History's Strongest Senior Brother

“Are they the person going along with us this time?” A flicker flashed across Yan Zhaoge’s eyes.

“That’s right.” Gao Han explained, “Traveling Monk Hui An is an expert comparable to our Daoism’s Grand Virtual Immortal Realm. Within the battlefield surrounding him, there are other experts of the Western Pure Lands and the Demon Race. Since we decided to act, we should make proper preparations beforehand.”

Yan Zhaoge nodded, “What you said is correct. Only, may I know where did you recruit such a helper from?”

Gao Han smiled and replied, “An old senior of the Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace, his disciple, and another senior that was already famous before the Great Calamity who had managed to survive until now.”

“Tell me more,” said Yan Zhaoge.

“The Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace’s Spiritual Clouds Palace’s Four Great Sage Generals. I’m sure that you and your wife have heard of it before, right?” asked Gao Han.

Yan Zhaoge and Feng Yunsheng both looked towards each other and nodded in unison, “During the Ancient era, a group of foreign vagrant experts that called themselves the Nine Dragon Islands’ Four Sages and came out to assist the Prime Clear Severing Sect. In the end, all of them underwent tribulation and became Investitured Gods. After entering the Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace, they were branded as the Spiritual Clouds Palace’s Four Great Sage Generals, and took the role of guarding the palace.”

“If this is the case, he should be Li Xingba?” said Yan Zhaoge after a fleeting thought.

Among the Nine Dragons Island’s Four Sages, Li Xingba underwent tribulation and became an Investiture God solely because of Mu Zha, the current Traveling Monk Hui An.

“Indeed, it’s Old Man Li, Li Xingba.” Gao Han smiled. He nodded and answered, “The other three had all thoroughly perished during the Great Calamity, and only Old Man Li survived until now. He then secluded himself within the void’s outskirts and never bothered himself with mortal affairs anymore. If it wasn’t for Traveling Monk Hui An coming out from the Western Pure Lands, I might not even be able to convince him to come out.”

The other person that came along with him – Gong Sunhui, was a disciple that he accepted after the Great Calamity.

Yan Zhaoge asked, “Is the other person not from the Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace?”

“That’s right. His name is Daoist Crimson Mist, and he was a foreign vagrant before the Great Calamity. After avoiding the Great Calamity, he had also been secluding himself within the void’s boundless outskirts. He’s an old acquaintance of Old Man Li, and he came here this time to assist his friend.”

Since both of them were foreign vagrants, Li Xingba and Daoist Crimson Mist’s relationship with each other were considered decent, and the two of them frequently interacted with each other.

Yan Zhaoge touched his chin, “This person didn’t originate from our Three Clear Lineage, right? Nevermind. Now, everyone can be considered to be of the orthodox Daoism.”

Before the emergence of the Immeasurable Heavenly Lord and the Immortal Court heretics, the orthodox Three Clear Lineage was a strict heritage. Their origins could be traced back to the Three Clear Grand Masters’ lineage.

Without the sect’s master’s permission, making branches of the said sect would only make these sects some outsider sects.

Or, if the sect inherited the Grand Clear Lord of Dao and Virtue Grand Master’s dissemination of Buddhism, said sect would be included among the Grand Clear lineage.

However, even so, the Daoism’s Thee Clear Lineages and the Three Clear’s branched lineages were still separated very clearly.

For example, strictly speaking, the southern Blazing Heaven Territory’s Phoenix Ritual Mountain’s Wutong Slope’s lineage and the northern Profound Heaven Territory’s Cloud Pavilion Mountain’s Profound Remnant Locale’s lineage were considered the Three Clear’s branched lineage, instead of a legitimate lineage.

Branch lineages weren’t necessarily weaker than the legitimate lineages.

In the past, during the era before the Great Calamity, martial arts flourished. Many sorts of branched sect lineages had also developed prosperously.

Of course, they weren’t comparable to existences like the Jade Illusory Palace, Tushita Palace, and the Roving Jade Palace.

Yan Zhaoge was more concerned about all the supreme martial arts being taught around the Immortal Court. After all, most of them originated from the prosperous Three Clear branched lineages.

After the Great Calamity, the Three Clear branches that had yet to be eradicated might have been absorbed by the heretics, thus making these supreme martial arts the Immortal Court’s initial foundations.

