Only three seconds? He's already the Lord of All Realms, so it doesn't matter.

Chapter 133: Each with their own ulterior motives

Ignoring the strange behavior of the group, Ye Xuan continued eating his breakfast.

In his view, these cultivators from all over the country were not worth worrying about.

Although he specializes in the method of devouring immortal seeds, he never takes the initiative. But if someone makes the first move and muddies the waters, then he shouldn't blame himself for his path dependence...

After breakfast, Zhu Xiao began clearing away the dishes, saying in a low voice:

"Daozi may move freely within the temple today, but please do not approach the Qita Pagoda or the abbot's secluded cave."

In the late afternoon, the three elders will explain the ritual arrangements to everyone in the lecture hall.

As a disciple of the Taoist temple, Zhu Xiao seemed to have anticipated this situation.

Thank you for your trouble.

After Zhu Xiao finished clearing away the bowls and chopsticks and left, the atmosphere in the dining hall became increasingly subtle.

More than a dozen pairs of eyes glanced at the token at Ye Xuan's waist, then quickly looked away, as if afraid of being noticed.

Ye Xuan seemed oblivious, picked up the tea and took a sip. The spiritual tea entered his throat, and the warm spiritual energy spread throughout his body.

Mo Chenling, who was sitting on the east side, was still eating, but his gaze was looking through the window towards the direction of the Qita Tower.

At the table to the north, among the four people dressed in dark blue Daoist robes, the middle-aged cultivator at the head put down his bamboo chopsticks and transmitted his voice to his fellow disciple beside him:

"With the Holy Ancestor Daozi here, the plan to launch a surprise attack tonight must be postponed."

The young disciple beside him frowned slightly. "Uncle-Master, what about the Golden Phoenix's remains..."

"Let's wait and see. This Daoist's cultivation level is not high, so he might become a variable."

The two rogue cultivators in the southwest corner made no attempt to hide their scrutiny. The burly man took a bite of his flatbread and mumbled:

"Boss, we've been here for a whole day, and we're still not moving. Is this really going to work?"

Besides, even the Holy Ancestor's disciple has arrived. Should we still get involved?

The person sitting opposite him looked annoyed. "What are you asking! I want to know too. Let's wait and see."

……

Withdrawing his senses, Ye Xuan put down his teacup, stood up, and left the dining hall.

The morning light was just right; the mist inside the Golden Phoenix Temple had dissipated, revealing ancient trees, verdant greenery, and the babbling of the sacred spring.

Ye Xuan walked slowly along the stone path, turning towards the library in the northeast corner. He had only caught a glimpse of it last night, and many details had not yet been examined.

Upon reaching the pavilion, the old Taoist priest guarding it was still dozing on a bamboo chair, his snores even and steady.

Ye Xuan entered the pavilion and went straight to the bookshelves he hadn't had a chance to examine closely the night before. Most of these books were covered in dust, clearly indicating they hadn't been read in a long time. He ran his fingertips along the spines of the books, finally stopping at a volume titled "Tales of the Northern Regions."

Turning the pages, one finds mostly strange tales and anecdotes from the northern border regions, allowing for a general understanding of the origins of those people.

For example, the Green Mountain Sect is located on the northern border. They usually have some interactions with the outer sect of the Holy Sect, and many of the top-tier missions are related to them...

Just as he closed the book, he encountered Zhu Xiao, who had come to clean the library.

"Why is Daozi here again? Does he still have questions about the history of Jinluan Temple?"

Ye Xuan put "Tales of the Northern Regions" back on the bookshelf and said calmly:

"Just browsing around since I have nothing else to do."

By the way, regarding the eight-hundred-year calamity of the Golden Phoenix Temple, have you heard the abbot or elders mention the details?

Zhu Xiao's expression darkened, and after a moment of silence, he whispered:

"This disciple is still a novice and only knows that after that calamity, all the masters in the temple perished, but the specific details... the abbot has never explained."

Ye Xuan waved his hand indifferently and walked out of the library. The sun was already close to its zenith.

Instead of returning to the hermitage, he turned towards the lecture hall. As he passed through a bamboo grove, he suddenly heard a dispute coming from ahead.

"Fellow Daoist Mo, you were lurking suspiciously outside the Qita Tower last night. Did you think we didn't see you?"

It was the voice of the woman in red from before, her tone carrying a hint of sternness.

