Central Plains, Ten Thousand Flower Ridge.
The Sixty-Third All-Sect Gathering, organized to celebrate the eldest senior sister's return, concluded as naturally and perfectly as one would expect.
After all, this eldest senior sister had always taken exceptional care of everyone, and she had been away for a very long time.
Even without any outstanding performances, the gathering would have been memorable simply because of the emotions involved. Let alone the fact that Li Yingling's event planning was genuinely brilliant.
Her years of experience in the Eastern Divine Continent had not only made her more seasoned and reliable, but had also introduced her to various games from the region.
She blended these with her own ideas, creating an entirely novel game.
Even from Chu Xingchen's perspective, it was tremendously entertaining.
Qinghe and Sandong played to their hearts' content. As the gathering drew to a close, they were still reluctant to part, pestering her about whether the Sixty-Third All-Sect Gathering could continue the next day.
Qinghe even argued that since everyone was an immortal cultivator, going without sleep for a month or two was hardly a big deal. Why call it quits just because it was getting late?
If they were going to play, they should go all out — play for a whole month before stopping.
Sandong enthusiastically cast his vote in favor.
But those two votes were the only ones. Even Cui Hao, who usually loved a good crowd, didn't side with them this time.
No matter how grand the festivities, there always comes a time to part. Yet there was no need for sorrow over this.
For ahead lay even greater joys waiting to be discovered.
Li Yingling's return caused a stir at first, but as the days passed, the sect settled back into its normal rhythm.
The eldest senior sister simply resumed her original place within the sect.
In her free time, she would go to the deep pool to chat with Chen Baiqing, or if she saw Cui Hao causing trouble, she would step in to reprimand him.
The original reason Li Yingling had gone out to gain experience was that she had just broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm.
After such a breakthrough, there was a long period of stabilization required. During this time, further cultivation progress was minimal — she needed to master the transformative power that came with the Nascent Soul Realm.
Traveling the world during this stabilization period to broaden one's horizons was the most suitable course of action.
Now that she had returned, perhaps without Li Xingtian around — that monstrous cultivator who could swallow their master's pills whole and train obsessively — the pressure of being overtaken by a junior brother was gone.
Li Yingling's cultivation pace became noticeably more relaxed.
She spent a considerable portion of each day in the sect's main hall, casually chatting and bantering with their master.
While Li Yingling's storytelling wasn't as lively or animated as Cui Hao's, complete with all his physical gestures, it was by no means weak. And this eldest senior sister had genuinely seen and experienced a great deal.
Compared to Cui Hao's half-truths and two-parts fabrication, Li Yingling's accounts were reasoned and well-supported by evidence.
Sandong, the sun-loving flower spirit who usually basked outdoors all day, had recently taken to spending his time in the main hall instead.
A single cup of Chen Baiqing's tea was enough to keep Sandong satisfied for an entire afternoon.
Listening to Li Yingling's stories to pass the time and sipping Chen Baiqing's tea to quench his thirst, Sandong was living quite happily.
Qinghe would occasionally drop by to join the fun. But for the most part, it still spent its time with Xie Lingyu, occasionally seeking out Cui Hao — seemingly plotting something.
It was probably nothing good. Li Yingling had been keeping a close eye on Cui Hao lately.
On the surface, Chu Xingchen appeared quite leisurely, but in reality, he had plenty of matters to attend to.
The situation in the Eastern Divine Continent was only resolved on the surface. Undercurrents still ran beneath, and the Tianyan Sect still needed Chu Xingchen to help coordinate.
Aside from requesting updates from Chu Xingchen, they would also pass intelligence along to him.
Lately, however, the one corresponding with Chu Xingchen was Yan Yun. The Tianyan Sect's sect master, Lu Xuan, seemed thoroughly occupied, delegating many matters to Yan Yun.
Chu Xingchen was aware of quite a bit of news, but nothing so far had required his direct involvement.
Some things he needed to know, and occasionally he could offer an opinion or two, but they didn't require him to act personally.
