Leader of the Qingyun Sect

Night.

Just as the clock struck twelve, the daily reset refreshed, and the number of adventures available was replenished.

"About time, right? I've been resting for a while now—time to head back to the Qingyun Sect and plunder some pill recipes."

Ye Chuan glanced at his phone. Though he felt there were still several worlds left unexplored, considering how easily he could exploit the Qingyun Sect's resources, he decided to head straight for the Tianxuan Continent.

Tianxuan Continent—activate!

A flash of white light.

...

When Ye Chuan opened his eyes again, he found himself inside a cave dwelling within the Qingyun Sect.

Hmm. The same familiar yet unfamiliar ceiling.

He looked down at himself—bandages wrapped around his body. After all, he was feigning illness, so the disguise was necessary.

Extending his spiritual sense, he confirmed nothing unusual had appeared in his dwelling.

"Seems like that old fox Ziyun isn’t as wary of me anymore." Ye Chuan pondered for a moment. Perhaps his seemingly reckless defense of the herb garden, coupled with the lack of any obvious flaws in his act, had earned him some trust.

Not a bad outcome. Now, the question was—where exactly were the pill recipes of the Divine Pill Peak stored?

He scanned the surroundings but didn’t spot Jiu'er. Though she was supposed to be his maid, she had her own life to attend to—as an ordinary outer sect disciple, she had to complete her assigned tasks on time.

"Guess I’ll go take a look outside."

Stepping out of the cave, he was greeted by a misty, ethereal landscape—truly an ideal place for cultivation. If not for the fact that Ye Chuan knew of Qian Shuang’s deadly feud with the Qingyun Sect, he might have considered staying here for a while to develop his skills.

"Junior Brother Huang, you’ve recovered from your injuries?"

As Ye Chuan emerged, a disciple flying past on a sword noticed him and called out.

Though Ye Chuan didn’t recognize the man, it seemed his "heroic" defense of his master had made him somewhat famous within the sect.

"Yeah, I’m fine." Ye Chuan nodded, clasping his fists in a show of courtesy. "Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother."

"Oh, right—Elder Ziyun mentioned that you should report to him once you’ve recovered. Have you gone yet?"

"Ah…" Ye Chuan suddenly remembered that detail. Even Zhao Wuji, the senior brother who delivered his medicine, had reminded him.

Well, might as well get it over with.

Summoning his flying sword, Ye Chuan soared into the air. However, he didn’t actually know where Elder Ziyun resided, so he asked for directions.

"He’s at the main hall of our Flying Sword Peak. You’ll recognize it when you see it," the disciple replied helpfully, pointing the way.

"Got it."

Ye Chuan flew toward the indicated direction and soon arrived before a grand hall.

"Which peak do you belong to? Unauthorized entry is prohibited here," a disciple guarding the entrance immediately challenged him.

"I’m Huang Haotian, a disciple under Elder Ziyun," Ye Chuan explained.

"Ah, so you’re the esteemed direct disciple Huang. Please, go ahead."

Seeing that the disciples now recognized him, Ye Chuan smirked and stepped inside. After announcing himself, however, he was informed that Elder Ziyun wasn’t present.

"Wasn’t Master Ziyun severely injured? Why isn’t he resting here?" Ye Chuan asked curiously.

The End Rider had struck hard—Ziyun had been coughing up blood nonstop back then.

If he could still move around freely, the beating clearly hadn’t been harsh enough.

"Today marks the return of the sect leader and the other elders who were away. Elder Ziyun went to Tianheng Peak to welcome them," the disciple explained. Though Ziyun was indeed injured, after taking healing pills, he wasn’t so debilitated that he couldn’t walk.

He just wasn’t fit for combat anymore and needed time to recuperate.

"So the sect leader’s back," Ye Chuan murmured. He recalled Jiu'er mentioning that the sect leader, along with several elders and inner disciples, had left some time ago for something called the Ten Great Sects Tournament.

"Yes. And due to the theft incident and the heavenly lightning phenomenon, they returned earlier than usual," the disciple added.

"Ah, what a shame I couldn’t protect the herb garden." Ye Chuan put on a pained expression, even clutching his chest.

"All those precious herbs—wasted!"

"No, Senior Brother Huang, don’t say that! The fact that you dared to face such a formidable enemy has already earned the admiration of all us junior brothers in the Flying Sword Peak," the disciple said earnestly, eyes filled with respect.

"Ah, I don’t deserve such praise."

"Since I was injured and don’t remember clearly—were all the herbs in the garden stolen?" Ye Chuan asked.

"Yes, every last one. Not even a single root remained… No one knows how it was done. Not only did they bypass the formations undetected to steal the herbs and techniques, but they even managed to injure the elders." The disciple shook his head.

"Rumor has it something strange has been happening in the herb garden recently."

"Something strange?"

"Right—just hearsay, but after the theft, no matter what new seeds are planted, they vanish without a trace!"

"And it happens right in front of the elders!" The disciple’s expression turned uneasy.

"It’s as if… an invisible hand is controlling everything."

Ye Chuan stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Mm. That is unsettling."

After exchanging a few more words, Ye Chuan decided against asking about the pill recipes outright—it would seem too deliberate. Once he confirmed the location of Tianheng Peak, he mounted his flying sword and sped toward his destination.

...

Inside the meeting hall of Tianheng Peak, numerous elders were seated. At the center sat a man in his forties or fifties, clad in pristine blue-white robes exuding an immortal aura—Qin Tianya, the sect leader of the Qingyun Sect.

"Bypassing the formations undetected, injuring both you and Su Yun… and the two of you couldn’t even land a single blow on the intruder."

Qin Tianya’s brows furrowed. Logically, if a powerhouse of that level had approached the Qingyun Sect, the sect’s defensive arrays should have detected them immediately.

For someone to effortlessly overpower Ziyun and Su Yun, their cultivation must far surpass the Nascent Soul realm.

"Sect Leader, I request the use of the Heavenly Water Mirror," Ziyun spoke up.

The Heavenly Water Mirror was one of the Qingyun Sect’s most treasured artifacts, capable of rewinding time to reveal past events. However, only Qin Tianya himself could activate it.

"Each use of the Heavenly Water Mirror diminishes its power," Qin Tianya mused, visibly conflicted.

Even he wasn’t entirely sure how much energy the mirror had left. After the last great battle, its power had been nearly depleted.

But if the thief wasn’t found, the sect would remain in turmoil.