The Sect Remains the Same Sect

Noon.

It was the third day since Bai Xuanling had left.

Zhang Yuanshan’s pain had greatly subsided—from being completely bedridden, he could now sit up with some effort.

It seemed his recovery wasn’t too far off.

A Golden Core cultivator could sustain themselves without food, and in his condition, eating was more trouble than it was worth.

So, Zhang Yuanshan was easy to care for—just wheel him out into the sunlight for some photosynthesis.

Though paralyzed and immobile, it was at least hassle-free.

Li Xingtian had indeed brought back quite a haul—everything from spirit plants to minor magical artifacts—enough to fill the gaps in their sect’s resources.

But when he saw the sizable spirit field now belonging to their sect, along with the expensive spirit plants growing within,

he fell into silence, struck by the feeling that everyone else had made rapid progress while he alone remained stagnant.

What left him most speechless, however, was the fact that their master had somehow managed to sell his self-refined pills at a premium.

Truly, in these times, everyone had their own path to success.

Their master no longer seemed troubled by spirit stones, and everything appeared to be falling into place.

At any rate, it was good to see their sect thriving.

Some of the items Li Xingtian had brought back were genuinely useful, so after sorting through them, he kept the worthwhile ones.

However, a few dubious-looking trinkets ended up in Cui Hao’s hands for research.

The sect had changed so much that even Li Xingtian felt a little lost, as if he no longer recognized it.

And yet, in truth, the real changes were minimal.

The master was still the same master—still the type to sling an arm around your shoulder and tease you in casual conversation.

Li Xingtian couldn’t quite put it into words, but being around him just felt… right.

Perhaps it was because he knew deep down that no matter what, their master would always choose to trust him first.

He was still the same devoted, caring master who gave his all for his disciples.

Standing outside the door, Li Xingtian watched as Chen Baiqing idly stirred the pond water with her hand by the shore.

Hmm. Third Junior Sister hadn’t changed either—still as innocent and well-behaved as ever.

But just as he was about to look away, he noticed Chen Baiqing glance around furtively before quietly lighting a small fire nearby.

Then, an ordinary fish suddenly leaped out of the water, wagging its tail as it flung itself straight into the flames.

Only after struggling into the fire did it seem to relax, swaying gently left and right as if submerged in water again.

Except… the way it turned looked almost like… it was flipping itself over?

Was this fish… roasting itself?!

Snapping back to reality, Li Xingtian abruptly turned and strode toward the main hall.

He must have been too tired lately—his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Third Junior Sister had definitely just been reading by the pond, same as always.

As he neared the hall, he spotted Cui Hao walking in the same direction, a book in hand.

Cui Hao smiled and greeted him, “Second Senior Brother, here to see Master too?”

Li Xingtian’s impression of Cui Hao wasn’t bad. Though a bit unrestrained in personality, he could tell Fifth Junior Brother still respected him.

He nodded and glanced at the book in Cui Hao’s hands.

“Yeah. What’s that you’ve got?”

Cui Hao grinned. “Oh, just a summary Master asked me to write. Finished it now, so I’m handing it in.”

Li Xingtian eyed the thick volume in Cui Hao’s grip. This… was a summary?

That many words? For a summary?

Hadn’t Master said it was just a minor incident with some Xuanwu Kingdom demons causing trouble?

With this thickness, it read more like an epic war between demons and humans, with this junior brother as the heaven-sent savior of mankind.

Li Xingtian refrained from commenting. It wasn’t for him to judge anyway—he was just passing by.

The two stepped into the hall together.

Chu Xingchen sat lazily before a pill furnace, refining medicine.

Beside him, Li Yingling scribbled furiously on four sheets of paper, her expression slightly aggrieved as she revised the contents.

However, sensing their arrival, she quickly schooled her face.

The look of bitter resentment while grading homework transformed into one of dignified concentration—a proper teacher at work.

Li Xingtian and Cui Hao clasped their hands in unison. “Master.”

Chu Xingchen nodded at Li Xingtian first, then glanced at Cui Hao. “Here to submit your summary?”

Cui Hao stole a look at his senior sister. At this moment, the eldest disciple appeared solemn and composed, her writing radiating the authority befitting her status.

But having accompanied her through the entire ordeal in the desolate demon-infested hills,

if Cui Hao still hadn’t seen through her true nature, he might as well have wasted all those years of study and experience.

Perhaps Fourth Junior Sister was still fooled by the eldest disciple’s façade, but Cui Hao? He knew better.

He knew full well that the reason Senior Sister was revising her work was because Master had rejected her slapdash summary!

That said, openly mocking the eldest disciple was beyond him.

After all, Senior Sister’s temper wasn’t exactly… forgiving.

Suppressing a laugh, Cui Hao placed his own “summary” on the table before Chu Xingchen.

Though he’d braced himself for the sight of Cui Hao’s book-length report,

seeing it laid out before him still stirred… indescribable emotions in Chu Xingchen.

Teaching disciples… really…

He glanced at Cui Hao’s confident expression, then picked up the volume and skimmed the opening lines.

A few seconds later, he took a deep breath, flipped past the first page, scanned the second, and—without bothering with the third—tossed aside the entire first half.

He started reading from the middle instead.

After finishing that section, Chu Xingchen calmly closed the book and looked at Cui Hao with serene eyes.

“You have three seconds.”

Cui Hao blinked. “Three seconds for what, Master?”

“To give me a reason not to hit you.”

“Wait—Master, why would you hit me?!”

Chu Xingchen nodded thoughtfully, then tossed the book to Li Yingling, who was still correcting her work.

As she caught it, their master spoke:

“Yingling, after reading this, please educate your junior brother properly based on your… impressions.”

“Pay special attention to page fifty-three.”

Cui Hao’s face paled. “Master! Just hit me yourself! Don’t trouble Senior Sister!”

Li Yingling flipped to the first page, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. By the second page, it had twisted into outright scorn.

Then, following instructions, she turned to page fifty-three.

Watching his senior sister’s face bloom into a kindly smile while Cui Hao’s desperate protests filled the air,

Li Xingtian wasted no time turning on his heel and leaving.

The eldest disciple’s voice echoed through the hall:

“Cui Hao, you little—explain this! What do you mean ‘How to Correctly Remedy a Superior’s Flawed Plans’?!”

“Senior Sister! That’s just—wait, wait! Master, look at her! This is lethal, isn’t it?!”

Li Xingtian heard the noise behind him and quickly quickened his pace to leave.

The sect... it was still the same sect after all.