Under the bright sun, Shen Changlin returned to Yanlai Peak and hurried back to his cave, waiting for his Moon Master to emerge from his cultivation.

She sat cross-legged on the white jade bed, her eyes open with an indifferent and aloof demeanor.

"Changlin, has the Soul Grass been delivered to Danfeng?"

Shen Changlin nodded obediently: "It's been delivered, Master."

Hearing this, Ruan Qing'an felt a little relieved. After all, this was a favor, and it would be best to repay it. She then instructed, "Elder Danfeng should be using Soul Grass to refine pills later. I will be in seclusion to heal my injuries for a while. If you have nothing to do, please go and help him out."

"Understood, Master. You can continue healing."

Shen Changlin's eyes crinkled with laughter, like a clingy large dog wagging its tail at its owner, as he happily accepted the task.

He helped his master repay her favor, so he and his master are together. Therefore, he belongs to his master, and his master belongs to him. Therefore, he and his master are together. This favor must be repaid, and Danfeng's help must be given!

Shen Changlin's bright, starry eyes caught her attention.

Ruan Qing'an: I always feel like this kid is thinking strange things...

She coughed softly and then said, "You've broken through to the Nascent Soul stage and won first place in the Hidden Dragon Competition, which is very good. However, your cultivation speed is too fast, and I'm afraid your foundation will be unstable. You should slow down appropriately. A tall building starts from the ground up, do you know that?"

“I understand, Master, but… my cultivation speed seems to be due to my innate Dao Body. Since my Dao Body recovered, my body has been cultivating on its own, and I can’t even control it.”

Shen Changlin frowned slightly and spoke in a deep voice.

The situation was even more complex than that. He discovered that even without consciously cultivating, spiritual energy from heaven and earth would flow into his body and circulate continuously according to the "Ten Thousand Paths Return to One Technique," allowing him to maintain a state of cultivation even while eating, drinking, and sleeping.

For other cultivators, this would probably be a great thing, but in Shen Changlin's eyes, there was always a vague sense of unease...

Upon hearing this, Ruan Qing'an remained silent for a moment, then suddenly raised her hand and placed it on Shen Changlin's wrist, trying to probe it with her spiritual energy. However, after circulating it several times, she still couldn't detect anything wrong.

037: [This feels a little strange...]

She pondered for a moment and said, "There's no problem for now. You can start cultivating first, and I'll look into the matter of the innate Dao Body later."

"Okay, thank you, Master."

Shen Changlin smiled obediently. Just as he was about to leave so that Ruan Qing'an could recuperate in the cave, the restrictions under Yanlai Peak were suddenly triggered, and an unexpected person suddenly appeared.

Ruan Qing'an frowned slightly: "The sect leader has arrived."

At this moment, beneath Yanlai Peak.

Zhan Hongyuan stood with his hands behind his back outside the array's restrictions. Although he was the sect leader of the Myriad Paths Sect, he showed no intention of trespassing. His manners were impeccable, making him a truly excellent sect leader.

Seeing Ruan Qing'an walking over from Yanlai Peak, he chuckled, "Elder Ruan, how is your recovery going this time?"

"The healing resources allocated by the sect leader are not bad."

Zhan Hongyuan nodded, and just as he was about to speak, he saw Shen Changlin standing to the side and suddenly said, "Let your disciple go and cultivate first. He's always clinging to you, so he probably won't be able to concentrate on his cultivation."

"...Changlin, you should go back first."

Sensing that Zhan Hongyuan wanted to say something, Ruan Qing'an raised her hand, and Shen Changlin bowed and left.

After Shen Changlin left, Zhan Hongyuan put his hands behind his back and said, "Elder Ruan, your situation is special. Breaking through to the Integration Stage is imminent, but this breakthrough is far beyond what the Refinement Stage can achieve."

"What instructions does the sect leader have?"

"I wouldn't call it guidance, but in this vast Wandao Sect, I'm one of only two who have broken through to the Mahayana realm, so I have some experience."

Upon hearing Zhan Hongyuan's words, Ruan Qing'an lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment.

Another Mahayana stage should refer to the Supreme Elder of the Myriad Paths Sect. Almost every sect or family power has a hidden ancestor who only has the strength for one last battle. He dies for the last battle when the power faces a life-or-death crisis.

The same applies to the Myriad Paths Sect, but only the elders and others know about this matter. However, only the sect leader knows where the Supreme Elder is.

Recalling the battle on the floating island and Lou Yunqi's casual remark, Ruan Qing'an's leaden gray eyes darkened slightly, and he suddenly cupped his hands: "Would you be so kind as to witness the power of the sect leader at the Mahayana stage?"

"Qing'an dares to challenge the sect leader to a duel."

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere suddenly froze. Zhan Hongyuan paused, turned to look at her, and soon his gloomy eyes smiled again. But Ruan Qing'an hadn't misjudged that moment.

—That was the murderous intent that vanished suddenly.

At this moment, Zhan Hongyuan explained, "Let it go, Elder Ruan. You are still injured, and the pressure of the Mahayana stage is difficult to withstand."

Ruan Qing'an lowered his eyes and nodded, a hint of doubt suddenly appearing on his usually cold face: "I unexpectedly received some news, Sect Master, I heard that you suffered a life-threatening injury before."

"Was the sect leader injured when you were on the floating island last time?"

"..."

Zhan Hongyuan was silent for a moment, but when he heard Ruan Qing'an's words, his hands behind his back tightened uncontrollably. If he were not a Mahayana cultivator with a body as invulnerable as a divine weapon, his fingertips would have almost dug into his palms.

But his expression remained unchanged; he shook his head and chuckled, "So it's because of what happened on the floating island last time..."

“Elder Ruan, I, as the sect leader of the Myriad Paths Sect, was unable to intervene in the attack on the floating islands a few years ago because most sects united. We could have easily driven them back, but that would have inevitably triggered a stronger counterattack, causing even greater damage to the Myriad Paths Sect.”

Zhan Hongyuan's words made perfect sense, but—

When has the Wandao Sect ever been timid or hesitant?

Noticing Ruan Qing'an's silence, Zhan Hongyuan finally changed the subject: "Actually, the injury did happen. It happened more than 30 years ago when the demonic cultivator Lou Yunqi reappeared after killing his entire family. The sects in the cultivation world that had grudges against him before attacked him together."

"As the leader, Wandao Sect was also dragged into this matter. As the sect leader, I also bear a heavy responsibility. During that siege, Lou Yunqi accidentally injured me. The situation was indeed critical, but my injuries have since healed and I am fine."

Zhan Hongyuan casually brushed off the topic as he spoke.

Nguyen Thanh An also nodded slightly.

037: [...Is his injury really healed?]

Ruan Qingan: I just smiled and didn't say anything.

Zhan Hongyuan quickly got to the main topic, laughing, "I almost forgot, Elder Ruan. Since you're so eager to break through to the Integration Stage, why don't I introduce you to the Supreme Elder for some guidance?"

Upon hearing this, Ruan Qing'an paused in her steps. She looked at Zhan Hongyuan, the middle-aged man, whose smile was gentle and showed concern for the elder.

"How is it, Elder Ruan?"

"...In that case, thank you very much, Sect Master."

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