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

Bai Ling'er's words, seemingly a simple statement that she also had no Daoist partner, actually contained a feeling she had never spoken but did not need to express—they were all waiting, waiting for their master to return.

Before that, romantic love and spiritual companionship were not the primary concerns for them.

Although the Celestial Sacred Land was supported by ten founding disciples, there is actually a subtle difference between the first five and the last five.

Those were the first five disciples, children whom Gu Changyuan had personally raised.

More than a thousand years ago, when Gu Changyuan first arrived in this world, he had nothing. How easy was it to get people to join a so-called "sect" that was unknown and even dilapidated?

His primary target was children.

Ideally, these should be children who are homeless, abandoned by their families, or displaced.

To put it nicely, they are young, their minds are not yet settled, and they are highly malleable, making it easier to cultivate loyalty and a sense of belonging from a young age.

To put it bluntly... kids are easy to fool.

At that time, Ye Qingxue, Lin Jingyu, Bai Ling'er, Yue Lingxi, and Xiao Yi were exactly the five people who met Gu Changyuan's requirements.

Ye Qingxue was a little beggar struggling at the bottom of society, barely able to get enough to eat, and experienced the harsh realities of life at a young age.

Lin Jingyu was born into an ordinary family. His amazing talent in swordsmanship attracted the covetousness of a small local immortal cultivation sect, which led to the massacre of his entire family. He was seriously injured and on the verge of death, but was saved by Gu Changyuan.

Bai Ling'er was born with a keen Dao heart and could vaguely perceive the truth or falsehood of people's hearts. Because she spoke some "truths" without restraint when she was young, and her family did not recognize her extraordinary talent, she was neglected and disliked. Gu Changyuan appeared and took her away.

Yue Lingxi was born with a special soul body that unconsciously emitted fluctuations that affected the emotions and spirits of those around her. Her family regarded her as an omen of bad luck and she was abandoned in the wilderness. It was only when Gu Changyuan appeared that he rescued her from the jaws of wild beasts.

Xiao Yi came from a small family of alchemists, which was wiped out by evil cultivators. He was on the verge of death when he unexpectedly awakened and unleashed his last bit of power before being left barely alive. He was also taken in by Gu Changyuan.

At that time, the five of them were still young children. It was Gu Changyuan's appearance that gave them a place they could call "home".

They gave them food, clothing, and shelter, but more importantly, they gave them hope, inheritance, and unreserved teaching and care.

This bond of gratitude and connection—a bond that extends a helping hand in times of dire straits—is deeply etched in their hearts.

The five disciples that followed were found by Gu Changyuan after the sect began to show some promise.

They were generally older than the first five when they joined the sect, but because of the order in which they joined, they still respectfully addressed Ye Qingxue and the other three as senior brothers and sisters.

Although Gu Changyuan taught them with the same care and dedication, the emotional bond he formed with them was ultimately slightly different from the bond he had forged in the past when they were young and dependent on each other and raised by his own hands.

Gu Changyuan didn't say anything more after hearing Bai Ling'er's answer.

Love between parents and children, and marriage between spiritual partners, are all matters of personal destiny and cannot be forced.

As his master, he would only respect his disciples' choices. Even if they chose to live a solitary life, focusing solely on the Great Dao, so what?

He could certainly support and protect Gu Changyuan's apprentice.

......

An hour later, Gu Changyuan scanned the council hall with his divine sense. After confirming that all the elders' auras were stable and the refining process was going smoothly, he did not linger.

The fusion of the Supreme Bone will take at least a few days, and even with Gu Changyuan's array, it will still take at least nine hours.

As long as nothing goes wrong at the beginning, the rest will proceed smoothly without him having to keep an eye on things.

Back in the familiar house, Gu Changyuan immediately saw Gu Xing'er sitting on the edge of the bed.

Two short legs dangled in the air, and a pair of big eyes stared straight at the toes, seemingly lost in thought, her little face full of blank, adorable blankness.

The moment Gu Changyuan appeared, she sensed a familiar presence, immediately raised her head, and her eyes lit up instantly.

Gu Xing'er jumped off the bed quickly, her little feet bare, and ran towards Gu Changyuan with her short arms outstretched.

Gu Changyuan's heart softened, and he bent down to scoop the little girl up and hold her in his arms.

Little Xing'er immediately hugged his neck contentedly and buried her face in his shoulder.

He carried her to the bedside and lay down.

After a thousand years, this bed is still the same as I remember it. I have to try it out to see if it's still comfortable.

As for setting up the teleportation array, with his current strength, he can take full responsibility for inscribing the runes by splitting off a divine consciousness clone. There is no need for his main body to take action. He only needs to take action to complete the array in the final step.

With that thought in mind, Gu Changyuan simply picked up Gu Xing'er and lay down on the bed, falling into a deep sleep in no time.

Gu Xing'er nestled in his warm embrace, inhaling his faint, refreshing scent, blinked her eyes, and soon drifted off to sleep.

......

The next day, as soon as the first hint of dawn appeared on the horizon, Gu Changyuan opened his eyes precisely on time.

The little girl was sleeping soundly, her pink lips slightly pouting, and she occasionally smacked her lips unconsciously, as if she were dreaming of something delicious.

Gu Changyuan carefully got up, tucked the blanket around her, and then tiptoed out of the room.

Today is the second day of the Heavenly Abyss Ceremony. As is customary, an elder must be present in the square to preside over and supervise the assessment process.

However, at this moment, all the elders were in seclusion in the council hall refining the Supreme Bone, and obviously could not spare the time to attend to others.

I'll take this opportunity to personally witness the grand occasion of the Holy Land recruiting disciples.

Bai Ling'er had been waiting in the courtyard for a long time.

Upon seeing Gu Changyuan appear, her eyes instantly curved into crescent moons, and a smile spread across her face:

"Good morning, Master."

"Good morning, Ling'er."

Gu Changyuan smiled and nodded in response.

"Let's go to Tianyuan Square and see the Holy Scripture."

Before he finished speaking, he and Bai Ling'er transformed into two streaks of light and instantly appeared on the elders' seats at the top of the steps of Tianyuan Square.

At this moment, the elders' platform at the edge of the square was empty, while at the entrance of the square, dozens of disciples of the Holy Land were lined up in an orderly manner, their expressions respectful and focused.

Upon seeing Bai Ling'er and the unfamiliar man in black beside her, all the disciples were taken aback, then quickly straightened their backs and bowed respectfully.

"Greetings, Third Patriarch!"

Bai Ling'er nodded slightly, her clear voice echoing throughout the entire square:

"Today's Holy Scripture assessment will be overseen by the two of us. Let's begin."

Is the patriarch personally overseeing the operation?

The disciples could not hide their shock. Although they had many questions in their hearts, no one dared to ask any questions. They simply responded in unison.

Immediately, they composed themselves, returned to their posts, and prepared to guide the cultivators from all over the Nine Heavens Realm who had been waiting outside the square to enter in an orderly manner, ready to begin today's assessment.