The next morning, after waking up, Tang Yuehua learned of Tang Chen's news. She was even more eager than Lin Fan himself.
After a simple breakfast, she pulled Lin Fan back to Yuexuan first.
There, she gave a few instructions to Steward Ode and the others before leaving Yuexuan together with Lin Fan.
They rented a carriage and exited through Heaven Dou City's eastern gate.
On the road, Tang Yuehua introduced Lin Fan to the location of the Clear Sky Sect.
According to her, the sect was hidden three hundred li east of Heaven Dou City, deep within a mountain range where people rarely set foot.
At the speed of a horse-drawn carriage, it would take about seven to eight hours.
By around five o'clock that afternoon, the carriage stopped at a small town closest to the mountains. The rest of the way could only be traveled on foot.
"Yuehua, we've been riding all day. Why don't we rest here for the night and head into the mountains tomorrow morning?" Lin Fan said, worried about her delicate body.
"I'm fine, Brother Lin. The sect is just ahead. We should be able to make it before dark." Tang Yuehua smiled brightly, her tone filled with excitement.
Lin Fan saw her sparkling expression—like a wanderer returning home—and couldn't help but ask:
"Yuehua, it's been a long time since you last came back, hasn't it?"
"Two years, I think." Tang Yuehua replied softly.
Two years!
That timing made Lin Fan realize—it was exactly when he had been competing in the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Tournament, and later trapped in the Slaughter City.
"Silly girl, if I hadn't come back from the Slaughter City, would you have waited for me here in Heaven Dou City all this time?" Lin Fan brushed aside the fringe of her hair.
"Of course. Because waiting for you makes returning even better." Tang Yuehua's face radiated happiness.
While speaking, the two of them followed a small path leading into the mountains.
After half an hour, they arrived at a village at the base of the mountain.
Smoke rose lazily from chimneys around dinner time. At the village entrance, a few children played cheerfully, while farmers in the fields packed up their tools, ready to head home.
As Lin Fan and Tang Yuehua walked side by side to the entrance, several villagers carrying farm tools immediately surrounded them warily.
"It's the young miss! The young miss has returned!" When they saw Tang Yuehua, their vigilance instantly melted away.
Tang Yuehua, as the sect master's younger sister and the eldest daughter of the Tang family, was respectfully known as "Young Miss."
Soon, a burly middle-aged man walked out of the village, bowing respectfully.
"Greetings, Young Miss. Welcome home. May I ask who this gentleman is?"
With elegance and authority, Tang Yuehua introduced:
"This is my beloved, Lin Fan. What? I've been gone for a few years, and I can't even bring someone home with me?"
The middle-aged man froze in shock, then grew flustered.
"Young Miss, I didn't mean it that way. But you know the sect's rules—no outsiders are allowed within the Clear Sky Sect."
"That's enough. Since I've confirmed him, I can bring him inside. Before nightfall, I must see my elder brother." Tang Yuehua's voice carried the dignity of a direct Tang descendant.
"O-of course. But, Young Miss… shouldn't I notify someone from the sect to come down and escort you up the mountain?" the man asked cautiously.
Everyone in the Clear Sky Sect knew that Tang Yuehua was unable to cultivate spirit power. And the sect's true domain was further up in the mountains, a place not easily accessible. His reminder was out of concern.
"No need. Lin Fan will take me up." Tang Yuehua replied with full confidence.
In the past, she would always wait here for Tang Xiao to come down and escort her. But now, with Lin Fan at her side, it was different.
"…Alright then." The middle-aged man gave Lin Fan a doubtful look. After all, he didn't know Lin Fan's strength. But since the young miss herself had spoken, he couldn't refuse.
Once inside the village, Tang Yuehua quickly led Lin Fan to its rear.
"Yuehua, isn't this already the Clear Sky Sect?" Lin Fan asked casually.
"In a way, yes. But the villagers here are actually affiliated branches of the sect. The direct lineage is further up the mountain." Tang Yuehua pointed toward the towering peak ahead.
In front of them was a mountain. Not particularly tall, but steep as a cliff—its sides smooth and bare of any vegetation. It was like a massive stone wall.
Lin Fan noticed the terrain. The entire range was peculiar: most peaks were sharply vertical, and between them lay dangerous ravines.
Climbing up and down like this would consume immense energy. And if defenses were set up on every peak, one would face obstacle after obstacle—natural fortresses in succession.
The tallest peak rose nearly two thousand meters. Even a Spirit Douluo-level expert, without the ability to fly, would risk their life if they fell.
"No wonder that man suggested someone should come escort you." Lin Fan sighed, impressed by the Clear Sky Sect's impregnable location.
"Then… can you really take me up there?" Tang Yuehua teased with a playful smile.
"Of course I can." Lin Fan grinned, summoning his Blue Shadow Sword spirit.
In an instant, the martial spirit transformed into a giant blade floating horizontally. Lin Fan stepped onto it and extended his hand to pull Tang Yuehua up.
With Yuehua standing in front of him, Lin Fan wrapped his arms around her slender waist.
"Hold tight. Let's go."
"Mhm."
Whoosh!
The sword shot upward, racing along the sheer mountain wall.
"Ah! So fast!" Tang Yuehua shrieked in surprise, a little frightened.
"It's fine. I've got you." Lin Fan reassured her, holding her firmly.
With her back pressed against Lin Fan's broad chest and hearing his steady voice, Tang Yuehua immediately felt safe.
They flew past one… two… three… four peaks. Each peak had chain bridges linking them. Finally, as they crossed the fifth mountain, Tang Yuehua said:
"Brother Lin, we've arrived."
Lin Fan also saw it—a massive stone fortress-like structure ahead. The main gate towered five meters high. Though not as majestic as Spirit Hall's Pope Palace, its solid rock construction radiated strength.
Above the gate, three bold, powerful characters were carved—radiating a grandeur that seemed to challenge the surrounding mountains themselves:
Clear Sky Sect.
Lin Fan landed with Tang Yuehua in front of the gate.
"Who goes there!" The two young guards at the entrance were startled by their sudden arrival, their voices tense.
"It's me."
The two guards froze, then quickly recognized her.
"Greetings, Young Miss. You've returned. May I ask who this man is?"
"He is my husband." Tang Yuehua replied firmly.
The guards looked troubled.
"Young Miss, you know the rules. Only direct disciples may pass through this gate."
"And my husband isn't considered direct family?" Tang Yuehua's face instantly turned cold.
"Open the gate. Stand aside."
Though she lacked spirit power, the dignity of someone from the upper ranks radiated from her, no less commanding than Bibi Dong's.
Being denied entry when she herself had returned was already offensive enough. To do so in front of her beloved, Tang Yuehua would not allow her face to be disrespected.
"Yuehua, don't make it too hard on them. They're just following the rules." Lin Fan gently pulled her hand.
"…Then go call my elder brother out to meet me." Tang Yuehua's tone softened slightly, but remained cold.
"Y-yes!" The guard on the left immediately ran inside.
Within moments, a hearty voice rang out even before its owner appeared:
"Little sister, so you finally came back to see your big brother!"
The man who emerged was nearly two meters tall, with a broad and imposing frame, features that had been carved with an axe, and short hair streaked with white.
His eyes blazed with sharp brilliance, but instead of sternness, his face now carried a broad smile as he strode forward to greet her.