On the shore of Lake Ming, the crowd continued to swell.
From an initial handful of Nascent Soul elders, nearly every prominent figure of the Luotian Sect had arrived.
Among them were Luo Chen's disciple Qu Lingjun and his Dao companion Meng Qin'er, as well as Fairy Jueqing, Shi Lan, and others of the Ice Fort lineage.
Every member of the older generation of Golden Core cultivators was present, while newly ascended Golden Core cultivators set aside their duties to rush over in unbroken streams.
Everyone knew that the Supreme Elder was about to emerge from seclusion.
When the turbulent, crashing waves across Lake Ming finally subsided, the onlookers craned their necks in eager anticipation.
Luo Chen's two Dao companions in particular could hardly resist the urge to dash forward into the lake.
Yet they were swiftly held back by Qu Lingjun and his wife.
"Mistress, Ming Water is foul and corrupting; a Golden Core cultivator must not touch even a drop of it!"
"Mistress Caiyi, Master is blessed by fortune. Please wait just a moment, and he will be out shortly."
Husband and wife stepped in separately to talk the two women down.
With Sima Huiniang and Gu Caiyi waiting patiently, the stir among the crowd gradually quieted as well.
*Whoosh...*
Ripples stirred once more, though this time it was no raging tempest, but rather the Ming Water parting of its own accord.
Very soon!
Amidst layer upon layer of rolling swells, two figures emerged, treading upon the water and stepping into everyone's view.
With just a single glance, all eyes fell upon that tall man in feather robes and a high crown, handsome as a heavenly deity.
"We congratulate the Supreme Elder on emerging from seclusion!"
Dozens of voices rose like a roaring tide, overflowing with undisguised excitement and joy.
Facing their congratulations, Luo Chen offered a faint smile. "I have caused everyone worry. This is not the place for an extended conversation; let us move to the Luotian Grand Hall before speaking further!"
The crowd assented in unison.
Gu Caiyi took a step forward to meet him, but her feet froze. Her gaze locked straight onto the woman walking closely behind Luo Chen.
Cloud-soft hair and a blossom-like face, with skin of ice and bones of jade.
Her lotus steps tread lightly across the dark swells, exuding an air of newly awakened mature grace.
Gu Caiyi was not the only one.
In truth, many had noticed the woman following quietly behind Luo Chen.
Fairy Canglong of the Luotian Sect's Mount Tian lineage was no stranger to them.
What was unfamiliar, however, was the demeanor she displayed at this moment, as well as the deep, tender affection shining in her eyes whenever she looked at Luo Chen.
Luo Chen seemed completely oblivious to the whispers, offering no spoken explanation. Yet it was as if he saw through everything and gave his answer directly through his actions.
He extended his left hand, holding it out before her.
Canglong hesitated for a moment, then reached out her frost-white wrist.
Luo Chen smiled faintly, giving her cool, slender hand a gentle squeeze, and flew toward the Luotian Grand Hall along the path the crowd parted for them.
Such a gesture was as good as a public declaration.
Gu Caiyi was both startled and furious. Subconsciously looking toward Sima Huiniang, she found the other woman completely impassive.
Rather than following the crowd, Gu Caiyi stopped immediately and moved to block Sima Huiniang.
"What on earth is going on here?"
Confronted with the demand, Sima Huiniang remained remarkably calm, as if she had long anticipated the question. She said in a low voice:
"It is just as you see. Canglong has become our husband's third Dao companion. It is as simple as that."
Gu Caiyi grew incensed. "You knew all along this could happen? Don't tell me those rumors were spread by you as well?"
Sima Huiniang did not evade the question. "The rumors within the Luotian Sect regarding Canglong did not originate with me. But after our husband returned, rather than fading away, they only grew fiercer. That, indeed, owes quite a bit to my handiwork."
"You!" Gu Caiyi was furious. Whenever it came to Luo Chen, she found it hard to keep her temper in check. "Husband is not the sort of man who abandons himself to lust! What made you think a few rumors would sway his heart?"
Sima Huiniang countered, "Did the outcome not turn out exactly as I thought?"
Gu Caiyi was struck dumb, momentarily at a loss for words.
Sima Huiniang waved her hand dismissively. "From the very beginning, I never aimed to sway our husband's heart; the rumors were meant for Canglong. The fiercer the gossip became, the harder it was for her to dismiss the debt of gratitude she owed him for saving and helping her back then. Once she made up her mind and threw herself into his arms, with our husband's nature of never taking the initiative yet never refusing, what did you think would happen?"
Without waiting for Gu Caiyi to answer, she added with utter certainty, "Furthermore, in his relentless pursuit of strength in recent years, our husband has shown signs bordering on qi deviation. When I learned by chance that Canglong possessed the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Body, it was sealed that he would not turn her down. Given his habit of never taking the lead, never refusing, but shouldering full responsibility, well... Sister Caiyi, it seems we have another sister. Oh, but she is older than us and at a higher cultivation realm, so perhaps we ought to call her Elder Sister?"
