Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

Before long, waves of spiritual pressure surged across the sky, and the clouds rolled like waves. True Master Danxuan returned, followed by dozens of inner sect disciples, each holding array plates and banners, their spiritual energy awe-inspiring.

"Everyone, follow me to set up the powerful array to suppress the evil spirits!"

At Danxuan's command, the disciples guarding the area immediately dispersed, taking their positions according to their location. Their spiritual light intertwined to form a net, firmly enveloping the slightly closed crack in the ground. However, evil still surged beneath the crack, and the combined power of the outer and ordinary inner disciples was ultimately insufficient to completely suppress it.

Just then, two indescribable pressures suddenly descended from the sky.

It wasn't violence, nor ferocity, but a solemnity and profoundness originating from the very source of heaven and earth, as if the entire spiritual vein of Laoshan Mountain bowed down in its presence. Inside and outside the bamboo forest, all the disciples subconsciously held their breath, finding even raising their heads a struggle.

Lin Yan's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously looked up.

Two figures slowly descended from the clouds.

A man dressed in a black robe with gold patterns, wearing a jade crown, with a majestic face and eyes that seemed to hold the sun and moon in their blinking, surrounded by a vast and unfathomable spiritual aura, was none other than the sect leader of Laoshan. He simply stood there quietly, causing the surrounding turbid air to retreat step by step, and even the air itself became clear.

The other man was dressed in a spotless gray robe, his posture upright like a pine tree, his temperament refined and otherworldly, surrounded by a faint moonlight-like glow, untouched by any worldly concerns. He lowered his eyes to gaze at the crack in the forbidden gate, and with a slight lift of his fingertips, a gentle yet domineering Daoist aura spread out, causing the ancient forbidden patterns on the verge of collapse to slowly reassemble under his aura.

Throughout the entire process, neither of them looked down at the crowd below.

The two True Immortals, Danxuan and Qingxuan, bowed deeply in unison, their expressions extremely respectful.

Lin Yan gazed at the two figures from afar, his heart trembling.

He had witnessed the perils of the Sea City Secret Realm, the ferocity of the Bone-Eating Lizard, and the malevolence of the Bone-Eating Evil Shadow, but he had never seen a figure so close to "immortal." It was a composure standing at the pinnacle of cultivation, a power that could determine the safety of a sect with a single word and suppress evil spirits of heaven and earth with a single finger.

He felt a strange sense of closeness to him, but dared not delve into it, unaware that this gray-robed Taoist was none other than his mysterious master.

That single glimpse from afar was enough to dispel all of Lin Yan's previous restlessness, wishful thinking, and wavering.

So there really are such people in this world.

So it turns out that the path of spiritual cultivation can truly lead to such a state.

He clenched his fists, and the desire to become stronger in his heart took root completely and became unbreakable at this moment.

The sect leader raised his hand, and a golden light, as imposing as a mountain, crashed down, forcefully pressing the restless fissure back into the earth. The white-robed Taoist then summoned a warm jade seal, its spiritual light scattering to repair the foundation of the forbidden gate. In a short while, the fissure completely closed, the turbid air dissipated, and the secluded bamboo forest returned to peace.

From beginning to end, the two did not exchange a single word, and in a flash, they disappeared into the horizon.

Only after the two oppressive auras completely dissipated did everyone dare to breathe a long sigh of relief.

Master Danxuan turned around, his gaze falling on Lin Yan and the others. His expression was solemn as he spoke in a clear voice:

"During this disturbance in the Netherworld Forbidden Zone, the evil creature nearly broke free of its seal. It was thanks to the few of you who were the first to notice and fought desperately to stop it that you bought precious time for the sect to come to the rescue and protected the outer sect's peace. Your contributions are invaluable."

Having said that, he announced the reward to everyone:

Lin Yan: First merit, awarded 15 mid-grade Qi Gathering Pills, one scroll of the Spirit-Rank Body Technique "Shadow Chasing Step", one outer sect core disciple token, double the spirit stones every month, and special permission to enter the outer sect scripture pavilion to choose two mid-grade cultivation techniques.

Yunxi and Ye Qing: For their meritorious service in defending against the enemy, each is awarded ten mid-grade Qi Gathering Pills, a spirit weapon, and a 30% increase in spirit stone salary.

Yi Azhu: For your merit in suppressing evil with your Water Spirit Body, I bestow upon you three bottles of Condensed Water Spirit Liquid and several Soul Warming Pearls and Nourishing Pills.

Chen Dagang: He bravely protects his friends, shields them from evil with his own body, and is bestowed with five bottles of body-strengthening and bone-strengthening ointment and a pair of Xuan Tie heavy-protection mirrors.

The crowd was deeply moved and bowed repeatedly in gratitude.

By the time the group returned to the outer gate, the news had already spread.

Evil spirits haunted the Spirit Herb Garden, ferocious creatures emerged from the forbidden area, outer disciples fought valiantly, and a True Immortal personally came to suppress the evil... One story after another spread more and more widely among the outer disciples.

