novelraw Chapter 372 - 212, Three costs, substitute death puppet, Song Knife’s Heavenly Will One Cut_2
Chapter 372 - 212, Three costs, substitute death puppet, Song Knife’s Heavenly Will One Cut_2
The difference is not just age! There is also the hope of becoming a Nascent Soul Saint Monarch! The earlier the condensing of the Nascent Soul, the higher the possibility of advancing to Nascent Soul Saint Monarch. A thousand years is just a bottom line. It’s not that Nascent Soul Daoist Lords who condense their Nascent Soul after a thousand years have no chance of becoming Nascent Soul Saint Monarchs; it’s just that their hope is much smaller, and their progress is difficult. The Starfall Sect neither particularly lacked nor needed another Nascent Soul Daoist Lord; after all, three Nascent Soul Daoist Lords were stationed within the sect. The Nascent Soul Saint Monarch is the great hope that the Starfall Sect places on Wu Miao’s shoulders.
"This condition..." Xu Xing shook his head. "Xu Mou’s cultivation is limited, so it is difficult to guarantee that Crow Saintess will step into the Nascent Soul Daoist Lord realm within 500 years."
After he finished speaking, he closed his mouth, guarded his mind, and waited for Sect Master Fang to speak again.
Although he did not agree to Sect Master Fang’s condition with this statement, he also hadn’t made his refusal absolute. The implication was very clear: it wasn’t that he wouldn’t agree, but rather that he lacked the ability. Forcibly agreeing to this condition would be deceiving the Starfall Sect. It would be insincere.
"Five hundred years is indeed a bit tight." Sect Master Fang relented.
She said, "As long as Lord Xu has this intention, it will suffice. This concubine will persuade the elders of the Starfall Sect."
The constraint of an oath is just temporary. Like the Ten Major Sects, they rarely required their disciples within the sect to make blood oaths. Since the Starfall Sect hadn’t imposed constraints on Xu Xing for the first condition, the second one would also be similar. If Xu Xing had agreed outright, she would have doubted his character instead.
"Thank you, Sect Master Fang, for your understanding," Xu Xing cupped his hands and said.
"Then, for the third condition, what does the Starfall Sect want Xu Mou to agree to?" he asked, seemingly offhand.
"Hmm..." Sect Master Fang shook her head. "The third condition... This concubine will soon enter the Blessed Land for seclusion to comprehend the profound Dao and seek a breakthrough to the Dao Lord realm. The Starfall Sect will then be managed by Miao’er. For the third condition... Lord Xu need not ask this concubine anymore; go ask Miao’er."
"Master?"
"This..." Wu Miao was taken aback. "This is the Sect’s decision, and as a disciple... this disciple doesn’t dare to make arbitrary decisions."
On one side was the Starfall Sect, on the other, her ’spouse.’ Whichever side she considered, she found it difficult to decide, unable to be ruthless towards either.
"Miao’er," Sect Master Fang rose from the Zitan Wooden Chair, took Wu Miao’s soft hand, and led her outside the living room. "Soon, you will be the Sect Master of the Starfall Sect..."
She pointed to the Escaping Lights of cultivators shuttling between the mountain ravines and said softly, "They are disciples; they can choose not to consider this place their home. But you are different. You are the Sect Master. Although the Crane Emblem Country is your motherland, compared to it, the Starfall Sect is your true home..."
Wu Miao only vaguely understood these words. She didn’t know what connection her Master’s words had to the third condition Xu Xing was to agree to.
Sect Master Fang patted Wu Miao’s slender shoulder, turned, looked back at Xu Xing inside the house, and said with a smile, "This third condition, like the first two conditions, the Starfall Sect will not impose any constraints on you, Lord Xu..."
...
...
Wu Miao didn’t understand Sect Master Fang’s intention. Xu Xing, however, did. This third condition, he realized, was both a gift from the Starfall Sect to Wu Miao and a constraint upon her.
「After meditating in the Starfall Sect’s guest room for three days.」
Sect Master Fang finally took him into the Starfall Sect’s Blessed Land.
The Blessed Land of the Starfall Sect was located within Meteorite Mountain, the foundation supporting the entire sect. Within, it was a world of its own.
As soon as Xu Xing stepped inside, he felt abundant spiritual energy washing over his body.
The intense spiritual pressure made him somewhat uncomfortable.
"Blessed Lands and Cave Heavens generally forbid cultivators below the Dao Pill realm from entering. This is because the spiritual pressure within is enough to crush the bodies of lower-level cultivators into dust... Even Dao Pill Daoists, upon entering a Blessed Land, needed to use their Magic Power to protect themselves, lest accidents occur." Xu Xing recalled this information from the classics as he sensed the spiritual pressure.
But this bit of spiritual pressure was nothing to him.
With a flick of his great sleeve, he dismissed the Magical Protective Barrier around him, relying solely on his Physical Body to withstand the spiritual pressure.
"Has he also cultivated a Body Cultivation Method?" Sect Master Fang, walking beside Xu Xing, was greatly surprised by this, gaining a new appreciation for his aptitude. For an ordinary person cultivating a single Dao, reaching the Dao Pill Daoist stage at Xu Xing’s age was already enough to be called a Pride of Heaven. Yet Xu Xing also pursued a Body Cultivation Method, and his cultivation hadn’t lagged significantly. Truly somewhat monstrous.
"True cultivators from a Large Sect are not to be equated with those from a Small faction." Sect Master Fang shook her head, not dwelling on it further. Among the Starfall Sect’s Younger Generation, Saintess Wu Miao, their most talented, would at best rank as a True Lineage disciple in terms of aptitude if she were in one of the Ten Major Sects. And Xu Xing, if not for the internal upheavals within the Flying Feather Immortal Palace, would already be a Chief.
"This is Elder Taishi, whose Daoist Name is Greedy Wolf Dao Monarch," Sect Master Fang said, leading Xu Xing around a low peak in the Blessed Land and stopping before the courtyard of a thatched cottage. "He is the Great Elder of our Starfall Sect. Lord Xu, you must be respectful..."
In the courtyard before the cottage, various green plants grew, and by the path stood a weeping willow. Beneath the weeping willow, on a flattened green stone, sat a short, stout Daoist, cradling a Long Sword and sitting cross-legged.
The short, stout Daoist had a friendly demeanor. "Junior Xu..." he began, then took out a Jade Ruyi from his sleeve and tapped the ground twice.
Two Cushions materialized out of thin air.
"Thank you, Dao Monarch, for the seats."
Xu Xing and Sect Master Fang exchanged a glance. After paying their respects to Greedy Wolf Dao Monarch, they took their seats and waited for him to speak.
"Your Master, Giant Sword Daoist Monarch," Greedy Wolf Dao Monarch said, "I met him a few times 2,800 years ago. Back then, I was merely a True Monarch..."