"To this day, after the State Preceptor has stepped into the realm of the strongest ones, among all the strongest individuals in heaven and earth, none, before engaging in combat, is confident enough to declare victory over the State Preceptor." The voice of Wu Shijiu rang in Zhu Houji's ear with a tone of reflection. "Whether it's Lion Emperor of the Demon Race, Master of Mystiq Sky of the human race, the head of the Sword Sect, or the Old Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, the Buddhist Master, no one is confident without making a move. It can be said that our State Preceptor has now truly ranked among the strongest in the world."
As Wu Shijiu spoke, his voice held a mix of emotions, a sense of melancholy in his heart.
He remembered the first time he met Pei Xuanjing, at a time when this world was just beginning to recover. The strength and natural talent that the other party demonstrated made Wu Shijiu quite surprised. He believed that as long as time passed, if Pei Xuanjing did not falter halfway, he would surely reach the Spirit Realm Eightfold to stand shoulder to shoulder with him. That was the reason for his willingness to interact with the other party on an equal footing.
Otherwise, with the pride of Wu Shijiu, a strong cultivator of such a level, even if his strength was temporarily damaged due to injuries, would not truly hold such a respectful attitude towards an ordinary Ancestral Land cultivator.
However, everything happened too quickly. Pei Xuanjing's growth rate was beyond imagination, making it difficult for Wu Shijiu to keep up. The other party has already grown to such an extent that he not only stood shoulder to shoulder with him, but he far surpassed him.
He couldn't quite remember how many years had passed since he came to the Ancestral Land, but Wu Shijiu was certain that it was definitely not more than a hundred years.
A hundred years, for cultivators who have stepped into the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm and above, is about the same amount of time they would spend in three or five periods of seclusion for cultivation.
For cultivators of Spirit Realm Eightfold, a hundred years is nothing, which at most is the time to develop a divine ability, and there won't be much progress in cultivation.
But in such a short time, Pei Xuanjing had progressed so steadily through the Spirit Realm, breaking through the Sixth Level to overcome the bottleneck of the Seventh Level to form his Taoist foundation, then stepping into the Eighth Level, and now he had easily crossed the chasm that had blocked 99% of Eightfold Spirit Realm cultivators, attaining the Nine Realms of Spirit to become one of the strongest.
This was simply shocking! It was so shocking that Wu Shijiu could barely describe it. Even with the benefits given by the Witch God Sect Leader, the possibility of him breaking through to become one of the strongest in the Nine Realms of Spirit was only greater, and he did not know how much time he would need to actually break through.
When compared side by side, he was simply not worth mentioning.
"Is it really that terrifying?" Zhu Houji was taken aback after hearing Wu Shijiu's words.
Sometimes, the feeling of guessing something yourself and hearing it from someone else's mouth is completely different.
Even if he had guessed that Pei Xuanjing's strength would take a leap forward after his breakthrough, he didn't know what to say when he actually heard Wu Shijiu's words.
"This is what the Witch God Sect Leader said himself. There's absolutely no mistake." Wu Shijiu said with a bitter smile, "The Witch God Sect Leader may joke around at other times, but he would never speak frivolously about such matters."
This judgment was not made by Wu Shijiu, but these words were spoken by the Witch God Sect Leader after knowing that Pei Xuanjing had entered the Strongest Realm.
As one born in the Witch Deity Teaching, he was very familiar with the Witch God Sect Leader, his erstwhile superior. The latter may joke and talk nonsense in other aspects, but in such matters, he was very serious.
And he clearly understood why the Witch God Sect Leader would tell him these things. He was warning himself not to develop other ideas, and through him, he wanted to tell Zhu Houji, the Emperor of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, that Pei Xuanjing should not be provoked.
"Even the Witch God Sect Leader noticed this, or is my attitude towards Master Pei that obvious?" A perplexed expression flashed in Zhu Houji's eyes.
As Wu Shijiu was able to understand the meaning of the Witch God Sect Leader's words, he, as an emperor, surely understood the meaning of the Witch God Sect Leader.
So he couldn't help thinking in his heart that the Witch God Sect Leader warned him about the strength of Pei Xuanjing and not to provoke him. Was it because the other party also saw his apprehension towards Pei Xuanjing?
In fact, Zhu Houji's thinking had fallen into misconception. He thought his dealings with Pei Xuanjing were not obvious, but in fact, it was all too clear in the eyes of many of the strongest individuals, especially to someone like the Witch God Sect Leader.
Even though Pei Xuanjing holds the title of State Preceptor of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, and the initial promotion of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty was facilitated by Pei Xuanjing, and even now, Pei Xuanjing often maintains many of the interests of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, it can be said that without Pei Xuanjing's care, the Great Ming Divine Dynasty would not develop this smoothly. In the eyes of many forces and cultivators, both sides were unified, forming a single power.
