Sect Leader Xuan had quietly listened to Cao Yun's story. His young disciple truly went in-depth. From his arrival in the Desolate Sepulcher until his return to the Hongchen Kingdom, he explained everything that had happened, detailing how the demons in the Desolate Sepulcher were living. Obviously, Cao Yun also revealed all his cultivation. But, more importantly, he exposed Emperor Weide. Sect Leader Xuan already had suspicions when it came to the Emperor, but he hadn't expected to hear all of his perfidy. Their current Emperor was nothing more than a demonic cultivator. He could try and hide it behind the greater good of mankind, but that was no different than Luoming Tian or Demon King Mo Wang.

It took Cao Yun almost an entire day. When he began to tell all his secrets, the dam completely broke and he couldn't stop himself. Being able to be honest with someone felt immensely good. Besides, he could also expose his actions. Maybe Cao Yun was looking for confirmation that his acts were justified, or maybe he was looking for someone who could tell him where he had made mistakes. Even now, some of the things he had done, or rather not done, were still plaguing his mind.

Finally, the curtain separating Cao Yun from Sect Leader Xuan opened. Behind this curtain of beads, Cao Yun saw a very old man with pure white, long hair and no beard. Despite his very advanced age, Sect Leader Xuan had an extremely young face. There was no wrinkle on his skin. But his eyes were betraying his accumulated experience. Seeing his master gave Cao Yun a strange sensation. There was a form of youthful candor and naïveté, but at the same time, a ruthless experience of the hardships of life. The old man walked toward Cao Yun in order to get closer. Then, he put his hand on Cao Yun's shoulder.

As soon as Sect Leader Xuan touched Cao Yun, he felt a soothing sensation throughout his body and soul. But this wasn't due to some trick or secret technique. In fact, Cao Yun couldn't feel any form of energy coming out of Sect Leader Xuan at all. Right now, he was just an old man with a youthful face and deep eyes. However, this simple contact felt extremely good.

"Young disciple, you've been alone and fighting for your life and your family for far too long. This decrepit old man is ashamed of all the torments you've been through. Despite accepting you as a disciple, I didn't help you nearly enough. I hoped for you to defend my Wubei Sect. It is time the Wubei Sect defended you as well. However, even my old bones are no match for Emperor Weide. Your younger sister is in seclusion, cultivating. No doubt, from what you've told me, Emperor Weide hopes for her to break through to the Spirit Warrior realm and then sacrifice her. Unfortunately, short of attacking the Imperial City, there is nothing I can do to get her back..."

As Sect Leader Xuan spoke, Cao Yun could truly hear his voice shake. There was deep shame in his words, as well as sadness. In fact, Sect Leader Xuan knelt down and began to kowtow before his disciple. The young man didn't realize it before his master had one knee to the ground. Immediately, he jolted back to reality and grabbed his master's arms to stop him.

"Master! Stop, Master! You've helped me a lot already. It wouldn't be fair of me to ask you to risk the entire Wubei Sect just for me. This wasn't my intention, Master. I just got carried away while explaining. Besides, my journey wasn't so bad. After all, I've grown stronger than I ever thought possible, and in record time. Please, Master, don't kneel. Please."

Sect Leader Xuan looked up at his disciple.

"Cao Yun... The Hongchen Kingdom owes you a lot, but we've never repaid you. It took from you your entire family and now it wants to take your sister seemingly to protect itself and its citizens. And yet, you've helped us root out the demonic cultivators in our midst. Even now that you know the whole truth, you're still fighting the demons at our door, risking your life against Demon God Da Mo himself. Despite all of that, you don't hate our Hongchen Kingdom. I swear that I will do everything that I can to help you save your sister. Even if I am deemed a traitor to the human race, even if my very Wubei Sect is condemned and abolished, this old man will help you! I swear on Ancestor Wu himself. I swear on my Dao Heart."

All of Cao Yun's thoughts about abandoning the Wubei Sect in order to protect it disappeared. His own master was now kneeling before him while swearing on what was most precious to him. For a few minutes, the two men stayed silent. Finally, Sect Leader Xuan started talking again.

