The Sect Leader's Bizarre Recruitment Chapter 231: Hai Lao? Smoking! A Familiar Face in a Foreign Land (Part 1) - Novel Cool

Chapter 231: Hai Lao? Smoking! A Familiar Face in a Foreign Land (Part 1)

Chapter 231: Hai Lao? Smoking! A Familiar Face in a Foreign Land (Part 1)

After all, who wouldn't want their own faction or family to be strong enough to endure for generations, preferably becoming an immortal ancient clan?

"Initially, I was extremely surprised, but after careful consideration, it seems... quite reasonable?"

Lin Fan scratched his head.

Honestly, he truly believed he could understand.

However, understanding didn't equate to acceptance.

All he could say was... understand and wish them well.

But if it were him, whether it was being turned into a human-shaped weapon after death or having his body refined into one, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Too absurd!

He wasn't a self-righteous saint, nor did he have a moral obsession, but the education he received since childhood made it impossible for him to do such a thing.

"From the perspective of human relationships, emotions, and sentiment, this is somewhat hard to accept."

Xiao Ling'er pondered and shared her thoughts, "If one has no attachments, I believe no one would willingly have their corpse treated this way, right?"

"But if there are attachments..."

She fell silent.

She was thinking.

If one day in the future, she reached the Ninth Stage and couldn't progress further due to her talent or other reasons, living until the end of her life, what choice would she make before passing away?

Alone and unattached?

Then, she would undoubtedly destroy her own body before death.

To avoid being desecrated by others.

However, if the Moon Embrace Sect needed her strength, and powerful forces surrounded them...

Refine!

She wanted to contribute to the sect once more!

At that moment, Yao Mu nodded slightly, "Yes."

"In fact, no one wants their body desecrated, but sometimes, circumstances are stronger than people. Unless one has no attachments, otherwise... even if others don't do it, one might still wish to contribute a little more."

Lin Fan nodded.

He understood the reasoning, but he just didn't want to do it.

Of course, after his death... there was no choice, and he couldn't control how others would handle it.

But he didn't want to do the same to others.

"Perhaps, it's because I'm a 'hang bi' myself, so I have this confidence?"

"Hey."

He pondered, "Fellow Daoist, speaking of which, such 'human-shaped divine armaments' should be quite rare, right?"

"Indeed, they are very rare."

Yao Mu nodded, "After all, the lifespan of the Ninth Stage is very long. Even if one's cultivation journey has reached its limit, it's still difficult to progress further. They can live for tens of thousands of years."

"So, natural death is rare."

"After all, with tens of thousands of years of time... and being cultivators, who doesn't have a few enemies? It's extremely difficult to live to the end of one's natural life."

"Therefore, perhaps only the immortal ancient clans and Holy Land-level forces have human-shaped divine armaments?"

Lin Fan added, "Other forces... it's difficult for them to possess such things."

"That's also why I never thought about the existence of a Ninth Stage corpse."

"First, it's almost impossible to obtain one."

"Even if it's possible, the cost is too high."

"Second, before I encountered the great change, I was already at the Eighth Stage. Therefore, an Eighth Stage body is already sufficient."

"Plus, after refining treasures like the Bodhimanda Fruit, it can perfectly contain my divine soul."

"After that, one can cultivate normally like an ordinary person. As for the Ninth Stage? If there's such an opportunity, one can break through on their own!"

Lin Fan nodded, "So that's how it is!"

He didn't insist further.

He was just thinking that if there's no opportunity, then an Eighth Stage body would be sufficient.

But if there's a chance...

To reach the Ninth Stage, it would be better to give her a Ninth Stage body.

After all, Yao Mu's character is also beyond doubt.

Helping her like this...

In the future, will the Moon Embrace Sect still lack pills?

Although Xiao Ling'er is strong, she's not a machine, and if there are no unexpected events, she will eventually ascend.

"Then let's first try to get Crystal Flame."

However, this Crystal Flame... Yao Mu, Ling'er, how much do you know about it?

Lin Fan spread his hands, "I only know that this is the top-ranked strange fire, and it's very powerful. It's said that this strange fire has a 'physical' form, like crystal, not only is it crystal clear and beautiful, but it's also extremely 'ferocious'!"

