Chapter 1160: Absurd Speculation

"Brother, did you gain anything?" Qingping couldn't help but ask as Chen Mobai rose from the Primordial Dao platform. Qingping had been standing and comprehending the Dao he needed there, on a step above Chen Mobai. However, he had already reached his limit and stopped before Chen Mobai arrived.

"I've gained a little," Chen Mobai replied truthfully. "I've come to understand some of the subtle uses of the Primordial Dao." He explained that as a Primordial Dao, it was vast and profound. Due to his limited cultivation and the fact that it wasn't his primary path, he had only grasped the part most beneficial to him.

"As expected of you, Brother," Qingping exclaimed, full of admiration. He himself had sat on the Primordial Dao platform for three days without any success, though he had made some gains on the Innate Five Elements Dao.

Chen Mobai stood up, and the two walked together towards higher steps and Dao platforms, discussing their respective gains. Honestly, Chen Mobai was quite surprised that Qingping had managed to persist this far. Even Qingping himself hadn't expected it. He speculated that it might be due to his two Nascent Soul Dharma Manifestations, "Rules" and the "Primordial Orb."

"It seems I can only go this far," Qingping sighed, after they had traversed another five hundred steps and several Dao platforms. He glanced regretfully at the mountain peak, which was now within sight.

"Junior Brother, with the opportunity you've gained from the Purple Cloud Palace this time, you might even glimpse the Void Refinement realm in the future," Chen Mobai said with a solemn expression. Compared to other Deity Transformation cultivators in the Immortal Sect, Qingping's path to Void Refinement was clear because he had switched to cultivating the One-Yuan Dao Scripture. This was unlike Qianxing Baiguang and others, who still needed to forge, comprehend, and experiment with their own paths. Furthermore, Qingping's perseverance in reaching nearly the peak proved his talent, making him second only to Chen Mobai and Qi Yuheng among this generation's Deity Transformation cultivators. This was somewhat unexpected for Chen Mobai.

"I'll take your auspicious words, Brother. I'll wait for you and True Monarch Yuheng down the mountain then." After saying this, Qingping relaxed completely, allowing the Dao power of the Purple Cloud Palace to propel him away. Unlike the undignified departures of others, he was far more graceful, seeming to float down the mountain carried by the very force itself.

As he flew halfway down the mountain, Qingping's eyes suddenly widened. Qianxing's reincarnated body was there, climbing the mountain while engrossed in his phone. This was already 1,500 steps, a height even Narcissus hadn't reached. Yet, Qianxing's reincarnated self had unknowingly walked this far, completely absorbed in a game. "As expected of the Ancestor," Qingping thought, secretly marveling as he saw the Mending Heaven Seal still glowing on Qianxing's forehead.

At that moment, the commotion of Qingping floating down drew Qianxing's reincarnated self's gaze away from his phone screen for a rare moment, and he looked up. As their eyes met, Qianxing's reincarnated body saw the somewhat older Qingping, nodded, and politely greeted him. He then looked around, surprised that he had climbed so high. He remembered Deng Daoyun, who had brought him here, saying that if he just climbed these steps, he would get a promotion and a raise when they returned. He didn't care much for the promotion, being perfectly content with his security guard job, but a raise was different—it meant he could buy the latest cards and equipment in his game. That was precisely why he had come along. However, Deng Daoyun had only said "climb the mountain," not "how long to climb." Having reached halfway up the mountain and seeing no one else, surely it was time to head back down?

As Qianxing's reincarnated self thought this, he turned on the steps, lowered his head again, and prepared to continue playing his game, clearing levels with his character, and not wasting time on the way down.

"Young friend, the scenery higher up is quite beautiful; you should go take a look," Qingping urged, feeling a bit anxious when he saw Qianxing turn as if to descend. He spoke quickly as he continued to float downwards.

Qianxing's reincarnated self, however, shook his head and simply stated, "I'm not interested in scenery."

"You could think of this as a real-life game," Qingping quickly rephrased, his mind adapting to the Ancestor's known personality. "Reaching the mountain peak is like clearing a level. And right now, no one in the Immortal Sect has managed to do that. Don't you want to be the first 'pro player' to clear this game?"

As expected, the moment Qianxing's reincarnated self heard this, the foot he had raised to descend immediately froze. He turned his head and looked towards the peak. Qi Yuheng was in the lead, followed by Chen Mobai; both were rapidly approaching. He was currently in third place. This meant he only needed to surpass two more opponents to be first. Realizing this, Qianxing's reincarnated self found it quite interesting. Climbing wasn't tiring anyway, so he could continue playing his mobile game while ascending. He might as well play two games at once.

