When I woke up, the entire cultivation world was talking about my master.

His tall stature blocked out most of the light, leaving Chu Xianlan completely shrouded in shadow.

In the blink of an eye, a hand was quietly extended in front of me.

The fingers are long and strong, like jade and snow, with faint blue veins that appear as if crafted by nature, yet not without flaws. Numerous ugly scars of varying depths cover the knuckles and back of the hand, appearing grotesque and glaring, yet possessing a strange beauty that creates a strong visual impact.

It was very familiar to him.

Chu Xianlan stared blankly into the distance.

"...Master?"

The person's snow-white hair flowed down like moonlight, their features were exquisite and deep, with a high nose and thin lips, and an ice-blue spiritual pattern between their brows. Their snow-white cloak moved slightly with their movements, vaguely revealing a dark gray waist belt underneath, exuding nobility and elegance.

With such an air of composure, even a passing deity would probably exclaim in admiration: "Tsk tsk, if he doesn't cultivate immortality, who will? He should pack up and ascend to heaven!"

"Um."

Yi Chen lowered his eyes and looked at his disciple, responding to him.

When their eyes meet, their deep gray pupils seem bottomless. Being looked down at from above creates a sense of oppression, like being stared at by a cold-blooded animal, and inexplicably stirs up a few palpitations.

The people in the hall gradually came to their senses, their eyes filled with shock, yet they dared not look directly at that snow-white figure. They could only look at each other, their hands and feet awkwardly unsure of what to do.

"That person is..."

"That's right."

"But... why did that person suddenly appear? Could it be to stand up for Senior Brother Chu?"

"Hush, be careful what you say."

That must be a coincidence. Could it be that this seemingly harmless lash could actually alarm Immortal Lord Jixue?

Moreover, the word "stepping forward" seems too inappropriate when applied to Yi Chen.

Yi Chen had been in seclusion for five years, while the Taiyi Sect routinely recruited a new batch of disciples every three years. Most people had only heard of him but never seen him. Even if they knew that Chu Xianlan was his only direct disciple, for many, "Jixue Immortal Lord" was still an unattainable legend.

Furthermore, Yi Chen rarely leaves the Taiyi Sect, so the outside world knows very little about him, which adds to his mystique and makes people curious about the level of strength that this Immortal Lord Jixue has reached.

It is said that his cultivation has reached the Nascent Soul stage, and he has a more well-known name in the cultivation world, known as—

An immortal descended from the mortal realm.

Chu Xianlan had already regained consciousness. He naturally saw the hand that Dao Yichen offered, but he did not take it. Instead, he took a step back.

Without hesitation, he knelt down on one knee.

"Disciple respectfully welcomes Master upon his return from seclusion!"

He knelt down with a thud, his resounding and powerful voice infecting the other disciples in the hall, who were also swept up in a surge of inexplicable excitement, and a large number of them knelt down as well.

What should have been a denunciation meeting turned into a welcome party.

"Welcome back, Immortal Lord Jixue, from your seclusion!!"

Never mind that, this is a living, breathing immortal lord!

The atmosphere needs to be right.

Amidst the sparse worship, Yi Chen kept his eyes fixed on Chu Xianlan, a faint look of bewilderment flashing in his eyes, as if he were puzzled. In the end, he withdrew his hand without making a sound.

Get up.

"Thank you, Master."

Chu Xianlan's heart pounded, completely oblivious to Yi Chen's momentary strangeness, and she quickly stood up amidst the fluttering of her clothes.

Before the excitement had even subsided, frustration welled up inside.

The Master's emergence from seclusion this time was completely unexpected, which may indeed be related to his trespassing into the forbidden area.

It seems the elder was right after all. He had rashly intruded and disturbed his master's secluded cultivation. They hadn't seen each other for five years, yet they had to reunite in this godforsaken place, the Discipline Hall. Alas, the timing was against them, the location was unfavorable, and they were not on good terms.

