Are You and Xu Jin...

"It's been a long time since I've been back."

Chu Xingchen gently reached out, verifying the layered barriers one by one, until a path finally opened before the main gate of the sect.

Bai Xuanling stood beside Chu Xingchen:

"Not coming back is a good thing. When you do return, it's either because you're in trouble, or you're about to cause trouble for others."

Chu Xingchen chuckled softly as he walked inside:

"Can't it just be that I'm feeling nostalgic, coming back to see the scenery? The people here aren't highly cultivated. I could practically walk sideways here without having to mind anyone's attitude."

"Oh? So you have to mind people's attitudes in Central Continent now?" Bai Xuanling raised a delicate eyebrow slightly. "Who in Central Continent would dare show Sect Master Chu a sour face these days?"

Chu Xingchen walked slowly inward, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings.

Although no one had been here to clean for a long time, there were no overgrown weeds. Before leaving, Chu Xingchen had already cast preservation spells.

Only the trees had grown taller, their branches more lush.

The formation prevented the wind from blowing in, so there wasn't much dust either.

It was just as it was when he left, only the trees were grander now.

After walking for a while down the path and passing through the covered walkway, the clear, small pond came into view.

The stone chairs and table originally placed here had already been moved to Ten-Thousand Flower Ridge.

Although the stone furniture was gone, it didn't stop Chu Xingchen from recalling the image of Chen Baiqing, still in her petite form, holding a book with candied fruits placed on the table.

Every brick and tile here was built under the supervision of his eldest and second disciples.

Constructed during times of extreme poverty, every detail required careful calculation.

Even this covered walkway went through several design revisions before they settled on a cheaper option.

Chu Xingchen gently reached out and touched a pillar of the walkway.

Although cheap, the emotions poured into it were priceless.

Seeing Chu Xingchen lost in nostalgia, Bai Xuanling couldn't help but say:

"If you're this reluctant to part with it, are you really sure about choosing this place? I'd say going somewhere farther away wouldn't hurt."

Hearing this, Chu Xingchen shook his head lightly: "The spiritual veins flow here. Although not vast, they can maximally support the operation of the formation. For us, we only have one chance."

"The people who created those memories are still here. They are what's precious; this place merely carries the memories."

"We have spirit stones now. If we truly wish to rebuild in the future, we can always come back and do it."

Chu Xingchen looked back, his gaze settling on the leisurely Bai Xuanling:

"It's you, Sister Bai, who shouldn't act recklessly this time. Sect Leader Lü has informed me of your true condition."

Bai Xuanling's expression turned displeased:

"I know, I know. That dim-witted sect leader can never keep his mouth shut."

"This commotion won't be small. Last time it was two Heavenly Demons. How many do you think will come this time?"

Chu Xingchen narrowed his eyes slightly:

"Anyway, I'm planning for all eight to come. After hearing my arrangements, Xu Jin asked me if I was planning to sink the Southern Continent."

Bai Xuanling nodded gently, sighing in admiration:

"Only the Profound Purity Heavenly Sect has such boldness."

Chu Xingchen walked towards the deep pond while retrieving from his spatial ring a pearl where black and white energies continuously swirled.

Bai Xuanling naturally saw the pearl in Chu Xingchen's hand. Even she looked utterly astonished, instinctively cursing:

"Damn, I underestimated the Profound Purity Heavenly Sect. Their boldness is even greater than I imagined."

"They're willing to lend this thing to you? Quick, tell me, are you and Xu Jin involved?"

"The atmosphere in the cultivation world is quite open now. I hear some sects that practice dual cultivation techniques have even started offering their services externally."

"You wouldn't be selling yourself at a loss. Half the foundation of the Profound Purity Heavenly Sect is in your hands now. If word got out, they'd probably worship you as a founding ancestor and ask how you managed to sell for such a high price."

Without even turning his head, Chu Xingchen replied with a helpless tone:

"As if Xu Jin could just lend this out if he said so."

"Right... Perhaps you're involved with the Sect Leader of the Profound Purity Heavenly Sect then?"

If you can't find it by searching the book title, try searching the author's name! It might just have been renamed!

"Is this something the Sect Leader can just take out as he pleases?"

