"But there simply are no female disciples of outstanding talent to be found here on the Northern Island, and as for the Central Island—my grandson alone doesn't carry enough weight to make that happen..." Chen Dongcheng said with a bitter smile.

He had put no small effort into this matter. Leng Leng of the Snow Sword Sect and Duanmu Yu of the Ye Ling Sect were both ideal candidates for a marriage alliance, but the trouble was that both women were genius disciples who drew intense attention within their respective sects.

And though Chen Dongcheng was vice sect master of the Northern Island's Cangwu Sect—his position high enough—his mere mid-Golden Core cultivation was rather too modest to show one's face in such company. More to the point, he meant to take them as concubines, not to wed them properly with matchmakers and rites. Who would inexplicably hand over their sect's most outstanding genius disciple to an outsider as a concubine? The Snow Sword Sect and the Ye Ling Sect were not fools!

"If it truly cannot be done, then this old man may have no choice but to go in person," Chen Jiu said with a frown. So he spoke, yet in his heart he had no confidence in such an affair. Between sect and sect there was only the exchange of interests; if you wanted their most outstanding genius disciple, you had to pay a corresponding price—and the Northern Island Cangwu Sect's modest reserves could not withstand such strain.

"Ancestor, you must not be rash. Back then it was precisely because the Grand Elder of the Mysterious Mechanism Sect went out on a sudden errand that he met with disaster. You are our anchor in the storm—unless it is absolutely unavoidable, you must not make a move. For a trifle like my grandson's, it is not worth the risk," Chen Dongcheng hurriedly advised.

"Then..." Chen Jiu hesitated as well. Though Nascent Soul old monsters were the pinnacle of existence in this ancient small martial world, even among them there were gradations of high and low; they were not utterly without peril. And if one wished to bring down a powerful sect, one must inevitably begin with its Nascent Soul old monster. It was for this reason that the Mysterious Mechanism Sect had been struck from the ranks of the ten small sects and clans. The lesson of the overturned cart lay right before their eyes; they could not fail to guard against it.

"Actually, your grandson does have an idea," Chen Dongcheng said suddenly.

"Oh?" Chen Jiu glanced at him and gestured for him to continue.

"Among the five secular-world disciples that Wei Zhao brought today, there are two female disciples. According to Xin Yi'an's earlier report, both performed most strikingly in the Ancient Trial and their natural endowments are quite exceptional—only their cultivation is a bit low," Chen Dongcheng said.

"Cultivation is no problem; what matters is natural endowment and foundation. In that case, you may as well take the two of them as concubines. If they can bear our Northern Island Chen family children of peerless talent, we profit; if not, we lose nothing," Chen Jiu said offhandedly.

In the eyes of this Grand Elder, a mere two female disciples were nothing at all. With his nod, would they dare resist?

Moreover, for the vast majority of women, to be taken into the chambers of a great man like Chen Dongcheng was a stroke of fortune they could only dream of—even as a concubine it hardly mattered. This was a sparrow leaping onto the branch to become a phoenix.

"I am somewhat worried about Wei Zhao's attitude. He is extremely close to those two female disciples and will likely not agree readily," Chen Dongcheng said with some difficulty. After all, in name the man was an Ancient grand-uncle-master; even as vice sect master he could not openly defy him—unless he publicly declared the man a charlatan.

"No matter. Since he has joined the Northern Island Cangwu Sect, he must follow the rules of the Northern Island Cangwu Sect. Even if he truly is our grand-uncle-master, he cannot stand above the sect's regulations. Divide and conquer—surely this little trick needs no further words from this old man?" Chen Jiu prompted.

"Your grandson understands." Chen Dongcheng smiled.

Early the next morning, Chen Dongcheng arrived at the Ascending Heaven Cliff bright and early, his smile as amiable as ever, his manner as humble as ever.

"Greetings to Grand-Uncle-Master. Is Grand-Uncle-Master growing accustomed to this place?" Chen Dongcheng asked with a smile.

"Passable. The place is quite nice, only it doesn't let much air through," Wei Zhao said lazily, stretching. After a full day of cultivation, his primal spirit was somewhat fatigued and in need of a little relaxation.

"With a view so wide open, Grand-Uncle-Master still finds it stifling?" Chen Dongcheng feigned surprise.

"If someone put you in a cage, would you find it well ventilated?" Wei Zhao countered directly.

"Oh, so that is what Grand-Uncle-Master meant. This is my carelessness—in yesterday's haste I neglected to explain, and I beg Grand-Uncle-Master's forgiveness," Chen Dongcheng said with a look of sudden enlightenment.

Behind Wei Zhao, Qiu Lingshan and the others exchanged glances, their eyes all tinged with mockery. If a thing with acting skills like this did not go into the theater, it was a true waste of talent—otherwise he would be a shoo-in for Best Actor.

"Then may I trouble Vice Sect Master Chen to explain it to us?" Wei Zhao said mildly.

"Yes. Grand-Uncle-Master may not know that the name Ascending Heaven Cliff comes from a formation called the One-Step-to-Heaven Formation. It is the most profound formation of our Northern Island Cangwu Sect. Before each successive sect master assumes the seat, he must cultivate in seclusion here for three years; only after observing and comprehending it and gaining some insight may he break through the gate and emerge. Ordinary disciples, even if they wished to come, would not be qualified," Chen Dongcheng said with an ingratiating smile.

"So you're planning to make me sect master?" Wei Zhao raised an eyebrow.

"..." Chen Dongcheng visibly choked for a moment. This fellow simply refused to play by the rules. He could only force a smile: "Not exactly. If one counts through the whole Northern Island Cangwu Sect, this is the most special place of all. We arranged for you to stay here precisely to express our respect for Grand-Uncle-Master."

"Then I can't leave?" Wei Zhao looked at him.

As a mid-Golden Core expert and a vice sect master of high authority, Chen Dongcheng abruptly discovered that he dared not meet Wei Zhao's gaze. The aura the man unconsciously exuded made him feel profoundly constrained, like a rustic old farmer before an emperor—utterly at a loss.

Just what was this fellow's background? Chen Dongcheng could not help but mutter inwardly. Even when facing Nascent Soul old monsters, he had never felt anything like this—could the man be even more terrifying than a Nascent Soul old monster?

How could that be! Chen Dongcheng promptly flung the absurd notion to the back of his mind, telling himself it was most likely because the other was a primal spirit. A primal spirit existing on its own was, after all, a rare thing; he had never before come into such close contact with one.

"That is not the case. Grand-Uncle-Master misunderstands. The One-Step-to-Heaven Formation can in fact distinguish between people—so long as one carries the sect's uniform identity token, one may come and go freely," Chen Dongcheng explained.

Wei Zhao understood. This was precisely what had been puzzling him: clearly he and the others were all confined, yet Chen Dongcheng alone could come and go freely—so the source of it lay in the identity token.

"Then when will you give me an identity token?" Wei Zhao asked.