Time flew like a galloping white colt slipping through a crack, and in the blink of an eye, five years had passed.
Xu Changqing was nearly seventy years old. In the world of cultivation, that was no more than the flick of a finger, yet the changes in those around him were plain to see.
His eldest disciple, Sun Shangxiang, was nearing forty and had already reached the Middle Golden Core Realm. Her temperament had grown ever more steady, and she had long since become capable of standing on her own. She now managed most of Azurewood Peak's affairs.
His second disciple, Lin Feng, had vanished without a trace after leaving to travel five years ago. Though he was still alive, no one knew when he would return.
His third disciple, Qingyao, still looked sweet and lively, and her cultivation remained at the Foundation Establishment Realm. Fortunately, her disposition was serene, and she was neither anxious nor impatient.
What pleased Xu Changqing most, however, was the growth of his children.
His eldest daughter, Xu Linglong, was over thirty, while his youngest son, Xu Ping'an, had just turned twenty. The siblings cultivated far faster than their peers, and were now only one step away from breaking through to the Golden Core Realm.
Xu Linglong possessed a pure Ice Spirit Root and had been taken in by Mo Qiushui, the master of Water-Control Pavilion, as her personal disciple.
Xu Ping'an had a Quadruple Spirit Root, possessing water, wood, fire, and earth, lacking only a Metal Spiritual Root. Even so, his talent, aptitude, and comprehension were all among the very best. He could be called a genius among geniuses.
It was precisely because of this astonishing talent that he had caught the eye of Li Wudao, the Yin-Yang Venerable, and been accepted as