The gates of Tianyan Sect.
A squad of Tianyan Sect disciples who had just completed their mission was walking back inside.
A slightly thin-built young man let out a soft sigh.
"This mission is finally over. A couple more runs like that and my bones would've fallen apart."
A tall, burly man laughed and cursed at him.
"No missions and you complain about not earning enough contribution points to trade for anything good. Too many missions and you complain about being tired. You want all the perks and none of the work?"
The thin young man stretched lazily.
"Naturally. Best case scenario would be doing absolutely nothing while still having piles of contribution points to spend."
The burly man's gaze shifted to their squad leader. "Things are already pretty good right now. Mission difficulty has been lowered considerably, and the rewards are excellent too.
We largely have Squad Leader Wang to thank for that — his performance last time left an impression on Elder Bai."
A faint smile appeared on Wang Lin's face.
He had initially assumed that Chu Xingchen's promise to put in a good word for him before Bai Xuanling was just empty talk.
After all, for a cultivator of Yan Yun's caliber, it was common for such figures to forget the little people.
But he never expected that Chu Xingchen had actually followed through.
Ever since returning to Tianyan Sect from that assistance mission, his task rewards had inexplicably doubled.
Even the ill-tempered elder responsible for assigning missions had softened his tone to an almost unbelievable degree when speaking with him.
This was probably the first time Wang Lin had encountered a powerful figure who actually kept his word.
It made his earlier earnest effort to fight alongside Li Xingtian worthwhile — even if his contribution had been modest.
Wang Lin changed the subject and looked at the others.
"Now that this mission is over, it's time to focus on cultivation for a while."
"Agreed. With these contribution points, we can exchange for quite a few good pills."
The others voiced their agreement.
Just as they were about to go their separate ways, their gazes simultaneously turned toward Confinement Peak.
Two incredibly overbearing auras were surging into the sky.
One was a deep azure, the other a glaring blood-red.
Based on the pressure alone, the clash of these auras was absolutely terrifying.
However, this terrifying force was being held back by Confinement Peak's grand protective formation.
The thin young man frowned slightly.
"Someone's fighting on Confinement Peak? And there's an evil cultivator too?
Did they capture someone for interrogation? But why interrogate them on Confinement Peak?"
The burly man pondered for only a moment before speaking.
"Could someone have gone into qi deviation? Let's go take a look — what if they need backup?"
Wang Lin scanned the area.
No disciples from any direction were rushing to provide support yet.
He quickly made his decision.
"Let's go check the situation first."
With a righteous heart, there was nothing to hesitate about.
Wang Lin's small squad headed toward the Loving Family Peak.
What this group didn't know was that Confinement Peak had already been renamed the Loving Family Peak.
They had been informed upon entering the sect that Tianyan Peak was under lockdown.
Though this defied common sense, it was a direct order from the Sect Master — no one dared question it.
As for Confinement Peak being renamed to Loving Family Peak, that was not classified as urgent information.
Ordinary disciples had no reason to go there, and a simple inquiry would reveal the situation.
If not for the sky-filling blood qi, Wang Lin would have simply passed by without a second glance.
Several figures arrived before the Loving Family Peak in mere moments.
Taking in the scene, Wang Lin and the others quickly understood what was happening.
The thin young man blinked in surprise, then blurted out.
"So it's that evil-cultivation-looking guy sparring with his senior sister."
Wang Lin was also momentarily stunned.
Rumors said Chu Xingchen had deep ties with Tianyan Sect, but in reality, he had never resided there permanently.
Looking at the preparations below, it was clear there were plans for an extended stay.
The next moment, Wang Lin noticed Chu Xingchen's gaze turning toward them.
Chu Xingchen smiled faintly and gave him a small nod.
Wang Lin immediately caught on. "Let's head down first. Floating above is disrespectful — I should apologize to Ancestor Chu first."
The thin young man also quickly realized.
By seniority, he would have to call that evil-cultivation-looking man "Ancestor" as well.
Wang Lin led his squad down swiftly, and Confinement Peak's mountain protection formation parted to let them through.
The group hurried inside.
Wang Lin's pace was quick, his heart somewhat uneasy.
