Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

Inside the stone cave, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was so dense that it was almost like condensed mist. The pale blue spiritual energy of the Canglan River and the brilliant golden light intertwined and transformed into a continuous stream of spiritual light, which lingered on the four walls of the stone cave day and night. It was firmly locked inside by an invisible barrier, and not a single bit of it leaked out into the void outside the cliff.

The Taoist Guanhai sat upright on the stone couch, exuding an air of otherworldly grace. His fingertips occasionally flicked out wisps of profound Taoist energy, guiding Lin Yan through the crucial stages of sword cultivation. Lin Yan, single-mindedly focused, diligently cultivated the *Canglan Sword Art* day and night. Pure water spiritual energy surged around him like the rising tides of a vast ocean. The incomparably sharp sword intent of the ocean gradually merged with this spiritual energy. Accompanied by the spirit turtle beside him, which slowly inhaled and exhaled the primordial spiritual energy of the divine beast, continuously nourishing his body, his meridians were repeatedly widened and tempered. His mortal body, under the dual refinement of spiritual energy and sword intent, increasingly approached the realm of a spiritual being.

In just over a month, under the constant protection of Daoist Guanhai, who shielded him from all external interference, Lin Yan's spiritual energy surged dramatically. A vortex of spiritual power around him swept through the spiritual energy of the cave, and with a soft, resonant sound of his meridians opening, his cultivation barrier shattered, and he steadily stepped into the ninth level of Qi Refining. This breakthrough felt effortless, his foundation incredibly solid. His Jianghai Sword Intent was completely contained within his dantian, revealing no sharpness whatsoever. Yet, the strength hidden within him far surpassed that of other cultivators at the same level; even ordinary disciples at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining might not be his match.

"The sect's once-in-a-century grand ceremony for recruiting disciples is approaching; it is time for you to return to the mountain."

The Daoist Guanhai's gaze was distant, seeing through the changing situation within the sect. As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and unleashed a pale golden light that instantly enveloped Lin Yan's entire body, using a great divine power to alter and conceal his cultivation aura. After this series of profound techniques, the spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from Lin Yan's body were completely indistinguishable from those of an ordinary seventh-level Qi Refining disciple. Even a Golden Core cultivator would find it extremely difficult to discern the mystery within with their divine sense.

Lin Yan bowed to bid farewell to his master, and the Canglan Spirit Sword beneath his feet was unsheathed, transforming into a streak of azure light that carried him up the steep cliff face, straight back to the top of the cliff where he had accidentally fallen.

The mountain wind whistled, fluttering his robes. Looking up, he saw a familiar figure standing amidst the clouds at the edge of the cliff. The woman stood on her sword, her spiritual energy flowing smoothly around her. Her swordsmanship was already highly skilled and effortless. Who else could it be but Yun Xi?

After Lin Yan fell off the cliff, Yun Xi suppressed her grief and returned to Laoshan to cultivate diligently. She transformed her deep sorrow into motivation, refining her sword intent and honing her sword control techniques day and night, severing the demons of grief in her heart, making her sword heart increasingly clear, and her cultivation steadily stabilized at the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining. Since then, whenever she had free time, she would ride her sword to this place, gazing at the bottom of the abyss in search of the truth, rain or shine, without ever stopping.

The sword-shaped black jade in her bosom suddenly shimmered with a faint light, resonating with the aura of the Sea-Viewing Inkstone on Lin Yan's body. Yun Xi's heart jolted, and she abruptly looked up, only to meet those eyes that she had longed for day and night.

Their eyes met, and a thousand words were choked in their throats.

The usually aloof and decisive swordsman trembled slightly at this moment, his eyes instantly reddening, his voice choked with disbelief: "Lin Yan..."

Looking at the weariness and determination in her eyes, Lin Yan felt a mix of warmth and sorrow in his heart. He stepped forward and gently supported her swaying shoulders, saying softly, "I'm back. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

With those words, Yunxi could no longer contain herself. She rushed forward and embraced him tightly, tears silently soaking her clothes, pouring out all the fear, longing, and torment of the past few months. Lin Yan gently patted her back, his fingertips softly wiping away the tears on her cheeks. His restrained, pure spiritual energy slowly enveloped her, soothing her turbulent emotions. The mountain wind swirled the clouds, and the two inkstones resonated, a soft spiritual light enveloping their embracing figures, a scene of tender reunion after a long separation.

Once their emotions had calmed down, the two rode their swords side by side, and two streaks of light, one blue and one shimmering, pierced the sky and headed straight for the gate of Laoshan Mountain.

At this moment, the centennial disciple recruitment ceremony was about to begin, and the outer gate square was teeming with people and filled with spiritual energy. The instant the two sword lights landed and Lin Yan and Yun Xi appeared side by side, the entire place fell silent, and then a tremendous uproar erupted.

"It's Lin Yan! Didn't he fall off a cliff and die?!"

"The outer sect core disciple who had been missing for several days has actually returned alive!"

A chorus of voices swept across the area, and all eyes were focused on Lin Yan. The prodigy who had once risked his life to protect his fellow disciples at the Mo Shan Pass, only to be ambushed and fall off a cliff, had returned, instantly igniting a frenzy throughout the outer sect.

