the old patriarch forced me to my death, I achieved the unity of Dao and fruition.

"presumptuous."

Beside the chubby boy, the old man in gray frowned slightly, as if he could finally not stand it anymore.

He reached out and patted the chubby boy on the shoulder, his tone sounding like he was scolding him.

"This is the mountain gate of the Xuandu Taiyi Sect."

"Today is the day our sect opens its doors to accept disciples, and all those who come here are people of status and background."

"How dare you make such a fuss just because a mortal is here?"

At this point, the gray-robed old man glanced at Ye Qingyao, his gaze lingering on the scars on her face for a moment, before slowly adding a sentence.

"Perhaps this girl, though just an ordinary person, has something special about her."

"Being brought here by someone must have its own destiny."

That's what they say.

But anyone could hear the condescending tone in his voice.

On the surface, he was disciplining his own grandson.

In reality, it's just telling everyone.

A mere mortal like myself is truly unworthy of being here.

It's just that today's occasion is special, so there's no need to say anything too harsh.

When the chubby boy heard his grandfather speak, his impatience became even more obvious.

He had been holding back a lot of anger for the past few days.

His own fiefdom was inexplicably wiped out by a powerful cultivator at the Integration Realm with a single palm strike.

Even now, he still doesn't know what he did to offend the other party.

Of course, he has done quite a few outrageous things over the years.

They forcibly abduct women, kill for pleasure, and capture unaffiliated cultivators to create magical artifacts.

It was even common for them to casually wipe out several ordinary villages and towns in order to test drugs.

But what did the chubby boy think of this?

Those mortals who could become his resources on his cultivation path were a blessing earned over several lifetimes.

As for resistance?

A bunch of ants, do they even deserve to rebel against me?

Unfortunately, the powerful being who suddenly appeared didn't give him a chance to explain.

With a single palm strike, the entire coastal city vanished.

The chubby boy became more and more frightened as he thought about it.

Who knows if that powerful figure, after filming Linhai City, will follow the clues to find his own royal palace?

To save his life, he had no choice but to return to the ancient dynasty with his grandfather overnight.

He then abandoned his fiefdom, sold off most of his property, and used the connections of the late ancestor of the dynasty to cultivate relationships everywhere.

Only then did they manage to make contact with an elder of the Xuandu Taiyi Sect.

After paying such a high price, all they got in return was a spot to participate in the introductory trial and a chance for their grandfather to compete for the position of guest elder.

He used to lord it over everyone in his fiefdom, killing whomever he wanted.

Now, however, he can only go to the Taiyi Sect in Xuandu and have to be subservient to others.

How could the chubby boy possibly feel comfortable?

Seeing Ye Qingyao, a mere mortal, standing so openly in this Dao City, a deep-seated contempt for mortals naturally welled up within him.

Ordinary people should kneel on the ground.

How could I possibly be worthy to stand in the same place as him?

What's more, his own grandfather was standing next to him.

A powerful cultivator in the late stage of the Returning to Emptiness realm.

Their lineage is sparsely populated; now, only the grandfather and grandson remain.

That's why the old man in gray has always regarded this grandson as his lifeblood since he was a child, and no matter how much trouble he caused, he would always clean up the mess for him in the end.

The chubby boy had no skills, but he never felt there was anything wrong with that.

Who told him to have a grandfather who was at the late stage of the Void Returning Realm?

The old man in gray finished his verbal reprimand, but there was no real blame on his face.

Instead, he looked up at Gu Changjin and said calmly:

"Fellow Daoist, this junior speaks too bluntly."

"However, he is still young and doesn't mean any harm."

"Fellow Daoist, you surely wouldn't hold a grudge against a child, would you?"

Many of the surrounding cultivators looked rather strange upon hearing this.

A Golden Core cultivator.

They've lived for at least two or three hundred years.

In a mortal dynasty, dozens of generations would have passed.

In his words, however, it was still a very young child.

Gu Changjin looked at the grandfather and grandson in front of him and suddenly smiled.

Then he turned to Ye Qingyao beside him and said:

"Qingyao, how could two stray dogs manage to sneak into such a vast Xuandu Taiyi City?"

"It's making such a nasty noise. I wonder which family didn't keep a close watch on it and let it out to bite people."

Ye Qingyao was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting her grandfather, who had just been acting kind and gentle, to speak so directly.

The surrounding crowd was silent for a moment, and then someone couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Gu Changjin acted as if he hadn't heard, and even solemnly cupped his hands in greeting to those around him.

Fellow Daoists

"May I ask which fellow cultivator brought these two dogs?"

