Chapter 727: Spring and Autumn Penmanship

Lu Yang shook his head like a rattle-drum, firmly rejecting his master's proposal.

Judging from Immortal Fairy's three days plus three months as acting sect leader, the position of sect leader was hardly a leisurely one. He suggested it would be more appropriate for a highly respected and virtuous cultivator like his Eldest Senior Sister to take on the role.

Daoist Buyu was very pleased, surprised that his young disciple's Dao heart was so steadfast, unmoved even by such a monumental opportunity as inheriting the sect leader position.

"Is Xiao Zhi here?"

"Eldest Senior Sister is currently at Prison Peak, interrogating Dao Lord Wanfa and several Tribulation Transcenders whose names aren't even known. Should I call her out?"

Daoist Buyu breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she wasn't there: "No, no need. I was just asking."

Although he had been quite well-behaved lately, he always felt an inexplicable sense of guilt whenever he saw his Eldest Disciple.

Upon returning to the sect, Daoist Buyu was quite happy to see that both his third and fourth disciples had achieved success in their cultivation.

"I wonder when the five of us, master and disciples, can reunite. Your Second Senior Brother hasn't returned for about a hundred years."

"Your Second Senior Brother caused such a ruckus in the Buddhist Kingdom that even I got implicated. The Buddhists don't look favorably upon me."

Daoist Buyu shook his head lightly. "That troublesome disciple! Causing trouble and implicating the sect. How many times had he taught him to hide his identity when going out to cause mischief? He just couldn't remember what had been repeatedly emphasized."

On the other hand, since Second Senior Brother caused trouble outside and didn't return to Dao Seeking Sect, in a way, it meant he didn't bring calamity into the sect.

The Buddhist Kingdom still frequently sent official documents to Dao Seeking Sect, hoping they would quickly take Ye Zijin back.

Each time, Daoist Buyu would fob them off with excuses like, "A general outside the capital is not bound by the sovereign's commands."

Lu Yang thought to himself that the Buddhists' dislike for his master probably had little to do with Second Senior Brother.

Lu Yang had heard many legends about this Second Senior Brother, whom he had only seen in paintings.

Second Senior Brother was constantly sarcastic. As for minor matters like Buddhist eminent monks breaking their precepts, vigorously promoting the cultivation methods of Joyful Zen, or impersonating Buddha statues to enjoy offerings – those weren't even worth mentioning.

Beyond that, Second Senior Brother had suggested to several eminent monks that they learn the Nirvana method of the Phoenix clan. This way, when the eminent monks passed away through self-immolation, they would not only obtain many sariras but also get to live another lifetime. The Buddhist Kingdom would also have a continuous supply of sariras, bringing immense benefits.

Second Senior Brother also proposed a more advanced theory based on the Buddhist Kingdom's advocating for releasing captive animals to accumulate merit: "Having children is also a form of release." He encouraged monks to have more children to accumulate merit.

However, the eminent monks of the Buddhist Kingdom were too rigid in their thinking and couldn't accept Second Senior Brother's overly advanced mindset. They not only rejected his proposals but also sent people to pursue him on multiple occasions.

Fortunately, Second Senior Brother had learned excellent escape skills from Daoist Buyu, which allowed him to safely navigate the Buddhist Kingdom.

Lu Yang also heard that some pessimistic monks believed Second Senior Brother's existence signaled the arrival of the Dharma-ending Age. For this, Second Senior Brother even earned the epithet "Buddha's Demise."

According to Immortal Fairy, the founder of Buddhism, the term "Dharma-ending Age" was a cool-sounding phrase she had invented.

"Your Second Senior Brother is also a cultivation prodigy. If it weren't for Xiao Zhi, he would be the one with the highest cultivation talent of this generation. Alas, he was born at the wrong time."

"Oh, by the way, where is our Patriarch, Daoist Xiantian?" As the sect leader, Daoist Buyu felt it was necessary to pay respects to the founder of Dao Seeking Sect.

"I'll go look," Lu Yang said, not knowing where the Patriarch had wandered off to.