If every trivial matter required his personal attention, even with his ability to create clones, Chu Xingchen would never finish.
And so, Chu Xingchen spent this period in that gentle borderland between busy and not busy.
A month later.
Ten Thousand Flower Ridge.
Daoist Yuyang's gaze swept across the endless rolling mountains and flower-covered ridges. He couldn't help but sigh with appreciation.
"Chu Xingchen certainly knows how to enjoy himself. Building a sect in a place like this — forget everything else, just looking at it is deeply satisfying."
"Then again, it is Chu Xingchen we're talking about."
Xu Jin's simple agreement struck a chord with Daoist Yuyang.
The two of them walked through Ten Thousand Flower Ridge with a clear destination in mind. In moments, they reached the gates of someone's sect.
The mountain protection formation pulsed faintly.
Daoist Yuyang scanned the area and noticed that Chu Xingchen's sect didn't even have a gatekeeper.
Was a visitor supposed to either smash through the formation or start shouting?
Daoist Yuyang was about to voice his complaint when he glanced over and saw Xu Jin casually tapping on the mountain protection formation, looking quite practiced about it.
The formation flickered with a faint spiritual light.
"What are you doing?" Daoist Yuyang asked, bewildered.
Xu Jin replied evenly. "Knocking."
Daoist Yuyang's expression showed confusion. Before he could ask further, an impatient voice rang out.
"Coming, stop knocking."
Daoist Yuyang looked up to see Qinghe wearing an irritated expression. Was that really considered knocking?
Qinghe's gaze lifted.
It naturally didn't recognize Daoist Yuyang, but it did remember Xu Jin.
A core disciple of the current generation of the Xuanqing Celestial Sect — someone with an even more formidable background than its own.
After confirming that the visitors were not a threat, Qinghe let them through.
Ever since Ning Qianqian had left, Qinghe had truly been reduced to a gatekeeper. Though visitors rarely came and there was hardly anything to do, it still couldn't shake the feeling of being a flood dragon reduced to opening doors for that black-hearted brat.
"Come on, I'll take you to Chu Xingchen."
Qinghe gave a casual wave of its small hand and turned to lead the way.
Xu Jin followed with a calm, natural stride.
Daoist Yuyang paused for a moment, then followed as well. His eyes settled on Qinghe, and with a single glance, he saw through its true nature.
"A flood dragon?"
Such creatures weren't particularly rare within the Eighteen Immortal Sects, but outside of them, they were exceedingly uncommon.
Catching a flood dragon was no easy feat, and buying one would cost a fortune in spirit stones. Given Chu Xingchen's notoriously frugal nature, he probably wouldn't spend that kind of money.
This was most likely one Chu Xingchen had caught himself. It still looked quite wild — wearing an expression like it was owed money.
Qinghe turned its head slightly at the remark.
Xu Jin answered on Qinghe's behalf. "It's from Zhuji Peak of the Tianyan Sect, not Chu Xingchen's."
Daoist Yuyang nodded in understanding. Then he said casually, "What's the difference?"
"Of course there's a difference! I don't belong to Chu Xingchen."
Qinghe glared at the insolent Daoist Yuyang.
"Do you have any idea whose territory Zhuji Peak of the Tianyan Sect is?"
"Naturally. It belongs to Bai Xuanling. What about it?"
Qinghe's expression soured.
"Bai Xuanling? You've got some nerve using her name so casually."
"Where do you come from, boy?"
Daoist Yuyang replied with perfect composure.
"I am Yuyang of the Taidao Sect. Do you have a problem with that?"
Qinghe froze for a moment, then looked Daoist Yuyang up and down twice. It had heard the name before.
This was another core disciple of the current generation from the Eighteen Immortal Sects?
It watched Chu Xingchen sit around doing practically nothing all day, rarely venturing out.
Where on earth did he meet so many core disciples — and ones who appeared to be close friends, no less?
When it went out, it never managed to meet anyone like that.
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