Inside Lingtian Pass.
Old Ghost Motian and True Person Shenhuo had a fierce argument, which ended in a bitter parting.
As True Person Shenhuo's most cherished granddisciple, Ranfeng asked curiously, "Grandmaster, why didn't we move against Luo Chen?"
Ranfeng had already reached the Golden Core stage and had dealt with the Luotian Sect for years in his earlier days, so he was privy to a fair share of secrets. He knew very well that the Supreme Elder of their Divine Sect coveted Luo Chen.
By all reason, this should have been a golden opportunity.
With the combined might of two superior sects, they could have lodged a formal complaint against Luo Chen, petitioned Castellan Lingtian to punish him, and then taken advantage of the situation to—
"What would be the point of moving against him?" True Person Shenhuo asked casually, his eyes narrowing as he gazed in the direction Old Ghost Motian had departed.
"Uh..." Ranfeng was at a loss for words.
True Person Shenhuo continued, "Setting aside whether Castellan Lingtian would punish Luo Chen at all, the mere fact that he is now a Nascent Soul True Person guarantees any punishment would be lenient. At most, he would be fined some spirit stones or assigned some tedious chores. Such penalties do us no good whatsoever. Furthermore..."
He paused, his voice turning grim. "What the Supreme Elder wants is an intact Luo Chen. Rather than startling the snake in the grass, it is far better to convey this news to the Supreme Elder first. He will handle it personally."
Realization dawned on Ranfeng, and his face filled with reverence for his elder's wisdom.
True Person Shenhuo managed a faint smile, though internally he was weighing the gains and losses.
Yin Sixiang was dead, so Shenhuo would inevitably face scrutiny and blame. However, at this crucial juncture, the sect would not treat a Nascent Soul combatant too harshly. Moreover, since he was bringing back information about Luo Chen, the Supreme Elder might even reward him.
*His cultivation realm... around the second or third layer of Nascent Soul?*
True Person Shenhuo was somewhat uncertain. During the battle, the realm Luo Chen displayed had fluctuated, making it hard to pin down.
Regardless, at most he was merely an early Nascent Soul cultivator.
The only thing truly alarming was that white flame of his.
Refining Old Ghost Motian's natal True Artifact in a matter of moments was undeniably formidable and eerie.
This intelligence had to be reported as well.
*The First Palace Master of Fenghua Palace might be his potential ally, and then there is Castellan Lingtian...*
As evaluations of Luo Chen flowed through his mind, True Person Shenhuo hesitated when he considered Castellan Lingtian's attitude toward Luo Chen.
It was simply too cordial!
Although rumors had long spread that Lingtian loved making friends, that was usually with figures whose backgrounds he understood reasonably well. Luo Chen had appeared out of nowhere; his temperament, conduct, and remarkable traits were still entirely unknown. Why would Castellan Lingtian show him such extraordinary favor?
It was precisely because of Castellan Lingtian's attitude that True Person Shenhuo had chosen to hold back and bide his time in the Castellan Manor.
*Could it be that he isn't even curious about how Luo Chen escaped from Mount Cangwu back then?*
***
Inside the Castellan Manor.
Ye Lingtian sat buried in a thick stack of bamboo slips laid out before him.
These bamboo slips were not old; on the contrary, they gave off the faint, fresh scent of bamboo and ink, looking as though they had just been crafted. The contents recorded upon them were somewhat scattered and unpolished.
"Luo Chen, age two hundred and thirty-one. Hails from Dahe Mill in the Jade Cauldron Domain of the Eastern Desolation; rose to prominence in Tianlan Immortal City of the Jade Cauldron Domain..."
"Possesses five spiritual roots, with exceptionally poor aptitude. Had neither sect teachings nor a clan to rely on."
"During his Qi Refinement stage, he displayed remarkable alchemical talent. Among rogue cultivators, he earned the Daoist title Dan Chenzi."
Reading this, Castellan Lingtian paused slightly.
He had gained a Daoist title while still in the Qi Refinement stage?
"Interesting!"
He continued flipping through the bamboo slips, tracing Luo Chen's journey from Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment, and then to Golden Core.
The locations shifted from the obscure Dahe Mill to Tianlan Immortal City, step by step, all the way to the Luoyun Sect's opening war.
The battle at the Great Snow Mountain marked the failure of the opening war.
