Born with immortal seed

Chapter 123 Self-certification
“Junior Brother Luo, please be careful with your words… I have met Junior Brother Bai a few times, and I know his character very well; he is by no means a coward.”

Pei Dongyong stood up. As a veteran Foundation Establishment stage elder, his words carried some weight.

"They probably encountered some trouble on their way here, so it's normal for it to be delayed by a day or two."

Pei Dongyong knew very well that Luo Qiuzhen had not mentioned it casually, but had been preparing to launch an attack for some time.

The elders who echoed the criticism in the arena were either out of jealousy or were from the Fu Dian faction.

Bai Zichen's rise has been too rapid; he is young, has a good temperament, and his future is limitless.

There will always be people with ulterior motives who want to make him stumble.

In addition, his relatively close ties with the Law Enforcement Hall faction aroused suspicion on the other side.

"You can know a person's face but not their heart. Senior Brother Pei, what you see is only the surface. Who knows what a person is like inside?"

Ma Ming interjected, speaking in a sinister tone.

“Senior Brother Hall Master, this is a crucial moment in the pioneering war. If any elder deserts in the face of battle, the consequences will be extremely dire… Our Enforcement Hall must investigate thoroughly to set an example for others. I am willing to take on this responsibility and will submit an investigation report within three days.”

Senior Brother Zhang was so angry that his beard trembled. He pointed at Ma Ming and said, "Junior Brother Ma, what nonsense are you spouting? Sit down now!"

Several elders of the Talisman Hall revealed meaningful smiles upon seeing that an elder of the Law Enforcement Hall had defected.

"The Enforcement Hall operates according to its own rules and regulations."

Liang Yu raised his head, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping over everyone in the room, but he didn't look at Ma Ming.

"To speculate about a fellow disciple's thoughts without any evidence or proof, based solely on a one-day delay, is not in the style of our Enforcement Hall. If Junior Brother Bai has not arrived after this battle and has no convincing reason, he will be dealt with according to the law."

Liang Yu was fully aware that Luo Qiuzhen's attack was partly aimed at him.

No matter the reason, we should not back down easily.

Moreover, Bai Zichen was a promising junior whom he had been considering recommending to Patriarch Yang after the war of pioneering the wilderness.

"Senior Brother Liang's suggestion may not be feasible... The general attack on Monkey Mountain is in three days. What will the cultivation families and independent cultivators think if word gets out?"

Luo Qiuzhen thought of his disciple, on whom he had placed high hopes, who was currently in seclusion attempting to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, and decided to add fuel to the fire.

Core Formation resources are precious, and whichever of the two patriarchs is willing to support, the sect's resources will naturally be significantly tilted towards them.

Given the resources of the Qingfeng Sect, focusing on cultivating more than three young elders at the same time would not achieve the best results, as the chances of all those being cultivated reaching the Core Formation stage would be greatly reduced.

If one person can be squeezed out, Zuli will have a better chance of survival in the future.

"Elders, Uncle Bai has arrived outside the camp."

A deacon's report from outside the door interrupted the discussion.

"He's just arrived. Bring him in immediately for questioning."

Luo Qiuzhen's eyes lit up, and he immediately made the decision.

Pei Dongyong glanced at her worriedly, hoping that Liang Yu wouldn't be affected.

But since Bai Zichen has come, it's only a one-day delay, which isn't a big mistake.

The explanation of being afraid of war and fleeing is obviously illogical.

"Greetings, fellow disciples. I am late and apologize to you all."

As Bai Zichen walked into the camp, he felt the scrutinizing gazes directed at him and realized that he had become the center of attention.

"Junior Brother Bai, I have a question for you. You said you would arrive at Monkey Mountain in five days, so why are you more than a day late?"

Since the Enforcement Hall showed no intention of speaking, Luo Qiuzhen personally stepped forward to ask questions.

"I ran into a second-tier demonic beast on my way here, which is why I was delayed. I rushed as fast as I could, but luckily I arrived before the final attack and didn't miss anything important."

Bai Zichen blinked. What was this? He was being questioned in court.

As far as I can remember, I have never had any dealings with the Talisman Palace, and there is no reason for us to become enemies.

Could it be that he got himself involved in the power struggle with the Enforcement Hall?
"When Senior Brother Gu assigned us the task that day, you made excuses and refused to come. Later, you made up an excuse that you wanted to practice a technique and didn't come with us on the Wind-Riding Shuttle."

Lan Hong stood up abruptly, her face frosty, and spoke with great emotion.

"And now you've run into monsters again? What a coincidence! I think you're just cowardly and afraid to participate in the pioneering war."

"After hiding for a few days, fearing punishment from the sect's rules, he reluctantly went to Monkey Mountain!"

These words surprisingly received the approval of several elders with ulterior motives.

"Junior Sister Lan's analysis makes sense; the truth is very likely to be so."

"After all, they are young people. They only cultivate in the sect and rarely have the opportunity to fight to the death with monsters. It's understandable that they would lose their composure when they suddenly encounter a large-scale battle like the pioneering war."

"Junior Sister Lan reached Foundation Establishment later than him, so why isn't she afraid? Yesterday, she and I chased away a second-tier white ape and saved the lives of several cultivators from the Liu family..."

"We sword cultivators are unparalleled in our fierceness and unyielding nature... Otherwise, I'm afraid even after decades of sword practice, we would never be able to make any breakthroughs in the way of the sword."

Luo Guangwu kept a straight face, adopting the demeanor of an arrogant sword cultivator.

Are these people out of their minds?

Bai Zichen couldn't understand why they would make such a big deal out of him just because he was a day late.

