"Uh…"

Upon seeing his female disciple had already reached the Middle Stage of the Longevity Realm, the Second Elder, Ma Beiqiu, widened his eyes in disbelief. But how could he know that Ying Lan, whose cultivation had stagnated for a long time without a breakthrough, had merely consumed the phoenix flesh Su Xuan had given her?

"I don't want to be too conspicuous," Su Xuan suddenly said. "I've always followed Master's teachings, thinking that keeping a low profile is the way to get by in the world, unless the sect needed me. However, Master recently quarreled with the other elders, and Ying Lan was bullied. I feel I can no longer keep a low profile; I must reveal my edge! Furthermore, the journey to find the Nirvana Phoenix made me deeply understand the law of the jungle!"

Ma Beiqiu was both the Second Elder of Immortal Mountain and the Peak Master of Golden Lotus Peak. Upon hearing his disciple's words, he lowered his head and pondered for a long time.

"Master, let's not talk about other things," Ying Lan broke the silence. "This time, Senior Brother has not only offended the Fifth Elder's faction, but he has also offended Senior Sister Gongsun Miao Tong. The Great Elder will surely be furious. Do you have a way to help Senior Brother survive this ordeal?"

"Don't worry about me!" Before Ma Beiqiu could speak, Su Xuan waved his hand magnanimously. "Master, you can hand me over. Even if I am expelled from the sect, I will have no complaints. A man must be responsible for his actions!"

"You've grown up," Ma Beiqiu said slowly, looking up at Su Xuan's words and demeanor. "Perhaps I was too forbearing in the past. No one took me, the Second Elder, seriously. It caused Golden Lotus Peak's status to decline day by day, and even Ying Lan was injured by those fools!"

Ma Beiqiu looked at Su Xuan and continued, "Zhengyuan, you did the right thing. It's time for us to show our edge, too. As for what you've done, I will handle the consequences for you!"

"Huh?"

Su Xuan was stunned. This isn't how the script was supposed to go. He was following a path that should have led to his expulsion from the sect, so why was this convenient master of his planning to handle things for him? Could it be he had been too convincing?

"Zhengyuan, don't go anywhere for now!" Ma Beiqiu stood up and patted Su Xuan's shoulder. "Go into seclusion in our Golden Lotus Peak's Enlightenment Pavilion for seven days. Just lay low for a while, and then you can come out!"

"Master, is this really right?" Su Xuan said, displeased. "The mistakes were all mine. How can I let you…"

"Ying Lan, take your Senior Brother to the Enlightenment Pavilion!" Ma Beiqiu, however, simply waved his sleeve and walked out, leaving them to wonder where he was going.

Ying Lan glanced at Su Xuan and shrugged her delicate shoulders. "Senior Brother, let's go!"

Su Xuan asked in distress, "Has Master always been so protective?"

Ying Lan replied, "He was moved by you, wasn't he?"

"Alas!"

Soon, Ying Lan led Su Xuan into a tall tower on Golden Lotus Peak. Bronze bells hanging from its eaves chimed pleasantly in the breeze. This was the Enlightenment Pavilion Ma Beiqiu had mentioned.

After Su Xuan entered the Enlightenment Pavilion, he couldn't help but widen his eyes. The Pavilion was not the place of quiet cultivation he had imagined, but a Technique Pavilion filled with all kinds of technique manuals! If he learned all of these, how powerful would he become? Once Ying Lan left, he immediately picked up a manual and began to read. Seven days! With his exceptional comprehension, he should be able to get through most of the books here in seven days, right?

…

CREAK!

Just as Gongsun Miao Tong finally found a pair of shoes to put on, the door was pushed open without a knock.

Gongsun Miao Tong looked up and immediately called out, "Master, what brings you here?"

Indeed, the person who entered was none other than the Great Elder of Immortal Mountain, her personal master.

"Miao Tong, I've heard what happened." The Great Elder sat down uninvited and looked at her. "That fool Feng Zhengyuan dared to mock you in public. I will get justice for you and ensure Golden Lotus Peak gives you a satisfactory explanation!"

"Master, I don't want an explanation." Gongsun Miao Tong shook her head, her expression serious. "It was due to my lack of skill, and I also humiliated Feng Zhengyuan first. I will find a way to get my own back."

"Oh?" The Great Elder opened his mouth. "How will you do that?"

Gongsun Miao Tong declared, word by word, "I will enter seclusion to cultivate. The day I emerge will be the day I seek justice for myself!"

"Good, very good!" The Great Elder slapped his thigh and stood up. "You're truly my precious disciple. Knowing you think this way puts me at ease!"

He had been worried that this incident would disturb Gongsun Miao Tong's Dao Heart, which would not only halt her cultivation but could even cause it to regress. To his surprise, she had ignited her fighting spirit! This truly put him at ease.

"There's just one thing I can't figure out," Gongsun Miao Tong said, narrowing her beautiful eyes. "Feng Zhengyuan has always kept a low profile at Immortal Mountain, so why did he suddenly become so conspicuous? This doesn't match the Second Elder's temperament."

"Heh, the Second Elder?" The Great Elder's lips curled into a dark smile. "That old man Ma Beiqiu is not so simple. His cowardice is just a disguise. Lately, the Immortal Mountain Sect Master is at death's door, and I'm afraid that old Ma is starting to get some ideas…"

"Master, what kind of ideas?" Even though Gongsun Miao Tong already had a guess, she still didn't dare to say it out loud.

"Just focus on your seclusion! I'm waiting for you to come out and crush Feng Zhengyuan!"

The Great Elder turned and left. After seeing her master off, Gongsun Miao Tong also immediately went into seclusion. By a curious coincidence, she also chose to close up for seven days. She believed seven days would be enough. She might just step into that realm that everyone looks up to!

「The next day.」

Inside the Enlightenment Pavilion on Golden Lotus Peak.

RUSTLE! RUSTLE!

Su Xuan was rapidly flipping through every technique manual in the Enlightenment Pavilion. The pavilion had nine floors. In just one day, he had reached the third. He was truly just flipping through the books, but he could imprint every manual he touched into his mind, automatically achieving full mastery. His strength increased significantly as a result!

But this took a great toll on his mind and spirit. He would read for several hours, then take a one-hour break, using pills or heavenly and earthly treasures to nourish himself.

He understood the Second Elder's intentions well. He was supposed to use the Enlightenment Pavilion to lay low while improving himself, perhaps by mastering one new technique in the seven days. But Su Xuan wasn't going to learn just one technique. He would learn all of them!

On the second day, he reached the fifth floor of the Enlightenment Pavilion. On the third day, the seventh. By the fourth day, he was on the ninth floor!

On the fifth day, Su Xuan stopped reading entirely, because he had finished everything. He slept for a full day on the top floor of the Enlightenment Pavilion, surrounded by a layer of Moon Profound Stones. He could feel that a breakthrough was imminent, that he was naturally about to enter the next stage!

That was the Late-stage Great Perfection of the Longevity Realm!

GURGLE! GURGLE!

That night, Su Xuan carved off a few more chunks of flesh from the Nirvana Phoenix and started to cook some hot pot.

Meanwhile, as night fell, two unexpected visitors arrived at the gates of Immortal Mountain, asking for him by name...

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