Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

Chapter 221: 221 please Second Elder help out

Jade Pot Sect, Poison Vein lineage!

Inside a verdant grand hall, at the head seat sat an elder in a green robe. Although he appeared to have the aura of an immortal, his eyes at this moment harbored a touch of somberness.

”Teacher, I have received news that Yun Xiao has already been led by Chang Qing into the Sect Leader’s Cold Jade Hall!”

Standing respectfully at the lower seat, Yin Huan, who was an old acquaintance of Yun Xiao, seemed somewhat cautious as he spoke, as if he was afraid that his words might provoke the elder seated above.

This green-robed elder was naturally Fu Du, the leader of the Poison Vein lineage of the Jade Pot Sect. To be honest, these past few days had not been too comfortable for him, for the boy he was set on acquiring had in the end been taken as a direct disciple by the Sect Leader.

This time, Fu Du had personally attended the Outer Sect competition, with ninety percent of his attention focused on Yun Xiao. Yun Xiao’s performance at the competition had indeed given him a sense of satisfaction worthy of his trip.

Even in Fu Du’s heart, he had dismissed the idea of abducting Yun Xiao to use as a test subject for poisons. He truly wanted to take in this astonishingly talented youth, who was capable of defeating Feng Hang and Shen Xiao at the peak of the Meridian Gathering Realm and in the early stage of the Meridian Rushing Realm, as his closed-door disciple.

Who would have thought that the Great Elder Lu Zhan would intervene, causing numerous unforeseen changes in Fu Du’s plan? If it were only that, he wouldn’t mind competing with Lu Zhan, as he himself was a genuine intermediate-level Spiritual Rank Meridian Refining Master.

Who could have expected that, right when the two Great Elders were locked in an unresolvable struggle, the Sect Leader, who was typically elusive like a Divine Dragon, suddenly intervened and inexplicably took Yun Xiao as his direct disciple.

Indeed, in Fu Du’s heart, it was all so inexplicable, because as far as he knew, the lineage of Sect Leaders of the Jade Pot Sect had never taken disciples. So why would this Sect Leader do such a thing?

Fu Du dared to challenge Lu Zhan, but when faced with the real Sect Leader, he was completely unable to muster the courage to compete, such was the overwhelming oppression he felt from that person.

Thus, Fu Du’s plan had failed utterly. Even though he managed to take in several talented youths into the Poison Vein lineage, whether it was Cao Luo or Zhao Ningshu, or even the Xuanyue Imperial Family’s Third Prince Xuan Zhi, their talents and aptitudes were far inferior to Yun Xiao, even below those of Lu Zhan’s disciples Ling Wan and Song Tian.

It could be said that Fu Du suffered a total defeat this time, having to settle for undesirable second choices, so how could his mood possibly improve? This even led his disciples to avoid him as much as possible, fearing incurring his wrath.

Fortunately for Yin Huan, Fu Du was still very fond of this junior disciple. Upon hearing his words, Fu Du finally calmed his mind a bit, his heart beginning to conceive another plan.

”Yin Huan, doesn’t our Jade Pot Sect offer a benefit where, regardless of joining the Outer or Inner Sect, one is entitled to a free opportunity to enter the Jade Pot Cave, right?”

Fu Du pondered for a moment before suddenly asking this question. But as he asked, as the Second Elder of the Jade Pot Sect, how could he not know about this rule?

”Teacher, are you thinking...”

Yin Huan was also sharp and began to sense something, but wasn’t completely sure, and such a matter required the teacher’s explicit instructions before he dared to act.

After all, Yun Xiao’s status had changed drastically from before. To target the Sect Leader’s one and only direct disciple was not something just anyone had the courage to do.

”Hehe, in the Jade Pot Cave, life and death are unforbidden. If Yun Xiao were to die inside the Jade Pot Cave, surely nobody could be blamed, right?”

Fu Du had no such reservations, and as the cold laugh containing certain implications left his mouth, even Yin Huan couldn’t help but shiver.

At this point, if Yin Huan still didn’t understand his teacher’s intentions, he’d truly be a complete fool. Since the teacher had given the order, he let go of his hesitation; after all, everything was under the teacher’s responsibility.

It seems Fu Du’s feelings towards Yun Xiao had shifted. Previously, he hadn’t intended to take Yun Xiao’s life, but wanted to capture him to serve as a guinea pig for poison experiments.

Even after the competition of the Outer Sect ended, Fu Du had wholeheartedly wanted to take Yun Xiao as his closed-door disciple to inherit his mantle. Unfortunately, all these plans were abruptly crushed when Yun Xiao became the direct disciple of the Jade Pot Sect Leader.

A ruthless person like Fu Du would not contentedly accept defeat. Since he couldn’t have Yun Xiao, he definitely couldn’t let the kid grow smoothly. The only result was to nip him in the bud.

Fu Du knew well that the deeds of him and his disciples had already caused resentment in Yun Xiao’s heart. If he could have Yun Xiao sent back to the Poison Vein lineage, he had a hundred methods to make him submit, but now, he only had one path left—destruction.

”Yin Huan, prepare yourself. That little fellow Yun Xiao should enter the Jade Pot Cave tomorrow. At that time...”

