“Master, what are you thinking?” Kong Hou laughed. “Huan Zong is already a peak lord of Liuguang Sect. If he transferred to our sect, who knows what kind of uproar it would cause in the entire cultivation world.”

Hearing this, Wang Tong laughed heartily and stuffed the good things he’d accumulated during this time into Kong Hou’s hands: “Your master was just joking with you.” Even if Zhong Xi truly wanted to join their Yunhua Sect, Yunhua Sect wouldn’t dare easily accept him. For a cultivation genius like Daoist Zhong Xi, only Liuguang Sect was suitable for him. Maintaining good relations with him was Yunhua Sect’s best choice.

“Master, did you go provoke Martial Uncle Qingyuan again?” Kong Hou discovered several bottles of pills—all rare treasures. In the entire sect, apart from Martial Uncle Qingyuan and Martial Grand-uncle Shu Jiu, no one else could refine them. Though Master was usually somewhat carefree, he was still very proper before his elders, so these things could only have come from Martial Uncle Qingyuan.

“En, these pills have no side effects on the body and are good things. You need them at your current cultivation level—how could I not grab more?” Wang Tong said unhappily. “Some time ago, he snatched several magical artifacts I’d just refined. I can’t lose out on this sort of thing.”

Kong Hou: “…”

Were Master and Martial Uncle finding the days on the mountain too boring and creating drama for themselves?

In a separate courtyard to the west, Jiufeng Sect was residing. Ever since Peak Lord Zhihe stepped out of the courtyard gate, Ling Yue’s expression hadn’t improved. The other three junior brothers and sisters knew Ling Yue was in a bad mood and didn’t dare provoke her, each one properly practicing with their swords outside the courtyard.

Before long, a core disciple from Yunhua Sect came to mention the evening banquet, and they all agreed. They had long heard that Yong City’s food was exceptional. Even though they didn’t particularly care about food, they couldn’t help but feel some anticipation.

Not long after, they saw the peak lord return, only his expression looked somewhat dejected for some reason. However, seeing Peak Lord Zhihe’s complexion, the gloom on Ling Yue’s face dissipated by more than half. Just looking at Martial Uncle’s appearance, she knew the marriage alliance matter hadn’t been settled.

“Ling Yue.” Zhihe called out to Ling Yue, whose eyes and brows were full of pleasure. “Do you know that Daoist Huan Zong is Zhong Xi?”

“What?” Ling Yue could hardly believe her ears. Her usually composed face could barely conceal her shock. “Huan Zong is Daoist Zhong Xi?”

The great name of Daoist Zhong Xi was known throughout the entire cultivation world—he was even the very embodiment of the sword. How could such a man have a gentle expression before a young woman, even holding hands and walking side by side with her?

Ling Yue had once seen a side profile of Daoist Zhong Xi. A hundred years ago, she was pursuing an evil cultivator who had killed innocent women. Just as she caught up to a valley entrance, she saw a white-robed man descend from the sky. The evil cultivator fleeing ahead couldn’t even dodge before Daoist Zhong Xi’s sword pierced his heart.

She had never seen such a cold man—his entire being was like a fake person carved from ice, so powerful yet without the slightest human warmth. Just that one profile from afar was enough to make one’s heart grow cold.

It was precisely because she had seen Daoist Zhong Xi once from afar that Ling Yue completely couldn’t accept being together with such a man, much less imagine that an ice sculpture could also become a living man.

“Yes, Daoist Huan Zong admitted it himself. Huan Zong is just his secular name—his cultivation name is Zhong Xi.” Thinking of how at Yunhua Sect’s main gate, Daoist Zhong Xi had personally said he and Ling Yue weren’t suitable, Zhihe felt somewhat awkward. He raised his head and saw his disciple-niece’s expression was somewhat strange. Worried she might be upset by this matter and it would affect her dao heart, he advised: “Daoist Zhong Xi’s personality is naturally aloof—you needn’t take this to heart.”

“Martial Uncle, I’m thinking of another matter.” Ling Yue slowly shook her head. “Miss Kong Hou of Yunhua Sect is truly a remarkable woman.”

Zhihe nodded: “Indeed. At such a young age, she’s already at the Heart Stirring stage cultivation—her future is limitless.”

Ling Yue raised her head to look at Zhihe but didn’t speak.

Actually… that wasn’t what she meant to say.

