He began his journey to becoming a true immortal by causing others to fail their tribulations.

The middle-aged man in the pavilion had a refined and scholarly air about him; one might mistake him for a schoolteacher.

But only those who know him truly understand just how terrifying this middle-aged man's strength is.

And he is none other than Zhang Wenxuan, the current sect leader of the Misty Sect.

Chu Yingyao bowed respectfully and said, "Sect Master, the arrangements have been made according to your instructions."

With a gentle lift of his hand, a cup of warm tea floated to Chu Yingyao's side. Zhang Wenxuan smiled and said:

"Thank you for your hard work. This is Enlightenment Tea, which just arrived today. It should be helpful to you."

Upon hearing that it was Enlightenment Tea, Chu Yingyao didn't stand on ceremony. After thanking him, she took the teacup and drank it all in one gulp.

As the tea went down her throat, her eyes seemed to sparkle with countless stars.

Seeing this, Zhang Wenxuan nodded and then said, "Go into seclusion! There shouldn't be anything happening recently."

"Yes, Sect Master."

Chu Yingyao originally wanted to ask Zhang Wenxuan about his attitude towards Xun Yan, but it was now clear that Zhang Wenxuan did not want to say anything more.

So naturally, she wouldn't press the issue to find out more.

Becoming a vice sect leader requires more than just strength.

Besides, she has now gained some insights, so Xun Yan's matter has become less important.

A moment after Chu Yingyao teleported away, another beautiful figure appeared in the pavilion; it was Jiang Wangshuang.

She simply nodded slightly to Zhang Wenxuan and then sat down on the stone chair opposite him.

Zhang Wenxuan quickly brewed the tea and personally placed it in front of Jiang Wangshuang.

After taking a sip of the Enlightenment Tea, Jiang Wangshuang said softly, "It's good tea, but its effects are getting weaker and weaker, and it's not very useful for us anymore."

"Yes! I thought the weakening of the Enlightenment Tea's effects was just due to some problem in the Fuyou Secret Realm, but now it seems that there might be problems in all the secret realms."

As Zhang Wenxuan spoke, a gust of wind swept through the pavilion.

When the strong wind subsided, a person was already sitting on another stone chair; it was Qin Lingxiao.

Seeing that Zhang Wenxuan was also going to make her tea, Qin Lingxiao raised her hand to stop him, saying, "I won't drink your tea, it's not good. My wine is much stronger."

After saying this, Qin Lingxiao took a large gulp from the gourd at his waist, then laughed heartily, "That was refreshing!"

Ignoring Qin Lingxiao, Jiang Wangshuang spoke:

"The only way to deal with the mystery is to explore it more and gather more information in advance, so that when an unexpected event occurs, it will be easier to deal with it."

"Senior Sister Jiang is right," Zhang Wenxuan agreed.

Qin Lingxiao, who was standing to the side, asked:

"By the way, your reward for Xun Yan was quite good. It's clear that you think highly of Xun Yan. So why don't you just take him on as your personal disciple?"

Could my recommendation be wrong?

Zhang Wenxuan quickly replied, "Senior Sister Qin, the person you recommended certainly has exceptional abilities, but as the head of a sect..."

Any important decision will have a significant impact, not only causing ripples within the sect but also affecting its reputation outside.

Taking on a personal disciple is a major undertaking, and I must be cautious. In any case, Xun Yan is already within the sect, so there's plenty of time to observe him.

Jiang Wangshuang chimed in, "That's right. Besides, becoming a sect leader's personal disciple requires rigorous training."

Another point is that if Xun Yan can maintain his current mindset and style of conduct, and as he gradually rises through the ranks from the outer sect...

His reputation will be even higher, and more people will respect him. Then, recruiting him as the sect leader's personal disciple will be much more effective.

Qin Lingxiao clicked his tongue and said, "You two are just too roundabout. The two of you together have over eight hundred tricks up your sleeves."

"If my path were more suitable for him, I would have taken him as my personal disciple long ago."

After saying this, Qin Lingxiao took another sip of wine and then stopped talking about Xun Yan.

Inside the cabin.

Xun Yan opened his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. After some adjustment, his condition had almost recovered.

The door slowly opened, and Lu Ge walked in, looking a bit travel-worn.

Seeing that Lu Ge was unharmed, Xun Yan breathed a slight sigh of relief and asked, "You went to the Thunderous Secret Realm too?"

Lu Ge waved his hand and said, "No, I went out on a mission with a few fellow disciples early this morning. By the time we got the news, we were already quite a distance from the sect."

If we had rushed back then, we definitely wouldn't have been able to be among the first to enter the Thunderous Realm, so we simply finished the mission before rushing back.

I was planning to go in as part of the second batch, but the Thunderous Secret Realm was temporarily closed, so I made a wasted trip.

After sitting down in the chair, Lu Ge poured himself a glass of water and drank it all in one gulp.

Xun Yan nodded and said, "It's good. The danger in the Thunderous Secret Realm this time far exceeded expectations. Many fellow disciples died inside."

If I hadn't been lucky and fast, I probably wouldn't have made it back.

Upon hearing Xun Yan's words, Lu Ge looked shocked. "Was it really that dangerous? I'm glad I didn't go in."

Otherwise, with my strength and luck, my fate probably wouldn't have been much better. But thinking about not getting the sect's reward still makes me a little depressed.

Xun Yan smiled. It was only natural for Lu Ge to have such thoughts.

He took out a Qi-Nourishing Pill from his storage bag and tossed it over, saying, "Keep this pill. I haven't properly thanked you for speaking up for me before!"

Sensing the rich fragrance of the Qi-Nourishing Pill, Lu Ge quickly stood up and said, "Brother Yan, I was just telling the truth. How could I accept something so valuable from you?"

Xun Yan shook his head and said, "It's alright, it's not anything too valuable, just accept it!"

Sensing the determination in Xun Yan's tone, Lu Ge hesitated for a moment before carefully putting away the Qi-Nourishing Pill.

For him, such an effective pill could very well save his life at a critical moment.

"Brother Yan, I won't say more. I will remember your kindness. If you ever need anything in the future, just say the word. I will go through fire and water for you."

Lu Ge patted his chest forcefully.

"Okay. If anything comes up, I won't hold back."

Just as they were talking, another person walked in; it was the outer sect elder.

"Elder," both of them said after bowing.

The outer sect elder nodded with a smile, then said, "Xun Yan, the sect's reward for you has been announced."

After saying this, he handed Xun Yan a storage bag containing pills, talismans, and other items that Xun Yan could currently use.

After receiving the storage bag, Xun Yan bowed again and said, "Thank you, Elder. You've gone to a lot of trouble to make this trip."

The outer sect elder remained as kind and approachable as ever:

"Besides these, there is one more thing that will be given to you at the commendation ceremony. Be prepared, as you may have to say a few words in front of many outer disciples."

Hearing that there would not only be a reward, but also a special meeting for him, not only Lu Ge, but even Xun Yan himself was a little surprised.