But in the eyes of many discerning individuals, these two sides were not unified. They understood that the relationship between the two sides was not as close as they seemed.
Never mind that Pei Xuanjing, the State Preceptor of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, seldom stays in the capital, Tiandu, and has a hands-off attitude towards many affairs of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty. This alone made many people understand the apprehension in Zhu Houji's heart.
That was the expression on Pei Xuanjing's face when Zhu Houji produced the Xuanyuan Divine Sword, the Human Path Treasure, at the Shenxiao Debate Conference.
At the Shenxiao Debate Conference, when Zhu Houji produced the Xuanyuan Divine Sword, his final trump card, in order to win the debate, Pei Xuanjing was indeed very surprised. That fleeting moment of surprise and shock in his eyes was noticed by many of the strongest individuals.
If Pei Xuanjing knew that Zhu Houji held such a top-tier divine weapon, he would have been full of confidence and would not have been surprised when Zhu Houji revealed it.
It was precisely that split-second look on Pei Xuanjing's face, even if these strongest individuals didn't know the rest, they knew Pei Xuanjing was unaware of the Human Path Treasure in Zhu Houji's hands, and they understood many things.
And all these strongest individuals have lived for thousands of years and have experienced so much. Even if Pei Xuanjing was a tremendous driving force behind the promotion of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty and provided a great deal of assistance for the rise and development of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, and could be said to have done a great favor to the Great Ming Divine Dynasty,
But what about that? There were instances of malicious grudges arising over just a few grains of rice. They had seen many collaborators who were inseparably close in the beginning, but when they truly rose to prominence, conflict ensued, and they finally parted ways.
When you give little favour to others and they can repay it, it deepens the mutual friendship.
But when the debt is so great that they can't repay it even if they give everything they have, this creates immense pressure for the receiver of the favor.
Gratitude should be mutual, with both sides providing help to strengthen the relationship. But if one side is always giving and the other is constantly taking, unable to return the favor, the relationship is bound to deteriorate.
This becomes particularly distorted when it involves cultivators or increasingly powerful figures with deep vested interests.
Such is the case between the Great Ming Divine Dynasty and Pei Xuanjing. Pei Xuanjing's contributions to the Great Ming Divine Dynasty are so immense that even if the entire Dynasty were to be emptied, it might not be enough to repay his initial favor.
This is quite terrifying, especially for the emperor of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, Zhu Houji.
It was Pei Xuanjing who helped him ascend the throne and become the emperor of the Great Ming Empire. Later, Zhu Houji became a nominal disciple of Pei Xuanjing, using his mentor's power to secure his position as emperor.
Pei Xuanjing taught him the God Refining Skill, set Zhu's journey on the path of cultivation and later promoted the advancement of the Great Ming Empire to the Divine Dynasty. He assisted in stabilizing the state of the court and facilitated the development of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty. What a great debt of gratitude!
Zhu Houji and the council elders of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty understood the situation. Pei Xuanjing, being one of the parties involved, was also clear about it.
But things have already come to this point. Even if Pei Xuanjing intentionally wanted to downplay the situation, he found it difficult to eradicate.
He was aware that his existence exerts a significant impact on the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, putting immense pressure on them, and thus he intended to diminish his influence.
But it was futile. His continuous growth inadvertently affected everything around him, something none could change.
"This is an insoluble situation," Zhu Houji sighed heavingly more than once.
Zhu Houji is not ungrateful, but aside from himself, he also plays the role of the emperor. Even if Pei Xuanjing does nothing, the enormous debt and pressure constantly burden Zhu, making it hard for him to relax.
So, he wished to get rid of Pei Xuanjing's protection, to repay the debt, to dismiss the debt of gratitude, but he was unable to do so. It became a dilemma.
"But the disclaimer seems meaningless now," Zhu Houji laughed bitterly and shook his head: "At least in my mind, I have never thought about cutting off ties with Master Pei."
Although he was burdened with the unrepayable debt of gratitude from Pei Xuanjing, Zhu Houji was not the type to forget past kindnesses and considered the only way to remove Pei's influence was by severing ties.
So regardless of his own continuous growth, what he intended to do was repay Pei using his abilities instead of acting rashly like the Witch God Sect Leader assumed, thinking he would cut ties with Master Pei.
Apart from the gratitude he owed to Pei Xuanjing, considering the current balance of power in Heaven and Earth, the Great Ming Divine Dynasty was relatively strong but still not very stable. Choosing to sever ties with Pei Xuanjing would benefit the Great Ming Divine Dynasty in no way. Losing Pei Xuanjing's protection and opposing him would only worsen the circumstances. This was not in line with his interests.