Being able to make a sword become like a person—that wasn’t something an ordinary person could accomplish. What marriage alliance? Watching these two become cultivation partners and shocking everyone would be far more interesting than her tactlessly pursuing a marriage alliance.

Outside Cheng Yi’s cave dwelling, Tan Feng’s proper cross-legged sitting posture had changed to supporting his chin with one hand. Looking at the rolling clouds and mist on the mountainside, his four fingers kept tapping his face, wondering whether Little Junior Sister had returned yet.

“Second Senior Brother.” From within the cloud layer, a woman in pink descended from the sky, landing very precisely in front of him. “I’m back! Did you miss me?”

Tan Feng was choked by the flying dust until he coughed continuously, fanning his nose with his hand: “Your cultivation has increased, and your foot strength has increased along with it.”

Kong Hou giggled. “I was just eager to see you.” As she spoke, she took out a flying sword from her storage ring. “This is a flying sword personally refined by Daoist Zhong Xi—it’s for you.”

“Little Junior Sister has become accomplished—you’ve even made connections with Daoist Zhong Xi.” Tan Feng had been guarding outside the cave dwelling the whole time and didn’t yet know that Kong Hou had brought Daoist Huan Zong back to the sect, and that Daoist Huan Zong was Daoist Zhong Xi.

Tan Feng was very interested in various precious swords. Back when Kong Hou received the Shuishuang Sword gifted by Elder Qiushuang, Tan Feng had envied her for a long time. Who would have thought Junior Sister Kong Hou still remembered this matter and obtained a flying sword from Daoist Zhong Xi to give to him?

This sword’s appearance was unexpectedly gorgeous, with many talismans added—a high-grade divine artifact. Being able to refine such a precious sword meant absolutely being a master of artifact refinement, but from the sword’s appearance, no matter how you looked at it, it didn’t seem like Daoist Zhong Xi’s handiwork.

Tan Feng looked at the sword hesitantly: “This is indeed a rare good sword. But Junior Sister, did you buy this from someone else, or did you get it from Daoist Zhong Xi?” He was afraid someone deliberately used a decent-looking magical artifact to deceive Junior Sister, claiming it was something refined by Daoist Zhong Xi, when who the actual maker was, only heaven knew.

There were quite a few people in the cultivation world earning money this way. He was afraid Junior Sister would be taken advantage of.

“Of course he specially refined it for you.” Kong Hou said. “I told him what style of sword you liked, and he accompanied me to refine one, then had me give you the sword after returning to the sect.”

“You mean to say this was specially made for me by Daoist Zhong Xi?” Tan Feng held the sword and examined it back and forth for quite a while before recovering from his wild joy. “Junior Sister, when you went out for training, did you learn mind control techniques from a master? How could a sword cultivator like Daoist Zhong Xi have the patience to refine such a flashy, gorgeous sword for me?”

“What are you saying?” Kong Hou humphed. “What kind of sword cultivator is Zhong Xi? He’s good-looking and good-tempered—what’s not good about him?”

“Young Lady, don’t be angry, don’t be angry. I just can’t quite believe this is real.” Tan Feng quickly took out a storage bag from his storage ring. “These past few months, I specially saved up and bought you several sets of the latest flying immortal dresses, plus hanging tassels and step-shake hairpins. For their sake, please don’t hold it against me.”

“Hmph.” Kong Hou snatched the storage bag and raised her chin. “When Senior Brother comes out of seclusion, you’ll be even more surprised.”

After speaking, she hugged the storage ring and flew into the clouds.

Watching Little Junior Sister’s departing figure, Tan Feng stroked the precious sword in his hand and chuckled softly. Though she’d been away for more than half a year, fortunately Junior Sister still had the same personality as before.

How wonderful.

On the second day, before dawn had fully broken, at the mountainside of Qiyue Peak, a certain stone door made a dull sound and slowly opened. Cheng Yi, neatly dressed, slowly walked out from the cave dwelling. He looked at the morning light on the eastern horizon and let out a long breath.

After advancing his cultivation to the Nascent Soul stage, looking at this world again brought different insights. Looking again at Master, Junior Brother, and Junior Sister Kong Hou striding toward him, a smile appeared on Cheng Yi’s face.

No matter how different his insights about the world were, only these three people’s gazes toward him remained unchanged.

