He Dao returned, and the Divine Palace fell silent. When Xi Yue returned to the main hall, she found everyone in a state of panic.
She smiled. "Senior Brother attained the Dao and went Cloud Wandering. That is a joyous occasion. Return to your places and cultivate. Why are you all pulling such long faces?"
Someone said, "But Palace Master, the strength of our Celestial Pivot Divine Palace now..."
"Our strength is weak?" Xi Yue found this strange. "Senior Brother never did anything to begin with. Did it make any difference whether he was here or not?"
The Daoists: "..."
Xi Yue said lazily, "At most, he was a reassuring pill in your hearts. Unfortunately, when he emerged from seclusion, all he thought about was ascending to Heaven. That is no reassuring pill... Could it be that you want to go up too?"
Perhaps some within the Celestial Pivot Divine Palace did want to ascend, but at this moment, no one dared reveal it.
Or rather, if He Dao had raised his arm and called out, there might have been a great many willing to ascend with him. After all, other sects' Qianyuan cultivators dominated their own regions, while theirs was merely a steward. What great difference was there between being a steward on the ground and an immortal official in the Heavenly Palace? Wasn't following the Sect Master up there to enjoy Spiritual Energy resources far more appealing?
Previously, the Celestial Pivot Divine Palace had never set its course. Everyone had been waiting for He Dao's intentions. At most, Xi Yue had exchanged views with her own confidants; the entire Celestial Pivot Divine Palace had never even held a meeting on the matter.
Yet less than the time it took an incense stick to burn after He Dao emerged