Hu Shuo, Han Lu, Yang Mountain, Li Er, Liy Ruofeng, and Liy Ruoqing gazed at Lin Xuankong, their expressions excited.

Of course, it wasn't because Galo Bodhisattva had gifted Lin Xuankong some treasures; they weren't like Li Xiaohu, so prone to gossip. The six of them were so excited naturally because of Lin Xuankong's recent battle against the four Earth Demons of the Profound Yin Demon Sect!

The Earth Immortal Realm—in the minds of these Cultivators from the Great Xia Dynasty, it was an almost mythical symbol of invincibility in the mortal world, an existence that could utterly crush Transcendence Realm Cultivators!

But just moments ago, those four Earth Immortals, each standing over two thousand feet tall like ancient Giant Demons, had been forced to flee a thousand miles after Lin Xuankong, wielding an Immortal Artifact, struck them with a single, seemingly effortless blow. Even their parting threats had been delivered in trembling voices!

If they hadn't witnessed it with their own eyes, Hu Shuo and the other five would never have dared to believe it!

In their hearts, Lin Xuankong's various talents, methods, and fortune already far exceeded anyone else they knew. Yet, he was, after all, still just a Ninth-Layer Transcendence Realm Cultivator!

Back when Lin Xuankong was at the Ninth Layer of the Transcendence Realm, his feat of single-handedly slaying eight Pseudo-Earth Immortal Realm Demon Venerables from the Rakshasa Kingdom had already astounded the top experts of the Great Xia Dynasty beyond measure!

Now, Lin Xuankong wasn't just battling Pseudo-Earth Immortal Realm Demon Venerables. He was facing true Immortals—the notoriously wicked Earth Demon Realm experts of the Profound Yin Demon Sect!

Having witnessed such a spectacle, how could Hu Shuo and the others not be dumbfounded, not be thrilled to their very core...

When Lin Xuankong opened a Spirit Vein Transference and entered the Secret Realm to test the Spiritual Liquid in the Plant Spirit Bottle, Hu Shuo, the other five, and Li Xiaohu exchanged glances, their faces alight with excitement as they clenched their fists.

Li Xiaohu said, "Well? I told you all before to hurry up and acknowledge Brother Mu as your foster father, but you were all too shy! You saw that, right? Brother Mu sent even those Earth Demon Realm fiends fleeing with their tails between their legs! To have such a powerhouse as a foster father—it's the greatest fortune of your lives!"

Li Er scratched his head, his voice filled with excitement. "He's truly worthy of being the leader I, Li Er, am willing to dedicate my life to! To think that the Immortal Artifact that appeared in Great Xia actually ended up in our leader's hands!"

Han Lu chuckled. "Brother Mu's fortune surpasses even that of the Great Xia Xiao Family. It's only natural that the Immortal Artifact fell into his hands! It's just... I'm a bit too thin-skinned. Asking me to call our leader 'Father' right now... I just can't bring myself to say it!"

Yang Mountain looked at him earnestly. "Brother Han has a point. How about this: you call me 'Father' first, just for practice!"

Han Lu: "..."

"Hahaha! Yang Mountain, you've always been the most composed among us. How come you're getting a bit carried away like Little Hu now?" Hu Shuo couldn't help but roar with laughter beside them.

Li Xiaohu and the others also pointed at the dejected-looking Han Lu, erupting in laughter.

After they had their fill of laughter, Hu Shuo said, "Sigh, you youngsters... acknowledging Brother Mu as your foster father to strengthen your bonds is a good thing! But for someone my age to shamelessly call our leader 'Foster Father'... that would be laying it on a bit too thick!"

Yang Mountain nodded seriously. "I'm also thin-skinned. Actually, our leader is so generous and righteous; whether we call him 'Leader' or 'Foster Father,' I doubt he'd see much difference!"

Li Xiaohu vigorously shook his head. "How could there not be a difference? As a leader, he won't bother with your future weddings or funerals, let alone your daily needs. But a foster father is different! At the very least, when we get married, wouldn't a foster father have to splash out a bit and gift us a few Immortal Artifacts to play with?"

Han Lu shook his head repeatedly. "Hahaha, you're dreaming! Immortal Artifacts are incredibly precious. Even the Spiritual Crane Immortal Sect, a fairly renowned medium-sized Immortal Sect in the Central Divine Dynasty, openly admits to possessing only one! As for the thousands upon thousands of dynasties under the Central Divine Dynasty's jurisdiction, probably only a handful actually possess an Immortal Artifact!"

Li Xiaohu glared at him. "Anyway, acknowledging the leader as foster father brings many benefits; it's definitely a closer relationship than just being his subordinate! Besides, ever since I acknowledged him as my foster father, I feel like my cultivation speed for various Secret Techniques and Cultivation Techniques has increased significantly. And I'm absolutely certain this isn't just my imagination!"

"You're just bragging, Little Hu! Acknowledging the leader as foster father can increase your cultivation speed? Even if you acknowledged the Sovereign of the Central Divine Dynasty as your foster father, it wouldn't have such an effect! Forget the Sovereign—even if you called the Sect Master of the Profound Yin Demon Sect or a Great Success Realm Bodhisattva from Spirit Platform Buddhism your father, it wouldn't work like that!" Li Er retorted, shaking his head vehemently.

The others also shook their heads, clearly thinking Li Xiaohu was spinning tales.

Li Xiaohu looked crestfallen. "Believe it or not, that's my personal experience! Ever since I acknowledged the leader as my foster father, I feel like all my talents have been skyrocketing!"

「As everyone debated,」

Lin Xuankong, within the Ba Mountain Secret Realm, had arrived at a plantation of medicinal herbs used for refining Dharma-tier Gui Ling Elixir.

The hundreds of commoners busy working there immediately showed respectful expressions upon seeing Lin Xuankong, the Master of the Secret Realm. Joy filled their hearts, and they all knelt and kowtowed, shouting, "Long live the Divine Lord!"

Although these commoners, like those in the Great Xia Dynasty outside, were occupied with farming crops or cultivating medicinal herbs, even in the most enlightened State Mansions of Great Xia, ordinary folk were often sallow-faced, emaciated, listless, and malnourished, dressed head to toe in rags. The commoners in the Ba Mountain Secret Realm, however, were all rosy-cheeked and healthy. Their clothes, though not luxurious, were clean and tidy. Their eyes shone brightly, reflecting their hope for life!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.