Chapter 95: Venerable Mysterious Secrets

In the Spiritual Herb Garden of Mysterious Secrets Peak, Su Che once again found Linglong.
Linglong seemed to have forgotten the awkward incident from a few days ago. She said casually, “I can’t help you with this. Since I’m not a true disciple, without my master’s summons, I can’t just go to the Mysterious Secrets Golden Palace.”
Su Che frowned slightly and asked, “Then how should I go to the Mysterious Secrets Golden Palace to see my master?”
“It’s simple,” Linglong said with a smile. “Take the assessment certificate and climb step by step to the peak’s top, and you’ll naturally be able to see your master. Once you become an inner disciple, your master will definitely meet you for the first time.”
“Alright, I’ll go now,” Su Che said, scratching his head.
“How are you feeling? Must be quite nervous, right?”
Linglong winked, looking extremely cute in her mischievous manner.
“A little,” Su Che admitted, then asked in return, “So, how did you feel when you first met your master?”
“I didn’t feel anything,” Linglong giggled. “I was not even one year old when I first met my master.”
Only then did Su Che remember that their statuses were different. The elder of the herb garden and the Venerable Mysterious Secrets were considered brothers-in-arms, both belonging to the same lineage of Mysterious Secrets Peak, so their relationship must be quite close.
“I’m leaving then.”
“Go ahead, don’t be too scared,” Linglong said with a playful laugh.
After leaving the Spiritual Herb Garden, Su Che climbed up the wide paths of Mysterious Secrets Peak, step by step. He couldn’t go too fast and had to maintain a solemn expression.
Upward, there was first the living area for the ten true disciples, and further up was the Mysterious Secrets Golden Palace at the peak’s top.
There were no guards or any traps on the paths, but usually, no one dared to enter recklessly.
After climbing for half an hour, he finally reached the top of Mysterious Secrets Peak, which resembled a paradise. Along the way, he didn’t encounter a single person.
At the peak, an ethereal aura surrounded the place, with exotic flowers and plants. The abundance of spiritual energy made one feel refreshed and extremely comfortable. In the distance, amidst the dense greenery, a tall building dominated by gold could be faintly seen. Though golden, it didn’t give off any sense of vulgarity but rather a perfect blend of nobility, splendor, grandeur, and immortality.
Holding the assessment certificate, Su Che slowly walked toward the golden palace step by step. Before reaching even half the distance, he heard a voice ask, “Who comes there?”
“I am Su Che, a newly appointed inner disciple, here to see my master in the golden palace.”

Su Che couldn’t see where the person asking him questions was hiding, and Lao He also couldn’t detect him, which indicated that this person was extremely powerful—having already discovered himself even before entering Lao He’s detection range.
Just as he finished answering, the assessment certificate in his hand flew out of his grasp and vanished in the blink of an eye, clearly taken away by someone else.
After a short while, that voice came again: “Go in.”
“Yes.”
Su Che bowed respectfully and continued forward, never managing to figure out where the person was. However, he could be certain that this person was definitely not Venerable Mysterious Insight, but merely a guardian here.
Entering this magnificent hall, Su Che saw hundreds of cushions placed on the ground in the center of the hall. After standing there for a while, he tentatively knelt on one of the cushions and waited in silence…
After waiting for a long time, until Su Che became somewhat numb and distracted, he suddenly heard Lao He’s reminder: “He’s here!”
Su Che immediately looked up and saw a distinguished middle-aged man appear silently not far away. If not for Lao He’s warning, he would never have noticed his arrival.
The man wore a dark purple robe, not the usual Taoist robe style. With a square face and an air of authority without being angry, he exuded a sense of solidity akin to a mountain.
“Disciple Su Che pays his respects to his master.”
Su Che bowed respectfully until he heard, “Get up,” before straightening his upper body, though he still had to remain kneeling on the cushion.
Master, a master is like a father—kneeling before one’s master is only natural. But to be honest, Su Che felt somewhat reluctant to pay such great respect to this nominal master he had never met before.
Of course, he had no choice but to comply, unless he wanted to leave Tianxuan Sect forever…
“Su Che, you advanced to the later stage of Qi Cultivation at the age of sixteen, yet your spiritual root has only three attributes and is of average quality…” The deep voice spoke again, “Elder Lin believes you have great fortune. I also think that without such fortune, it would be impossible to achieve such results.”
Venerable Mysterious Insight remained standing, not sitting on the cushion at the center of the hall that belonged to him.
Su Che had thought he would be asked about what kind of fortune he had encountered, and he had already prepared an explanation for that. But unexpectedly, Venerable Mysterious Insight didn’t ask about it and continued speaking on his own.

