Elder Wang He.
Elder Jiang.
Elder Wang, who suppressed the forbidden area.
All three had reddened eyes.
The rapidly fading vitality within Xiao Rongyu's body made them realize the truth at the same time. Their hearts trembled.
"I'll go ask the Saint for help," Elder Wang said urgently. "I don't believe he can't do anything!"
"Elder Wang, there's no need," Xiao Rongyu said weakly.
She had already met the Saint back then. The answer she received was clear: before her body recovered, it was absolutely forbidden. If she forced recovery, she could at most sustain herself for thirty breaths—one cup of tea's time. After that, even holy medicine would only barely stabilize her foundation, and anything beyond two cups would be useless.
Yet the forbidden technique she used in the Yin Ruins had lasted far more than thirty breaths.
Nearly an hour.
Her life essence had already been exhausted.
Even if the Saint personally arrived, it would still be useless—let alone the fact that their Saint was currently in an extremely weakened state.
"If you… perish," Elder Wang He said hoarsely, "what will happen to the Donglin Sect?"
He had never realized just how important Xiao Rongyu was to the sect. That little girl who spent her days quietly cultivating at the sect master's residence had, without anyone noticing, been holding up the entire sky.
"Cough—!"
"Pfft—!"
"You should go first," Xiao Rongyu said softly.
The three elders were shaken.
Even as Human Emperors, they felt powerless.
When they stepped out of the sect master's cultivation grounds, their eyes were dim. None of them had expected that a trip to the Yin Ruins would lead to such a catastrophe. Zhenwu Sect and Xiandao Sect hadn't even dared to move against them—yet the Green Bull Demon Lord had appeared instead.
"We need to choose a sect master," Elder Wang He said with a complicated expression.
But who?
Who could shoulder this responsibility?
Elder Wang, who suppressed the forbidden area?
The few of them exchanged looks. That elder slowly shook his head. His duty was to guard the forbidden area; even leaving it occasionally was already pushing the limits. Becoming sect master would inevitably cause problems.
Elder Jiang?
He shook his head as well. His identity was complicated—not only an elder of the Donglin Sect, but also an elder of the Jiang Clan. That alone made him unsuitable to lead the Donglin Holy Land.
Wang He himself?
He shook his head repeatedly. His cultivation was only at the third level of the Human Emperor Realm. While that was enough to lead a top force in the Eastern Region, it was far from sufficient for the Donglin Holy Land—especially at this critical juncture.
"Then… who?"
Almost simultaneously, a name surfaced in their minds.
Elder Chu.
If Elder Chu took charge, there would be no issue at all. His cultivation was unquestionable, his identity clean, and he had the ability to oversee the sect. The only problem—
Elder Wang, who suppressed the forbidden area, sighed deeply. "Elder Chu prefers peace and quiet. He dislikes dealing with the sect's complicated affairs. He may not be willing to take the position."
"How about this," Elder Jiang said after some thought.
"The position of sect master will remain vacant for now. The three of us will jointly manage the Donglin Sect. We'll handle minor matters ourselves, and if anything major arises, we'll consult Elder Chu."
"Good."
"Agreed."
The proposal was unanimously accepted.
With the tense atmosphere easing slightly, the three elders returned inside. Xiao Rongyu's white hair hung loosely, her life essence severely depleted. Even though she tried her best to maintain her appearance, faint wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were still visible, making their hearts ache.
Elder Wang He explained their decision.
Xiao Rongyu nodded faintly.
"Then… we'll take our leave."
"Wait."
"Don't tell Elder Chu about this," Xiao Rongyu said softly. Her eyes dimmed as she glanced at the white hair on her shoulders. "I don't want him to see me like this."
Elder Wang He sighed deeply. Such cruel fate. Everyone knew that Xiao Rongyu loved Elder Chu, yet falling flowers were heartless, and outsiders could not interfere with matters of destiny.
"And this," Xiao Rongyu said, handing over a storage ring.
"It's the scripture I obtained from the Yin Ruins. Give it to him for me."
Elder Wang He accepted the ring, his breathing heavy.
—
Not long after, Elder Wang He arrived at the eighth floor of the Sutra Pavilion.
Even though Sect Master Xiao had said she didn't want to see Chu Xun, how could Elder Chu truly remain unaware after such a major event?
"Hm?"
"Hm?!"
As Elder Wang He explained everything, Chu Xun frowned at first. As expected, the talisman he had given should have been enough—Jiang Chen's great luck alone should have resolved the crisis. Yet he never expected things to still turn out like this, with Xiao Rongyu suffering such severe injuries.
After hearing the full story, he could only sigh.
"Fate…"
Who could have imagined that Ye Chen would provoke Jiang Chen at that critical moment, let alone exhaust the talisman meant to protect Xiao Rongyu?
"I understand," Chu Xun said.
He put down his book, stood silently by the window for a moment, then turned and walked toward the sect master's cultivation grounds.
If he were truly powerless, he would accept it. But he wasn't.
In his possession was a drop of Life Water—something capable of reviving flesh and restoring bones. How could he stand by and watch her die?
—
Inside the cultivation chamber.
Xiao Rongyu seemed to be hovering between life and death, as though she had already arranged everything and let go of all worries. She lay in a dazed state, drifting between coma and sleep, unaware of Chu Xun's arrival.
In her murmurs, she kept whispering, "Scripture… scripture…"
Chu Xun sighed softly, his gaze complicated.
"I've received the scripture."
Xiao Rongyu's breathing gradually steadied.
Her final lingering obsession faded.
"Here."
Without hesitation, Chu Xun acted.
A drop of Life Water, wrapped in spiritual energy, was delivered to Xiao Rongyu's lips.
Instantly, overwhelming vitality surged forth, enveloping her body. Pain was soothed, and her tightly furrowed brows relaxed.
Strands of white hair turned black once more.
Wrinkles faded away.
Dry skin regained its luster—smooth, fair, and delicate.
Her red lips brightened again.
Even with her eyes closed, vitality overflowed.
"That's good," Chu Xun nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave.
Boom—!
Suddenly, a far stronger aura erupted from Xiao Rongyu's body.
Hot.
Domineering.
Like raging flames—
Like a phoenix undergoing nirvana.
Chu Xun halted, shock flashing in his eyes.
He watched as the surging vitality transformed into willow-like strands that wrapped around her, blazing with phoenix radiance. It was as if a dormant phoenix deep within her body was slowly awakening.
Her physique… had awakened.
Chu Xun was stunned.
He had never expected such a gain.
At that moment, Xiao Rongyu also awoke. In the hazy light, she saw a figure standing quietly nearby. She tried to open her eyes to look more clearly, but the violent resurgence of power surged through her body, nearly tearing her skeleton apart.
A muffled groan escaped her lips.
Yet the overwhelming vitality continued to heal her, again and again.
Her aura climbed steadily.
Human Emperor Sixth Realm.
Seventh Realm.
Eighth Realm.
This was no forbidden burst—
But a true, stable ascension.