"Master, your disciple has returned from his travels and has come to apologize!"

Feng Jiutian knelt down and bowed before Kan Yun's cave, his attitude extremely respectful and sincere, as if he had committed some heinous crime.

Xiang Wan stood not far behind him, her face expressionless, devoid of joy or sorrow.

It's said that those who become immortals take everything lightly. But Xiang Wan knew that the only thing Kan Yun couldn't let go of was his disciple, Feng Jiutian.

In his past life, Feng Jiutian didn't take the original owner as his disciple, abandoning her without hesitation when a major event occurred. The old man Kan Yun neither stopped him nor intervened, so whether his cultivation improved afterward is unknown. Because the original owner couldn't see what happened later, and was utterly despondent, she had no time to care. Now that Xiang Wan has become his disciple's disciple, Kan Yun is already involved, and it's probably impossible for him to remain uninvolved.

The clouds drifted across the sky, from sunrise in the east to sunset in the west, and Feng Jiutian remained kneeling without wavering.

Xiang Wan guessed that Kan Yun probably knew what Feng Jiutian wanted, which was why she didn't respond. Since that was the case, she wouldn't mind adding fuel to the fire.

"Disciple Feng Ziyan, following her master, pays respects to the Grandmaster!"

"You've been standing here all day, and you're only speaking now? Don't you think it's a bit late? It's impossible for the Grandmaster to speak!" A disciple sweeping nearby silently rolled his eyes, wanting to see how Xiang Wan would embarrass herself.

Didn't he want nothing to do with her? She'd just do the opposite of what the old man wanted. Xiang Wan lifted her robes, about to kneel, but was lifted up by a force, unable to kneel. At the same time, Kan Yun's voice echoed in her mind: "Neither Buddha nor demon, neither resentment nor cause, young lady, why be so persistent?"

"All things arise from causes and conditions, and all things cease due to causes and conditions. The mind is like a clear mirror; where can dust alight?"

The original owner did nothing, so why should Feng Jiutian ruin everything? If he truly had no selfish motives, was truly selfless and compassionate, how could she have come into being? Now he's questioning her; doesn't he find that ridiculous?

Kan Yun sighed, and finally did not transmit his voice to her again, "Qing Jiu, this is the will of Heaven. You should take care of yourself!"

After he finished speaking, the protective formation in front of him rippled, and then completely concealed the cave in the mountains.

Feng Jiutian bowed solemnly, rose, glanced at Xiang Wan, and slowly left.

Xiang Wan's gaze deepened as she bowed respectfully in Kan Yun's direction before quickly catching up with Feng Jiutian.

Those who cultivate immortality to the level of Kan Yun should see things more clearly than anyone else. If he insisted on protecting Feng Jiutian, Xiang Wan would have no choice but to bide her time. The current situation is quite good.

The news that Qingyun Peak had taken in a stunningly beautiful female disciple spread like wildfire throughout the entire Yijing Sect. Some envied her, some were jealous, and many simply laughed it off. The gossip spread so rapidly, thanks to that eavesdropping, cleaning disciple.

Qingyun Peak cultivates the Path of Ruthlessness, practices the Sword of Ruthlessness, and pursues a state of detachment from desires and the abandonment of all emotions. Yet, the newly accepted disciple seems to have emotions even in his eyes—isn't that too incongruous? Moreover, Uncle-Master Qing Jiu is known for his affection for his female disciples. They might believe the former is completely without ulterior motives, but they are highly suspicious of the latter. Such an incongruous situation is bound to arouse curiosity.

For Xiang Wan, studying was a very serious matter. Yet, her every move exuded charm, which wasn't her fault; it was simply that her body was too alluring, unrelated to her inner self.

Therefore, when Xiang Wan practiced swordsmanship, there were always people spying on her.

Although everyone in the Yijing Sect wields a sword, not everyone cultivates the Path of Ruthlessness. Therefore, if there's a sudden increase in the number of people in any particular area of ​​the training ground, it's most likely that Xiang Wan is looking for someone to spar with.

Practicing swordsmanship is not just about learning techniques, but also about mastering the art of killing. Although Xiang Wan already possessed a move capable of killing with a single blow, she didn't want to use it. When learning a new skill, one cannot follow the old methods from the beginning; only after thoroughly understanding and mastering both techniques can one fuse them together to create a style that best suits oneself.

Thanks to her physical characteristics, Xiang Wan's cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds, surpassing even Feng Jiutian in his prime, and she quickly became one of the most outstanding disciples of Qingyun Peak.

Feng Jiutian taught her both the mental cultivation method and swordsmanship, and sometimes took her out for training. Not long after they left the mountain gate, various sects flocked to Zhufeng Peak to demand an explanation from Wu Qin. This was because those cultivators who had lost their cultivation had not recovered their strength after two years. Among these people, Qiaoyin was at the forefront.

"Sect Leader Wu, two years have passed without any unusual occurrences. We have reason to suspect that the Yijing Sect is using Immortal Kan Yun's name to lure us to this desolate place in order to suppress the strength of other sects. Now that our cultivation has not recovered, shouldn't we be given an explanation?"

Qiaoyin wore a smile, showing no resentment whatsoever, but Wu Qin knew that the more she acted this way, the greater her desires became.

Wu Qin sized up the crowd. Most of them were from unknown small sects, and a few were from second- or third-rate sects. There weren't as many people as at the last sect gathering, but there were still quite a few who came to watch the excitement.

These people are clearly here to freeload. Don't they realize that the First Realm Sect has stood the test of time not just because of its strength?

"Everyone, exploring this desolate land was a decision we all made together. When you're out on the road, anything can happen. Does that mean that if something doesn't go your way, you should come to my Yijing Sect for an explanation? Then who should my Yijing Sect complain to? Besides, Elder Qiaoyin is the leader, and everyone on the expedition is under your command. Even if something happens, why don't they come to you first, but instead come to me? What's the reason for this? If you don't give me a clear explanation, don't blame my Yijing Sect for turning ruthless!"

Wu Qin spoke with righteous indignation, and everyone looked at Qiaoyin.

The latter rose and stood in the center of the Guiyi Hall, his brows furrowed, seemingly pondering and puzzled, as he said, "The immortal's prophecy, the sect assembly, the spirit stones, the investigation, the puppets all destroyed, the spiritual power lost, Qing Jiu appearing, Zi Yan being born..."

Qiaoyin's expression hardened, and she cupped her hands to Wu Qin, saying, "May I ask Sect Leader Wu, when did Qing Jiu go to the desolate place, and when did Zi Yan appear? Why was Qing Jiu already able to investigate when we had just arrived there? If Sect Leader Wu had already sent Qing Jiu out beforehand, why did you make us go? You could have waited until Qing Jiu returned before holding the sect meeting."

The crowd was in an uproar. They hadn't expected that connecting these seemingly trivial matters would reveal a deeper meaning behind them, with each one appearing to be inextricably linked to the Yijing Sect.

If Qiaoyin hadn't divided everyone into two groups and had instead led them all to the desolate land, one can imagine how much strength each sect would have lost. In that case, who would be the ultimate winner? Need I even ask?

Thinking this, everyone's gaze towards the Yijing Sect members became strange. Especially the elites from various sects who had not yet recovered their cultivation, their gazes towards Wu Qin already carried a hint of hostility.