"Apart from that, I know nothing else, whether it's clues or who possesses it."

"I... don't know either." Xiao Ling'er frowned.

"Everything I know is what my teacher told me. Regarding Crystal Flame, my teacher didn't tell me much."

Yao Mu sighed lightly, "The reason I didn't tell you is that I didn't want you to get involved too deeply. But now that things have come to this point, it doesn't matter. Actually, finding Crystal Flame is not that difficult."

"If I haven't guessed wrong, or if there haven't been any major changes in the thousands of years since my passing, Crystal Flame should still be in the Northeast Domain."

"The Northeast Domain?"

Lin Fan and Xiao Ling'er perked up.

Xiao Ling'er had never been to the Northeast Domain, but Lin Fan had. At that time, he was preoccupied with Huang Tian Di and didn't pay much attention to other details.

Even news about this domain was scarce.

Basically, he only knew that the people of the Northeast Domain were extremely warlike and were often referred to as the 'combat nation'. Apart from that, he didn't know much else.

However, although the Black and White Academy is called an academy, it's not much different from a sect.

The only difference is in management, and their strength is not to be underestimated.

"I heard that the people of the Northeast Domain are extremely warlike and are often referred to as the 'combat nation'?"

"Yes," Yao Mu smiled and nodded at Lin Fan's question, "But it's related to their harsh environment and frequent battles."

"And Crystal Flame has always been in the hands of the Hai Clan in the Northeast Domain!"

"The Hai Clan of the Northeast Domain."

Lin Fan searched his mind and confirmed that there were no clues about the Hai Clan in the Northeast Domain intelligence sent back by the Embroidered Guards.

But...

He was shocked.

"Hai Clan?"

"Whoa! If Xiao Ling Er goes, she might run into 'Hai Lao,' right?"

Who is Hai Lao?!

He is the true angel investor of Yan Di! A representative figure of all-in investment.

In the world of the Dou Qi Continent, who wouldn't offer a cigarette to Hai Lao?

As the saying goes, five-star to peak, two-star to Dou Zong, never lost a fight, never lost a bluff, the only one with this kind of strength is our Hai Boudong. A desert run, feeling refreshed, an Ice Dragon out, the crew cries, stronger against the strong, cooler against the snake...

Fortunately, Xiao Huo Huo emerged from seclusion in time when fighting Soul Emperor Tian, otherwise, Soul Emperor Tian would have definitely taken two hits of Xuan Bing Long Xiang!

As a representative figure who invested in Xiao Huo Huo even before he truly made his fortune, and even went all-in, Hai Lao and his family later took off directly.

A being that can walk across the Dou Qi Continent!

Seemingly losing like a dog in the early stages, going all-in crazily.

In reality, he's won big, hasn't he?!

"I'm a bit puzzled, Xiao Ling Er, this Yan Di template, almost everything else is in place, whether it's the golden finger or the three-year agreement, very stable, why is it that only the Hai Lao template is missing?"

"It turns out it's waiting here?"

"Good heavens."

"Brilliant!"

"But this isn't necessarily a bad thing. If it's really as I think, getting the Crystal Flame might not be too difficult?"

Thinking of this, Lin Fan's mindset changed.

When he looked at Xiao Ling Er again, he found her beautiful little face tensed, completely focused, afraid of missing a single word, and even seemed ready to burst into battle at any moment. Lin Fan's mood became even more peculiar.

Thinking of Hai Lao, Lin Fan couldn't help but be a bit serious.

He couldn't help but think, it shouldn't come to a fight, right?

Especially not a life-or-death fight?

If things go smoothly, not only might they get the Crystal Flame, but they might also get some other 'investment'?

If so, that would be truly wonderful.

At this moment, Yao Mu said, "This Hai Clan has a long lineage."

"Once a major strong clan in the Northeast Domain, even nearly becoming an immortal ancient clan. At its peak, it had three Ninth Stage cultivators, dominating for a time."

"Unfortunately, they were strong, developed quickly, and had many enemies."

"In a major battle, the Hai Clan won, but at the cost of two Ninth Stage experts."

"Since then, the Hai Clan's strength has plummeted."

"Although they have been trying hard ever since, for some reason, each generation of the Hai Clan has only had one Ninth Stage cultivator."

