The turmoil of the outside world had nothing to do with the people inside the Myriad Phenomena Garden.
After suppressing the Nine Heavens Demon and learning many secrets, Han Xuanji figured that since he was idle anyway, he might as well preach the Dao to everyone.
On one hand, it was to improve the Disciples' strength, and on the other, it was to prevent these fellows from constantly running wild outside.
Hearing that Han Xuanji was going to preach the Dao, the few people remaining in the Myriad Phenomena Garden were incredibly excited.
Su Ming, in particular, felt that it was indeed the right choice not to go out.
When Jiang Hao returned, his Realm might very well fall behind... Meanwhile, at Lingxu Palace.
Several Chief Elders gathered together, and Immortal Reverence Yuheng suddenly frowned slightly and spoke:
"Everyone, have you felt that Old Ancestor Fuyun is somewhat... unusual?"
Immortal Venerable Chang Geng stroked his beard and pondered:
"Brother Yuheng feels this too? Old Ancestor Fuyun usually vanishes like a divine Dragon, and when he emerges from seclusion, it's usually to discuss the Dao with the other Old Ancestors. It is truly rare for him to specifically summon us today to inquire about matters."
Immortal Reverence Yuxuan also nodded:
"I asked the other Old Ancestors, and they did not receive any news of Old Ancestor Fuyun emerging from seclusion."
"Moreover, when Old Ancestor Fuyun asked questions, he seemed to constantly be probing about the Sect's recent Geniuses, especially... the Dao Child."
The few people exchanged glances, and a trace of doubt arose in their hearts.
But the Mirror of Heaven showed no reaction, and the Old Ancestor's aura and magic power were undeniably real, so they couldn't find any flaws.
"Perhaps the Old Ancestor has been in seclusion for a long time and is concerned about the Sect's younger generation."
Immortal Reverence Yuheng finally shook his head, suppressing that trace of doubt.
"The Old Ancestor's return adds another layer of fighting strength to our Lingxu Heavenly Palace; it is always a good thing."
Everyone agreed and dispersed.
Several days later, when a Chief Elder of the Lingxu Heavenly Palace personally went to pay respects at Old Ancestor Fuyun's Immortal Cave, he found the Immortal Cave's Restriction tightly sealed. His Divine Thought sent in was like a stone sinking into the sea, receiving no response.
He initially thought Old Ancestor Fuyun had entered seclusion again and paid it no mind.
But after over a hundred years, the situation remained the same. Even another Grand Unity Old Ancestor who was close to Old Ancestor Fuyun went there but failed to receive any response.
At this point, the higher-ups of the Lingxu Heavenly Palace finally felt that something was wrong.
They forcibly broke through the Immortal Cave's Restriction and found the Immortal Cave empty.
How could a Grand Unity Golden Immortal, a pillar of the Sect, disappear silently within the Sect?
"Where exactly did Old Ancestor Fuyun go?"
Immortal Reverence Yuheng stood inside Old Ancestor Fuyun's Immortal Cave, his brow furrowed, completely bewildered.
They used the Sect's secret treasures to search, but at most they could only confirm that Old Ancestor Fuyun's Life Jade Token had not shattered, proving he was safe, but his exact location was interfered with by an unknown force, making it impossible to pinpoint.
For a time, the shadow of "Old Ancestor Fuyun's mysterious disappearance" quietly enveloped the hearts of the few informed high-level Sect members.
They strengthened the Sect's defenses and conducted secret investigations, but found nothing.
No one would have thought that the "Old Ancestor Fuyun" they were desperately searching for had long since been reduced to nothing.
The Demon Master shared the same feeling as them.
Ever since he instructed the Nine Heavens Demon to go to the Lingxu Heavenly Palace to scout for information, he had received no further news of the Nine Heavens Demon.
All communication ceased, contact was completely broken, and the messages sent out were like stones sinking into the sea.
He could currently only use special means to confirm that the Nine Heavens Demon had not perished.
"What kind of terror is hidden within that Lingxu Heavenly Palace? To think that even the Nine Heavens Demon fell into it—it truly is a Dragon's pool and a tiger's den, unfathomably deep..."
The Demon Master was horrified at this moment; that was a powerhouse of the Primordial Chaos level.
Just gone?
He once again raised his estimation of the danger posed by the Lingxu Heavenly Palace.
"Alas... If the Nine Lives Emperor Lord learns of this, he will surely be furious... When that happens, I will be the one to suffer, likely ending up punished for incompetence."
The Demon Master's face was grim.
After much consideration, he decided to conceal this matter for now. Once His Majesty the Demon Ancestor revived, all problems would naturally be resolved.
As for the life and death of the Nine Heavens Demon, he could only temporarily cast it aside.
Life and death are fated, wealth and honor depend on Heaven; better that the Fellow Daoist dies than me.
This was especially true within the Demonic Path.
However, within the Demon Race, there were others constantly paying attention to these matters.
In a certain Demon Territory.
