Cloud Departure

"That monk doesn’t seem like one of us."

Bai Bo looked at Xu Linglong, who had returned with a slightly unusual expression, and reminded her before asking,

"Given your temperament, if you didn’t kill him, there must be some other intention?"

Xu Linglong gently twisted her wrist and replied casually,

"Whether he is or isn’t, the fact that he accurately located Donggua, didn’t kill or interrogate, but simply stayed by their side—"

"No matter which side he’s from, it’s suspicious."

"If that Buddhist disciple is from the Buddhist sects, then it means those monks are truly useless. They’ve drawn attention by doing nothing and even started involving themselves in the investigation."

"If the disciple is truly one of us, it would also support some of our theories."

"That’s why I had you stay behind while I went to meet him."

"If we’re pursued later and more monks show up, then the disciple belongs to the Buddhist sects. If it’s other immortal sects or Chu Xingchen who comes after us, then the disciple is truly one of our kind."

"If no one pursues us and the matter proceeds safely, we’ll need to reconsider our approach."

"Perhaps some traces were left behind during the operation, leading to the investigation, or maybe Chu Xingchen has a way to identify us."

Xu Linglong glanced back at the path she had come from and said,

"No matter the outcome, with your methods, we can retreat safely."

Bai Bo nodded slightly, a faint smile finally appearing on his long-stoic face.

"This is at least some good news, and we’ve found a lead."

Xu Linglong didn’t respond to that.

Because whether it was true or not, the situation they faced now was already critical.

A plan that should have taken at least another century to prepare might now have to be hastily advanced.

In that case, it was no longer a plan—but a gamble.

A gamble on who could seize that fleeting opportunity amidst the chaos.

Central Continent, Tianyan Sect.

Within the "Happy Family Peak," outside the breakthrough chamber in the courtyard.

Chen Baiqing gently pushed a freshly brewed cup of tea toward Chu Xingchen while observing his expression with slight concern.

"Master, there’s no need to worry. Didn’t you previously obtain many breakthrough pills from Elder Yanyun?"

"I’m just afraid those blockheads will think I tricked them—especially your fifth disciple. He only sees that his senior sister broke through without pills but ignores how many his second senior brother consumed under my guidance." Chu Xingchen sighed.

"Not that I doubt their ability to break through. As my disciples, their talent makes reaching the Golden Core realm a trivial matter."

Chen Baiqing nodded lightly but teased,

"Master’s expression doesn’t look unworried at all."

Chu Xingchen flicked Chen Baiqing’s forehead lightly.

Though it didn’t hurt, she still put on an exaggerated pout, pretending her master was bullying her.

Cui Hao’s cultivation had also reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, just a step away from breaking through.

The spiritual energy concentration in Tianyan Sect was exceptionally rich. Even though Cui Hao had been suppressing his cultivation under Chu Xingchen’s guidance, he was now on the verge of a breakthrough.

The other one about to break through was Green Snake.

Green Snake’s breakthrough was different from that of ordinary cultivators.

Based on its innate traits, its progress might have been slower than expected.

After all, since hatching, aside from serving as the sect’s construction master for a time, Green Snake had been diligently cultivating.

Apart from not daring to consume pills and slightly lagging behind Li Xingtian, it had made steady progress.

To address this, Chu Xingchen had asked Yanyun to investigate and also consulted Qinghe.

After all, Qinghe was a genuine flood dragon, belonging to the demonic category.

Qinghe’s explanation was—if one possessed superior bloodline, diligent cultivation mainly accelerated the activation of that bloodline. If progress was slow, it might indicate that Green Snake also carried a remarkable bloodline.

Either way, with its bloodline, Green Snake’s breakthrough to Golden Core was practically guaranteed.

There was just one minor issue.

After breaking through, even though Green Snake’s current role was the sect’s "Ultimate Divine Guardian Beast," the system recognized it as a disciple.

Upon reaching Golden Core, Green Snake would receive a system-bestowed exclusive weapon.

Cui Hao, though nominally a disciple, wasn’t acknowledged by the system. His breakthrough wouldn’t grant him an exclusive weapon.

Chu Xingchen had previously promised to forge a divine weapon for Cui Hao.

Cui Hao practiced fist techniques, so crafting something like gauntlets would suit him, perhaps with some flashy effects. Even if the power wasn’t overwhelming, it would likely align with Cui Hao’s tastes.

Regarding Cui Hao’s weapon, Chu Xingchen had also asked Yanyun to gather Tianyan Sect’s master artificers for research.

However, progress was slow.

The artificers’ stance was clear—if you’re training fists, why bother with a weapon? Your fists are your greatest weapons!

If it was just for aesthetics, they could forge something, but such a weapon would have limited growth potential in the early stages.

It wouldn’t be like Li Yingling’s case, where she could nurture a supreme spiritual treasure from Golden Core all the way to the pinnacle of the Dao.

The reason was simple—most fist practitioners were poor, unable to afford high-end materials or commissions.

Those who weren’t poor spent their resources on self-refinement and rarely bothered with gauntlet-type weapons.

Research on fist weapons was sparse, and many foundational principles had to be re-examined.

For these master artificers, crafting was both a passion and a livelihood—not charity.

They never took on commissions from penniless fist practitioners.

Without even asking, Chu Xingchen knew his disciple would never accept a proposal to refine his own body into a divine weapon.

Thus, the research was divided into two approaches—one continuing to study gauntlets, the other exploring unconventional ideas beyond traditional fist weapons.

Either way, it would take considerable time.

At the very least, Cui Hao wouldn’t have an exclusive weapon by his Golden Core breakthrough.

Handing him a makeshift item for the Golden Core stage would be easy, but Chu Xingchen refused to do so.

These were his disciples.

If their master didn’t care for them, who else would?

[Disciple Green Snake has successfully broken through to Golden Core.]

[Divine Artifact—Hidden Dragon Sword has been deposited into the system storage.]

The system’s voice interrupted Chu Xingchen’s thoughts.

He turned his gaze toward the breakthrough chamber, where the swirling spiritual energy gradually settled.

Green Snake had broken through faster than Cui Hao.

Chu Xingchen stood and walked toward the chamber.

Chen Baiqing quickly followed.

The formation detecting the successful breakthrough slowly dissipated, withdrawing the barrier that concealed the spiritual fluctuations and phenomena.

After a moment, the door creaked open.

Chu Xingchen’s calm expression flickered with surprise.

"I have lived up to the sect master’s expectations and achieved Golden Core."

Inside the chamber stood a strikingly handsome youth, appearing around thirteen or fourteen, clad in light-green martial attire. His eyes were serene as he clasped his hands and bowed to Chu Xingchen.

"Many thanks to the sect master for your meticulous guidance."

"There is one more matter I wish to report."

"Congratulations on your breakthrough to the Golden Core realm," Chu Xingchen observed for a moment, confirming that Green Snake no longer bore any traces of its serpent form before speaking again. "Now, tell me what you wished to discuss."

The young man clasped his hands respectfully and said,

"The name 'Green Snake' was given based on my form before taking human shape, and at first, it posed no issue. However... after my breakthrough, I realized I already have a name."

"I do not know who bestowed it upon me."

"But I am called—Yun Li."