If Xu Xing's physique is the "Human Emperor Body," then this abnormality could be fully explained. These monks of Lingyin Peak are meditating all day, cultivating their Dao, contemplating their hearts... After a long time, they have truly become pedants, Kuimen Daoist Lord couldn't help but grin.
The places where Flying Feather Immortal Palace taught its Disciples included the Abode Tower, Pan Palace, and the various Inner Sect Peaks. These three had slightly overlapping functions, but there were also differences. The Inner Sect Peaks mainly taught Disciples their Cultivation Methods. The Abode Tower and Pan Palace also taught the subtleties of Cultivation, but they didn't delve much into the Disciples' specific Cultivation Methods, focusing more on various cultivation-related arts. However, since Pan Palace had been stationed outside the Sect for many years, it gradually added the teaching of Cultivation Methods to its curriculum.
In other words, Pan Palace was roughly equivalent to a combination of the Abode Tower and the Inner Sect Peaks within the Sect. However, the knowledge imparted there was generally shallower, and they didn't have the authority to transmit core Cultivation Methods. Simply put, Pan Palace was more like the various intermediate academies of Flying Feather Immortal Palace, while the Abode Tower and Inner Sect Peaks were akin to the grand university or higher academies of the Sect. Preparatory True lineage members were part of the Sect's youth program.
Now that Xu Xing, a second-class preparatory True lineage member, had ended up in the Sealed Demon Pan Palace, Kuimen Daoist Lord saw through the Lingyin Peak monks' intentions at a glance. They want to let Xu Xing realize on his own that he has taken the wrong path...
In the eyes of Kuimen Daoist Lord, the actions of these Lingyin Peak monks weren't wrong. If a cultivator couldn't even understand their own primary Cultivation Method, they held no value for nurturing. Perhaps Xu Xing has some hidden secrets. With the combination of the Human King physique and Bright King Body, his aptitude was quite good. But this wasn't enough for Lingyin Peak, one of the top twenty Powers within the Flying Feather Immortal Palace, to lower their stance and actively inquire why Xu Xing had made such a choice.
On the Immortal Path, even a master and disciple as close as father and son would not arbitrarily interfere with the disciple's choices. The principles were made clear. How to choose... was one's own affair. Not suffering setbacks in the early stages of the Immortal Journey—would one prefer to face greater disasters later? Wasting a few years in the Sect was a minor setback; learning from it forged a qualified cultivator. If one truly wished to be a greenhouse flower, once outside the Sect's protection, death was almost certain!
However—Xu Xing possessed the "Human Emperor Body!" This is what the group of monks at Lingyin Peak overlooked! It wasn't that Lingyin Peak's decision was inherently wrong. Instead, Xu Xing's physique was so extraordinary that it transformed what would have been a correct decision by the Lingyin Peak monks into what appeared, in his eyes and the eyes of the world, to be a blunder.
After their discussion, Giant Sword Daoist Monarch and Kuimen Daoist Lord began to wait in secret for Xu Xing and Yang Shao to complete the trial. Even though Xu Xing possessed the "Human Emperor Body," Kuimen Daoist Lord had no intention of snatching him as a Disciple. Lingyin Peak being "laughed at" in the future would be Lingyin Peak's own problem. As for individuals, a single genius Disciple wasn't enough to make a Dao Lord feel regret. They had seen various physiques bloom in different eras, only to wither again.
"It's almost time…" Giant Sword Daoist Monarch looked at Xu Xing and saw that he had walked into the Thirteenth Formation, and he couldn't help but nod slightly. Elsewhere, Yang Shao was also on the verge of collapse, his mental energy nearly depleted, looking as if he might die violently at any moment.
"I will give this Yang Shao a Jade Divine Pill," Kuimen Daoist Lord, in the inner palace of Heavenly Gate Palace, rose from his high seat. He took out a porcelain bottle from his sleeve and told Giant Sword Daoist Monarch his plan for Yang Shao. "And take him as an Unofficial Disciple." Although Yang Shao hadn't broken the 14th Layer Heavenly Gate Array, which was somewhat disappointing, and he hadn't met Kuimen Daoist Lord's standards for accepting a Disciple, granting Yang Shao the status of an Unofficial Disciple would be a reward for his dedication to the Dao.
However—just as Kuimen Daoist Lord finished speaking, he saw Xu Xing, who hadn't paused for long in the Thirteenth Formation, suddenly step into the 14th Layer Heavenly Gate Array and stop beside Yang Shao. But to everyone's surprise, what Xu Xing did next was not to attempt Breaking the Array. Instead, he began setting up a beginner-level array technique—the Illusion Heart Formation! Aimed directly at Yang Shao!
"How daring!" Kuimen Daoist Lord's expression turned icy. "To dare harm a fellow Sect member right under my nose! Xu Xing truly has immense audacity! The Jade Certificate states he is of commoner origin and acts without restraint..." Ordinarily, with Yang Shao's Immortal Foundation Middle Stage Realm, a mere first-level Illusion Heart Formation wouldn't faze him. But now, he was utterly spent; if stimulated by this Illusion Heart Formation, the consequences would be dire.
However, after speaking, he halted his steps instead of proceeding to the outer palace. He wanted to see what Xu Xing was up to as well. The Jade Certificate recorded the Sect's assessment of Xu Xing's character: 'Proper in conduct, adept at scheming and decisive, accustomed to leveraging momentum to pressure others and seize benefits.' While it was true that arrogant and domineering Aristocratic Young Masters often bullied Commoner Disciples, it was clear that Xu Xing, described as 'Proper in conduct,' was unlikely to be such an overbearing individual. Therefore, there had to be some hidden reason why Xu Xing would set up the beginner-level array technique, the Illusion Heart Formation, against Yang Shao.
Besides, with his Dao Lord Realm, as long as Yang Shao still had a breath left, Kuimen Daoist Lord was confident he could save him. Of course, there was a more important point: in the eyes of Kuimen Daoist Lord and Giant Sword Daoist Monarch, Yang Shao's value was insignificant compared to Xu Xing and his "Human Emperor Body." Otherwise, regardless of the Sect's character assessment of Xu Xing, they would have intervened and interrogated him.
"Sit down. Let's watch first…" Kuimen Daoist Lord said. "I've already sent a message to Junior Nephew Shi and the others, instructing them not to interfere with Xu Xing and Yang Shao."