By now, more or less everyone in the sect had arrived.
With only Li Xingtian still out roaming, and Ning Qianqian and Bai Xuanling outside the Heavenly Derivation Sect, everyone else in the sect was present.
Those who had not come earlier had all been called over to the Deep Pool.
The sect's only Outer Sect disciple, Zhou Ping, and Green Snake were both there as well.
Zhou Ping still smelled faintly of pills. It was not a pleasant smell, so he found himself a seat downwind.
Green Snake had grown considerably larger. Its tail was still curled around a Spirit Stone, absorbing it. It had been called out in the middle of cultivating, and over the years, it had worked just as hard as Li Xingtian.
By the stone chairs at the Deep Pool, Chen Baiqing deftly brewed tea for everyone.
Sandong kept glancing over to see whether Chen Baiqing's tea was ready, then turning to watch Cui Hao begin his self-criticism. Both sides were so riveting that Sandong could not bear to miss either.
Li Yingling stood with her arms folded, quietly listening to Cui Hao's self-criticism.
"It's all because I wanted to slack off..."
"I shouldn't have asked Eldest Senior Sister to handle every little thing."
"Only one ten-thousandth of the credit this time belongs to me. All the rest should go to Eldest Senior Sister."
"Without Eldest Senior Sister's wholehearted support, I definitely couldn't have pulled this off."
Cui Hao looked a little aggrieved as he spoke, then abruptly changed tack:
"But Eldest Senior Sister, when we met at the Ruined Temple back then, didn't you say I could ask you for help if anything came up?"
"Oh?" The corner of Li Yingling's mouth lifted slightly. "Then by that reasoning, if Eldest Senior Sister needs your