Chen Xiaotian was equally thrilled to hear that Li Guanqi intended to send him to the Great Xia Sword Sect.
His surging emotions brightened the youth's eyes, filling them with radiant light.
Observing Li Guanqi's slightly lonely air, Chen Xiaotian gradually reined in his excitement.
He had no idea what sorrow could possibly plague this man, who stood among the foremost cultivators in the entire world.
To Chen Xiaotian's mind, someone who had attained a level of power like Li Guanqi's could surely live without fearing anything under the heavens.
How could such a person have any worries?
Li Guanqi remained exceedingly quiet the whole way, particularly after they crossed into the Great Xia Domain.
Perched atop Jiuxiao's head, he drank his wine in silence.
Jiuxiao flew with tremendous speed, and before long they reached the Qingyun Continent.
Li Guanqi exhaled a breath of stale air and rose to his feet. Dispersing the reek of wine from his body with a pulse of power, he restored his spirited appearance.
Ji Yuchuan had already sent word to Lu Kangnian that Li Guanqi would soon arrive.
However, there was no grand reception this time.
As Lu Kangnian put it, the boy returning to the sect was nothing more than coming back to his own home.
Why on earth would they need a welcoming party for someone coming home?
And indeed, when a long spatial rift tore open above the Great Xia Sword Sect, the patrolling disciples immediately soared into the air on their swords.
Plucking up their courage, they called out sternly toward the tear in space, "This is the territory of the Great Xia Sword Sect! Senior, please restrain your pressure!"
Li Guanqi could not help laughing.
"What's this? Even I'm going to be stopped?"
As his words fell, Jiuxiao poked his massive dragon head out of the void.
Far from being frightened, the disciple's face lit up with excitement at the sight of the giant dragon.
Sheathing his sword, he bowed deeply and said in a ringing voice, "Zhou Qixuan, disciple of Tianmu Peak, pays respects to the Grand Elder!"
Li Guanqi stepped out of the void and patted Jiuxiao. With a flash of radiant light, Jiuxiao vanished.
Following behind Li Guanqi, another youth emerged from the void.
Lu Kangnian flashed into midair, chuckling as he looked at Li Guanqi, whose depth he could no longer fathom. "What made you think of coming back, lad?"
As he spoke, Lu Kangnian also noticed Chen Xiaotian, who had already broken through to the Soul Formation Realm.
His eyes brightened. *Now that is prime seedling material!*
Li Guanqi did not bring up Chen Xiaotian just yet. Stepping before Lu Kangnian, he bowed in greeting. "Li Guanqi pays respects to the Sect Master."
Keeping one arm clasped behind his back, Lu Kangnian reached out with the other to support Li Guanqi, chuckling. "Drop the needless formalities. Come, let's talk inside the hall."
The two walked side by side, while Chen Xiaotian kept close at Li Guanqi's flank.
Li Guanqi said quietly, "I might not be able to stay long in the sect this time. Oh, right—have Senior Brother Wu Bing come as well."
Lu Kangnian looked somewhat surprised. "Call him over? Does it... have something to do with the one you brought back?"
Li Guanqi thought for a moment and shared his reasoning with Lu Kangnian.
Upon hearing it, Lu Kangnian could not help sighing.
His sigh was entirely for Li Guanqi's sake.
Even when away from the sect, fighting tooth and nail in the Seventh Domain, Li Guanqi's heart remained fixed on the sect's affairs.
Afraid that Wu Bing might overthink matters, he had even planned to summon him and explain everything in person.
"Very well, we'll do as you say," Lu Kangnian said. "However... whether the later plans pan out will depend on this kid's character."
Li Guanqi smiled, choosing not to mention what had transpired in Moon Shadow City.
After all, as time and perspectives shifted, people themselves were prone to change.
"I'll leave that to the Sect Master's judgment."
*Whoosh!*
Qin Xian rushed over from the distance, breaking into a broad smile the moment he laid eyes on Li Guanqi.
After exchanging pleasantries, Qin Xian tucked away his smile.
Turning to Chen Xiaotian, he looked him up and down before saying mildly, "I am Qin Xian, Disciplinary Elder of the Great Xia Sword Sect. You may address me as Elder Qin."
Hearing this, Chen Xiaotian hastily offered a respectful bow. "Junior Chen Xiaotian pays respects to Elder Qin."
Stroking his beard with a smile, Qin Xian said gently, "Very well. Henceforth, you shall cultivate at Tianjin Peak. Come with me, and I'll arrange your lodging. After that, I'll take you over to Tianzhu Peak to collect a set of sect Dharma robes."
Li Guanqi chuckled. "Oh? The sect has come up in the world—even the disciple garments have been upgraded to Dharma robes?"
Lu Kangnian laughed heartily. "We established some cooperation with Feihua Valley from the Luoxia Domain. Their valley happens to specialize in Dharma robes, so we took the opportunity to outfit all our disciples."
Li Guanqi smiled and turned to advise Chen Xiaotian, "Once you are in the sect, cultivate diligently and hold fast to your original heart. Keep the sect creed firmly in mind, and never become arrogant or overbearing!"
Chen Xiaotian pursed his lips, his eyes reddening. Suddenly dropping to both knees before Li Guanqi, he kowtowed and said with deep conviction, "Xiaotian will engrave Big Brother Li's immense kindness upon his heart and never forget it! In the days ahead, I will cultivate with all my might and stay true to my beginnings!"
Li Guanqi held one hand behind his back and accepted Chen Xiaotian's bow.
He had earned it.
Qin Xian chuckled, cupped his hands to take his leave, and carried Chen Xiaotian off toward Tianjin Peak.
Watching them go, Li Guanqi could not help muttering, "Come to think of it, doesn't that make him Ye Feng's fellow peak disciple?"
"Haha, isn't that the truth? How has Ye Feng been doing lately?" Lu Kangnian asked. "And Cao Yan and Xiao Chen—after you little bastards left, not a single one of you sent any news back."
Lu Kangnian looked just like a lonely elder waiting at home, his juniors all away without one of them bothering to send word.
Li Guanqi leaned closer to the man and whispered, "Second Brother Ye is about to face his tribulation. When I left, both Cao Yan and Xiao Chen were at the half-step Tribulation Transcendence realm, so they're probably not far off either. Gu Li and Tang Ru are roughly at the same level as Cao Yan and the other."
At this point, Li Guanqi clearly saw the corners of Lu Kangnian's mouth curling upward.
"Those little bastards who haven't come home might all break through before long. When that happens... our Great Xia Sword Sect will be backed by six Tribulation Transcendence experts."
Lu Kangnian's gaze went blank, his grin stretching nearly from ear to ear.
Wiping a hand across his cheek, he wore a downright shameless expression as he asked, "Really? Heh-heh... As Sect Master of this generation, I'll truly be unprecedented and unmatched!"
Li Guanqi and Lu Kangnian exchanged glances and burst into hearty laughter.
When they arrived at the grand hall, there were not many people inside.
After some casual conversation, Li Guanqi secretly sent a voice transmission to Wu Bing, explaining the situation regarding Chen Xiaotian.
Wu Bing replied candidly through voice transmission, "You really didn't need to explain all this to me. Whatever the Sect Master arranges, I will follow."
Li Guanqi shook his head, his expression earnest as he transmitted back, "Assigning it directly to you is not the same as letting you know the reason behind it."
Wu Bing's eyes flickered, and he lowered his head slightly.
It was true. Knowing the full story made him feel far more at ease.
"Right, Guanqi, what brings you back this time?"
Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes slightly and let out a sigh. "I'm making a trip... to Beiliang City!"
Chapter 1417