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n“Are you there, Wuyue?”

nIn the Sect Leader’s hall, Xie Wuyue was sitting on his throne with a jade slip in hand detailing the distribution of resources when a vague baritone entered the hall.

nXie Wuyue sighed, “Fiend Yang, what on earth brought you here?”

n“He-he-he, to talk, of course.”

nA red faced and bulging belly middle-aged man walked in. On one side was a glum beanpole and on the other was a refined man with a fan.

nXie Wuyue nodded at them, “For all Three Fiends of Hell to come, it must be serious.”

n“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean? Am I not important enough?” The fat man scowled.

nXie Wuyue said, “Watch your tongue. You’re speaking to the Sect Leader!”

n“Oh please, weren’t you Fiend Xie in our little gang of four? Stop playing around, we’re all brothers here. Go mess with bystanders if you’re so keen!” Fiend Yang flicked his sleeve.

nXie Wuyue turned glum, staring at him and roaring, “Guards, throw these bastards out!”

n“Yes, sir!”

nMany executives came in but at the sight of the three, they shrank and looked at Xie Wuyue conflicted, “Ugh, Venerables sirs…”

nThe guy with the fan smiled, “Withdraw, we brothers are only joking.”

n“Yes, Fiend Gui sir.”

nThe executives scampered off with a bow.

nIn any other situation, these elders would’ve given their lives for Sect Leader.

nBut these three were part of Sect Leader’s clique, sharing life and death together, brothers having braved the Double Dragon Gathering and were now venerables guiding elites. They all liked to take light of the situation and crack jokes.

nAttacking the three would not only irk these three but Sect Leader as well.

nI was only faking anger.

nThe ones to suffer would be themselves, so they’d learned to stay clear…

nFiend Gui had no trouble getting them to leave and not even Xie Wuyue objected. It was obviously just a scare tactic.

nOnce the four were left alone, the beanpole went right to it, “Wuyue, we want to know about someone, the same laborer that interfered with the inner sect competition. Who is he?”

n“That’s Sect Leader!”

nAfter emphasizing his status out of reflex, Xie Wuyue sighed, “The brat is someone I brought from outside. Zhuo Fan is an outstanding chap.”

n“Stop stating the obvious. I’m not here for some confirmation. “

nFiend Yang rolled his eyes, “Why did you put him in the Labor Office? He’s no waste, or did he incur some punishment?”

nXie Wuyue smiled, “What punishment, since he’s been there from the start?”

n“Y-you foolish Sect Leader! You’re ruining everything. Dumping such a genius into labor? Ah, my heart can’t take it.” Fiend Yang held his chest and bewailed, “I warn you, Xie Wuyue, we’re lacking elites now more than ever. So get him out!”

nThe other two nodded.

nXie Wuyue replied with a snicker, “Have you forgotten that anyone thrown in the Labor Office will have their future cut off? On coming out, he’ll become an elder or venerable at most, but never an elite!”

n“Xie Wuyue, y-you damn Sect Leader. You just wasted a damn good seed! What about the Double Dragon Gathering, who is going to go if not him? Are we going to disgrace ourselves before the nine sects again?” Fiend Yang pointed at him.

nFiend Gui stared hard but smiled, “Wuyue, you’re the most calculative among us, your mind broader and that’s also why you’re sitting on that throne. You didn’t just do this out of foolishness, did you?”

n“Heh, I brought him in and am still waiting for him to bring me rewards! You think I wanted him to be a laborer? I planned on making him my disciple and use this status to make him an elite…”

n“That’s better.”

nFiend Yang butted in excitedly, “Under the wise and brilliant Sect Leader’s tutelage, such genius is bound to shine and break out of that accursed rule. But what’s he still doing there then?”

n“Someone opposed it.” Xie Wuyue sighed.

nFiend Yang squinted, “Someone was against such a genius? Who? Let me have a go at him! It’s those oldies, right? How many times did those old timers ruin our sect, how many talents did they kill? Talk, who was it? An elder or a venerable?”

n“High Venerable.” Xie Wuyue said glum.

nUgh!

nFiend Yang recoiled and said, “How can it be him?”

n“High Venerable is the greatest genius, giving his all for the sect and prizing honor above all else. Why would he deny such a talent from coming into the sect?” Fiend Gui frowned.

nThe other two were just as stunned.

nXie Wuyue was blunt, “No need to guess, High Venerable must have his reasons. And he told me just a few days back that he has a new plan, for the kid to never leave the Labor Office. You might as well forget about recruiting the brat as an elite. “

n“What?!”

nThey all cried out, “High Venerable hates him that much? Why?”

nXie Wuyue smiled, “No hatred, and from the message he sent, High Venerable sounded quite happy. And then there’s his last sentence ‘strength is everywhere’. He doesn’t want an elite and you three venerables can’t guide him either.”

nThe three were stunned.

nThey were past winners of the Double Dragon Gathering, Ethereal Stage experts and teachers of elites, yet couldn’t even guide a Profound Heaven Stage cultivator? Well, he was a freak, but still….

nHold up, then who’s supposed to guide him?

n“High Venerable!” The three echoed.

nXie Wuyue grinned…

nMeanwhile, in a secluded room, Grand Elder was sitting cross-legged. The person in front of him was sitting as well, but his muscles were tense and he was soaked in sweat.

nIt was Gui Hu.

nOpening his eyes, Grand Elder shook his head, “Let it go, it’s been three days now. It’s not easy collecting yourself so quickly.”

nHu~

nGui Hu eased a breath and felt like he had just gone through a hard battle.

n“How do you feel, are you at peace?” Grand Elder asked.

nGui Hu frowned and shook his head.

nGrand Elder sighed, “It’s not easy reaching such a level. You need to take it slow.”

n“Master, why are you so insistent that I meditate, yet never let me practice my arts? I’ve never met my match in the inner sect but outside…”

nGui Hu recalled the day Zhuo Fan swiped at him and tensed up again.

nGrand Elder could relate, “Gui Hu, you and him are worlds apart. You can’t reach him, especially in mentality and heart.”

n“Mind, heart?” Gui Hu was perplexed.

nGrand Elder nodded, “Yes, the heart. Gui Hu, you’ve trained the Underworld Fiend to its peak, and no one in the inner sect can hold a candle to you, but over these days I have seen your heart and seen it lacking. I did not have a reason to mind it until the event on the ring. I realized just how far behind you are from him. If you were to correlate with cultivation, it would place him in the Ethereal Stage and you in the Bone Tempering Stage. It’s just not something you can surmount.”

nSay what?!

nGui Hu shook all over, still puzzled. Just what is heart?

nAll he could comprehend was that he was behind, leagues behind…

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