In My View, the So-Called Jade Yang True Man Is Nothing But a Braggart

Mist Mystic Temple.

The sect master of Mist Mystic Temple, along with several elders, had been waiting at the entrance of the grand hall for a long time.

Though the awaited guest was long overdue, not a single word of complaint or dissatisfaction was uttered.

They all stood in silence, waiting.

As the sun shifted in the sky, noon arrived.

The sect master glanced at the sun hanging high above, lightly pursed his lips, and rubbed his thumb and forefinger together. He didn’t feel annoyed—only a deep sense of envy.

This was the power… the kind of power that made others dare not even think of dissatisfaction.

The sect master of Mist Mystic Temple—Zhang Daotan—shifted his gaze forward again.

In the past, he wouldn’t have dared to dream of it, but now, he had a chance to touch that very realm.

Opportunities weren’t simply handed to you upon discovery—you had to give everything to seize them.

Now that he had the chance, he would spare no cost to grasp it.

So long as Daoist Yuyang arrived, bringing his plan one step closer, making it more secure, Zhang Daotan would stand here without complaint even if Yuyang made him wait until nightfall.

Right now, his dream was within reach.

The joy and excitement made Zhang Daotan wish time would fast-forward to the day of his success.

But he also understood—the closer to the critical moment, the more one must remain composed, the more one must…

"What are you all standing here for?"

A young man’s voice came from the right side of the grand hall, interrupting Zhang Daotan’s thoughts.

Zhang Daotan turned his gaze and saw a young man dressed in light purple Daoist robes. His features were gentle yet carried a dignified air, and between his brows was a lightning-like mark, within which a faint red glow pulsed, as if a flame burned within.

Zhang Daotan immediately recognized this young Daoist as the one he had been waiting for—Daoist Yuyang.

He quickly led the elders forward to greet him. "Naturally, we are here to welcome you. You must be weary from your journey."

Yuyang remained expressionless, his gaze calmly resting on Zhang Daotan for a moment before he spoke.

"Your mind is unsettled. You’ve lost some of your original intent."

Zhang Daotan stiffened, his eyes widening slightly in disbelief.

He was at the Nascent Soul stage—there was no reason Yuyang should be able to see through him. This Daoist…

"I… appreciate the guidance. However, recently, evildoers have been attacking us repeatedly—even assaulting Mist Mystic Temple itself. It’s been difficult to suppress my anger," Zhang Daotan said, cupping his hands in respect.

"But now that you’ve arrived, those lowly scoundrels will surely flee in terror."

Yuyang’s expression remained unchanged. "You seem to have misunderstood."

Zhang Daotan paused, his eyes flickering with surprise.

What did that mean?

Daoist Yuyang spoke plainly. "The Taidao Sect is not a blade for you to wield as you please. We don’t act solely on your word. Before this, we allowed you to operate freely only because the Taidao Sect saw no value in interfering, and this is your territory—we had no grounds to intervene."

"But now, the reputation of Mist Mystic Temple’s faith-based cultivation is nothing short of notorious. After your repeated requests for aid, the Taidao Sect sent me."

"Waves don’t rise without wind. But the truth can only be determined by seeing it firsthand."

"I am a member of the Taidao Sect. My involvement represents the Taidao Sect’s stance."

"If your conscience is clear, the Taidao Sect will naturally help restore order. But if you’ve acted recklessly, tarnishing the Taidao Sect’s name, then we will also… restore order."

Zhang Daotan’s expression turned solemn. "My conscience is clear. Investigate as you wish."

Daoist Yuyang said nothing—neither refuting nor acknowledging.

Words couldn’t represent the truth. Only facts could.

---

Mist Mystic Temple’s council hall.

The vast chamber was empty save for a single elder sitting silently in the highest seat.

Zhang Daotan lightly traced his fingers over the table before him.

Daoist Yuyang hadn’t spoken empty words—he truly intended to investigate, and he would do it personally.

An investigation was fine. The matters visible on the surface might be unsightly, but the truly damning affairs were under his sole control.

In the face of desire, no one could be trusted.

Only oneself was reliable.

What he delegated to subordinates were things that wouldn’t matter even if discovered.

Even if the Taidao Sect knew of them, they could at most criticize them as distasteful.

Let Yuyang investigate. Once the storm passed, he could resume his plans.

Once his grand ambition was realized… whether Yuyang could still investigate would no longer be up to him.