On the morning of the second day after Cheng Yi emerged from seclusion, when the red morning light illuminated the highest green tree on the mountain peak, drum sounds rang out in the sect.

Yunhua Sect used drum sounds to celebrate for disciples and bell sounds to see disciples off. When the first drum sounded, all Yunhua Sect disciples stopped what they were doing and respectfully bowed deeply toward Liyang Hall behind the main hall.

“Martial Uncle, today is Senior Brother Cheng Yi’s Nascent Soul formation ceremony. Why must we bow toward Liyang Hall’s location?” The newly admitted disciples followed the steward teaching them cultivation in confusion as they bowed. Only after the twelve drum sounds stopped did any disciple dare ask this question.

“What we have today is because our predecessors built a broad path of cultivation for us.” The Martial Arts Hall steward said. “Inside Liyang Hall are placed the memorial tablets of all the sect’s elders who have passed away, as well as the spirit tablets of elders who have already ascended. Having a grateful heart allows one to go further. Now that you are Yunhua Sect disciples, you cannot forget these things either.”

“Yes.” Some disciples deeply agreed and bowed again toward Liyang Hall’s direction. There was also a small portion who disagreed but didn’t show the slightest disrespectful expression.

The steward took all of this in but didn’t repeatedly emphasize this matter.

Some things required being willing from the heart—forcing them was useless. Whether the future was good or bad depended entirely on these disciples’ fortune.

With the various major sects honoring them with their presence, Cheng Yi’s Nascent Soul formation ceremony was much livelier than expected. Even Cheng Yi himself hadn’t anticipated that so many cultivation world elders would come to offer congratulations.

Especially when he heard that Liuguang Sect’s Daoist Zhong Xi had also come, he almost couldn’t resist turning his head to look around during the ceremony.

Kong Hou stood among the core disciples, looking at Eldest Senior Brother’s robes flowing with radiant colors. The smile on her face couldn’t be concealed no matter what. Ling Hui, standing beside her, secretly bumped her arm: “Junior Sister Kong Hou, I heard you tricked Liuguang Sect’s Daoist Zhong Xi up the mountain?”

Kong Hou: “…”

Wasn’t the word “tricked” used somewhat inappropriately?

At the banquet the night before last, the Sect Master entertained honored guests from the major sects. Because there were truly too many guests this time, even disciples from their own sect couldn’t get seats. She wondered if Daoist Zhong Xi was really nine feet tall. Her gaze searched all around but she couldn’t tell which male cultivator was particularly tall.

“Liuguang Sect arrives.”

Hearing the disciple announce outside the door, Ling Hui quickly stood on tiptoe to look outside.

Oh my, she didn’t see a nine-foot-tall male cultivator, but she did see a male cultivator with graceful bearing and flawlessly handsome features. Her hand hidden in her sleeve secretly tugged Kong Hou, using transmission technique: “Junior Sister, there’s a beauty!”

The handsome man turned his head to look in their direction, then slowly, slowly revealed a beautiful smile.

“Handsome men smiling are truly deadly. Junior Sister, look quickly—you see a handsome man one less time with each glance.”

Kong Hou turned to look at Ling Hui. At this moment, Senior Sister Ling Hui still appeared dignified and elegant on the surface, completely concealing her inner excitement.

“Senior Sister, he is Daoist Zhong Xi.”

Ling Hui turned her head and stared at Kong Hou.

Kong Hou silently nodded at her, confirming she wasn’t lying.

Ling Hui: …

Then who exactly was out there spouting nonsense, saying Daoist Zhong Xi only had cultivation but a terrifying appearance? Anyone saying such things must be a man. Because only men would be jealous of another man’s looks.

Tsk, jealousy makes people ugly.

Huan Zong passed through layers of scrutinizing gazes and walked directly toward where Ling Hui and Kong Hou stood. Ling Hui silently retreated two steps—men who were too good-looking were fine from afar, but viewing them up close created psychological pressure.

“Kong Hou.” Huan Zong walked to Kong Hou’s side and stopped, revealing a smile to her.

The Yunhua Sect core disciples standing around watched as Daoist Zhong Xi seemed to have intentions of taking root here: “…”

“Daoist Zhong Xi,” Ling Hui tactfully reminded, “the honored guest seats are over there.”

You’re standing in the wrong place, sir.

Author’s Note: Huan Zong: Can’t understand… what are you saying?