That night was destined to be one in which many people were forced to confront long-buried and scandalous truths.
By the time Ling Xiaozi arrived with Chu Mingwei and Xiao Lingyu at the source of the commotion, they learned that after Leng Qin escaped the restriction, he was surrounded and trapped by the sect. Several Grand Elders joined forces, and just as Leng Qin was about to be captured, unexpectedly, Elder Yao Wu of Huawu Peak and Elder Ding Shun of Tangcai Peak suddenly betrayed the sect and protected him as they fled together. The Grand Elders had already pursued them.
Ling Xiaozi had not expected that even such extensive arrangements outside would still fail. However, as long as the demon inside the rear forbidden area had not escaped, it was acceptable. Moreover, from the situation, internal conflict had clearly erupted among them; perhaps the Yuntian Sect would finally enjoy a period of peace.
With this thought, Ling Xiaozi sighed and quickly composed himself. The events of tonight needed to be strictly sealed within the sect, and an explanation would be required regarding the traitorous elders. He could only hope Chu Mingwei would soon grow into his role so that he could return to secluded cultivation in the rear mountains.
With this mindset, Ling Xiaozi decisively pulled Chu Mingwei into handling matters, assigning him task after task.
Chu Mingwei listened attentively while also giving Xiao Lingyu a look that instructed him to return obediently to his peak. Xiao Lingyu ignored it entirely. Chu Mingwei had no choice but to turn to Meng Fan instead, who immediately understood the meaning—watch the junior brother so he would not cause further trouble.
After Ling Xiaozi left with Chu Mingwei, Meng Fan coughed lightly and approached with an expression full of curiosity.
“Junior Brother, what exactly is inside the rear forbidden area?”
Xiao Lingyu smiled at him. “You really want to know?”
Meng Fan nodded eagerly.
Xiao Lingyu leaned in and lowered his voice. “I won’t tell you.”
Meng Fan: “……”
Bai Qian glanced at Meng Fan’s expression and shook his head, stepping forward to take over the task of patrol. Because of the possibility of hidden demon sect spies, they would have to patrol the entire night.
Just earlier, the sect had issued new orders: tonight’s disturbance was caused by infiltrating demon sect members attempting internal cooperation to break into the rear forbidden area.
Xiao Lingyu found the explanation somewhat amusing. No wonder the Yuntian Sect so readily blamed everything on the demon sect; it seemed every disturbance could be attributed to them. Many generations of demon cultivators must have been unfairly blamed.
The thought passed quickly. Xiao Lingyu looked toward the sect gates. In this life, everything had truly become different—the one expelled from the sect was no longer him, but Leng Hanran. As for Xu Xuan, who had been taken away with them, he wondered what fate awaited him.
Meanwhile, not far from Yuntian Sect, Li Changfeng stood suspended in the air, staring at the person blocking his path. A flash of pain crossed his eyes.
Yao Wu looked at Li Changfeng in silence, his expression unreadable. Finally, he lowered his gaze.
“The ancestor has already gone far. You cannot catch up.”
Li Changfeng said nothing and simply walked toward him step by step. Yao Wu instinctively retreated, refusing to let him come close.
Li Changfeng stopped at last. “When did you come back?”
Yao Wu replied flatly, “I do not understand what the elder is saying.”
Li Changfeng’s voice sharpened. “Lin Yi!”
Yao Wu’s body trembled faintly at the name. He lifted his head again, expression still cold.
“Junior Brother Lin Yi was already stripped of his spiritual roots, his cultivation destroyed, and exiled to the mortal realm long ago. It has been so many years—he must have already entered countless reincarnations. Elder, you are mistaken.”
Every word struck Li Changfeng like ice. He suppressed the bitterness rising in his chest and finally sighed.
“Yi’er…”
Yao Wu trembled violently. Suddenly, he turned and fled without another word, leaving only a resolute silhouette behind.
Li Changfeng watched him go and sighed deeply before turning away.
After fleeing for half a day’s journey, Yao Wu stopped by a pool of water.
He stared at his reflection—the unfamiliar face of a middle-aged man—and closed his eyes tightly. When he opened them again, the reflection had become that of a young, sharp-featured cultivator.
