As the sect grew more crowded, its gatherings grew livelier too.
Li Yingling had gone from running the whole event at the beginning to overseeing just one game, while most people were free to do whatever they wanted.
What truly made a gathering comfortable was not its bustling merriment, but everyone being able to do what they wanted, without having to cater to the crowd, free to show their most relaxed side.
They could chat and drink at leisure, or join in Monopoly like Qinghe, her face brimming with an excited smile.
Time silently nudged everything along. Even Zhou Ping, once so reserved, could now raise his hand to join Monopoly.
Zhang Miaoyu, the so-called Outer Sect elder, had also grown increasingly accustomed to addressing Chu Xingchen as Sect Leader. By now, it rolled off her tongue whenever they met.
Chu Xingchen still remembered when Zhang Miaoyu had first called him Sect Leader. Calling her awkward would have been an understatement; it was practically as though someone had held a knife to her throat.
Zhang Miaoyu had later explained-after so many years as an unaffiliated cultivator, she had never imagined she would one day join a sect. Among unaffiliated cultivators, "Sect Leader" was not exactly a flattering term.
Among Dongsheng Shenzhou's unaffiliated cultivators, "Sect Leader" was essentially no different from "Zhou Bapi."
That was why she had felt so conflicted saying it back then.
Yet now, Zhang Miaoyu, once so conflicted, was taking part as well, all smiles.
Ning Qianqian and Ning Kun were there too, of course.
When it came to whose appearance had changed the most, it was actually Ning Qianqian. The once small, skinny girl with a sallow face had now grown fair-skinned and somewhat taller.
Ning Qianqian was still at the third level of Qi Refining,