165: Chapter 165 The older generation really knows how to act.

Chu Sheng was stunned; the ring on his finger was still burning hot.

The voice came out again, hoarse and weak.

“Your Excellency... please release me. I am but a wisp of a remnant soul; I pose no threat to you.”

The Old Grandfather's tone carried a cautious, probing quality.

Like an ordinary person cornered in an alley facing a knife-wielding thug, his first reaction was to beg for mercy.

Chu Sheng looked down at the ring and suddenly understood.

The Old Grandfather no longer recognized him.

The reason the Old Grandfather had helped him in the simulation was because back then, he was only at the Condensing True Essence stage—a fledgling Cultivator who needed guidance, Cultivation Techniques, and someone to help him see the path ahead.

The Old Grandfather helping him was, in essence, an investment.

Investing in a high-potential stock and waiting for a future return. It was very realistic and very logical.

In the world of cultivation, there was no such thing as kindness without reason.

But things were different now.

He was now in the early stage of Sea Opening, with the dual powers of Demonic Essence and True Essence flowing through his body. He had achieved Minor Achievement in the Taixu True Scripture, possessed the Heavenly Demon Body, and was protected by the phoenix ring.

With his current cultivation, wiping out a remnant soul was indeed not a difficult task.

The Old Grandfather's usefulness to him had indeed diminished significantly.

Cultivation Techniques?

He already had the Taixu True Scripture; there was no need to learn anything else.

Guidance?

The guidance the Old Grandfather could offer for the path beyond Sea Opening was also limited.

Combat?

What little power the Old Grandfather had left couldn't even withstand a single strike from Pride, let alone help him fight stronger enemies.

From an investment perspective, this investment had matured.

The Old Grandfather had invested in a minor Condensing True Essence Cultivator, and the return was a powerful Sea Opening expert.

But the problem was—once the investment ended, what use was the investor?

Chu Sheng suddenly felt playful.

He cleared his throat and adopted a fierce expression.

“Jie jie jie, old thing, hand over all your property. Spirit Stones, Cultivation Techniques, Magic Treasures—I want every single one. Otherwise, I'll drag you out of this ring and swallow you whole.”

The Old Grandfather fell silent.

After a long while, the Old Grandfather's voice rang out again, but this time it wasn't a plea for mercy; it carried a sense of composure.

“Your Excellency... I advise you to think twice. Although I am but a wisp of a remnant soul, I was an Elder of the Wendao Palace during my life. If you harm me, the Wendao Palace will not let the matter rest.”

The Wendao Palace.

Chu Sheng almost laughed out loud.

This old man was quite good at making things up.

Clearly the Sect Master of the Taixu Divine Sect, yet he insisted on pretending to be an Elder of the Wendao Palace.

Was he trying to shift the trouble toward the Wendao Palace to make Chu Sheng hesitate? Or did he think the Wendao Palace's reputation was more effective than the Taixu Divine Sect's?

Chu Sheng suppressed his laughter and deliberately frowned. “Wendao Palace? Aren't you from the Taixu Palace?”

The Old Grandfather's voice paused. “You... how do you know?”

Chu Sheng didn't answer.

He raised his right hand, palm upward, and a ball of white spiritual Qi emerged from his palm.

The spiritual Qi was pure and transparent, shimmering faintly in the sunlight. Then, under the Old Grandfather's gaze, the ball of white Qi began to change.

It turned from white to gray, from gray to black, and finally became a ball of pitch-black Devilish Qi, roiling in his palm like a miniature black Dragon.

Taixu True Scripture. The conversion of Void and Reality.

The switch between Demonic Essence and True Essence was as smooth as breathing.

The Old Grandfather's phantom drifted out of the ring.

He was much more solid now, looking more like a real person than he had in the Demon Tomb.

He stared at the ball of Devilish Qi in Chu Sheng's palm, his lips trembling.

“The Taixu True Scripture...”

His voice was shaking. “You... you you you...”

Chu Sheng withdrew the Devilish Qi and put on an innocent expression.

“I found the Legacy of Venerable Taixu in a cave once. Jade Slips, Medicinal Pills, Cultivation Techniques—it had everything. It was said to have been left by Venerable Taixu before his Ascension for a fated person to find. I was lucky and managed to get it.”

The Old Grandfather's phantom froze in mid-air, as if his acupoints had been struck.

The Legacy of Venerable Taixu?

In a cave? Left before Ascension?

When did he ever ascend? When did he ever leave a Legacy?

He had clearly been besieged, his Physical Body destroyed, and his remnant soul forced to hide in the ring.

What kind of nonsense was this brat making up?

His gaze fell on Chu Sheng, sizing him up from head to toe.

