However, since the other party was sincerely apologizing, he wouldn't put on airs or make things difficult for them.
Han Xuanji sighed softly, his tone flat yet sincere:
"Get up, I forgive you."
Hun Hao's body jolted. He slowly straightened up, his eyes filled with surprise.
He had thought Han Xuanji would take the opportunity to mock him with a few words, or at least give him the cold shoulder to humiliate him.
He hadn't expected the other party to forgive him so nonchalantly.
"Brother Han, you..."
Hun Hao opened his mouth to say something, but found his throat felt as if it were blocked by something.
Han Xuanji waved his hand and said indifferently:
"Let's not mention the past. Cultivate well. In the future, don't bother with those trivial matters and focus your mind on the right path."
These words were spoken very casually, even carrying a bit of a tone like an Elder lecturing a Junior. But to Hun Hao's ears, every word felt like a precious pearl of wisdom. He suddenly felt that his previous mockery was utterly ridiculous.
It wasn't that Han Xuanji was "unworthy of his reputation," but rather that he simply didn't deign to bicker with them.
What the man held in his heart was cultivation, the Great Dao, and a broader world.
Meanwhile, people like them were still backstabbing and scheming against each other for petty interests...
The difference in their levels was immediately clear.
"Thank you, Brother Han."
Hun Hao cupped his hands again, this time with a voice full of sincerity:
"From this day forward, I, Hun Hao, will never say a bad word about Brother Han, nor will I do anything to harm Brother Han. If I violate this oath, may I be punished to never make another inch of progress in my life!"
He spoke with absolute certainty, his eyes resolute.
Han Xuanji nodded and said nothing more.
He was merely offering a suggestion and respecting the other's fate. If the other party didn't want to change and chose to just drift through life from then on, he wouldn't lose anything, nor did it have anything to do with him.
On the periphery of the crowd, Wang Lin gave a faint glance toward them, the corners of his mouth curling slightly. Then, with hands behind his back, he turned and walked away at an unhurried pace.
He had arrived with a grand display, but he left silently.
There was a certain free and easy air of 'leaving once the task is done, hiding one's deeds and fame deep away.'
A few sharp-eyed Cultivators noticed Wang Lin's departure and whispered a few words, but none dared to say much.
This Young Master of the Wang Family was simply like this by nature; no one could see through him.
Han Xuanji withdrew his gaze and looked at Wang Ping.
"Wang Ping, how have you been lately?"
Wang Ping grinned, a hint of pride in his eyes:
"Brother Han, I went back and talked my father's ear off for days. He finally agreed to let me try."
"Oh?"
Han Xuanji became somewhat interested.
"And the result?"
"My father found me a Famous Master who specializes in Artifact Refining and Combat Secret Treasures."
Wang Ping grew more excited as he spoke. "The teacher said I indeed have some talent in this field. My progress as a beginner has been startlingly fast, much better than my father expected."
As he spoke, he scratched his head with some uncertainty:
"I just don't know... if the teacher only praised me because of my father's Face."
Han Xuanji glanced at him, his tone becoming a bit more serious:
"Being able to make your father relent shows that you have indeed achieved results.
Believe in yourself; do not belittle yourself."
Wang Ping was stunned for a moment, then nodded heavily, his eyes full of gratitude:
"Brother Han, thank you."
"Why thank me?"
"If you hadn't woken me up back then, I'd still be struggling on that unsuitable path."
Wang Ping said solemnly, "I have taken your words to heart."
Han Xuanji smiled and didn't take credit: "I only mentioned it in passing. How far you can go depends entirely on your own fortune."
The two chatted for a few more moments before Han Xuanji took his leave.
"See you again in the future."
"See you again!"
Wang Ping cupped his hands and watched Han Xuanji depart.
Hun Hao and several Hun Family disciples quickly followed, surrounding Han Xuanji as they walked toward the Hun Family's location.
Along the way, Hun Hao didn't say much, but he stayed by Han Xuanji's side the entire time, his gaze full of reverence, looking every bit like Han Xuanji's little lackey.
Several Hun Family disciples chimed in one after another, scrambling to talk to Han Xuanji with words full of flattery.
Han Xuanji responded sporadically without stopping his pace, while in his heart, he was planning his arrangements for after his return.
Before long, the group arrived before the main gates of the Hun Family.
The guards at the gate bowed hastily upon seeing Han Xuanji, their eyes filled with awe.
Han Xuanji nodded slightly and walked straight into the courtyard. Hun Hao and the others tactfully dispersed, no longer disturbing him.
Han Xuanji returned to his Immortal Cave and took out his communication jade talisman to check his messages.
The jade talisman was densely packed with unread messages.
There were messages from Hun Qianxue, Hun Qianling, and congratulatory words from several Hun Family Elders; these were all people he knew. Han Xuanji patiently read through them and replied seriously.
To the other familiar Elders, he also replied one by one with brief but sincere words.
As for those who had suddenly popped up to offer congratulations, Han Xuanji glanced at them and then put down the jade talisman, ignoring them.
He didn't even know how these people had gotten his contact information.
It seemed they had added him during the previous banquet.
It was easy to add flowers to a bouquet, but hard to provide charcoal in a snowstorm.
These people were only trying to curry favor because they saw his current fame; they weren't worth spending effort on.
Just as he put the jade talisman down, it lit up again.
Han Xuanji picked it up to look; it was a message from Hun Qianling.
Before he could react, the jade talisman vibrated violently, and then a beam of light shot out from it, condensing into a palm-sized virtual figure in front of him.
It was the image of Hun Qianling.
This was the "Projection Communication" common on the Eternal Continent. Although not as good as a Face-to-Face conversation, it was much more vivid than simple message exchanges.
The virtual figure of Hun Qianling had her hands on her hips, looking as if she were there to demand an explanation:
"Han Xuanji! Why did you come back so soon? The Five Elements Altar is such a good place, why didn't you spend more time comprehending there?"
Han Xuanji looked at the flailing little figure and couldn't help but smile:
"I've comprehended enough. The rest just needs to be digested through proper cultivation; there's no need to stay there forever."
"Enough?"
Hun Qianling tilted her head, the virtual figure's brow furrowed into a knot, clearly not understanding.
In her understanding, the cultivation of the Way of Laws was by no means the work of a single day or night.
For those Cultivators comprehending Law power, which seclusion wasn't for a hundred or a thousand years? Some people even sat in one place for tens of thousands of years just to understand the profound mystery of a single Law.
How long had Han Xuanji been gone?
Even by the most generous count, it was only a few dozen days.
He had finished comprehending the Legacy of the Five Elements Altar in just a few dozen days? The more Hun Qianling thought about it, the more she felt something was off, but then she remembered that Han Xuanji had indeed climbed the Five Elements Heavenly Ladder. This was a solid achievement that couldn't be faked.
Could it be... he really had settled it?
Hun Qianling thought for a moment and then simply stopped thinking about it.
Anyway, there were plenty of strange things about this guy Han Xuanji; one more wouldn't make a difference.