I'll make you the furnace and the cauldron, so you can refine Yin and Yang and prove the Great

The Elders' Hall was once again filled with members.

"The flying boat has passed the mountain gate checkpoint and will arrive at the plaza in no more than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn." The Fourth Elder put down the communication jade talisman, his expression complex. "Everyone—to go, or not to go?"

A moment of silence fell over the hall.

"I'm not going," the Ninth Elder was the first to speak, his face ashen. "Let her go and show off. What right do I, a dignified elder, have to go and welcome her?"

"What Ninth Elder said... makes some sense." The Third Elder pondered, "She is now at the Dao Integration stage, while we are at the Void Refinement stage. If we go, we'll be inferior; if we don't go, then..."

"What now?" The Sixth Elder frowned. "Fine, we won't go. What can she do to us?"

What can she do?

The Fifth Elder chuckled.

She glanced sideways at the elders filling the hall and slowly began to speak:

"Everyone here is a cultivator at the Void Refinement stage, having cultivated for hundreds or even thousands of years."

"You won't even give the sect leader this much face?"

"In the mortal world, when a new official takes office, his subordinates at least know to come and offer their congratulations. But what about us? Our sect leader returns to the monastery with the prestige of a Dao-Merging expert, and you all cower in the hall like timid turtles?"

She stood up and dusted off her sleeves.

"If word gets out, people won't say you all have backbone."

"All they do is talk—the elders of the Hehuan Sect are not even as good as mortals; at least mortals know etiquette."

After saying that, she ignored everyone and walked straight out.

As they approached the palace entrance, another figure followed.

Seventh Elder.

The female elder, dressed in a plain-colored long dress, was taciturn and rarely made a presence out of the ordinary. She nodded slightly to the Fifth Elder, and the two walked out side by side.

Once outside the Elders' Hall, the Seventh Elder spoke in a low voice, "Fifth Sister, haven't we taken this step too quickly?"

"Quickly?" The Fifth Elder continued walking, a smile playing on his lips. "Seventh Brother, remember one thing—when it comes to choosing sides, it's better to be early than late."

"If we're too late, we'll end up like those people in the hall earlier."

The Seventh Elder seemed to be deep in thought and did not ask any further questions.

Inside the hall, the remaining people all looked extremely grim.

The Fourth Elder looked around and lowered his voice, "How about... we go with the flow? If the First Elder goes, we'll go too; if the First Elder doesn't go, we'll have a way out."

No one responded.

But no one objected.

To go or not to go?

I went, and my face hurt.

Not going—what if they hold a grudge? That person is now a Dao Integration cultivator. Does a Dao Integration cultivator need a reason to deal with a Void Refinement Elder?

All eyes were on the person in the main seat.

The First Elder, Nie Hongyuan, slowly opened his eyes.

He remained silent for a long time before finally standing up.

"Let's go."

Two words, and the decision is final.

The "Let's go" was spoken calmly.

But all the elders in the hall understood the weight of this statement—once the Grand Elder took this step, from now on, the elders would have to bow their heads; that was the settled matter.

Some felt aggrieved, while others felt relieved.

But not a single person dared to stand up and say "no".

The elders felt as if they had been granted a pardon, yet their expressions were complex as they followed the Grand Elder out of the Elders' Hall.

-

The mountain gate square was packed with people.

The arrival of the elders caused a stir in the square.

"They're here! The elders are all here!"

"Shh—keep your voice down. The Ninth Elder looks terrible..."

The Ninth Elder walked at the back of the crowd, his head turned to one side, looking at the sky and the ground, but not at the center of the square.

On the plaza, everyone's eyes were fixed on the flying boat in mid-air.

coming.

The airship slowly came to a stop above the square.

The hatch opened.

A figure stepped out of the cabin and in one step, arrived above the plaza.

The world suddenly brightened.

The clouds dispersed silently, and the vast expanse of sunlight descended, falling upon the dark cloak—as if the entire world was welcoming its master.

He wore a dark cloak and had long, ink-black hair.

She didn't deliberately release any pressure, but just by standing casually in mid-air, the entire world seemed to quiet down, with her at its center.

The wind stopped.

The clouds have stopped.

On the plaza, tens of thousands of disciples, a sea of ​​black, all looked up at that figure.

Then, someone knelt down first, though it's unclear who it was.

"Welcome, Sect Leader!!"

The roar was deafening, the sound waves soaring to the heavens.

"Welcome, Sect Leader! Welcome, Sect Leader! Welcome, Sect Leader!"

One sound after another, wave after wave, shook the entire mountain gate, making it buzz.

The sect leader lowered his eyes, looking at the dark mass of people at his feet, at those fervent, awe-inspiring, and proud faces.

Once upon a time, she too came from among these people.

She raised her hand.

With just one move, the roaring crowd instantly ceased, and the entire arena was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"I have returned."

Four words, neither too light nor too heavy, yet clearly reached everyone's ears.

"During my absence, I entrust the affairs of the sect to the elders and peak masters."

"From this day forward, the heavens of the demonic path have changed."

"With the Dao-Merging Master overseeing our Hehuan Sect—from this day forward, the demonic forces of the Central Continent will revere us."

"I know that our sect has been subservient to others for many years, and has felt stifled for a long time."

"From today onwards, you no longer need to feel stifled."

"As long as I am here, the sky over the Hehuan Sect will not fall."

Calm words, domineering content.

If someone had said this before yesterday, it would have been considered mere arrogance.

But today, the figure standing in mid-air is a true Dao-Merging Great Power.

The square was first deathly silent, then erupted with a sound ten times more intense than before!

"The sect leader is mighty!!"

"Long live the Hehuan Sect!!"

The disciples roared and celebrated wildly, countless faces flushed with excitement. With a Dao-Merging expert in charge, it meant that from now on, the disciples of the Joyful Union Sect could roam freely in the Central Continent; it meant that resources, status, and future prospects would all rise dramatically!

Ye Shuanghua stood at the front of the crowd, looking up at the figure in mid-air, a hint of burning light appearing in her usually cold eyes.

Among the crowd were elderly disciples who had been members of the sect for hundreds of years, some of whom were so moved that tears streamed down their faces.

They were suppressed by the Heavenly Demon Sect for hundreds of years, and by the Yin Spring Sect for hundreds of years.

Today, it's finally the Hehuan Sect's turn to hold their heads high.