Tianyan Sect, the Cloud-Piercing Shuttle.
Inside the opulent hall of the massive vessel, Lv Xuan wore a satisfied smile as he drained his wine cup in one go.
For the Tianyan Sect, this venture had more than paid off—not only had they bolstered their reputation, but they had also secured at least three centuries of deterrence. Moreover, they had managed to snatch a share of benefits from the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect, though a portion of those spoils would have to be handed over to the Taidao Sect.
After all, the Taidao Sect’s leader and core disciples had genuinely contributed to the effort.
When one reaped rewards, it was only fair to share a portion with allies.
Still, this was more than enough. With this achievement alone, Lv Xuan’s name would undoubtedly occupy a few extra lines when future generations inscribed the Tianyan Sect’s annals of great leaders.
Moreover, riding the momentum of this success, he could firmly suppress the increasingly audacious elders within the sect—especially the Punishment Elder. Upon their return, he would thoroughly dismantle the man’s terrifying scheme of using alchemical threats to dominate the Tianyan Sect.
Bai Xuanling also appeared quite at ease, leisurely savoring the finest spiritual wine the Tianyan Sect had to offer.
This time, the usually stingy sect leader had been uncharacteristically generous, bringing out the rare "Spring Warmth" vintage. Today, Bai Xuanling intended to drink at least half the bottle.
As the wine danced on his tongue, its unique flavor lingering, his gaze drifted sideways, catching sight of his disciple’s slightly awkward expression.
That struggle to maintain composure while simultaneously trying not to ignore someone—it was rather amusing.
Of course, compared to his disciple, Yanyun’s current expression was far more entertaining, making it the perfect accompaniment to his drink.
The competition had ended with Yanyun’s narrow defeat.
Xu Jin was indeed skilled, and the gap in their cultivation was undeniable. Despite Yanyun’s recent relentless training, she had still lost.
After her loss, Yanyun had been weighed down by guilt, wanting to apologize to her master for failing to meet his expectations.
But Lv Xuan, after confirming that Yanyun was unharmed, hadn’t cared in the slightest.
He simply reassured her that she could always try again later—there was no need to obsess over a single loss.
So what if she lost? The important matters had already been settled.
Still, Lv Xuan refrained from explaining the full picture. Seeing Yanyun’s remorseful expression, he felt that revealing the truth now might damage their master-disciple bond. It would be better to wait until her emotions had settled.
Thus, among everyone present, Yanyun was the only one in genuinely low spirits. The rest were in high spirits.
Even Luo Yue, quietly sipping wine in a corner, was in good cheer—after all, the establishment of the Fairy Homeland was imminent, and that was excellent news.
Bai Xuanling downed another cup, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Spring Warmth" was brewed from the finest spiritual herbs, offering minor benefits to one’s cultivation. But for Bai Xuanling, the wine’s sole merit was that—if he didn’t actively expel its effects—he could still feel the faintest hint of intoxication.
Ordinary wine had long since lost its effect on a cultivator at the Tribulation Transcendence stage. At best, it was little more than flavored water—hardly worth the effort.
As that gentle warmth rose within him, Bai Xuanling’s thoughts seemed to drift into memories, and a carefree grin spread across his face.
"Chu Xingchen, so you’re not going to the Tianyan Sect? Heading straight to your Ten Thousand Blossoms Ridge instead?"
Chu Xingchen glanced up at Bai Xuanling. "Do you have any instructions for me?"
"You’re doing just fine. What instructions could I possibly have?"
Bai Xuanling poured himself another cup, then lifted it as if speaking to himself.
"When you’re young, you think that once your cultivation reaches great heights, the world will be yours to roam freely… But now I see that it’s when you’re weak that you’re truly fearless—daring to go anywhere, do anything."
"Kid… whatever you want to do, do it sooner rather than later."
Chu Xingchen raised his cup and clinked it lightly against Bai Xuanling’s with practiced ease.
"You’re still young now. There’s plenty of time to do whatever you want."
Bai Xuanling’s smile deepened, and he obligingly drained his cup.
Yanyun, who had been sulking for a while, suddenly looked up at Chu Xingchen—so this guy could say nice things?
Noticing her gaze, Chu Xingchen frowned in confusion.
"I wasn’t the one who beat you. Why are you staring at me?"
Yanyun’s brows knitted together, and she finally blurted out, "Do you have some kind of problem with me?"
Chu Xingchen remained silent, but Xie Lingyu suddenly extended her cup, gently tapping it against Yanyun’s untouched wine on the table.
After clinking with Yanyun’s cup, Xie Lingyu then lightly touched Chu Xingchen’s.
She didn’t say a word—only silently finished the wine in her own cup.
Yanyun’s expression softened, as if she understood something.
With a quiet sigh, she picked up her cup, about to drink, when another cup swiftly clinked against hers.
Looking up, she saw Chu Xingchen’s smile—no longer infuriating, but instead warm and refreshing.
Chu Xingchen raised his cup slightly. "I may have spoken too harshly before. Yanyun, you’re magnanimous—don’t hold it against me."
"Mm." Yanyun gave a small nod before downing her wine in one go.
Bai Xuanling’s lips curled faintly as he turned his gaze out the window, watching the drifting clouds.
Youth was a wonderful thing.
Unlike him.
Ten Thousand Blossoms Ridge.
Li Yingling was handling official duties alone today. Zhang Miaoyu was occupied with her sole outer disciple—Zhou Ping.
Zhou Ping, the "spoils of war" Chen Baiqing had brought back from the incense divinity path.
A young man with talent in alchemy but who had never tasted true delicacies—at least, not in the past.
Now, Zhou Ping could finally enjoy good food.
Li Yingling mused that her sect might be the only one where inner disciples outnumbered outer disciples.
Yet, while the inner disciples hadn’t even received one-on-one guidance, this outer disciple was being personally tutored.
Well, "one-on-one" wasn’t entirely accurate—Zhou Ping was actually receiving instruction from multiple people.
Zhang Miaoyu wasn’t his only teacher.
Whenever Li Yingling finished her work and had time to spare, she would also drop by to teach him a thing or two.
And in doing so, she had redefined her understanding of the word "dense."
No wonder even Cui Hao had been driven to the brink of despair.
Thus, Li Yingling only taught Zhou Ping when she was already in a bad mood—she didn’t want to ruin an otherwise good day.
Chen Baiqing and Cui Hao also took turns instructing him. The second disciple was less involved, but then again, he had always been something of a lone wolf.
As the sect’s construction neared completion, there was less work to be done.
Li Yingling had already wrapped up today’s tasks early.
With a heavy sigh, she pushed open the door and stepped outside, surveying the surroundings alone.
Once all these matters were settled, she would need to focus on her cultivation for a while.
Lately, though she had been practicing, her sessions were often fragmented—there simply wasn’t enough time.
Her junior brother’s progress in that unorthodox technique was… unsettlingly impressive. Where did he even find the time?
But then again, the most defining feature of unorthodox techniques was probably their sheer unpredictability.
Still, as the senior sister, she refused to be overtaken by her junior brother.
Li Yingling strode forward.
The world was vast, and she hadn’t even begun to explore it.
Next time, she’d drag along that not-too-bright junior brother of hers and teach him a thing or two.
As their master liked to say: "Roaming the wilds alone leads nowhere. Only by banding together can you truly dominate the path!"