The five sect envoys didn't expect the Little Heaven Sect to refuse entry outright. They would have barged in disregarding their attitude, however, the Sixth Elder of the Little Heaven Sect was watching them from a distance. If they made a wrong move, they would probably be beaten black and blue.
So, they could only grit their teeth and retreat.
But, their desire to know what caused these four old monsters to take action unitedly was only further heightened. They knew that for the Little Heaven Sect to be willing to fall out with the other sects this decisively, whatever was in there must be something special.
Envoy Ming was the one who was most irritated by this turn of events. He didn't expect the Little Heaven Sect to act this decisively. They didn't even think twice before falling out with five sects.
This matter was related to Junior Wang Yunlong. He didn't want to make any mistakes. If not, his future in the sect would become hard. There are thousands of cultivators in the Foundational realms of the cultivation world. Only one amongst a hundred would be able to enter the Transformational realms.
The level of talent and potential showcased by Wang Yunlong even got the attention of the Nascent Soul Elder in the sect. He willingly came down and took Wang Yunlong as his disciple. Such things were rare. Even for a first-tier sect, there are only six or seven Nascent Soul level elders. One can imagine how bright the future of Wang Yunlong was at present.
Thus, it was imperative that he dealt with this matter properly. Unlike the other envoys, he wasn't delusional enough to think that he would have a chance at the treasure. The other envoys were hoping to luck out. Even if luck favored him, Envoy Ming knew that such a level of treasure will only bring him misfortune and it would only belong to Inner Court Elders in the sect.
So, he had always been sober-minded. He knew that the matter of the murderer was the thing he needed to focus on. Only by executing this matter in a good manner will he gain the appreciation of Wang Yunlong. Gaining such appreciation will only benefit him in the long run.
Wang Yunlong's cultivation might be lower than his right now. But, at his age, this level of cultivation can only be seen in top geniuses across the continent. It is most likely that Wang Yunlong would become the Young Master of the Iron Mountain Sect. Climbing this thigh was the most important thing at the moment.
If only he was allowed to enter the forest…
*****
Meanwhile…
Beneath a small waterfall inside the inner region, a large cave was present. Inside the cave, the floor was littered with blood. A large Four-Winged Leopard lay dead near the entrance.
In the interior region of the cave, Duncan sat calmly deep in meditation.
Right now, Duncan had entered a mysterious state. He had no clue as to what was happening outside. He was completely immersed in the numerous thoughts that were bouncing around in his mind.
Numerous questions rose in his mind, questioning a lot of things he has experienced so far. The whos, the whats, and the whys clashed with each other as they formed a clear picture of what happened to him, who was responsible for it, and why it happened.
It was a totally immersive experience where he got to know his own past intuitively. Right now, he can clearly trace the events of his past and the reasons behind it most of the time. This also allowed him to understand himself and his actions at a deeper level.
For example, in regard to cultivation, Duncan had always thought that the desire to cultivate was actually awakened in him because of his run-in with the old man. However, Duncan was beginning to realize that even without the old man's interference, he would have left his hometown within the next two years.
Duncan realized that even before meeting the old man, he had become jaded with the life of a spirit stone miner. He had always felt a little dissatisfied with his lot in life and had wanted to change. He had been jealous of the cultivators who guarded the mines and wanted to be powerful like them.
He had always been a little depressed with being cooped up in the gloomy dark mines. His desire to explore the world and see the sights of the world can actually be traced back to this depression of his.
Likewise, Duncan had known deep in his heart that he would one day leave his hometown in search of something new. Even though he didn't consciously realize it, he had known it subconsciously for a long time.
That's why he didn't have much attachment to the people who lived there or the place in general. That's why he resolutely left his hometown without much reluctance once he decided to search about cultivation. To him, his hometown had always felt like an invisible cage that he had longed to break out of.
These were stuff he had never realized about him before. They sort of made more sense to him. He began to understand why he did some things and what the reason behind it was. Actions that looked impulsive once had a new meaning after this kind of understanding to Duncan.
There weren't just answers. There were many questions as well.
For example, why did the old man choose him of all people? Did the old man see his restlessness and decided to give him a push? Did his ignorant words help the old man as he claimed or was it all premeditated from the beginning?
Why did that woman try to kill him just before his master took him in as a disciple? Why did his master defend him from the woman despite knowing her status? There was no need for his master to make enemies for a mere mortal. Were his actions when he was in that strange state indicate some profound things? Was this the reason his master interfered and took him in as a disciple?
If that was the case, what ulterior motives did his master have? He had always known his master wasn't someone kind. There must be some reason for his master to act for a mortal. Moreover, his master's look when he walked out of the Grotto Heaven was telling as well. There was most likely to be something fishy regarding his disciplehood. What was it?
Answers to his past actions. Clarity regarding his decisions. Countless questions regarding new things he encountered. New mysteries regarding him that he wanted to find out about. All things emerged in Duncan's mind one after another.
It was like a cleansing of a soul. Duncan experienced something very rare. He became more and more sure about his identity in general. This caused the confidence he had in himself to receive a boost.
Doing something because he was prodded on by someone was one thing. But, if you realized that your actions were always going to happen and accept the fact that you only advanced the natural course due to someone else's prodding, then your confidence in your actions will increase.
At most, due to the interference of the old man, his life trajectory had altered a bit. If he hadn't left his hometown, maybe he would have died along with others. Maybe, he would have left a little bit later and experienced some other things. Maybe, he wouldn't have gotten trapped in a beast tide and got into the eyes of his master.
There was no measure to know what would have happened to him if he wasn't instigated by the old man to search for information about cultivation at that particular time. In short, he could only accept what happened and move on.
As Duncan figured out his past more and came to terms with it, his soul began to become more and more condensed. It was as if some impurities that were present in his soul were being expelled and it became more pure. It wasn't anything physical, but it was something Duncan could feel clearly.
Duncan felt that his thoughts had become far more clear and his heart has become far more decisive. He could keenly feel the difference in himself. Right now, he didn't care much about other people's opinions of him. He had enough confidence in himself and was becoming somewhat assertive in his decision-making process.
Decisions that he would have agonized over in the past felt very easy to make now. It was as if he had seen through several miscellaneous things and was able to make up his mind easily. Duncan kinda liked this new change in him. He had never felt so clear-headed before.
It took Duncan a week to sort out all these thoughts. He wasn't in a hurry at all. Right now, Duncan felt this state was far more beneficial to him than rushing to comprehend the things he had felt when fighting with the Wang Clan Patriarch. Duncan didn't rush to concentrate on the profound feeling. He leisurely sorted out the clutter in his mind and decided to sharpen his soul before turning towards it.
After one week, Duncan felt that his heart was clear and his soul was light. He felt that it was time to actually do what he wanted to do. So, he turned his attention toward the feeling he had glimpsed after killing Patriarch Wang.
As his mind turned, he recalled the events that led to it.