Fu Du was not one to hem and haw, and he also accurately guessed Yun Xiao’s eagerness to proceed. Immediately, the master and disciple secretly plotted, and a scheme rapidly took shape.

Drip! Drip!

As Fu Du finished laying out his plan, the sound of footsteps echoed from the temple door; a young disciple hurried in and bowed to Fu Du, who was seated at the head of the hall.

”Second Elder, the Third Prince Xuan Zhi from the Royal Family is outside seeking an audience!”

It seemed that this young disciple was the messenger stationed outside the hall. Upon hearing his words, both Fu Du and Yin Huan exchanged a glance, noting a trace of puzzlement in each other’s eyes.

In fact, Fu Du had only taken Xuan Zhi as a disciple because he coveted his royal status, hoping to use this connection to forge a relationship with the Xuanyue Imperial Family. As for Xuan Zhi’s talent and cultivation, Fu Du didn’t find them particularly interesting.

After all, Xuan Zhi’s cultivation was only in the late stage of the Meridian Gathering Realm, significantly lower than even Yin Huan, his weakest disciple. Thus, since returning to the Inner Sect, Fu Du had not bothered to summon the Third Prince of the Empire.

However, what Fu Du had not anticipated was that Xuan Zhi would take the initiative to visit, which puzzled him. But considering Xuan Zhi’s background, Fu Du couldn’t afford to be too cold and dismissive. He waved his hand to signal Yin Huan to leave the hall and make arrangements.

”Let him in.”

As Yin Huan turned to leave, Fu Du spoke softly, and, after a short while, a figure in white slowly entered from outside the hall, nodded at Yin Huan as they passed by, and then walked straight up to Fu Du, who was seated at the head.

”Second Elder, I greet you!”

Xuan Zhi’s expression still carried a hint of arrogance, but upon hearing his way of addressing him, Fu Du couldn’t help but frown slightly. Was this man not even going to call him ’teacher,’ showing a lack of respect for him, the Second Elder of the Jade Pot Sect?

”Xuan Zhi, what is it you want?”

Suppressing the displeasure in his heart, Fu Du asked in a deep voice. To tell the truth, he was not fond of Xuan Zhi’s arrogant demeanor. Where did this ant in the late stage of the Meridian Gathering Realm get such a strong sense of superiority from?

”Second Elder need not be so formal. I suppose you took me as a disciple solely because of my royal background, right?”

Xuan Zhi paid no mind to Fu Du’s attitude, and his direct question made Fu Du’s heart stir. He mused that this Third Prince from the Royal Family wasn’t as foolish as he had assumed.

”Since that’s the case, let us each take what we need. I’m not afraid to tell you, Second Elder, that my visit to the Jade Pot Sect is actually for a particular matter in which I need your help!”

Seeing that Fu Du remained silent, Xuan Zhi continued speaking without concern, prompting a flash of sharp light in Fu Du’s eyes as he revealed an enigmatic expression that no one else could discern.

”Hehe, Prince Xuan Zhi jokes. With the status of the Third Prince of the Royal Family, what can’t you do? Why seek the help of me, a mere Second Elder of the Jade Pot Sect?”

Fu Du’s words were tinged with sarcasm, but his meaning was clear. Just as he said, within the Xuanyue Empire, whether it’s in terms of the number of powerful individuals or the intelligence system, the Xuanyue Royal Family was a colossal entity that stood above all.

The Jade Pot Sect and the Xuanyue Royal Family had always coexisted without interfering with each other, with hardly any interactions. This unexpected visit from Xuan Zhi truly left Fu Du puzzled.

”Second Elder, I... or rather, my elder brother, the Eldest Prince, is very interested in something belonging to your sect. If you could help us obtain that item, my Xuanyue Royal Family will surely owe you a great deal of gratitude!”

Xuan Zhi ignored Fu Du’s veiled derision and smiled, clearly stating his purpose. He then stared blankly at Fu Du, seemingly waiting for something.

”Your elder brother...”

Fu Du murmured to himself. Although he wasn’t very concerned about Xuan Zhi, the Third Prince, the thought of the Eldest Prince, who was likely to inherit the rule of the Xuanyue Country, was something he couldn’t simply ignore.

Not only does the Royal Crown Prince have astonishing cultivation talent and an extremely strong hand in affairs, but he’s also been handling the politics of the empire in recent years as the Xuanyue Country’s ruler grows old. Under his governance, the Xuanyue Empire has prospered, even showing signs of surpassing some of the other large empires on the Hidden Dragon Continent.

A debt of gratitude from one who is destined to become the ruler of the Xuanyue Empire was not something even Fu Du could overlook. His ambitions were boundless; he didn’t just wish to outdo the Medical Pulse lineage, but sometimes he even dreamed of becoming the Sect Master of the Jade Pot Sect. This seemed to be an opportunity for him.

For a moment, the Poisonous Hall fell into an eerie silence, and Xuan Zhi didn’t break it with his voice either. He knew that making such a decision required time.

”What help do you require, and what is this item that you seek to acquire?”

After some time, Fu Du finally asked this crucial question. This made Xuan Zhi’s face reveal a hint of satisfaction because he knew that the Second Elder was moved.

”In the ninth level of the Jade Pot Cave, there is an item...”