The auspicious signs filling the sky gradually faded, and the spirit spring surging from the earth returned to its usual flow. Yet the dense spiritual energy and the vibrant, flourishing vegetation still permeated every corner of Qingxu Temple, silently testifying to the earth-shattering transformation that had just taken place. The scene of the myriad spirits paying homage had also vanished, but the awe toward the direction of the Ascension Valley was now deeply imprinted in the hearts of all living beings.
Tang Xiaoqi stood before the crowd. The vast, majestic Nascent Soul spiritual pressure around him had been quietly restrained, like a sharp sword returned to its sheath, hidden and unrevealed. However, his increasingly profound eyes and his calm yet inherently dignified bearing all proclaimed a level of being vastly different from before. Just standing there, he seemed to become the very center of heaven and earth, inspiring both admiration and reassurance.
The cheers and congratulations gradually subsided. Everyone's gaze converged on him, filled with excitement, anticipation, and a trace of barely perceptible inquiry about the future.
The eldest senior brother, Mu Qingfeng, stepped out from the crowd. His expression was complex, carrying both heartfelt joy and a hint of solemn relief. He approached Xiao Qi, but instead of greeting him with the customary courtesy between senior and junior brothers, his expression turned solemn. He stepped back half a pace and, under the astonished gazes of everyone, bowed deeply toward Xiao Qi, performing the most solemn sect ceremony.
"Mu Qingfeng respectfully greets the Temple Master upon his emergence from seclusion, having achieved the Great Dao of the Nascent Soul!"
His voice was clear and spread in all directions.
Temple Master?
At these words, the entire place fell silent. Even the Third Senior Sister, the Second Senior Brother, and others revealed looks of astonishment, clearly unaware of this development. Only Aunt Su's eyes flickered slightly, as if she understood something.
Xiao Qi was also taken aback. He hurried forward to support his eldest senior brother. "Eldest Senior Brother, what is the meaning of this? The old Temple Master, he..."
Mu Qingfeng rose following the support, his face bearing a trace of sorrow but also unwavering determination. His gaze swept over the puzzled crowd, and he said in a deep voice, "Just as Xiao Qi... just as the Temple Master was at the crucial moment of breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, Temple Master Xuan Xuan Zhenren transmitted a message to me via his spiritual sense. The Temple Master, he... his Great Dao is nearing its end, his allotted lifespan has run out."
These words struck like a sudden thunderclap, exploding in everyone's heart!
Temple Master Xuan Xuan Zhenren had presided over Qingxu Temple for more than three hundred years. Although he had lived in deep seclusion in recent years, he had always been an existence akin to a stabilizing pillar in the hearts of all disciples. The news of his impending departure brought an impact that momentarily overshadowed the joy of Xiao Qi's Nascent Soul achievement. An atmosphere of sorrow and bewilderment instantly spread through the crowd.
Mu Qingfeng took a deep breath and continued, "The Temple Master decreed that after the new Temple Master, True Monarch Tang Xiaoqi, successfully forms his Nascent Soul and emerges from seclusion, he is to take over the position of Qingxu Temple Master, to command the sect, and lead us into the future!"
His gaze fell upon Xiao Qi again, filled with unreserved trust and support. "The Temple Master once said that the future path of Qingxu Temple cannot be secured by merely maintaining the old ways; we must broaden our horizons to the world and embrace all living beings. Junior Brother Xiao Qi... no, Temple Master! You possess the Purification Origin, your virtue extends to all corners, your wisdom and courage are unmatched, and furthermore, you hold the world's wellbeing in your heart. This position is yours by right, and no other! Mu Qingfeng is willing to lead the entire sect, above and below, to assist with all our strength, with absolute loyalty!"
Saying this, he again performed a deep bow.
Following the Eldest Senior Brother's declaration, the Third Senior Sister, Liu Yun, was the second to step forward. She looked at Xiao Qi with clear and resolute eyes and said, with a cupped-hand salute, "Liu Yun respectfully obeys the late Temple Master's decree and greets the new Temple Master!" She had no superfluous words, but her actions already spoke volumes.
Second Senior Brother Luo Feng rubbed his reddened eyes, grieving for the old Temple Master yet also thrilled by Xiao Qi's achievement. He grinned, but it looked worse than crying, and also offered his salute. "Luo Feng... greets the Temple Master! From now on, make sure the Artifact Forging Hall's materials are plentiful, you hear?" He tried to dilute the sorrow with his usual banter, but his slightly trembling voice betrayed him.
"Zhao Tiezhu greets his Big Brother, the Temple Master!" Zhao Tiezhu's voice boomed like a great bell, and he knelt directly. In his heart, Xiao Qi had always been akin to a deity; now, becoming Temple Master was only natural and right.
Aunt Su also slightly inclined her body in salute.
