Chapter 415: Heir of the Tianji Sect

"How can this be! Not only does he practice the same cultivation method as me, but his cultivation level is actually higher!" He Zheng Hao was speechless, immediately falling into a profound state of self-doubt.

"This spells trouble," he thought. In an instant, numerous thoughts flooded He Zheng Hao's mind. But in the end, he decided to temporarily seek refuge on Myriad Immortal Island. Just as he was about to activate the teleportation array.

"I know you're hiding in there. Why don't you dare to come out and face me?" The opponent's furious roar resounded again, like thunder. The entire Shuli Island seemed to tremble under this booming voice. He Zheng Hao's face twitched. He dared not make a sound, only hurriedly activated the teleportation array.

Who would have thought that the person seemed to have noticed his actions? "Trying to escape, huh!" A wave of energy instantly enveloped the sky above Shuli Island. He Zheng Hao was horrified to discover that Shuli Island's teleportation array had lost contact with Myriad Immortal Island.

"Space lock!" Cold sweat instantly dripped from his forehead. However, in an instant, He Zheng Hao reacted.

"No, that's not right. He's just temporarily affecting the connection of the teleportation array nodes through some unknown method." Just as he secretly let out a sigh of relief, he suddenly realized that the cultivator who had suddenly appeared at his door had transformed into a streak of light and was charging straight towards the island's protective array below.

He Zheng Hao's heart leaped with joy. "So he's just a reckless brute! My Mountain and Star Array is not easily breached, even if you're at the Golden Core realm—" Just as he was thinking this, something utterly astonishing happened. The opponent actually treated the grand array as if it were nothing, flying right through it with an unhurried gait.

His flight path seemed casual, yet he consistently moved along the weakest points of the array's defenses. And his speed was incredibly fast; in a flash, before He Zheng Hao could even react, he landed directly in front of him.

The man stared coldly at him, his eyes filled with killing intent. "It was you, brat, who secretly learned my sect's cultivation method!" He Zheng Hao's mind instantly went blank.

He had no time to ponder how the opponent could so easily breach his proud Mountain and Star Array. A terrifying, almost tangible killing intent enveloped him, and He Zheng Hao's heart began to pound uncontrollably.

"A misunderstanding! This is absolutely a misunderstanding! Fellow Daoist, please don't strike!" Facing the threat of death, He Zheng Hao cried out repeatedly. "'Fellow Daoist?'" The ferocity in the opponent's eyes intensified. "A mere Foundation Establishment cultivator dares to address a Golden Core True Person as 'Fellow Daoist'? Are cultivators nowadays truly so ignorant of etiquette?" A pressure far exceeding that of a typical Golden Core cultivator suddenly emanated from him.

He Zheng Hao instantly felt as if a great mountain was pressing down on his shoulders. His knees weakened, and he almost collapsed to his knees on the spot. He Zheng Hao was instantly filled with grievance. "Let alone Golden Core cultivators, even Nascent Soul cultivators, I, He Zheng Hao, address them as 'Fellow Daoist'!"

However, with such a formidable figure before him, and for the sake of his own life, He Zheng Hao had no choice but to temporarily yield to the opponent's power. Forcing an awkward smile, He Zheng Hao said with difficulty, "Misunderstanding, it's really a misunderstanding! Senior, please speak calmly!"

The opponent swept a cold gaze around, then temporarily retracted his pressure. "I ask, you answer! If you lie to me, you die!" He Zheng Hao's heart skipped a beat upon hearing the man's words. He nodded repeatedly, like a pecking chick, to show that he understood.

"How did you come across your Mountain-Sitting Art?" the opponent asked. "This junior obtained it by chance during an adventure in a cave dwelling when I was young, definitely not—" Before He Zheng Hao could finish his sentence, the opponent questioned again. "Where is this cave dwelling located? Why does it contain my sect's legacy?" He Zheng Hao hastily described the location and internal structure of that cave dwelling.

The opponent's eyes narrowed slightly, and he was silent for a moment. He then surprisingly recounted some details about the cave dwelling's interior, asking He Zheng Hao if they were correct. He Zheng Hao was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly.

Noticing that the opponent's killing intent was gradually receding, He Zheng Hao couldn't help but sigh in relief. Seeing that the opponent seemed lost in thought, he bravely asked, "Senior, I observe that your words and actions are quite unusual. Might Senior have just awakened from a long slumber?"

It was no wonder He Zheng Hao made such a guess. Nowadays, which cultivator still constantly speaks of their sect? Furthermore, there had been past instances of ancient cultivators awakening after millennia of slumber. He Zheng Hao wasn't particularly surprised by this.

He only felt that he was incredibly unlucky. The opponent didn't directly admit it; instead, his expression became somewhat serious.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you, what exactly has happened over these years? My cultivation method can inexplicably sense things. The world seems to have changed quite a bit." He Zheng Hao became even more convinced of his guess.

He immediately recounted to him the series of events that had occurred in the Xuanhuang Realm after the Celestial Venerable's dharma transmission and the arrival of the Great Tribulation. The opponent's expression shifted repeatedly as he listened.

Through continuous probing, He Zheng Hao gradually came to understand the opponent's identity. His name was Li Fan, and he was an ancient cultivator from the Heavenly Mystery Sect. He had accidentally fallen into a deep slumber at one point. After waking, not only had his cultivation regressed to the Golden Core realm, but a spiritual sense had also surfaced in his mind. Confused, Li Fan followed the sensation to Shuli Island.

And only after discovering that He Zheng Hao, who also practiced the Mountain-Sitting Art, was not a disciple of the Heavenly Mystery Sect, did the scene of interrogation unfold. He Zheng Hao, while inwardly lamenting his bad luck, still had a doubt: "Senior, how did you discern that I am not a disciple of the Heavenly Mystery Sect?"

Li Fan scoffed, "A thousand years have passed, and cultivators have become so ignorant! Your question is like asking why a cultivator can tell at a glance that a demonic being isn't human. We cultivators of the Heavenly Mystery Sect emphasize the unity of heaven and man; all our sect's cultivation methods are inextricably linked with spiritual energy. I naturally possess secret arts that can distinguish this."

He Zheng Hao's old face flushed slightly as he listened to the opponent's disdainful tone. Just as he was about to say something more, he saw Li Fan staring intently at him. "Senior, you—" He Zheng Hao couldn't help but feel a little nervous. "How long have you been practicing the Mountain-Sitting Art?" Li Fan asked.

He Zheng Hao was slightly startled. "For over a hundred years."

"The Mountain-Sitting Art is such a divine technique. How is it that after practicing for so long, you're only at the Foundation Establishment realm?" Li Fan looked at He Zheng Hao suspiciously. "Could it be that you also suffered an injury and fell in cultivation?"

Upon hearing this, He Zheng Hao's face instantly turned scarlet. "Senior, you might not know, but this Mountain-Sitting Art—" He was about to defend himself when he suddenly remembered that this person was the very ancestor of the Mountain-Sitting Art practitioners.

He was instantly speechless. He stammered and stood dumbfounded.

However, Li Fan came to his rescue. As if remembering something, he suddenly realized, "Ah, that's right, you don't know the method of sensing heavenly secrets. No wonder your cultivation is so slow."

"If you only cultivate 'sitting on the mountain' but don't seek 'immortal insight', it's truly difficult."