Chapter 648

Chapter 648: A Change After a Thousand Years

Xu Fan looked at the excited Cang Mu with a serious expression.

It wasn’t that he was shocked to see Cang Mu acting like a fool with excitement; rather, Xu Fan was surprised to discover that Cang Mu had already reached the Void Refinement stage.

To think that when he fell unconscious, Cang Mu was still at the Nascent Soul stage.

With Cang Mu’s shout and Grapes’ notification, almost everyone in the Hidden Spirit Sect knew that the Grand Elder had awakened.

Suddenly, countless streaks of light streaked across the sky of the Hidden Spirit Sect.

Xu Fan’s beloved disciples, good brothers, and elders all appeared in Xu Fan’s courtyard.

At this moment, Xu Gang had already advanced to the Core Formation stage, his aura truly impressive.

All the familiar faces had also made significant progress in their cultivation.

“Grand Elder, you finally woke up,” Spirit Cut said happily, excitement shining in his eyes.

“Master~” Xu Fan’s disciples had tears in their eyes as they bowed to welcome Xu Fan’s awakening.

“How long have I been unconscious?” Xu Fan asked, looking at the cultivation levels of those around him.

“Master, it has been a thousand years since you fell into a coma,” Grapes’ voice rang in Xu Fan’s ears.

“A thousand years!”

In that moment, Xu Fan didn’t know whether to be surprised or happy.

“Yes, Master, you have just awakened after exactly one thousand years,” Li Xing Chi said.

“I accidentally entered a nightmare illusion, and I didn’t expect to wake up after a thousand years,” Xu Fan said with some emotion.

This thousand-year journey had been quite pleasant for Xu Fan.

It wasn’t like the time with the Sword of the Origin Bell, where he had spent five hundred years stuck with a bear, nearly driving him to depression.

“Don’t forget to congratulate Spirit Cut Elder for returning to the respected elder realm.”

“Xu Gang, Yuexian, Xiangchi, Xingci, Kailing, you all made it to the Core Formation stage too.”

“Yulun, even you reached the Void Refinement stage.”

Xu Fan’s tone was filled with joy. It made him wonder if he slept a few more times, and upon waking, he might find several Great Ascension Masters in the sect.

“Ever since you fell into a coma, we haven’t dared to slack off in our training.”

“We just hope that when you wake up one day, you’ll see that your disciples have all grown skilled,” Wang Xiangchi said.

“You all did wonderfully.” Xu Fan glanced at his beloved disciples.

He now felt as if he had woken up to find his children had grown up.

Xu Fan stretched his muscles and checked his body.

Then he stepped out of his room.

As soon as he opened the door, an incredibly pure spiritual energy rushed towards him.

Within the spiritual energy, strands of the five elemental primal energies were hidden.

Xu Fan took a deep breath and stepped into the courtyard, immediately noticing the sect’s disciples hovering around.

Even the third-generation disciples of the Hidden Spirit Sect were at least at the Transformation Stage in cultivation.

Led by Xiong Li, who was at the Core Formation stage, all the disciples knelt in the air.

“Greetings, Grand Elder. We welcome you back from seclusion.”

Xiong Li’s eyes were moist; he had been eagerly awaiting Xu Fan’s awakening.

“I didn’t expect a dream to last a thousand years.”

Xu Fan looked around at the over 100,000 disciples and smiled, “In a thousand years, you’ve all grown up. Very good.”

At that moment, Number One and Number Two appeared beside Xu Fan, smiling, “Master, you’re finally awake.”

“If you hadn’t woken up, you might have had to move to another world.”

Hearing this, Xu Fan was momentarily stunned.

“Don’t tell me you’ve completed the original plan in these thousand years!”

“Not quite! We’ve only finished the framework and outer layer; it barely functions,” Number Two said proudly.

“That’s still quite fast,” Xu Fan chuckled.

“Everyone, rise and disperse. I just woke up and need to get familiar with the new Hidden Spirit Sect,” Xu Fan said to the surrounding disciples with a smile.

“Understood, Grand Elder.”

Their voices were perfectly synchronized, as if rehearsed.

“You all should go about your duties. Let me walk around the Hidden Spirit Sect alone,” Xu Fan said.

A thousand years had passed, and though people were the same, Xu Fan felt a strange distance.

The crowd in the courtyard nodded, then turned into beams of light and scattered, leaving only Xu Fan’s disciples behind.

“You’ve all grown up.”

Xu Fan couldn’t help but reflect. In the world of nightmares, that brief life of less than a hundred years felt like an entire lifetime.

“Master, what did you experience in the world of nightmares?” Li Xing Chi asked curiously, and the other disciples looked on eagerly.

“I lived a simple life of less than a hundred years; it made up for my regrets,” Xu Fan said with a smile.

“Now, the highest among you is at the Core Formation stage, and the lowest is at the Void Refinement stage.”

“Except for Yuexian, I’m quite satisfied with everyone else,” Xu Fan said.

“What changes have occurred in the Hidden Spirit Sect and the cultivation world over these years?”

“I had you take turns as deputy sect leader; it shouldn’t be for nothing,” Xu Fan asked.

“I’ll start. Over these years, Master Number One and Number Two have crafted more celestial tools, most of which are used in your plan.”

“The orders from Qianling Sect and Demon Sect have been completed, and during your slumber, the beast race broke the spatial seal and can now teleport over long distances, though it’s still costly.”

“You slept for three hundred seventy years, during which the beast race’s Four Phase City descended on Lin Sen Fairy City, aiming to destroy the Hidden Spirit Sect.”

“However, thanks to the protection of the Grand Elder of Qianling Sect, Demon Sect, and a few senior elders from the Elder Council, we remained safe.”

“Those invincible respected elders have left mediums at the Hidden Spirit Sect, so they can be contacted anytime.”

Xu Gang was about to continue when Xu Fan interrupted.

“Why did the Four Phase City of the beast race come to my Hidden Spirit Sect?” Xu Fan asked, pulling out his little notebook.

“The human and beast races have clashed several times, and the celestial tools you crafted played a significant role.”

“The Grand Elder of Qianling Sect and Master Youming teamed up to slay a giant beast tamed by the beast race.”

“Was it that old turtle?” Xu Fan asked.

“No, it was a qilin-like giant beast, one of the most powerful tamed by the beast race,” Xu Fan shook his head and replied.

“After the Four Phase City returned empty-handed, they sent the Invincible Beast King to ambush the Hidden Spirit Sect multiple times, but all attempts were repelled by the sword formation puppets.”

“Afterward, the beast race gave up their attacks on the Hidden Spirit Sect.”

“That’s one aspect of the Hidden Spirit Sect’s safety.”

“As for the cultivation levels of the elders and disciples, Spirit Cut Elder and Elder Rantian have advanced to the Great Ascension Master stage, while Elder Xiuxin failed her Overcoming Tribulations. Master Number Two set up a grand formation for spiritual re-cultivation, and she’s now at the Core Formation stage.”

“As for us, Master, you can see for yourself. Except for Kailing, the rest have all advanced to the Core Formation stage,” Xu Gang said.

“What about Li Xuandao?” Xu Fan asked.

“Junior Brother Li left fifty years ago to search for something. He left a letter for you, Master,” Xu Gang said, handing over a jade slip.