Chapter 768: You really are who?

The content of the book was astonishing. Even Zhang Xuan, with all his vast knowledge, found it incredible.

"Never mind..."

Knowing that further contemplation was useless at this point, he closed the book, letting its contents flow through his mind once more to ensure accuracy. Only then did he activate his true qi, halting himself in mid-air.

With a flick of his sleeve, he clasped his hands behind his back and stood on the wind, without turning his head, like an immortal about to ascend into the heavens.

"My friend behind me, you've followed long enough, haven't you?" His voice was calm and cold.

"Oh, I sensed the aura of an old acquaintance and came specifically to investigate. Seeing you, fellow daoist, treading through the air, I couldn't help but observe. However... this friend is quite unfamiliar; it seems I've never met you before!" Master Mu smiled as he saw the person ahead stop.

Although he suspected this person was connected to the disappearance of the Purple Sun Beast, he had no concrete evidence and couldn't simply make an accusation. He decided to converse, hoping to find some clues.

"You've come from a Conferred Empire. How many powerful individuals in Hongyuan City do you know?" Zhang Xuan scoffed, still not turning around.

"You know I'm from a Conferred Empire?" Master Mu was taken aback. He was merely flying, not displaying his strength, and the other party hadn't even turned their face. How could they possibly know he came from a Conferred Empire?

"Your true qi gathers in the Sea of Karma, flowing through the three esoteric acupoints – Niaokong, Wuwei, and Durang. You absorb wood-attribute spiritual energy from heaven and earth to nourish your entire body, yet you uniquely neglect the Huaihai and Longzhen points. This peculiar cultivation method is unheard of in Hongyuan City, and even in the Qingyuan Conferred Empire. If I'm not mistaken, you must be from the Mu Clan of the Sage Clan!" The voice from ahead remained calm.

"'Who are you?' Master Mu was taken aback, then his eyes narrowed. He was from the Sage Mu Clan, a fact known to no one, not even his many friends in the Qingyuan Conferred Empire's Master Teacher Pavilion. Yet, the other party spoke of it so casually, as if enumerating family treasures. Was it true or false? Furthermore, the true qi circulation method the other party just described was an unwritten secret of the Mu Clan's techniques. How could this person possibly know? Could it be... he is also a member of the Mu Clan?

His heart skipped a beat, and his divine sense spread forth, attempting to probe the other's true nature. Yet, he found the other's aura as profound as an abyss and as vast as the sea. Even he couldn't discern it clearly. The other party could discern his identity and cultivation at a glance, yet he couldn't see through them. Could it be that this person's strength was even greater than his own? When did such a powerful expert appear in a place like Hongyuan City?

"'Who am I?'" The figure ahead, hearing this, seemed to fall into an endless reverie. He shook his head, "It seems I haven't appeared in the world for many years; many people no longer recognize me!" He paused, then asked indifferently, "Who is the current head of the Mu Clan?"

Hearing the question, Master Mu initially hesitated to answer, but after a moment, he spoke, "The current head is my uncle, Mu Yan. Fellow daoist, do you perhaps know my uncle?" The Sage Clan is not hard to inquire about once one reaches a Conferred Empire. Mu Yan, the current head of the Mu Clan, is especially renowned, so there's nothing to hide. By revealing it, he could also clarify his own identity to the other party.

"'I don't know such a junior!' The figure ahead shook his head. 'However, I did have a single encounter with his father!'"

"'His father? You mean Old Ancestor Mu Tian?' Master Mu was stunned and startled, his heart jumping. Mu Yan's father—who was also his grandfather—Old Ancestor Mu Tian, was an ancient figure over 1,300 years old. Even upon reaching the Saint realm, where one's life level transforms again, a lifespan of one thousand years is typically the limit. He had never heard of any Saint living beyond two thousand years. Thus, those who could live beyond a thousand years were all at the Old Ancestor level, rarely appearing in public. This person before him, having had an encounter with Old Ancestor Mu Tian, could it be... an old monster from that bygone era?

Impossible! Individuals from that era, even if still alive, wouldn't dare to reveal themselves. To preserve their life force, they would employ every possible method; otherwise... they would be annihilated by heaven itself, without any need for external intervention. Although this person's strength was inscrutable, their body was brimming with vitality, completely unlike those ancient monsters.

"'Indeed, that kid Mu Tian...'" As he was still pondering, he heard the figure ahead sigh with emotion, their tone reflecting the profound weight of history.

"'That *kid*...'" Master Mu's eyebrows twitched. Old Ancestor Mu Tian, an ancient figure who had lived for 1,300 years, was merely a 'kid' in the other party's mouth?

While he was still pondering the other's words, the figure's calm voice resonated once more. "'Your Mu Clan's true qi emphasizes peace and rectitude, with the aura concealed within the heart. Yet your aura is unstable, and your meridians are rigid. If I'm not mistaken, you haven't returned to your clan for many years, have you?'"

"'This...'" Master Mu paused. The other party was correct; he hadn't returned for many years. In fact, many within the Mu Clan had almost forgotten him.

"'Your aura is subdued, lacking the agility of the wood attribute, yet possessing the heaviness of the metal attribute. If I'm not mistaken, you were expelled from the clan, rather than simply unwilling to return!'"

