Chen Qing left Qingmu Institute after night had already fallen.
He stood quietly outside the institute gates for a moment.
Before long, the Golden Feather Eagle spread its enormous wings and dove from the clouds, landing steadily before him.
"Let's go. Back to the sect."
Chen Qing swung onto its back and lightly patted its neck.
The Golden Feather Eagle let out a long cry. Its wings beat, whipping up a fierce gale as it carried Chen Qing skyward, swiftly vanishing into the boundless night.
Two days later, Tianbao Giant City came into view in the distance.
Its majestic walls coiled like a giant dragon, while pavilions and towers filled the city within. Smoke and fire flourished there, presenting the towering grandeur of a sect with a thousand-year legacy.
Riding the Golden Feather Eagle, Chen Qing swept over from high above and flew straight toward True Martial Peak.
True Martial Peak remained as it had always been, green bamboo casting shade and clear springs flowing.
The small courtyard sat quietly halfway up the mountain.
As the Golden Feather Eagle landed in the courtyard and Chen Qing had just stepped down from its back, he heard a delighted call.
"Senior Brother!"
Zi Su hurried out from the main house, a smile blooming across her face.
"Senior Brother is back. Would you like to bathe and change first? I'll prepare hot water right away."
Chen Qing nodded. "That works."
After a pause, he asked, "While I was away, did anything major happen in the sect?"
He had gone to the Eight Paths Region, and in the blink of an eye, two months had passed. He wondered what changes had taken place within the sect.
"Reporting to Senior Brother, there were indeed two major events."
Zi Su said, "The first concerns the True