Reincarnation Immortal Venerable: Starting from the Ninety-Nineth Incarnation

Yuan Daosheng was the first to regain his senses. He quickly stepped forward, gently placing his fingers on Li Yanzhou's wrist pulse. With a slight movement of his profound energy, he carefully examined Li Yanzhou's aura and pulse.

A moment later, his brows furrowed, and the doubt in his eyes deepened.

Although Li Yanzhou's pulse was weak, it was steady and strong, showing no signs of death whatsoever. Only a faint trace of spiritual energy remained in his chest, vaguely carrying the aura of the Heavenly Governor's Mansion's techniques.

"Yanzhou, you..." Yuan Daosheng withdrew his hand, his tone complex, a mixture of joy at regaining what he had lost and undisguised doubt. "Are you really alright? Young Master Shen's move that day seemed incredibly powerful, how could you..."

Li Yanzhou leaned against the coffin wall, catching his breath for a while before propping himself up. He cupped his hands in greeting to Sect Leader Yuan and the others, his voice still hoarse: "Thank you for your concern, Sect Leader and elders. I'm truly alright!"

He pondered for a moment, then vaguely said, "When Young Master Shen made his move that day, it seemed fierce, but in fact he left room for maneuver. He also secretly gave me a pill to protect my heart and soul, putting me into a state of suspended animation so that I could avoid the sharp edge and investigation of the Luoshui Sect."

These words stirred up a wave of emotions in everyone present, and their expressions became more doubtful.

Elder Chaohua stepped forward, her tone inquisitive: "Shen Qinghan's actions are truly perplexing. He attacked you, yet secretly saved you. This contradiction must have a hidden reason."

Elder Ruoxue nodded slightly, her eyes full of thought: "Yes, if he truly wanted to protect you, why would he go through such a roundabout way, causing you to suffer these setbacks and making everyone worry for nothing?"

Li Yanzhou shook his head silently, looking helpless: "I don't know what Young Master Shen's intentions are either. He only said that faking his death was a temporary measure and that he would contact me afterward. He didn't say anything else."

He did not hide the fact that Shen Qinghan would come to find him again.

Since Shen Qinghan saved him, there must be follow-up arrangements. This matter cannot be kept secret, nor is it necessary to keep it secret.

Su Qingyao squatted beside the coffin, her hand gently brushing the edge of the coffin. Her gaze lingered on Li Yanzhou for a long time, and the worry in her eyes finally dissipated, leaving only the warmth of surviving a disaster.

Tears still clung to her eyelashes, her voice as soft as a breeze: "Thank goodness you're alright... otherwise I..."

As she spoke, she carefully took out a bottle of Qi-replenishing pills, poured out one, and handed it to Li Yanzhou. Her cheeks instantly flushed crimson, and her voice trembled softly, "Oh dear... take this quickly, to replenish... replenish your spiritual energy..."

Li Yanzhou took the pill, and seeing her evasive eyes and only uttering half a sentence, he couldn't help but chuckle: "Why are you stammering?"

Elder Chaohua and Elder Ruoxue exchanged a glance and chuckled, looking at Su Qingyao with a hint of mischief, as if they had already seen through the girl's unconcealed thoughts.

Su Qingyao felt extremely uncomfortable under the gazes of the two men. When she looked up and met their mischievous eyes, she became even more flustered. Her cheeks turned bright red, and she hurriedly lowered her head, stomped her foot, and twisted the hem of her clothes, unable to utter a word for a long time.

Yuan Daosheng sighed, raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and said with a solemn expression: "This matter is strange. Shen Qinghan's intentions are unclear. The matter of Yanzhou faking his death must not be made public. If Luoshui Sect finds out that Yanzhou is not dead, they will definitely come to demand an explanation again. At that time, Tiandu Mansion may not help us again, and our Qiyun Sect may be in danger of being destroyed."

Everyone nodded, understanding the implications.

Elder Chaohua replied in a deep voice, "What the sect leader said is absolutely right. We must handle the coffin properly as soon as possible and announce to the outside world that Li Yanzhou has been buried. We must not reveal the slightest flaw."

"In addition, we need to send more people to investigate the movements of the Luoshui Sect," Elder Ruoxue added. "Lingxu Zhenren is ambitious. Although he received compensation this time, he failed to annex our Qiyun Sect. He will certainly not give up easily. We need to prepare for this as soon as possible."

Yuan Daosheng nodded, his gaze falling on Li Yanzhou. His tone was gentle yet firm: "Yanzhou, you should come with me back to the side courtyard of the sect master's hall to recuperate. The barrier there is tight, it is secluded and safe, and no one will disturb you. During this time, you can focus on recovering and don't worry too much. I will keep an eye on Shen Qinghan. Once he shows up, I will definitely find out all the details."

After saying this, Li Yanzhou silently shook his head.