The battle at Mount Cangwu raised the curtain on a new round of all-out war between humans and demons in the Eastern Desolation cultivation world since antiquity.
At this point, intelligence concerning Luo Chen broke off.
Castellan Lingtian picked up another bamboo slip, which was relatively older than the rest of the brand-new slips.
"This was written personally by Junior Brother Chongming after he returned from the Central Plains!"
Recognizing the handwriting, Castellan Lingtian's expression turned slightly solemn.
Unrolling the bamboo slip, the text recorded within was still about Luo Chen, but unlike that rogue cultivator who had once struggled in the mud, the Luo Chen of this era was no longer the same man.
The Desolate Hermit!
Attained the Dao in the North Sea, made his name in the Central Plains.
In the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven competition, he turned the tide single-handedly, propelling Fu Qinglan—whose aptitude had originally been unremarkable—to first place.
The details of the battle within the grotto-heaven remained unknown, but one point demanded attention: Luo Chen had won the favor of Alchemy Saint Chu Yan!
As the Alchemy Saint ascended, she had bestowed a Tianji Pill upon him!
It was precisely because of this that Chongming had taken notice of him and gone to the trouble of having the Mingyuan Sect gather intelligence regarding him.
"Why would Senior Sister Chu look favorably upon him?"
Castellan Lingtian's hands paused, and he sank into contemplation.
Some might find it odd that he called Chongming "Junior Brother," while Chongming called Alchemy Saint Chu Yan "Martial Aunt," yet he himself addressed Chu Yan as "Senior Sister."
The generational hierarchy seemed tangled.
In truth, it was not. Chongming was a genius of the Mingyuan Sect's newer generation, belonging to a different era than Alchemy Saint Chu Yan and Ye Lingtian. Thus, even after achieving the Nascent Soul stage and representing the Mingyuan Sect on an envoy mission to the Tianyuan Dao Sect, Chongming still respectfully addressed Chu Yan as Martial Aunt. Meanwhile, Ye Lingtian maintained the address from the days when they had been in the same sect.
Castellan Lingtian pondered for a long time. "Could it be because of Luo Chen's uniquely gifted talent in alchemy that Senior Sister Chu Yan looked so kindly upon him?"
"It must be so!"
"Luo Chen's natural aptitude is poor, yet his cultivation never stagnated. His progress advanced by leaps and bounds, forming a Golden Core in barely a century, in no way inferior to a Heavenly Spiritual Root cultivator. Without sect guidance, the only explanation is that he took the shortcut of alchemy."
"During his century-long journey in the North Sea, he leapt from early Golden Core to Nascent Soul True Person! Such rapid advancement might involve extraordinary encounters, but it could never have occurred without the aid of alchemy."
Sure enough!
When Ye Lingtian opened the final bamboo slip, it confirmed his suspicions.
"Luo Chen, Guest Elder of the Star Gate, casually produces tier-four mid-grade cultivation pills; suspected of being capable of refining tier-four high-grade pills."
"Suspected to be an Alchemy Grandmaster!"
Before he could relish his correct deduction, Ye Lingtian retrieved a jade slip from his storage bag.
"Keep an eye on Luo Chen. This junior is tied to past events at Mount Cangwu. Do not use force; treat him with courtesy!"
A mere two sentences, yet imbued with an immense divine sense that made one instinctively wish to bow in submission.
Evidently, the person who left this message on the jade slip was a Soul Formation mighty figure above the Nascent Soul realm!
It was precisely because of this jade slip that Castellan Lingtian had treated Luo Chen with such warmth.
And this jade slip had arrived in Castellan Lingtian's hands even before Luo Chen's return.
Caressing the smooth jade slip, Castellan Lingtian could not help but furrow his brow.
"Since the Ancestor pays such close attention to Luo Chen, why not simply capture him and bring him back to the Mingyuan Sect for interrogation?"
"Cherishing talent, prizing his alchemy attainments, wishing to groom the next Alchemy Saint for the Mingyuan Sect?"
"If so, wouldn't swift action make even more sense?"
"Is the Ancestor unable to spare the time, or does he hold reservations about his status as a Guest Elder of the Star Gate?"
After a long bout of contemplation, Castellan Lingtian remained utterly baffled.
Gathering all the bamboo slips together, he suddenly laughed aloud.
"Why bother overthinking it? Dealing with such an interesting character is far better than associating with these lifeless peers of the Eastern Desolation!"