"'You... you... how do you know?'" Startled, Master Mu nearly fell from the sky. The other party's words were entirely accurate, without a single error. He hadn't returned to his clan for so many years, not because he didn't wish to, but because he had been expelled and felt too ashamed to go back. Yet... this was his secret, one he had never shared with anyone. The Mu Clan viewed it as a profound humiliation, making any leak impossible. How could this person possibly know? Could they really deduce all that just by observing his true qi circulation? If that were true, it would be simply defying heaven! How could anyone possess such powerful discernment?

"'When cultivating wood-attribute power, your Yingtai and Tianmen acupoints would normally appear bluish. Yet yours are slightly dark red, which immediately indicates a clash of powers. Among the Five Elements – Wood overcomes Earth, Earth overcomes Water, Water overcomes Fire, Fire overcomes Metal, and Metal overcomes Wood – only a collision with metal-attribute power could lead to such a predicament. If I'm not mistaken, metal-attribute power was implanted within your body, suppressing your cultivation and talent!'"

"'This...'" Master Mu's body went rigid. Every word the other party spoke struck at his deepest, most unknown secrets, filling him with dread. What this person said was accurate; he had indeed been expelled by his clan. However, the fault lay not with the clan, but with a terrible mistake he had made!

That was five hundred years ago. He possessed extraordinary talent, young and impetuous. He became a 6-star Master Teacher before the age of forty, establishing himself as a renowned genius of his clan. Originally, with such cultivation, he would surely have advanced rapidly, at the very least becoming a clan elder and leaving his name in history. Who would have thought... during a trial, he met a woman with whom he became inseparable, and they quickly fell in love. Because it was his first love, he believed it would last eternally. He dedicated himself entirely to her, caring for her meticulously, even revealing his clan's inherited cultivation techniques. Later, however, he discovered she was using him to exact revenge on his clan. This matter was discovered by his clansmen. Because he had leaked clan secrets and 'invited a wolf into the house,' he was criticized by the Elder Council and expelled from the clan!

After leaving the clan, he discovered that, at some unknown point, the woman had implanted metal-attribute power within his body, suppressing his cultivation. For five hundred years, he had only progressed from a 6-star Master Teacher to a 7-star middle-grade. Further breakthroughs were now almost impossible. This matter had always been the deepest pain in his heart. Yet the other party had discerned it simply by observing his acupoints and true qi... Such insight... even a 7-star Master Teacher couldn't possess it! Could it be... an 8-star Master Teacher? How is that possible! For Master Teachers above 6-star, each grade advancement was as arduous as crossing mountains and valleys. Just like him, he had been stuck at 7-star middle-grade for three hundred years. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would never advance again in this lifetime. If the other party truly were an 8-star Master Teacher... he would surely have heard of them. How could such a person appear here?

"'Metal overcomes wood; your power is suppressed, trapping you at this level. Knowing advancement is hopeless, you no longer wish to continue secluded cultivation, instead finding solace wandering among mountains and rivers... So many years have passed, do you not wish to return to your clan, to that Sage's esteemed lineage?'" The figure before him continued.

"'I... even if I wanted to return, what face do I have to go back?'" Master Mu's face flushed. As a descendant of a Sage Clan, being expelled was a profound humiliation. In all these years, not a single day had passed without him yearning to return. But... how could he go back? Setting aside his increasingly poor strength and dissipating true qi, simply the matter itself meant he had wronged his clan and had no face to return.

The figure ahead waved a hand. "'I had a single encounter with Mu Tian, and now I've met you; it seems we are fated. How about this: I'll offer you some guidance, so you won't remain so stagnant!'"

"'Guidance?'" Master Mu was taken aback.

"'Indeed. You have metal-attribute power suppressing your cultivation. While difficult to remove, it's not impossible to resolve. I will now impart a set of cultivation techniques to you. With diligent practice, eliminating this hidden danger won't be a difficult task!'" The figure stated.

"'Imparting a cultivation technique to me? You... who exactly are you?'" Master Mu's eyes narrowed. High-level Master Teachers, who peer into the rules of heaven and earth, generally do not offer guidance lightly, unless there is some karmic entanglement. Just like Master Kong, the Heavenly Being, who, though reputed to have three thousand disciples, only seventy-two truly received his profound teachings! They had only just met for the first time. Why would the other party offer guidance? He had been a genius in his youth, but now his body was weak, his power diminished, and he had no potential left. What was the other party's purpose? He had been tricked once in his youth, and he was unwilling to be tricked again.

"'Who am I?'" The figure scoffed, "You doubt my identity?"

Boom!

As his words ended, a powerful aura emanated from his body. Feeling this imposing aura, Master Mu's entire body tensed, and his blood ran cold. Before this power, his proudly held strength was as weak as an ant, seemingly capable of being crushed into fragments at any moment, his life and death no longer his own.

Rumble!

Just as he realized this power was immense and irresistible, the aura within the other's body shifted again, giving him a feeling of being integrated with heaven and earth, an undeniable presence. This feeling was as if the figure had become the embodiment of heaven and earth, having received the approval of the cosmos, an irrefutable presence.

"'A Heaven-Acknowledged Master Teacher? You are... a Heaven-Acknowledged Master Teacher?!'" His pupils contracted. Master Mu recalled something, and his entire body trembled, freezing in place.