Lu Yang went around searching and found Daoist Xiantian at a barbecue stall, eating skewers.

The people at the barbecue stall, seeing Lu Yang arrive, thought he was there for an inspection.

Lu Yang quickly reassured Master Gao and the others: "It's fine, it's fine. Go about your business. I'm here to find him."

"Patriarch, my master says he'd like to meet you."

"Your master? The current sect leader of Dao Seeking Sect?"

"Yes."

Daoist Xiantian quickly slurped the last bits off two skewers. "Then let's go."

Lu Yang escorted Daoist Xiantian to the summit of Tianmen Peak, where Daoist Buyu had been waiting for a long time. Upon meeting, he immediately prostrated himself in greeting.

"Ye Wanli, the current sect leader of Dao Seeking Sect, pays his respects to Patriarch."

"You don't need to give such a heavy bow. Please get up quickly. Besides, I'm just an ordinary disciple of Dao Seeking Sect now; there's no need to treat me like this."

Daoist Buyu's eyes lit up. "Patriarch, do you lack a master? How do I look?"

Lu Yang thought Daoist Buyu truly deserved to be someone who "wore the same open-crotch pants" as Eighth Elder; their lines of thinking were identical.

He kindly reminded him, "Patriarch Hanhai has already taken him as a disciple."

Daoist Buyu: "..."

"By the way, Patriarch, could you tell me about the early days of Dao Seeking Sect? To be honest, I'm a writer, and I've been dedicated to promoting Dao Seeking Sect. You have firsthand information about its history. You speak, I write – with our combined strength, we can surely further spread the sect's reputation."

"That's a good thing," Daoist Xiantian said, amused. He had a good impression of Daoist Buyu, figuring that this sect leader must have put in a lot of effort for Dao Seeking Sect to achieve its current success.

"Speaking of how Dao Seeking Sect was established, we have to go back 120,000 years. According to the customs of that time, cultivators who reached the Void Refinement stage, in order to have a stable and safe place to cultivate, would either join a sect or establish one themselves. I chose the latter."

"The Heavenly Strategy Sect was the most accurate at divination, so I spent 100,000 spirit stones to ask them to find a geomantically auspicious location. The people from Heavenly Strategy Sect told me that the 100,000 spirit stones weren't for them, but rather taken by the heavens as a sign of sincerity. After telling me the location of the auspicious spot, they also instructed me to arrive at the designated time, otherwise it would affect my luck."

"Unfortunately, it was dark at the time, and my cultivation fluctuated, making flight difficult. On top of that, I had a habit of getting lost. If things continued like that, I definitely wouldn't be able to reach the auspicious location on time. So, I asked an old farmer working in the fields for directions."

"The old farmer pointed me in a direction, and following his guidance, I finally reached the auspicious location just as dawn broke."

"After the sect was successfully established, because of my good reputation and the favorable conditions I offered, many fellow Daoists at the Void Refinement stage were willing to join my sect. Many promising young talents also became disciples, and Dao Seeking Sect began to take shape."

Daoist Buyu nodded repeatedly while looking down and writing:

"In the late Great Yu period, the world was dark, and people's hearts were uneasy. Daoist Xiantian decided to establish a sect for stability and safety."

"Daoist Xiantian sincerely questioned the heavens, and the heavens pointed out a clear path for him, stating that time was urgent and he needed to act quickly."

"The darkest hour is before dawn. Daoist Xiantian acted according to the will of the heavens, facing numerous difficulties. Not only was his cultivation affected, but he also lost his way. Fortunately, with the help of the common people, he overcame these challenges and finally arrived at the location indicated by the heavens."

"Daoist Xiantian established Dao Seeking Sect, and the dark world welcomed the light of morning. At that time, many like-minded individuals, who believed the world was turbulent, voluntarily joined Dao Seeking Sect under the influence of Daoist Xiantian's charismatic personality. Dao Seeking Sect grew increasingly strong..."

After finishing his notes, Daoist Buyu looked up at Daoist Xiantian. "Patriarch, please continue?"