Oldest in Appearance, Youngest in Age

Yuan Gui True Buddha looked with astonishment at the smile on Huang Miao's face, then turned his gaze toward Wukong, who also seemed somewhat at a loss.

Face?

The Buddhist sect’s Buddha Child and someone from the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect knew each other?

Who could possibly make this ruthless figure show such deference?

The stunned expression on Yuan Gui True Buddha’s face quickly smoothed into calm. It seemed… there were many things he was unaware of, not even given a hint.

Wukong had not expected this answer either, nor had he thought that he could cross the river simply on someone else’s reputation.

This couldn’t necessarily be called moral or immoral on Chu Xingchen’s part—after all, in a way, it was a convenience granted.

But crossing the river like this was no different from being hung up for all to see. It seemed as though he had some connection with the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect.

Yet he was the Buddha Child…

Wukong bowed once more. Given how things had unfolded, crossing alone would undoubtedly make things even harder to explain. He quickly spoke up:

"There are several dozen fellow disciples who came with me. Might this senior grant them passage as well?"

Huang Miao’s smile turned teasing:

"Anyone you wish to bring can cross. His reputation is still solid enough."

Wukong froze again at these words.

Seeing his expression, Huang Miao’s grin turned mischievous:

"What, you want to ask if you can bring a Buddha? I can answer that for you too."

"No need to inform me of that, Senior," Wukong replied hastily, feeling a chill down his spine. This ruthless figure was not only brutal in action but also in heart. "Simply notifying the Venerable Ru Nan Buddha of this matter would suffice..."

"Look how scared you are." Huang Miao’s smile faded, his voice calm. "Take whoever you need and cross."

Wukong bowed in thanks once more, then turned and summoned the group of Buddhist cultivators who had followed him with a transmitted message.

He had already made up his mind—unless something unexpected happened, he would stick close to them from now on…

Huang Miao did not watch as Wukong and his group crossed the Pudu River. Instead, he continued to stare provocatively at Yuan Gui True Buddha on the opposite shore, his mocking grin undisguised.

One man. One river.

Unfazed by ten thousand.

The Pudu River—ferrying none of the Buddha.

---

Jinshan Slope.

Cui Hao smiled as he casually handed out candied fruits to the children crowding around him. Once the last of the treats were gone, he raised his hands, gently shooing the children away.

Though the children were many and the commotion chaotic, Cui Hao was, after all, a Golden Core cultivator.

Even if he were back in the Southern Continent, he would be considered a formidable figure. Naturally, he could keep track of who had received his candied fruits.

No one took extra. No one was left out.

Though the children were still eager, seeing Cui Hao’s empty hands, they didn’t linger.

After all, this kind and talkative man, who told such wonderful stories, was a legendary immortal in their eyes.

Their parents had warned them repeatedly.

The children waved goodbye to the ever-friendly Immortal Cui as they scattered with their treats.

To them, the difference between immortals and mortals might simply be that immortals had endless candied fruits to share.

Cui Hao waved back with a smile, then straightened his slightly disheveled robes. His gaze drifted to a thin, dark-skinned boy hiding behind a withered tree.

The boy peeked out, but when he noticed Cui Hao looking, he quickly ducked back behind the trunk.

The tree wasn’t large, but it was just enough to conceal the boy’s small frame.

Cui Hao suppressed his aura and moved silently to the tree, looking down at the boy, who now had his eyes tightly shut.

"How old are you?" Cui Hao asked with a gentle smile.

The boy startled, trembling violently. He didn’t answer, turning instead to flee.

Cui Hao reached out, grabbing the boy’s ragged, patch-covered clothes.

Rip—

Cui Hao looked awkwardly at the torn fabric in his hand, then back at the boy, whose ribs were clearly visible beneath his skin.

"I’ll replace this for you," Cui Hao said quickly, extending a hand. "I’ve seen you a few times now. If you wanted candied fruits, why not just ask?"

The boy didn’t take his hand, instead staggering to his feet on his own. His voice was weak, barely audible:

"I… I’m sorry. Can I… have my clothes back?"

