Yunshou Zhenren looked puzzled.
Bai Yichen then explained, "Actually, during the assassination I mentioned in my letter, another person attacked me. The owner of this token, Heishi's chief assassin—Hei Lin."
At this moment, a bolt of thunder would have been fitting for the scene.
Unfortunately, the sky over Xuanzhen Temple was clear and bright, without a cloud in sight.
However, Yunshou Zhenren's face appeared as if he had been struck by lightning, utterly astonished.
Bai Yichen quickly poured another cup of tea for Yunshou Zhenren to calm his nerves and even joked, "Don't faint from the shock, old master."
Yunshou Zhenren was about to swallow his tea when he heard this, and his face turned dark, nearly choking.
After catching his breath, he took the purple-gold token from Bai Yichen, running his fingers over the sword engraving on it, falling into a long silence.
Yunshou Zhenren lifted his head and looked at Bai Yichen, saying, "When I first heard you were being targeted by Heishi assassins, I was quite worried. But now, seeing this token, I realize you've become one of the top figures in the martial world!"
"No matter what, I am still the Dao Child of Xuanzhen Temple," Bai Yichen responded firmly, his gaze steady.
"Good!" Yunshou Zhenren was deeply comforted, feeling as if tears of joy were welling up.
After a moment, Yunshou Zhenren collected himself and led Bai Yichen into the inner room. Once seated, he spoke, "Given the situation, I feel there is something I should tell you."
Bai Yichen felt a hint of confusion. After the attack by the Heishi assassins last time, hadn't they already given him the core teachings? Was there more?
Seeing the confusion in Bai Yichen's eyes, Yunshou Zhenren explained, "The temple's martial arts techniques and medicinal pills have indeed already been passed down to you, but..."
After pausing for a moment, Yunshou Zhenren continued, "When I passed down the Sitting and Forgetting Heart Refinement method to you, I mentioned that the sixth head of the temple, Feng Tian Zhenren, left Xuanzhen Temple after reaching the Innate Perfection stage, seeking opportunities to become a grandmaster."
"But in reality, Feng Tian Zhenren returned once after that—and by then, he had already broken through to the grandmaster realm!"
Bai Yichen's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.
So there was more to this story. Based on his research into the history of grandmasters, he had never come across Feng Tian Zhenren's name.
Clearly, some truths cannot be uncovered by ordinary spies or by destroying sects.
From Yunshou Zhenren's expression, Bai Yichen could tell that even the higher authorities of the martial world likely didn't know this secret.
"This matter has been passed down orally through the generations of temple heads. It was said that unless someone could meet Feng Tian Zhenren's requirement of reaching Innate Perfection before the age of thirty, the secret would remain untold."
Bai Yichen's eyes flashed with shock upon hearing this condition.
Innate Perfection before the age of thirty? In his knowledge, even among the martial grandmasters of the past few hundred years, almost none had reached such a stage before the age of thirty.
But considering his own unmatched talent as a "Martial Arts Talent," along with top-tier grandmaster techniques and the profound Sitting and Forgetting Heart Refinement method, Bai Yichen felt a bit more confident.
However, on the surface, Bai Yichen showed a wry smile and said, "It sounds like no one has ever reached that requirement?"
Yunshou Zhenren stroked his long beard and sighed, "Indeed, reaching Innate Perfection before thirty is incredibly difficult. That's why this secret has only ever been passed from one head of the temple to the next, never shared with anyone else."
"But today, seeing you break through to the Innate stage at only sixteen, able to defeat stronger opponents and even kill Hei Lin, your strength may already surpass mine. I felt it was time to tell you."
Bai Yichen humbly downplayed his achievement, saying that it had only been possible through careful planning and effort.
Yunshou Zhenren, however, shook his head and spoke sternly, "You must remember: a victory is a victory. In this martial world, once the outcome is decided, the victor stands proud, and the loser remains silent. The fallen have no chance to speak!"
Bai Yichen nodded sincerely, fully agreeing with this principle.
It was like when he used medicinal pills to break through to the Innate stage. A breakthrough is a breakthrough—there's no point in overthinking the method.
Although, with his talent and foundation, he could have reached the same level within a year or two, why not take the quicker path if it leads to the same result?
Seeing that Bai Yichen had truly absorbed his words, Yunshou Zhenren continued, "Feng Tian Zhenren told the seventh head of the temple that if any disciple in later generations could reach Innate Perfection before thirty, they could take a token to Yunhuan Mountain in Yongzhou."
"Is there a grandmaster opportunity there?" Bai Yichen asked, intrigued.
This place didn't seem particularly famous; Bai Yichen hadn't heard of it before.
Yunshou Zhenren let out a bitter laugh and replied, "I'm not sure. Feng Tian Zhenren left only that one instruction."
"I do know that the ninth head of the temple also reached Innate Perfection, but he was already over fifty. He sought grandmaster opportunities and spent half a year on Yunhuan Mountain with the token, yet he found nothing. So, the later heads of the temple speculated that both conditions must be met to discover the truth."
Could it be the legendary Immortal Fate?
Bai Yichen couldn't think of any other reason that a Perfection-level Innate master, with the token in hand, could search for half a year and still find nothing.
Surely Feng Tian Zhenren wasn't playing a prank on his disciples after becoming a grandmaster?
Or maybe too much time had passed, and the opportunity had faded?
Well, speculating further was pointless. He would find out by going there one day.
Clearing his mind using the Sitting and Forgetting Heart Refinement method, Bai Yichen dispelled these distracting thoughts.
Seeing Bai Yichen deep in thought, Yunshou Zhenren added, "You needn't waste too much energy pondering this. Just focus on reaching Innate Perfection as soon as possible. When the time comes, I'll give you the token, and you can go investigate."
Bai Yichen couldn't help but say, "Master Ancestor, please don't praise me so. Achieving Innate Perfection is no easy task, and if I fail to reach that level in the future, it would be quite embarrassing for me."
"Ha ha, you rascal, today I finally see clearly. You always manage to surprise me; how could that not be the case?"
Bai Yichen simply smiled and remained silent.
Then, his expression turned serious as he spoke, "After discussing a few happy matters with you, Master Ancestor, there is now a concern I must share."
Upon hearing this, Yunshou Zhenren adjusted his demeanor and listened attentively.
Bai Yichen then, while omitting some details, recounted how he encountered the Shen Monkey of the Twelve Zodiac, who attempted to seize a treasure map leading to the Mingzong's treasures destined for Yukun Mountain.
He also detailed how the Heishi organization intended to replace the Zhang family's gift to the birthday celebration at Yukun Mountain.
He pointed out that he suspected the Heishi organization planned to take action during the eightieth birthday celebration of Qing Song Zhenren, a time when Yukun Mountain would be bustling with activity.
As he spoke, he took out a letter and a fragment of the treasure map that he had previously obtained from the poison widow sent by the Heishi assassins, presenting them as supporting evidence.
Initially, Yunshou Zhenren listened with a hint of disbelief, but as he took the items and examined them closely, he began to believe Bai Yichen's deductions.