Martial Cultivator

Last night, a moderate rain shower fell, and by dawn, the entire Infatuation Daoist Temple appeared as if it had been thoroughly cleansed. Even the faint morning glow on the horizon looked far more beautiful than usual.

The morning glow of the Infatuation Daoist Temple was already renowned as one of the wonders of the world, and today it seemed even more so.

A young daoist in a dark red daoist robe stood silently at the edge of a cliff, looking at the morning glow for a long time. Beside him stood a cold and aloof woman who also remained silent.

Simply by standing there, their presence alone was unparalleled, unmatched by any other young cultivators in the world.

This was not surprising, though, as these two were known as the Twin Pillars of Daoism.

Yun Jianyue who was wearing a dark red daoist robe suddenly said, ”Temple Master has not yet returned to the mountain.”

The battle in the Divine Capital had taken place several days ago. Having experienced a moment of enlightenment during the battle, Yun Jianyue had stayed in the Divine Capital for a time before deciding to return to the Infatuation Daoist Temple. However, the Temple Master had left even earlier than he had. By all accounts, even if the Temple Master was injured, he should have returned to the temple earlier than Yun Jianyue.

But in reality, he had not.

Ye Zhihua said softly, ”A senior from the temple has already gone down the mountain to search for him. I don’t think anyone in the world would find trouble with the Temple Master at this time.”

Though the Temple Master was gravely injured, he was still a great daoist sage who had reached the end of Nepenthe. With his cultivation apparent, ordinary Nepenthe cultivators would be unlikely to pose a threat to him. Moreover, those who had the capability to threaten him would have to consider whether they could afford to provoke a behemoth like the Infatuation Daoist Temple.

Yun Jianyue said worriedly, “I can’t shake the feeling that trouble is brewing.”

Ye Zhihua immediately understood and asked, “Do you think the Great Liang would attempt to secretly assassinate the Temple Master? Could it be that Dean who has yet to show his face?”

The Great Liang did not have many powerhouses, and even fewer top powerhouses. Although Ye Zhihua had not been present during the battle in the Divine Capital, she had heard rumors and knew some of the inside details. Among those in the Great Liang Dynasty capable of threatening the Temple Master, aside from His Majesty the Emperor, there were not many. The Lord Warden Commander had long been stationed at the Northern Frontier and would not leave easily. That left only the Dean as a plausible candidate.

Yun Jianyue shook his head. “He’s a scholar, after all. It doesn’t seem likely he’d do something like this. Besides, the Great Liang Dynasty has its hands full right now and probably can’t afford to make a move.”

Ye Zhihua pondered for a moment and then said, “The Chief Enforcer has left the mountain.”

Yun Jianyue’s expression grew heavy. “The Temple Master had previously ordered that the Chief Enforcer must not leave the mountain without cause.”

“Now that the elders of the temple have gone down the mountain to search for the Temple Master, and since the Chief Enforcer is the Temple Master’s junior brother and shares a close bond with him, his leaving the mountain out of concern for the Temple Master could be seen as understandable, even if it goes against the Temple Master’s wishes.”

Ye Zhihua spoke calmly. Although she said it like that, she did not believe that it was as simple as that.

Yun Jianyue said, “The Temple Master and the Chief Enforcer have always been at odds.”

Ye Zhihua remained silent.

Yun Jianyue raised an eyebrow. Although the old grudges between their elders were not exactly a secret, they were not something juniors like them could casually discuss.

He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, a deep and resonant bell tolled, audible throughout the entire Infatuation Daoist Temple.

Ye Zhihua said in surprise, “Has the Temple Master returned?”

But Yun Jianyue shook his head, ”I’m afraid not.”

The sounding of the temple bell always signaled a major event. If it were merely the Temple Master returning to the mountain, there would be no need for such a grand gesture.

Something major must have happened.

Yun Jianyue turned into a streak of light and sped toward the Ancestral Hall.

……

……

In front of the Ancestral Hall, more and more disciples of the Infatuation Daoist Temple gathered. Among the disciples who had not left the mountain or gone into seclusion, not a single one was absent.

Even the elders from the back mountain who had not entered terminal seclusion arrived in front of the Ancestral Hall. Among them were several second-generation mentors, some of whom had already reached the pinnacle of the Nepenthe Realm. As for cultivators at the Nepenthe Realm itself, there were as many as five or six present.

And these were just the temple’s cultivators who had not entered terminal seclusion. If those in terminal seclusion were included, the number of powerful cultivators in the Infatuation Daoist Temple would be far greater.

This was the foundation of the Infatuation Daoist Temple and the reason it could become the leader of Daoism.

When Yun Jianyue arrived among the numerous gathered disciples, he naturally stood at the very front. Although he was not the eldest senior brother of this generation, in every respect, there was no one more suited to stand at the forefront than him.

Ye Zhihua stood quietly by his side.

In front of the Ancestral Hall, the Chief Enforcer, who had not appeared in front of everyone in a long time, finally showed up here. This great daoist sage who had always been the second-in-command of the Infatuation Daoist Temple wore a cold and indifferent expression.