With this thought, Qianxing's reincarnated self told Qingping, "Thanks for the reminder," and resumed his upward climb.

Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain, everyone watched the scene with wide eyes and expressions of utter shock. This Foundation Establishment cultivator, who had seemingly appeared from nowhere, had not only surpassed Ancestor Narcissus but was still steadily climbing, on the verge of breaking the records set by True Monarchs Yunhai and Chengxuan.

"Who exactly is he?" someone finally blurted out.

Soon, someone remembered that he had ascended with the Dance Instrument Dao Academy's group, and those with connections immediately gathered around Deng Daoyun. True Monarch Chengxuan had already descended and found a mountain peak for secluded cultivation to consolidate his understanding of the Dao. The other Nascent Soul cultivators of the Dance Instrument lineage were all outsiders, making Deng Daoyun the only orthodox member present.

"This is a genius cultivator secretly nurtured by our Dao Academy," Deng Daoyun explained. "His talent is surpassed only by Principal Chunyang and Ancestor Baiguang, and he's destined to achieve Deity Transformation in the future. However, he prefers quiet solitude, so he has always cultivated in a secluded part of the Dao Academy. This opportunity at the Purple Cloud Palace is a once-in-a-millennium chance, so we persuaded him to come out and attempt to comprehend..." Without Chen Mobai's direct order, Deng Daoyun dared not reveal the true identity of Qianxing's reincarnated body, so he could only invent this story for the curious crowd.

Ye Yune and other Nascent Soul cultivators naturally connected this to Chen Mobai's earlier mention of the Dance Instrument Dao Academy's back mountain, and a faint suspicion began to form in their minds. For Gongye Zhixu and those from the Mending Heaven lineage in particular, even without having seen the Mending Heaven Seal, they understood: a Foundation Establishment cultivator, no matter how extraordinary their talent—even if comparable to True Monarch Chunyang—could not possibly surpass Deity Transformation cultivators like Narcissus. Therefore, the only explanation was that this person's cultivation foundation was actually beyond Deity Transformation. Furthermore, his absorption in playing games on his phone was an iconic tell.

Gongye Zhixu, Meihua, and others covertly transmitted questions to Yuanxu, but Yuanxu's expression was hesitant, and he gave no reply. The few Nascent Soul cultivators who were aware of the truth dared not speak openly, especially since the Deity Transformation True Monarchs had not. It was just like with Baiguang's reincarnated body in the past: even if they all knew, they had to feign ignorance, and even ensure that Baiguang and Chunyang, the couple, believed they were unaware. The current situation was much the same. While Ancestor Qianxing wasn't known for being petty, he was now associated with the Dance Instrument Dao Academy, and True Monarch Chunyang was known for being quite narrow-minded.

At that moment, Qingping also landed at the foot of the mountain, doing so with a relaxed and elegant posture. Many Nascent Soul cultivators immediately surrounded him. "True Monarch," Gongye Zhixu began, having failed to get an answer from Yuanxu. After bowing respectfully to Qingping, he subtly pointed towards Qianxing's reincarnated self climbing the mountain and asked tentatively, "We were wondering about that person..."

"Mmm," Qingping acknowledged with a nod. After all, with Qianxing's reincarnated self performing like this, anyone with a bit of sense could easily guess his identity.

"That's wonderful!" Upon receiving the confirmation, Gongye Zhixu and the other Nascent Soul cultivators from the Mending Heaven lineage were all visibly overjoyed. After the Calamity of the God of Death, they had genuinely believed that Ancestor Qianxing had sacrificed himself. The few of them who had successfully formed Nascent Souls largely owed their achievements to Qianxing's guidance, so they held him in profound respect. Hearing that he was still alive filled them with heartfelt joy.

"Just keep this knowledge to yourselves; do not reveal it," Qingping immediately cautioned, seeing their obvious delight. Gongye Zhixu and the others instantly composed their expressions and nodded solemnly.

"Will the Ancestor be able to recover by the time of the pioneering war?" Daoist Beiming, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but ask. If Qianxing could fully recover, they would be far more confident in facing Pluto and the Three-Eyed Race.

"No," Qingping replied, "the Ancestor lost all his cultivation sealing the God of Death's avatar. The coming war can only depend on us." Hearing Qingping's words, everyone's faces fell with disappointment.

"The Ancestor is living a new life; let him enjoy it happily," Qingping concluded. "He shouldn't have to bear the heavy responsibilities of the Immortal Sect anymore. And please, ensure no news about him appears in the reports of this Purple Cloud Palace event." After saying this, Qingping surveyed his surroundings, found an unoccupied mountain peak, and entered seclusion to consolidate the Dao he had comprehended.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Chen Xiaohei, unable to contain her curiosity, pointed to Qianxing's reincarnated self, who was still climbing, and asked Deng Daoyun, "Teacher Deng, who exactly is that person? Is there really a genius in the Dao Academy that I don't know about?"

