Master, come with me for a moment.

The Peak of a Loving Family.

Chu Xingchen walked leisurely into the courtyard, his gaze naturally falling upon Cui Hao, the only one still seated there, and the empty Spring Warmth wine bottle still on the table.

He asked, "Where are San Dong and Qinghe?"

Cui Hao looked at his master with a somewhat resentful gaze and said,

"Qinghe ran off after drinking the Spring Warmth. San Dong got a bit drunk, so I took him back to rest."

Chu Xingchen smiled and took a seat:

"So, you were waiting here specifically for my return?"

"She wanted me to give you a message," Cui Hao sighed lightly. "She said you are majestic and divinely powerful, bearing the Mandate of Heaven. She suggests discussing matters properly and not resorting to petty tricks."

A look of understanding crossed Chu Xingchen's face as he nodded. He didn't address the comment directly but instead asked a question in return:

"After sharing a cup of wine, it's 'she' this and 'she' that now. It wasn't some ceremonial wedding cup wine you drank with Zheng Zhaoling, was it?"

"Her taste isn't very good, is it? How could she even take a liking to you?"

Cui Hao waved his hands hurriedly. "Master, you can slander me all you want, but please don't slander her, lest we invite trouble."

"Your master isn't afraid of her."

"But I am! Zheng Zhaoling might not dare confront you, but would she hesitate to come after me?"

"If you're afraid, then I can only tell you not to be, because being afraid is useless."

A gentle smile remained on Chu Xingchen's face as he reached out and grasped the Spring Warmth wine bottle on the table, then continued:

"Did you promise Zheng Zhaoling anything?"

Cui Hao nodded with a pained expression, as if he had suffered a great loss:

"Naturally, I did."

Chu Xingchen raised an eyebrow, prompting him to continue.

Cui Hao's expression then turned playful:

"She offered to host me in return. When I have time, I'll go to the Cloud Dream Pavilion to keep the appointment."

"As for the matter in the Northern Continent, she didn't settle scores with me, nor did she find fault with you, Master. She said not to underestimate her."

Chu Xingchen showed no surprise, instead giving a light laugh:

"Consider yourself lucky this time. You should also understand that to do what you wish, there's always a price to pay."

"Even your master cannot accomplish everything."

Cui Hao glanced sideways, seeming to grasp the implied meaning in his master's words.

He didn't say much more, merely giving a slight nod.

This matter was something Cui Hao himself wanted to handle, and he had asked his master to lend his strength. Naturally, dealing with the subsequent fallout fell to him as well.

Master... seemed very tired too.

Chu Xingchen slightly raised his head.

In the cultivation journey, years pass unnoticed, and time becomes indistinct.

It seemed to be deep winter now, with goose-feather snow beginning to fall in sheets.

No one knew how long such peaceful years could last.

Although he hadn't even left the Tianyan Sect's mountain gates recently, news from the outside world drifted in like snowflakes.

First was the ambiguous stance of the Buddhist Sect. The matters of the Radiant Buddha's Mahayana teachings and the internal infiltration of Heavenly Demons—one could spell doom for the sect, the other had already tarnished its reputation.

It remained unknown whether more Heavenly Demons had infiltrated the Buddhist Sect. Even internally, investigating their own Dust-World Buddha faced immense pressure.

The sect's intelligence organization had produced a preliminary report—either the Buddhist Sect would descend into complete chaos, with the Dust-World Buddha severing ties, or it would head down a path it shouldn't.

For now, Runan could still maintain surface order within the sect, but suppressing a problem doesn't solve it.

Hoping to stall for change likely wasn't practical anymore.

During that day of the Heavenly Demon purge, although escape was swift, traces were still left behind.

Of the Eighteen Immortal Sects, apart from the Buddhist Sect, almost all offered assistance.

Regardless of their true intentions, they did provide tangible help.

Traces of the fleeing Heavenly Demons remained, and the Profound Clear Heavenly Sect took the lead in the pursuit.

