"Haha, as a poor Daoist, I must also reflect on myself daily, lest I commit a grave sin and end up being punished to kneel here too," Hua Yang Daoist laughed aloud.

The seemingly cheerful laughter carried no humor, but rather a hint of sarcasm, as if mocking Lord Qingyu's tyranny.

Xuanfeng, hearing this, did not react, and simply said calmly, "It's good that you think this way, Daoist Friend. Please this way."

He led Hua Yang up the steps, into the square, then around to the side hall on the right of the Taiji Palace, and after another quarter of an hour's walk, they arrived at a secluded courtyard.

Daoist Kucha, who was being softly imprisoned by the Zhenwu Sect, lived in this courtyard. However, to call it imprisonment is not entirely accurate, as he could move around freely every day, as long as he didn't leave Chonghe Peak.

Moreover, the courtyard boasted a distinctive environment and elegant houses, making his living conditions much more comfortable than the days of being a hermit.

"I still have matters to attend to, feel free, Daoist Hua Yang,"

Xuanfeng did not enter, but just let Hua Yang do as he pleased and then left directly.

After giving Xuanfeng's departing figure a cursory glance, Hua Yang's face remained expressionless as he walked into the courtyard.

Upon entering, he saw an elderly Daoist reclining on a wooden chair, basking in the sun, eyes half-closed, appearing quite leisurely.

Seeing this, Hua Yang couldn't help but mock, "Daoist Kucha, you seem to be quite at ease, but don't you know that your behavior might make Daoist Feng Yun turn over in his grave?"

Kucha initially opposed Qing Yu because of his close relationship with Dragon Tiger Mountain and Daoist Feng Yun. Although Hua Yang's relationship with Kucha wasn't that intimate, they did have mutual friends.

Seeing Kucha behave like this, Hua Yang naturally felt discontented.

"Daoist..."

Kucha slowly opened his somewhat clouded old eyes, exhibiting no resentment of the soft imprisonment, on the contrary, appearing extremely calm, "Daoist Feng Yun likely wouldn't want us to sacrifice our own lives for his death. Now that Lord Qingyu has consolidated control over the Taoist sects, our opposition is nothing more than a futile act."

I am old, my days are numbered, but my disciples and grandchildren are still around, and they cannot bear the cost of opposing the Lord.

No one lives in this world as a lone entity. Even Daoist Feng Yun, who had secluded himself for years, eventually emerged for the sake of the Zhang family and ultimately paid with his life.

Kucha does not fear death, but he does not wish for his decisions to lead to the tragic deaths of his kin. Lord Qingyu is too powerful.

The longer one stays in the Zhenwu Sect, the more one realizes the impossibility of resistance.

Back when Qing Yu completed his Mystic Universe technique and emerged, the celestial phenomenon that swept through Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi completely shattered Kucha's will to resist, making him willing to be softly imprisoned here.

After all, in this place, not truly a hermitage, the Zhenwu Sect's land, nourished by hundreds of miles of Earth Qi, is one of the top Cave Heaven Blessed Lands in the world, making it a fitting place for reclusion.

"That was in the past, but now, it's not necessarily so," Hua Yang snorted coldly.

Just arriving at the Zhenwu Sect, he was directly threatened. Although he knew of the Lord's authoritarian nature, such direct methods of intimidation were somewhat lacking in etiquette.

He had heard that the Lord advocated for subduing others with strength but was very courteous as long as nothing concerned him. However, today's encounter seemed inconsistent with the rumors.

'Is it really inconsistent with the rumors, or has an unexpected event truly occurred...'

A thought flashed through Hua Yang's mind, stirring a sense of joy.

Should an unexpected event have occurred, then the information given to him might indeed be true.

'If the information is true, Qing Yu...'

Hua Yang clenched his teeth, suppressing the murderous intent within.

He was unlike Kucha, without so many concerns or attachments. His lifelong only close friend, Daoist Feng Yun, was killed by Qing Yu, instilling a life-or-death stance between him and Qing Yu.

"Even if you don't want to avenge Daoist Feng Yun, I will find a way to rescue you myself."

Hua Yang collected his thoughts and coldly said to Kucha.

Rescuing Kucha would be an excellent test. Hua Yang didn't believe that concerning a matter of a Divinity Realm warrior, Qing Yu would not intervene!

If he truly did not intervene, then the odds of Qing Yu having encountered trouble would increase to at least fifty percent.

After speaking, Hua Yang swung his robe and left directly, seeking Xuanfeng.

··························

"Was Hua Yang Daoist eager to meet me?"

Qing Yu, combing his white hair with one hand, asked.

"Yes, Hua Yang seems very keen regarding the matter of Kucha, eagerly wishing to rescue him from the Sea of Suffering," Xuanfeng nodded and replied.

"Sea of Suffering? When did my Zhenwu Sect become such a desperate place..." Qing Yu shook his head speechlessly.

Though his actions were somewhat domineering, it shouldn't have turned a Taoist holy land into a place everyone avoids like the plague, should it?

'The possibility of Hua Yang probing my situation just increased a bit.'

Thinking this, Qing Yu instructed Xuanfeng, "Say that I still need some time to close off, delay him for a few days, and see how he reacts."

"Yes."

Xuanfeng nodded and withdrew from the area of the Taiyuan Pond.

Watching from the sidelines, Xuanzhen then asked, "Do you think Hua Yang has an issue?"

"It's certain he's up to no good, as this person holds a deep grudge against me," Qing Yu replied, "I just don't know if Hua Yang is seeking revenge on his own or if someone is instructing him behind the scenes."

"What difference does it make? Aren't you going to plan against Hua Yang regardless?"

"Of course, there's a difference. The number of people trying to probe or kill me dictates how elaborate my trap needs to be. I have a feeling this time might net a few big fish," Qing Yu smiled.

"Big fish? How big can they be? In front of you, a Daoist Master, only a Supreme figure can truly be considered a big fish."

"Who knows how big they could be? Let's just wait and see."

··························

"Altar Master, Qing Yu remains in seclusion and has not appeared," Baili Shensuan reported to Elder Shiming who was manipulating the compass.

"Continue probing, best to confirm Qing Yu's condition," Elder Shiming said without lifting his head.

"This little fox may be young, but his scheming depth is quite considerable. In this situation, it may not be that he noticed our probing and is now counter-probing or concealing himself.

Have him stay vigilant and keep a close eye on the developments within Zhenwu Sect."

As he spoke, Elder Shiming remained absorbed in his compass, "Also, have the Shengde Emperor prepare the altar, for I intend to use the Sacrificial Blood Inquiry Technique to try and deduce Qing Yu's condition."

At present, the Heavenly Mechanism is clouded, and even a Master of Heavenly Mechanism like Elder Shiming cannot discern a trace. However, there are methods to see through the confused Tribulation Qi and uncover the truth behind the chaotic Heavenly Mechanism.

The Sacrificial Blood Inquiry Technique is one such method. However, forcibly divining the Heavenly Mechanism inevitably comes with a price, and a severe one at that.

To ascertain Qing Yu's real condition, Elder Shiming is ready to go all out, publicly probing for information while secretly employing secret techniques to divine the Heavenly Mechanism. This dual approach, both overt and covert, aims to determine whether that glimmer of opportunity is genuine.

As long as Qing Yu is confirmed to be genuinely injured, no matter how large the price, it will be worth it.

"Yes, I understand," Baili Shensuan responded with solemn expression, bowing respectfully.

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