Chapter 880: Old Taoist

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**Body**

Here, Fang Ting was still nowhere to be seen.

The avatar’s expression remained normal as he followed the group, step by step, towards the peak.

Before long, they emerged from the forest and arrived in front of a grand hall.

The middle-aged cultivator stepped forward and announced in a clear voice, “Reporting to Master, disciple was ordered to conduct the disciple-acceptance ceremony and select new disciples. The selection is complete, and they have been brought up the mountain. Please inspect them, Master.”

“Come in…”

The hall doors opened on their own, and a familiar voice echoed from within.

“Junior Uncle Chen?”

The middle-aged cultivator quickly entered the hall and found two people inside: Junior Uncle Chen and the young girl, Fang Ting, whom he had brought in earlier. He couldn't help but ask in surprise, “Master, he…”

The cultivator surnamed Chen calmly stated, “Senior Brother Pavilion Master coincidentally had a sudden inspiration and gained insight into a cultivation method, so he has gone into seclusion. The remaining matters will be arranged by this old man. Do you have any objections?”

“This disciple would not dare!”

The middle-aged cultivator’s expression shifted slightly, and he quickly stepped forward to present a jade slip. “Junior Uncle Chen, this jade slip contains the information of these new disciples.”

The cultivator surnamed Chen grunted in acknowledgment, took the jade slip, and surveyed the group.

Being stared at by a Golden Core cultivator made everyone’s expressions unnatural, and they felt a sense of worry in their hearts.

When they entered, Fang Ting saw the avatar and greeted him happily.

The avatar secretly sighed internally, fixing his gaze on his nose and his heart.

He hadn’t expected that the person who would ultimately decide their fate was this one. He only hoped that he would handle things impartially.

“The Lan Dou Sect just selected a batch of disciples, so to have so many this time is quite good. You have all been diligent,” the cultivator surnamed Chen nodded to the four, offering a word of praise.

The four cultivators looked pleased.

Then, the cultivator surnamed Chen shifted his gaze, raising a finger to point at the young boy with the three-element spiritual root. “You! Step forward!”

The boy was startled, his face turning pale, his legs trembling, and his body shaking slightly.

“Am I that terrifying?”

The cultivator surnamed Chen found his reaction distasteful and frowned deeply. “No wonder you were rated as having inferior temperament. Just as you suggested, send him to the Cauldron Forging Hall for three years of tempering to observe the future effect!”

With that, the cultivator surnamed Chen tossed a red token to the boy, telling him to wait aside.

Next, the cultivator surnamed Chen pointed out several more people. Some were asked a few questions, while others were given a token directly without any questions.

The questions were wide-ranging and unpredictable, sometimes about their background or experiences, sometimes about their understanding of cultivation, leaving them unprepared.

The tokens varied in color, representing different halls within the Misty Cloud Pavilion.

As the cultivator surnamed Chen pointed out each new disciple one by one, the avatar's heart sank deeper.

Finally, only two people remained: him and the oldest man.

“This old fellow isn't actually going to target me, is he?”

The avatar muttered to himself. It would be truly frustrating if his infiltration plan failed due to such a minor accident.

“You are Zhao Songqiao? Come here.”

The cultivator surnamed Chen called out the old man, leaving only the avatar.

Fang Ting sensed something was amiss and became as silent as a cicada, not daring to utter a word. The others were not foolish either; they had long noticed some clues and began to watch the unfolding drama with interest.

“With your cultivation, it is truly not easy to temper such a temperament. It’s not entirely hopeless for you to reach Foundation Establishment.”

The cultivator surnamed Chen was very amiable towards Zhao Songqiao. “Go to the Snow Shadow Hall first. The hall master is my disciple; he will guide you to change to a core cultivation method and see if there is an opportunity.”

“This disciple obeys!”

Zhao Songqiao took the snow-white token, his face filled with excitement.

Finally, it was the avatar’s turn. The cultivator surnamed Chen pointed at him, just about to speak, when his expression suddenly changed, and he abruptly looked outside the hall.

