Supreme Elder

Mao Nianzu arrived at the plaza. He worked for a local company in the culinary business. Yet, he saw the building had changed.

It should be a noodle restaurant, but now it looked like a news agency.

He rubbed his eyes a few times, then quickly strolled around to make sure he arrived at the same place.

From the house he slept by to this place only took five minutes to walk, so he would definitely know any change that occurred.

"Where is the restaurant?"

He asked a sweet candy shop next door. The owner only frowned and pointed his finger toward the news agency.

Mao Nianzu looked dumbfounded. Nevertheless, he went there. He looked at the time and decided to enter. "Five minutes more before my shift!"

Fortunately, the internal decorations were the same. It was his proper workplace.

He arrived at the changing room and hastily changed into the proper white clothes of a waiter. Then, someone tapped on his shoulder.

"I heard there's a free seminar for novice cultivators. Want to come after your shift?"

A fat man asked him with a smile. He was a sociable person, close with everyone, and always invited everyone if something was up.

So, this question was actually a mere act of formality.

Besides, even if Mao Nianzu wanted to come, he had another job after this shift, so he declined it kindly.

The fat man sighed and said: "Don't worry about your next job. I heard your workplace turned into ashes last night."

Mao Nianzu's face lost all colors. Turned into ashes in a night? No way…

The thing is, the next workplace was a large manor located closer to the majestic hall where the emperor stayed.

Which moron dared to do that? And what kind of might that could burn it in a night?

Mao Nianzu had no idea and immediately threw this matter at the back of his mind. For now, he had to focus on working and confirm it later. He hoped it was true so he could attend this seminar…

In the blink of an eye, his shift had over.

Mao Nianzu went to the manor alone to clarify the news even though he had heard this news multiple times from the customers.

He arrived in front of a gate with a sign, namely Virtue Manor. But half of the sign turned into charcoal, and he could not enter it.

Some officials were investigating, and many discussions were going on.

He asked one of them, and the response was hasty with secrecy.

'Suspicious.'

Mao Nianzu could not help but feel curious. So, he used his identity as a worker to have the right to ask them. "What exactly happened here? Where is the fat uncle?"

Fat uncle was the owner of this manor, a respectable person. Only his workers were eligible to call him fat uncle.

"Uh… there's a technical incident in the kitchen." One half-armored guard answered.

"That mistake burn the manor into ashes? No way!" Mao Nianzu gasped in shock. He hurriedly added, "fat uncle has many experts stationed here. They will notice it in an instant!"

"Yes," said the guard, then he himself quickly retorted. "I mean, no. The festival is hectic, and fat uncle was outside last night. He brought many experts along with him."

Mao Nianzu showed a doubtful expression. He hesitantly asked, "but the manor is so large, no? Passersby will notice it too. Lest people won't let this incident ruin the emperor's mood."

The half-armored stunned. Bringing the emperor into this case was reasonable, and if one caused a scene during his joyful moment, wouldn't it mean offending the emperor?

So, Mao Nianzu said with concern. "Fat uncle… is he alright? Or he's with the majesty now."

He looked around and found some workers also showed concern.

Fat uncle was known as a benevolent person, even letting him sleep in that dilapidated house. Many would naturally sympathize with such a person.

"We are investigating the culprit. Please wait for further details." One man in a sapphire robe said that. The guards immediately kicked the irrelevant people out and strictly guarded the gate.

Mao Nianzu showed a concerned expression. He did not really concern about Fat Uncle but about the dilapidated house!

Imagining if he had to move house again, Mao Nianzu rubbed his forehead repeatedly.

At an open auditorium.

There were many seats, most of them already occupied. Mao Nianzu arrived and sat in the middle of the audience seats.

He estimated the number of visitors could go up to a thousand audiences.

There was a middle-aged man sitting in a lotus position on the circular stage.

His eye closed as his sleeves gently fluttered. Wearing a white robe, he looked rather a dignified and respectable person.

"I'm not late." Mao Nianzu heaved a sigh of relief.

He anticipated this event as it was his first time attending a cultivator seminar. Moreover, the theme was 'fundamental cultivation' which was very suitable for him!

