Kun Sect? Sean Zell's heart sank. If it were any other Cauldron Lord cultivator, he could easily crush them with his third-level Ascendant power, but the name 'Kun Sect' made him hesitate.
Kun Sect—one of the five great sects of the Central Realm. There is also a tenth-tier sect called the Celestial Secrets Pavilion, but its status as a tenth-tier is mostly due to its control over information and resources. As for whether there are Domain-stage cultivators within the Celestial Secrets Pavilion, no one really knows. In other words, the five great sects are the true rulers of the Central Realm.
Regardless of whether Joe Di has anything to do with the Kun Sect master’s disappearance, it’s bad news if Kun Sect has found him. Don’t be fooled by Joe Di’s tenth place ranking in the Fivefold Dao Tower—if Kun Sect decided to use soul-searching techniques on him and killed him in the process, no one would dare utter a word of protest.
"Fellow Daoist Kee, as far as I know, Joe Di’s cultivation is quite low. Your sect master is an Ascendant expert, correct? No matter what, your sect master’s temporary absence has nothing to do with Joe Di." Sean Zell tried to keep his tone as gentle as possible.
He didn’t know who the current master of Kun Sect was, but he was sure that, as the master of Kun Sect, their cultivation could not be below the Ascendant realm.
Quentin Kee was also somewhat wary of Sean Zell. Even though he had once been ranked second on the Sea List, he was still only at the first level of Cauldron Lord. Sean Zell appeared to be an Ascendant expert. No matter how strong Quentin was, before an Ascendant expert, he was still an ant.
"Ha ha..." A hearty laugh rang out. "Are you saying my Kun Sect is unreasonable?"
As the words faded, an elderly man in red landed on the plaza.
This elder looked as thin as a dried stick, his body devoid of any moisture, as if a gust of wind could blow him away.
Sean Zell’s eyes twitched when he saw the elder’s brow. This elder was definitely an Ascendant expert, and his cultivation was even higher than Sean’s—very likely at the mid-stage Ascendant realm.
"Sean Zell greets this fellow Daoist. I’m simply stating that Joe Di’s strength is truly lacking." Sean was extremely cautious, not daring to offend a Kun Sect Ascendant expert.
His implication was clear: with Joe Di’s weak cultivation, he couldn’t possibly be connected to the Kun Sect master’s disappearance.
Quentin Kee hurriedly bowed, "Quentin Kee greets Elder Quinn..."
The newcomer was Quinn, an inner sect elder of Kun Sect, whose status far surpassed that of outer sect elder Quentin Kee.
"Our Kun Sect master went to Nightlake and then vanished. Strangely, after two or three years missing, Joe Di suddenly appeared. I’m simply asking about Joe Di’s whereabouts and seeking some information." Elder Quinn said flatly.
Quentin Kee was aware that Howard Lane had gone to Nightlake. According to Kun Sect’s investigation, Howard Lane had also instructed people to keep an eye out for Joe Di near Nightlake.
Although no one ever saw Joe Di appear near Nightlake, during the period when Howard Lane disappeared, Joe Di did show up at Fivefold Plaza and even competed with Jin Xun from the Sea List in Fivefold City. This is why Kun Sect is searching for Joe Di.
Kun Sect’s search for Joe Di isn’t limited to the Central Realm—they even tracked him to the Yalen Continent. According to transmitted information, Joe Di went to Yalen. He just didn’t return with Miles Phantom.
According to Miles Phantom, Joe Di went to train in the Void. Kun Sect doesn’t really trust the Celestial Secrets Pavilion—they believe Miles Phantom brought Joe Di’s sister, Di Di, to the Central Realm to recruit Joe Di for the Celestial Secrets Pavilion’s True Domain Genius Battle. So whether Joe Di has returned to the Central Realm is still uncertain, since they couldn’t find his whereabouts on the Yalen Continent.
After Miles Phantom returned to the Central Realm and heard that Kun Sect was searching for Joe Di, he immediately took Elder Quinn and Di Di to Celestial Secrets Island.
Di Di and Elder Quinn were entrusted to Miles Phantom for care by Joe Di. If not for the Kun Sect’s interference, Miles could have left Di Di in Fivefold City. But now that Kun Sect suspects Howard Lane’s disappearance is related to Joe Di, he wouldn’t dare take such a risk. He knew Kun Sect’s nature too well—even the slightest suspicion would prompt them to take Di Di away for soul-searching.
Joe Di was his only hope. If anything happened to Di Di, his relationship with Joe Di would be beyond repair.
"How impressive, Kun Sect! What cultivation does Joe Di have? Your sect master disappears and you come looking for Joe Di—ha! If you’re after something on someone else, just say it directly. Why bother with such an excuse..." A crisp, mocking voice rang out.
Elder Quinn and Quentin Kee’s expressions changed slightly when they saw the newcomer. Quentin didn’t dare say a word. This woman in purple was not someone Kun Sect could afford to offend—she was Cynthia Winters, a prodigy from the True Domain.
