Chapter 374: Greater Leader, Even Greater

The voice from the fourth level below hummed through the water, carrying a hint of a smile. "You've never been to the outside world. How can you know he's the best-looking man in the world?"

Zhen'er had already descended to the fourth level and replied, "I can feel it."

Upon reaching the fifth level, figures could be seen moving within the cave-like light and shadow, and a voice emerged, "You can tell the best-looking man in the world just by feeling?"

Zhen'er replied, "'Su' said that the man who makes you feel most comfortable is the best man."

As she passed the sixth level, no sound emerged. Instead, the woman's voice from the third level above spoke again, "How comfortable? Bring him here, let me see."

The subsequent levels were silent, and Zhen'er made no further sound, her movements becoming more cautious as she lightly floated to the bottom of the abyss.

Directly ahead stood a tightly closed grand gate. Light flickered within its carved door and window panels, while the surrounding darkness was so profound it seemed capable of devouring everything.

Outside the gate, there was a roof eave with steps beneath it. The design and structure were rough, yet the overall towering scale was magnificent, making a person feel tiny in comparison.

Zhen'er ascended the steps. Bubbles, like pearls, rose from the mud she stepped on, and as the mud parted, a metallic gleam was revealed beneath.

Upon reaching the doorway, Zhen'er gently pushed the door open. Immediately, flickering flames of several different colors appeared, gathering and dispersing like playful children teasing someone.

The space behind the door was spotless, emitting a dim metallic luster. The empty space was not large; merely two *zhang* (approx. 6.6 meters) away was an uneven metal wall. Its textured patterns resembled mountains, rivers, or even nebulae; it was unclear what exactly the design depicted.

On the wall, there appeared to be another tightly sealed grand gate, even larger than the entrance door.

In front of the wall-gate was a stone stool, resembling a prayer mat. On it, an old man sat cross-legged, meditating. His beard and hair were yellowish and streaked with white, and a pair of deer-like antlers grew from his head. Dressed in a moon-white robe, he slowly opened his closed eyes. His gaze was firm and profound, possessing a stone-sculpture-like tranquility that also gave off an unfathomable aura.

The flickering divine flames continued their playful chase, often disappearing into the empty spaces on either side. This was a circular chamber, with a larger, cylindrical space located behind the old man's wall-door.

The lake water stopped at the doorway. Zhen'er stepped out of the water, surprisingly without a trace of dampness on her. She walked to a spot about a *zhang* (approx. 3.3 meters) away from the old man, stood still with her hands clasped respectfully, and timidly called out, "Grandpa."

The old man, referred to as 'Grandpa', also scrutinized her clothing for a moment before finally speaking in a calm yet hoarse voice, "Someone wants to marry you?"

Zhen'er nodded and hummed in affirmation.

Grandpa: "You can't leave this place. Is he willing to stay here forever for you?"

Zhen'er's eyes flickered slightly, and she bit her lip before humming in assent again.

Grandpa sighed softly, "Very well. Your fated partner has finally appeared. You're truly fortunate to have found your destiny among the first intruders you met after taking human form. What is his name?"

Zhen'er: "Shi Chun. 'Shi' as in *shifu* (master), 'Chun' as in spring."

Grandpa: "It seems you want to marry him too."

Zhen'er's attitude was resolute. "Yes, I will marry him."

Grandpa: "Aren't you afraid? You should know what we mean to those artifact refiners. Aren't you afraid he'll devour you?"

Zhen'er proudly declared, "He's not an artifact refiner, nor does he cultivate fire-attribute techniques."

"Hm?""What?""How is that possible?""Impossible.""Has he deceived you?"

A series of astonished voices echoed through the empty space, as if a group of people were secretly listening, though no one was visible.

Grandpa's stone-sculpture-like serene face also revealed a rare look of bewilderment. Like the other astonished voices, he was thrown off by Zhen'er's unexpected reply.

After a long silence, he slowly said, "People who don't cultivate fire-attribute techniques only appeared during the Great Upheaval when we were suppressed. Now they've appeared again. Does this mean another Great Upheaval is approaching, or has the outside world simply changed?"

Zhen'er looked bewildered, seeming to not fully grasp the meaning, and shook her head slightly. "I don't know."

Grandpa: "Have many such people come in?"

Zhen'er: "Not many. Only his sect is an exception; only their 'Mingshan Sect' is an exception."

"There's such a thing?" A voice emerged from the void, from an unknown speaker. Given their years of experience, this exception seemed to transcend their understanding.

A grumbling voice said, "To be such an exception, they must be a major sect, one of those that sends in a hundred people, right?"

Zhen'er: "No, their entire sect has only thirteen people, and only thirteen have entered."

The voices of the group fell silent.

Finally, Grandpa broke the silence. "Shi Chun... he's not an artifact refiner, nor does he cultivate fire-attribute techniques. Why did he come in?"

Zhen'er: "He's helping people from his sect find divine flames."

Grandpa: "So that means his fellow disciples still need to absorb divine flames."

