I only want immortality.

"Bang!"

"Elder Bai, I ask you this: why can't the Solid Mountain Formation be activated?!"

Chun Jun Gate, Council Hall.

The heavy slamming of the table, accompanied by angry questioning, made the two young cultivators guarding the door tremble with fear.

Inside the council chamber, however, came the unhurried voice of a middle-aged man:

"Young Master, you may not know that this Mountain-Stabilizing Formation is our sect's main protective formation. After being improved by our predecessors, its power has increased many times over. However, once activated, it is extremely costly. Therefore, it should not be used lightly unless absolutely necessary. When the old sect master was in power, he only used it three times in more than twenty years..."

"Bang!!!"

The sound of slamming the table interrupted Elder Bai's statement, accompanied by the rising volume of his earlier anger, now reaching its peak, each word uttered with a burning intensity, as if a flame were burning in his throat:

"Elder Bai, I only ask you this: if the old sect leader could activate the Solid Mountain Formation, why can't I? Am I not capable of making this decision?"

"this……"

Elder Bai was momentarily speechless.

But at that moment, another voice in the council chamber took over, replying calmly and unhurriedly:

"Young Master, please understand that activating the Solid Mountain Formation is a major undertaking, involving considerable resources. Elder Bai, who oversees the sect's treasury, is also concerned that activating the formation might deplete the sect's reserves, potentially hindering the disciples' cultivation. This could lead to unrest among the disciples, who, unaware of the situation, would only blame the Young Master. Wouldn't that be undesirable?"

Elder Zhao.

The young sect leader's voice softened, seemingly tinged with apprehension, before he tried to remain calm and composed:

"You should all know about what happened to the old sect leader. Those people deliberately ambushed him, and they certainly won't be satisfied with that. The next step will most likely be our Chun Jun Sect. The enemy is in the dark while we are in the light. The activation of the Solid Mountain Formation really can't be delayed any longer."

Elder Zhao sighed:

"Young Master's concern for the sect is surely comforting to the old sect master if he could know this in the afterlife... However, Young Master still lacks experience. While activating the Mountain-Stabilizing Formation can indeed keep enemies outside the sect gates, it consumes a great deal of resources. How long can it last? What if those Tribulation Cultivators stand guard outside and exhaust our sect's reserves?"

"this……"

The young sect leader's tone changed, and he became hesitant.

But then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he resolutely declared:

"What if I insist on opening it?"

The council hall was silent for a few moments, then Elder Zhao's helpless, bitter laugh rang out:

"Young Sect Master, sect matters are not child's play, and the sect does not belong to you alone. If you insist on doing this..."

The voice quietly turned cold:

"Then we... have no choice but to go against the old sect leader's wishes and reconsider the suitable candidate for the sect leader position!"

"Zhao Yuanxiao!"

"Arrogant!"

A series of clanging and banging sounds filled the council hall. The young sect leader's angry shouts, the crowd's shouts, the sound of breaking porcelain, and the low hum of magical artifacts all blended together, creating chaos.

At the head of the council chamber.

Murong Xian, who looked to be in his early twenties, had a livid face, and his slender fingers were white from clenching his fists.

He stared intently at Zhao Yuanxiao below, who remained calm and composed, slowly bowing to him.

The chaos inside the council chamber seemed to fade into the background at this moment.

This was solely to highlight the two figures, one sitting and one bowing.

The air around them seemed to freeze; those nearby could already feel the undisguised tension between the two, and some quietly gathered their strength...

"Why aren't you fighting?"

A child's voice suddenly burst in.

"Um?"

"Who goes there!"

The crowd, whether surprised or angry, couldn't help but look in the direction of the sound.

But then a boy, about eight or nine years old, with pigtails, appeared on the back of a black water buffalo, smiling broadly, in front of the council hall.

"When did this boy appear? I didn't even notice him."

Zhao Yuanxiao's gaze sharpened slightly, a sense of unease creeping into his heart, but he spoke without hesitation, shouting:

"Who are you? How dare you trespass into the important meeting place of my Chun Jun Sect!"

Murong Xian remained silent, sitting high in the sect leader's seat, his eyes flashing.

The boy, however, said with a grin:

"You're so fierce..."

Suddenly, he turned around and shouted into the distance behind him, "Teacher, can I hit him?"

As she spoke, a light blue bracelet suddenly popped out of her sleeve and spun around.

"Playing tricks!"

Zhao Yuanxiao's expression hardened, and he snorted coldly. He immediately summoned a crescent-shaped blade wheel from under his robe. Its cold light was like a deep blue, flowing endlessly and fluctuating. It rapidly turned white from its center, and the surrounding void seemed to freeze!

Those around him instinctively took a few steps back, and Murong Xian, sitting in the sect leader's seat, couldn't help but deepen his gaze.

Since the passing of the old sect leader, the older generation has completely retired. Among the second-generation cultivators of Chun Jun Sect, Zhao Yuanxiao is considered the best, having reached the tenth level of Qi Refining perfection.

His magical powers were immense, and his fighting skills were superb.

He was also the one who least respected him as the young sect leader.

Before he had established his foundation, he didn't dare to directly confront its power, but now he had the idea of ​​trying to see how deep it was.

What made him even more wary was that this boy seemed to possess extraordinary strength, but he wondered who his teacher was and what purpose he had come here.

These thoughts flashed through my mind quickly.

But his idea was destined to fail.

The sound of something cutting through the air rushed in from afar, and in an instant, a familiar figure descended, blocking the boy's path, and said urgently:

"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding!"

"Chen Xu?"

"Junior Brother Chen?"

"Master Chen?"

Upon seeing the newcomers, Murong Xian, Zhao Yuanxiao, and the others were all taken aback.

"Young Sect Master, Senior Brother Zhao."

Chen Xu landed, quickly clasped his hands in greeting, and introduced the boy:

"This is Junior Brother Jin Guang, a direct disciple of our Third Senior Uncle."

He then introduced Jin Guang, saying, "Junior brother, this is Senior Brother Zhao, and this is the young sect leader."

"Junior brother? Third senior uncle?"

Zhao Yuanxiao's expression changed, from surprise and astonishment to delight:

"Third Uncle-Master, is he... is he still alive?"

Murong Xian's spirits lifted, and his gaze towards Chen Xu filled with anticipation. He eagerly asked, "Where is my Grandmaster Uncle?"

"Exactly." Chen Xu nodded quickly, but he seemed somewhat helpless about Murong Xian's question:

"My third senior uncle... he said he couldn't bear to see his juniors killing each other, so he went to the old sect leader first to scold him... and offered incense."

Upon hearing this, the large council hall fell into complete silence.

The crescent-shaped blade wheel slowly fell silent, and the light in Zhao Yuanxiao's eyes dimmed slightly, but it quickly regained its resolve.

He glanced at Murong Xian and said in a low voice:

"Now that my Third Martial Uncle has returned, as a junior, I should go and pay my respects. Would the Young Sect Master be willing to accompany me?"

Murong Xian's expression shifted between light and dark.

He knew that this senior master was highly respected, and his grandfather had repeatedly instructed him before his death to invite him down the mountain to assist him in order to win over the people. However, he never expected that this senior master would not even show his face or say a word, yet he made someone as proud and arrogant as Zhao Yuanxiao willing to submit.

Would such a person really be willing to assist a younger generation like him?