“That area is one of our Dual Venerates Pavilion’s cultivation grounds. Since you are not a member, you cannot enter,” Yuan Xia said.
“No problem. I will not go in. I would just like to look around from the outside. Is that allowed?” Lin Yun asked.
Yuan Xia thought for a moment.
“If it is inconvenient, then never mind. We do not have to go,” Lin Yun added.
“It is fine. Since you will not be entering, taking you to the outside is no trouble. I am an elder here after all. I have that much authority. Come with me.”
With those words, Yuan Xia led Lin Yun towards the left side of the square.
After crossing the square, the two soon arrived before a massive hall.
Lin Yun gazed at the hall and silently thought, “It is inside here!”
The range of the Origin Heart’s fluctuation was precisely this area.
And in this vicinity, there was only this one hall.
Therefore, Lin Yun was certain the Origin Heart must be inside this hall.
Yuan Xia had already said earlier that this place was a cultivation ground of the Dual Venerates Pavilion.
Why would an Origin Heart be kept in a cultivation facility? Lin Yun found it puzzling. Something like this should be stored in a treasure vault, surely?
Since Lin Yun could not enter, he naturally could not investigate further.
Lin Yun inwardly groaned. Obtaining this Origin Heart was probably going to be harder than reaching the heavens.
Although he had been fortunate enough to enter the Dual Venerates Pavilion’s territory and pinpoint the exact location of the Origin Heart, he was now completely stuck.
What should he do now?
“Friend Beichen, you cannot go in here. Unless you join the Dual Venerates Pavilion, let me take you elsewhere instead,” Yuan Xia said.
“Elder Yuan Xia, who is this fellow? He is not one of our Dual Venerates Pavilion members, is he?”
A white-haired elder with his hands clasped behind his back walked out from the great hall ahead, his gaze fixed on Lin Yun.
“Elder Lu, this is my friend,” Yuan Xia replied.
“Even if he is your friend, he is not a member of the pavilion. Bringing him to such an important area is hardly appropriate, is it?” Elder Lu said coldly.
“I am showing him around precisely because I wish to recruit him. I am doing this for the sake of the Dual Venerates Pavilion. What is wrong with that?” Yuan Xia responded with an icy expression.
Lin Yun could immediately tell that Yuan Xia and this Elder Lu did not get along, or rather, that there was some bad blood between them. The tone of their exchange carried a strong whiff of gunpowder.
In a major power like the Dual Venerates Pavilion, internal factions, rivalries, and struggles were perfectly normal.
Every great force tacitly permitted such things. As long as it did not go too far, competition could motivate everyone to move forward. For cultivators, competition was even more necessary for progress.
“Recruit him into the pavilion? I wonder what strength he possesses to merit Elder Yuan Xia personally escorting him on a tour.”
As Elder Lu spoke, his gaze fell upon Lin Yun, sizing him up from head to toe.
The look he gave Lin Yun was filled with arrogance and disdain. After all, in his eyes, Lin Yun appeared to be nothing more than a young whelp.
Yuan Xia gave a cold laugh. “Elder Lu, he is a Void Dao Realm expert who has already reached the Transformation Dao stage. With that realm, he certainly possesses the strength and qualifications, does he not?”
“Transformation Dao Realm? He looks quite young. Someone like him has reached Transformation Dao?” Elder Lu sneered.
“Senior, although I am young, I am indeed genuinely at the Transformation Dao Realm,” Lin Yun said.
“If you truly are at Transformation Dao, then perfect. This old man is also at Transformation Dao. If you wish to join the Dual Venerates Pavilion, your strength must first be verified, must it not? Joining at Transformation Dao Realm would make you an elder. Let this old man spar with you for a round or two and see whether you are qualified to become an elder of our pavilion!” Elder Lu’s voice boomed.
The commotion had already drawn the attention of many disciples entering and leaving the hall.
“My apologies, Senior, but I have no plans to join the Dual Venerates Pavilion for the time being. Therefore, I feel there is no need for us to spar,” Lin Yun refused politely.
“If you have no intention of joining, does that not contradict what Elder Yuan Xia just said? Does that not mean Elder Yuan Xia was lying!?”
By the end, Elder Lu turned a questioning glare towards Yuan Xia.
“Elder Lu, stop twisting words here!” Yuan Xia’s face darkened with anger.
By now, quite a few disciples had gathered. Being questioned like this in public naturally caused Yuan Xia to lose face.