"Sometimes, how you feel is one aspect, but we also have to see how others perceive it," Wu Shijiu said meaningfully.
Having been with Zhu for decades, he believed that he understood the ruler fairly well. To Wu Shijiu, Zhu's attitude towards Pei Xuanjing was rather complex.
Zhu was like a child that Pei Xuanjing has always taken care of and nurtured. Now that the child has grown up and become powerful, he wanted to break free from the constraints of his elder, refusing to stay under his elder's wings, wanting to prove his own strength and independence.
However, only those who understood Zhu Houji relatively well would know this. For others, as the emperor of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, Zhu Houji should have absolute power and control. However, Pei Xuanjing's existence and influence imposed great restrictions on Zhu Houji and limited his power, which is undeniable. So under such circumstances, it seemed natural that the two close collaborators would part ways.
Zhu Houji fell silent when he heard Wu Shijiu's words, obviously realizing this point too.
...
While Zhu Houji and Wu Shijiu, who were in the Imperial City, were discussing Pei Xuanjing, they were unaware that Pei Xuanjing had already arrived at the Taoist Academy in Tiandu.
Pei Xuanjing was not aware of what was happening here, but the reason why he had chosen to stay within Shenxiao Mountain over these years was that he realized he couldn't stay in Tiandu for long. He was trying to minimize his influence on the Great Ming Divine Dynasty.
However, even though Pei Xuanjing intentionally reduced his influence, it inevitably existed. Not only did it not decrease, but it also became stronger with his increasing power.
At this situation, Pei Xuanjing could only laugh and cry, eventually letting things develop naturally. Despite this, he still tried to limit his visits to Tiandu as much as possible.
This time, he had secluded himself for quite some time. As the Dean of the Taoist Academy, Pei Xuanjing could not ignore the academy's development. Despite his complete trust in Qingyang Zi, the vice-dean, he still needed to attend to the academy's affairs when he came out of seclusion, both emotionally and rationally.
"Thank you for taking care of things over the years, without your management, the academy wouldn't have developed so quickly," Pei Xuanjing thanked Qingyang Zi with a smile.
Presently, the forces under Pei Xuanjing could be divided into two factions: one was Shenxiao Sect where he came from, and the other was the Taoist Academy that he founded.
Both forces were established by Pei Xuanjing himself and grew through reliance on him. Despite this, these two groups barely interacted with each other, functioning independently besides belonging to the same lineage.
In the eyes of Shenxiao Sect disciples, they considered themselves the retainers of the ascending dragon, Pei Xuanjing. Similarly, since Pei Xuanjing was of Shenxiao Sect origin and later became the revitalizing lord of the sect, it was natural for the sect disciples to hold the highest prestige.
To Shenxiao Sect's disciples, the various people in the Taoist Academy didn't come across as close disciples of Pei Xuanjing. Primarily they were seen as a group of people who gathered under Pei Xuanjing's influence.
No matter whether they are disciples from the Taoist Academy or cultivators groomed by the Shenxiao Sect, as long as they respect Pei Xuanjing and regard him as a senior, they are all viewed as his junior, without any discrimination, in Pei's eyes.
However, while that's Pei Xuanjing's perspective, the Taoist Academy disciples and Shenxiao Sect cultivators see it differently. Each of them considers themselves the direct descendants and believes that the others should be in a lower position than them.
The disciples of the Shenxiao Sect see the cultivators of the Taoist Academy as newcomers and not true inheritors of the Shenxiao lineage. The disciples of the Taoist Academy, in turn, view themselves as Pei Xuanjing's trusted followers. Both parties thoroughly enjoy this squabble over status.
This contentious atmosphere is unavoidable between cultivators from these two factions.
Such squabbles may not matter to Pei Xuanjing, but to these cultivators, they are very significant. After all, Pei Xuanjing's current status is extraordinary, and to become a direct descendant of a formidable figure like him is a remarkable honor.
However, Pei Xuanjing doesn't pay much heed to these matters; they are simply too distant for him to be concerned about.
At present, he assigned all affairs related to his two influences under his control, the Shenxiao Sect, and all matters of the Taoist School to Pang Hong, the junior sect leader. Meanwhile, he assigned Yu Zhenzi and others to assist.
Pei Xuanjing had likewise handed all affairs related to the Taoist Academy to the deputy dean Qingyang Zi. Aside from the countless skills he had inferred while Refining Taoyun, that he put into the Academy's contribution system for the many disciples' cultivation, Pei Xuanjing had not otherwise interfered in other matters.
However, since he's now out of seclusion, he should naturally pay some attention to the affairs of the Taoist Academy.
"The Dean is exaggerating. All these matters, they're merely part of my duty. I didn't find them to be strenuous at all." Qingyang Zi modestly replied.
