Inside a quiet room in the Qingyun Holy Land.
A middle-aged man with an elegant temperament, appearing to be around forty years old, sat cross-legged on a prayer mat. His eyes were slightly closed, and the spiritual energy around him flowed like a surging river.
This person was the current Holy Lord of the Qingyun Holy Land—Chu Tianchen.
With a cultivation base at the Late Fusion Stage, he was already a top-tier existence in this Southern Region.
Suddenly, a series of hurried yet restrained footsteps came from outside the quiet room.
"Holy Lord, there is urgent intelligence."
A voice slowly sounded, carrying a hint of gravity that was difficult to conceal.
Chu Tianchen slowly opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing within them.
"Come in."
The person pushed the door open and entered; he was the Elder of the Qingyun Holy Land specifically in charge of intelligence—Lu Mingyuan.
He walked quickly to Chu Tianchen, bowed, and presented a Jade Slip containing the intelligence with both hands.
"Holy Lord, something major has happened... in the Great Yan Dynasty."
"The Great Yan Dynasty?"
He remembered that the Great Yan Dynasty was merely a small to medium-sized Dynasty; there were more than ten such dynasties under the jurisdiction of the Qingyun Holy Land.
Chu Tianchen frowned slightly and took the Jade Slip.
However, the moment his Divine Sense sank into the Jade Slip, his expression changed drastically!
In Qingyang City within the Great Yan Dynasty, a force named "Yaochi Immortal Palace" suddenly appeared and publicly tested spiritual roots... Grand Elder Yun He of the Feiyun Sect and Third Elder Tie Song of the Qingshan Sect, two Nascent Soul Cultivators, went to provoke them and were wiped out on the spot by a woman in white... One of the Three Great Demon Kings of the Wan Jue Mountain Range, the "Fushan Ape King," personally visited the mountain gates of the Feiyun Sect and the Qingshan Sect, breaking their formations with a single punch and uprooting mountains to throw them, claiming to be an "Elder of the Inspection Hall" of the Yaochi Immortal Palace.
Supreme Emperor Xiao Minghai of the Great Yan Dynasty personally went to Qingyang City and led the entire Dynasty to affiliate with the Yaochi Immortal Palace... And what shook Chu Tianchen's mind the most were the last few lines of the intelligence—
"Former Saintess Gu Luoli appeared in Qingyang City, looking healthy with a steady aura. It is suspected that her dao injury has healed, and her cultivation has recovered to Peak Foundation Establishment..."
"According to observations, golden light faintly appears in her Double Pupils, with an inner spiritual rhythm far superior to the past..."
"Gu Luoli showed the etiquette of a Disciple to that woman in white, calling her 'Vice Palace Master' and referring to the eldest Young Miss of the Liu family, Liu Ruyan, as 'Second Senior Sister'..."
"Inference: Gu Luoli has joined the Yaochi Immortal Palace, and her status is not low..."
Clack!
The Jade Slip slipped from Chu Tianchen's hand and fell onto the spiritual jade floor, making a crisp sound.
The quiet room fell into a dead silence.
Lu Mingyuan lowered his head, not daring to breathe loudly.
He could understand the Sect Master's current shock—
When he first received this intelligence, his reaction had been even more undignified than the Sect Master's.
Chu Tianchen stared blankly at the Jade Slip on the floor as if it were some kind of terrifying beast.
In his mind, a scene from three years ago uncontrollably surfaced—
The Qingyun Holy Land trial team was ambushed, suffering heavy casualties.
When he arrived, he only saw Gu Luoli, covered in blood and at her last breath.
That girl who was once radiant and hailed as the number one Genius of the Holy Land in a thousand years.
Her dao foundation was shattered, her Double Pupils were dimmed, and her cultivation had plummeted from the Golden Core Stage to the Early Foundation Establishment Stage.
He had personally examined her; that dao injury was almost incurable.
Even with the foundation of the Qingyun Holy Land, they could only barely maintain her condition so it wouldn't worsen.
Wanting to heal it? It was as difficult as ascending to heaven!
It was also from that time on that the Saintess, who was once surrounded like the moon by stars, gradually became a "burden" to the Holy Land.