"Fairy Cynthia, we’re only seeking Joe Di to ask a few questions—nothing more." Elder Quinn could only clasp his fists and reply helplessly.
Cynthia Winters ignored Elder Quinn. Her gaze fell on the group beside Sean Zell. "Which of you is closest to Joe Di?"
Garrett was about to speak when he suddenly remembered Sherry Jing—she was Joe Di’s wife, so naturally, she was the closest.
"Of course, it’s my sister-in-law," Garrett said immediately.
"Joe Di has a Dao partner? Who is it?" Cynthia Winters asked in surprise, then quickly followed up.
Sherry Jing stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said, "I am Sherry Jing."
She didn’t know how Joe Di would react to her claiming to be his Dao partner, but at this moment, she had no choice but to step forward.
"Very good." Cynthia Winters’ gaze didn’t linger on Sherry Jing’s ruined face. Instead, she simply nodded. "Come to the True Domain with me. I’m short a cultivation companion—you’ll do."
A cultivation companion is essentially similar to a maid—someone who attends to the master’s daily needs.
Sherry Jing shook her head. "I’ll wait here for my husband to return. Without him, I won’t leave Fivefold City on my own."
Cynthia Winters sneered, "Sherry Jing, are you really ignorant, or just pretending? If you come with me, Kun Sect won’t dare trouble your friends. Even if they want to question Joe Di, they wouldn’t come after your friends. Besides, the cultivation environment in the True Domain is many times better than here. You’re only at the early Soul Ancestor stage—if you have any talent at all, your future achievements will far surpass what you could reach here."
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Hearing Sherry Jing’s words, Cynthia Winters could only reply, "Fairy Cynthia, you must be joking."
When the difference in status and power is vast enough, there’s no need to worry about what you say. Cynthia Winters spoke these words right in front of Elder Quinn, and he didn’t dare show any dissatisfaction or resentment.
Sherry Jing was no longer the naive cultivator who knew nothing. Hearing Elder Quinn’s awkward words, she understood that Cynthia Winters wasn’t threatening her—she was absolutely serious.
She looked toward Sean Zell, who sighed, "Niece Sherry, what Fairy Cynthia says is true. The cultivation environment in the True Domain really is far better than here. With your talent, she isn’t lying to you."
Sherry Jing gave a soft reply, bowed again to Cynthia Winters, and said, "In that case, I’ll go with you, Fairy Cynthia. But even if it costs me my life, I won’t do anything I don’t truly wish to do."
Cynthia Winters smiled faintly. "Don’t worry, you’ll only be my companion in name. You’re free to do as you please in the future. Besides, not just anyone can enter the True Domain—being able to go is a stroke of luck. If you come with me, you won’t have to force yourself. Just call me Senior Cynthia."
Her main reason for taking Sherry Jing to the True Domain was the Realm-Splitting Talisman. These talismans are ancient relics—each use depletes one. If she wanted Joe Di to seek her out, she needed leverage over him.
As for her giving Elder Quinn no face at all, it wasn’t because she lacked tact. Rather, she suspected Kun Sect also coveted the Realm-Splitting Talisman on Joe Di, hence their flimsy excuse. Now that she had warned Elder Quinn, even if he encountered Joe Di in the future, he wouldn’t dare act rashly—at most, he’d just ask questions.
She had seen Joe Di’s cunning many times before. If Elder Quinn hoped to get anything out of Joe Di, he was dreaming.
"Thank you, Senior Cynthia." Sherry Jing didn’t hesitate. She didn’t know why Cynthia Winters wanted her as a companion, but she was sure it wasn’t just to help them out of their predicament.
...
Joe Di sat cross-legged in the terrifying heat of the magma, sighing inwardly. The supreme spiritual marrow within the magma was indeed potent—after just half a year, he had reached the peak of the ninth level of the Seabreaker stage. Yet he was frustrated; his old problem had resurfaced. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t break through to the Cauldron Lord stage. Once, he nearly tore his body apart, but still couldn’t touch even the shadow of the Cauldron Lord realm.
Now, his body refinement had truly reached the Divine Realm, and his spiritual sea was at level ten. Even if he wanted to use his body and spiritual sense advancement to break through to Cauldron Lord, it was no longer possible.
Joe Di didn’t regret it. He felt that the barrier to the Cauldron Lord stage was even greater than that of the Seabreaker stage. Even if he tried to use his spiritual sea and physical breakthrough to charge into Cauldron Lord, his chances of success were slim.
It was a pity about this cultivation paradise—not only did it have the spiritual energy of a supreme spiritual marrow pool, but also a supreme spiritual vein and countless top-grade spiritual herbs all fused together, and he’d used less than a tenth of it.
Joe Di stepped out of the magma, tossed out hundreds of array flags, and set up a spirit-binding array here. If he ever broke through to Cauldron Lord, maybe he could return and continue cultivating.