My little sect, which disappeared a thousand years ago, has become a sacred site!

The moment Bai Ling'er appeared, her gaze shot towards the summit of the Ascension Platform like lightning.

She was also filled with astonishment and curiosity. Reaching the top of the hundred steps meant that this person's talent, potential, and will had reached a height that even she could hardly imagine.

Perhaps, as a result, a peerless figure surpassing the ten of them will emerge from the Holy Land in the future.

She had to confirm for herself who this person truly was, what his character was, and whether he was a blessing or a curse to the Holy Land.

However, when her gaze finally pierced through the swirling clouds and rosy light, and clearly landed on the face of the dark-clad figure at the summit—

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

Bai Ling'er's exquisite eyes, capable of discerning illusions and seeing through people's hearts, suddenly widened!

Deep within her pupils, reflected was a face etched into her soul, a face she had longed for for a full 1,100 years, a face she had never dared to forget for a single day!

Familiar eyes and brows, familiar features, a familiar, slightly languid smile...

impossible!

How is this possible?!

Master...Didn't Master mysteriously disappear a thousand years ago?

They searched the entire Nine Heavens Realm, even venturing into ancient ruins and spatial crevices, but to no avail.

But...but the person in front of me...

That smile, those eyes, that aura... there's no mistake!

Even after a thousand years, even though his aura seems to have become more profound, vast, and unfathomable.

But that familiar feeling that came from the depths of her soul, that feeling that belonged only to her master and made her feel incredibly safe and close... it couldn't be wrong!

"Master...Master..."

A murmur, so low that only she could hear it, escaped uncontrollably from Bai Ling'er's trembling lips.

The voice was very soft, trembling with disbelief, a mixture of the bittersweet joy of a thousand years of longing suddenly erupting, and a hint of fear that it was all just a beautiful dream.

But before Gu Changyuan's divine sense, which transcended the perception of this realm, the whisper was as clear as if it were ringing in her ear.

Seeing Bai Ling'er momentarily lost in thought, her eyes quickly reddening, and her body trembling slightly, he nodded slightly, his smile deepening.

Upon receiving confirmation, Bai Ling'er felt an indescribable surge of complex emotions—a mixture of extreme joy, endless grievance, and the realization of a long wait finally being answered—that instantly shattered the calm and dignified facade she had carefully maintained for a thousand years as the ancestor of the sacred land.

She wanted to rush over immediately, throw herself into her master's arms like she did when she was a child, and cry out loud, pouring out all the worries, longings, grievances, and countless words she had wanted to say over the past thousand years.

She wanted to tell her master how much they missed him!

I want to tell him how the Holy Land has come to this point step by step over the years!

I want to tell him how hard my senior sister works!

I want to tell him how hard his juniors are working!

But... no.

She is the third ancestor of the Celestial Holy Land, a figure revered by millions of disciples, and one of the face and pillars of the Holy Land.

At this moment, tens of thousands of eyes were watching from below, and countless cultivators from other forces were present.

She cannot lose her composure, nor can she reveal any emotions that might affect the dignity of the holy site or allow others to glimpse her inner weakness.

She bit her lower lip hard, trying to hold back the tears that were about to spill from her eyes. Her nails dug deep into her palms, and she used all her strength to barely maintain a calm facade.

But her slightly trembling shoulders and her instantly moist eyes betrayed the turmoil raging within her.

Gu Changyuan saw all her struggles and restraint, and felt both moved and heartbroken.

He knew this wasn't the place to talk.

Gu Changyuan slowly turned around, facing the hundreds of thousands of gazes below, some shocked, some in awe, and some fanatical.

His voice was calm and clear, not loud, yet it seemed to possess a strange penetrating power, instantly suppressing all the noise and discussion, and clearly reaching the ears of everyone present:

"Welcome everyone to the Celestial Sacred Land."

The moment the words fell, a surge of spiritual energy enveloped Gu Xing'er beside him and Dugu Shiling on the ninety steps.

The next second, the four figures vanished into thin air before everyone's eyes.

The square erupted in uproar once again.

This time, however, the uproar was less about shock and more about endless speculation and discussion.

......

Tianyuan Mountain, the highest peak.

A quiet and elegant courtyard sits peacefully here.

The courtyard is small, with a few bamboo huts, a stone table, a few ancient pines, and a clear spring. It is simple yet exudes the charm of the ultimate simplicity.

This is exactly the style of Gu Changyuan's residence when he was in the Celestial Human Sect in the Nine Heavens Realm.

Clearly, after his disappearance, Ye Qingxue and others moved and rebuilt him here exactly as he was, and have been carefully maintaining it as the highest-level forbidden area and spiritual symbol of the holy land.

Four figures appeared silently in the open space in the center of the courtyard.

Gu Xing'er obediently hid behind Gu Changyuan, blinking her big eyes curiously as she looked around at the unfamiliar yet comfortable environment.

Dugu Shiling was just on the ninety steps of the Ascension Platform when she suddenly found herself in this fairyland-like place, with the three ancestors of the Holy Land and the mysterious senior who had reached the top standing before her. Her mind went blank, and she could only instinctively remain silent.

Standing in front of Gu Changyuan was Bai Ling'er, whose eyes were still red.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, his voice gentler than usual:

"Ling'er, I..."

Before the words were even finished, the purple figure seemed to have finally snapped its last string.

"Master—!!!"

A cry, tinged with sobs and seemingly suppressed for a thousand years, suddenly erupted.

Bai Ling'er could no longer restrain herself. Like a child who had been lost for a thousand years finally finding her way home, she used all her strength to throw herself into Gu Changyuan's arms.

She wrapped her arms tightly around Gu Changyuan's waist, buried her face deep in his chest, and the tears she had suppressed for so long suddenly burst forth.

She cried uncontrollably, her tears quickly soaking the front of Gu Changyuan's clothes.

In those cries, there was the ecstatic joy of something lost and found, the grievance of waiting for a thousand years, and the fear buried deep in the heart.

She was afraid that her master was really gone. In the past, no matter how far away her master went, he would come back to visit once a year.

However, a thousand years ago, the master suddenly disappeared, and the master's disciples on the Heavenly Demon Pavilion and the Heavenly Demon Sect could not make any contact with him.

At first, they were extremely worried, worried that something had happened to their master and that he would never be able to come back.

But they still remembered their master's words: as long as they could build the sect well and make it flourish, he would be fine.

Thus, the ten founding disciples of the Celestial Human Sect, following the rules and resources left by their master, began to focus more intently on developing the sect.

For thousands of years, they have never stopped searching, but they have still found nothing.