Qi Yurong and Bai Lei were reorganizing their team in the Northern Plains, recounting the members of Wenxuan Sect.
The number was small, but each person was a cultivator who had survived a hundred battles. Their armor was damaged, their bodies wounded.
“How wonderful. Jiang Huai broke through to Great Ascension. Now the Five Provinces finally have hope!” Qi Yurong said with a sigh to Bai Lei, who had just returned. She stretched, her slender waist curving under her robes.
“Can our Wenxuan Sect finally go back to Central State? It’s a shame Senior Sister can’t see this.” Thinking of her senior sister, she sighed and shook her head.
At her words, Bai Lei’s expression dimmed slightly. She murmured, “I’ll never see her in this life again.”
With their aptitudes, the two of them would never even touch the threshold of a Human Immortal in this lifetime.
Especially now, with countless wars causing decline and resources even scarcer.
So they would never see their Master Sister again—immortals and mortals were forever separated.
“It’s fine. Xiao Yue has great talent. She’s already at Divine Transformation, and after this great battle, she’ll definitely reach Earth Immortal in the future.” Qi Yurong said happily, hands on her hips as she looked up at the sky.
“When that time comes, we’ll have her send letters to us from the Immortal Realm, so Senior Sister can see.”
Her tone was cheerful, but the melancholy between them remained hard to conceal.
Wind blew in from the Northern Plains, stirring up a little snow that landed on their shoulders.
Qi Yurong patted Bai Lei on the shoulder and was about to say something else when she suddenly felt a chill at her back, as if she were being locked onto.
She jerked her head up to look at the sky, her neck tense, her black hair flying.
“What’s wrong?” Bai Lei’s face tightened. Following her gaze, her hand went to her sword hilt.
“Someone’s got their eyes on me. I don’t know who, but they’re very powerful.” Qi Yurong’s expression grew serious as she summoned her Immortal Sword to circle around her.
Sword light swirled, shielding her in the center.
Bai Lei also looked grim, pressing close to Qi Yurong.
As the saying goes, after the external threat is settled, internal strife begins. Who had they offended now, to make a move so quickly?
She slowly drew her sword—three inches out of the scabbard, the cold gleam sharp.
The figure drew closer and closer.
White robes like snow, long hair like a waterfall, sword aura filling the sky. In her arms, she carried a man in tattered clothes.
Wu Zhaohua landed before Qi Yurong and the others. A faint smile finally appeared on her face.
Her features were cool, her brows and eyes like a painting, but that hint of a smile softened her entire expression.
“What, are you trying to make a move on me?” she teased, looking at Qi Yurong’s Immortal Sword.
The atmosphere seemed to freeze. The world seemed to pause.
Qi Yurong’s eyes widened, her mouth open, unable to close.
Bai Lei also froze in place, her fingers on her sword hilt, not moving a muscle.
Qi Yurong suddenly leaped over to stand beside Wu Zhaohua.
Tears filled her eyes and streamed down her face. She reached out, grabbed Wu Zhaohua’s hand, and held it tight.
“Senior Sister, Senior Sister—am I dreaming? How could you… I thought I’d never see you again in this life!” Her voice choked, her whole body trembling.
She held onto Wu Zhaohua’s arm without letting go, pressing her face against it. Tears soaked the sleeve of Wu Zhaohua’s robe.
“Senior Sister, I missed you so much. I thought we’d never meet again in this life!”
“This junior sister has taken good care of Wenxuan Sect,” she sobbed.
To have made it this far, with Wenxuan Sect still standing, was already far ahead of many sects. Now they were just short of people.
Bai Lei stood in front of Wu Zhaohua, raised a hand, and wiped the corner of her eye—tear stains were there. She murmured, “Senior Sister, long time no see.”
“I really missed you.”
Wu Zhaohua reached out and gently patted Bai Lei’s head, a soft gesture, just like years ago.
She said with a faint smile, “You’ve worked hard. Have you been doing well? How is Wenxuan Sect?”
Qi Yurong answered eagerly, her tone cheerful: “We’re doing fine! Thanks to Su Yingman and Bai Lu’s care, Wenxuan Sect has been well. And we’ve been diligently cultivating!”
In times of life-and-death crisis, even someone as fond of fun as Qi Yurong had to step up her training to fight the Heavenly Demons.