The others were puzzled and looked outside, but only saw a vast expanse of water mist.

“Why did this old fellow come?”

The cultivator surnamed Chen frowned, showing surprise, and muttered a low grunt. Then, with a flick of his sleeve, he shot a blue light arrow outwards.

The light arrow swiftly flew out of the mountain peak. After traveling a distance, it exploded, and a ripple appeared out of thin air in the void. Then, two figures slowly emerged.

These two were dressed in black and white robes adorned with Yin-Yang patterns.

One of them was a lean old man, holding a whisk, possessing an immortal aura and an extraordinary demeanor. The other was short in stature, standing behind the old man, like a Daoist attendant.

After they appeared, their figures paused slightly, then immediately flew towards the hall.

“Brother Chen, this humble Daoist has come uninvited. I hope you will not mind.”

The old Daoist bowed and scanned the surroundings, asking in surprise, “Why don’t I see Fellow Daoist Qi?”

“If Fellow Daoist Huayang is looking for Senior Brother Pavilion Master, you might be disappointed. Senior Brother Pavilion Master has other matters and is not in the pavilion,” the cultivator surnamed Chen returned the bow, his tone subtly cold. “If Fellow Daoist has any important matters, I will report them on your behalf after Senior Brother returns.”

“I heard your esteemed pavilion is holding a disciple-acceptance ceremony today. Are these the newly inducted disciples? Is there anything more important than the sect’s continuation of its legacy? Could it be that Fellow Daoist Qi has comprehended a breakthrough opportunity and is preparing to form his Nascent Soul?”

The old Daoist seemed oblivious to the dismissal in the cultivator surnamed Chen’s tone. He strode over, his gaze sweeping over each new disciple, his eyes looking somewhat strange.

Everyone felt uncomfortable under his scrutiny, but seeing that even a Golden Core cultivator from the Misty Cloud Pavilion treated this person with deference, no one dared to say anything.

The avatar was secretly surprised.

Although he hadn’t seen this old Daoist before, upon seeing his peculiar Daoist robe, he easily recognized his origin. This person was a cultivator from the Lan Dou Sect, and moreover, belonged to a lineage practicing one of their true inheritances, the *Secret Art of Yin-Yang Heaven Scuffle*.

The Misty Cloud Pavilion and the Lan Dou Sect indeed had a close relationship.

He had just entered the sect and was already meeting a true disciple of the Lan Dou Sect.

He just didn’t know why the cultivator surnamed Chen was so cold towards the old Daoist. As a new entrant, the avatar couldn't guess the inside story.

Unbeknownst to them, Qin Sang’s true body was standing on a hillside by the lake at this moment, looking at the Misty Cloud Pavilion, which was enveloped in water mist, a thoughtful expression on his face.

He was concealed in the shadows, intending to temporarily leave and wander around Lan Dou Mountain for a while after confirming the avatar’s safety, to see if he could befriend some people and coordinate with the avatar, one from the inside and one from the outside.

Just now, he suddenly felt a ripple and saw a streak of light flying from a distance, disappearing into the water mist.

Qin Sang couldn’t clearly see the old Daoist’s true face, but this black and white streak of light was unique on Lan Dou Island. He suspected it was very likely a true disciple of the Lan Dou Sect personally arriving.

The direction from which the light flew was exactly where the Lan Dou Sect was located.

“Why would a Lan Dou Sect disciple come over at this time? I’ll wait and see; perhaps I can find a way to contact him…”

Qin Sang murmured, pondered for a moment, then went back to conceal himself.

Inside the Misty Cloud Pavilion’s main hall.

Hearing the old Daoist’s words, the cultivator surnamed Chen suppressed his displeasure and said calmly, “Fellow Daoist Huayang, do not joke about Senior Brother Pavilion Master. Senior Brother Pavilion Master’s cultivation has not reached its peak, and he is still some distance from forming his Nascent Soul. Besides, forming a Nascent Soul is not that easy, is it? How much effect can one or two insights have? How can the Nascent Soul Dao Fruit be achieved just by saying so?”

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