Following this, all the elders and disciples recovered from their initial shock and sorrow. Looking at that profound and imposing figure standing in the field, recalling his past deeds, remembering the heavenly auspicious signs he had just invoked, an unprecedented confidence and cohesion surged within them.
No one knew who led first, but like a tide, everyone bowed deeply in the direction of Tang Xiaoqi. Their voices converged into a resolute, mighty torrent:
"Greetings to the Temple Master!"
"Congratulations to the Temple Master on achieving the Nascent Soul and taking command of Qingxu!"
The rolling sound waves surged straight into the clouds, filled with a farewell to the past and boundless hope for the future.
Tang Xiaoqi looked at the bowing crowd before him, saw the unreserved trust in his eldest senior brother's eyes, and felt the weighty responsibility pressing down upon him like a mountain. He recalled the implicit concern in Temple Master Xuan Xuan Zhenren's eyes during their few past interactions, remembered his own naivety when he first entered the sect, thought of the hardships and rewards along the way, thought of the Eastern Sea, the Southern Border, the Northern Plains, the Western Desert... thought of those who trusted him and needed his protection.
He understood that from this moment onward, he was no longer cultivating just for himself. His shoulders bore the legacy of Qingxu Temple and a corner of the righteous path's future in this world.
He did not refuse, nor could he.
He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and gestured for everyone to rise. His voice, calm yet carrying an unquestionable authority, clearly reached everyone's ears:
"Everyone, please rise."
The crowd rose as instructed, their gazes burning intensely as they looked at him.
Xiao Qi's gaze swept across the entire place. He slowly began to speak, his voice not loud, yet seeming to contain a strange Dao rhythm. It soothed the sorrow in everyone's hearts caused by the old Temple Master's impending departure and ignited the fervor within them:
"With the trust of Temple Master Xuan Xuan Zhenren and the acceptance of my fellow disciples, Xiao Qi assumes the position of Qingxu Temple Master today." He paused, and his tone became resolute. "This position is not a privilege but a responsibility. The Qingxu Temple, with its legacy spanning ten thousand years, whose Dao flame has never extinguished, has never relied on isolation and self-preservation, but on embracing the world and upholding righteousness to safeguard the Dao!"
"Today, I swear an oath here: I will do my utmost to protect the sect, guide the righteous path, purge demonic forces, and safeguard all living beings and order in this world worthy of protection! The path of Qingxu Temple shall be like the river of stars, endlessly brilliant; like the evergreen pine, deeply rooted in solid earth; and like a sharp sword, cutting down all evil and heresy!"
"I am willing to mutual encouragement with all fellow cultivators!"
As his words fell, an intangible, majestic force of conviction seemed to radiate from him, connecting with the faith of all Qingxu Temple disciples. This lifted everyone's spirits and made their gazes even more resolute.
"We vow to follow the Temple Master, protect the sect, and uphold righteousness to safeguard the Dao!" The earth-shaking response resounded once more, morale soaring high.
However, just as the entire sect united, preparing to welcome a new era, Tang Xiaoqi, who had just composed himself to discuss the Temple Master transition and Temple Master Xuan Xuan Zhenren's funeral affairs with his eldest senior brother, suddenly frowned slightly.
Now at the Nascent Soul stage, his spiritual sense perception and his ability to connect with the world far surpassed before. Just a moment ago, he had clearly perceived, in a dimension seemingly both infinitely far and yet near, an extremely faint yet unmistakably ominous throb emanating from the demonic entity's origin deep within the Myriad Poison Swamp, an origin resealed and reinforced by the power of the Green Lotus and the Nine Heavens Demon-Sealing Formation!
That throb was filled with venomous hatred, greed, and a stirring, restless desire for destruction, like a temporarily suppressed ferocious beast sharpening its claws and fangs in the darkness, waiting for the moment to break free and descend upon the world once more.
This sensation vanished in a flash, yet it felt like a dousing of ice water, instantly sobering Xiao Qi completely from the complex emotions of assuming the Temple Master's role.
Achieving the Nascent Soul stage and becoming Temple Master was not the end, nor even the beginning of a peaceful life.
The demonic entity was not yet extinguished; hidden dangers persisted. The Three Realms appeared pacified, but undercurrents surged. Beyond the heavens, there were still unknown threats like the silicon-based civilization and the Star Devourer.
The true challenge, the ultimate storm concerning the very survival of this realm, was just now beginning to brew.
He raised his head, looking towards the distant southern horizon, his gaze seemingly piercing through endless void to see that sealed source of ultimate darkness. His eyes became sharp and profound once more, the mighty power of the Nascent Soul stage surging silently within him.
A new starting point was also the resumption of the journey.
**End of Volume Four: 'Seeking the Dao in All Directions'.**.