Ye Xuan hid behind the bamboo shadows and saw Mo Chenling surrounded by three disciples of the Green Mountain Sect in the clearing of the bamboo forest.

Zhen Yu stood in front, her hands already forming a hand seal, while two other male disciples blocked her path from the left and right.

Mo Chenling remained expressionless, his sleeves fluttering slightly.

"There's no need for the Green Mountain Sect to make baseless accusations, is there?"

The moon was beautiful last night; I was merely taking a stroll to admire it and happened to pass by the Qita Pagoda.

Upon hearing this, Zhen Yu sneered, "Taking a walk?"

"But why did I see you extend moonlight from your hand to probe the mysteries of the array outside the tower?"

Mo Chenling's eyes flashed with a cold light, but he still had a smile on his face.

"Since you've already seen through it, why ask any more questions?"

The remains of the Golden Phoenix will be obtained by whoever has the ability. Your Green Mountain Sect wants them, and so does my Moon Eclipse Valley. It's up to each of us to rely on our own abilities.

Moreover, the Taoist temple is also looking for a catalyst; isn't that a kind of mutual attraction?

Zhen Yu was speechless for a moment, but he hadn't forgotten his original purpose in seeking out Mo Chenling, so he said:

"Since we share the same goal, why don't we join forces... and then split the spoils equally?"

However, Mo Chenling smiled and said, "Why would I join forces with you?"

"Without you, I could have swallowed the entire skeleton."

He spoke these words with great ease, as if he were certain of success in the face of the current turbulent situation.

Ye Xuan was also curious about what kind of methods this person had that made him dare to speak so boldly.

Upon hearing this, the three disciples of the Green Mountain Sect were indeed enraged. This person clearly did not take them seriously.

"Fellow Daoist has quite the appetite! I wonder if it's just boasting, or..."

Before she finished speaking, Zhen Yu unleashed magical power from her fingertips, and her two male disciples on either side also attacked at the same time.

Mo Chenling swayed, dodging the attack from the three, and at the same time, moonlight suddenly appeared from his sleeve, transforming into a crescent moon phantom, which slashed at Zhen Yu from mid-air.

Seeing that the four of them were about to start fighting, Ye Xuan naturally wanted to watch, but he was stopped by someone.

A voice cried out, "Stop!" Everyone turned to look and saw an old woman with white hair standing by the bamboo grove, holding a bamboo cane. She was the inconspicuous hermit who had been sitting alone during breakfast.

She lightly tapped the ground with her bamboo cane, and a ripple spread out, instantly dissipating all the attacks from the forest.

The four people's expressions changed, and they all realized that the old woman's cultivation level was extraordinary.

"With the Golden Phoenix Temple festival approaching, your private duels here are a blatant disrespect to the host."

Upon hearing this, Mo Chenling, being the most sensible, withdrew and left, leaving only the three disciples in the green mountains in the forest.

Zhen Yu and the others also quickly stopped. Although they were displeased, the other party was clearly not someone to be trifled with, so they could only bow and say:

"Your advice is correct, senior. I acted impulsively."

The three then left, and the old woman's gaze turned to Ye Xuan behind the bamboo shadows.

"Since the Holy Ancestor has been observing for so long, why doesn't he come out and make an appearance?"

Ye Xuan walked out calmly without saying a word.

The old woman sized him up for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "You are so young, yet your cultivation has already reached the eighth level of the Golden Core stage. The Holy Sect is indeed full of talented people."

"However, I advise you that you should not get involved in tomorrow's festival, Daozi."

"What do you mean, senior?"

"It's obvious, isn't it? Although you are a Dao Child, your cultivation level is not considered profound."

This old woman doesn't know if your arrival is at the behest of the Holy Sect, but surely the Holy Sect isn't very interested in the remains?

Without waiting for Ye Xuan's explanation, she leaned on her bamboo cane and slowly walked away, her figure quickly disappearing into the depths of the bamboo forest.

Ye Xuan stood there, "What's going on? Now everyone can see through my intentions?"

However, he believed that the old woman was just guessing, since this trip was not a sect mission, but only the personal request of the old man Fengtang.

Originally, the old man told him to retrieve something that wasn't the remains of the golden phoenix, so Ye Xuan decided to just play it by ear.

But now... he really wants to take a good look at these remains.