Chapter 803 - 460: Immortal Sect’s Direct Disciple

Those with weak willpower might never escape the Illusion Realm, dancing until they dropped dead...

Furthermore, Zou Feng could tell that Zhu Caiwei’s reverence toward him wasn’t solely out of fear for his potential as a Child of Fortune. She was also terrified of the physique he had acquired after absorbing the Golden-winged Roc. It was an instinctual dread. Just as the Dragon Race feared the Golden-winged Roc, spiders inherently feared birds.

Because of this, if Zhu Caiwei harbored any treacherous thoughts, Zou Feng could instantly pull her into an Illusion Realm filled with a gathering of birds of prey. Although Zhu Caiwei, as a Nascent Soul Great Demon, was unlikely to be trapped in the Illusion Realm for long, the brief window would be more than enough for Zou Feng. He could either escape or set up the Holy Lotus Rebirth Domain, ensuring that the moment she escaped the wolf’s den, she would plunge straight into the tiger’s lair.

In short, Zou Feng figured that once he completed the refinement of Meng Po’s Nascent Soul, executing the Hair Gel Hand alongside the "Complete Hypnosis" of Mirror Flower Water Moon would not be a problem.

Just as he was about to continue his refinement, a colossal Flying Celestial Ship appeared in the distant sky.

Sure enough, the commotion he had caused earlier had attracted a massive expedition force from the Immortal Sect. A single glance at the transcendent, sage-like old man leading them was enough to confirm that an Upper Sect Elder was presiding over the group. Moreover, Zou Feng sensed an even more profound and mysterious aura...

Once the giant Flying Celestial Ship drew near, Zou Feng and the other True Disciples naturally stepped forward immediately to pay their respects.

The Upper Sect Elder standing at the bow went by the Daoist name Fu Yun. The old man took one look at the overwhelmingly exuberant luck radiating from Zou Feng and immediately realized something.

"Zou Feng, did you slay Gongyang Wuji?" he asked.

"It was just a stroke of luck!" Zou Feng replied.

Elder Fu Yun was overjoyed upon hearing this. "Good, good... Our Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect truly enjoys prosperous immortal fortune. Those old fogeys were clearly overthinking things..."

At this point, Elder Fu Yun suddenly stopped himself. Truth be told, Zou Feng had noticed a long time ago, through another Upper Sect Elder—the Undying Master—that the higher-ups of the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect seemed to be worried about something. At the time, he suspected that besides the Ninefold Celestial Court, the Yama Underworld, and the Dubhe Divine Domain, they were facing some other formidable enemy... However, the Elder Fu Yun standing before him was clearly more optimistic.

"Are you Zou Feng?" a highly magnetic voice abruptly rang out.

Zou Feng immediately revealed a look of astonishment, as he hadn’t noticed when this person had appeared at all. Turning his head to the front right, he saw a tall, slender man in a moon-white Daoist robe and a high crown suddenly occupying what had just been an empty space. The man had strikingly deep and chiseled facial features. Although the man wasn’t exuding any aura, under the observation of Zou Feng’s Soul-Seizing Blood Eyes, he appeared like a vast, boundless ocean whose depths could not be fathomed. No matter how Zou Feng sensed or observed him, this person was undeniably a far more powerful entity than the Upper Sect Elder, Fu Yun.

Zou Feng didn’t recognize the man, but the moment Jiang Wanzhao, Zhao Feixiong, and Fang Shi saw him, they bowed in unison.

"Greetings, Brother Li!"

At the same time, Jiang Wanzhao sent a telepathic message to Zou Feng. "He is a Direct Disciple of the Immortal Sect, Li Chengxin!"

Zou Feng paused briefly. Though he followed suit and bowed in greeting, his heart was filled with confusion. Based on his prior knowledge, no Direct Disciples of the Immortal Sect had appeared here in the Northern Domain before. Did Li Chengxin’s arrival mean that the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect was finally about to get serious?

Li Chengxin casually acknowledged the group, but his gaze remained fixed entirely on Zou Feng. His look held no hint of same-sex attraction, but was rather an intense scrutiny of something else entirely. Zou Feng suddenly had a bad feeling.

As a Direct Disciple of the Immortal Sect, Li Chengxin was an absolute elite within the Nascent Soul Realm. Moreover, for anyone who managed to become a Direct Disciple, stepping into the Divinity Transformation Realm in the future was, if not a hundred percent guaranteed, then at least highly certain. Logically, such an existence shouldn’t covet anything on a Golden Core Realm cultivator. There was simply no need for it. Yet, there was something undeniably off about Li Chengxin’s gaze.

