"Dog Egg?"
"I might as well call you Dog Egg from now on," Little Wei rolled her eyes and glanced at the little girl. "Enough chatter, let's absorb the demonic energy first."
"Alright," the little girl in white nodded, then transformed into a boy in black, sitting cross-legged on the ground to absorb the demonic aura from the soil.
"Then let's call you Second Egg," Chi Mu chimed in with a grin.
"Fine, Second Egg, stop barking like a dog."
Little Wei kicked Chi Mu lightly.
Chi Mu pouted and sat cross-legged nearby, gazing at the distant skeletons.
"This place must have seen the deaths of many cultivators in the past," Chi mused with a hint of melancholy.
"Whether they died or not is unclear, but if the demonic race isn't eradicated, this demonic energy will corrupt even more land," Little Wei remarked indifferently.
Chi Mu nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, outside the demonic well, Gu Yu watched as the demonic energy gradually receded, his lips pressed into a tight line.
"Elder Brother is truly formidable."
"Hey, Ancestor, when are you planning to let us go?" The group tied to the tree behind him wailed pitifully.
"Shut up," Gu Yu had little patience left.
Ancestor this, ancestor that—did he really look that old? Helian Chi appeared a decade older than him.
Helian Chi and the others could only fall silent. Well, the ancestor was getting on in years; a bit of temper was to be expected.
"The situation is under control now. It's fine."
With a wave of his hand, Gu Yu released Helian Chi and the others.
"Really? How was it done? Will Little Wei be alright?" Helian Chi and the elders hurried to the edge of the demonic well, peering down to find the ominous black mist had significantly faded. Their faces lit up with faint smiles.
It seemed the Canglan Continent was saved.
As for the reason behind the demonic energy's retreat, no one asked. They all assumed it was the work of the Huaiyang Sect, which had long been reclusive. For them to intervene at all was already remarkable.
"Senior, we owe the resolution of this demonic crisis to the Huaiyang Sect," Helian Chi said with a respectful bow.
He had learned his lesson—mentioning "ancestor" again might earn him a kick straight into the demonic well.
No need for further trouble—Gu Yu could just use his body to seal the well’s entrance.
"Hmm. Do you have land?" Gu Yu asked, turning to Helian Chi.
"Ah?" Helian Chi blinked in confusion.
"The Huaiyang Sect is emerging from seclusion. What I mean is—a merger," Gu Yu clarified, pressing his lips together.
This was the best solution. Though Qianxun’s cultivation was profound, she lacked the experience to lead a sect on the continent.
Aside from the Qingdao Sect, most people had likely forgotten about the Huaiyang Sect.
"What about the name?" Helian Chi frowned, troubled.
Huaiqing Sect? Yangdao Sect?
Neither sounded quite right.
"No need for changes. Keep it as the Qingdao Sect. Treat it as newly recruited disciples, but the elders must oversee their own peaks. We’re looking at around a thousand members," Gu Yu calculated meticulously.
He needed to settle his affairs.
Recently, after discussing cultivation insights with Chi Mu, the bottleneck he’d been stuck at had loosened slightly. He had a premonition—if he didn’t resolve the Huaiyang Sect’s matters soon, he might ascend to divinity.
"Understood. I’ll handle everything as you’ve instructed."
The Qingdao Sect had plenty of unused mountains—some converted into spirit rice fields or libraries, but they were perfectly habitable. In the past, the sect had far more disciples than it did now.
Back then, quantity mattered. These days, they recruited only three or four disciples a year.
A thousand more? No problem.
Some time later, the demonic energy receded further, even the demonic well’s bricks turning ashen. Helian Chi was both shocked and delighted. Just as the group prepared to wait longer, two beams of light shot out from below.
"Little Wei, how was it down there?" Helian Chi asked eagerly.
"Not bad. It’s mostly done. Reinforcing the barrier shouldn’t be hard for you, right?" Little Wei smiled.
She would’ve preferred to sever the demonic energy at its source, but the demonic lands were vast and deeply rooted. A permanent solution was impossible.
Still, with the demonic energy greatly diminished, the Canglan Continent would have centuries of respite.
"Easy. I can handle it alone," Gu Yu said.
A Great Perfection-stage cultivator was far more efficient than a group of elders. With a few strokes, talismans flew from his fingertips. The group watched as the faint purple barrier lightened, turning milky white.
The barrier had originally been white—years of demonic corruption had tinted it purple.
"Done. With a century of cultivation, there’ll be no fear of the demonic race resurfacing," Gu Yu added.
Helian Chi nodded.
"We owe our gratitude to you, Senior, and also to…" Helian Chi turned to Chi Mu, frowning slightly. The man looked familiar.
Little Wei stepped in front of Chi Mu.
"Oh, he was just here for the spectacle," she said with a blink.
The fewer who knew about Chi Mu’s descent, the better.
Helian Chi didn’t press further, smiling kindly at Little Wei. "Little Wei, you’ve done well. But if you pull a stunt like this again, consider yourself confined to Zhong Lingfeng."
His tone turned stern at the end.
Little Wei pouted, unfazed.
"In that case, can we feast now?" Her priorities were clear.
She was starving.
Even immortal fasting had its limits.
"At an inn or back at the sect?" Helian Chi knew her well—she had few indulgences, but food was one.
Little Wei was insatiable.
"Both. I want two meals."
No, two wouldn’t be enough.
"Fine. If the girl says so, we’ll oblige."
Helian Chi was generous with her. After lifting the restrictions, they informed the Sunset Forest’s staff to prepare a lavish spread.
Chi Mu, watching her eat with such gusto, felt his own stomach rumble.
The two feasted until their bellies were round and content.
Ah, nothing beat a good meal.
"I have matters to attend to. I’ll take my leave," Chi Mu stood, bidding farewell.
He carried no airs, behaving like any junior. Helian Chi’s frown deepened—a flash of realization struck him, but when he looked up again, Chi Mu was gone.
Heavens.
Had he misjudged?
Helian Chi found it hard to believe.
If it really was him, no wonder the crisis was resolved so easily.
"Uncle, let’s go. No dawdling," Little Wei’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
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