Volume 5 Chapter 76

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Volume 5 Chapter 76: Joining (Part 2)

The leaders of various sects, including Qinglingzi of "Qingxu Gate," Master Xu Heng of "Mercy Cloud Temple," Sect Master Zeng Lianxian of "Five Elements Sect," and Venerable Xuan Jian from "Penance Valley," along with other well-known cultivators from the cultivation world, all came to welcome Xu Qingfan as the formation outside "Ronghua Mountain" opened, and Deng Tianao, the sect leader of "Liuhe Gate," was also among them.

When these people saw Xu Qingfan approaching them, their eyes were filled with shock. During the Newcomer Competition in the cultivation world, Xu Qingfan had made quite an impression and had helped Zhang Hualing refute many prominent figures when Jiuhua was framed, leaving a deep impression on everyone present.

Because of this, when the people saw Xu Qingfan at that moment, they were even more surprised. They clearly remembered that just over sixty years ago, Xu Qingfan was only a beginner at the Lingji Stage, but now he had already reached the late stage of the Real Golden Core Stage. The Little Black on Xu Qingfan’s shoulder and the spirit energy waves resonating faintly beside him amazed everyone even more.

Over the years, the cultivation world has been very chaotic, but many talented individuals have emerged. In the past, the leaders of each sect that participated in the Newcomer Competition were mostly already at the Condensed Core Stage, but even so, only a couple could reach the Real Golden Core Stage. Among these geniuses, Xu Qingfan, who originally had low talent, still shone brightly.

This is how things are in the world: when a person focuses on cultivation, they feel that their achievements come slowly and with great difficulty, and they can hardly meet their expectations. But after some time passes, when they are seen by others or look back themselves, all that remains is a shocked praise. They realize that, without noticing, they have come so far by persisting.

While the crowd praised him, Qinglingzi, the host, was thinking about even more.

※※※※

Xu Qingfan and Xu Fan, these two names differ by just one character, but is it really that simple, just a coincidence?

As Qinglingzi looked at Xu Qingfan in front of him, he could not help but recall Xu Fan’s appearance from his memories. He noticed that although Xu Fan always wore a mask and they were dressed differently, the two of them were becoming more and more alike in both figure and demeanor.

For a moment, Qinglingzi had a feeling that the mysterious rogue cultivator Xu Fan, who suddenly disappeared from the Southern Wasteland of Shenzhou Continent, was the same person as the lightly smiling young cultivator before him. Especially the Dark Crow on his shoulder confirmed this.

However, as soon as this thought arose, Qinglingzi shook his head to deny it. The difference in cultivation between Xu Fan from back then and the current Xu Qingfan was too great. It was hard to believe that Xu Fan could reach such a level in just a few decades. Furthermore, the Dark Crow that resembled each other had an even greater gap. Qinglingzi clearly remembered that Xu Fan’s Dark Crow was only at the Earth level beginner when he first saw it, while the Dark Crow on Xu Qingfan’s shoulder was already at the Earth level advanced.

You should know that the Dark Crow spirit pet, although very rare in the cultivation world, is also known for being very difficult to upgrade.

Thinking of this, Qinglingzi couldn’t help but feel amazed at Xu Qingfan’s progress over the years, as he seemed like a completely different person compared to when they had the Newcomer Comparison.

Seeing Qinglingzi and the leaders of various sects quickly flying toward him, Xu Qingfan hurried to greet them. Although he now represented Jiuhua, these elders were all sect leaders.

Noticing the puzzled expression in Qinglingzi’s eyes, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but smile a little sadly, realizing what Qinglingzi was thinking.

Initially, Xu Qingfan never expected to become well-known, so when he secretly traveled down the mountain, he casually called himself "Southern Wasteland rogue cultivator Xu Fan." However, now that he was officially coming down the mountain, the two names might lead people to make connections between them, and someone might notice their similarities, which troubled Xu Qingfan greatly.

However, judging by Qinglingzi’s expression, he was probably just a bit confused and didn’t think too deeply about it; this was likely due to Xu Qingfan’s rapid progress over the years.

With everyone lost in their own thoughts, Xu Qingfan and Qinglingzi quickly gathered together. As soon as they stood before Qinglingzi, even before anyone could speak, Xu Qingfan had already bowed deeply to Qinglingzi and the others, respectfully saying, "I am Xu Qingfan from Jiuhua, it is an honor to meet you, seniors."

Although Xu Qingfan represented Jiuhua this time, those in front of him were all sect leaders and his seniors, so he dared not be careless and quickly paid his respects.

The three disciples behind Xu Qingfan also followed his lead to bow to Qinglingzi and the others. Ting’er looked indifferent, Zhang Ningmei remained elegantly calm, while Bai Yu couldn’t help but raise his head slightly, curiously examining the impressive figures before him, wondering what they were thinking. He was probably imagining some chivalrous stories from the secular world.

"Xu Xian’s nephew, it’s only been sixty years since we last met, and your skills have improved so much. This truly surprises us old folks."

Qinglingzi hid his earlier thoughts and smiled warmly at Xu Qingfan.

