Chapter 752: 3 Discussions All Off the Mark

But those were all standardized buildings. Here on White Rock Peak, however, one could see many unique structures, and quite a few had been specially modified to suit their owners’ preferences and cultivation paths.

It perfectly embodied the principle that it’s all about who you know!

…

Zhang Deming didn’t alert anyone. Instead of using his status to barrel through, he landed properly in the mountainside square and made his way toward White Rock Peak’s Scripture Pavilion.

As he walked and strolled through White Rock Peak, Zhang Deming clearly sensed the difference in style between it and Spirit Nurturing Peak. This was especially true for the residences. Every small courtyard here, whether inside or out, had a Spirit Field of some size.

It was as if without one, a courtyard here wasn’t whole, but incomplete. The entire peak was practically a collection of estates.

Moreover, no matter what path they cultivated, every Disciple planted something in their courtyard—be it flowers, grass, herbs, or grains.

‘It’s almost like a trend. Hmm, no, that’s not right. It’s more like a standard feature. That’s a more fitting description.’

The pace of life here was also the slowest among all the Inner Sect peaks. Everything had the feel of a mountain resort. Although there were many buildings—even more than any other Inner Sect peak—the place exuded an air of leisure and contentment.

‘This place… seems even more suitable for retirement than the Scripture Pavilion! Tending the fields each day, chatting with neighbors from the other estates, enjoying some recreational activities… it would be a pretty good life.’

‘He had previously assumed that White Rock Peak, being part of the Miscellaneous Affairs Department, would either be full of people rushing about or just a bunch of miserable souls. He never expected it to be the Inner Sect peak that most knew how to enjoy life…’

‘Considering the situation, for Disciples with no Talent and little hope of advancing, coming here seemed like the best option. An early retirement!’

He continued on, stopping here and there to observe his surroundings. Just as he was about to reach the Scripture Pavilion, a crowd caught his attention.

“Don’t tell me Senior Brother Fanx Dexian is trying to force a breakthrough to the Duality Stage?”

“No way. Do you really think breaking through is that easy without the proper advancement resources?”

“Yeah, it’s definitely impossible. But he should be able to reach the Tai Chi Three Lives Peak.”

“It seems like a lot of senior brothers in the Sect have had breakthroughs these past few days. Especially over at the Array Department—they’re practically lighting up Celestial Lanterns every single day.”

“It’s ridiculous. Why didn’t the grand assembly decide to discuss all the Hundred Arts? Why only focus on the Array Dao? On what grounds!”

“Exactly! A grand assembly that only happens once every thousand years, and all the benefits went to the Array Cultivators from the Array Department. It’s like our Miscellaneous Affairs Department is their subordinate branch or something.”

“What’s the use of complaining? If you’ve got the skills, then be like Senior Brother Fanx Dexian and gain insights by analogy from the Dao discussion on Array Artifacts!”

“Oh, get lost. Stop arguing for the sake of it. Do you think just anyone can become a Core Disciple?”

“There are hundreds of thousands of Tai Chi Disciples, but how many are Core Disciples? Among the thousand ranked disciples, he’s ranked third, and the two above him are both at the Duality Cultivation level. Do you have any idea what that means?”

“It means Senior Brother Fanx Dexian is the strongest among all current Tai Chi Disciples, okay? What gives you the right to compare yourself to him?”

“Wait, why do I get the feeling he’s actually trying to break through?”

“Break through to what? He’s condensing the Three Lives Rune. But judging by the looks of it, he’s being a bit impulsive.”

“…”

Listening to the discussion, Zhang Deming was slightly taken aback. He floated forward. At the center of the crowd was a pond.

In the middle of the rather large pond was a Lake Heart Pavilion. There were no paths or boats leading to it from any side—a rather unfriendly design for Ordinary people.

At that moment, a figure sat cross-legged inside the Lake Heart Pavilion. Spiritual Light surged around his body, and a mass of runes in front of him flickered faintly.

When Zhang Deming saw the person’s face clearly, he was slightly taken aback.

‘It was him! The third-ranked Inner Sect Core Disciple, the outstanding disciple of the Fanx Family from the Miscellaneous Affairs Department, Fanx Dexian.’

Zhang Deming knew this person. He had once adventured through the Inner Island of the Cyan Wood Secret Realm with him. At the time, among all the Tai Chi Stage Disciples present, Fanx Dexian was the only one who could achieve sustained flight, relying on a technique that took the form of a dandelion. Come to think of it, the two of them shared a rather significant Karma Technique.

Seeing his current state, it was clear that after a minor breakthrough, he was trying to ride the momentum to directly complete the condensation of his Three Lives Rune. This would be the final brick, the last foundation stone, for his breakthrough to the Duality Stage.

However, he was clearly being too hasty. As a result, although the Rune Ball in front of him had already condensed, it was unstable due to his insufficient reserves, and there was a risk of the condensation failing.

Seeing this, Zhang Deming paused. After a brief moment of contemplation, he floated down. With a calm expression and his hands behind his back, he began to stroll forward, his feet treading upon the surface of the lake.

One of the few Disciples maintaining order was about to step forward and stop Zhang Deming, but another suddenly grabbed his arm. As the first Disciple looked at him in confusion, the second said, “Take a good look at who that is!”

Zhang Deming’s actions were noticed by all the onlookers, stunning them. Many asked in confusion, “Who is that?”

“What does he think he’s doing? Isn’t he afraid of interfering with Senior Brother Fanx’s advancement and facing retaliation later?”

“Looks like a Duality Master?”

“Even a Duality Master wouldn’t scare Senior Brother Fanx that much… wait, why does he look so familiar?”

“Holy shit!”

“That can’t be Ancestor Zhang, can it?”

“Holy shit!”

“I think it really is him! He’s not wearing his Three-Star Dharma Robe, so I almost didn’t recognize him!”

“What are you talking about? He’s still just as handsome even without it!”

“What’s Ancestor Zhang going to do?”

“I think this is Senior Brother Fanx Dexian’s lucky day!”

“Yeah, Ancestor Zhang is famous in our Sect for being a walking lucky encounter!”