While some had joined the Immortal Court, some had distanced themselves from it. These Three Clear branches were then absorbed by either the Southern Extremity Longevity Emperor, the North Star Emperor, or the Incongruence Divine Mother, which allowed them to join the World beyond Worlds and the Roving Jade Heavens.

However, some had decided to remain as vagrants and secluded themselves from the world. Daoist Crimson Mist was an example of such people.

No matter if it was Li Xingba or him, both of them had secluded themselves by the void’s boundless outskirts and refrained from coming in contact with the outside world.

No matter how strong the Immortal Court heretics were, no matter what condition the orthodox Daoism was in, they most likely wouldn’t even bother or participate in such affairs. They only hoped to be excluded from such troubles.

In non-urgent circumstances, the Immortal Court didn’t spend too much effort disturbing these seemingly harmless existences.

After all, it was far too difficult to locate someone that had been residing by the void’s boundless outskirts for years.

“Strictly speaking, Li Xingba isn’t of the Prime Clear Severing Sect’s lineage as well. He had merely listened to the teaching within the Severing Sect in the past and merely had some relations to them. After he left the Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace and ceased to be an Investiture God any longer, he immediately went into seclusion and excluded himself from the world,” said Yan Zhaoge with a smile.

Gao Han smiled like a spring breeze, “Just as you had said, while he originally wasn’t counted as one, he can now be considered as people of the same path.”

“Indeed.” Yan Zhaoge’s smile was also as brilliant as the sun’s blaze.

If a huge clash against the Traveling Monk Hui An occurred, the Samantabhadra Cultivated Deity or the Compassionate Cultivated Deity might appear to seek revenge. If they still cared for their old relations, Old Man Li – Li Xingba would naturally become the shield…

“Zhaoge, both of your smiles resemble each other.” Feng Yunsheng secretly sent a voice transmission to Yan Zhaoge.

Yan Zhaoge’s expression remained unfazed. He replied through a voice transmission, “I have a strong urge to give this person a huge thumbs up. It truly shocks me how he could find such a great helper like Li Xingba.”

“Putting Li Xingba and Traveling Monk Hui An’s grudges aside, a vagrant Immortal like Daoist Crimson Mist had always been secluding himself by the void’s boundless outskirts. He isn’t accounted to in any population, nor does he occupy any treasures or resources. Although he would face a hard time advancing, he would just avoid the heretic’s attention under most circumstances. Why did he suddenly decide to join the action this time?” asked Feng Yunsheng, “Solely for assisting Li Xingba?”

Yan Zhaoge thought for a while and replied, “He should be aiming for the Three Brilliances Sacred Water.”

As he was speaking, a hint of brilliance shone from afar.

“We’re here.” Gao Han smiled, and went ahead first.

Yan Zhaoge and Feng Yunsheng strode forward together. As they got nearer to the brilliance, three streams of lights flashed across them, and three people were standing in front of them.

The man in the lead was wearing a golden crown and clad in a light yellow Daoist robe. His face was crimson red, and his beard grew from one side of his cheek. This was one of the Spiritual Clouds Palace’s Four Great Sage Generals – Li Xingba.

On his left, there was another middle-aged man clad in a light yellow Daoist robe as well. He must be Li Xingba’s disciple – Gong Sunhui.

On Li Xingba’s right, there was an old Daoist clad in a crimson red Daoist robe. On his robes, there were engravings of the patterns of clouds.

“Old Man Li, Daoist Crimson Mist, Daoist Gong Sun, sorry for making you wait so long. I’m truly sorry for this.’ Gao Han smiled as he greeted the three.

“You’re too formal, Daoist Gao. We had just arrived here as well,” said Daoist Crimson Mist in a courteous manner.

After Li Xingba and Gong Sunhui greeted Gao Han, their gaze shifted towards Yan Zhaoge and Feng Yunsheng, “Daoist Gao, may I know where these two came from?”

“I was about to introduce them.” Gao Han smiled and turned his head. He first looked towards Yan Zhaoge, “This person is Daoist Yan, Yan Zhaoge. He’s considered as our Daoism’s number one prodigy after the Great Calamity. Even before the Great Calamity, barely anyone could compete with him. As such, he had the title “Fallen Deity” with him.”

“Now that he had pushed open the Immortal Door, and returned to the Nine Heavens, the name Fallen Deity was naturally inapplicable on him any longer.”

“Daoist Ling and I refer to him as a different title… the Young Heavenly Lord.”