"With such a foul mouth, it's best to take him back as soon as possible."

"Otherwise, it wouldn't be good if someone slapped me to death one day."

"Ha ha ha ha!"

This time, the laughter around them was completely uncontrollable.

A burly man, shirtless and carrying a giant axe, was the first to speak.

This person is also a Void Returning cultivator, with his blood and qi like a furnace, clearly following the path of body refinement.

He came here specifically to observe the selection of guest elders.

Those who have returned to the Void Realm present will all become competitors in the future.

Now that someone has finally taken the initiative, he naturally doesn't mind adding fuel to the fire.

"What this fellow Daoist says makes sense."

"Dogs should be kept on a leash. If the owner is incompetent in disciplining them and they get beaten to death, they can only blame themselves for being blind."

Another cultivator who had returned to the Void Realm also laughed:

"However, in my opinion, this dog is just relying on its master's power."

"Without a master backing them up, they probably wouldn't dare to shout so loudly."

After a few words, the laughter around them grew even louder.

Few of the Void Returners who came to participate in the selection of guest advisors were soft-hearted or soft-hearted.

The fewer competitors, the better for them.

If the two sides were to actually fight, it would be best if one of them died.

As for whether it will escalate into a big fuss?

This is the Xuandu Taiyi Sect.

If things really escalate, the sect will naturally handle it.

They were just there to watch the show.

Moreover, when a cultivator reaches the Void Returning stage, who hasn't climbed up by stepping over corpses along the way?

The higher one's moral character, the less willing one is to swallow one's anger.

If you endure it even once, your thoughts may become unclear.

If one's thoughts are not clear, inner demons may arise.

Therefore, many high-level cultivators appear to have an ethereal and otherworldly demeanor.

When he was truly humiliated to his face, he became even more temperamental than a young cultivator.

The chubby boy had never been treated like this before.

His face instantly turned bright red.

"How dare you call me a dog?"

He instinctively wanted to make a move, but when he thought of the Void Returning aura that Gu Changjin had just displayed, he stopped himself.

He was only at the Golden Core stage; if he really charged forward, the opponent could probably crush him with a single glance.

The chubby boy could only turn to look at his grandfather, his eyes filled with grievance and anger.

The fake smile on the old man's face finally disappeared.

He shielded the chubby boy behind him and stared coldly at Gu Changjin.

The aura of the late-stage Returning to Emptiness slowly dissipated.

The laughter of the surrounding cultivators gradually subsided.

"Fellow Daoist, you certainly have a sharp tongue."

The old man in gray snorted coldly.

"I wonder if your magical abilities are as sharp as your mouth."

The moment the words left his mouth, the atmosphere around him changed instantly.

The two beings, now in a state of emptiness, faced each other.

It's no longer just a simple argument.

If things go wrong, someone will perish today.

Just then, on a high platform not far away, a middle-aged cultivator dressed in a blue Taoist robe also noticed this place.

This person was the steward of the Xuandu Taiyi Sect in charge of this selection of guest elders.

His cultivation level also reached the late stage of the Returning to Emptiness realm.

Instead of intervening, he showed a hint of interest in his eyes.

Participating in the selection of guest advisors requires demonstrating one's abilities.

Now that the two are willing to play a match early, it saves him a lot of trouble.

The green-robed deacon spoke with a smile:

"Since both of you fellow Daoists are willing to exchange blows..."

"Why don't we go up to the sparring platform and have a fight?"

"Life and death are irrelevant."

"how?"

Upon hearing that it was a steward from the Xuandu Taiyi Sect who spoke, the old man in gray quickly softened the coldness on his face.

He even cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and gave a fawning smile.

"Since the steward has spoken..."

"I will gladly oblige."

After saying that, he looked at Gu Changjin again.

"Fellow Daoist, please."

Gu Changjin did not move.

A sparring platform? Do we have to wait?

Could it be that the token left behind by the tribulation-crossing expert in his own cave was just for decoration?

Having connections doesn't mean you can use them; you insist on following other people's rules.

Wouldn't that have wasted thousands of years of planning by the Crimson Jade Glazed Dragon?

Gu Changjin's smile remained unchanged.

But in the very next instant...

A powerful surge of energy suddenly erupted.

The old man in gray's expression changed.

He clearly sensed that a divine power was gathering behind Gu Changjin.

Almost instinctively, he raised his hand to form a hand seal, preparing to use magic to defend himself.

But the next moment, Gu Changjin's figure appeared in front of him, so close that it was almost touching his face.

The old man in gray paused for a moment.

No, what I sensed was clearly the power of the celestial realm.

Why did you rush straight into my face?

What do you want to do?