"I've underestimated you, Chu Xingchen. To think you're involved with the entire..."

"Sister Bai, if you continue like this, I won't be polite with my words either," Chu Xingchen interrupted.

Hearing this, Bai Xuanling composed her expression:

"You alone might not be able to properly place this thing. Let me help. Such a peerless treasure artifact—this is my first time using one. That Lv Xuan is both stingy and foolish; he wouldn't even let me touch it."

Chu Xingchen remained silent. It wasn't that Lv Xuan didn't want to let her use it; he was clearly afraid Bai Xuanling would use it and never return it.

After all, if she really decided not to return it, Lv Xuan probably wouldn't have any good recourse.

Bai Xuanling approached, leaning her head slightly towards the small, gilded, faintly colored pearl in Chu Xingchen's palm. She examined it carefully, her eyes filled with nothing but curiosity.

Such a treasure artifact, she had only heard of it, never seen its true form. At most, she had seen illustrations, but they lacked any divine essence.

Nothing compared to this supreme treasure artifact before her, radiating waves of divine essence.

While observing, Bai Xuanling murmured softly:

"Heaven has two energies, the rising named 'Clear,' the sinking named 'Turbid.'"

"One energy governs the heavens, one energy rules the earth. The five continents and all directions are born from this, in an endless cycle of mutual generation."

"The Innate Primordial Chaos Stabilizing Dao Dual Energy Pearl. Such divine essence, as if blessed by the Great Dao itself."

"Truly wondrous and peerless... No wonder the Profound Purity Heavenly Sect was once the number one great sect under heaven. No wonder they dared to defy all precedent and be the first to monopolize a spiritual vein."

"To think, no matter how difficult their battles were back then, they never brought this thing out to use..."

"How did you, kid, convince those people from the Profound Purity Heavenly Sect?"

Chu Xingchen gently infused his spiritual power into it:

"I simply asked them which was more important: my safety, or this thing."

Although Bai Xuanling knew this was likely true, she still instinctively showed an expression that said—Are you really worth that much?

As Chu Xingchen's spiritual power flowed into the Innate Primordial Chaos Stabilizing Dao Dual Energy Pearl, the two constantly swirling colors began to slowly stop their motion: white above, black below.

Simultaneously, a wave of divine essence gently circulated and rippled outward.

Bai Xuanling also reached out, using her spiritual power to gently probe it.

But the next moment, her brows furrowed slightly.

When spiritual power was infused into it, the upper Clear energy was light and gentle, almost weightless, lighter than air, scattering upon contact, nearly impossible to control.

The lower Turbid energy was immensely heavy, like the boundless earth itself, extremely difficult to move.

Even with Bai Xuanling's meticulous, fine-grained control of spiritual power, it was still hard to manipulate—or rather, almost impossible to control.

One could only use brute force methods to shift the Turbid energy, while the Clear energy... could only be moved by luck.

A supreme treasure indeed, but isn't it way too difficult to control?

No wonder the Profound Purity Heavenly Sect never used this thing in that great war back then. They'd all be dead before they could even deploy it.

Bai Xuanling looked up and found that Chu Xingchen was controlling it with exceptional ease.

Both the Upper Clear energy and the Lower Turbid energy could be mobilized effortlessly.

The entire pearl also began to glow, divine essence swirling, ready to be activated.

Bai Xuanling's brows knitted together—was she, an old Soul Transformation stage cultivator, inferior to Chu Xingchen, who was only at the Unity stage perfection?

The next moment, Bai Xuanling realized the key issue and understood the real reason why the Profound Purity Heavenly Sect truly lent this thing to Chu Xingchen.

It was because Chu Xingchen's own spiritual power was almost non-existent.

Upper Clear energy, Lower Turbid energy.

They were the purest, most genuine substances in the world.

Once tainted by anything different, these two energies would naturally repel each other with extreme force.

The Clear energy is light; it avoids.

An excess of turbid qi will obstruct its flow.

Bai Xuanling gave a light laugh and shook her head.

This magical treasure, I'm afraid only Chu Xingchen could wield it with such ease.

If you can't find it by searching the book title, try searching by the author's name instead. Perhaps it's just been renamed!