"I still say the same thing, Senior Brother Lin."
Chen Yan said:
"The person who killed Junior Sister Qin has a cultivation level of at least the Passable God Realm or higher. This also means the murderer's cultivation is at least two major realms ahead of us."
Only a cultivator at or above the Passable God Realm could silently pin someone to the Heavenly Summit Palace over two thousand zhang from the summit of Heavenly Summit Mountain using a sword.
"I know."
Lin Xinyang replied.
"With our Martial Spring Realm cultivation, what can we possibly achieve?"
Chen Yan pressed further.
"I just want to give Junior Sister Qin justice."
"Will you help me?"
"...I'm sorry, Senior Brother Lin. I have my own matters to attend to."
Chen Yan said.
"It's fine. I apologize for disturbing you, Chief Disciple Chen."
Lin Xinyang said this, bowed towards Chen Yan, then turned and left.
Chen Yan stood in place, lost in thought.
He didn't want to get involved.
Because the one who invited him was Lin Xinyang, the personal disciple of Yuanhua Mountain's Dignity Elder He Furen. Chen Yan remained somewhat guarded.
Because the elders of Kongshan Sect were also investigating the true cause of Qin Yue's death. A Martial Spring Realm cultivator like himself getting involved would only cause trouble.
Because, perhaps after he entered the Cycle of Reincarnation again, he might return to a time before Qin Yue's death...
No. These were all just excuses.
"..."
Chen Yan was silent. He simply picked up the token hanging at his waist, engraved with the four large characters "Kongyuan Chief Disciple," examined it for a moment, then slowly put it down.
Then he turned and walked away in the opposite direction from Lin Xinyang.
...
Slaying Heaven Pavilion.
Inside the room, Zhong Yin, Yue Chi, Lin Qifeng, and Chen Yan were all present.
Apart from Liu Yantang, everyone from the Sect Leader's direct lineage who had come to Heavenly Summit Mountain had gathered.
"The Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry will officially begin in three days."
Zhong Yin said:
"This is the result of Elder Wen's discussions with the Envoy Elders from the other four major sects."
Originally, for this Dao Inquiry Assembly of Chenping Continent, the delegation envoy for Kongshan Sect was Elder Zhong Yin.
But after Kongyuan Mountain's True Dharma Elder Wen Hongli arrived, Zhong Yin had handed over the authority in his hands.
Zhong Yin had already sensed the shift in the current situation.
Elder Wen Hongli was closely connected to Sect Leader Yun Yichen and also had a good relationship with Zhong Yin.
He had no reason to seize the authority from Zhong Yin's hands.
The reason things had developed to this point must involve intervention from others behind the scenes.
Like Bai Qiming, or He Furen.
Of course, it was more likely this was He Furen's intention.
Although He Furen was only Yuanhua Mountain's Dignity Elder, his position within the sect was slightly lower than that of Kongyuan Mountain's True Dharma Elder or Qingchan Peak's True Dharma Elder, he currently held the Supreme Imperial Law Token of Kongshan Sect's Supreme Imperial Law Elder Huo Mu.
In other words, on Heavenly Summit Mountain right now, He Furen held the greatest authority within Kongshan Sect. Even Wen Hongli and Bai Qiming had to yield to him somewhat.
Liu Yantang wasn't here because she was currently maneuvering among the other four major sects, trying to ease tensions.
Because she was still Kongshan Sect's Dao Gate Wanderer.
The Dao Gate Wanderer was a special position that the current Five Great Sects could establish.
Its purpose was to act as the sect's spokesperson in the world.
Wherever a "Dao Gate Wanderer" went, the host must treat them as an honored guest, regardless of the relationship between the sides.
This had been the rule in Chenping Continent for many years.
In fact, this rule was originally established by Heavenly Summit Mountain.
And originally, the Five Great Sects didn't have Dao Gate Wanderers either. The only Dao Gate Wanderer under heaven was the Dao Gate Wanderer of Heavenly Summit Mountain.
Heavenly Summit Mountain's Dao Gate Wanderer was also different from the Dao Gate Wanderers of today's Five Great Sects.
The Dao Gate Wanderers of the current Five Great Sects mostly had cultivation levels between the Martial Spring Realm and the Qi Sea Realm. Their main purpose in traveling the world was for training and maintaining their sect's relationships with various immortal cultivation sects in the world.
But Heavenly Summit Mountain's Dao Gate Wanderer was different.
Heavenly Summit Mountain's Dao Gate Wanderer had to be a cultivator at or above the Dao Union Realm.
The duties they needed to perform were not like those of the current Five Great Sects' Dao Gate Wanderers, maintaining relationships with various immortal cultivation sects.
It was order.
Heavenly Summit Mountain's Dao Gate Wanderer maintained the order of all immortal cultivation sects in this world.
Those who disrupted order were killed.
Simple, direct, clean, decisive.
Unlike the Dao Gate Wanderers of the current Five Great Sects, who relied entirely on their sect's prestige to travel the world.
Of course, the Five Great Sects truly couldn't act as arrogantly and arbitrarily as Heavenly Summit Mountain did in the past.
Although they appeared harmonious on the surface, behind the scenes, the Five Great Sects still needed to check and balance each other.
Returning to the present.
"After Qin Yue's death, our Kongshan Sect has an extra vacancy that needs to be filled. As for the candidate, Elder Wen has already decided."
Zhong Yin said.
"Who?"
Chen Yan asked.
"Hah, Lin Xinyang. A guy who couldn't even defeat a core disciple from Yunyin Peak in the sect competition, yet he's still a peak lineage personal disciple of Yuanhua Mountain. It's truly laughable."
Lin Qifeng's tone was quite disdainful.
Chen Yan's nominal master really couldn't stand Lin Xinyang.
First, because in Lin Qifeng's eyes, Lin Xinyang's character was too indecisive, cowardly, and useless.
The other reason was that Lin Qifeng had suffered a huge loss betting on Lin Xinyang during the sect competition.
It was that match between Lin Xinyang and the Yunyin Peak core disciple.
"This is probably Elder He's intention."
Yue Chi said, then he looked towards Chen Yan:
"Chen Yan, how are your preparations now?"
"Reporting to Martial Uncle, if I don't encounter the Dao Inquirers from the other four major sects, your disciple is basically assured of victory."
"Including those with higher cultivation realms than you? For example, mid Martial Spring Realm, late Martial Spring Realm, even peak?"
"Yes."
Chen Yan replied.
He truly could do it. Now that his Hidden Immortal Art had reached minor mastery, his true cultivation was late Martial Spring Realm. But the concentration and depth of his true qi could even be said to rival that of Qi Sea Realm cultivators from the Five Great Sects.
And the gap between the Five Great Sects and those ordinary sects was truly vast, immense.
Many geniuses from second-rate sects would probably only barely meet the threshold to enter the inner court in Kongshan Sect.
This gap was comprehensive, whether in cultivation resources, disciple aptitude, or the platform the sect could provide, and so on.
For the last eight thousand years, not a single Heavenly Summit Champion of the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry had been a disciple from outside the Five Great Sects.
Of course, there was one more than eight thousand years ago.
That person was Chenping Continent's number one Sword Immortal, and also its last Sword Immortal, Su Hongzhen.