"Thank you for your praise, senior." Xu Qingfan replied humbly, his expression calm.

"Does this mean Jiuhua has returned? But when did this happen?" Zeng Lianxian observed Xu Qingfan and the three disciples behind him and suddenly asked.

Xu Qingfan maintained a respectful expression and slowly replied, "To report to you, senior, Jiuhua has returned to the world seventeen days ago. For many years, Jiuhua has been closed off from the world, and knowing that the cultivation world is currently facing great chaos, I do not know the specific situation. Therefore, I was sent down the mountain by the Sect Master, accompanied by some Martial Uncles and Junior Brothers to investigate the state of the cultivation world. After coming down, I learned about the matters of the Righteous Alliance, so I rushed to seek an audience with all of you, seniors."

Xu Qingfan spoke in a calm tone, but to the ears of the sect leaders, it sounded quite different.

After Jiuhua re-emerged, they secretly sent someone down the mountain to gather information about the cultivation world. The sect leaders, being old foxes, could easily guess this, but they did not expect that Zhang Hualing would send Xu Qingfan to lead the mission and allow him to command some elders from Jiuhua Gate "Hua" generation. This means that besides having great strength, Xu Qingfan holds a very high reputation in Jiuhua, and his abilities have been recognized by all the elders of Jiuhua. Otherwise, having him in charge of such an important matter and commanding his elders would surely cause backlash among the Jiuhua elders.

However, just as the sect leaders who came to greet Xu Qingfan were reassessing his status in Jiuhua, a cold snort suddenly rang out from among them; it was Fan Xiaoyao, the master of Xingyin Sect.

That’s how things are in the world. When calamity descends and everyone should set aside old grudges and unify in struggle, there will always be those who create internal conflicts for their own interests or ideas. It was so before, it is so now, and it will be so in the future—this cycle never breaks, with contradictions among people. We can only cope with it helplessly.

Often, such people know that they should not mix personal interests with work at this time. However, they might feel lucky and think it won’t affect the bigger picture, or they might wonder, "Why should I suffer because of others?" or simply find it hard to let go, and Fan Xiaoyao was no different.

The "Xingyin Sect" is considered to be the oldest sect among all the major factions present, having gone through three great calamities. The cultivation world once had a glorious era that belonged only to this sect. The cultivation method of this sect is not inferior to the six major Holy Lands and may even excel in some aspects. Even now, among the ten or so masters in the Righteous Alliance, one is a senior from the "Xingyin Sect." Unfortunately, in Fan Xiaoyao’s generation, there has been a collective lack of success. Despite having a Mahayana Stage master guiding them and a mysterious cultivation method, and sufficient resources within the sect, over the years, only about twenty cultivators have reached the Condensed Core Stage, making them a laughingstock in the cultivation world.

Nevertheless, with a master backing them and a unique cultivation method, while "Xingyin Sect" is not officially recognized as a Holy Land, it is still one of the most powerful and influential sects today.

However, for Fan Xiaoyao, this is far from enough. Like the previous "Liuhe Gate," these old sects have an unusual obsession with the recognition and title of "Holy Land." After the establishment of the Righteous Alliance, taking advantage of Jiuhua’s weakened strength after years of isolation, Fan Xiaoyao proposed to the other sect leaders that "Xingyin Sect" should replace "Jiuhua Mountain" to become the new Holy Land. Of course, these matters could be discussed with the various sect leaders. The masters were high above, and to them, it was all trivial, especially since Jiuhua’s own master was no longer present.

But to Fan Xiaoyao’s surprise, the seemingly isolated Jiuhua Mountain unexpectedly received support from the three most powerful sects, "Mercy Cloud Temple," "Penance Valley," and "Qingxu Gate," leaving Fan Xiaoyao’s hopes dashed.

After these years of calamities, the number of Condensed Core Stage experts in "Xingyin Sect" has decreased by nearly ten, which deeply pained Fan Xiaoyao. Just as he saw the great enemy "Eight Wilderness Hall" about to be defeated, Jiuhua Mountain suddenly appeared to take advantage, which made Fan Xiaoyao increasingly unhappy, until he couldn’t help but snort in annoyance.

"May I ask how to address this esteemed elder and what advice you have?"

Seeing Fan Xiaoyao’s serious face with no trace of leisure, Xu Qingfan quietly asked.

"I am Fan Xiaoyao, the sect master of ‘Xingyin Sect.’ A small sect like mine has no right to advise a Holy Land sect," Fan Xiaoyao coldly replied. "However, I feel relieved for Jiuhua. The calamity is about to pass, and it is truly a good time for Jiuhua to emerge. I must still advise my young nephew to be careful of the fellow disciples who came out with you, so you don’t get unexpectedly attacked by those wicked people, which could hurt the morale of our righteous sect."

The words were full of sarcasm, clearly saying that Jiuhua Shut Down was to escape the disaster, and this time coming out was just to take advantage. As for the next words, they said that Jiuhua is now too weak to face the disaster.

As Fan Xiaoyao finished speaking, everyone’s attention turned to Xu Qingfan, clearly waiting to see how he would respond.