After seeing everyone gathered here, the Chief Enforcer finally spoke slowly: “The Temple Master passed away yesterday.”

The moment he spoke, the news shocked every disciple present. Countless voices erupted in an uproar, like a massive boulder dropped into a tranquil lake, stirring up waves upon waves of commotion.

”Martial Uncle Chief Enforcer? Is what you said true?!”

“Sage Chief Enforcer, how did you learn this news?”

“Chief Enforcer...”

Before the Ancestral Hall, several voices arose simultaneously, most of them expressing doubt. The disciples of the Infatuation Daoist Temple simply could not believe this news.

In their view, their Temple Master’s cultivation was transcendent, making it impossible for anyone to harm him.

Moreover, there were only a handful of people in the world capable of such a feat.

The Chief Enforcer wasted no words. A seal instantly rose before him, hovering in front of everyone.

“That is... the Temple Master’s seal?!”

The temple disciples stared at the seal, their eyes widening in disbelief.

As disciples of the Infatuation Daoist Temple, they knew well that the seal could only be held by successive temple masters. It was impossible to forge because it bore the aura of every temple master throughout history. Now that this seal was in the Chief Enforcer’s hands, it spoke volumes.

Had the Temple Master already passed his position to his junior brother, the current Chief Enforcer?

The temple disciples were utterly shocked and found it hard to believe.

Most importantly, there was no prior indication of this matter, which caught everyone by surprise.

Yun Jianyue glanced at Ye Zhihua, who also had a flicker of doubt in her eyes.

“May I ask, Chief Enforcer, what caused the Temple Master’s demise?”

“Yes, we know the Temple Master went to the Divine Capital. Could he have been harmed by the Great Liang?!”

After accepting this news, the disciples of the Infatuation Daoist Temple were immediately filled with anger. The Infatuation Daoist Temple was a first-rate sect even in the foreign lands, and had never suffered such humiliation. If their Temple Master truly died in the Divine Capital, it would be the greatest disgrace to them.

The Chief Enforcer said calmly, “For now, the cause of Senior Brother Temple Master’s death cannot be disclosed to you all. However, before his passing, Senior Brother transferred the position of Temple Master to me. From this moment, I will oversee all affairs, big and small, of the temple.”

“As for the position of Chief Enforcer, I still need time to deliberate. For now, it will remain vacant. I urge all of you to cultivate diligently, maintain the temple’s prestige, and ensure that Senior Brother can rest in peace.”

“I must trouble the martial uncles to follow me. There are matters I need to discuss with you.”

The Chief Enforcer did not address the disciples’ questions but instead turned to Yun Jianyue within the crowd. He said calmly, “Yun Jianyue, you should be aware of the depth of Senior Brother’s expectations for you.”

At these words, all eyes turned to Yun Jianyue, one of the Twin Pillars of Daoism. In truth, many disciples in the temple had long known that the Temple Master had high hopes for Yun Jianyue, who was seen as the most likely candidate to become the next temple master.

But circumstances change with the passing of time - everything has changed.

Yun Jianyue said seriously, “This disciple will cultivate diligently and live up to the expectations of the Temple Master and the Chief Enforcer.”

Hearing the title “Chief Enforcer,” the Chief Enforcer showed no reaction. He merely gave Yun Jianyue a glance before stepping into the Ancestral Hall.

The senior of the temple, who had remained silent throughout, followed him inside.

Yun Jianyue turned and left, walking away with Ye Zhihua.

……

……

“The Chief Enforcer’s behavior is somewhat unusual, yet not entirely so.”

Walking along the mountain path, Yun Jianyue reflected on the Chief Enforcer’s earlier demeanor and said, “The Chief Enforcer has never been on good terms with the Temple Master, so it’s not surprising that he didn’t show any sorrow. But something still feels off.”

Ye Zhihua remarked, “There’s indeed something off. Whether or not the Temple Master died at the hands of the Great Liang, the Chief Enforcer should have pointed in that direction.”

Yun Jianyue nodded seriously and said, “Exactly. Yet the Chief Enforcer was evasive, which means there must be hidden truths.”

“We should make a trip to the Divine Capital.”

Ye Zhihua looked at Yun Jianyue.

Yun Jianyue shook his head. “The Divine Capital is also very chaotic right now. Besides... I’m about to break through.”

Ye Zhihua’s eyes widened - a rare expression on her face.

Though they were both considered the Twin Pillars of Daoism, Ye Zhihua’s cultivation realm had always been higher than Yun Jianyue’s in the past. Yet, over time, Yun Jianyue had not only caught up but surpassed her.

Even so, Ye Zhihua had not expected that her junior brother was now on the verge of stepping into the Nepenthe Realm.

It was simply too fast.

In the history of the Infatuation Daoist Temple, there was perhaps no cultivator who could reach Nepenthe Realm so quickly.

In terms of breakthrough speed, Yun Jianyue might very well be the fastest not only in the Infatuation Daoist Temple’s history but also in the entire Daoism for the past thousand years.

“After my breakthrough... it’s likely that he’ll also breakthrough.”

Yun Jianyue said meaningfully, “I might not even be ahead of him.”