...Does Master think that he has made no progress and only causes trouble?

"Ahem," the Discipline Elder held the Spirit Whip, unsure whether to take it or put it down, so he simply thrust it in front of Yi Chen. "Your disciple, why don't you hit him yourself?"

If you don't need others to discipline you, then it means you want to discipline them yourself.

"..." Xiao Huandu, who was initially a little touched, almost choked up when he heard this.

The old man's emotional intelligence is probably higher than mine.

Xiao Huandu was utterly amazed, wondering how the Discipline Elder had managed to rise to such a position.

While the master and his disciples are reunited, you're jumping around like that, trying to provoke anyone!

Chu Xianlan felt a chill run down her spine. Remembering that she was half a "guilty person," she dared not look up at her master's expression and instead drew circles on the ground with her eyes.

The elder over there was still babbling on: "Look, it's quite easy to use."

Yi Chen's gaze swept over, devoid of any emotion, yet seemingly carrying an invisible weight. The Discipline Elder felt a chill run down his spine, momentarily unable to discern who had struck him and who he had struck.

Then Yi Chen said in a low voice, "Return to Yujing Pavilion."

The voice was soft, yet cold.

A cold wind swept by, and the two figures were no longer visible inside the hall.

—The hall was completely silent.

The rest of the people were all turning around to steal glances at the elder's expression.

The elder of discipline also looked back, only to find that there was no one behind him.

So, having no other choice, the old man, his face ashen, angrily flung his sleeves and shouted, "Get out! Get out of here!"

I didn't check the almanac before going out today, and all I encountered were emperors.

-

The wind whistled past their ears, and in the blink of an eye, the two had landed in front of the Jade Capital Pavilion.

The Taiyi Sect is located at the center of the spiritual vein and has four pavilions and six halls. The Yujing Pavilion is located on the most remote and highest mountain peak, at the top of the Taiyi Sect. It is like winter all year round, with clouds rolling overhead and a bottomless abyss below.

Compared to the other peaks within the sect, the Jade Capital Pavilion appears much more desolate, with its courtyard consisting of white walls and gray tiles.

At first, there was only a simple courtyard for Yi Chen to live in, and a cold pool halfway up the mountain. There were not many flowers, trees, or pavilions to decorate it. Later, when Chu Xianlan came to this mountain, another small courtyard was built, and cultivation facilities such as a spiritual platform, a small academy, a sword practice platform, and a cold pool were gradually added.

Each peak of the Taiyi Sect has disciples specifically responsible for cleaning and tidying up, but perhaps because Yi Chen dislikes large crowds, only the Jade Capital Pavilion lacks such disciples.

Chu Xianlan became Yi Chen's disciple at the age of seven and has a thorough understanding of every plant and tree here.

"Master, I take good care of this courtyard. It looks pretty good, doesn't it?"

Chu Xianlan tried her best to salvage her image as one of the top ten disciples, working diligently like a watchdog. Just as she was about to turn around and make tea for her master, she heard Yi Chen say from behind, "No need."

Chu Xianlan paused, a strange tension rising in her heart. She wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt that her master's tone... was not very happy.

I sighed inwardly. Sure enough, what was bound to happen had happened.

"come over."

The boy obediently put down his teacup and stood still.

There were no outsiders in Yujing Pavilion at the moment, and the two remained silent. In fact, Yi Chen did not feel much when they looked at each other just now, but only now did he carefully examine his disciple whom he had not seen for many years.

The young man, dressed in a white and gold robe, was fluttering in the breeze. He was full of vigor and his slender waist was perfectly outlined. His black hair was half tied up and held high with a gold crown, with the ends hanging down his back. His face was clear and bright, and he was full of heroic spirit. His eyes were as beautiful as a lake.

"Master, I was wrong..."

"Chu Li," Yi Chen said calmly, "why did you kneel just now?"

His voice was calm and even, as if he were accusing someone, yet it was filled with a silent pressure.