Naturally, some demons with scant traces were selectively abandoned, allowing forces to concentrate on hunting those with clearer trails.

By now, of the eight great Heavenly Demons, one was dead. Among the seven bearing the Mandate, two were under active pursuit.

The remaining five had gone into hiding once more.

Chu Xingchen's current condition, as publicly announced, remained extremely dire: his cultivation was said to be less than a tenth of its former state, and even if his immortal path could continue, it likely wouldn't be as awe-inspiring as before.

As for Bai Xuanling, who had achieved True Immortality, he was reportedly researching how to avoid ascending to the Immortal Realm immediately, choosing to stay in this world to handle the Heavenly Demon affair. However, progress was slow, and it probably couldn't last too long.

These reports were all false.

The purpose of spreading this misinformation was clear—to delay the moment when the Heavenly Demons might become desperate and make an all-or-nothing gamble.

After all, everyone knew that if Chu Xingchen's injuries were truly no hindrance, his realm was recovering by leaps and bounds, and Bai Xuanling felt no pressure to ascend at all, then the Heavenly Demons' fate would be sealed annihilation.

The advantage of time lay with Chu Xingchen.

The Heavenly Demons understood this logic too. No one knew if they still held other trump cards.

After all, to this day, there were no clear records of where the Heavenly Demons originated; they seemed to have descended from the heavens.

Buy some time.

Await the future.

Wait for his disciples to grow a little stronger, wait for his own cultivation to recover a bit more.

He also hoped that, by then, the Mandate could be concluded by him alone.

Chu Xingchen's gaze slowly settled on Cui Hao, and he asked with a light laugh:

"Is Myriad Adaptability serving you well?"

Upon hearing this, Cui Hao instinctively reached for Myriad Adaptability at his waist.

After returning to the sect, he had offered to return Myriad Adaptability to his master, but his master hadn't accepted it.

So, Myriad Adaptability remained with him.

Cui Hao gently touched the artifact at his waist. He hadn't actually complained about Lord Myriad, and said with a light laugh:

"As expected of Master's spirit treasure, it truly is peerless under heaven. I didn't even need to lift a finger; Lord Myriad handled everything for me."

This was somewhat true—he really didn't need to act, though it did require plenty of pleading.

Chu Xingchen nodded, reassured:

"That's good. Myriad can be picky; I was afraid it might not cooperate."

Cui Hao said with a proud expression:

"How could that be? Given my relationship with you, Master, Lord Myriad has no reason not to cooperate."

Just as Chu Xingchen was about to tease Cui Hao a bit more, he heard Li Yingling's playful voice from behind.

"Cui Hao, did you cause trouble again and get caught by Master for a scolding?"

Chu Xingchen looked sideways to see Li Yingling walking briskly over, with Li Xingtian following closely behind.

Without waiting for Cui Hao's retort, Li Yingling waved her hand, signaling him to be quiet first. She looked at her master and said:

"Master, how has your rest been lately?"

Chu Xingchen responded with a long sigh, shaking his head repeatedly:

"Aside from the comfortable parts, there's not a single comfortable part at all. So, what troublesome matter brings you to your master this time?"

Li Yingling blinked and smiled, her tone playful:

"I'm not like Cui Hao, causing trouble and needing Master's help. As your big warm jacket, I naturally bring good news."

Chu Xingchen looked skeptical, his gaze shifting to Li Xingtian.

The big warm jacket might be drafty, but these big autumn pants were still solid—at least they could help judge whether something was good or bad on the spot.

Seeing his master's inquiring look, Li Xingtian gave a very slight, almost imperceptible nod indicating it was indeed good news.

This piqued Chu Xingchen's interest somewhat:

"Alright then, let me hear what good news this rare, non-drafty warm jacket has brought."

Li Yingling raised her eyebrows, her expression rather proud:

"Master, do you remember Donggua?"

Chu Xingchen didn't react much.

But Cui Hao suddenly stiffened his neck.

This couldn't... still have something to do with him, could it?