"Cao Yun, you should go to the Huang family on your way to the Golden Flowery Fragrance Institute. Talk to the acting Matriarch Huang Cixi. Then, go to the Golden Flowery Fragrance Institute. Director Ge Ling unfortunately died trying to break through to the 9th-grade Spirit Warrior stage a couple of years ago. Now, Spirit Master Hua Fenfei is director. Considering your relation with her sister Spirit Master Xiao Xuefeng and her direct disciple Feng Yingyue, she'll help you as well. Many people have realized that Emperor Weide is suspicious. But this war forced us all to rally under his banner. My young disciple, you will not fight alone."

"Thank you, Master. I don't even know what to say..."

"You don't have to say anything.

"Concerning your blood cultivation, you are absolutely right to keep it hidden. Although it inherently doesn't mean anything, with the current paranoia about demon spies, you would suffer a lot from it. But I do think you are misguided in your cultivation efforts. Of course, I understand the impulse of trying to focus on the things that can make you powerful faster, but you probably won't be able to progress in the Dao of Death. You were extremely lucky, but it is absolutely impossible for a Spirit Warrior to actually perceive any Dao. Trust me, I've tried. All my predecessors have tried. And we have very little to show for it, even after ten thousand years.

"You should focus on your spearmanship, and on your Qi cultivation first and foremost. If you let me enter your sea of consciousness, I'll be able to help you cultivate your Soul Embryo. Our Wubei Sect's 'Coiling Turtle' contains hidden and secret techniques in order to cultivate one's soul. Only the current Sect Leader may know of those methods as they are extremely dangerous, but also very powerful. Considering your cultivation speed, they could be of utmost importance to you. However, you must lay bare your entire soul to me. Even though you were honest with me, this is something else entirely."

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Sect Leader Xuan's words were reasonable. Indeed, despite all of Cao Yun's attempts to understand 'Soul Chains', he had not progressed at all. The main reason why he had mastered 'Living Death' was because it had happened within his very soul. But unless he could actually fully awaken his Soul Embryo and open its Third Eye, Cao Yun could never perceive the Dao outside of himself. Only one's soul could touch upon the Dao, and opening one's Third Eye was necessary for the soul to see the Dao. Even the smallest parts of the Dao couldn't be perceived, except by chance. Otherwise, Sect Leader Xuan would have a deep understanding of the Dao of Space, considering all the efforts spent by him and his predecessors, all the way to Ancestor Wu ten thousand years ago. Cao Yun didn't have ten thousand years to catch a glimpse of 'Living Death'.

That being said, Cao Yun wasn't too sure about this cultivation technique. If he had to fully open his sea of consciousness...

"Boy, you're worried about me, aren't you?"

Dian Mo's voice surprised Cao Yun. But he was right. Cao Yun had promised to hide Dian Mo's existence in order to protect him. Unlike everything he had just told Sect Leader Xuan, Dian Mo wasn't his secret to reveal. Even Cao Yun didn't know how his master would react to this revelation.

"Hmph! I don't need protection from a young boy like you. If you don't get stronger, Emperor Weide will surely kill you. After all, you won't shy away from this fight. And even in the worst case scenario, if you fail to save your sister, I know you'll go all out and die fighting that bastard. So, in all those scenarios, I die along with you, unless you're strong enough. Let me speak to your master, boy."

"What if...?"

"Silence! I made up my mind! Just do as I tell before I decide that I'm wrong. As that Xiao Xuefeng once told you, when you get a gift, don't refuse it."

"Fine..."

Sect Leader Xuan could see some doubts in Cao Yun's eyes.

"Master, there is one last thing that I haven't told you yet. I had sworn to secrecy on the matter, but he just agreed to reveal himself to you. When I went in the Palace of Supreme Wisdom, I met the spirit of those array formations. And now, he resides within me."

