567: Chapter 567 The Future of the Peak

Inside Star Pivot Hall, the atmosphere felt as if it had solidified.

Master Xuan Heng slowly rose from the obsidian throne that symbolized the highest authority of Formation Peak.

His wide, deep-blue Daoist robes hung slightly in the windless hall, and his entire being radiated a profound, unfathomable stillness like an abyss.

He did not immediately walk toward Su Ming, but instead turned around, with his back to his little Disciple who had just achieved Core Formation.

His gaze was cast into the depths of the hall, looking at the ancient Array Patterns embedded in the stone walls, flickering with a cold, piercing light.

Those Array Patterns were the crystallization of wisdom left behind by the sages of Formation Peak through their painstaking efforts, and they were also one of the Foundations that allowed the Cloud Hidden Sect to stand firm in the Northern Territory.

A full ten breaths of time passed in silence.

During these ten breaths, Su Ming maintained a respectful standing posture, eyes fixed on his nose, nose fixed on his heart, without even the slightest change in the frequency of his breathing.

He quickly calculated in his heart: if he were to accept the topic of "successor" thrown out by Master Xuan Heng at this juncture, he would inevitably become a target of public criticism. Not only would other peaks within the Sect cast scrutinizing gazes, but there might also be undercurrents within Formation Peak.

However, becoming the successor to the Peak Revered Master meant being able to legitimately mobilize the vast resources of Formation Peak and even the Cloud Hidden Sect, no longer needing to carefully calculate over a few void meditation stones like before.

His greatest trump card at present was his flawless defensive Formation Dao, as well as the absolute trust of Master Xuan Heng.

As long as he did not leave Formation Peak, he would be safe and sound.

Just as Su Ming's thoughts raced, Master Xuan Heng suddenly spoke.

"Who do you think should be the next Peak Revered Master of Formation Peak?"

This question was abrupt, yet as heavy as Mount Tai.

Su Ming did not answer immediately.

In a place like Star Pivot Hall, any word spoken without careful consideration could lead to unpredictable consequences.

He chose to express his reverence and caution through silence.

Master Xuan Heng did not seem to expect Su Ming to provide an answer, and he continued speaking on his own, his voice echoing in the vast hall with a coldness that seemed to dissect all things.

"Eldest Senior Sister Ling Shuang's Dao lies in the sword; her heart cannot contain the complex and trivial matters of Formation Peak. Second Senior Brother Qin Yi's Dao lies in beasts; he is more willing to keep company with Spirit Beasts."

Master Xuan Heng's tone had no fluctuations, as if he were stating an objective principle of a Formation. "Luo Feng's talent is indeed higher than yours; he could even rank in the top three among all the Disciples in the history of the Cloud Hidden Sect. But he cannot even manage himself, let alone govern the hundreds and thousands of Disciples of Formation Peak."

Master Xuan Heng slowly turned around, his eyes as deep as an abyss looking straight at Su Ming.

"Among the four, only you have walked the path of management."

Master Xuan Heng's gaze seemed capable of piercing through Su Ming's Soul. "That mess in the Repair Hall—you built it from nothing. From establishing those cumbersome yet effective procedures, to balancing the interests of the lowest Menial Workers and Outer Sect Disciples, to its stable operation now, there hasn't been a single instance of chaos."

He took a step forward, his voice becoming heavy: "Formation Peak does not need a Peak Revered Master who can fight the best, and it certainly does not need a lunatic who thinks about blowing everything up all day long. Formation Peak needs the most stable Peak Revered Master."

Su Ming lowered his eyes, and beneath his purple Daoist robes, his fingers curled slightly.

He still did not speak.

Master Xuan Heng's stance was not an emotional entrusting of orphans, nor was it a decision made on a whim.

Su Ming remained silent for several breaths, until he was certain that his emotions had been completely suppressed to a level of absolute rationality, and only then did he speak slowly.

