Over the past decades, people in the Taixuan Sect had rarely seen the three chief seniors together. Most of the time, they were busy with their respective martial cultivation at their own residences.
However, Lin Xiao's enrolment strengthened their interaction. They became more intimate than before.
In that case, their joint presence was, more or less, associated with Lin Xiao. It remained the same case this time.
The other day, Lin Xiao tasked them with an assignment — they would have to arrange for the disciples to practice the modified Refining Divine Pithy Formula in an undoubtful manner.
Now that the assignment was rounded off, they had to report to Lin Xiao.
However, each of them failed to lay their fingers on him anywhere in the Taixuan Sect.
They informed each other about their failures as soon as they gathered together at the Patriarch's residence. Then, the three chief seniors went flustered right away — the junior martial uncle was missing again.
A thorough search for him became a pressing matter. Given Lin Xiao was of great importance to the sect, they hastened to head out again.
At last, they learned that Lin Xiao had made his way to the back of the Main Mountain.
Soon after they met one another on their way, they bumped into Diling, who actually spotted them first.
The path to the back of the Main Mountain was overgrown with weeds. Diling was literally invisible there. As soon as it recognized the three chief seniors. it stood on its hind legs like human beings. Then it strode forth with its forelegs.
It was in the habit of putting on airs and graces. Anyway, it was widely-respected in the Taixuan Sect. Of course, Lin Xiao was excluded.
Prepared to accept their greetings, Diling ended up disappointed.
The three chief seniors passed by without a single glimpse at it.
Diling soon threw a temper tantrum, "Hey, you! Stop!"
The three chief seniors, with nothing but Lin Xiao on their minds, went shocked on hearing Diling's shout.
However, they turned back and failed to find anybody — Diling was so small that he even didn't appear in their sight.
Then the primary chief senior hastened to hit the road again.
Diling got slack-jawed.
It was just as well the tertiary chief senior cut in, "Doesn't it sound like the spiritual monster."
His inquiry delighted Diling a lot, "Anyway, he still remembers me."
However, its pleasure didn't last long.
The secondary chief senior urged the tertiary chief senior to go back to his senses, "Forget about it! You had an illusion! Diling is supposed to be…to be in its own room. No, I just remembered he is nowhere to be found now. Well, whatever, cast it aside. We have to go on searching."
Diling went indignant, "What? Who is more important than me? They should slight me like that!"
Right then, the primary chief senior ordered, "Enough is enough! Let's go and find the martial…Lin Xiao. They said he was at the back of the Main Mountain. I believe you still register with what happened to him there last time. If he is in danger, on our heads will be it."
Hearing their reference to Lin Xiao, Diling's anger soon got transformed into cowardice, "That's intensely humiliating! Lin Xiao is stuck right there in the nine-stone-tile array for my sake. I wish they would never know it."
The tertiary chief senior had a fit, "Wu Gui was the culprit last time! If anyone dares to harm Lin Xiao, I shall wrench his head off!"
Diling was about to vent its anger when it remembered that itself was indeed the culprit for that. It snuck aside and hid its face.
Diling didn't come out of the meadow until the three chief seniors walked far away. Then it hastened to cut and run.
A moment later, the three chief seniors returned, along with Lin Xiao. They bumped into him on their way, with no idea about what had happened before their arrival.
The tertiary chief senior inquired after Lin Xiao's health in agitation, "Lin Xiao, tell me, are you hurt?"
Lin Xiao was in high spirit since he had sorted out the wonderland as well his martial cultivation. beamed radiantly. "No, I'm good. Everything panned out well."