***
Unlike the many homeless minor factions within Lingtian Pass, the Luotian Sect, while not a Nascent Soul superior sect, possessed its own dedicated territory.
It was a parcel of land specially arranged for the Luotian Sect by Fenghua Palace.
Neither too small nor excessively large.
A hundred li of territory, endowed with mountains and rivers, as well as rare flora and exotic herbs.
Of course, this arrangement was not free. Most of what grew in this spiritual ground, named "Baili Qingchuan," were spirit herbs. The Luotian Sect's duty while residing here was to help Fenghua Palace tend these spirit herbs and submit regular harvests.
The Luotian Sect was fully capable of this; after all, it had originally made its rise through alchemy and herbal cultivation.
Aboard the cloud carriage, Qu Lingjun knelt before Luo Chen, his forehead pressed against the floor, remaining silent for a long time.
After hearing his general account, Luo Chen fell into silence as well.
Only after a long while did he say softly, "So, after I departed, you abandoned your wife and son, turned your back on the sect, and sought refuge under someone else's roof?"
Each word struck like a dagger to the man's heart.
Qu Lingjun trembled all over and knocked his head heavily against the floor.
"It is all true. I have been unfilial and brought shame upon Luotian. Master, please grant me death!"
Standing nearby, Gu Caiyi spoke up hastily, "Husband, you must not!"
Luo Chen looked over at her.
Gu Caiyi sighed. "You cannot blame Lingjun for this. Back then, while the Luotian Sect was fleeing, hearts and minds were scattered. It happened that Fairy Fengyue of Fenghua Palace was passing by with her entourage, and she offered to take Lingjun with her. Though Lingjun acted obstinately and left with Fairy Fengyue at the time, we only realized later that he was merely trying to secure a way of survival for us."
"Over the years, Lingjun secretly supported the Luotian Sect with vast amounts of cultivation resources, especially pills. The reason our Luotian Sect was able to produce talented disciples one after another despite a century of tribulations is largely thanks to Lingjun's efforts."
"Above all, he truly did secure this spiritual ground of Baili Qingchuan for us, sparing us from having to live completely dependent under another's roof."
Although they were still under the jurisdiction of a Nascent Soul superior sect, it was entirely different from their time in the Five Elements Domain. Here in the Fenghua Domain, the Luotian Sect was self-reliant and retained a measure of independence.
Even if they had to flee again in the future, they would not fall into a passive predicament where the Five Elements Divine Sect could hold past favors over their heads.
Faced with Gu Caiyi's plea, Luo Chen looked at Qu Lingjun once more.
"Is what your martial mother said true?"
Qu Lingjun choked with emotion. "It is true. But it is also a fact that I unsettled the hearts of the sect, stirred private criticism among many, and even fled the Luotian Sect. Master..."
"We will speak of your matter later!"
Luo Chen waved his sleeve, and a wave of magic power lifted Qu Lingjun to his feet.
Then, Luo Chen rose and walked outward.
"Baili Qingchuan is here."
The Luotian Sect lacked the Mingyuan Sect's capacity for ultra-long-distance communication, so Luo Chen's return was still unknown to those guarding the sect grounds.
On this day.
Above Baili Qingchuan, a magnificent cloud carriage sped in from the distance.
Upon entering the sect's domain, its speed slowed considerably.
Low-tier cultivators busy in the medicine fields could not help raising their heads, looking curiously at the slow-flying cloud carriage.
Patterns of clouds coiled across it in the three primes and three glories.
Banners of azure, black, and white fluttered on one side, mirrored by banners of purple, gold, and red on the other.
Adorning the roof were ruyi pendant beads, with cascading ribbons and flowing sleeves drifting down, beneath a noble five-colored canopy held high.
The wide perimeter of the carriage was paved in white jade, shimmering with golden radiance.
Even the six wheels below were extraordinary, each boasting eighteen crisscrossing spokes dusted in gold.
As it flew, the phantom silhouettes of three flood dragons soared through the mist, exuding awe-inspiring majesty.
"Whose grand carriage is that, to be so luxurious?"
"The cultivators of Fenghua Palace love opulence. Could it be an envoy from the superior sect?"
"It could also be from the Five Elements Divine Sect!"
"The fourth day of the Ten Duels must be nearly over. If someone is arriving now, could it be to announce the results?"
The moment that last guess surfaced, everyone's heart leapt into their throats.
