Who let him join the Sword Sect?!

Zhang Ze and the Sect Leader had just left the Observation Platform when a talisman was launched into the air from the distant forest.

With a brilliant golden light, moments later, the Sword Sect disciples who received the signal rushed to the Observation Platform, carrying their clothes, bedding, and other items.

They skillfully set up clothing racks, marked their spots, and began to air their clothes.

After all, no matter how exquisite the Taoist technique, it couldn't compare to the taste of sunlight.

The sunlight was exceptionally good today, but since the Sect Leader had something to attend to, half the day was delayed, so they had to seize the time to air the clothes before the sun set.

"Senior Brother Zhong, who do you think the person beside the Sect Leader is?" a disciple familiar with the real Zhong Hui asked.

Zhong Hui finished hanging his clothes, glanced back at the person, "Don't inquire about things you shouldn't, be careful the Sect Leader is right behind you."

The disciple immediately shut his mouth and went to find a place to air his own clothes without mentioning the topic again.

But it wasn't long before he called Zhong Hui over again.

"Senior Brother Zhong, there are your things here, and Senior Brother Yan's too..."

The mentioned ones quickly gathered around and found eight Heavenly Illusion Pendants and some cute little trinkets hanging on a tree, each with a small paper tag with Zhong Hui and their names.

"Didn't expect Senior Brother Zhong, with his ironclad Child's Skill, actually likes these sorts of things? I wonder who sent them?" someone teased, pointing at the cute pendants.

Zhong Hui immediately glared at the person, then reached to take down the Heavenly Illusion Pendant and ornaments with his name on them.

He held the pendant, input Spiritual Qi, and in the next moment, petals fluttered around him, filling him with a girlish heart.

Zhong Hui quickly put away the pendant before a friend could mock him, though the petals vanished, his mind started to whirl with questions.

"Who sent this to me?"

"Junior Sister Fang seemed to have mentioned this called a Heavenly Illusion Pendant, and also invited me to check out the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion after the big exam."

"Junior Sister probably likes this very much..."

"If I were to gift it to Junior Sister..."

"No, if I send it abruptly, would it be too sudden... that's not the gentleman's way; maybe I should wait?"

Deservedly single, Senior Brother Zhong fell into hesitation.

...

On the mountain path, Zhang Ze suddenly heard the Sect Leader sigh, then saw the Sect Leader look back at him.

"If only they were all like you, I wouldn't have to worry."

After speaking, the Sect Leader gave no explanation and continued leading Zhang Ze up the mountain.

Zhang Ze didn't understand what the Sect Leader meant, but it didn't matter; listening to elders talk was just fine.

The most important thing was that he could sit at the table now.

It's done, Zhang Ze thought, secretly delighted.

However, even though the Sect Leader's daughter was waiting for dinner, the Sect Leader did not quicken his pace, instead strolled leisurely, as if on a walk.

While walking, he narratively told Zhang Ze stories with the tone of an elder.

Stories about the path of Tao and wayfarers.

The first story was about the Sect Leader and Aunt Mo Jingchun.

In fact, the Sect Leader and Aunt Mo were also senior and junior siblings, not as Zhang Ze had thought.

It's just that some mishaps happened before.

Back then, they both ascended to Mahayana and simultaneously reached the end of the Sword Sect's path.

So they spent five hundred years repeatedly deducing and sparring.

Finally, they vaguely saw a misty path amid the darkness ahead.

But the path was perilous, one misstep and it's ten deaths without life.

So they decided to have a duel, with the victor retaining control of the Sword Sect and the loser seeking the path ahead.

"We both wanted to lose, but she cheated, so I won. She fell and vanished while seeking the path." The Sect Leader's tone was calm.

"And then?" Zhang Ze asked.

"It was successful and not successful: success because I broke through and took half a step forward on the Tao path."

"Not successful because I took another half step recently, but this time there truly is no more road."

The Sect Leader chuckled, possibly reminiscing the past.

"But fortunately, Junior Sister's Divine Soul wasn't extinguished, and she returned again, by chance, rejoined the Sword Sect."

"And I didn't even know." The Sect Leader said, full of laughter.

"I remember that year she was only at Nascent Soul, her Divine Soul memories just recovered, eager to come to the Main Pavilion to see me..."

The second story was about a young monk.

Strictly speaking, the young monk was even considered an elder to the Sect Leader.

This Bag Arhat, who was always ready to take action, was also in search of the road after Mahayana.

He was bold and reckless, not fearing death much, so he died a few more times.

Without realizing, he reincarnated through ten lifetimes.

"Impossible to persuade, absolutely impossible to persuade." the Sect Leader shook his head, "The Buddhist Sect tried to dissuade him over and over, and they even brought out his father's Buddha Bone Relic, but still couldn't stop him."

"That's just his nature."

"The reincarnation method is not without cost."

"Probably after a few more lives, it will all end."

"Mu Sheng said this time he went to the Northern Territory Demon Country; who knows what he might gain."

The young monk's story concluded.

But Zhang Ze noticed a blind spot, "His father? Aren't monks not supposed to marry?"

The Buddha who left behind a Bone Relic could be counted on one hand, which means that young monk...

"Don't ask, everyone makes mistakes in their youth, pretend you didn't hear it and don't spread it." The self-aware Sect Leader advised.

Zhang Ze immediately nodded, signaling he understood.

The last story was about Pavilion Master Zhengyi.

Zhengyi did the same thing; he too went to seek a path.

And the price of failure was losing his legs for good, never to grow back.

Zhengyi's timing for seeking the path was a bit early; he was pondering it at the Divinity Transformation stage.

Then one wrong move, and his realm fell directly from Divinity Transformation Peak back to mortal.

But Zhengyi was not one to concede, so he retrained once more, this time reaching Tribulation Crossing.

Yet, he still couldn't take another step forward.

After telling Zhengyi's story, the Sect Leader laughed at himself, "Actually, I also want to try again."

"But as the Sword Sect Leader, I can't go die just yet, unfortunately."

The Sect Leader saw Zhang Ze's expression of wanting to say something but holding back and guessed his question.

"You want to ask, why not use all sorts of Innate Items, Divine Weapons, and Magical Artifacts to aid in breaking through to Mahayana, right?"

Zhang Ze nodded.

"The reason is simple," the Sect Leader explained to Zhang Ze, "because it's useless."

"When you reach Mahayana, you will understand."

"Besides, if it were useful, someone would have done it by now."

"And if it really worked, wouldn't have the Immortal Dynasty ruled over all Four Continents back then?"

At that time, every Immortal Emperor was a genius among geniuses, yet they squandered all their resources."

After these stories were shared, they reached the end of the mountain path, ready to take one last step and move upward.

At the peak, the sunlight was dazzling.

This place is probably the highest point of the entire Main Pavilion of the Sword Sect.

Suddenly, Li, who had been waiting for the Sect Leader's daughter to start dinner, reverted from Spirit Sword back to its original form. Then transformed again into the appearance of a yellow-skinned rat.

It climbed onto Zhang Ze, attempting to look cute and hopeful of getting some extra food.

The Sect Leader saw Li and found it amusing, "Interesting," he said, as he sent a sliver of sword qi to cover the subtle dragon aura on Li's forehead.

Zhang Ze, picking Li up from his shoulder and holding him in his arms, examined him but saw no noticeable difference from before.

He walked up to the mountain summit with Li, the sunlight blazing.

Reaching the summit, the sunlight was dazzling.

It was perhaps the brightest spot in the whole of the Sword Sect's Main Pavilion.

There, Junior Sister Fang was waving at him to come over for dinner.