Chapter 280: Surrender at the Ends of the World

Su Che didn’t know much about Elder Lingyuan, so he naturally had no preference for him. In fact, he wasn’t very satisfied with any of the other nine candidates either.

Su Che’s top choice was, of course, the Elder of the Medicine Garden on Mysterious Secrets Peak. But the problem was that he was only at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, lacking the necessary qualifications.

Thus, this matter remained unresolved, dragging on until now…

Meanwhile, in a cave dwelling within the Tianxuan Sect’s main hall, six Golden Core cultivators were gathered, discussing the position of “Venerable Mysterious Secrets.”

The highest-ranked among them was at the late stage of the Golden Core realm, while the lowest was at the early stage. They all shared one common trait: they all shared the surname “Duan.”

Duan Tianya, a direct disciple of Mysterious Secrets Peak at the Golden Core realm, was among them as well.

Within the Tianxuan Sect, there were over a thousand cultivation families of various sizes. Among them, the Duan family ranked fourteenth, while the Lei family ranked fifteenth.

At that moment, an elder surnamed Duan, at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, sighed sadly, “Tianya, it’s a pity you were born at the wrong time. The position of Mysterious Secrets that should have belonged to you is now out of reach.”

Duan Tianya simply smiled faintly. “Uncle, it’s too early to say that. Even if I don’t get this position this time, I still have a chance in the next round.”

Originally, during Xuan Zhong’s reign, as his top disciple, Duan Tianya should have had the best chance of succeeding him. But due to Su Che’s appearance, the fate of the entire Tianxuan Sect changed drastically. Xuan Zhong ascended to the Yuan Ying realm, effectively stepping down ahead of time.

Duan Tianya was still only at the early stage of the Golden Core realm, far from being qualified for the position of Mysterious Secrets. It was hard to say when he would be able to realize his dream.

“The next round?” Duan Tianya’s uncle shook his head. “Who knows what changes will occur in a hundred years?”

Another older elder surnamed Duan said, “Changes are inevitable. But if we can get my elder brother to take on this position, the next one will surely belong to our Duan family.”

The “elder brother” he referred to was the highest-ranked among them, Elder Yuanhe, who was at the late stage of the Golden Core realm. In terms of family hierarchy, he was Duan Tianya’s great-uncle.

Duan Tianya smiled silently without saying anything, but inwardly he mocked the elder who had just spoken: “Inheriting one’s father’s role? Do you think this is like hereditary titles in secular countries? Even if the Tianxuan Sect’s rules allow this, you won’t be able to overcome Su Che’s obstacle.”

At that moment, the late Golden Core stage elder, Elder Yuanhe, asked in a deep voice, “Tianya, after all, you and Tianyu were once brothers under the same peak. Could you go talk to him and try your best to persuade him?”
“I can give it a try.”
Duan Tianya couldn’t refuse outright, so he could only caution, “But I think the chances are extremely slim. To be precise, not only is there no affection between us, but we’re also naturally incompatible—fire overcomes wood, and he overcomes me!”
“Tianya,” Elder Yuanhe said gently, “I know something about those past events as well. But why not look at it from a different perspective? It’s true that fire overcomes wood, but the true principle is that wood gives rise to fire… Tianya, don’t be so proud. Sometimes, you must bow your head when it’s time to.”
“Wood gives rise to fire…”
Duan Tianya, who had been indifferent just moments ago, suddenly appeared confused.
“Fire overcomes wood, wood gives rise to fire…”
In fact, according to the most orthodox theory of the Five Elements, wood and fire are in a relationship of mutual generation—there is only the principle of wood giving rise to fire, not fire overcoming wood. However, due to the battles among cultivators, fire-based spells can indeed greatly suppress wood-based spells, leading to the saying “fire overcomes wood.”
Just now, Elder Yuanhe was reminding Duan Tianya that as someone of “wood,” he inherently has the role of “generating fire,” yet he always resists being overcome by it… So, if he thinks of overcoming others, the reason for their incompatibility lies with him, not with them.
At that moment, Duan Tianya truly had an epiphany: “Why always resist him instead of going with his flow? Look at those who followed his path—what success they’ve achieved now. And look at those who defied him—what miserable fates they’ve suffered.”
The elders of the Duan family didn’t disturb him; they all silently hoped that this most talented future star of the family could find the right path for his own life.
In life, having the right position is of utmost importance. If you stand in the wrong place, no matter how much effort or achievement you have, it will only lead to more mistakes…
Just like the relationship between Tianya and Tianyu—if he insists on standing against Tianyu, the more he resists, the more mistakes he makes. Eventually, he will go from being a minor rival to Tianyu’s biggest enemy, and if he loses, his fate will be utterly desolate.
After a long while, Duan Tianya slowly exhaled and said to the elders, “I understand now.”
Elder Yuanhe chuckled and said, “If you truly understand, even if this current Xuanji Venerable isn’t mine, the next one will surely be yours!”