“What about Xiao Yue?” Wu Zhaohua asked softly.
“She’s recuperating from injuries. Her cultivation is still outstanding,” Bai Lei replied proudly, straightening her back.
“Good. As long as you’re all here, I’m relieved.” Wu Zhaohua smiled in reassurance.
During this whole journey, her greatest worries had been two things: Jiang Huai’s safety and Wenxuan Sect’s survival.
Now that everyone was here, including Xiao Yue, her mood improved greatly. She looked down and hugged Jiang Huai tightly in her arms.
“This is…” Qi Yurong stared at Jiang Huai’s pale face, startled and uncertain.
When Jiang Huai had just come out of seclusion, his single sword stroke swept away all the evil demons in the Northern Plains. Heaven and earth trembled—anyone who saw it thought a Heavenly Immortal had descended.
But now, why had he become like this? His face was as pale as paper, his aura weak, as if he could dissipate at any moment.
Wu Zhaohua sighed softly. She spoke in a low voice, “Find me a room.”
“Aren’t you taking him to the Nine Heavens Palace?” Qi Yurong asked carefully.
Jiang Huai usually stayed at the Nine Heavens Palace. The place was spacious and was currently the most comfortable location available.
Wu Zhaohua’s expression turned cold. She shook her head.
“No. I don’t like the Nine Heavens Palace.”
Bai Lei stepped forward, a faint smile on her face. “Senior Sister, look.”
She waved her hand, and from her Space Ring floated a large object, hovering in midair.
It was actually the little courtyard where Wu Zhaohua and Jiang Huai had once lived.
The earthen walls were mottled, the wooden door old and worn, the roof tiles chipped. Even the crooked tree in the yard was still there.
Wu Zhaohua’s eyes lit up. She nodded repeatedly, her tone becoming visibly excited: “That one, that one—give it to me.”
“I can’t believe you kept it!”
No one would have imagined that a Heavenly Immortal like Wu Zhaohua would get so excited over an old courtyard.
Bai Lei said mildly, “I knew what was in Senior Sister’s heart. When we withdrew from Central State to the Northern Plains back then, I made a point to bring it along.”
Wu Zhaohua took the floating courtyard, a smile spreading across her face. “You really are thoughtful, junior sister!”
She held the little courtyard with both hands, as if carrying a priceless treasure. Her fingertips trembled slightly, and her eyes reddened.
After receiving the courtyard, Wu Zhaohua lightly rose on her toes, hovering in the air, and said to Qi Yurong, “Let’s go. Central State no longer has any Outer Domain Demons. Have the people of Wenxuan Sect follow me back to Central State.”
She planned to take Jiang Huai back to Central State. As for the other women, none were allowed to come near her.
Now, she was the strongest cultivator in the world! Even Qin Qingyue would have to watch helplessly.
Qi Yurong and Bai Lei exchanged a glance and responded in unison.
The members of Wenxuan Sect began packing up—counting heads, gathering supplies, bandaging wounds.
Those battle-hardened cultivators, hearing they were going back to Central State, all showed joyful expressions.
Soon, the group assembled.
Wu Zhaohua hovered midair.
With a flick of her slender finger, sword aura shot out in all directions, transforming into countless fine beams of sword light that lifted everyone into the air.
Her white robes fluttered, her long hair flowing, like a Sword Immortal descending upon the world.
Amid the gasps of the crowd, Wu Zhaohua rode the wind with them, swiftly passing over peaks, crossing the wilderness, crossing rivers.
The wind from the Northern Plains howled behind them. The land of Central State spread out before them.
She did not stop, heading south all the way. Sword aura like a rainbow, straight to the old site of Central State.
Above the ruins of Central State, new green shoots had already begun to sprout. Sunlight fell, warm and pleasant.
Wu Zhaohua landed on a high mountain rich in spiritual energy.
She looked around, then drew a large circle with her finger, enclosing all the spiritually abundant areas nearby.
“Claim the territory. No matter who this belonged to before, all of this area now belongs to my Wenxuan Sect,” she commanded, her voice clear and leaving no room for argument.
Qi Yurong and Bai Lei smiled at each other. They led the people and went to carry out the orders.
Wu Zhaohua looked down at Jiang Huai in her arms and said softly, “We’re home.”
The little courtyard floated beside her—the earthen walls mottled, the wooden door shut tight.