"To think that Gongyang Wuji’s luck was so extraordinarily strong, and that you actually managed to kill him. Rare, truly rare..." As he said this, Li Chengxin’s tone unexpectedly carried a hint of envy.

It was exactly as Zou Feng had suspected. If there was anything on him that could catch the eye of a Direct Disciple, it naturally had to be this profoundly mysterious, invisible, and intangible great luck. Although Direct Disciples were all reserves for the higher echelons of the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect, standing high above others in both status and strength, they still had their own internal rankings. While some lower-ranked Direct Disciples might not care, there were undoubtedly those who wanted to climb higher. At the level of a Direct Disciple, sheer hard work was completely useless for further advancement. It depended entirely on talent and... luck!

Li Chengxin was clearly someone unsatisfied with his current ranking. Therefore, it was only natural for him to envy Zou Feng’s vast luck. Fortunately, the man hadn’t gone so mad as to harbor murderous intent against him; there was no reaction from the List of Gods. This allowed Zou Feng to breathe a long sigh of relief. After all, as a Direct Disciple, the man generally had to consider the greater good of the entire Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect and wouldn’t be so ignorant of the bigger picture. Furthermore, displaying such blatant greed would simply be too humiliating and beneath his dignity.

But just as Zou Feng relaxed, he heard Li Chengxin say, "Zou Feng, by achieving such great merit, you have brought a blessing to the Immortal Sect. I think highly of you. How about... you and I become sworn brothers?"

The moment these words left his mouth, the scene fell into a dead silence.

Everyone present was shrewd enough to understand the implications. On the surface, Li Chengxin’s proposal seemed like it would heavily benefit Zou Feng. Even though Zou Feng would eventually become a Direct Disciple, he still wasn’t one yet. Becoming sworn brothers with a Direct Disciple meant paving his way in advance and securing a powerful backer. In the future, when both brothers were Direct Disciples, they could support each other, ensuring a smooth path no matter what they set out to do.

But the problem was that if they actually became sworn brothers, Zou Feng’s luck would instantly be shared with Li Chengxin. That was simply how fortune worked. With great luck especially, those closest to the individual would naturally reap the benefits. Moreover, as an elite in the Nascent Soul Realm, Li Chengxin was already capable of manipulating luck to a certain extent. As a result, if he formed a brotherhood with Zou Feng, the share of luck he siphoned away would be exceptionally large.

Of course, in exchange, Zou Feng would also receive numerous benefits from Li Chengxin. However, whether it would ultimately be a gain or a loss was something others might not be able to judge, but Zou Feng himself knew very clearly. He would be losing out astronomically! Possessing the List of Gods and having devoured Gongyang Wuji’s luck, as long as nothing unexpected happened, Zou Feng’s future achievements would absolutely surpass Li Chengxin’s. He would leave him completely in the dust. Therefore, this transaction was completely unnecessary; it would only result in a massive loss on his part. But if he rejected Li Chengxin...

Seeing that Zou Feng didn’t agree immediately and instead looked hesitant, Li Chengxin chuckled. "What, am I not worthy to be your sworn brother?"

Although he was smiling, his tone carried a distinct note of displeasure.

Zou Feng still didn’t reply, instead glancing at Elder Fu Yun first. To his surprise, the old man wore a look of eager anticipation, clearly approving of Li Chengxin’s proposal. Damn it, these two were in on it together! Zou Feng had known for a long time that the higher-ups of the Immortal Sect were divided into factions. Clearly, neither Elder Fu Yun nor Li Chengxin belonged to the Undying Master’s faction. After mentally weighing the pros and cons once more, Zou Feng gradually realized that he could not compromise. Although his path wasn’t the Path of the Tyrant like Gongyang Wuji’s, it certainly wasn’t a path of cowering and acting like a subservient lackey either.

"I appreciate your kind intentions, Brother Li. However, fellow disciples of the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect are already one big family. We are as close as brothers and sisters already, so there is no need for a formal brotherhood ceremony."

Upon hearing this, everyone except Jiang Wanzhao and Zhao Feixiong revealed looks of sheer astonishment. He actually rejected him outright!? Li Chengxin had played an open and foolproof scheme. Logically, there was no need for Zou Feng to offend a Direct Disciple at this juncture. Even if he took a slight loss, it wouldn’t have been a big deal. Or, if this had happened within the domain of the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect, a rejection might have been fine. But they were currently in the Northern Domain—a desolate and highly dangerous land completely cut off from the signal of the Celestial Dao Cauldron...

Hearing this, Li Chengxin was also somewhat surprised. After a brief pause, he furrowed his brows slightly. "Are you sure?"