As the dean, Qingyang Zi holds an unimaginable amount of power, especially considering that Pei Xuanjing is not getting involved in many complicated matters of the Academy. Many decisions within the Academy are made by him alone. Apart from the inability to arbitrarily dismiss affiliate academy deans, the appointment or dismissal of others lies in Qingyang Zi's hands.
Of course, the heavier the power he holds, the more complicated the matters are. He needs to attend to all affairs of the entire Academy. Even though he has once been in charge of the Martial Academy, the development and expansion of the current Taoist Academy is incomparable. It has occupied much of his cultivation time.
Therefore, being the first deputy dean of the Taoist Academy with Pei Xuanjing's blessings, allowing him freedom to choose any practice method in the academy, and being supplied with countless Heavenly and Earthly Treasures, Qingyang Zi's Cultivation just broke through the Sixth Level of the Spiritual Realm. He still has a long way to go to consolidate his Taoist Foundation and step into the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm.
You must know that Qingyang Zi's position has drawn the envy of countless people. If it were powerful individuals like Zhao Baiyang or second-rate talents in his position with so many resources to use, they would have already stepped into the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm and begun their march towards the Spirit Realm eightfold.
Even if Qingyang Zi is only at the Spirit Realm Sixth Level, as the deputy dean of the Taoist Academy and being Pei Xuanjing's close confidant, his position and authority are nothing short of immense. Even practitioners among the top factions that have descended from the Sky Wasteland dare not look down on him. Many strong individuals at the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm meet Qingyang Zi, who is at Spirit Realm Sixth Level, as equals and do not display any superiority of a strong individual.
What one gains, one loses, and nobody can say for sure whether Qingyang Zi is at a loss or profit, after all, how can one know the joy of fish if you're not a fish?
"In any case, without your hard work, today's Taoist Academy would not have developed to this extent." Pei Xuanjing shakes his head and says.
No matter what Qingyang Zi thinks, the facts lay before everyone's eyes: Qingyang Zi has indeed given a lot to the Academy, and he deserves a reward.
Although Pei Xuanjing is the one who promoted and founded the Taoist Academy and created the contribution point exchange system, allowing the Academy to develop and grow more intensively, it's undeniable that without the hard work of Qingyang Zi, the Academy would have thrived but not to the current extent.
"So, handle your matters first, then go into the Small Thousand World for cultivation. Though it may not necessarily lead to another breakthrough in your Cultivation, it will solidify your foundations, readying you for a breakthrough to the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm." Pei Xuanjing concluded after a moment of thought.
As of now, Qingyang Zi has just recently made a breakthrough. It would take him a long while to make another breakthrough, but if he could cultivate in the Longevity World for a period, it would greatly help consolidate his foundation.
Qingyang Zi's talent, when compared with Zhao Baiyang's and Qingxu's, did fall short. His progression to the Spiritual Realm Sixth Level in this timeframe was due to the resources provided by the Academy, meaning that his foundational stability is not particularly strong.
From Pei Xuanjing's perspective, Qingyang Zi, with his current rate of cultivation, has already exhausted substantial potential. He needs to spend a lot of time to remedy his inadequacies so that he can break through again.
Therefore, having him cultivate in the Longevity World for a while will undoubtedly save a lot of time and effort and quickly solidify the foundation.
Pei Xuanjing is a person who differentiates clearly between rewards and punishments. If someone contributed a lot to the Academy, they should receive a reward.
"Thank you, Dean!" On hearing Pei Xuanjing's words, Qingyang Zi was filled with surprise and joy.
By now, every cultivator in this world is acquainted with the fact about Pei Xuanjing opening up a Small Thousand World.
After the Shenxiao Debate Conference, the cultivators who had the opportunity to cultivate in the Small Thousand World extensively lauded Pei Xuanjing for the tremendous benefits they had obtained. In their description, the Small Thousand World seemed like a fairy realm on earth, causing countless other cultivators to yearn for it.
Naturally, Qingyang Zi had heard about this and was very curious about this place. Now that he heard Pei Xuanjing's words, he was very happy and didn't have the slightest intention of refusing.
Seeing this, Pei Xuanjing nodded. After a moment of thought, he asked, "You originally came to the Taoist Academy due to some matters within the True Martial Sect. Now that the matters of the True Martial Sect have been resolved, would you like to continue staying at the Taoist Academy, or return to the True Martial Sect?"
Qingyang Zi is originally from the True Martial Sect, and a fellow disciple of Qingxu. His departure from the True Martial Sect was due to conflicts with some of the Elders in the sect. To avoid causing strife within the sect, he readily accepted Pei Xuanjing's invitation to come to the Taoist Academy to become the deputy dean. This move can be considered as a covert way to resolve the conflict, avoiding internal strife within the True Martial Sect because of him.