Toward the end, a touch of teasing entered Sima Huiniang's tone.
The gaze she directed at Gu Caiyi carried an unmistakable note of amusement.
Gu Caiyi drew a deep breath. She cared nothing for labels like older or younger sister; she simply had no wish to share Luo Chen's already meager affection with another person.
She looked coldly at Sima Huiniang and squeezed out three words: "Why do this?"
This time, Sima Huiniang gave no answer, merely offering a shrug.
Gu Caiyi let out a cold laugh. "To think that you and I supported each other through those grueling years. Now that times are comfortable, you have grown so degenerate instead. In cultivation, and in love as well. Fine. By taking the initiative to draw Canglong in, you have done nothing less than admit defeat. Just wait until I reach the Nascent Soul realm—I will contend with Canglong myself!"
With that, she took to the air, flying toward the main peak of the Luotian Sect.
Behind her, the moment those words were spoken, Sima Huiniang's fists clenched instinctively.
Her sharp fingernails dug deep into her palms, drawing blood.
She lifted a hand, her blood-stained fingers brushing against her face—carefully maintained, yet unable to conceal the faint marks of age.
"If not for my fading beauty, if not for exhausting ten years of vitality to protect Lingxi so thoroughly that my hope of forming a Nascent Soul was shattered, why would I have ever invited a wolf into the fold?!"
"Very well, fight if you wish. I brought Canglong in precisely to keep you occupied."
"Contend all you like. Just wait until my son, Lingxi, comes of age!"
...
Inside the Luotian Grand Hall.
The crowd sat arranged below, while Luo Chen sat alone at the head of the chamber.
Taking advantage of his availability, reports on matters large and small concerning the sect were presented one after another.
Naturally, most chose to report good news rather than bad.
When unpleasant matters were raised, it was usually a pretext to seek a larger share of resources.
Lingfengzi, for instance, had continually pressed the Grand Alchemy Court to allocate more cultivation pills to the disciples of Misty Peak.
However, the Luotian Sect had been cut off from the outside world for several decades, relying entirely on self-sufficiency for medicinal herbs. There was no way they could lavish resources on a single peak, so Li Yingzhang had repeatedly turned him down.
Now that Luo Chen was present, a verdict was naturally required.
Yet this verdict did not specify an exact allotment; it was simply a firm statement of support for Li Yingzhang.
"Li Yingzhang is the Sect Master. Everything he does is for the growth of the sect. You must respect and carry out his decisions and orders!"
Li Yingzhang was overjoyed, speaking with far greater confidence.
Lingfengzi fell silent and pressed the matter of pills no further.
Watching this scene, Luo Chen merely gave a faint sneer in his heart.
Though his path appeared steady, to those around him and to his enemies, his rise had been far too swift, far too steep.
Describing it as heaven and earth being overturned was hardly an exaggeration.
Consequently, the followers trailing in his wake, unable to keep pace, developed ill-timed ambitions and indulged in petty schemes—a natural consequence of their lagging behind.
Indeed, it went beyond the subordinates and disciples below; even his own Dao companions and students likely harbored thoughts of their own.
Luo Chen took note of their intentions, thoughts, and maneuvering, yet none of it weighed upon his mind.
To him, the present Luotian Sect provided very little assistance; it was merely a responsibility.
If he were to hinder his own cultivation for the sake of that responsibility, the loss would far outweigh the gain.
Thus, Luo Chen merely looked on with detachment.
Even when the women by his pillow engaged in minor squabbles of jealousy, so long as it did not disturb him, Luo Chen could not be bothered to intervene.
If there was one thing he felt grateful for right now, it was that the Luotian Sect had spent these past decades secluded within the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land!
Otherwise, with the formidable reputation he had carved out across the Southern Border and Western Desert, his disciples might well have grown arrogant, throwing their weight around under his banner and creating endless trouble.
He had no desire to play the elder who constantly swept in to clean up the messes left by misbehaving juniors.
As Luo Chen listened to the high-ranking members of the Luotian Sect report their respective affairs, time slipped away.
By the end, Luo Chen possessed a comprehensive grasp of the sect's circumstances.
At present, apart from his own Supreme lineage, the Luotian Sect was divided into five other lineages:
The Misty Peak lineage led by Lingfengzi, the War God Peak lineage led by Wang Yuan, the Ghost Emperor Peak lineage centered around Bai Meiling, the Mount Tian Ice Fort lineage inherited by Fairy Canglong, and the Haoranzi lineage stationed outside in Shangyou City.
Beyond these five lineages were numerous functional halls and institutions:
The Grand Alchemy Court, the Law Enforcement Hall, the Hall of Passing Techniques, the Hall of Precious Artifacts, and so forth.
Though the departments sounded numerous, the sect's total headcount barely exceeded a thousand, with considerable overlap among personnel.
Disciples of the six lineages held posts across the various courts and halls.
A prime example was Luo Chen's disciple Qu Lingjun, who served as Dean of the Grand Alchemy Court.
Viewed favorably, one might say that despite its modest size, every vital organ was intact; viewed unfavorably, it was a hotbed of factionalism.