But, if he had to be frank, most of the visitors were youth; hence his presence attracted attention. Still, his focus was on the middle-aged man on the stage.

"Spiritual qi is the essence of heaven and earth," the middle-aged man spoke with his eyes closed. Both hands were on the belly point. "Mortals use it to live. We use it against heaven!"

Then, both hands rotated outward counter-clockwise, forming an illusory image of two opposite elements; fire and water. And it returned, stopped on the belly point again.

The hands contained two different energies, seamlessly formed in a perfect circle of fire-water that stayed behind his back like an unfathomable halo. A breathtaking moment!

People held their breath in amazement.

The middle-aged man opened his eyes, and a phenomenal visual appeared above him.

Many wondrous creatures lived within in a different world with thick Spiritual Qi, swimming and flying peacefully. Brilliance lights leaked out from this phenomenal visual, giving warmth to the audience.

"All comes from imitation. Before crushing mountains and drying oceans, we gather spiritual qi inside our dantian to imitate the natural beast in controlling qi. We temper meridian, building foundation, and the preparation is ready. What comes afterward is the arduous and long journey."

His gaze became profound, staring at the clear blue sky. Mao Nianzu followed his gaze and found thousands of cultivators solemnly listening to the middle-aged man!

They rode beasts, flying swords, or flying artifacts. It was so dazzling with many colors painting the sky.

Shortly after, the middle-aged man threw his gaze at the audience. Mao Nianzu felt nervous just thinking how if they made eye contact.

A bit more.

Just a bit more, and they would stare at each other!

Then…

Mao Nianzu's dark eyes met the surreal sapphire eyes. At the same time, the fire-water halo trembled and underwent a massive change as it started to show a sign of breaking.

Crack!

The cultivators in the sky squirmed their eyes, trying to figure out the situation. Some put barriers along the vicinity. Some prepared their techniques.

"What's happened to the supreme elder?" One cultivator on a flying sword asked. His hands held three lustrous, different talismans.

"I suppose we have no capability to fathom his power, let alone guessing this state." A cultivator next to him replied. He also held one high-quality treasure.

When many were contemplating the cause, Mao Nianzu looked flabbergasted. Inside the middle-aged man was a tiny dot of dark, chaotic energy. "That's…Abyss?"

He imagined himself inside that eyes. Soon, his surrounding changed into a narrow, dark room with an excessive height the ceiling.

Thud!

Mao Nianzu heard a loud knocking behind his back and then saw the middle-aged man kneeling with his head touching the ground.

His whole body trembled visibly, and cold sweats started to form on his forehead.

"This lowly one pays respect to the lord!"

Hearing this word, Mao Nianzu lifted one brow as he looked at the surrounding briefly. Maybe there indeed was a lord here, hiding somehow in the shadows as the luminous eyes did before, he thought.

But first wanted to make sure if the man could see him, so he said: "Rise."

The middle-aged man trembled more and knocked his head once more. "Please spare me, my lord!"

From this, Mao Nianzu was sure that he was audible. But why did the man keep calling him lord?

"Do you think I'm worthy of being your lord?" Mao Nianzu asked prosaically.

"I swear upon my true name! If there's a soul who says no, I'll be the first one who beheads him!" As the man declared so, a red wisp appeared within his body, then entered Mao Nianzu's glabella.

As far as Mao Nianzu knew, an oath was something precious to a cultivator that tied one's life, and that red wisp… he assumed it was the symbol of the pledge.

Now he was thinking about how to ask this matter without shattering his 'lord' image?

There was a momentary silence before Mao Nianzu said: "Do you think your oath amount to something?"

"No!" the man hurriedly replied, still kneeling. "This lowly one dares not contend against the lord!"

'This won't do. Later on, he'll keep lowering himself instead of answering my question. I should take advantage of this fear to extort information.'

Thinking like this, Mao Nianzu organized his words. Shortly after, he had an idea and immediately said it.

"Taking advantage of me with that wisp. Such audacity." Mao Nianzu took a few steps in a circle around the man. "Since it looks soft and cute, should I squish that little red ball for you?"