I only want immortality.

"Li Pinghe is hereby appointed as a guest elder of this sect, receiving a thousand strands of spiritual energy, hundreds of elixirs, a Western Palace, and two hundred servants..."

Inside the council chamber, voices rang out.

The chaos of not long ago seems like a dream, and everyone tacitly avoids mentioning it, except for a few who have never forgotten it.

But with the return of this elder of the sect, even if he only held the title of guest elder, the cultivators sitting in the council hall seemed to have calmed down and were no longer as hostile as before.

Zhao Yuanxiao stood below the steps and respectfully said:

"After the old sect leader was attacked, we immediately wrote to the other five families. Now, only the Yang family has taken the initiative to mention that they want to come and pay their respects. However, when it comes to the old sect leader being invited, they vehemently deny it."

The voice fell silent, but there was no reply.

Zhao Yuanxiao couldn't help but look up at Li Pinghe, who was sitting below Murong Xian, but all he saw was a face with his eyes closed, as if he were resting.

Left with no other choice, he could only look at Murong Xian and say in a deep voice:

"Even when the old sect leader returned that day, it could not be confirmed that the one who ambushed him was a member of the Yang family. Yang Xingkong also stated that he was prepared to come in person to mourn the old sect leader. In my opinion, the old sect leader's attack may have been orchestrated by someone else."

"Activating the Solid Mountain Formation rashly before clarifying the origins and identities of these people would not only waste morale and resources, but also expose our unease to those hiding in the shadows. A prolonged defense would inevitably lead to our defeat, making this a poor strategy."

Murong Xian glanced at Li Pinghe, who was sitting beside her without saying a word. The anger she felt from being offended earlier had subsided. She quickly went through Zhao Yuanxiao's words in her mind and had to admit that the other party's considerations were more mature and thoughtful.

After a moment's hesitation, he spoke:

"Then... what suggestions does Elder Zhao have?"

Without hesitation, Zhao Yuanxiao said:

"Be outwardly relaxed but inwardly vigilant. There's no need to make a fuss. At the same time, we should intensify the training of our disciples in combat formations. Regardless of whether they are from the Yang family or not, if their target is truly our Chun Jun Sect, they wouldn't dare to attack us directly. They must be wary of us, so they only dare to resort to these underhanded tactics."

"As long as we don't lose our composure, we have nothing to fear from these people."

"good!"

Murong Xian glanced at Li Pinghe again, and seeing that the other party was still resting with his eyes closed and had not made any move, he nodded: "Then we will do as Elder Zhao says."

Zhao Yuanxiao nodded in agreement, and then said:

"There's one more thing. Yang Xingkong will come to pay his respects in a few days..."

"Elder Zhao can decide this matter himself."

Murong said with envy.

After the two most important matters were discussed, the atmosphere in the council hall became much more relaxed. Perhaps it was because Li Pinghe, the only remaining elder, was present, that the second-generation disciples, led by Zhao Yuanxiao, dared not act presumptuously and gave Murong Xian ample face.

Murong Xian was in a great mood.

This was probably the happiest day he had had since taking over as sect leader.

After the meeting ended and everyone dispersed, only Murong Xian and Li Pinghe remained in the council hall.

Murong Xian suddenly stood up from his seat and bowed deeply to Li Pinghe:

"Thank you so much, Grandmaster Uncle, for standing up for your disciple!"

Li Pinghe, who seemed to have fallen asleep in his seat, slowly opened his eyelids. He didn't speak, but just quietly looked at this junior sect leader. Although he didn't make any move, he made Murong Xian feel a lot of pressure.

Just as he was about to reach his limit, Li Pinghe slowly stood up, moved aside to make way, and then slowly spoke:

"Sect Master, you flatter us. Zhao Yuanxiao and Bai Butong were born and raised here. No one is more loyal to Chun Jun Sect than them. If you wish to win their hearts, simply prioritize Chun Jun Sect, and their hearts will naturally be won over."