That brat dared to act so self-righteous. Did he not know how the Taidao Sect rose to power?

Every breath of spiritual energy Yuyang took in the Taidao Sect—how many futures had it stolen from the masses?

And now he spoke of "restoring order"?

What a farce.

What the Taidao Sect had done in the past, Zhang Daotan would now do as well!

Zhang Daotan raised a hand to his brow, where an unfathomable aura swirled within his divine consciousness.

Within his mind, an ocean of faith had formed, nearly filling his entire spiritual sea.

Amidst this sea of faith, a faintly glowing diamond-shaped crystal hovered high above, suppressing the overwhelming tide of devotion.

Zhang Daotan could no longer suppress his smile. He could almost hear it—the celestial whispers emanating from the crystal.

Compared to the so-called Eighteen Demon Sects of the Central Plains…

This was the true calling of the Great Dao!

This was the voice of the Dao itself!

This was the correct path!

Though the fusion with divinity had met resistance, progress was still being made.

If… the Taidao Sect could lend a hand, accelerating his progress…

Then he, Zhang Daotan, was willing to share a few scraps—for now.

Indeed… compared to immortality, becoming one with the Great Dao was far more… intoxicating.

Zhang Daotan lost himself once more in the dazzling white radiance.

Borrowing the desires of the masses to ascend the Great Dao.

In the future… traditional cultivation would be the deviant path. Faith-based divinity—this was the true end!

And he, Zhang Daotan!

Would become the one true god of faith-based divinity!

---

Towering City, Ten Thousand Fragrances Pavilion.

Eight or nine masked cultivators, each using techniques to conceal their true forms, stood scattered in the corners of the room, keeping their distance from those they didn’t recognize.

Chu Xingchen also followed local customs, wearing a mask. Since Chen Baiqing’s cultivation was relatively low among this group, he had been left behind for now.

Chen Mouguang stood beside Chu Xingchen. Seeing that everyone had arrived, he spoke in a light, feminine voice:

"It seems the actions in those villages were just the surface. The real thing must lie within Mist Mystic Temple."

A cultivator in a pink robe near the northern wall responded in a deep, masculine tone:

"From the intelligence we have, this faith-based cultivation seems like child’s play. It won’t amount to much."

Another from the southern side added:

"Something that won’t amount to much? Then why would the Taidao Sect send Yuyang? My guess is Mist Mystic Temple couldn’t handle it anymore, so they handed the real treasure to the Taidao Sect. The sect found it valuable enough to dispatch Yuyang."

A tall male cultivator on the western side scoffed.

"I thought we were here to discuss how to deal with Yuyang, but you’re all debating whether to act?"

"If we can defeat Daoist Yuyang, then why not go? Only by seeing it for ourselves can we judge its worth. Unless all of you are paragons of righteousness?"

"And if we can’t defeat Yuyang… then whether it’s good or not doesn’t matter to us anyway."

"Anyway, I have no solution. If you don’t either, just say so outright. We’ve been out here for so long, wasting time on these pointless matters—I’ve been wanting to go back for ages. Don’t drag this out any longer."

The scene fell silent for a moment.

Just as the tall male cultivator was about to turn and leave, Chen Mouguang spoke up:

"No one can guarantee victory over Yuyang, but there is a way to stall him."

The tall cultivator halted, his gaze shifting to Chen Mouguang.

"Really? How long can you hold him off?"

Chen Mouguang’s eyes then turned to Chu Xingchen, signaling for the expert to speak.

The others followed his gaze.

A moment later, they saw Chu Xingchen lazily raise a single finger.

"One hour?" The tall man hesitated briefly before adding, "It’s tight, but it should be enough."

He removed his mask, revealing a strikingly handsome face, though his tone remained unchanged:

"Wang Ling—Vast Heaven Palace."

Seeing his decisive action, the cultivator in the pink dress hesitated slightly before also removing her mask, unveiling a delicate and beautiful face.

She said, "Ye Antao—Xiaoyun..."

Before she could finish, Chu Xingchen interrupted:

"Not one hour. I can stall him indefinitely. That so-called Daoist Yuyang is nothing but a pretentious fool."

Ye Antao’s eyes widened in shock at Chu Xingchen’s words, and she hurriedly put her mask back on.

Damn it!

Next time, no matter what, she’d keep her composure and be the last to remove her mask!