"That imprint technique was something I acquired by chance. I only know how to apply the imprint, but as for how to remove it, I truly haven't learned." Zhang Chen's face was full of apology. "Why must the Ancestor be so concerned? It's just an imprint, what effect could it possibly have on the Ancestor?"
"Nonsense! How can it have no effect? This technique is branded within my soul and will surely bear unknown dangers and restrictions. You better lift it immediately, or the Ancestor won't let you off!" The Innate Peacock glared at Zhang Chen.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen chuckled and deftly changed the subject, his Five-Colored Divine Light flickering behind him. "Ancestor, will you still borrow the Five Elements Origin? If not, I should leave, and you can remain trapped in this Land of Return."
Seeing Zhang Chen's rogue-like behavior, the Innate Peacock was literally boiling with rage, breathing heavily, knowing that it was currently relying on someone else. It could only abandon further disputes over the issue:
"What do you mean by borrowing the Innate Five Elements? The Innate Five Elements on you were originally mine!"
While speaking in anger, it rushed into the Five-Colored Divine Light behind Zhang Chen, lodging itself within those five feathers, and then Zhang Chen promptly withdrew the Five-Colored Divine Light. "The Ancestor is mistaken; these five feathers were something I picked up off the ground, what's it got to do with you? You claim they are yours; call them and see if they respond to you."
His Five-Colored Divine Light was already recorded by the Golden Finger Interface and had become a skill on the Golden Finger Interface. If the peacock wants to take it back, it's nothing but a pipe dream unless its power surpasses his Golden Finger.
If its power is stronger than his Golden Finger, then why should he bother? Just kneel down and surrender, waiting for acceptance by the opponent would be sufficient.
The Innate Peacock entered its own five feathers, feeling secretly delighted: "Clever boy, still young, must get used to the Ancestor's washing feet water. The Ancestor's abilities are beyond your comprehension. These five feathers are condensed from my origin, being one with me. As long as my Essence, Qi, and Spirit fall into them, even if this treasure has been refined by you, I can retrieve it with just a thought."
The Innate Peacock was profoundly ecstatic, quickly attempting to sense the five feathers, yet in the next moment, it changed color abruptly:
"What the hell is this? These five feathers are completely disconnected from me, without any of my Essence, Qi, and Spirit imprints? How could this be? How can this possibly be?"
To it, these five feathers were akin to a part of its very soul; as long as it touched them, it could directly reclaim them. But now, someone told it its soul no longer belonged to itself; how could this be possible?
"What the hell is going on?" The Innate Peacock felt the sky had fallen.
Recovering these five Innate Feathers would have saved him millions of years of cultivation and restored him to peak state within a millennium. But now, what's transpired? Its origin no longer belongs to it, could there be anything more absurd in the world?
Let's recount when Zhang Chen sensed no one outside the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror, his figure flickered, directly flying out from the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror, landing gracefully on the ground.
In this world, there is no such thing as Divine Thought. There are only two ways to explore: one is to open the Celestial Eye, the other is to cultivate the Insight Through Permanence type of Divine Techniques.
Zhang Chen turned his face towards the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror, greed sprouting in his heart like wild grass. If he takes the opportunity to steal the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror now, putting it in the Devouring Space, no one would perceive it.
But upon considering the Ancestral Master of Longevity sacrificial refining a Grass Returning Pill just to borrow the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror to tide over calamities, if he steals it, then what about Xu Erniu? The usefulness of the Grass Returning Pill would be nullified, might Xu Erniu become endangered?
Thinking of this, Zhang Chen transformed into a droplet and slipped through the door frame, and made his way to Zou Wenlong's room before revealing his presence again.
With the Water Control Technique, his body became as water flow; as long as someone whose cultivation was higher than his didn't directly see the water flow, no one could see through his transformation.
"The next step is to find a body to help the Innate Peacock possess and be reborn. But who in this Daoist Temple is suitable for the Innate Peacock's possession?" Zhang Chen thought deeply about his next plan when suddenly the sound of a bell echoed, ringing thirty-six times continuously. Zhang Chen was stunned, having read every book in the Library Pavilion to know what the thirty-six rings imply: a call for all disciples to congregate by the Ancestral Master.