"Director Chen, didn't I just tell you?" Deng Daoyun replied, careful not to reveal too much to Chen Xiaohei and redirecting the attention to Chen Mobai. "He's being secretly nurtured by the Dao Academy, an order straight from the Principal. It's perfectly normal for you not to know."

"Alright, then I'll ask my dad when he comes down." Seeing that Deng Daoyun wasn't revealing anything, Chen Xiaohei didn't press further. However, she quickly realized that given her father's laid-back nature, he definitely wouldn't handle such affairs; it was more likely Auntie Zhuang was responsible. With this thought, she immediately darted over to Zhuang Jialan, who had just finished gathering the Dance Instrument lineage members and was preparing to lead them back, and inquired about the situation.

"Xiaohei, you should really ask the Principal about this," Zhuang Jialan said, her face troubled. She couldn't lie to Chen Xiaohei, but she also dared not defy Chen Mobai's orders.

"Alright then, Auntie Zhuang, I'll let you get back to your work." Although Chen Xiaohei said this, her curiosity had been fully ignited. Primarily, she believed that as the top figure among the Immortal Sect's second generation, possessing the Pure Yin Body—the most exceptional talent of all time—she should naturally be first among her peers. Yet, Qianxing's reincarnated self's performance had now completely surpassed her, even catching up to her father. This made her deeply resentful. "What is the background of this person who just appeared out of nowhere?" she wondered. "Could he be Dad's illegitimate son?"

This thought suddenly flashed through Chen Xiaohei's mind, and the more she considered it, the more plausible it seemed. After all, Deng Daoyun and Zhuang Jialan usually spoke to her without reservation, so their evasiveness and hesitation today were unprecedented. Moreover, they were both directly deflecting to her father. "Could they be hinting at this very thing?" she mused.

In this context, Chen Xiaohei also recalled her own origins. When her father had just graduated, her mother had united with him through unconventional means. And her father, a prominent figure in the Immortal Sect, was rumored to have had not only female confidantes but also a first love. It was only later, due to her unexpected birth, that he severed those romantic ties and dedicated himself entirely to his family. After her mother's passing, it seemed perfectly reasonable for her father, now alone, to reconnect with old flames. With centuries of pent-up emotions unleashed, it was conceivable that passion would ignite, leading to the birth of a younger brother. This child clearly inherited more prodigious talent from her father than she did. Perhaps her mother was the one who held her back. Deep down, Chen Xiaohei still regarded Shi Wanyu as her true mother, and she didn't fully acknowledge Baiguang, who had left, as her mother since they had never truly interacted.

So, a problem arose. If this was indeed her younger brother, and she, the elder sister, had been so effortlessly surpassed, wouldn't she lose face when her father eventually brought him home? How would she maintain her authority as an older sister?

For Chen Xiaohei, the progression from suspicion to certainty, and then to contemplating the future, happened in a mere instant. She looked at Qianxing's reincarnated self, still ascending the steps, her expression utterly conflicted.

Chen Mobai, of course, had no idea that Deng Daoyun and Zhuang Jialan's evasiveness had led his daughter's thoughts in such a peculiar direction. At that moment, he was already walking shoulder to shoulder with Qi Yuheng. They had reached the point just before the very last step, beyond which lay a long, rectangular Dao platform. Beyond this platform was the threshold of the Purple Cloud Palace itself.

"I never expected to be able to reach this point," Qi Yuheng couldn't help but sigh with relief. Although he was confident in his own talent, the heights previously attained by Qianxing and Baiguang were so extraordinary that they had made him, their successor, feel somewhat inadequate. Now, reaching this place signified that Qi Yuheng's talent was indeed among the absolute elite of Deity Transformation cultivators within the Immortal Sect. At the very least, reaching the peak of Deity Transformation, or even attempting Void Refinement, would not pose a problem for him in the future.

"If I'm not mistaken, this step should represent the Void Dao. Please go first, Brother," Chen Mobai said, pointing to the 2,999th step before them. He had already comprehended all the Daos related to his cultivation techniques on his journey here, but he had yet to sense the Void Dao.

"No, Junior Brother, you go first," Qi Yuheng replied, then stepped aside and gestured for Chen Mobai to ascend. "I might stop here. If I can at least see you cross the threshold and enter the Purple Cloud Palace, I'll have no regrets."