A tall figure shook his head and sighed emotionally:
"Old Ninth, ah..."
After the Four Heavenly Demons sighed, only relief remained in his heart.
Thankfully, he hadn't acted rashly back then, otherwise, his fate would likely have been the same as the Nine Heavens Demon's... Time flowed slowly; in the blink of an eye, a century had passed.
During this time, Su Ming did not seek out Han Xuanji to ask about his Physique. Instead, he honestly Cultivated, seemingly feeling that he was merely a Chaos Physique. With fewer worries in his heart, his Cultivation speed grew faster and faster.
It wasn't until a few days ago, when Su Ming's Master, Immortal Reverence Yuheng, found him, that he went out once.
On this day, clouds drifted and rosy light curled within the Myriad Phenomena Garden, brimming with Spiritual energy.
Su Ming returned from outside the garden. Although a slight trace of fatigue showed between his brows, the excitement deep within his eyes was hard to conceal.
As soon as he entered the garden, he saw Li Taiqing nourishing his Life-Bound Immortal Sword. The Sword Qi was restrained yet carried an inherent sense of awe. This was a top-grade Immortal Sword bestowed by Han Xuanji after Li Taiqing Broke Through to the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm.
Little White was playing with Little Gold, causing the surrounding Spiritual Qi to ebb and flow like tides.
Seeing Su Ming return, whose aura seemed somewhat different from usual, Li Taiqing was the first to sheath his sword and look over with calm eyes.
"Brother Su, you're back."
Su Ming nodded slightly toward Li Taiqing, walked over to the dragon blood profound yellow tree where everyone often gathered in the garden, cleared his throat, and spoke with a trace of imperceptible solemnity:
"Senior Brother Li, I have something to tell you upon my return."
He paused, and meeting the inquiring gazes of the crowd, he continued:
"Upon the suggestion of my Master, Immortal Reverence Yuheng, and with the approval of the Chief Elders... the Lingxu Heavenly Palace has resolved to establish an additional Meridian, and I will take on the position of Chief Elder."
As soon as these words were spoken, the garden fell silent instantly.
A flash of surprise appeared in Li Taiqing's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. Being meticulous, he immediately realized that Su Ming's strength must have been exposed.
However, he wasn't angry about it. In fact, Han Xuanji had never required them to hide their strength as he did.
As for why the Sect acted this way, on one hand, Su Ming indeed had the ability to serve as a Chief Elder, and on the other, they wanted to bind Su Ming more deeply to the Lingxu Heavenly Palace.
Li Taiqing pondered for a moment and nodded slightly:
"Congratulations, Brother Su. This is a blessing for the Sect and a recognition of us by the Sect."
Lin Potian, however, widened his eyes and slapped his large, fan-like hand:
"That's great news! Our Myriad Phenomena Garden has produced a Chief Elder! Let's see who dares to look down on us now!"
Li Taiqing said helplessly:
"Junior Brother Lin, Brother Su is a Disciple of the Dan Meridian, and a personal Disciple of Chief Elder Yuheng. His Master is also a True Heir of the Dan Meridian... How can you say that?"
"Heh heh."
Lin Potian winked and laughed lightly.
"Chief Elder? What is that?"
Han You tilted her head, not quite understanding what "Chief Elder" specifically meant, but feeling it was something impressive, and likewise congratulated Su Ming.
Little White, however, said disdainfully:
"What's the use of being a Chief Elder?"
"Even if I become a Sect Chief Elder, I'm still a member of the Myriad Phenomena Garden... Little White, why don't you go be a Chief Elder for fun too?"
Su Ming said with a smile.
"Hmm... Being a Demon Emperor isn't very interesting anyway, but a Chief Elder..."
Little White seriously considered Su Ming's suggestion.
Su Ming smiled without speaking, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
In reality, his becoming a Chief Elder was partly driven by the desire to repay kindness.
Not only to repay the Sect's favor, but also to shoulder some responsibility for Han Xuanji.
Establishing a Meridian seems glorious, but in reality, it means taking on more responsibility.
This was also the decision he made after communicating with Han Xuanji.
Of course, Han Xuanji actually felt that he didn't owe the Sect anything at all.
Without him, the Sect would have long been infiltrated by the Demon Race and turned into a sieve.
However, Han Xuanji didn't need to tell them all this... Meanwhile, Han Xuanji was troubled. Without the resources provided by the System, Cultivation was truly slow.
Even though he was already a Chaos Demon God, every small step forward in the Celestial Golden Immortal Realm was difficult.
"My current number of simulation attempts doesn't seem enough to simulate Han You and Yun Wuji... but there's still Lin Feng..."
Han Xuanji pondered internally.
He recalled this Human Race Emperor Lord Reincarnation. That person possessed the limitless jade disc, and coupled with the knowledge of a former Emperor Lord, his potential was not low.
Based on the previous number of attempts, it should definitely be enough. He just wondered what his net worth was after all these years?