"And almost always after the previous one ascends or dies."

"It's... very 'coincidental.'"

Yao Mu explained in detail.

Lin Fan and Xiao Ling Er finally understood what was going on.

The Hai Clan, as if under a curse, has never had two Ninth Stage cultivators at the same time for all these years!

Either they have to wait until the previous one ascends before a new one appears.

More coincidentally, the moment the previous one ascends, the next one breaks through right after.

Even more absurdly, when the previous Ninth Stage cultivator is killed by an enemy, just as the enemy is about to wreak havoc and annihilate the Hai Clan, someone in the Hai Clan suddenly breaks through to the Ninth Stage.

Then, they counter-kill the enemy, who is already severely injured...

To Yao Mu, this is no longer just a coincidence.

It's absurdly coincidental!

Indescribably coincidental.

It made her suspect that there might be some kind of curse or something.

Her words made Lin Fan think of something else.

"The Hai Clan's situation sounds so familiar."

"It's like... like... well... Xiao Huo Huo's favorite timing to save people?!"

In the original story, Yan Di is great in every way, whether in character or loyalty to his people, but there is one quirk—liking to save people at the last moment!

Being Xiao Huo Huo's 'teammate,' you won't face much danger, especially the main characters, who almost never get into trouble.

But you will definitely be on edge.

Because as Xiao Huo Huo's teammate, you will certainly be targeted and attacked by his enemies. Xiao Huo Huo will come to save you, but always at the last moment, showing off...

Always appearing when you are severely injured and in despair.

He will then save the day, kill the enemy, and make a grand entrance, shaking the four directions.

Then he will help you heal, rebuild, and give you benefits...

You won't lose out, but you have to have a thick skin, or you'll be scared to death.

Hearing Yao Mu's words, the Hai Clan's situation really does resemble Xiao Huo Huo's style.

Either the Ninth Stage powerhouse ascends, leaving no strong protector, and the clan is surrounded by strong enemies, on the brink of extinction... and then a new one breaks through.

Or the Ninth Stage powerhouse is killed, and the clan is in dire straits... and then a new one breaks through.

"This has gone beyond coincidence. This is clearly timing!"

"Heh, interesting."

"If it was just a guess before, with no evidence, now I think there's at least a fifty percent chance!"

"So... it's likely that the Hai Clan has some internal troubles waiting for Xiao Ling Er to solve."

"As long as she solves these troubles, the Crystal Flame will be handed over, and they might even invest fully?"

"If so, that would be very comfortable."

Lin Fan stroked his chin, pondering.

At this moment, Yao Mu mentioned clues about the Crystal Flame.

"The Crystal Flame was obtained by the Hai Clan at its peak. Many major battles afterward were also related to the Crystal Flame, but until now, the Hai Clan has managed to hold on, and the Crystal Flame has never been taken away."

"Um... let me correct that. It should be until I was reduced to a remnant soul and fell into a deep sleep, the Crystal Flame was never taken away."

"Oh?"

Lin Fan nodded slightly. "Held by each generation's Ninth Stage cultivator?"

"That's not the case.

"Speaking of which, I'm also puzzled," Yao Mu said with a hint of confusion. "The Hai Clan has possessed the Crystal Flame for many years, yet no one has ever used it."

"Logically, this extraordinary flame, though not as powerful as an Imperial Armament, is still an invaluable asset. Even for a Ninth Realm existence, it's a significant boost."

"But they've never used it, and I can't understand why."

"Oh?"

"That's indeed strange."

Lin Fan and Xiao Ling'er were both taken aback.

It made no sense to have a treasure and not use it!

Especially when they had faced numerous enemies and battles.

"Ling'er, what do you think?" Lin Fan suddenly asked.

Xiao Ling'er blinked, "Master, there must be a hidden reason!"

"Hmm..."

What a statement!

It made perfect sense!

Lin Fan nodded, "I think so too, there's definitely a hidden reason."

Yao Mu: "..."

She wanted to laugh.

Who else but them would say such obvious things?

Everyone knew there must be a hidden reason, but what that reason was, was the crucial question.

"Since there's a hidden reason, let's find out what it is."

"Let's go, Northeast Domain!"

Lin Fan made the decision.

Yao Mu and Xiao Ling'er naturally had no objections.

