Chapter 268 - 164: Heaven-Ascending Road, All Sides Sense It

Chapter 268: Chapter 164: Heaven-Ascending Road, All Sides Sense It

As time passed.

Countless slightly sarcastic voices echoed around the Holy Ladder Mountain Range. Some Cultivators were even eagerly waiting for the so-called Eldest Brother of the Beardless Sect to hurry up and make his appearance so they could all have a good laugh. It was obvious that some of the Holy Sect representatives weren’t here to attend the ceremony, but rather to watch the Beardless Sect make a fool of itself.

It was a classic case of kicking a man when he was down. The Beardless Sect of today had long lost its former glory. Ever since it fell from the Celestial Vein to the Earth Vein, it had suffered endless disdain and cold shoulders.

Just as Master Beardless and the others noticed the appearance of the Cyan Mist Sect’s Saintess, an incredibly imposing figure descended into the area and headed straight for the Holy Ladder.

"Hahaha! You old ghost, Beardless! I haven’t seen you in three thousand years, and you’re still not dead?"

The newcomer was incredibly ancient. His body radiated an equal mixture of life and death aura, and it seemed his remaining lifespan was even shorter than that of Master Beardless. Seeing the arrival of this old friend whose days were similarly numbered, a rare smile instantly blossomed on Master Beardless’s face.

"Brother Wuwei, it’s been years. You’re still breathing as well."

"Hahahaha!" The old man burst into roaring laughter. The two were obviously well-acquainted and shared a deep bond.

The newcomer was none other than the current Sect Leader of the Wuwei Sect on Thousand Sects Island, the Saint of Non-action. The Wuwei Sect was also a Holy Sect that had gradually declined from the ranks of top-tier, first-rate sects. Thus, the Saint of Non-action and Master Beardless shared a mutual sense of sympathy and understanding. Furthermore, the two had been sworn friends since their youth. Meeting again after so long filled them both with endless emotion.

"How could an old friend not come to show support for your sect’s consecration ceremony? The moment I received the invitation from the Beardless Sect, I personally ended my seclusion and rushed over. You old ghost, you’d better remember this favor." Master Wuwei paused, a visible glint of shrewdness flashing in his ancient eyes. He lowered his voice and asked, "Old ghost, tell me quickly, did you stumble upon some kind of hidden gem? How come I heard that the Eldest Brother being consecrated by the Beardless Sect this time is actually just an honorary disciple?"

"You must be joking, my old friend. What hidden gem could there be? It’s just the wishful thinking of a dying sect clinging to life."

"You old coot. If you’re keeping secrets even from an old pal like me, you must have really struck gold."

The two exchanged knowing smiles as they spoke.

It wasn’t until after their pleasantries that a sweet voice rang out from behind Master Wuwei.

"Yu Xuan greets Grandmaster Beardless and Grandmaster Wuchen."

Master Beardless looked behind his old friend. He saw a sweet-voiced, elegant-looking young girl peeking her head out from behind the hunched figure, bowing slightly to him and Master Wuchen. Looking at this lass with clear eyes—eyes that hid a hint of cleverness and mischief—Master Beardless was taken aback for a moment before realization dawned on him. "Are you... Mu Ran Yu Xuan?"

"You still remember me, Grandmaster Beardless."

"Haha, look how much this girl has grown! I remember the last time you came to see this old bag of bones, you were only this tall," Master Beardless said, a fond, grandfatherly expression washing over his face. "What is it, little Yu Xuan? You’re not planning to steal something from me to play with again, are you? Shouldn’t it be time to return the Beardless Holy Sword you swiped last time?"

Mu Ran Yu Xuan giggled. Her smile carried a tiny hint of apology as she hurriedly pulled out an ancient sword radiating boundless holy majesty. She tossed it over to Master Beardless and said, "It’s not fun at all anyway. I’ll just give it back to you."

Master Beardless caught the Holy Sword with a wry smile. Only this girl would dare to waltz off with a Holy Sect’s Sacred Artifact, completely escape punishment, and casually return it once she got bored of it. Between the entire Beardless Sect and Wuwei Sect, she was probably the only one with such audacity.

After returning the Beardless Holy Sword, Mu Ran Yu Xuan’s shifty eyes continuously scanned the hundreds of thousands of Beardless Sect disciples standing at the foot of the Holy Ladder.

"Grandmaster Beardless, I heard you found some boy from outside the sect to be the Eldest Brother. Who is it? Is he super strong?"

"He’s definitely stronger than our little Yu Xuan, otherwise how could he be the Eldest Brother of my Beardless Sect?" Master Beardless said with a beaming smile.

Hearing this, Mu Ran Yu Xuan looked indignant. "I don’t believe that for a second! I’m super strong now, Grandmaster Beardless. Give it a few more years, and I’ll even be able to beat you up."

This remark drew roaring laughter from the three Saints.

At this moment, including the Saint of Non-action, three Saint Realm Powerhouses stood before the Holy Ladder Altar. However, for the Thousand Sect Island Realm, this lineup was somewhat pathetic. If one were to ask which Holy Sect the Beardless Sect was on best terms with on Thousand Sects Island, it was undoubtedly the Wuwei Sect. Unfortunately, the two great Holy Sects were in the same sinking boat. Neither was doing much better than the other, and the Wuwei Sect’s situation was perhaps even more dire.

The Beardless Sect at least had three Saint Realm Powerhouses holding the fort, while the Wuwei Sect only had a single person left clinging to life—Master Wuwei. Even though the Saint of Non-action was an ancient Saint at the Peak of the Ninth Heaven of Saint Realm, his remaining years were even fewer than those of Master Beardless.

Perhaps seeing reflections of themselves in each other, a heavy mood settled over the three of them. Master Wuwei silently prayed that the Beardless Sect would truly experience a massive turnaround. Perhaps his Wuwei Sect was the only one in the entire Thousand Sect Island Realm that genuinely wished to see the Beardless Sect rise to prominence once more. After all, as long as the Beardless Sect remained standing, the ten thousand years of camaraderie between their two great Holy Sects would guarantee something. Even if it couldn’t keep the Wuwei Sect completely safe, it would at least provide a sanctuary for his granddaughter in the future.

As time continued to pass.

The sect representatives attending the ceremony arrived one after another. It wasn’t until the dust-covered Teleportation Array finally stopped glowing that Master Beardless received the final tally.

A total of one hundred and thirty-six Holy Sects had been invited to attend the Beardless Sect’s consecration ceremony for their Eldest Brother. Most of them were middle-tier, second-rate Holy Sects or bottom-tier, third-rate Holy Sects, with the latter making up the vast majority.