Zhang Chen promptly grabbed a mop and walked out from Zou Wenlong's room. He stood in the hallway, wiped his hands quickly, and rushed to the front courtyard.
Inside Qingcheng Mountain, powerful Qi Mechanisms flowed continually, with disciples of the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth tiers flying out from the depths of the mountain. Even though they tried to contain their aura, Zhang Chen's heart couldn't help but pound fiercely.
"Those are the four major disciples of the Five Villages Temple, who have practiced for countless years and reached the twelfth tier. There are also more than a dozen disciples of the tenth and eleventh tiers.' Xu Erniu approached from afar and explained seeing Zhang Chen staring at people in the sky.
"The four major disciples?" Zhang Chen asked curiously.
"Since the Ancestral Master attained the Dao, four powerful cultivators have been practicing by his side. Their cultivation has reached the twelfth tier but hasn't entered the 'fruit' realm yet. The eldest brother is named Bai Lu, the second brother is named Qingming, the third brother is named Cyan Pine, and the fourth brother is named Red Stone. These four brothers are the core and pillars of the Five Villages Temple, usually practicing in the depths of Qingcheng Mountain, seeking higher realms; unexpectedly, they've come out today." Xu Erniu's voice was full of curiosity.
Zhang Chen glanced at Xu Erniu. At this moment, he could invoke the True God Golden Light. As his True God Golden Light scanned over Xu Erniu, her entire being was shrouded in clear aura, and a fist-sized blue Qi whirled in her Dantian like a bead, constantly absorbing some mysterious energy from heaven and earth.
"Indeed, Xu Erniu has been plotted against, but is there any way to reverse this, allowing Xu Erniu to seize the creations of the Ancestral Master of Longevity?" Zhang Chen pondered silently.
He had too much to say but didn't know how to begin with Xu Erniu. Why, you ask?
Could he say that the Ancestral Master of Longevity was actually her biological father? Moreover, her father dared to intend to refine her into a Ginseng Fruit for sacrifice—how could he say that?
If he told her, Xu Erniu would surely not believe it.
No one knew better than him how much Xu Erniu yearned to meet her father. She had carried that little wooden sword for thousands of miles.
"Let's go, the Ancestral Master calls all disciples for a gathering; we can't delay, lest we be punished." Xu Erniu grabbed Zhang Chen's hand and rushed to the courtyard. "Just worried you didn't know what thirty-six bell rings mean, so I came to remind you, lest you be punished by your Ancestral Master."
Zhang Chen was moved at heart, and hurriedly ran to the courtyard with Xu Erniu, speaking calmly: "I say, have you met your father?"
"Not yet; my father is facing a bottleneck in his cultivation; breaking through isn't so easy." Xu Erniu replied.
Hearing this, Zhang Chen's eyes flickered: "There's something I don't know whether to tell you or not."
"What is it? Is there anything we can't say between us?" Xu Erniu turned her head bewilderedly at Zhang Chen.
"I've inquired numerous times in the temple before but haven't heard your father's name. I wonder if you might have gotten it wrong, that your father isn't in Qingcheng Mountain. Or maybe your father experienced some mishaps in Qingcheng Mountain?" Zhang Chen cautiously suggested.
Xu Erniu laughed at his words: "I thought it was something else! You don't know; my father was a cultivator hundreds of years ago, how would the current disciples know his name?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen scratched his head, feeling choked with a thousand unspoken words he couldn't express.
What could he do?
What could he do? The damned Longevity Thief Dao had thought of every back route, weaving a perfect story. Even if Zhang Chen wanted to find a flaw to warn Xu Erniu, he couldn't find the chance.
"Forget it. I'll think over this matter carefully myself, figure out a way to deal with the Ancestral Master of Longevity. It's best not to let Xu Erniu know about this; the little girl is still a child, her temperament is much less stable than an adult. If the Longevity Thief Dao sees through it, things could go sideways." Zhang Chen mused silently.
If he told Xu Erniu the truth, whether she believed him or not, if Xu Erniu did believe it, could she keep it secret with her disposition?
Should the Longevity Thief Dao perceive something amiss, everyone could be in danger; they could all be completely taken down.