Early stage of Sea Opening, Dual Cultivation of Demonic and True Essence, Minor Achievement in the Taixu True Scripture, and even the Heavenly Demon Body...

This kid indeed had some skill.

Moreover, when he performed the Taixu True Scripture just now, the circulation route and the method of exerting force were exactly as he had created them back then, without the slightest error.

Could it be... that it really was a backup plan he had left behind in the past?

He thought carefully but couldn't remember leaving any Legacy.

But perhaps before the Taixu Divine Sect was destroyed, some Disciple had recorded his techniques in a Jade Slip and hidden it?

Or maybe because he was a remnant soul, he had forgotten doing such a thing?

The Old Grandfather thought for a long time but couldn't figure it out.

He stroked his beard, trying his best to look profound and mysterious, but the corners of his mouth were already twitching upward.

“Venerable Taixu...”

He cleared his throat. “He was indeed an extremely powerful figure. I vaguely remember that there was indeed such a thing as the Legacy you mentioned.”

Chu Sheng suppressed his laughter so hard he almost suffered internal injuries.

Seeing that he didn't speak, the Old Grandfather added another sentence.

“Venerable Taixu, you know, back then in the Central Region, he was a legendary figure. No Cultivator in the world did not admire him. The Taixu True Scripture he created was even more peerless under heaven.”

“Back then, I... cough, cough, I had the honor of meeting Venerable Taixu once. He was indeed of extraordinary bearing and peerless grace.”

Chu Sheng's mouth twitched; this old man really didn't blush when praising himself.

“Venerable Taixu was not only high in cultivation.”

The Old Grandfather continued, getting more and more excited as he spoke.

“He was also a man of chivalry and immense loyalty. Later, when the Taixu Divine Sect became the hegemon of the Central Region, the whole world looked up to them, and countless Cultivators admired them.”

Chu Sheng thought to himself, are you praising yourself or reciting your resume?

“What a pity,” the Old Grandfather sighed, his tone suddenly becoming somber.

“A tall tree attracts the wind. The Taixu Divine Sect was too strong, so strong that other Sects became envious. They united, set a trap, and besieged Venerable Taixu. Venerable Taixu fought one against ten and carved out a path of blood, but in the end, he still...”

He stopped abruptly at this point.

Chu Sheng looked at him without saying a word.

The Old Grandfather's eyes were slightly red, but he quickly blinked, forcing back the moisture.

He looked up at Chu Sheng, his voice carrying a strange sense of pride.

“However, Venerable Taixu's Legacy was not broken. His techniques, his Dao lineage, still exist in this world. And you...”

He pointed at Chu Sheng, “You are that successor.”

Chu Sheng thought, are you finally going to show your hand?

The Old Grandfather took a deep breath and straightened his back.

“In truth, I am Venerable Taixu.”

After saying this, he looked at Chu Sheng, waiting to see his shocked expression.

Chu Sheng opened his mouth and widened his eyes. “You... you are Venerable Taixu?”

The Old Grandfather nodded with satisfaction, his beard tilting high. “Correct, correct, it is indeed I.”

Chu Sheng clutched his chest and took a staggering step back.

“Heavens! I actually met the legendary Venerable Taixu! Am I dreaming?”

The Old Grandfather laughed heartily, stroking his beard, his eyes narrowing into slits from his smile.

“Who would have thought, who would have thought that my successor would have already reached the Sea Opening stage. When I was your age, I was only at the Spirit Spring Realm. The younger generation is truly to be feared!”

The Old Grandfather laughed enough. “You see my current state; I am but a wisp of a remnant soul, residing in a ring without even a physical form. If I could reshape my true body...”

He paused, his voice dropping a bit. “I would truly like to take you as my closed-door disciple.”

Chu Sheng was stunned for a moment.

This line wasn't part of the act.

The Old Grandfather looked at him with a mix of regret and expectation.

“The Taixu Divine Sect is gone,” the Old Grandfather's voice was very soft.

“It was destroyed by the combined forces of those so-called Righteous Path Sects. The mountain gate was razed, the Disciples were killed, and the techniques were stolen. Everything I built with my own hands has turned to ashes.”

He looked into the distance, his gaze crossing thousands of mountains and rivers to land on a place that no longer existed.

“In this life, I have no regrets. My only regret was not having a successor who could inherit the Dao lineage of the Taixu Divine Sect.”

Chu Sheng remained silent.

“But now, I have no more regrets.”

He said.

“The Taixu True Scripture is better off with you than with me. You have the Heavenly Demon Body and are a Sea Opening Cultivator; your future path might be much wider than mine was back then. I believe that one day, you will let Taixu flourish once again.”