Suddenly, another voice interrupted the conversation. It was Dian Mo's voice. Dian Mo's spirit couldn't leave Cao Yun's body, but the young man could let him talk through his spiritual senses. So Dian Mo's voice echoed within Sect Leader Xuan's mind.

"Young man, I am Dian Mo, spirit of the Palace of Supreme Wisdom. I was created by Demon God Da Mo to manage this array formation. For ten thousand years, you and your ancestors have been using and exploiting me for your own gains. When this boy went in, I tried to seize his body so I could escape this imprisonment. Unfortunately, I failed, but we came to an agreement together. This is why he didn't expose me for all this time."

Sect Leader Xuan stayed silent and listened to Dian Mo's voice. The spirit told him a lot about what had happened. However, he strangely made it sound more nefarious than it had actually been. Cao Yun knew that Dian Mo had had bad intentions at first, but he was convinced that Dian Mo was sincerely trying to protect him. The mere fact that he was exposing himself was proof of that.

"So, you've saved my disciple several times already. And now, you're risking your own existence to save him once more."

"What?! That's what you took out of my story?! You've grown senile, young man. A brat like you would never understand such a clever spirit as myself, but I didn't know you could be as deluded as that! This boy is just my insurance. I need him to stay alive. Besides, he also promised to give me a new body at some point."

"I understand. I understand all too well. But there is something I'm not too sure about though. You were the spirit of the Palace of Supreme Wisdom. Could you save Chief Elder Suxian's soul from it?"

"... No. Even if I went back as the spirit of the array formation, your chief elder's soul would have nowhere to go. Either it would remain with me, or it would leave and dissipate. The very moment he leaves the array formation, your chief elder is dead. The only reason his Hun didn't disappear yet is the array formation keeping him there."

"He's not a spirit like you, so how long before his soul doesn't dissipate completely?"

"I'd say that he has a century, maybe two, nothing more. He already exerted too much strength when your Wubei Sect fought its traitor, Mo Tian."

"And what happens when the Palace of Supreme Wisdom has no spirit?"

"Honestly, I can't be too sure about all the details. But the gist of it is that it will simply cease to function. First of all, it requires a tremendous amount of energy to activate it. If you don't have a spirit to control it, it will slowly fall apart. And one day, it will suddenly collapse. Honestly, it can take centuries, or decades, it's impossible to know. But I would advise against using it at that point, or all the disciples within would die when it suddenly collapses."

"I see... But if we put a spirit back in it, the Palace of Supreme Wisdom can remain active for millennia, and longer."

"Yes."

There was clearly tension between the two of them. Dian Mo would never return in the Palace of Supreme Wisdom. This prison had almost driven him mad. Arguably, one could say that it had driven him mad.

"Thank you for your answers. I will be cautious about our disciples in the near future.

"Cao Yun, are you ready for me to enter your sea of consciousness and help your cultivation? You shouldn't have any more reason to refuse, right?"

Seeing that his master moved on so fast intrigued Cao Yun a little. However he didn't sense any ill-intent toward Dian Mo. Of course, Sect Leader Xuan didn't really trust him, but he had accepted his answers and he didn't want to antagonize Dian Mo either. Thus, he ended the conversation and went back to what was truly important for him. Honestly, even Dian Mo was surprised. He had thought that Sect Leader Xuan would be more upset and would demand much more. Except for a few answers, he had demanded nothing at all. Maybe he already had something in mind. Dian Mo started to grow suspicious of the old man, but he knew that Sect Leader Xuan would not harm his direct disciple.

"Yes, Master. I am ready."

"Good. Then I will explain the cultivation method to you. Your 'Asura Strengthens Deva, Deva Enlightens Asura' is ingenious, and with a bit more polishing, it could truly become a powerful cultivation method that others besides you could also use. However, it's also very risky and always relies on the hard. Just like in martial arts, cultivation requires a balance between hard and soft. Both are important and necessary. If you only rely on hard, you will exhaust yourself and end up injuring or destroying your cultivation. But if you only rely on soft, you will stay stale. My technique is mostly soft so it will go well with your method."

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