Faced with this, Luo Chen was powerless to change it.
After all, the emergence of this state of affairs was inextricably linked to his own past decisions.
Back then, in order to recruit the likes of Lingfengzi and Canglong, he had deliberately permitted them to establish their own factions within the Luotian Sect and maintain their original heritages.
Under normal circumstances, careful governance by Luo Chen over time would have gradually assimilated them into the core of the sect.
Yet over the years, Luo Chen had either been traveling the realm or wholly consumed by his own cultivation, paying little heed to the sect's administration. As a result, the lineages had grown into an unwieldy, entrenched presence.
*Forget it!*
*As long as I remain, the more factions and powerful figures there are below, the stronger the Luotian Sect will be.*
*And should I no longer be here...*
That scenario required different considerations. Whether his absence came by sudden death or glorious ascension would exert vastly different impacts upon the sect.
Luo Chen had no wish to ponder it further and cleared his throat softly.
The hall instantly fell dead silent.
"I have three matters to address!"
"First, if any among you seek resources in the future, you need not look solely inward; you may also look outward. I shall batch-refine a special magical artifact to allow you all to explore the Netherworld Abyss."
Hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up.
The Netherworld Abyss was a name that inspired dread, but only because of the pervasive Ming Water.
If Luo Chen could craft artifacts enabling them to traverse the abyss freely, then the Netherworld Abyss would no longer be a terrifying peril, but a treasure trove to salivate over!
After all, that deep trench was the burial ground for an ancient Soul Formation sacred ground!
How many treasures and opportunities lay hidden within remained unknown for now.
Yet everyone understood that the earlier they ventured in, the greater the harvest they would reap.
Luo Chen was quite satisfied with their reaction, unconcerned by the energy it would cost him to refine that batch of artifacts.
After refining the Ming Water Spring Eye, he had gained immense confidence in the matter.
To master the Ming Water Spring Eye was to hold dominion over the Netherworld Abyss; that was no empty boast.
Even if Luo Chen had not yet attained direct control over the entire abyss, enabling his sect's disciples to traverse it without burden remained a trivial matter.
Once the crowd had digested the first announcement, Luo Chen spoke again.
This time, his gaze settled upon Fairy Canglong.
"I intend to formally enter into a Dao companionship with Junior Sister Canglong. I wish to hold a grand celebration to announce this to all, that our disciples may share in the joy."
Evidently, the crowd had already guessed this.
Yet before anyone could voice their congratulations, a slender silhouette abruptly rose to her feet.
Luo Chen looked over calmly. "Caiyi, do you have something to say?"
Under his gaze, Gu Caiyi's face was somewhat pale, yet her voice remained steady.
"I congratulate my husband on gaining another treasured confidante. Caiyi rises only to volunteer, as his wife, to oversee the arrangements for this celebration. I ask for my husband's approval."
Luo Chen raised an eyebrow, a faint smile surfacing on his face.
"Very well. To be so gracious and mindful of the greater picture—you truly are my woman. Then this matter—"
"Senior Brother, in my humble view, let us forgo the celebration!"
Luo Chen's brow knitted slightly, his gaze shifting to the woman who had spoken.
Canglong, who had remained quiet all this while, smiled faintly. "Though the Luotian Sect has enjoyed lasting peace, there is no need for such extravagance. Since no outsiders will attend anyway, everyone will naturally come to know of it in time."
Gu Caiyi was bewildered. "Back then, husband held a grand ceremony for Huiniang and me. Do you not wish to become his Dao companion openly and honorably?"
Faced with this question, the ones who reacted most sharply were those standing behind Canglong.
Fairy Jueqing and Shi Lan, both of the Ice Fort.
Fairy Canglong smiled and shook her head. "I thank Sister Caiyi for her kind intentions, but Canglong dislikes ostentation. Let us leave the matter at that!"
Gu Caiyi was still puzzled.
Luo Chen, however, had begun to see through it.
It was not that Canglong had no desire for recognition, but rather that her position differed vastly from that of Gu Caiyi and Sima Huiniang.
Those two were his first companions, having weathered hardship alongside him from the very beginning. No matter how great the honor bestowed upon them, they could bear it with absolute legitimacy.
In the eyes of the disciples below, it was nothing less than what they deserved.
Canglong, on the other hand, had contributed very little to the Luotian Sect's growth. Waking from slumber, she had immediately attained the Nascent Soul realm and become the Dao companion of the Supreme Elder.
To onlookers, she appeared more like someone swooping in to reap the rewards of others' labor.
Under such circumstances, throwing a lavish celebration would only invite resentment from the disciples below.
"Since that is the case, we shall do as Junior Sister wishes!"
Luo Chen spoke flatly, then proceeded to announce the third matter.
"I shall be departing the Luotian Sect. The duration is uncertain, and my return date is unknown!"
Those who had previously shown utter detachment toward Luo Chen's domestic affairs were thrown into instant turmoil, and an uproar erupted across the grand hall.
Chapter 1017