He leaned against the coffin wall and slowly straightened up. Even though his breath was still somewhat weak, his back was ramrod straight. His gaze swept over the sect leader and elders present, and he said solemnly, "Sect leader, elders, I have a request."

Yuan Daosheng was taken aback: "Speak freely."

"This disciple cannot remain in the sect." Li Yanzhou said clearly, "I faked my death to escape this time in order to avoid the sharp edge of the Luoshui Sect. However, if I hide within the sect, I will eventually become a hidden danger. The truth will eventually come out. Once the news is leaked, the Luoshui Sect will have a reason to attack again. At that time, the entire Qiyun Sect will be in danger because of me. This disciple has been taken in and raised by the sect for many years. I must not bring about the destruction of the sect for my own selfish reasons."

Everyone was taken aback by his words; no one had expected him to say such a thing.

Yuan Daosheng immediately frowned and retorted, "Yanzhou, what are you saying? You are a disciple of my Qiyun Sect. It is the sect's duty to protect you. How can we let you venture out alone into danger?"

"Sect Master, it is precisely because I am a disciple of the Qiyun Sect that I cannot be a burden to the sect." Li Yanzhou bowed deeply, his attitude resolute. "Now that I am 'a dead man,' I can use this identity to leave the sect and make my own way in the world."

Firstly, it would completely extinguish any thoughts that the Luoshui Sect might have about targeting the Qiyun Sect.

Secondly, I can also investigate the truth from the outside, find out what Shen Qinghan's true intentions, and I've always felt that my brother Li Yanran's betrayal wasn't so simple. These things started because of me, and I can't keep hiding under the sect's wings and letting everyone else bear the brunt of the storm for me.

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Elder Chaohua opened her mouth, the words were already on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them back.

Elder Ruoxue beside him also tightened her hands in her sleeves, her eyes filled with complex emotions. The two looked at each other and saw the same hesitation in each other's eyes.

They've kept this secret for far too many years.

When Li Yanzhou first entered the Qiyun Sect, he was still an ignorant and frail young man, and they received a personal message from Shen Qinghan of the Tiandu Mansion.

The letter was brief, only instructing the sect to take good care of Li Yanzhou, providing him with the best cultivation resources and the most meticulous guidance on techniques. The Heavenly Governor's Mansion would be grateful for the favor from the Qiyun Sect.

Over the years, they have followed Shen Qinghan's instructions and watched Li Yanzhou rise step by step from an outer disciple to an inner disciple. They have seen that although he is not particularly talented, he is resilient and hardworking. They have long regarded him as their personal disciple. The initial instructions have long been overshadowed by the deep affection within the sect.

But now, Shen Qinghan's identity has become so delicate, and the entanglement between him and Li Yanzhou is shrouded in mystery.

If they were to reveal what happened back then now, they feared that Li Yanzhou would misunderstand, that the sect had accepted him into the sect and treated him kindly, not because of him personally, but only because of the Heavenly Governor's Mansion. They feared that he would think that the master-disciple relationship of so many years was nothing more than a transaction of currying favor.

The words lingered on their lips for a long time, but in the end, the two remained silent, lowered their heads, and ultimately couldn't bring themselves to say them.

Seeing the determination in Li Yanzhou's eyes, Yuan Daosheng knew that his mind was made up and he could not be persuaded.

He remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a long sigh, his tone full of tenderness and helplessness: "You child, you always have such a strong will. Well, since you have made up your mind, I will not stop you. But you must remember that Qiyun Sect will always be your home. No matter what difficulties you encounter outside, as long as you send a message back, the sect will do everything in its power to help you."

Li Yanzhou's eyes welled up with tears, and he bowed deeply, saying, "This disciple thanks the Sect Master for his kindness!"

For the next two days, Li Yanzhou rested quietly in the side courtyard of the sect master's hall, refining pills to restore his spiritual power while packing his belongings.

In the past two days, Su Qingyao has been going to the side courtyard almost every day, but she always runs away with a blush after only a few words.

On that day at the altar, she thought Li Yanzhou was really gone. She repeated the love she had kept hidden in her heart for many years over and over again in her mind. She even had the thought of spending the rest of her life guarding his memorial tablet.

But now that he's standing right in front of me, all those surging emotions get stuck in my throat. The moment I see his eyes, my heart races so fast I can't even utter a complete sentence. I can only silently bring him water and medicine, tidy up his house, and hide all my feelings in these little things.

Shi Dazhuang stood guard at the courtyard gate without leaving for a moment, like a loyal little guard. He would stare at anyone who approached for a long time, afraid that someone would disturb Li Yanzhou's recovery.

The night before his departure, Li Yanzhou called Su Qingyao and Shi Dazhuang to the courtyard.

The moonlight spilled onto the bluestone ground, and the evening breeze carried the fragrance of mountain grass and trees.