“I myself have a deep understanding of the importance of fortune.” Venerable Mysterious Insight stood with his hands behind his back, seemingly recalling the past: “My innate aptitude was only slightly better than yours—still limited. Back then, if it weren’t for great fortune, how could I have become a true disciple, let alone eventually take control of this Mysterious Insight Peak…”
Su Che didn’t know how to respond and could only listen quietly.
It seemed Venerable Mysterious Insight had guessed Su Che’s thoughts, as he smiled slightly at that moment: “Don’t worry. I won’t ask what your fortune is. That’s your personal secret; no one else has the right to inquire.”
“Thank you, Master.”
Venerable Mysterious Insight’s words made Su Che feel that he was a reasonable person. So, this time, when he bowed, his sincerity grew.
“It’s nothing,” Venerable Mysterious Insight waved his hand gently. “Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself. Back then, what worried me the most and disgusted me the most was when people asked about my fortune, forcing me to invent lies that lasted for decades. Haha!”
He laughed heartily, his expression full of pride: “If I were to ask you today, you would surely lie repeatedly and never reveal the truth.”
With such a formidable figure before him, Su Che didn’t dare speak rashly. Speaking too much could lead to mistakes. It was awkward to admit it or deny it—staying silent was wiser.
Venerable Mysterious Insight didn’t dwell much on the matter of “fortune.” Instead, he changed the subject and asked, “From what I understand, you became an outer disciple last year and, in just one year, advanced from the first level of Qi Cultivation to the seventh level. Is that correct?”
“Yes, Master,” Su Che replied respectfully.
“Not bad. That’s quite remarkable,” Venerable Mysterious Insight nodded and fell silent for a moment before suddenly asking, “Su Che, if I asked you to reach the ultimate stage of Qi Cultivation within two years, would you be confident of doing so?”
“Huh?”
Su Che was stunned. He quickly weighed the pros and cons before finally answering bravely, “I am confident I can do it. Perhaps even a bit earlier.”
“Good!”
Venerable Mysterious Insight turned around, his gaze fixed on Su Che: “If you truly succeed, there is one task I need you to undertake. Would you be willing?”
“I will do my utmost for whatever Master asks,” Su Che agreed readily. As for what he really thought, only Lao He knew.

“Very good,” said Venerable Mysterious Insight with a smile and a nod. “In a moment, go find Yu Qing and ask him in detail about the ‘Xiao Mi Immortal Realm.’ Then you’ll know what tasks your master needs you to carry out.”
“The Xiao Mi Immortal Realm?”
Upon hearing the words “Mi Immortal,” Su Che felt a stir in his heart. On the golden flag he had seen in the underground fire veins of the Yin Wind Gorge, those same words were embroidered there. However, those characters were ancient shamanic script, not the common writing used in the current cultivation world.
Though thinking these things, he kept a calm expression on the surface. Su Che simply replied, “Master, Senior Brother Yu Qing is still in seclusion.”
“He left seclusion fifteen minutes ago,” Venerable Mysterious Insight said. He must have already learned that Su Che and Yu Qing were on good terms, and added, “This boy is lucky. He chose to enter seclusion before the time was ripe, yet he still managed to successfully establish his foundation.”
“Senior Brother Yu Qing has succeeded in establishing his foundation?” Su Che was overjoyed at this news.
“It’s just right that you go down the mountain now; you might meet him along the way,” Venerable Mysterious Insight waved his hand. “Go. When you reach the highest level of Qi Cultivation, come back here to see me.”
Before his words faded, he disappeared without a trace. But on the cushion in front of Su Che, there appeared a brand-new Qiankun Bag.
Upon being promoted to an inner disciple, one would receive such a reward during their first meeting with the master. An inner disciple’s Qiankun Bag would definitely be of a higher grade than that of an outer disciple, with several times more capacity. Su Che already had two such bags, obtained by capturing Luo Lianqiao and Zheng Jun. Usually, they were stored in the Immortal Prison.
Su Che expressed his gratitude to the master and left the Venerable Mysterious Insight’s Golden Hall with the Qiankun Bag.
On his way down the mountain, he encountered no one who questioned him. He checked the new Qiankun Bag, which contained a top-quality magic sword, five hundred spirit stones, and several sets of brand-new robes for inner disciples.
Now, Su Che’s wealth was even greater than that of a Golden Core cultivator, so these rewards surely seemed insignificant to him.
Venerable Mysterious Insight’s prediction was indeed correct. As soon as he reached the residential area for direct disciples, Su Che encountered Yu Qing on the mountain path.