Without hesitation, Cui Hao handed over what could barely be called a rag.

The boy kept his head low as he took it, murmuring another apology before stumbling away.

Cui Hao didn’t follow, simply watching the boy’s retreating figure with a quiet sigh.

"Normally so talkative, yet today, our Fifth Brother is at a loss for words."

Cui Hao jumped, turning to see Lin Luoyu standing beside him, her gaze also fixed on the departing boy.

"Fourth Sister, must you walk so silently?" Cui Hao grumbled, his tone exaggerated.

Lin Luoyu ignored his complaint, cutting straight to the point:

"Master has sent word. He’s on his way back. Eldest Sister thinks you’re taking too long, so she sent me to check on you and hurry you along."

Cui Hao shrugged, his usual carefree tone returning:

"Everything’s pretty much wrapped up. Just a few loose ends, and we can head back. Though I’m sure Eldest Sister will still say I dragged my feet."

"Don’t forget to replace that boy’s clothes before we leave," Lin Luoyu reminded.

Cui Hao grinned. "Don’t worry, I’ve got it handled."

Lin Luoyu nodded slightly, but after a moment, her eyes drifted again toward where the boy had gone.

Seeing her expression, Cui Hao’s voice turned unusually solemn:

"Sometimes it’s like that. You want to do something, but you don’t know what you can do."

Lin Luoyu didn’t want to admit it, but she knew he was right. Her thoughts turned to Li Junzi.

Had Li Junzi felt the same way back then?

Only, she had been fortunate—she had met Li Junzi, who had chosen to stay and let go.

After a pause, Lin Luoyu retrieved a book from her spatial ring. It was a copy of a basic literacy primer she had transcribed during her studies as a Confucian cultivator, imbued with her own scholarly aura.

She handed it to Cui Hao.

"That boy has no spiritual roots. But since we’ve crossed paths, I’ll leave him a gift."

Cui Hao took it with a chuckle.

"Always the thoughtful one, Fourth Sister."

Lin Luoyu said nothing, merely pressing her lips together slightly.

---

Western Continent, Zhaomang Ridge.

Though the three great sects had swept through the Western Continent with overwhelming momentum, pushing back the beast tides at an astonishing pace, there were still areas overrun by rampaging demonic creatures.

The Western Continent was known for its bold, unrestrained spirit, and its sects imposed fewer restrictions. As a result, rogue cultivators were plentiful.

Faced with the surging beast tides, many rogue cultivators had formed squads to resist.

But countless such teams, having ventured too deep into the heart of the chaos, found themselves cut off from the outside world.

Yun Chuan’s squad was one such group. As a Golden Core cultivator—albeit only at the early stage—he was already a powerhouse in the Western Continent.

The squad was small, with only seven members, including him as the nominal leader.

But in truth, the one who truly commanded the respect of the entire team was someone else entirely.

And she wasn’t even a cultivator.

Under the night sky,

the group, unable to light a fire, turned their gaze toward a woman with snow-white hair and deeply lined features. Without the power of cultivation, she was inevitably worn down by time.

Yun Chuan looked at the youngest member of their squad, who bore the oldest appearance, and asked,

"Li Junzi, what should our next move be?"

Li Junzi’s voice was calm, as if it could soothe the soul:

"The civilians here should have evacuated as planned. To go further in—not only is there no guarantee anyone is left alive, but it would also be irresponsible to all of you."

"You don’t mean to go alone, do you?" Yun Chuan stood up. "You’re not even from the Western Ox Continent. You’ve already saved countless lives here—this was never your duty, yet you crossed continents to come."

"The people of the Western Ox Continent don’t repay kindness with betrayal. We owe you our responsibility too."

"If we leave, we leave together. If we go in, we go in together."

Li Junzi raised her hand slightly, signaling Yun Chuan to sit.

The Golden Core realm cultivator obeyed without hesitation.

After all, this Junzi had already won over the entire squad—not with power, but with the sheer force of her character.