After a brief preparation, the three of them set off for the Northeast Domain.

However, shortly after their departure, they encountered a problem.

Martial Law!

The entire Western Region was under martial law, with bald monks patrolling everywhere. Each monk's expression was extremely unpleasant and stern, as if their entire family had been killed.

At the entrances and exits of cities and around teleportation arrays, special formations were set up.

Whether entering or leaving a city, or attempting to use a teleportation array, everyone had to pass through these special formations for verification.

Otherwise, they would be stopped!

If anyone tried to force their way through...

They would be killed without mercy!

"!"

"Master," Xiao Ling'er looked at Lin Fan, feeling a bit worried.

With her intelligence, she instantly guessed the reason for their actions.

"No problem," Lin Fan smiled slightly, exuding confidence.

Yao Mu spoke thoughtfully, "I know about these formations. They are used to investigate one's true identity, and almost all transformation techniques are ineffective against them. One's true identity will be exposed!"

"I can guess that," Lin Fan nodded slightly. "But it's fine."

He was genuinely unconcerned.

He could guess that the Buddhist sect was working together to find the 'thief' who had robbed the Minor Western Heaven Treasury.

But who was the thief?

It was Tang Wu!

What did it have to do with me, Lin Fan?

However...

He wasn't sure if the formation could identify his 'Scarecrow' identity.

After all, Barrett Bodhisattva had failed to identify it.

His Thousand Transformations Technique wasn't just for show, and it was created to counter Ninth Realm existences, while Barrett Bodhisattva specialized in attacks.

His strength lay in the fact that Barrett was truly insane, but in other aspects, Barrett Bodhisattva was just 'average'.

It was normal for him to not see through the Thousand Transformations Technique.

But this formation...

He had no idea what it could do.

At that moment, many cultivators hesitated at the formation.

Although most of the Western Region cultivators were Buddhist cultivators, the region wasn't solely populated by locals.

After all, it was a vast domain, how could it not have a diverse population?

There were various specialties, from cultivators acting as mercenaries to those visiting family or on personal errands. The number of outsiders was not small.

And not all of them were 'honorable' and 'upright' cultivators.

When traveling, who wouldn't disguise themselves a bit?

Now, the Buddhist sect wanted to tear away everyone's disguises, and they naturally had many complaints.

"Little master, what's your intention?"

A cultivator frowned and stepped forward to argue, "I'm a traveling merchant, and I've been traveling between the Western and Eastern Regions for thousands of years, and this is the first time I've encountered such an absurd situation!"

"We all have enemies and secrets. How can you investigate everyone so thoroughly?"

"Exactly!"

Someone took the lead, and many cultivators voiced their complaints.

"If we expose our identities here and something unexpected happens, will you take responsibility?"

"Hey, I'll also tell you this. I have many debts of blood on my hands, but which cultivator doesn't have countless bones beneath their feet? If you target me because of this, and surround and kill me, what should I do?"

"You must give us an explanation!"

"Exactly!"

"We demand an explanation!"

"Let us leave!"

But...

The monks guarding the area remained unmoved.

"Whether entering or leaving, you must pass through the formation for identity verification!"

"Otherwise, death awaits!"

"But rest assured, we are only searching for the shameless thief who robbed the Minor Western Heaven Treasury. It has nothing to do with anyone else!"

"Therefore, I assure you that as long as you are not the person we are looking for, even if you are an invincible demon, the Buddhist sect will not pursue you at this time!"

"Even if you have killed countless innocents, but..."

"During this time, we will not take action against you based on that!"

"How can you guarantee that?" someone asked, unconvinced.

"Buddhists do not lie!" the senior monk replied.

Hearing this, everyone fell silent.

Damn!

These bald monks were the biggest liars!

They used this line to deceive others.

Ordinary people who didn't understand might be fooled, but they were treating cultivators like fools.

Don't lie?

Hey!

The most hypocritical were these bald monks.

What a statement!

But...

They had no choice at this moment.

They couldn't possibly start a conflict with the Buddhist sect in the Western Region.

"Great!"

A black-robed cultivator stepped forward, "I'll trust you baldies once!"

He strode into the formation.

Soon after, his true form was revealed, causing someone to exclaim in surprise.

(End of Chapter)

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