11: The Righteous Holy Lord

Under Elder Li's lead, the group headed towards the Holy Lord Hall.

Along the way, Lin Ye felt countless gazes fixed on him, wondering if it was just his imagination.

Among those gazes, besides surprise and curiosity, there was also a hint of fear?

That makes sense!

Presumably, most Cultivators in the Righteous Qi Sect were upright and righteous, so seeing him covered in blood would naturally make them feel startled.

Lin Ye sighed inwardly.

He had come to the Righteous Qi Sect to become a disciple, but he had forgotten to change his clothes. Inside the qiankun ring his father gave him, besides some Spirit Stones and Cultivation Techniques, there were no clothes.

He hoped the Holy Lord of the Righteous Qi Sect wouldn't blame him for his impoliteness.

As the group moved forward, Elder Li waved his hand, and the surrounding spiritual power enveloped them, accelerating their pace.

Soon, they arrived before a majestic and solemn hall.

He just didn't know why, but the hall seemed to have just been “renovated,” and the paint on it hadn't dried yet.

"Demon... ahem... Holy Lord, Li Xingyun requests an audience!" Elder Li called out loudly from outside the hall.

"Hmm, come in."

As a deep voice resounded, Elder Li gave a meaningful look to Wei Wuji and the others, who instantly understood.

He spoke to Lin Ye, "Senior Brother Lin, we won't get involved in this matter of seeing the Holy Lord. We hope you succeed in becoming a disciple so we can become Senior Brothers soon!"

With that, without waiting for Lin Ye's reaction, Wei Wuji led the two away without looking back.

It was as if they wished they had more legs.

Before Lin Ye could wonder, Elder Li led him into the hall.

What met his eyes was a magnificent sight: a floor paved with white jade, walls inscribed with strange images, and numerous Dragon-carved pillars supporting the hall.

The carved Dragons seemed to come alive, looking down on all living beings.

Continuing forward, they arrived at the center of the hall.

On both sides were neat rows of seats, occupied by Cultivators with an ethereal aura. Judging by their Qi, they were undoubtedly peerless powerhouses.

At the very front, on a massive chair, sat a dignified middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man wore a Daoist robe, and his face, with its sword-like brows and starry eyes, was filled with righteous awe.

Just by his appearance, he was definitely a leader of the Righteous Path.

"Elder Li, what is the purpose of this visit that required all the Elders to gather?"

The Holy Lord's majestic voice resounded.

Hearing this, Elder Li bowed and said, "Holy Lord, to be frank, I found a promising young talent outside. He wishes to join our Sect, so I asked you and all the fellow disciples to meet him."

"Oh?"

The Holy Lord seemed interested and turned his gaze towards Lin Ye.

"Hmm... excellent bone structure, indeed a promising talent. This... hmm..."

"Junior Lin Ye greets the Holy Lord and all the Elders." Lin Ye stepped forward and spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly.

He possessed the destiny of a Son of Destiny. Although he didn't know the specifics, he had read so many novels in his previous life.

Neither humble nor arrogant was the way to go!

As expected, the Holy Lord's tone carried a hint of appreciation: "Lin Ye, well done. Facing the imposing presence of so many people, you remain undaunted. The path of cultivation, besides talent, requires a strong Heart-Nature. It seems you possess both."

Indeed! The netizens did not deceive me!

A Son of Destiny must act aloof and unyielding when facing anyone; showing neither humility nor arrogance will surely earn admiration.

Just as Lin Ye was secretly pleased that he had guessed correctly,

the Holy Lord spoke again: "A Prodigy like you, having already embarked on the path of cultivation, why haven't you chosen a Sect to join, even though you've reached the Golden Core Stage?"

"To be frank, Holy Lord, it's like this. I previously..."

Lin Ye truthfully recounted the various incidents with those Sects over the years.

As a Prodigy, those Sects had fawned over him. Later, when his cultivation regressed, those Sects immediately cast him aside like a worn-out shoe.

Even his fiancée came to break off the engagement.

Although this was a typical plot for a Son of Destiny, as the person involved, these events were not at all pleasant!

Bang!!!

"Outrageous!"

The Holy Lord slammed his hand on the chair and roared, "Those people are simply blind! Such a Prodigy, having already decided to take him in, why would they commit such perfidious acts? They are utterly unworthy of the Righteous Path!"

Hearing their Holy Lord's words,

the Elders around him twitched their mouths, one after another.

Good heavens, are those words coming from you, Lord of Blissful Demons?

Perfidious, arch-enemy of the Righteous Path, ruthless, sinister, and malicious—aren't these all your labels?!

Now you're the leader of the Righteous Path? You can even stand on the moral high ground to criticize others?

The Holy Lord paid no attention to the expressions of those old fellows and continued to speak to Lin Ye: "Lin Ye, do you know that you possess a special Physique?"

"I know."

Lin Ye was not surprised that the other party could discern his Physique.

After all, he was the Holy Lord of a Holy Land; could it be possible that he had no abilities?

Moreover, if Elder Li hadn't seen that he possessed an Innate Dao Body, how could he have gathered the Holy Lord and so many Elders in one room to allow him to become a disciple?

"Then do you know what kind of Physique you have?" the Holy Lord asked cautiously.

"A Senior once said that Junior possesses an Innate Dao Body. Because when Junior was born, there was a companion Dao Bone. I suppose it was because of that Dao Bone that I gradually acquired this Innate Dao Body, right?"

"What? Innate Dao Body? Dao Bone?"

The Holy Lord looked utterly shocked.

Yours is clearly an Innate Demon Body, not an Innate Dao Body. Dream on!

As for the Dao Bone... he knew absolutely nothing about this matter.

When Lin Ye spoke about those Sects earlier, he hadn't mentioned this Dao Bone, only that his cultivation was high.

Where's the Dao Bone? Where did the Dao Bone go?

Seeing the Holy Lord's expression, Lin Ye knew what he was wondering and said with a bitter smile, "My Dao Bone was dug out."

"What?!"

At this, everyone in the entire hall was no longer calm.

Dao Bone dug out?

You're still alive, kid?

You must be kidding me!

Whoosh... A gust of wind struck, and the Holy Lord instantly appeared beside Lin Ye, placing a hand on his shoulder.

At this moment, Lin Ye subconsciously formed his palm into a sword-finger, and white sword light continuously surged from his fingertip, but he forcibly suppressed it.

Killing Vicious Beasts these days had made his body react instinctively.

The Holy Lord was not hostile towards him; instead, he was probing the situation within his body.

"It's truly so, truly so!!!"

The Holy Lord exclaimed, "You indeed once possessed a Dao Bone, right on your chest. The Dao Rhyme of that bone is still circulating around it."

"A companion Dao Bone is generally bound to one's destiny. If the Dao Bone is lost, you should instantly turn to ash."

"But you are still alive and well; it's simply incredible!"

The Holy Lord's eyes were practically gleaming.

At this point, they had truly found a treasure!