“Good!” Duan Tianya nodded firmly and stood up to leave.
After he left, several elders of the Duan family exchanged smiles. Young people often don’t listen to advice; sometimes, they need to be tricked into playing a role to make them understand certain truths.
Fifteen minutes later, in the Xuanyu Hall, Duan Tianya approached Su Che.
“Elder Brother,” Duan Tianya said respectfully, bowing.
“Junior Brother Duan, please sit.”
Su Che nodded with a smile, already sensing that Duan Tianya’s demeanor seemed different today. Yet he couldn’t be sure—let’s see what happens next…
After sitting down, Duan Tianya hesitated before saying, “I came here today to surrender to you, Elder Brother.”
“Surrender?”
Su Che’s smile remained, but his brows furrowed slightly. The word “surrender” had two meanings: one was for an opponent to abandon their original stance, akin to surrendering; the other was to express sincerity.
Which meaning did Duan Tianya intend? Or both? Or was it a pretense to gain something else?
“Everyone has ideals or goals in life, and Tianya is no exception,” Duan Tianya said calmly. “I set many small goals for myself, most of which I’ve already achieved. My next goal is to become the supreme master of Xuanji Peak someday.”
Su Che nodded in understanding. It was only natural for people to have ideals and goals. As a direct disciple of Xuanji Peak, it made sense for him to aspire to become its supreme master.
Duan Tianya continued, “That’s why, the moment I saw you, Elder Brother, I saw you as the greatest threat. I believe that on Xuanji Peak, only you and Yu Qing are qualified to compete with me for the position of supreme master.”
Su Che still nodded silently, sensing that Duan Tianya intended to be completely honest with him.
“Exactly because of this, every step of your growth has been like a heavy blow to me. Unconsciously, I’ve positioned myself against you. This resistance continued until half an hour ago…”
At this moment, every word Duan Tianya said was true.
Su Che nodded and said, “Then I’m curious—what happened half an hour ago that made Junior Brother Duan suddenly change his stance?”
So, Duan Tianya recounted exactly what had happened during his discussion with the family elders earlier.
“Fire overcoming wood is just a phenomenon in battles; wood giving rise to fire is the true principle of the five elements,” Duan Tianya sighed deeply. “Previously, I was in a misunderstanding…”
“Hehe…”

Su Che waved his hand and said, “I think the theory of the five elements isn’t suitable for interpersonal relationships. If that’s the case, Yu Qing and I should still be like water and fire—hostile to each other, destined to fight to the death the moment we meet!”
“Yes,” Duan Tianya also smiled. “It all comes down to the heart; everything else is just an explanation.”
“As for the position of Xuanji…” Su Che said slowly, “I still don’t have a clear idea yet. Younger brother can tell the elders in our clan that I’ll consider it, but I won’t be able to give any answer in the short term.”
“I understand,” Duan Tianya nodded. “I’ve lived on Xuanji Peak for nearly forty years, and I similarly refuse to accept any clan elder who isn’t from Xuanji Peak becoming the Xuanji Venerable.”
Su Che nodded silently.
“In that case, I won’t disturb senior brother’s cultivation anymore.” Duan Tianya stood up to take his leave, adding, “In the future, if senior brother needs my help, I will surely give it my all.”
“That’s best. I also want to thank younger brother for being so open with me today.” Su Che stood up to see him off.
On Xuanji Peak, harmony would naturally be a good thing. Otherwise, having Duan Tianya, a true disciple of the Golden Dan realm, always feel uneasy was quite annoying.
In the following time, similar situations occurred every day. Even Su Che’s friend Lei Xiao was forced by the Lei family to come and seek connections and favors…
Su Che regarded all these as part of life’s experiences, using them to accumulate wisdom. He had a vague feeling that the more of these experiences he gathered, the weaker the barriers he would face when advancing to the middle stage of the Golden Dan realm would become.
The path of cultivation is inherently a process of learning, exploring, and mastering higher levels of power. Thus, power in one’s hands is also a form of strength that deserves careful exploration.
And so, due to Su Che’s deliberate delays, the position of Xuanji Venerable remained unresolved for another six months. Within the clan, the Golden Dan elders launched three joint protests, all of which were suppressed by the Supreme Patriarch and the six top elders.
One day, in the Patriarchal Hall, the remarkable sight of seven Yuan Ying ancestors gathered together once again appeared.
“Tian Yu is in seclusion,” Xuan Zhong said with a smile.
“Oh?” Guang Wu asked eagerly, “Trying to reach the middle stage of the Golden Dan realm?”
“Yes,” Xuan Zhong nodded.
“That’s half a year earlier than expected,” the Supreme Patriarch remarked thoughtfully.

“If successful, it will be the mid-stage Golden Core at twenty-two. What kind of legend will this child create?” Master Qiu Yue, nearly five hundred years old, still had the appearance of a middle-aged woman, with a dignified demeanor and a gentle voice—clearly the type of person who would make a good wife and mother.
Elder Qing Xuan asked in a deep voice, “Junior brother Mu Ye, have you gained anything from the Secret Hall?”
“We identified a few insiders, but they’re all minor figures,” Mu Ye shook his head. “Recently, too many people have come and gone from Mysterious Prison Peak; it’s impossible to check them all one by one.”
“I guess after ascending, Tian Yu will go outside,” Elder Qing Xuan said in a grave tone. “His whereabouts must not be revealed.”
“Yes, Senior Brother Qing Xuan,” Mu Ye nodded seriously.