Hearing the stern-faced man mention the Worthy One, the others thought it over carefully. If a mortal truly had no cultivation, no Fortune, yet possessed vast supernatural powers, then he might indeed be the legendary Worthy One.
“So it was a Worthy One, no wonder he was so unfathomable.”
After Lei Lie sighed in admiration, he slapped his own forehead, silently berating himself. “Ah, if I’d known he was a Worthy One, I should have paid my respects properly earlier. It’s my fault for being a bit muddle-headed and reacting too slowly.”
“Let’s set aside for now whether that person was or wasn’t a Worthy One. Even if he was, so what? That doesn’t necessarily make him unfathomable.”
The handsome man who had remained silent until now smiled faintly. “A person is ultimately a person. A mortal is a person, a Worthy One is also a person. As long as they are human, in the eyes of our Great Immortal Dao, they are nothing more than ants.”
Old Huang shook his head slightly. “This old man dares not agree with Young Lord Shangguan’s words.”
The handsome man addressed as Young Lord Shangguan asked, “Why not?”
“Be they human, immortal, or Buddha, or even demonic ghosts and monsters, all have their own Great Dao. Whether it’s you or me, all living beings between heaven and earth are part of the common multitude. The Great Dao itself has no distinction of high or low, noble or base.”
“Heh, if the Great Dao has no distinction of high or low, noble or base, then why is our Great Immortal Dao hailed as the foremost among Daos, dominating the Great Desolate Heaven and Earth?” Young Lord Shangguan laughed. “If the Great Dao has no such distinctions, why did you, Elder Huang, cultivate from a human into an immortal? Why not continue being a mortal in the mundane world?”
“This…” Old Huang was momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond. Though unwilling in his heart, he could not refute Young Lord Shangguan’s question.
Young Lord Shangguan was born into an Immortal Clan, and a famously prominent one at that. He was an immortal from birth, a genuine Primordial Immortal. Moreover, he was an immortal officially recognized by the Nine Heavens, so he naturally looked down on Old Huang, a Postnatal Immortal who had ascended step by step from the mortal world.
Lei Lie couldn’t stand it any longer and rebuked angrily, “I say, Shangguan Dong, you’ve got no manners at all! Elder Huang is a senior. In terms of seniority, forget you, even your father might not have as much experience as Elder Huang. How can you speak to him like that?”
“My apologies, but in the Great Desolate, what matters isn’t seniority, but cultivation and Fortune, status and background, and above all, powerful strength!”
Lei Lie retorted angrily, “Hey! Give you an inch and you take a mile!”
“Lei, I advise you to watch your tone. I am an immortal recognized by the Nine Heavens!”
“So what if you’re an immortal? Does that make your piss fly higher and farther than anyone else’s?”
“Lei Lie!”
Whoosh!
Shangguan Dong instantly flew into a rage. As his immortal spirit circulated, powerful immortal energy surged, and the imposing might of his Primordial Fortune erupted, his aura particularly startling.
“What, you dare to start a fight with me? How dare you! You think I’m afraid of you?”
Although Shangguan Dong came from an extraordinary family, was a Nine Heavens Immortal, and possessed great Fortune, Lei Lie was not afraid. His own family background was even more extraordinary than Shangguan Dong’s, and his cultivation and Fortune were greater. As for the status of Nine Heavens Immortal, while it might be intimidating to ordinary immortals, in Lei Lie’s eyes it was nothing special.
The reason was simple: Lei Lie hailed from the illustrious Hao Lei Clan, a renowned noble family with ancient heritage in the Great Desolate, one that had been passed down since the Ancient Era. The clan’s branches were spread across almost every Heavenly Domain, its influence immense. Moreover, Lei Lie was bold by nature, a fellow who feared neither heaven nor earth. Even without his powerful family background and great Fortune, he wouldn’t have given Shangguan Dong a second glance.
“Please, both of you, don’t be impulsive.”
Old Huang stepped forward to dissuade Lei Lie, then said to Shangguan Dong, “Young Lord Shangguan, this old man offended you earlier. I hope you can forgive me.”
“Hmph!” Shangguan Dong snorted disdainfully, turned with his hands behind his back, and left.
“Elder Huang, why did you stop me? I wasn’t stepping in just for your sake today. To be honest, I’ve had it with that kid for a long time. I’ve been itching to teach that little bastard a lesson!”
“Lei Lie, don’t be impulsive. Many elders from the Shangguan Clan are on the ship.”
“That’s exactly why I’ve been holding back until now! I was waiting for a chance when the Shangguan Clan members weren’t around to teach that little bastard a lesson!”
“You! Ah…” Hearing this, Old Huang was speechless. “It’s getting late. We should hurry back to the ship. It will probably depart soon.”
“You go back first, Elder.”
“If you’re not going back, what are you staying here for?”
“That Worthy One just saved Xiao Guang’s life. As his big brother, I should at least find him and thank him properly.”
“This old man already used divine sense to probe the surrounding area. There’s no trace of that person. Where could you possibly look?”
“That’s why I need to go look! If I really can’t find him in the end, then so be it. But the Grand Ship hasn’t set sail yet. While there’s still time, I’ll do my best to search. Maybe I’ll find him. This is a great kindness. He didn’t ask for anything in return and just left. We can’t just leave it at that. I, Lei Lie, have always been clear about debts of gratitude and grudges. If I have a grudge, I settle it on the spot. If I owe a favor, I don’t wait until next time to repay it. That’s my principle in life.”
“Truly righteous! A real man. This old man will accompany you to search.”
“Thank you, then.”
Lei Lie instructed his other brothers to take Xiao Guang back to the ship to rest, then he and Old Huang set off together to look for the mysterious savior.
…
Gu Qingfeng continued wandering alone through the Jinyang Heavenly Domain. He had originally planned to find a Xuantian Great Vessel to sneak onto, but he discovered that among the more than twenty Xuantian Great Vessels docked within the Jinyang Heavenly Domain, some had not yet departed, some were merely passing through and temporarily stopping, and would continue their voyage in a few days. Of course, there were also some that had already set sail, but unfortunately, their routes weren’t quite right—either slightly off-course or heading in the opposite direction.
Gu Qingfeng thought it over and decided to find one that was temporarily docked with the correct route and sneak onto it. Waiting a few days was fine.
Just then, shouts came from the distance.
“Fellow Daoist! Fellow Daoist!”
Hmm?
Gu Qingfeng looked toward the source of the voice and saw two figures flying toward him. One was a white-haired elder, the other a burly man with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a full beard. It was Lei Lie and Old Huang.
When the two spotted Gu Qingfeng, they were overjoyed, especially Lei Lie. He had run himself ragged searching for Gu Qingfeng, his immortal spirit nearly depleted. He had thought there was little hope left and was just about to turn back and return to his own Grand Ship when, passing by another vessel, he happened to catch sight of Gu Qingfeng’s figure.
“Fellow Daoist! I finally found you! I’m so glad to see you!”
“What is it?” Gu Qingfeng looked at the panting Lei Lie and asked, “Looking for me for something?”
“Fellow Daoist, you saved Xiao Guang’s life. I haven’t had a chance to thank you yet. How could you just leave like that?”
“So it’s just for that.”
“Yes!” Lei Lie said. “If Fellow Daoist isn’t in a hurry, I hope you’ll come aboard for a short while. Let me offer you a few cups of plain wine to express my respect.”