Tianyan Sect, Tianyan Peak.
Inside the main hall, only Lu Xuan and Bai Xuanling remained at this moment.
Everyone else had been cleared out, including Yanyun.
Bai Xuanling had personally escorted Chu Xingchen back to Tianyan Sect. The occasion had been grand, and she had also summoned cultivators skilled in medicine to tend to his injuries.
Now that everything was settled, Bai Xuanling finally came to Tianyan Peak.
Lu Xuan gazed at Bai Xuanling with a mixture of gratification and quiet joy. Her expression carried a trace of loneliness. He slowly asked,
"How is Chu Xingchen?"
"His injuries are rather serious. He'll need some time to recover." Bai Xuanling sighed softly.
Lu Xuan nodded gently. "Whatever is needed, everyone in Tianyan Sect will provide it without reservation."
Bai Xuanling shook her head.
"Little Baiqing has been crying until her eyes are red. For Chu Xingchen, I'm afraid nothing is more precious than her tears."
Lu Xuan was silent for a moment. He studied Bai Xuanling, whose aura felt even more profound than before, and asked,
"Have you… truly become a True Immortal?"
"Mm." Bai Xuanling nodded.
Lu Xuan instinctively stroked his beard and asked,
"Then why haven't you ascended?"
Bai Xuanling replied calmly, "If I did nothing at all, it would have happened very soon."
"What do you mean by that?" Lu Xuan frowned.
Bai Xuanling did not answer. Instead, her gaze drifted toward the door.
"It's been a long time since I felt this at ease. Every shackle stripped away — it all feels so unreal. Or rather, everything about this is unreal."
Lu Xuan pondered, his eyes fixed on Bai Xuanling.
Bai Xuanling rose and walked toward the exit. "Well, you've seen me for yourself. The details will arrive by report soon enough. You know I've never liked giving debriefings."
Lu Xuan immediately spoke up.
"Some things can't be decided by emotion alone. Many opportunities come only once."
Bai Xuanling did not answer. She walked outward in her battered battle armor.
"Lingyu and the others will be back soon. I need to go check on them."
Lu Xuan shook his head slightly and sighed.
Always doing whatever she pleased.
But at least she had come back alive.
Lu Xuan thought about it, then shook his head again.
Forget it. This was already more than he had dared to hope for. Asking for more would be greed.
Peak of One Big Happy Family.
Chen Baiqing, eyes red, held a cloth and gently wiped Chu Xingchen's face.
Chu Xingchen's eyes were closed, his lips pressed tight. One look told the whole story — there was not a single comfortable place on him right now.
Li Xingtian stood at Chen Baiqing's side, his expression equally anxious.
Several Mahayana and Tribulation Transcendence cultivators had come to examine their master together and confirmed that his life was not in danger.
They had also urgently gathered numerous precious treasures to aid his recovery.
Though his life was not in danger… his cultivation had fallen all the way to early Nascent Soul.
Anyone could see that was a grave matter.
A cultivator's future path could be severed by a fall like this.
Chen Baiqing gently wiped her master's face. Her reddened eyes gradually steeled, and her voice came out calm.
"Second Senior Brother, can you get in touch with Xu Jin of Xuanqing Heavenly Sect?"
Li Xingtian was taken aback and looked at Chen Baiqing in confusion.
Chen Baiqing continued in the same calm tone,
"It's not that I don't trust Bai-jie. But given the situation, we can't just take Tianyan Sect's word for everything. With Master in this state, we can't keep being obedient little disciples any longer."
"If we don't start making our own plans, if we don't understand what's really going on, and if something like this happens again — will Senior Brother be able to forgive himself for not being vigilant enough?"
Li Xingtian didn't know how to respond. He understood that although Chen Baiqing said she wasn't expressing distrust, in truth she was.
He also admitted that what she said made sense.
But once this door was opened, it would be very hard to close again.
If they didn't trust Bai Xuanling, what about Xie Lingyu next?
Trust was mutual. If suspicion piled up…
Chen Baiqing waited a moment. When no answer came, she turned her calm gaze to Li Xingtian, her voice especially serene.
"Senior Brother, we're family. The only ones we can rely on are family. But Senior Brother should also understand — without Master, we no longer have this home."
Li Xingtian drew a deep breath. His mind churned with thoughts, but he nodded instinctively.
"Alright. I'll handle it. Please take good care of Master, Third Junior Sister."
Chen Baiqing nodded lightly.
Li Xingtian turned and left, heading out.
No matter what, Third Junior Sister was family. And he didn't want any more accidents to befall their master.
Chen Baiqing listened to Li Xingtian's retreating footsteps. Her hands tightened unconsciously around the cloth she held. She whispered,
"It's Baiqing who failed. Master, rest well. Baiqing will do what needs to be done."
Chen Baiqing lowered her eyes and fell silent.
Time passed. She didn't know how long.
Outside the door came hurried footsteps, followed by the slow, careful sound of the door being pushed open.
Chen Baiqing heard the rapid breathing draw closer. She raised her head and looked to the side. Eldest Senior Sister's eyes were wide open as she moved slowly toward the bedside, lips pressed tight, body rigid.
Zhang Miaoyu stood outside the door and did not enter.
"Master… is he alright?"
Li Yingling's voice was barely above a whisper, and the tremor in it was unmistakable.
Chen Baiqing released her clenched cloth and answered softly,
"The cultivators from Tianyan Sect say Master is fine."
"Master's aura…"
Chen Baiqing didn't answer. She placed the cloth back into the basin of water beside her.
The faint splash of water startled Li Yingling, whose nerves were pulled taut.
Li Yingling glanced over.
"What happened?"
"Second Senior Brother went to find out." Chen Baiqing looked at the water in the basin and asked, "Does Eldest Senior Sister truly know nothing at all?"
Li Yingling pressed her lips together. The question sounded like an inquiry, but it also sounded like an accusation.
But… she did deserve blame.
She was close to their master, yet she had known nothing, understood nothing about what was happening.
All she had received was a message that Master was injured and she should return to Tianyan Sect immediately.
Chen Baiqing turned her gaze back to her eldest senior sister — and then paused.
Li Yingling's eyes glistened with tears. Her gaze was locked onto Chu Xingchen. Her lips were pressed together, her body leaning slightly forward but not approaching, as if she wanted to draw close yet felt too afraid to.
Chen Baiqing had never seen Eldest Senior Sister look so openly vulnerable.
Eldest Senior Sister had always been full of vigor, handling everything as if it were effortless. The thing she said most often was complaining that everyone else was clumsy and useless.
And yet here was that same confident, genius Eldest Senior Sister.
Now she looked fragile enough that a single sentence could shatter her completely.
Eldest Senior Sister liked to call herself a genius and treat the world as full of fools.
But she was also the one who trusted their master the most. Whatever Master said, she would believe nine-tenths of it on instinct.
Her dependence on him went without saying. Master's grave injury would undoubtedly strike her hard.
Chen Baiqing slowly stood and said in a gentle voice,
"Eldest Senior Sister, Master needs to recuperate. Inside and outside the sect…"
Chen Baiqing didn't finish the sentence.
Li Yingling understood perfectly what she meant. She instinctively wiped the tears from her eyes, then whispered,
"Don't worry, Junior Sister. With Eldest Senior Sister here, Master will be safe and sound."
Hearing those words, Chen Baiqing felt her eyes sting again.
She hated this.
She never wanted things to be like this again.
[
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