I Can Accumulate Proficiency, Starting from Alchemy
Chapter 1697 - Chapter 1697 Chapter 734 Immortal Court Retreat Suppressing

Chapter 1697: Chapter 734: Immortal Court Retreat, Suppressing the Tao Fruit Chapter 1697: Chapter 734: Immortal Court Retreat, Suppressing the Tao Fruit Xuling Sect was indeed a top-tier Dao Realm sect, which consisted of two Outer Path Realm cultivators, the Sect Master who inherited the Xuling Tao Title, and the Supreme Elder who sealed himself. As for the Daoist Fruit Realm, there were three members, the highest-ranking Elders.

The Tao Title of the Third Elder was Yulong, and Yulong Taoist was a cultivator who had just entered the Daoist Fruit Realm. He was well aware of the sect’s arrangements, so when he saw the Dao Realm cultivator standing next to the Second Elder, he thought of a terrifying possibility and his pupils sharply contracted.

He shifted his gaze toward the Second Elder and noted the latter’s unprecedented solemn expression. Even in their eye contact, he could glimpse the deep-seated fear hidden in the depths of the other’s eyes.

A dread within Yulong Taoist clutched his heart, surging forth tangibly. He held his breath, stifled the trembling in his chest, and spoke up, “Brother, you called me here, is there something important?”

Inside the Great Hall, the Second Elder of Xuling Sect, known by the Tao Title Kuihua, turned to the ordinary Dao Realm practitioner beside him and said in a deep voice, “Xuanhe, speak.”

Xuanhe Taoist, who oversaw the secret grounds of the sect and kept constant vigil over the Soul Lamps of more than a dozen Dao Realm practitioners, could not help but tremor in his gaze and whispered, “Third Elder, the Sect Master’s Soul Lamp, just moments ago, has extinguished.”

Upon hearing these words, terror flooded out from the depths of Yulong Taoist, and he blurted out instinctively, “Impossible, absolutely impossible.”

His statement did not draw any refutation from either Xuanhe Taoist or Kuihua Taoist.

Kuihua Taoist then instructed Xuanhe, “Xuanhe, you return to the secret grounds of the sect, keep a close watch on any movements within the sect. The matter of the Sect Master’s Soul Lamp extinguishing must not be disclosed without my permission, remember, remember.”

Xuanhe Taoist also understood the gravity of the situation, respectfully acknowledged the orders after assenting to the two Daoist Fruit Realm Elders, and left the Great Hall to return to the secret grounds where he had been stationed.

Within the Great Hall, Kuihua Taoist of Xuling Sect and the now-calm Third Elder Yulong Taoist exchanged glances, each seeing the fear and shock in each other’s eyes, both seemingly holding their breath for a moment.

It took quite a few moments for the Third Elder Yulong Taoist to recover from the initial panic, before he said in a low voice:

“The Great Elder has been traveling abroad for tens of thousands of years and is currently unable to be contacted.”

“Brother, what should we do next?”

“Should we, perhaps, awaken the Supreme Elder?”

Kuihua Taoist pondered for a moment before shaking his head firmly, “No, that’s not right. The Supreme Elder is Xuling Sect’s last resort and must not be disturbed unless it’s a matter of life and death.”

“Firstly, the extinguishing of the Sect Master’s Soul Lamp does not necessarily mean the Sect Master has fallen. There are many ways to create the appearance of death, which you and I are both familiar with.”

“If the Sect Master has merely encountered a calamity that triggered the Soul Lamp to extinguish, and we awaken the Supreme Elder because of this, it would be an ill-considered move.”

“Secondly, if the Sect Master has indeed fallen, we should not immediately awaken the Supreme Elder, but instead investigate the situation in secret to clarify the causes and consequences of the Sect Master’s demise before calling upon the Supreme Elder to take action.”

Having said that, Kuihua Taoist paused before continuing, “Next, I plan to go out to search for the Sect Master and investigate the truth behind his demise. During this period, I will need my junior brother to take charge of the sect.

“Remember, do not lose your composure, and do not announce the extinguishing of the Sect Master’s Soul Lamp publicly, lest it attracts the coveting eyes of other sects.”

After listening, Yulong Taoist was on the verge of speaking but checked himself. Facing such a sudden upheaval, he could not come up with a better idea and, after thinking it over, he had no choice but to agree.

Once they discussed the matter privately, they then called in other ordinary Dao Realm practitioners within the sect and informed them that Kuihua Taoist was setting out for the Eastern Realm to perceive Transcendence Tao Traces.

The Dao Realm practitioners of Xuling Sect totaled thirteen in all, with eight being ordinary practitioners. Those remaining in the sect were only six.

Usually, the Second Elder Kuihua Taoist presided over all the sect’s affairs. His departure thus necessitated a temporary transfer of his authority to the Third Elder Yulong Taoist.

The transfer of the Sect’s protective Array also required the exchange of tokens, naturally needing a certain amount of time.

When Han Yi arrived at the entrance of Xuling Sect, he detected faint changes within the sect. These changes were not filled with solemnity and gravity; on the surface, it did not seem as though anything serious had occurred.

“In such a case, it seems that the Daoist Fruit Realm Elders of Xuling Sect have kept the matter under wraps.”

“There’s no presence of the Outer Path Realm, meaning, the Supreme Elder has not been awakened.”

Seeing this, Han Yi internally let out a sigh of relief.

His initial purpose for coming here was for the Supreme Elder, but on the way, there had been changes, and his goals had expanded to three.

The first was to neutralize the threat of Xuling Sect. The news of the Xuling Taoist’s demise in the Eastern Emperor Domain would take no time to reach Xuling Sect. Once Xuling Sect learned the truth, they might seek retribution. Although Han Yi feared nothing, there was no sense in leaving a thief unguarded against; eliminating the threat in advance was naturally best.

The second was to seek an opportunity to transform the Supreme Elder of Xuling Sect into one of his own Wan Ming Incarnations. This incarnation would undoubtedly hold milestone significance and value.

Of course, he had learned from the Xuling Dao Tower that the Supreme Elder of Xuling Sect was not a normal Outer Path practitioner but a cultivator recovering from a Taoist injury who couldn’t act as frequently as a normal Outer Path due to the injury.

Yet placed outside the Age Candle Immortal Court, he could still serve as a trump card against the invasion of the Outer Path.

The third goal was to attempt to transform the entirety of the Dao Realm of Xuling Sect, including both ordinary Dao Realm and Daoist Fruit Realm cultivators, into Wan Ming Incarnations, bringing the entire Dao Realm force under his control. If successful, this place would undoubtedly become a fallback for the Immortal Court. Should circumstances demand, the Immortal Court could retreat here and lie low temporarily.