Lin Yi stared at himself in silence, then gave a cold laugh. Even if his appearance had returned, nothing could go back to how it was.
A voice suddenly came from behind him.
“Lin Yi.”
Lin Yi frowned and turned. “Why are you here?”
The newcomer smiled faintly. “To congratulate you on shedding that lifeless shell and returning to your youth.”
Lin Yi’s expression darkened.
The man continued casually, “I remember Elder Li Changfeng was once called the number one handsome man of Yuntian Sect. Time truly spares no one.”
Lin Yi’s gaze turned icy. “Yuan Baihua, what do you want?”
Yuan Baihua smiled. “Nothing. I just think that under the Heavenly Dao, even those in the Infant Realm cannot escape death. While alive, one should enjoy life more.”
Lin Yi replied coldly, “Mind your own business.”
Yuan Baihua tilted his head. “The ancestor has returned with Leng Hanran.”
Lin Yi gave a faint acknowledgment.
Yuan Baihua continued, “The ancestor’s most favored descendant is back. The rest of us… will probably be discarded as failures.”
Lin Yi frowned.
Yuan Baihua went on, “Tell me, is Leng Hanran lucky… or pitiful? He looks exactly like the ancestor.”
Lin Yi replied, “I would rather not be like him.”
At that moment, Lin Yi suddenly said, “Something is wrong with the ancestor.”
Yuan Baihua’s expression turned serious. “What do you mean?”
Lin Yi frowned. “A feeling.”
Yuan Baihua nodded slowly. He knew Lin Yi never spoke without reason.
“I will investigate.”
Lin Yi nodded, then changed once more into the appearance of Yao Wu and left without another word. Yuan Baihua followed behind him.
That night, the Grand Elders who had gone in pursuit all returned empty-handed. Ling Xiaozi could only reassure everyone that the demon cultivators had come prepared. The elders accepted this explanation and dispersed, except Li Changfeng, who remained silent and grave throughout the night.
Ling Xiaozi sighed inwardly. Yao Wu’s identity as Lin Yi had only been a suspicion at first, but now it seemed confirmed. Thinking of how Lin Yi had hidden within the sect undetected for so long, Ling Xiaozi felt uneasy. Had Chu Mingwei’s advancement not revealed something off about Yao Wu’s behavior, they might never have discovered it.
Looking at Li Changfeng’s aged expression, Ling Xiaozi could not help but think: love truly ruins people.
At that moment, he suddenly noticed Chu Mingwei, who, despite the chaos, sent out two transmission talismans—one urging Xiao Lingyu to return and rest, and another instructing disciples of the peak to remember to feed Zhu Yurun, the small white pig raised by Xiao Lingyu.
Ling Xiaozi was speechless.
Just as he was inwardly lamenting the absurdity of love, Chu Mingwei actually approached him.
Ling Xiaozi’s heart lifted with expectation—perhaps his disciple had finally remembered his exhausted master.
But Chu Mingwei simply reported calmly, “Master, all disciples have been arranged. Now only communication with other immortal sects remains.”
Ling Xiaozi’s expression froze.
“So… say that again?”
After confirming matters, Chu Mingwei prepared to leave. Ling Xiaozi hesitated, then asked again, “Mingwei… do you have anything else to say?”
Chu Mingwei thought for a moment and shook his head.
Ling Xiaozi’s expression instantly collapsed.
Chu Mingwei left in haste, thinking only of returning to Xiao Mingyu.
Ling Xiaozi watched him go, heart shattered.
Meanwhile, in the Yuanxi Kingdom, Leng Qin had returned to the imperial palace with Leng Hanran and Xu Xuan.
After carefully inspecting Leng Hanran, Leng Qin finally showed a satisfied expression. He then placed multiple seals upon him without explanation and had him taken away, ignoring all confusion in his eyes.
In the following days, news spread throughout the cultivation world: disciples of Yuntian Sect had colluded with demon cultivators and defected. Yet no one could find any trace of them.
Before long, another even greater event shook the entire cultivation world.
The Chu Heavenly Secret Realm, originally destined to appear twenty years later, had opened ahead of time.