Ye Qing, holding an ancient wooden sword, a hint of relief flashed in his deep eyes; Yi Azhu rushed over and bumped into Lin Yan's arms, her eyes red-rimmed, crying with joy, softly calling, "Brother..."; Chen Dagang, clutching his heavy axe, was overjoyed, his eyes glistening with tears, and strode towards the two. The reunion of companions, filled with the warmth of a long-awaited reunion, dispelled the gloom of the past few days.

On the high platform, True Person Qingxuan and True Person Danxuan looked at each other and nodded, their faces showing satisfaction; Elder Songyue and Elder Minglang's eyes flickered slightly, concealing deep meaning; Elder Tiesu's dignified face showed slight surprise, knowing that the Discipline Hall would surely be in turmoil again.

On one side of the crowd, Elder Hailan's face darkened, her hands clenched tightly beneath her sleeves, her eyes swirling with a sinister glint, filled with panic and ruthlessness. Su Chen stood beside her, his face ashen, his heart filled with a mixture of jealousy and fear. He never expected that Lin Yan could escape death from the precipice. Once the investigation began, the conspiracy would be hard to hide.

The surrounding disciples were incessantly discussing, and various factions were stirring with their own thoughts. The originally solemnly prepared recruitment ceremony was suddenly disrupted by the return of Lin Yan.

Unable to suppress the fear and resentment in his heart, Su Chen immediately stepped forward, feigning surprise as he raised his voice, his tone deliberately deliberately difficult: "Lin Yan! When you fell off the cliff and disappeared, everyone in the sect thought you had met with certain death. How have you managed to survive until now? Where have you been hiding all this time? Could it be that you deserted in the face of battle, afraid to face the sect's punishment?"

Upon hearing this, the square instantly fell silent, and everyone's gaze shifted as they all turned to look at Lin Yan.

Lin Yan remained calm, raising his eyes to look at Su Chen. His deep eyes were expressionless, yet carried an imposing aura of authority. He spoke slowly, his clear voice echoing throughout the surroundings: "Senior Brother Su does care about me, but whether I live or die, or where I'm hiding, seems to be none of your business. But you, who were so eager to kill me at the Mo Shan Pass, are you surprised to see me return alive?"

A single, casual remark struck at the heart of the matter. Su Chen's face instantly turned deathly pale, and he hurriedly retorted, "You're talking nonsense! How could I have harmed you! I was just asking casually, don't you dare make false accusations!"

"Whether it's slander or not, the future will tell." Lin Yan's eyes turned slightly cold, and a trace of his restrained Jianghai sword intent was faintly revealed. Although it was only fleeting, it made Su Chen's whole body stiffen, as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and he subconsciously took a step back.

Seeing this, Elder Hailan immediately rebuked him in a deep voice, intending to protect Su Chen while also warning Lin Yan: "Outrageous! With the grand ceremony underway, do not speak nonsense and sow discord! Lin Yan, now that you have returned safely, behave yourself and observe the ceremony. If you dare to cause trouble again, the Discipline Hall will not let you off lightly!"

Lin Yan looked up at Elder Hailan on the high platform, a faint sneer curling at the corner of his lips. He didn't say much, but the certainty and sharpness in his eyes made his attitude clear—he had already seen through their conspiracy, and this time he had returned to seek justice.

Seeing this, the surrounding disciples whispered among themselves, their gazes towards Elder Hailan and Su Chen filled with suspicion, making the atmosphere in the arena even more tense.

Lin Yan stood in the center of the square, his aura restrained. He seemed to be just an ordinary disciple at the seventh level of Qi Refining, but in his deep eyes, the Jianghai Sword Intent was already dormant, hiding the composure and sharpness after experiencing life and death.

At this moment, the gates of Laoshan Mountain were wide open, with immortal clouds swirling among the mountains. The bells and drums of the sects rang out in unison, their sounds echoing throughout the mountains. All the sects and factions had come to the appointment, including not only famous immortal cultivation sects from the inland areas, but also cultivators from sects they had previously encountered in the secret realm of the sea. Boats and swords flew in an endless stream, and spiritual light crisscrossed in the air. The centennial ceremony was an unprecedented spectacle.

The grand ceremony was held on a high platform with strict rules and clear distinctions of rank:

The sect leader of Laoshan sat in the main seat, overseeing the entire situation and exuding an aura that shook the entire audience.

On the left, at the head of the table, Daoist Guanhai, along with all the elders and genius disciples of the inner sect, were present. Several Nascent Soul level True Persons sat in rows, responsible for supervising the ceremony, adjudicating disputes among cultivators, and deterring visitors from outside the realm. Their status was extremely esteemed.

On the right side, at the head of the table, the Grand Elder Wudao and the seven outer sect elders took their seats, followed by distinguished guests from various sects and elders, all waiting for the ceremony to begin.

The ceremony will be jointly presided over by the outer sect masters Qingxuan and Danxuan. The two will stand in front of the stage and will read out the rules of the ceremony, introduce the guests from all sides, and arrange the disciples' assessment.

Below the square, disciples from various sects lined up on both sides, quietly observing the ceremony, their eyes all fixed on the high platform and the center of the square, waiting for this once-in-a-century event in Laoshan to officially begin.