"Revered Master." Su Ming's voice was very soft, yet exceptionally clear. "Disciple is only at the Early Stage of the Golden Core Stage. There are also several Elders at the Nascent Soul Stage in Formation Peak. With Disciple's cultivation level and qualifications, even with Revered Master's decree, I cannot convince the masses."

This was the most realistic issue.

The Cultivation World is, after all, a place where strength is respected. For a Cultivator at the Early Stage of the Golden Core Stage to want to command a group of old monsters whose cultivation levels are far higher than his own is no different from a fool's dream.

Master Xuan Heng's tone remained flat, but the weight of his words was immense: "I am not asking you to take over now."

He turned around again, walking toward the obsidian chair. "Fifty years, one hundred years—I can wait. You do not need to prove anything to those Elders. You only need to walk every step of your path well and solidify your dao foundation."

Master Xuan Heng sat back on the main seat, his gaze like a torch: "On the day you reach the Nascent Soul Stage, you will push open the stone doors of this Star Pivot Hall yourself."

Su Ming's heart and mind were violently shaken.

This sentence was equivalent to giving him an absolute protective talisman.

Before he reached the Nascent Soul Stage, Master Xuan Heng was the sky above his head that would never collapse.

He took a deep breath, placed his hands steadily in front of him, and then performed a deep, solemn bow.

"Disciple will certainly not fail Revered Master's high expectations."

Su Ming's reply was likewise devoid of sentimentality; it was just a simple, honest promise.

But he knew that what he had accepted was a heavy trust, and also a path filled with thorns.

Deep in his Sea of Consciousness, from within the xuantian ring that had maintained an eerie silence, a disdainful cold snort suddenly came.

Lin Yu's deep-blue soul body rolled its eyes within the ring's space, and then, in a voice that only Su Ming could hear, muttered acerbically: "A weed that started being cautious during the Foundation Establishment Stage and wished it could bury itself in the dirt is now actually being handpicked to be a Peak Master. Is your Cloud Hidden Sect's Formation Peak truly out of people? Choosing a turtle to be the leader—you might as well rename Formation Peak to Turtle Peak in the future."

This kind of snarky remark that suddenly popped up in an extremely serious situation instantly shattered the slight sense of heaviness that had just risen in Su Ming's heart.

Su Ming calmly replied in his heart: "Master, I will take your words as a compliment. Being able to live as long as a turtle is, in itself, the highest Realm of The Way of Cautious Survival."

Lin Yu was choked up; the luster on his soul body flickered twice, and he huffed unhappily: "Shut up. You've gotten the advantage and are still acting coy."

In reality, Su Ming's expression did not change in the slightest.

Master Xuan Heng looked at the bowing Su Ming and nodded with satisfaction.

He raised his right hand and slowly grasped at the void.

"Hum—"

The surrounding Spiritual Qi quickly gathered, and a cyan Jade Slip exuding an ancient aura condensed into shape in the void, then drifted lightly toward Su Ming.

Su Ming respectfully received the Jade Slip with both hands, feeling the warm, moist Spiritual Qi emanating from it.

"Three Revolutions of the Golden Core; this is the complete Cultivation Technique for the Three Revolutions of the Golden Core in the Sect," Master Xuan Heng explained. "The first revolution stabilizes the dao foundation, the second revolution purifies the Spiritual Qi, and the third revolution opens the Sea of Consciousness, allowing the Golden Core to reflect. These three revolutions—each one is a qualitative change that constitutes a rebirth."

He looked at Su Ming, his tone revealing a hint of strictness: "Although your dao foundation was repaired with the heaven-mending pill and you achieved a Breakthrough to the Golden Core Stage, it ultimately had cracks. The work for the first revolution must be done immediately. Do not pass on this Cultivation Technique."

"Disciple understands." Su Ming solemnly placed the Jade Slip into his Storage Pouch.

This was a top-tier Cultivation Technique that money couldn't buy; with it, his path of cultivation in the Golden Core Stage would be smooth sailing.