Resources were diverted away, the Elders' attitudes shifted, and fellow Disciples went from awe to sympathy, and finally even to mockery... It wasn't that he hadn't felt regret.
Gu Luoli was someone he had personally brought back years ago.
He had once placed high hopes on those Double Pupils, believing she would lead the Qingyun Holy Land to glory in the future.
But the dao injury was unsolvable; that was a fact.
A Genius with no future lost all value to the Sect.
So when Gu Luoli, disheartened, took the initiative to propose leaving, he remained silent.
There was no attempt to make her stay, nor was there any obstruction.
He thought that this Disciple, who was once his greatest pride, would quietly exhaust her last bit of vitality in some unknown corner and pass away in obscurity.
Just like the countless geniuses in history who had perished prematurely.
But now... "The dao injury has healed... the spiritual rhythm of the Double Pupils far exceeds the past... Peak Foundation Establishment..."
Chu Tianchen murmured to himself, each word like a heavy hammer smashing ruthlessly against his heart.
How is it possible?!
How could such a dao injury be cured in just three short years?
Even if those legendary divine healing medicines were used, it would be absolutely impossible to recover so quickly!
Not to mention, allowing the Double Pupils to regain their vitality and even surpass their former state!
"Yaochi... Immortal Palace..."
Chu Tianchen slowly uttered these four words, a flicker of wariness that even he hadn't noticed flashing in his eyes.
To be able to heal Gu Luoli's dao injury, to subdue a Mahayana Demon King as an Elder, and for a Vice Palace Master to be able to wipe out a Late Nascent Soul Cultivator with a flick of a finger... where on earth did this suddenly emerged force come from?
"Elder Lu."
Chu Tianchen's voice was somewhat dry.
"Is this intelligence... confirmed to be correct?"
Lu Mingyuan hurriedly said:
"Reporting to the Holy Lord, the intelligence has been verified and is basically correct."
"Additionally, regarding the Feiyun Sect and the Qingshan Sect, I have already sent people to secretly contact and confirm."
"Both Sects have now closed their mountain gates, strictly forbidding Disciples from leaving. Their attitude... is extremely panicked."
Chu Tianchen closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
When he opened his eyes again, they had regained their usual steadiness and depth, but the ripple deep within could not be suppressed no matter what.
"Summon all Elders. In one hour, we shall deliberate at the Qingyun Hall."
"Yes!"
Lu Mingyuan took the order and bowed as he withdrew.
Silence returned to the quiet room, but Chu Tianchen's heart could no longer find peace.
He walked to the window, pushed it open, and looked at the mist-shrouded mountains outside the Holy Land.
Three years ago, he had personally given up on Gu Luoli.
It wasn't that he hadn't hesitated, nor was it that he hadn't struggled.
But when several Grand Elders of the Holy Land clearly stated that it was "not worth wasting resources on a useless person," he chose to compromise.
The Lord of a Holy Land might seem infinitely glorious, but in reality, he was as if treading on thin ice.
Every decision concerned the rise and fall of the Sect and involved countless interests.
But now... "If back then, I had stood my ground against all opinions and insisted on keeping her..."
Chu Tianchen whispered to himself, then gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
"There are no ifs."
Even if he were to do it all over again, under the circumstances at that time, he would probably still make the same choice.
Because that injury was indeed incurable by anyone.
At least, in the knowledge of the Qingyun Holy Land, it was incurable.
But now, the Yaochi Immortal Palace had cured it.
Not only did they cure it, they also allowed her to recover her cultivation in a short time, and her Double Pupils were even better than before!
What did this mean?
It meant that the Yaochi Immortal Palace possessed foundations and methods far exceeding those of the Qingyun Holy Land!
It meant that he, Chu Tianchen, had missed out on a Genius!
"Luoli... my good Disciple..."
A complex light flashed in Chu Tianchen's eyes.
"You must really hate your master right now, don't you?"
Hate his coldness, hate the injustice of the Holy Land, and hate those fellow Disciples who kicked her while she was down.
If it were him, he would hate them too.
"Yaochi Immortal Palace..."
He uttered the name again, his tone carrying an unprecedented gravity.
"Where on earth did it come from?"
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