Chapter 898: Yuanchen Talisman

The Mortal Realm

Dou Niu Peak!

Qin Sang’s heart tightened upon hearing this, and he stared intently at the three individuals.

He never expected that coming to Dong Ming Island for the ceremony would lead him directly to the main party!

It sounded like the Dou Niu Peak lineage and the Lan Dou Sect had some deep-seated grievances, so much so that they couldn't even return to Lan Dou Island. Was this why the Lan Dou Sect was so secretive about the Dou Niu Peak lineage, making it impossible for his avatar to find any information?

Thoughts swirled in Qin Sang’s mind, but his face remained impassive.

Standing beside the burly man was a slender man whose cultivation level was comparable to his.

The young man was behind them, his head slightly bowed, maintaining a very low profile.

Qin Sang’s gaze swept over the three cultivators from Dou Niu Peak, and a hint of suspicion flickered in his eyes. For some reason, the young man gave him a faint sense of familiarity, though he had clearly never met him before.

Of course, Qin Sang didn't stare at him, suspecting it might be a mere illusion.

Core Formation stage cultivators have very keen spiritual senses.

Qin Sang stood in an inconspicuous spot behind the crowd, determined to find an opportunity to approach these three later, so he wouldn't make any gestures that might be misunderstood.

Elder Lu coldly said, "Things? What things? The Lan Dou Sect never owed anything to your Dou Niu Peak!"

The burly man's gaze darkened. "Junior Brother Lu, don't pretend to be ignorant when you know full well. That item was originally discovered by our ancestor. When did it become yours? You don't want me to reveal all your secrets in front of everyone, do you?"

"You..."

Elder Lu's expression changed.

Cultivators from other sects began to look at each other, startled and uncertain.

What was this 'thing' he spoke of? Was it related to some unspeakable secret?

The burly man ignored Elder Lu's anger, scanned the surroundings, and then, changing his tone, calmly said, "Junior Brother Lu, since we are fellow disciples meeting, shouldn't you invite us in for a drink, rather than leaving us out here in this wilderness?"

Elder Lu's face flickered between dark and light, finally letting out a cold snort and turning to fly towards the Bamboo Pavilion.

The burly man chuckled, moved through the crowd, and swaggered in after him.

Old Daoist Huayang and the other Lan Dou Sect cultivators had extremely grim expressions and complex gazes. The others, with varied looks, were intensely curious about the day's events.

Everyone quickly moved to follow, and Qin Sang was no exception.

Unexpectedly, after entering Dong Ming Island, Elder Lu paused slightly in front of the Bamboo Pavilion, turned around, cupped his hands, and said, "Today's matter is a private affair of our Lan Dou Sect, and it would be inconvenient to invite everyone inside. Please understand, fellow Daoists."

With that, Elder Lu activated the Bamboo Pavilion's restriction, his figure flashing as he entered. Old Daoist Huayang and the others followed closely.

The Lan Dou Sect had brought a total of five Core Formation stage cultivators this time; the other three's cultivation was slightly weaker than Old Daoist Huayang's.

They could easily overpower the burly man and his two companions.

But the burly man snorted coldly and followed them into the Bamboo Pavilion without hesitation.

Then, with a flash of green light, the restriction completely enveloped the Bamboo Pavilion, and no sound could be heard from within.

Everyone was cut off outside, unable to uncover the Lan Dou Sect's secrets, and all were deeply disappointed.

Qin Sang was no different. He pondered whether he should recall his avatar now that it was confirmed Dou Niu Peak had fallen out with the Lan Dou Sect and was no longer on Lan Dou Island.

Staying with the Lan Dou Sect would likely yield little information and might even put him in danger.

It would be safer to personally make contact with the Dou Niu Peak cultivators.

However, the behavior of these three seemed to indicate they would not be easy to befriend.

"What is this Dou Niu Peak? How come I, Qi, have never heard that the Lan Dou Sect has a Dou Niu Peak lineage, and it seems to be at odds with Elder Lu? Fellow Daoist Hu, I saw just now that you seemed to know something; could you enlighten me?"

