Chapter 1017: Look far at the mountain peak, do not overlook the foot of the mountain

Several Foundation Establishment cultivators were utterly overwhelmed by the terrifying might, collapsing to the ground, drenched in sweat, their lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

The feeling of death, accompanied by endless despair, invaded their bodies. The power of such a mighty being was so immense that even a single hair from them could crush these cultivators countless times.

Han Xuan's face was pale, her eyes filled with nothing but fear, her thoughts seemingly extracted, with memories slowly fading away.

She couldn't comprehend why this was happening. Why would such a powerful being hold a mundane object gifted by Wu Hen with such reverence? The trace of the sliding gouge left an indelible mark in her heart.

This mighty figure seemed genuinely anxious, completely disregarding their immortal demeanor.

Especially the word "presumptuous," which had already caused their blood and Qi to reverse, their immortal meridians feeling on the verge of collapse. If not restrained, a single word could darken their path to immortality.

The grand elder's eyes were filled with rage as he coldly looked at the one who dared to mock the Dao Ancestor: "Which sect do you belong to, and who accepted you? Just a mere Foundation Establishment, and you already look down on mortals?!"

"You were stationed in the mortal realm to temper your character, not to act arrogantly and tyrannically among mortals in Kingdom Qian."

"Didn't the main hall of the sect teach you such simple principles?!"

"Must I personally come out of seclusion to teach you unruly little cultivators?!"

...

The voice echoed like thunder, and the sky was filled with radiant lights as outer sect deacons and elders of the Sky-Supporting Sect arrived.

They were terrified, standing far away with lowered heads and clasped hands, not daring to say a word.

After this incident... the structure within the sect is likely to undergo a major change!

In the Wild Heaven Region, to be honest, there really isn't any mortal territory.

The Sky-Supporting Sect used to recruit either wandering cultivators who had already made a name for themselves or mortals from large families within the sect. They had no experience in recruiting disciples from the true mortal realm.

Naturally, the mindset of these mortals was far inferior to those from large families, and their vision was much narrower, like children who hadn't yet understood life.

They could only resort to this strategy, continuing to train in the mortal world until they reached the Golden Elixir phase, when their mindset and Dao heart would mature significantly.

Only then could they better integrate into the harsh environment of the Wild Heaven Region, where the strong prey on the weak.

However, these young cultivators had stayed in the mortal realm for too long, inevitably developing a childish mindset of being the strongest. Yet, over the years, they had never oppressed any mortals.

Some arrogant jokes were harmless, and once separated from the mortal world, they would naturally realize how immature their mindset was.

But this time, the grand elder personally came out and caught them in the act... Who could bear this? It was entirely due to their lack of discipline!

The Foundation Establishment male cultivator prostrated himself, trembling all over, having forgotten his own name, and stammered, "Disciple... Disciple knows his wrongs, knows his wrongs...!"

He had merely spoken casually, with no intention of troubling mortals.

The grand elder snorted coldly, seeing through him at a glance: "Reflect! How dare you be so arrogant at the mere Foundation Establishment stage, not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth. If you don't understand, then stay here and reflect until you turn to dust."

This young disciple was still pondering why his casual remark had been discovered, not realizing the problem with his inexplicable sense of superiority.

There is always a higher mountain; as cultivators, we should look to the peak, not constantly gaze down at the base. How is such a person different from waste?!

But these young disciples had only recently entered the world of immortals and were still highly malleable. As an elder on the verge of stepping into the Heavenly Sovereign realm, he naturally wouldn't harshly punish his sect's disciples.

Considering his youth and ignorance, his undeveloped Dao heart, and this being his first offense, he would naturally give him a chance. If he still didn't understand, he would have to comprehend the Dao in the mortal realm until he turned to dust.

He had no interest in troubling such young cultivators or deriving pleasure from bullying the weak. He had long passed that ignorant and laughable stage.

Moreover, the Dao Ancestor was broad-minded, not even batting an eye at such slander, a true master of the immortal path.

Such a transcendent figure was the true model and senior of the immortal path, worthy of emulation and understanding.

"Yes!! Disciple knows his mistake!!" The male cultivator shouted hoarsely, his head bowed, tears almost bursting from his eyes.

The other cultivators, though harboring a sense of superiority as cultivators, hadn't shown it, nor had they expressed any arrogance in their words, thus escaping disaster.

After all, when they came to the mortal realm from the outer sect, they remembered the teachings of their senior brothers and sisters, maintaining some restraint.

But the sect leaders behind the grand elder felt their hearts sink. Although the grand elder hadn't troubled these young cultivators, the aftermath was their responsibility...

They truly experienced what it meant to tread on thin ice and what a true great figure of the immortal path was.

The grand elder left without a word or expression, yet a casual remark from a Foundation Establishment cultivator had affected half of the Sky-Supporting Sect. If the matter had been more serious...

It wouldn't have been the grand elder coming out of seclusion, but likely Xuan Ji, the patriarch!

The grand elder gently waved his hand, regaining his immortal demeanor, and his gaze slowly turned to Han Xuan, speaking calmly: "Han Xuan, I know you."

When this young girl joined the sect, it caused quite a stir among the high ranks of the Sky-Supporting Sect.

According to reports from several inner disciples, this girl was brought from the village where that little ancestor had traveled, and she had a past with him.

Her physical body was even imbued with auspicious energy, making her path smooth and without bottlenecks, breaking the limitations of her spiritual roots, even up to the Elemental Infant phase.

Even mortals touched by the auspicious immortal aura of that person would live a life free of illness and die of old age, a recognition of the immortal's status by heaven and earth.

It was also heaven's blessing to immortals, for the stronger would only further protect the order of heaven and earth, complementing each other. The immortal path never defied the heavens.

Of course, certain forbidden immortal paths and some pinnacle immortal powerhouses aiming to transcend the Three Thousand Great Worlds were exceptions.

At this moment, Han Xuan trembled at his words, biting her lips until they bled.

The grand elder looked at her with deep eyes, and due to her identity, the outer sect had quietly opened some doors for her. Over the past century, her status in the outer sect had been quite good.

Sometimes, she would find Qi-Enhancing Pills and cultivation techniques on the mountain paths, and her combat power was relatively strong.

However, these additional actions had instead caused her to feel strange, backfiring, and she even failed to recognize her old acquaintances...

The grand elder frowned slightly, but at least that little ancestor hadn't changed in appearance for a century. Did this young girl really think they were mortals?!

Or perhaps, that person had cast some grand illusion in the village, making all mortals feel it was perfectly normal.

After all, such a small technique could be casually performed by him, let alone that person...

But he dared not speculate recklessly, looking at Han Xuan and gently shaking his head: "If you gain insight in the future, come to me to retrieve these two items. Of course, your realm must reach Unity. If not, I will keep them for you."

"...Yes." Han Xuan's heart trembled, and even uttering a single word seemed to exhaust her entire life's strength.

The pupils of the nearby disciples contracted; Unity stage... They didn't even dare to dream of such a thing!

If they could cultivate to the Divine Transformation phase, like those sect powerhouses who once guided them, they would be grateful to the heavens.

They glanced at Han Xuan, their eyes filled with a hint of fear. This junior sister, it seemed, truly had a significant background...