Those with fiercer tempers even drew their magical artifacts, bracing for battle.
Just then, a figure flew out from the cloud carriage, shooting like an arrow loosed from a bow toward the solitary green mountain within Baili Qingchuan.
Someone crossed paths with him.
"Yilong, what happened?"
Zeng Yilong did not slow down in the slightest, merely shouting back, "Martial Uncle Li, the Supreme Elder has returned!"
The middle-aged cultivator froze, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Soon, however, wild joy surfaced on his face. Disregarding his depleted magic power, he dashed toward the cloud carriage.
Arriving before it, he hesitated slightly.
Fu Jiusheng, standing near the exterior, smiled at him and was about to speak when a gentle chuckle sounded.
"Is that Yingzhang?"
A familiar voice!
Li Yingzhang instinctively swallowed, tidied his robes, and stepped onto the cloud carriage.
"Li Yingzhang respectfully welcomes the Supreme Elder's return!"
*Dong!*
*Dong!*
*Dong!*
Under a bright and sunny sky, the chime of bells rang out clear and melodious.
Outside a cave dwelling on Mount Daqing.
A woman, her face flushed red with excitement, was banging on the entrance of the cave dwelling.
"Master, he's back!"
Inside the cave dwelling, a woman wearing a veil snapped her eyes open.
Like a shooting star, she rushed to the door.
Yet just as she was about to open the entrance, her footsteps ground to a halt.
"Is it true?"
"It must be true! Zeng Yilong told me himself, and he even rang the great bell. All the disciples are being gathered right now to welcome him. Master, you..."
"Mingyue, you go on ahead! I won't be going."
"Uh... Master, you are his Dao companion! How can you not go?"
The woman lifted her hand, black gauze covering her arm, and instinctively touched her cheek beneath the veil. She hung her head and shook it softly.
"It isn't convenient for me. Go ahead. You are the current Sect Master of the Luotian Sect; you must be present. Do not be late."
Yao Mingyue was baffled, but hearing the bells chime with increasing urgency, she finally turned and left.
After she was gone, the woman sighed softly and murmured:
"It's good that you're back. It's enough that you're back."
Under the resonant chiming of the bells, figures converged like flowing streams, gathering from every corner of Baili Qingchuan.
Yao Mingyue donned her most ceremonial robes and stood at the head of the crowd.
Beneath the bewildered gazes of three hundred disciples, she bowed in welcome.
"Yao Mingyue respectfully welcomes the Supreme Elder's return!"
The moment the words left her mouth, an uproar swept through the crowd.
Just then, a towering aura expanded outward at an unhurried pace.
Majestic yet not fierce, grand yet exceedingly gentle.
Like the majesty of heaven, yet even more like a soothing spring breeze.
It felt as though a benevolent elder was looking down upon them.
Everyone realized what was happening. They craned their necks and widened their eyes, staring fixedly at the radiant cloud carriage.
Cultivators stepped out one by one, lining up in two rows and holding themselves with solemn etiquette.
Among them was the highly respected Fu Jiusheng, Min Longyu who had turned gray-haired for the sect, and Chu Kui, the Tiankuizi, who had achieved countless battle honors.
Even the rising talent Yang Pingdu stood among them.
Li Yingzhang, who had recently gained great fame, had also boarded the carriage at some point and stood respectfully to the side.
Then, a man of upright stature, standing proud like an unsheathed sword, stepped out slowly.
No one noticed Gu Caiyi or Qu Lingjun standing to his sides; everyone's gaze was captured by those eyes that seemed to hold the turning of the sun, moon, and stars.
Portraits of Luo Chen had always been enshrined in the Patriarch Hall.
Every disciple who entered the sect remembered that face.
Even though a century had passed, it remained deeply engraved in their hearts.
It was him!
It was truly him!
Yao Mingyue spoke once more.
"Disciples of Luotian respectfully welcome the Supreme Elder's return!"
This time, everyone echoed in unison. Even with only three hundred voices, the sound roared like rolling thunder.
Watching this scene, Luo Chen nodded slightly.
With just a single phrase—"I have returned"—all shouting ceased.
In his heart, however, he felt a deep pang of sorrow. The Luotian Sect, which had once boasted thousands of disciples at its peak, now had only these three hundred left.
His departure had truly come at the worst possible time!
Suddenly, his gaze sharpened.
"Where is Huiniang?"
Chapter 782