The crowd stood outside the Bamboo Pavilion, unable to enter, but also unwilling to leave just yet. They decided to go to a nearby bamboo platform to wait for the outcome.

The cultivator surnamed Qi couldn't hold back and asked someone next to him.

The cultivator surnamed Hu gently shook his head. "I, Hu, only know a little. I once heard my master mention that besides the Five Elements lineage and the Yin-Yang lineage, the Lan Dou Sect also had a very mysterious lineage. But my master didn't know the origin of Dou Niu Peak or what kind of true teachings they cultivated. Do any other fellow Daoists have more information?"

The cultivator surnamed Hu looked around.

Some shook their heads.

Others chimed in, saying, "I don't know much either. The Lan Dou Sect never publicly announced a Dou Niu Peak lineage, so it's normal that you, Fellow Daoist Qi, wouldn't know, since you aren't often on the island..."

The crowd discussed animatedly, and various rumors began to merge.

Even sects closely related to the Lan Dou Sect, like Yan Miao Pavilion, had limited knowledge of Dou Niu Peak. They had only assumed that this lineage had no successors and had silently disappeared.

Only now did they learn that Dou Niu Peak still had living descendants, who had turned against the Lan Dou Sect and been expelled from Lan Dou Island.

"Who still remembers that one time, without warning, the Lan Dou Sect suddenly sealed off their mountain and activated their protective formation for several months? I had just formed my foundation then, and the impression is very deep. The cultivators on the island thought a great enemy was attacking, and everyone was panicking?"

A cultivator let out a soft exclamation, then thought of more, his expression growing even more surprised. "Soon after that incident, another Nascent Soul grand ancestor began cultivating in seclusion and has not appeared outside since. Could it be..."

"That was over a hundred years ago, wasn't it? It was indeed a bit strange..."

More and more people recalled the event, feeling increasingly that there was something deeply suspicious about it.

Qin Sang listened to their discussion, his eyes flickering.

Inside the Bamboo Pavilion.

Fellow disciples confronted each other in silence, the atmosphere exceptionally heavy.

Elder Lu's expression had returned to calm, with no trace of anger. After a moment of silence, he broke the stillness. "Senior Brother Gao, why are only the three of you here? Where are Senior Brother Qiyunzi and the other senior brothers?"

"You haven't forgotten Senior Brother Qiyunzi? It seems his high regard for you since childhood wasn't in vain."

The burly man was no longer as aggressive, his expression softening as he said, "Don't you know that Senior Brother Qiyunzi was already nearing the end of his lifespan, and he was severely wounded that time? He passed away not long after leaving Lan Dou Island. As for the other senior brothers, they are not doing well either; some are no longer with us, and others, to suppress the 'star qi,' dare not leave their caves for too long. The Dou Niu Peak lineage can only be supported by me, Gao."

"Of course I remember. Senior Brother Gao, Senior Brother Hong, you both guided me... And who is this?"

Elder Lu's gaze shifted to the young man standing at the back.

"This is Junior Brother Fang. He's very talented, having already formed his core at such a young age."

The burly man introduced him.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Lu," the young man surnamed Fang dutifully cupped his hands in greeting.

"He also cultivates that 'Origin Star Record'?"

Elder Lu glanced at the young man and asked with a frown.

"No," the burly man shook his head with a bitter smile. "How could we let our juniors repeat the same mistakes?"

Elder Lu sighed slightly and asked, "Since Martial Uncle Wu eventually allowed you to leave the Lan Dou Sect, freeing you from cultivating the 'Lightning Summoning Art,' why do you still continue to practice that cultivation method instead of switching to another?"

"Do you think the 'Lightning Summoning Art' can be stopped just like that? When the Lan Dou Sect supported our cultivation of the 'Lightning Summoning Art' back then, they were already prepared to abandon us. Aren't you aware of that?"

The burly man sneered.