A dark green streak tore across the sky, landing precisely at the entrance to the Body Sect's hidden valley.
When Du Busi led Zichuan through the passage disguised as a cliff face and stepped once more into the familiar sect grounds surrounded by steep cliffs, a grounding sense of finally being home made Zichuan let out a long breath.
The valley remained unchanged. Shouts rang continuously from the central training ground, figures moved through the herb fields, and rough stone-and-wood buildings cast mottled shadows beneath the sunlight.
The air carried a faint, distinctive scent mingling sweat, medicinal herbs, and earth—the scent unique to the Body Sect.
"We're finally back..." Zichuan looked at the familiar sights before him with a relaxed smile, then turned to Du Busi, whose presence was as deep and steady as a mountain, and said,
"Teacher, I plan to take some of the Immortal Herbs we harvested from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and distribute them among the sect's senior brothers and sisters, as well as the elders and stewards who have contributed to the sect. There are so many Immortal Herbs that I can't use them all myself. Letting them sit around would be a waste; we might as well use them to improve everyone's strength."
He said it as if it were only natural, as though he were sharing ordinary candy.
During those six months at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, aside from cultivating and "feeding" Tang Ya, he had not been idle. He had gathered many of the Immortal Herbs that could be harvested without harming the foundation of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, as well as those old enough.
But he had sorted and stored the branches, fruits, and leaves of Immortal Herbs that had yet to develop intelligence, using special methods.
The Aromatic Silk Beauty's Soul Spirit had been a tremendous help in identifying and preserving their medicinal properties.
Du Busi paused slightly at those words and looked down at Zichuan. His hawk-sharp eyes held an exceedingly complicated emotion at that moment—gratification, pride, sentiment, and the solemnity of someone who had made up his mind.
He looked deeply at Zichuan, then vigorously rubbed his hair with one large hand and said in a deep voice,
"Good lad. You've got a good heart. But there's no rush. Come meet everyone with your teacher first."
The moment the two had walked a short distance into the valley, sharp-eyed disciples spotted them.
"The Sect Master is back!"
"Junior Brother is back too!"
"Sect Master! Junior Brother Zichuan!"
Shouts and delighted cries erupted at once. The disciples sparring on the training ground stopped, the people working in the herb fields straightened up, and figures poured from stone houses all around, swarming toward them.
Within moments, dozens of people had gathered around Zichuan and Du Busi. Some were familiar faces, while many others he had only met once or twice.
Every one of them looked at the pair with curiosity, delight, and scrutiny, especially Zichuan.
That boy had disappeared with the Sect Master for over half a year without a word, and now that he had suddenly returned, he seemed... taller? His aura also seemed far more composed.
Two figures stood out especially within the crowd.
One was Long Aotian. Half a year apart had seen him grow several inches taller, his features becoming even more resolute. His gaze remained as sharp as ever, and he stood there like a drawn sword. His presence was steady and restrained, while his Soul Power fluctuations had astonishingly reached Rank 30!
He had only just turned ten! Such cultivation speed fully lived up to his reputation as the greatest genius of the Body Sect's younger generation.
When he saw Zichuan, a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes, followed by pure fighting intent and a faint smile. He gave a slight nod in greeting.
The other was a little girl about Zichuan's age, dressed in a pale golden skirt and wearing her hair in twin buns. She looked as delicate and lovely as a carved doll.
She was Vina, the little princess of the Body Sect.
Her bright, watery eyes curiously studied Zichuan, while a sweet smile hung on her little face.
"Teacher, Junior Brother Zichuan, you're finally back!" Vina called out in a crisp voice as she ran to Du Busi and wrapped her arms around his arm.
"Haha, we're back, we're back!"
Du Busi's stern expression softened somewhat upon seeing Vina, but he quickly regained his solemnity.
He swept his gaze across the growing crowd of sect members, cleared his throat, and spoke in a voice like a great bell that instantly drowned out all the noise.
"Silence!"
Everyone immediately fell quiet, their eyes turning in unison toward Du Busi as they waited for the Sect Master's words.
Du Busi's gaze slowly swept over the crowd before settling on Zichuan at his side. There was no hesitation left in his eyes as he spoke loudly, each word striking their hearts like a heavy hammer.
"I have gathered you all today to announce an important matter."
He paused, his tone decisive and beyond question.
"From this day onward, Zichuan is my, Du Busi's, personal disciple and the first-in-line successor to become the next Sect Master of the Body Sect! When this old man steps down or passes away, Zichuan will become the new Sect Master!"
"Boom—!"
One statement stirred a thousand waves!
The entire valley instantly erupted! Everyone was so stunned by the news that they stood dumbfounded, wondering whether they had misheard.
The Sect Master's successor? First in line? Zichuan? That junior brother who was only a little over seven years old and had joined the sect barely half a year ago?!
Zichuan's talent might have defied the heavens—he possessed the Dual Heart Martial Soul, had obtained a thousand-year first soul ring, and had even defeated Long Aotian—but this... this was far too soon, wasn't it?!
How old was he? What contributions had he made to the sect? How much did he know about the sect's affairs? He was being named the Sect Master's successor just like that? And first in line at that?
That meant that so long as Du Busi was gone or willingly stepped down, Zichuan would unquestionably become the next Sect Master—unless he died or betrayed the sect!
This decision was too abrupt, too significant!
Even Zichuan abruptly raised his head and stared at Du Busi in astonishment.
What was Teacher trying to pull with this sudden ambush? He hadn't discussed it with me at all! I don't care about becoming Sect Master, but this burden is way too heavy, isn't it?
I'm only seven! I just want to be quietly fed and then become a god so I can cut down Tang San!
"Sect Master! Isn't this... this a little too hasty?" An elder who appeared to be in his fifties could not help speaking. His arms hung past his knees, and he was Wang Long-Arm's clan uncle, a man of considerable prestige within the sect.
"That's right, Sect Master. Junior Brother Zichuan's extraordinary talent is plain for all to see, but the matter of an heir concerns the sect's plans for the next century. Shouldn't we deliberate further?"
Another elder with a lean face and unusually thick legs echoed him.
Many sect members also revealed hesitation, confusion, and even a faint trace of dissatisfaction.
Long Aotian furrowed his brows slightly, and his gaze at Zichuan gained several more layers of scrutiny. Vina merely blinked curiously at Zichuan, unable to understand why everyone was reacting so strongly.
Facing their doubts, Du Busi's expression did not change. Only his aura abruptly rose by a fraction.
That mere trace of released aura made everyone present feel their hearts sink, as though an invisible mountain were pressing down upon them. Even breathing became somewhat difficult. It was a terrifying pressure far beyond anything they had felt before, enough to make their hearts tremble!
"Hasty? Deliberate?" Du Busi snorted coldly, his voice shaking the valley. "When this old man acts, why should I explain myself to you? But since you've asked, this old man will tell you!"
His lightning-sharp gaze swept across the crowd. "This old man has been in seclusion for half a year, and now I have one foot in the realm of a Rank 99 Limit Douluo! Before long, I will make the true breakthrough and reach the Limit! And all of this is because of Zichuan!"
"Uproar—!" The crowd erupted again. A Rank 99 Limit Douluo? That was a legendary realm, with only a handful across the entire continent! The Sect Master was about to break through? And it was because of Zichuan?
Du Busi continued,
"Zichuan possesses a great opportunity. He discovered an unparalleled treasure land... the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well! It nurtures countless Immortal Herbs and spiritual medicines, including many at the hundred-thousand-year level! This old man was able to break through because I consumed an eighty-thousand-year Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum from there!"
Before you continue