In no time, Lin Yan, Yun Xi, Yi Azhu, Ye Qing, and Chen Dagang, who had only been in the mountain for a few days, became the most dazzling presence in the entire outer sect.

Wherever he went, he received admiring glances, envious looks, and even secretive scrutiny... The discussions were endless.

Amidst the clamor, Ye Qing remained calm and composed, standing quietly beside the crowd without vying for anything, yet a hint of melancholy lurked deep within his eyes, imperceptible to others.

When he was defending the forbidden area, he had activated his spiritual power in a moment of desperation. A faint blue light inadvertently appeared at his fingertips. Only Qingxuan Zhenren, who was not far away, saw it. His eyes paused slightly, but he did not make a sound. He simply shifted his gaze to the sealed crack in the ground.

As everyone returned with their rewards, they were surrounded by disciples who praised them. Master Qingxuan looked at Ye Qing's back, then turned to look at Master Danxuan beside him, who had a solemn expression. He shook his head slightly and whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "The time is not right yet. We can tell him about his secrets when he enters the inner sect and formally becomes a disciple."

Master Danxuan nodded, his gaze sweeping over Ye Qing with a hint of consideration in his eyes. This young man seemed to have mediocre talent, but when he fought against the turbid evil, he displayed composure and spiritual strength far exceeding that of ordinary outer disciples. His aura was deeply concealed, making him far more than just an ordinary disciple.

Ye Qing seemed to sense something, and turned his head slightly, just in time to meet the gazes of the two True Immortals. He lowered his eyes to hide his emotions without showing any emotion, bowed to Danxuan and Qingxuan in the distance, and then followed Lin Yan and the others who were excitedly talking beside him, slowly walking towards the outer disciples' residence.

He himself never delved into the past, only knowing that he had been alone since childhood and had only vague doubts about his origins, but never thought about this secret hidden in his blood.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, Lin Yan was about to return to his residence to sort out the rewards he had received when a gentle yet irresistible spiritual force quietly wrapped around his wrist, leading him to a secluded path where no one was around.

Lin Yan's heart skipped a beat. After seeing the person in front of him clearly, he quickly bowed and said, "Disciple Lin Yan greets True Person Qingxuan."

The person before him was none other than Master Qingxuan. He had shed the solemnity he displayed when he was suppressing evil, and now there was a gentle smile in his eyes. He raised his hand to help Lin Yan up. "No need for formalities. I called you here for two reasons. First, to congratulate you on your merit in protecting the forbidden area this time. Second... since we met again in this old place, I haven't had a chance to properly thank you yet."

Lin Yan was taken aback at first, then bowed and said, "This disciple did nothing but lend a hand, and dares not accept the Master's thanks. Previously in the secret realm, the Master also gave me a lot of guidance and even gifted me a storage ring, for which I am already extremely grateful."

Master Qingxuan looked at his calm and composed demeanor, his eyes filled with even greater admiration, and said softly, "You are of pure heart and kind nature, calm and decisive in the face of adversity, and your talent for cultivation is also excellent. Staying in the outer sect would be a waste of your abilities. This time you have made great contributions, and your status as a core disciple of the outer sect is only the first step on the path of immortality. Do not let the glory before you make you complacent. You must concentrate on your cultivation and accumulate strength for a future breakthrough."

After saying that, he moved his fingertips slightly, and a lustrous blue jade slip quietly fell into Lin Yan's hand. The jade slip was filled with a faint Daoist charm, and it was clear at a glance that it was no ordinary object.

"This jade slip contains a trace of my enlightenment, which will greatly benefit your cultivation. If you encounter a bottleneck in your cultivation in the future, or if you have any problems that you cannot solve in the outer sect, you can crush the jade slip and send a message to me." Master Qingxuan said solemnly, "Remember, you must not tell outsiders about this. Before your own strength is stable, you must hide your sharpness to avoid bringing disaster upon yourself."

Lin Yan gripped the jade slip tightly in his hand, clearly feeling the warm spiritual energy emanating from it. He was both surprised and touched, and immediately bowed solemnly: "Disciple will remember the True Person's teachings and will certainly live up to the True Person's high expectations."

Master Qingxuan nodded slightly, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the storage ring given to Lin Yan by the secret realm at his waist. A deep meaning flashed in his eyes. He then gave a few more words of advice on cultivating diligently before transforming into a beam of light and quietly departing without disturbing anyone.

The warmth of the jade slip in his palm seemed to penetrate his heart, and the words of the master just now resonated in his mind. Lin Yan composed himself, carefully put the jade slip into his storage ring, and turned to walk towards his residence. The slight restlessness that had arisen from receiving the reward completely vanished.

Under the shade of a tree not far away, Ye Qing watched Lin Yan's departing figure, then looked in the direction where Qingxuan Zhenren disappeared. A glint flashed in her eyes, but she remained silent and slowly disappeared at the end of the path.