During their previous interactions, Chu Xingchen had seemed quite approachable.
But that didn't mean he was easygoing about everything.
Wang Lin soon spotted Chu Xingchen seated on a stone chair and quickly stepped forward, cupping his hands in salute.
"Ancestor, I just returned from a mission and was unaware of the situation here.
I only noticed spiritual energy churning as though a battle was underway, so I came to investigate."
Chu Xingchen watched as Wang Lin's entire squad straightened up and cupped their hands in greeting.
He lifted his hand casually.
"I thought something urgent had brought you to me. Since it's a misunderstanding, let it go.
It seems we haven't seen each other in quite a while."
"You remember me?"
Wang Lin was somewhat surprised. After all, he and Chu Xingchen had genuinely only met once.
Chu Xingchen chuckled and nodded. "Naturally. My second disciple also had you to thank for your help."
Wang Lin was momentarily at a loss for words upon hearing this.
Chu Xingchen didn't press the matter and gestured for everyone to sit.
"Bai Qing, brew a pot for them as well."
Wang Lin quickly expressed his gratitude.
Chu Xingchen pointed at Li Yingling and Li Xingtian, who were locked in fierce combat.
"Who do you think will win?"
Wang Lin looked over and assessed the general situation within moments.
Li Yingling's spiritual energy intensity was higher, and her mastery of divine abilities was clearly superior to Li Xingtian's.
In pure numbers, Li Yingling held the advantage.
But Li Xingtian's movements, techniques, and combat instincts revealed at a glance that he had been forged through life-and-death battles.
Li Xingtian was far better at adapting his techniques to the realities of actual combat.
Wang Lin had been on plenty of external missions and had ample experience fighting outsiders.
He had personally witnessed cases where the weaker party turned the tables and won.
Moreover, the plan Li Yingling had provided last time had been rather hasty.
In contrast, Li Xingtian's approach was much more to his liking.
After a brief moment of thought, Wang Lin spoke.
"I'm more inclined toward Uncle Li."
Cui Hao's eyes lit up.
He casually grabbed a pastry from nearby and handed it over, eagerly speaking up.
"Great minds think alike!"
Wang Lin quickly accepted it with both hands.
He glanced at Cui Hao's Golden Core cultivation and asked in a low voice.
"May I ask who you are?"
Cui Hao waved his hand grandly. "Your Uncle Cui, naturally."
But the moment his hand came down, Chu Xingchen's hand came swiping over.
"You really don't hold back, do you?"
Cui Hao's mouth twisted with slight grievance. "I can't just be a whole generation below for nothing, can I?"
Chu Xingchen sighed softly, his gaze returning to the two combatants.
Li Yingling's expression had shifted from initial carelessness to full vigilance.
Her casual attitude at the start had already cost her.
The girl had probably thought that fighting her second junior brother would be a simple, effortless victory.
She hadn't expected Li Xingtian to actually have real skills.
Li Xingtian clearly intended to win.
His blood qi surged, shaking the sparring arena's formation until it wobbled unsteadily.
After they had been fighting for some time, Wang Lin wasn't the only one drawn by Li Xingtian's overwhelming blood qi.
Quite a few others had come to investigate as well.
This time, however, Chu Xingchen didn't let anyone else in.
A short while later, Yan Yun arrived.
She directly scattered the gathered Tianyan Sect disciples and entered the Loving Family Peak.
Upon stepping inside, Yan Yun first nodded in acknowledgment to Wang Lin's squad, who were hastily cupping their hands in greeting.
Perhaps because she had enjoyed herself at the last sect gathering, she was no longer excessively polite.
She sat down directly in an empty seat after arriving.
Yan Yun's gaze fell on the two fighters as she sent a voice transmission to Chu Xingchen.
"How is Ancestor Bai's spiritual sea?"
Chu Xingchen gently pinched his teacup, offering no reply.
Yan Yun waited a moment, then looked at Chu Xingchen and sent another message.
"If you can't share the specifics, can you at least tell me how bad it is?"
Chu Xingchen finally let out a soft sigh and transmitted his reply to Yan Yun.
"People only see the radiance before a legend. They never see the scars behind her."
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