Master, and you still say this isn’t a dual cultivation technique?

That day, Elder Xinghe had watched helplessly as the Tianyan Sect disciples suffered devastating losses.

Unable to endure it any longer, he ventured into the Dark Forest and brought all the surviving Tianyan Sect disciples back.

At the same time, he thoroughly investigated everything that had happened there.

The Tianyan Sect, from top to bottom, was consumed by rage, their resentment surging to the heavens.

Every member of the sect longed to flay Xiao Lingchen alive and tear him into ten thousand pieces!

After learning of this situation from Elder Yun Zhu, Xiao Lingchen paused for a moment. Then, his brows involuntarily furrowed.

When he had massacred the Tianyan Sect disciples during the grand competition, he hadn’t considered hiding his actions.

He had long prepared himself to settle the score with the Tianyan Sect later.

However, he had assumed the matter wouldn’t come to light until after the competition concluded. He never imagined it would be uncovered so quickly!

If that was the case, the Tianyan Sect had very likely already taken steps toward retaliation!

And since he had still been in the Dark Forest at the time, their target for revenge would naturally shift to his family!

At that thought, Xiao Lingchen’s heart jolted. He immediately prepared to descend the mountain and head home.

Elder Yun Zhu grabbed his arm and said, “No need to worry. I investigated this matter even before the Tianyan Sect did. Knowing they would surely target your family for revenge, I’ve already sent people to relocate them. They’re perfectly safe right now.”

Hearing this, the stone that had just risen in Xiao Lingchen’s heart settled back down. He looked at Elder Yun Zhu with gratitude and said, “Thank you, Elder.”

Elder Yun Zhu waved his hand dismissively. “You’re a disciple of our Taixuan Sect—how could I not protect you and your family? But this matter is ultimately troublesome. If it isn’t resolved properly, it could ignite a sect war with endless consequences.”

As a disciple of Taixuan Sect—and the sect leader’s personal disciple no less—Taixuan Sect would naturally defend Xiao Lingchen to the death.

However, his actions this time had gone too far, and the Tianyan Sect would never let it go easily.

This would only deepen the conflict between the two sects, potentially escalating into a full-blown sect war.

Once that happened, it would be a fight to the death between Taixuan Sect and Tianyan Sect!

Xiao Lingchen said, “Elder, there’s no need to worry. This was my doing alone—I won’t let it drag the sect into this. In a few days, I’ll personally go to the Tianyan Sect to settle this matter with them.”

Elder Yun Zhu glared at him in exasperation. “You brat, what are you trying to prove? You’re seriously thinking of going to the Tianyan Sect to ‘settle things’? Do you even know that the Tianyan Sect has a legacy spanning tens of thousands of years? Do you think you can shake them so easily? Let me tell you, the Tianyan Sect has eight experts above the Delusion Breaking Realm. Their sect leader, Duan Wushang, is rumored in the outside world to have reached the seventh level of the Delusion Breaking Realm. But in reality, his true strength might already be at the eighth—or even ninth—level! He also wields the sect’s treasured artifact, the Danyang Pearl, which possesses boundless power. You’re just a Dao Palace Realm cultivator with a few tricks up your sleeve. You killed off a negligible branch of the Demon Clan and now you think you’re untouchable? If you go there, you’ll be walking into your own grave!”

After hearing Elder Yun Zhu’s words, Xiao Lingchen couldn’t help but frown. The Tianyan Sect was even more powerful than he had imagined—a truly formidable foe.

Yet Xiao Lingchen remained fearless.

Though he was only at the late stage of the Dao Palace Realm, that was merely the result of him cultivating each realm to its absolute peak.

With his heaven-defying physique and array of divine abilities, he already possessed the ability to slay early-stage Delusion Breaking Realm experts.

Even against mid-stage Delusion Breaking Realm cultivators, he could put up a fight.

And if the Tianyan Sect’s leader truly proved invincible, he could rely on Phantom Step and Instant Flash Technique to retreat unscathed.

Before he could speak, Elder Yun Zhu cut in again.

Sensing what Xiao Lingchen was thinking, he said earnestly, “You brat, just behave yourself for a while! I only said this could lead to a sect war—I never said we’d abandon you!”

Xiao Lingchen froze, a look of confusion crossing his face.

Elder Yun Zhu continued solemnly, “You’re the sect leader’s personal disciple and a rare genius that our Taixuan Sect hasn’t seen in tens of thousands of years. No matter what, we can’t just stand by and watch the Tianyan Sect bully you, right? Rest assured, if this matter can’t be resolved peacefully, we won’t bow to them. As long as we can protect you, what’s the harm in starting a sect war?”

Hearing Elder Yun Zhu’s words, Xiao Lingchen felt a warmth in his heart.

Though he hadn’t known Elder Yun Zhu for long—and their meetings could be counted on one hand—the elder’s willingness to go this far was no small gesture.

“Thank you, Elder,” Xiao Lingchen said. “But this is a matter of blood vengeance. I still want to handle it myself—to personally avenge my fallen clansmen and uncover the true mastermind targeting my Xiao family!”

Elder Yun Zhu’s brows furrowed slightly. “Are you serious?”

Xiao Lingchen replied, “Absolutely!”

Elder Yun Zhu was a protective man who wanted to shelter Xiao Lingchen, but he hadn’t expected the young man to possess such boldness and resolve.

After a moment of silence, he sighed. “Fine. But you should discuss this with your master first. Don’t act rashly. Stay in the sect and cultivate for the next few days. Three days from now, you can enter the True Martial Space to seek opportunities. If you can obtain a supreme opportunity and boost your strength, you’ll have a better chance when you confront the Tianyan Sect.”

Xiao Lingchen found the advice reasonable. After bidding farewell, he returned to the back mountain to see his master, Jiang Luoxian.

It had been a month since he last saw her, and once again, Xiao Lingchen couldn’t help but be captivated by her beauty.

Today, Jiang Luoxian wore a plain gauze dress tied with a teal sash, accentuating her graceful, elegant figure.

Her jet-black hair fell naturally like a waterfall, her brows curved like crescent moons, and her lips bore a delicate crimson hue.

At that moment, she was holding a ladle, watering a few pots of spiritual plants in front of her wooden hut. Sunlight bathed her, softening the aloofness she usually exuded and lending her an air of serene elegance.

Whether it was Yun Zhanyi or Ning Huanhuan, both were rare beauties, yet they paled in comparison to Jiang Luoxian.

“I wonder which man will win Master’s heart someday,” Xiao Lingchen mused to himself. “If I could share even a moment of intimacy with her, I’d be willing to lose years off my life!”

But he quickly shook his head, casting the thought aside. “Master is like a fairy descended from the ninth heaven. The man who could win her affection would probably have had to save the entire galaxy in his past life!”

Just then, a gentle breeze carried a faint fragrance toward him.

Xiao Lingchen instinctively turned his head and froze.

Jiang Luoxian had somehow appeared beside him, her cool yet exquisitely beautiful face mere inches from his own.

Her soft voice drifted over.

“What are you thinking about?”