Chapter 778: Inviting Boss Fang to Preach the Tao?

"Wow... so this is your sect?" Before him lay a landscape cradled by rolling mountains, where ancient stone bridges spanned majestic peaks, clouds drifted amidst soaring cranes, and a profound silence filled the deep valleys below.

In the deep recesses of the woods, pavilions and grand towers could be seen, complementing the lush greenery in a delightful contrast.

Though the architecture was grand and solemn, it was interwoven among the forest as if adhering to some cosmic order, neatly arranged yet without detracting in the slightest from the structure and beauty of the mountain range.

In truth, Fang Qi had seen many sects where bare mountains were forced to yield to towering palaces, and some had even utterly destroyed the original topography of the land.

Yet the sect before his eyes seemed truly unified with heaven and earth; winding paths led to secluded spots, and within that tranquility, it lost none of the majesty of an ancient sect.

Gazing down from high above, the entire sect resembled a massive astrolabe, with various structures nestled within the mountain forests like stars flickering in and out of view.

Compared to the Three Saint Sect of old, it lacked a bit of the ostentatious grandeur of palaces and pavilions, but it possessed a completely different sense of transcendence and the profound depth of walking the Heavenly Dao.

It was only now that Fang Qi learned that the two emissaries who had first arrived at the Yuanyang City shop—the fat one named Ding San and the thin one named Shi Lei—were... third-generation disciples of the Haotian Sect.

Traveling with them was Xiao Yunhe, the white-robed elder who had previously debated the Dao with the black-robed Taoist inside the Haotian Sect.

However...

Boss Fang suddenly noticed a little girl wandering around right in front of him. What was that all about?!

What was going on with this Jiang Xiaoyue? How did she manage to sneak in?!

"Hee hee hee!" Jiang Xiaoyue made a face at Boss Fang. "This princess is an outstanding student of the Haotian Academy! I was specially sent by several elders for a friendly exchange with the Haotian Sect, since our lineages share the same roots!"

Beside her, Elder Xiao Yunhe wore an expression that said "exactly so": "A few other exceptional students from the Haotian Academy will also be coming here. Likewise, in exchange, we have a few outstanding disciples who will be heading to the Haotian Academy."

"You guys even know how to do exchange student programs?!" Boss Fang was instantly dumbfounded.

"It sounds like it follows a similar concept..." Xiao Yunhe laughed heartily. "So your place already had this? I thought it was a new plan we proposed for this exchange, ha ha ha!"

"Of course..." Boss Fang said.

...

"A lecture on the Dao?" As they walked deeper into the sect, the two sides conversed with one another.

Boss Fang seemed to daze for a moment. "Inviting me to lecture on the Dao...?"

"..." The white-robed Elder Xiao Yunhe said respectfully, "I have heard that in the Western Continent, even certain Saint-level powerhouses respectfully address you as 'Teacher Fang.' Given Senior Fang's status, if you could lecture on the Dao at our Haotian Sect, it would be a blessing for our disciples!"

Xiao Yunhe then added, "Just a casual talk like usual will do. If this junior has been presumptuous, then we shall let the matter drop."

"..." Boss Fang asked, "Really just a casual talk?"

"Naturally!"

"Then I'll give a lecture..."

"Huh...?!" Xiao Yunhe stared at Boss Fang, completely dumbstruck.

He agreed just like that?!

...

Although every sect had its own system and philosophy, there was naturally no lack of exchange between them. To have a powerhouse of the Ascension Realm lecture on the Dao, regardless of the system, was a rare and precious experience.

...

They walked past the mountain gate and over the stone bridge. Behind the bridge lay the Dao Propagation Ground, which was also the place where the newly admitted disciples performed their morning exercises.

The guarding disciples on the stone bridge bowed in greeting one after another. After passing the mountain gate, the newly admitted disciples and the advanced disciples formed two separate square formations outside the front mountain's Dao Propagation Ground and the central Dao Inquiry Palace. The new disciples were all dressed in grey, while the advanced disciples were all in blue.

Furthermore, inside the Dao Inquiry Palace, nearly a hundred disciples sitting upon prayer mats were dressed in white.

These were the absolute core disciples whom the Haotian Sect focused on cultivating.

Among them, a few individuals sat at the very front of the crowd, their sleeves embroidered with auspicious beast patterns in silver thread. Even if Boss Fang did not understand how this sect categorized its ranks, it was obvious at a glance that these were the most talented or powerful young disciples in the entire sect.

"Why is there such a massive turnout...?" Boss Fang looked left and right, only to see a huge crowd of white-robed young men on the left and a large group of white-robed young women on the right stealthily glancing over.

"Oh..." Boss Fang was clearly a bit excited. "This promotional effect is pretty good..."

Then, Boss Fang's gaze swept over them.

Remembering that hellish gaze from when he ate instant noodles: "..."

"That gaze feels as though it can master your life and death..." Elder Gu Song's narration still rang clearly in their ears.

With a shudder, they quickly shrank back like startled rabbits.

Of course, a group of old fogies at the front came forward with chuckles to welcome him.

"..."

...

A brief exchange of pleasantries ensued.

...

The Haotian Sect had a total of six grand disciples, three male and three female, who were the ones sitting at the very front.

Beneath them were thirty-six outstanding disciples; Cang Feng and Xu Yingjie, the white-robed disciple who had accompanied Gu Song, both belonged to this rank.

It was not until Boss Fang walked away.

A few girls immediately gathered together: "Was that the Old Demon Fang... ah, no, no, no, Venerable Fang?"

"When his gaze swept past me just now, I felt like I was almost suffocating..."

"Too terrifying..."

"A powerhouse who destroys sects at the drop of a hat..."

"He seemed to look at me just now. Could it be...!!??"

"What are you all talking about?" A white-robed woman leading the group walked over.

"Ah—! Senior Sister Yuyin!" Several people shrieked in a hurry.

"Prepare yourselves. We are going to Venerable Fang's place this afternoon."

"What are we going there for?"

"Can we choose not to go...?"

"Ah, my stomach hurts!"

"I, I, I... last night my cultivation went a bit awry and I almost suffered qi deviation..."

"I..." With a thud, she fell straight onto the ground, stiff as a board.

"..."

...

At this time, Boss Fang was clearly still unaware of the situation here and had already begun preparing to select a location for the branch shop.

Unlike the other shops, however, as a branch shop officially requested by the Haotian Sect itself, everything naturally fell into place smoothly.

...

On the other side.

"To listen to Senior Fang's lecture on the Dao, are you sure you aren't going?"

"A lecture on the Dao?" The girl who had fallen down stiff as a board actually stood right back up. "There is actually a chance to listen to an Ascension Realm powerhouse lecture on the Dao?"

"That Senior... Senior Fang is truly going to lecture on the Dao!?" another girl asked with utmost caution.

"Are you going?"

"Yes, yes, absolutely!"

"Four in the afternoon, at the Pavilion of Celestial Resonance. Do not be late."

...

Meanwhile, among the male disciples on the other side.

Zangfeng had evidently caught wind of the news as well.

"A lecture on the Dao...?"

In an instant, an image surfaced in his mind of Boss Fang holding a bowl of instant noodles, letting out a sharp "Burp!"

"Class is in session!"

"Boss Fang taught us so many battle mnemonics..."

"Heavy fur means weak to fire... massive size means weak to doors..." The scene in his mind shifted, turning to the sight of those few elves reciting the "mnemonics" taught by Boss Fang as if enumerating their family treasures.

"..."

.