When Chen Daoyan left the dilapidated temple, his demeanor was somewhat disheartened. Despite being a master of the Peak Realm, he still had his clothes soaked by the rain.

Inside the temple, Chen Zhixing watched the old man's departing figure and sighed.

"Why did you go and frighten the elderly like that?"

This remark was directed at True Monarch Yimiao.

"Everything I said was true," True Monarch Yimiao responded while gnawing on an entire rabbit in his hand, "According to your distant relatives' plans, it's almost inevitable that you'll face the Five Elements Taoist Lords within the next thousand years. So, do you think you can handle five of them?"

"Five..." Chen Zhixing's eyelid twitched, then he calmly said, "I'm talking about Golden Nature; the term 'gnawing' sounds too crude, as if truly devouring someone. I can see that even grandfather's dao heart wavered when he left."

"Well, it's all pretty much the same. What's being gnawed is the understanding of the Great Tao, but for us who must attach ourselves to the Tao to live, losing understanding of the laws is like losing Golden Nature, and it's no different from being eaten."

It seems he really hadn't tasted such game for a long time; even the rabbit head he bit into would make a dog shed tears.

Chen Zhixing remained silent.

Though the facts were indeed as True Monarch Yimiao said, the same words colored by different adjectives convey entirely different sentiments.

Finally finishing the entire rabbit, True Monarch Yimiao licked his fingers, and then contentedly looked at Chen Zhixing:

"Alright, I know you're a filial son, but don't tell me you're not angry. If you weren't actually angry, you wouldn't be here in this dilapidated temple tonight... Star Monarch Taoist Lord, anticipated by the Three Great Sacred Lands for two thousand years, such a prestigious title—I almost want to devote myself and see if I can secure a good position under your Taoist mastery."

Chen Zhixing: "..."

If he remembered correctly, this should be their first true meeting.

This Daluo Saint Master, really is naturally familiar.

Half a month ago didn't count; at that time, they were just busy fighting.

"I know, in the coming ten thousand years, this so-called Star Monarch Taoist Lord is just a joke in the eyes of your sacred lands. When the Star Monarch Tao truly shines, it might just be when your people replace me. But who can speak for certain of future events? By the time the Star Monarch Tao grows strong enough to catch eyes, you won't even be able to replace me."

"Hmm, young folks with high ambition, youth is truly delightful," True Monarch Yimiao mused.

In reality, both understood that, given Chen Zhixing's previous condition, he was qualified to turn to other strong Taoist Lords like the Five Elements Taoist Lords and eventually achieve a Golden Nature status similar to the current position of True Monarch Yimiao.

And now, he has become a sort of self-starting cultivator, akin to white gloves. To outsiders, the Taoist Lord position may indeed seem glamorous, but the result will likely be that after he develops and strengthens the Star Monarch Tao, his position will inevitably be seized, and whether he can survive by then is unknown.

His family had set him up, passing on the Star Monarch Tao.

The Ziwei Chen Family had long been inheriting, hoping to open up the Star Monarch Tao in the future, hoping no longer to be exploited by the five Taoist Lords of the Five Elements Tao, hoping to establish independence.

According to the Chen Familia's plan, this success would require a lengthy seven thousand years that would outlive hundreds of generations; but now, since there was a genius capable of advancing this Tao ahead of time, they naturally hoped to initiate the Star Monarch Tao early, allowing this generation to enjoy the family's benefits.

The Star Monarch Tao, Master of One Tao, sounded imposing and powerful, seemingly all to the good.

But in reality, it's a family start-up, barely over a billion in foundation, and still a family enterprise that's terribly hard to finance—and it's bloody real industry!

One is a Fortune 500 equity executive, and the other is a start-up founder with the entire family; the disparity in position between the two is the difference between the Star Monarch Taoist Lord and those other Taoist paths that have been inherited for tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of years.

Precisely for this reason, there came the 'investment' from the Three Great Sacred Lands, and the 'thousand-year support plan' promised by the Celestial Saint Palace.

Chen Zhixing could have had a better future!

Today, True Monarch Yimiao came to recruit Chen Zhixing, almost plainly telling him that going to her place to be a pet or backup food would be far more promising than continuing as this so-called Star Monarch Taoist Lord!

But ultimately, Chen Zhixing turned her down.

Thinking of this, Chen Zhixing bowed to True Monarch Yimiao, whether it was for his family's ancestor or simply his own compliance, no matter what, True Monarch Yimiao showed goodwill and was willing to offer a helping hand.

This kindness, Chen Zhixing acknowledged.

"I apologize; perhaps it's because I come from a Noble Family that I'm already accustomed to this kind of collective life, but I have disappointed the senior's kind intentions."

"Well, it's fine if you don't want to."

Pleased and patting her belly, True Monarch Yimiao stood up and inspected Chen Zhixing again.

Her eyes showed a hint of disdain: "Originally, heading south, I thought I'd meet someone interesting, but it turned out to be a blockhead like you."

"Uh..."

"What a letdown, truly a letdown, you're just no fun at all, alas, I take back my offer, I don't want you as my little follower anymore."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.