Zhen'er assented, "Three of them cultivate fire-attribute techniques."

A sighing voice came from the void, "If people from his sect want to consume you, he won't be able to stop them."

Zhen'er looked up at the empty space around her and said, "They won't. I deceived them. They all think I'm from another sect. Only Chun and Jinliang know my true identity."

The woman's voice came from the void, "Oh, you can deceive people too! And who are Chun and Jinliang?"

Zhen'er: "Chun is Shi Chun, and Jinliang is his sworn brother, named Wu Jinliang. Neither of them cultivates fire-attribute techniques."

A mumbling voice came from the void, "Good heavens, they even have nicknames for each other."

The woman's voice from the void asked again, "What if his fellow disciples find out? Aren't you afraid?"

Zhen'er clenched her fists in defiance. "No, he won't agree. Chun will definitely stop them."

Her appearance was exactly like that of a daughter determinedly eloping with her beloved, despite her parents' objections, resolute and stubborn in her conviction.

Grandpa then asked, "Is he the sect leader of that sect?"

Zhen'er: "No, the sect leader is named Tong Mingshan."

A soft chuckle came from the void, seemingly mocking Zhen'er's naivety. "Then by what authority can he stop them?"

Zhen'er argued, "He is the 'Great Master' of the Mingshan Sect."

The scene suddenly fell into a profound silence, so quiet that one could hear the bubbles rising from the mud outside.

Even Grandpa became lost in thought.

After a while, a mumble came from the void again, "Could it be that 'Great Master' and 'Sect Master' or 'Sect Leader' aren't on the same level?"

Another bewildered voice emerged, "No way! We've been living with those fellows here for hundreds of years. We've studied them for so long, and even caught some to keep as pets. It should mean the same thing, shouldn't it?"

Zhen'er loudly retorted, "No, you're all wrong! The 'Great Master' is superior to both the 'Sect Master' and 'Sect Leader'. The 'Sect Master' must also listen to the 'Great Master'. Whatever Chun says, Tong Mingshan must do. He is the true highest authority in the Mingshan Sect."

Silence fell upon the scene once more.

After another moment, the mumbling resumed, "So that's how it is! No wonder there's an extra 'Great' character; it implies greater authority."

Another voice chimed in, "That must be it. Think about it, they have the term 'Elder', and also 'Grand Elder'. When 'Grand Elder' has the extra 'Grand' character, their status is indeed higher than other Elders. The principle should be the same."

Another sigh came from the void, "Humans have a saying: 'Live and learn.' Well, we've learned something new today."

Amidst the flurry of murmurs, Grandpa spoke, "Isn't he here to propose marriage? Why didn't he come with you?"

Zhen'er: "He was afraid of causing trouble for you, Grandpas, and of creating misunderstandings. So he asked me to come and greet you first."

Grandpa asked, puzzled, "Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding could there be when proposing marriage? Is he afraid we won't like him?"

Zhen'er: "No, they're being pursued. Chun said he was afraid of attracting a large group of people looking for a fight, and that you Grandpas might misunderstand his intentions. So he asked me to come and clear things up first, to avoid any misunderstanding."

"Pursued?" A strange tone came from the void. "Who is pursuing them?"

Zhen'er: "It's people from other sects, many of them. I can't say exactly, but everyone visible is pursuing them."

The woman's voice chimed in, "Everyone is pursuing them? How much hatred must they have incurred?"

Zhen'er: "It's not hatred; it's jealousy. Chun has a faster way to find divine flames, and people from various sects want to seize it."

The cross-legged Grandpa spoke up, "Zhen'er, explain the whole situation slowly and clearly."

So Zhen'er recounted in detail everything she knew about the events. Other voices would occasionally interject with questions, mostly serious ones. Only the woman's voice would sometimes ask inappropriate questions, such as how the two had kissed, what it felt like, or how they had embraced.

In fact, a complete picture couldn't be obtained from Zhen'er, as there were too many aspects concerning Shi Chun that she was unaware of. More importantly, Zhen'er was convinced that Shi Chun had fallen in love with her at first sight.

After she finished her narration, Grandpa, who had been silent for a while, spoke, "Go. Tell him we understand. There will be no misunderstanding, so he can come forward confidently to propose marriage."

Seeing that he had agreed to the proposal, Zhen'er was overjoyed. She nodded repeatedly in affirmation, then turned and ran off.

Grandpa watched her departing figure, an unusually complex expression appearing on his stone-sculpture-like face.

Once Zhen'er was far away, a teasing chuckle emerged from the void. "Who would have thought someone would actually dare to propose marriage here."

"If his strength surpasses ours, he might have ill intentions.""She said he's young. Young people shouldn't possess such profound strength.""He could be disguised. Doesn't Old Nine look young?""There are all kinds of practitioners in this world; let's just wait and see.""Anyone daring to come either possesses profound strength, signifying our great tribulation, or this girl truly has found her fated partner."

A cacophony of voices intertwined and echoed in the void.

The cross-legged Grandpa finally settled the matter with a single remark, "When he comes, we'll know."