Murong Xian sat down and frowned, saying:

"But wasn't my decision to activate the Solid Mountain Formation also for the sake of the Chun Jun Sect? Why are they so opposed? If it weren't for my Grandmaster's return today, they might have actually dared to depose the emperor!"

"Is the sect leader truly acting for the sake of the Chun Jun Sect?"

Li Pinghe slowly countered with a question.

"Of course..."

Murong Xian was about to retort, but then he froze.

He was not a dull person. He had been trapped in his emotions before, but now that he had calmed down, he naturally understood what Li Pinghe meant.

If he truly cared about Chun Jun Sect, he wouldn't have been so stubborn in the first place. Instead, he would have considered the thoughts and suggestions of Zhao Yuanxiao and others, and naturally, the two sides wouldn't have ended up in a confrontation.

"But as the sect leader, they should obey me..."

He didn't say it aloud; it just flashed through his mind.

"I was focused on cultivation before and was inept at worldly affairs. Now I have been entrusted with a critical mission, but I do not understand the principles involved and almost messed up the important matter. Please teach me, my grandmaster."

Li Pinghe smiled:

"I have already told the sect leader that as the head of a sect, one does not need to do everything personally. One only needs to know people well and appoint them accordingly, and follow good advice. At that time, people will naturally follow one's lead."

Murong Xian frowned, somewhat dissatisfied with the answer. He probed further:

"This method will take time. If I establish my foundation, will they...?"

Li Pinghe looked at him, then suddenly asked:

"Is the sect leader well-versed in the 'Biography of the Last Emperor' chapter of the 'Chronicles of Great Powers: Book of Great Xia'?"

"The Great Power Chronicle"?

Murong Xian frowned, uncertainly saying, "I think I've read about it before. It seems to describe the last emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty attacking various factions..."

"Exactly."

Li Pinghe said leisurely, "The Great Xia Dynasty values ​​martial arts. In the past, the last emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty could be described as a reincarnation of a martial immortal. He was invincible in supernatural powers and compared himself to a celestial lord, calling himself 'Emperor Jiang Tian'."

He surveyed the thirteen provinces of the realm in a single day and saw that few sects or factions respected his commands. Enraged, he disregarded the advice of his ministers and mobilized his entire army to conquer the various factions.

He paused, then said:

"He was defeated and killed the following year, and his body was dismembered by various factions, and it is said that the remains have been passed down to this day."

"Clearly invincible under heaven, possessing immense power, yet he has fallen to such an end. Does the sect leader know why?"

Murong Xian fell silent. He had only learned some things when he was young and in his early education, but he had never seriously thought about the reasons behind them. At this moment, his mouth was dry and he vaguely felt that something was overturning his past beliefs.

Li Pinghe didn't keep them in suspense and calmly said:

"For human strength has its limits; if one tries to win the hearts of all people with the heart of one person, then all people will become one's enemy!"

"If the whole world is our enemy, and human strength is exhausted, then defeat is inevitable."

"Whether you are a Dao Foundation cultivator or a Golden Core Saint, as long as you cannot escape this world, you must abide by this principle."

"Otherwise, sects, families, dynasties, and counties would no longer be necessary."

As soon as he finished speaking, Murong Xian was shocked and remained silent for a moment.

After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice hoarse:

"So, does Grandmaster mean that whether this foundation is established or not makes no difference?"

"Of course not."

Li Pinghe shook his head and said, "An additional Dao Foundation is like an additional powerful army in the country, and other countries will naturally be more wary of it."

"For a cultivator himself, if he achieves the foundation of the Dao, his lifespan will reach two hundred years, and his abilities will be extraordinary. How can one say he is different?"

Upon hearing this, Murong Xian's dim eyes finally lit up a little. He then seemed to remember something and took the initiative to ask, "Hall Master Chen mentioned to me that you, Grandmaster Uncle, need items related to the Dao Foundation?"

He said shyly, "By chance, I accidentally took a Dao-seeking Mystery Pill passed down from a previous generation of cultivators, so I cannot pass it on to my grandmaster. However, along with that precious pill, I also left behind a wonderful method for achieving the Dao foundation."

This method is called: "The Path of the Human Immortal".