Longevity: Starting as a Sect Servant

"Are you the guardian here?"

The suddenly appearing middle-aged man looked calmly at Li An.

Li An was extremely wary, for he had already sensed that the person before him was a... Golden Immortal!

Moreover, the silver needle in his hand was evidently the thing used to break the Dao Mountain’s Mountain Protection Array, something of a Taiyi Golden Immortal level treasure or Magical Artifact.

What was this person doing in the Stele Forest?

Li An did not show hostility but rather spoke with considerable respect, "Indeed, may I know if the senior has any urgent matters upon your arrival?"

The middle-aged man, seeing Li An so deferential, smiled slightly and said, "Aren’t you going to ask about my identity?"

"If senior wishes to tell me, you naturally would. Otherwise, how could I dare to speak out of turn?"

Somewhat surprised, the middle-aged man found this boy in front of him rather peculiar... quite different from the Dao Sect disciples he had in mind.

"In this Stele Forest, which stele holds the highest status?" he asked.

Li An replied, "It would be Withered Fate and Taiqingzi, both of whom once led the Dao Sect. During the destruction of the Spirit Realm, they refused to leave, dying in battle against the mysterious forces, always regarded by the Dao Sect as great sages of past generations."

Saying so, Li An gestured directly, "Please!"

He then led the middle-aged man to the steles of Withered Fate and Taiqingzi. The middle-aged man, upon seeing the inscriptions, sneered, "Ridiculous ants, weak in life, unworthy of great deeds, yet still worshiped after death."

With a wave of his hand, he cleaved the two steles in half, taking a segment each into his bag, then turned to Li An, saying, "You’re the guardian here and don’t act to stop me?"

Li An replied, "In front of senior, it would be like showing off a poor trick, overestimating myself."

The middle-aged man said, "Heh, I heard it said that everyone in the Dao Sect is resolute and unyielding, defying death but never bowing. Didn’t expect to find someone like you with such good sense and adaptability."

The word "talent" was clearly laced with sarcasm, but Li An remained silent.

Though he said nothing, he was secretly preparing, ready to display the mysterious cultivation of a great Celestial Immortal to confront this man.

The gap between a Golden Immortal and a Celestial Immortal is vast, but historically, great Celestial Immortals have been rare; with the Celestial Corpse Small Sword, he wasn’t entirely without a chance to engage in a deadly battle with this opponent!

But if he could avoid fighting, it would be best, for certainly, the other wouldn’t be alone, and once exposed in the Saint Realm, his mysterious cultivation would invite endless trouble.

"If only Xiang Yuntian and Gu Canye were as adaptable as you, I wouldn’t have to go to such lengths!"

The middle-aged man remarked suddenly, "Boy, do you wish to live or die?"

Li An replied, "Naturally to live."

The middle-aged man nodded, "Good, then I’ll give you a chance. Dig up those new graves for me and scatter their bones to the wind!"

He pointed to the graves of Qin Yue and others.

In Li An’s heart flashed a moment of murderous intent, but he maintained calm and rationality, deliberately showing a hesitant expression on his face.

"What? Heh, you wish to lie in there, worshiped and revered like these dead?"

The middle-aged man sneered coldly, releasing a faint Golden Immortal aura, causing Li An’s face to change dramatically. After thinking it over, he clenched his teeth and said, "Alright!"

He then indeed went to the new graves, using his mana to dig up the graves of Qin Yue and others, and with a spell, turned their corpses to ash!

Though his heart felt a sense of unwillingness, Li An had always been rational—dead is dead; like grass, wood, sand, and stone! Qin Yue and the others were long gone, without consciousness. To sacrifice the lives and blood of the living for the dead would be unwise.

Looking at the scattered ashes, Li An seemed to have gone through a great battle, showing a kind of exhaustion, he looked at the middle-aged man and said, "Senior... would you let me go now?"

The middle-aged man smiled with satisfaction, a crystal already in his sleeve, saying, "This is proof of your betrayal of the Dao Sect and allegiance to others!"

"Boy, remember this: Qianmiao Master of the Double-Headed Mountain is my identity. In the future, while you practice within the Dao Sect, if my command comes and you dare not obey, I will ruin you, leaving you with no place to turn!"

His words were chilling.

In fact, Li An, a mere average disciple with cultivation no more than an Immortal, was far beneath his notice. However, the Double-Headed Mountain had been targeting the Dao Peak for a long time, unable to find an opening or a cowardly type, until encountering someone like Li An to place a strategic piece.

Li An’s face was terribly grim, but he had no choice but to nod and agree, saying, "If that’s the case... please senior, level this place, otherwise traces of my actions would hardly be hidden from the people of Dao Mountain."

He pointed at the scene he had destroyed.

Qianmiao Master, upon hearing, was slightly shaken, inwardly noting that someone with such deep and sinister thoughts was indeed an ideal choice for an undercover agent!

With a flip of his palm, the field of new graves immediately exploded, steles shattered, dirt scattering. The buried corpses reduced to ashes. With a flick, a strong Immortal Power shot into Li An’s body, causing Li An to spit a mouthful of blood, his face pale, barely standing.

"For me to come here and leave you unscathed would easily arouse suspicion, so I’ll help you a bit, hehe—"

Qianmiao Master laughed, "Oh, right, boy, what is your name?"

"Chi Yilan," Li An said.