What's even funnier is that this Senior Brother Luo is posing as a kendo master to lecture me.

But seeing Pei Dongyong's concerned eyes and the hint of worry in Liang Yu Palace Master Yue Zhiyuan's expression, he realized that he had been drawn into the vortex.

"Whether it collided with a demonic beast or not can be determined with an examination... This Golden-Winged Thunder Roc could have been dead for no more than ten hours. You may proceed to examine the wounds."

Bai Zichen opened a storage bag, and the monster materials inside spilled all over the ground.

It was all parts of the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc's body, and the strong smell of blood instantly filled the entire hall.

"Is it really the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc?"

"Nonsense, can't you see those obvious golden feathers? The only second-tier flying monster you're likely to run into around here is the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc."

"So it turned out we ran into the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc. A delay of a few days is normal. Everyone knows that beast has an astonishing flying speed and is extremely troublesome!"

"Old Huang, with your skills, you're no match for the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc. You're a few days late... Our Junior Brother Bai single-handedly slew it. I wonder if any of those fierce and fearless fellow disciples have ever killed a second-tier flying demon beast on their own?"

Senior Brother Zhang's old face beamed with joy as he teased the few who had been jumping the loudest earlier.

"How can this be?"

Lan Hong was stunned on the spot, and her face turned pale instantly.

Luo Guangwu's face twitched twice, and he put down the golden longsword he was holding, forcing an ugly smile.

After he established his foundation, he killed many second-tier demonic beasts over the course of forty years, making him quite experienced in actual combat.

But he mostly works with others, and rarely acts alone.

Beasts of the same level often have an advantage over cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage due to their powerful physique.

Moreover, being alone deep in the Black Mountain is too risky. If one were to fall into a horde of monsters, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator could perish.

Moreover, Luo Guangwu didn't even have the thought of going after the notoriously troublesome Golden-Winged Thunder Roc.

Pei Dongyong took two steps forward, picked up a piece of monster meat, sniffed it, and said, "It just died not long ago, the monster meat is still warm, and the spiritual energy has not dissipated."

"If anyone doesn't believe it, they can come up and check it for themselves."

While Pei Dongyong was speaking, his gaze was constantly fixed on Luo Qiuzhen's direction.

"Haha, Junior Brother Bai is indeed skilled... He can even kill the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc. In a few years, we old guys will all have to retire and make way for the new generation!"

Luo Qiuzhen truly deserves his status as a palace master; his ability to remain unperturbed by insults is truly admirable.

"Alright, since Junior Brother Bai's lateness was for a reason and not to avoid the battle, let's not bring this up again."

Liang Yu's resounding words silenced the discussion in the audience.

“Junior Brother Bai, I didn’t assign you any tasks before... but with your strength, ordinary second-tier apes are no match for you. Just do as you please and lend a hand wherever there is a crisis.”

"These demon beast materials lose their spiritual power if left for too long... If you don't need them, you can ask Junior Brother Zhang for help. The sect is currently buying them back in large quantities."

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother Liang."

Bai Zichen was having a headache about what to do with the monster materials he had, so he was naturally eager to have this channel to sell them.

The elders left the hall one by one, as they were about to relay the details of the battle three days later to the cultivators in their respective areas.

But almost everyone said goodbye to Bai Zichen before leaving, leaving an impression.

If Bai Zichen had previously left an impression on his fellow disciples that his cultivation progress was remarkable and that he had a bright future, then...

Now, there's another label added: outstanding combat power and unparalleled fighting skills.

"Junior Sister Lan, don't overthink it. Nobody's perfect, and everyone makes mistakes."

Long Long held Lan Hong's hand and comforted his junior sister.

Both women were tall and slender, with wasp waists, long legs, and curvaceous figures.

The two walked side by side, creating a beautiful scene.

Lan Hong has ordinary features and average looks, but her temperament is aloof and outstanding.

In contrast, Long Longyan's face was fair and flawless, her high nose bridge had a slightly sharp curve, and her thin lips added to her cold and stunning beauty.

Among the female cultivators of Qingfeng Sect, Long Long is a renowned beauty.

She was even known as the Ice Queen in several nearby counties.

"But you need to change your temperament. Being so impatient will cause you great trouble in the future... Junior Brother Bai has a bright future ahead of him. Don't let yourself be swayed by a few words and foolishly rush ahead."

Long Long was only a few years older than Lan Hong, and the two had been true disciples together for a period of time.

Among that generation of true disciples, there were only two female disciples, and their relationship was fairly good.

However, Longlong successfully established his foundation in one fell swoop, while Lanhong failed to overcome the insurmountable barrier and has been mired in decline for many years.

It wasn't until recent years, through his connection with Gu Xisheng, that he managed to gather enough sect contributions again and successfully attempt Foundation Establishment for the second time.

"We're all at the early Foundation Establishment stage, I just don't believe Bai Zichen has three heads and six arms, how powerful could he be..."

Lan Hongfen's face was contorted with anger, her expression filled with resentment.

"Once the war of reclamation ends, with his overall planning and logistical support, Senior Brother Gu will undoubtedly be promoted from a mere hall to a palace. At that time, he will be just an ordinary elder..."

"Silence! What nonsense are you spouting? Don't talk rubbish here."

Long Long's eyes turned cold, and she released her grip, creating distance between them.

"I'll pretend I never heard this. Junior sister, please be more clear-headed... lest others overhear and harm both of you."

Long Long decided in her heart that she would stay away from Lan Hong from now on.

Back when she was in the master's school, I didn't realize her personality was so terrible.

(End of this chapter)