Recalling Eight Thousand Cultivators!

With a solemn expression, Lu Kangnian stood atop the high dais, gazing into the distance with bright, focused eyes. Gradually, after barely the burn of an incense stick, countless void rifts abruptly tore open across the sky beyond the pocket realm! Lu Kangnian felt an immense surge of emotion at the sight. Behind him, the crowd of peak masters and elders likewise watched with flushed, excited faces. The might of their sect filled every one of them with shared pride! Li Guanqi murmured softly, "They're back." *Weng—!* Violent spatial ripples rolled out. The pitch-black rifts widened, and unfamiliar figures emerged one after another outside the pocket realm. Among them were men and women, young and old, yet all of them froze in momentary astonishment the instant they took in the Great Xia Sword Sect's present scale. "Is... is this still the Great Xia Sword Sect?!" "How did the layout of the seven peaks change so drastically? Why is this grand, imposing sight so different from what I remember?" "Good heavens! I've only been away for a mere three hundred years, and there's already an entire pocket realm? Is that... Lu Kangnian?!" Indeed, the Great Xia Sword Sect of today bore little resemblance to the sect in their memories. The changes were nothing short of earth-shattering. Had landmarks like Tianmen Cave and Tianjian Peak not remained as they once were, they might have genuinely wondered if they had arrived at the wrong place. Standing suspended in midair, they exchanged glances before cautiously taking out their identity jade slips and channeling a wisp of primal energy into them. As the jade slips lit up with a soft glow, the dense azure barrier of the formation slowly parted with opening after opening! Seeing this, the crowd let out sighs of relief. The sect... was still the sect they knew! Even if they had journeyed tens of thousands of li away and had not seen it for hundreds of years... So long as their identity jade slips remained, they were members of the Great Xia Sword Sect! *Whoosh! Whoosh!* Dozens of figures filed inside, striding through the air toward the high platform. Along the way, their eyes scanned the surroundings, exclamations of wonder rising and falling without end. This first group was exceptionally strong, numbering several dozen cultivators. The lowest among them had reached the Nascent Soul realm! Arriving before Lu Kangnian, they lined up side by side in neat order according to their cultivation level. Looking upon the imposing man before them, everyone bowed deeply where they stood and cried out in booming unison: "Greetings, Sect Master!" "Greetings, Sect Master!!" Their resounding voices echoed through the heavens. Lu Kangnian gently raised a hand, lifting everyone up with an invisible force. "No need for formalities." "There is much to attend to today. You may head into the pocket realm first, find a courtyard or pavilion, and settle yourselves." Among the crowd, Lu Kangnian spotted a few familiar faces. Glancing at one particular man, he couldn't help but smile. "Luo Zhengping, you brat, you came back too!" The man grinned, an unruly air dancing between his brows. Looking at Lu Kangnian in his opulent robes, he teased, "I always said back then that you'd make Sect Master. Tsk, look at you—you really look the part." "Hahaha! I know your hands are full, so leave these folks to me. I'll get them settled." Li Guanqi looked at the speaker. His cultivation was around the peak of the early Soul Formation realm; to think he was from the same generation as the Sect Master. Noticing Li Guanqi's gaze, the man's expression shifted slightly. He reined in his grin and clasped his hands toward Li Guanqi in formal salute. Li Guanqi returned the bow with a smile. The first group then proceeded into the pocket realm, where Qin Xian was in charge of settling everyone in. Meanwhile, more spatial rifts continued to tear open. The observing powers witnessing this were struck by stormy waves of shock in their hearts! For out of every spatial rift that appeared, the cultivators stepping through were at the very least in the Nascent Soul realm! Watching this unfold, the spectators shared the exact same question in their minds. Namely... "Just how many years has the Great Xia Sword Sect existed?!" Most of those returning had Dao ages around three hundred years, and some had even cultivated for a millennium! Only a portion of younger Core Formation disciples were faces they recognized. Even the disciples who had fought in the battle against Ziyang Palace were now returning one after another. Seeing Li Guanqi, they grinned from ear to ear, and Li Guanqi, stirred with emotion, cupped his hands to return each salute. In this manner, dense swarms of spatial rifts appeared continuously above the vast sect grounds! Countless flying beasts and all kinds of cloud boats and cloud shuttles arrived in droves. Li Guanqi remained by Lu Kangnian's side throughout. Lu Kangnian had considered letting Li Guanqi step down to rest during this time, but when Li Guanqi declined, he didn't insist. This magnificent spectacle lasted a full three days! Over these three days, the Great Xia Sword Sect recalled former disciples, elders, peak masters, and others, totaling over eight thousand cultivators! Among them, former disciples at the Core Formation realm and peak Core Formation comprised the vast majority—more than ninety percent. Yet the number of Nascent Soul cultivators within the Great Xia Sword Sect had now reached a terrifying scale! Nascent Soul cultivators alone numbered over four hundred! There were also nearly a hundred Soul Formation cultivators. Although the total was considerably smaller than Li Guanqi had originally anticipated, it was still profoundly shocking. Such power was enough to strike profound terror into any faction! Even great clans and sects with ten-thousand-year legacies might not possess the current might of the Great Xia Sword Sect! A legacy might span ten thousand years, but there were only so many cultivators who remained alive at any one time. Lu Kangnian also felt an unprecedented weight of pressure. Such a massive gathering of cultivators posed a severe test to every facet of the Great Xia Sword Sect. Throughout these three days, virtually none of the sect's disciples rested, constantly felling timber to build pavilions. Nor were they alone; returning disciples also lent a hand. With everyone pulling together, the number of pavilions grew day by day. On the first day, Tang Ru had already departed for Guanyun Pavilion, but Li Guanqi stayed the entire time. What surprised him somewhat was that with so many returned cultivators, not a single mishap occurred over those three days! No one bullied the weak, nor did any conflicts break out. Everyone cultivated quietly in their quarters, waiting for the recall ceremony to conclude. As time passed, Lu Kangnian's expression grew increasingly solemn. *Weng—!* A white-haired elder stepped slowly out of the void. Looking down upon the flourishing momentum projected by today's Great Xia Sword Sect, he stroked his beard and smiled. Lu Kangnian furrowed his brows at the elder, contemplation flickering in his eyes. Only to hear the elder clasp his hands and laugh, "Hahaha, Sect Master Lu probably does not recognize this old man, does he?" At that moment, Qin Xian teleported over from inside the pocket realm. Seeing the elder, shock immediately crossed his face, and he sent a low voice transmission: "Sect Master, this is the Twenty-ninth Discipline Master! Gong Ze!" The elder put on no airs either, introducing himself with frank ease. Lu Kangnian bowed in greeting. "Senior's return is truly a great blessing for Great Xia. Please head into the pocket realm first to take some rest." The elder, however, waved his hand with a chuckle. "No need." Gong Ze turned toward Li Guanqi, who was striding forward, and smiled. "Young friend, you must have sensed it too. The last few individuals should have arrived."