That face looked so familiar.

It felt like she had seen it somewhere before…

He Qingling, slightly stunned, thought this in her heart, then suddenly remembered an incident from several years ago when she had followed an elder of her sect down to the Southern Region of Chenping Continent to the Setting Sun Sword Manor to capture her maternal uncle.

"...Bao Kai?"

He Qingling murmured slowly.

Her voice, almost like a whisper, nevertheless flowed clearly into Chen Yan's ears.

The imposing Realman Du Cang halted in his tracks. At the same time, True Person Caiyun Kong Yang and Realman Lingxuan Gu Jing, who had been walking half a pace behind him, also stopped.

Chen Yan then turned his head slowly and let his gaze fall on the girl in the white dress standing among the crowd. He smiled lightly:

"He Xiyao?"

Impossible!

He Qingling's thoughts shattered into chaos, her mind a complete blank.

The one she had seen back then in the Southern Region of Chenping Continent turned out to be Realman Du Cang, Chen Yan?

Noticing Realman Du Cang's gaze fall on his daughter, He Chengjie, head of the Xuan Sheng Sect, grew somewhat nervous; when he realized his daughter was merely standing there in a daze, his anxiety intensified.

"Qingling, quickly bow to Realman Chen!"

He Chengjie hurriedly urged in a low voice.

Only then did He Qingling snap back and hurriedly bow and cup her hands toward Chen Yan:

"Late—late disciple He Qingling pays respects to Realman Du Cang!"

Chen Yan glanced again in He Qingling's direction. Indeed, she bore a certain resemblance to Chu Xiyao; no doubt she had once called herself "He Xiyao" out of admiration for Chu Xiyao.

But to Chen Yan, He Qingling's appearance was nothing more than a tiny, inconsequential interlude.

"This child admires the Kongshan Sect a great deal."

Chen Yan said with a smile to Kong Yang standing behind him, then nodded once more toward He Qingling before drawing his gaze back and continuing forward.

The thin man trailing Chen Yan, expressionlessly lean and neither sad nor joyful, also looked briefly at He Qingling.

But he said nothing.

"Greetings, Realman Du Cang! Greetings, True Person Caiyun! Greetings, Realman Lingxuan!"

Respectful voices came in succession, and He Qingling, still standing where she was, felt her heart pounding wildly.

For someone of Realman Du Cang's stature, the words he had just spoken to Kong Yang and the slight nod he gave He Qingling were entirely casual, unintentional gestures.

Yet those trivial, careless acts were already enough to shape a person's entire life.

...

Du Cang Mountain, northwest direction.

After more than ten thousand outer sect disciples from the four great sects had spent over two years on repairs, the Du Cang Mountain now stood more majestic and imposing than the old Heavenly Summit Mountain ever had.

A sacred place of cultivation.

Any cultivator standing on the present Du Cang Mountain would feel this deeply.

Every inch of road was paved with Yunxian Jade, so any cultivator training on Du Cang Mountain could expect their cultivation speed to be more than double what it had been down below.

The cluster of over a hundred buildings located northwest on Du Cang Mountain was where Realman Du Cang had allocated lodging for Kongshan Sect cultivators.

Although much smaller than the former Slaying Heaven Pavilion when Heavenly Summit Mountain had been Kongshan territory, it was more than sufficient for the Kongshan disciples attending the Du Cang Mountain Dao Discussion.

In the main hall at the center of the buildings, the lean man sat on a meditation cushion, eyes gently closed, recuperating.

"Ahem, ahem!"

Suddenly, he coughed violently twice.

With the cough, several extremely fine pitch-black rifts briefly appeared in the air behind him, but they were soon slowly mended and erased under the healing of the laws of heaven and earth.

Kong Yang lowered his gaze; no emotion showed in his eyes.

It was as if nothing could stir any ripple in the heart of this Ascended Steward.

The rate at which his dao resonance eroded might be faster than he had imagined.

Kong Yang thought this and then began to slowly circulate the Purple Mansion Record.

The Purple Mansion Record could not stop the erosion of dao resonance, but it could, to a certain degree, slow down abnormal dao foundation erosion.

How much longer could he hold on?

Kong Yang, eyes still lightly closed, thought this and then slowly opened them, fixing his sight toward the hall door.

"Patriarch Kong, you summoned me."

After a few breaths, a steady voice came from outside the hall.

...

Compared to the old Dao Inquiry Assembly jointly organized by the Five Great Sects, the Du Cang Mountain Dao Discussion now run single-handedly by Realman Du Cang was far more considerate to the many cultivation sects across Chenping Continent.

At the very least, no one needed to sleep out in the wild; every cultivator attending the Du Cang Mountain Dao Discussion had a place to stay.

Still, even without having to sleep outdoors, many young disciples sat cross-legged on the streets of Du Cang Mountain practicing meditation.

Occasionally someone would shout:

"Haha, I've enlightened!"

The Yunxian Jade-paved roads offered immense benefits to cultivators' training.

Even top-tier sects like Xuan Sheng Sect could temporarily lodge a modest cluster of buildings on Du Cang Mountain.

At this moment, people flowed in and out in front of Xuan Sheng Sect's gate, a constant stream.

"Master He, long time no see!"

An elderly man with graying hair and vigorous spirit strode up to the gate, laughed heartily, and cupped his hands toward He Chengjie.

"Master Jiang!"

He Chengjie returned the gesture from inside the gate.

This elder was the current head of Giant Wave Mountain, a top sect in the Northern Region of Chenping Continent. With a Myriad Transformations Realm cultivation, it was rumored he had cultivated over eight thousand strands of innate true energy. Many believed he would ascend to the upper three realms within decades, his future bright.

"Been a while. I think the last time we met was decades ago, right?"

The Giant Wave Mountain sect leader boomed.

"Yes, I remember it was at an auction in the Western Region."

He Chengjie replied.

"Time flies. I had heard your daughter was born with extraordinary talent…"

Master Jiang said.

He Chengjie merely smiled.

Since word spread that Realman Du Cang had twice glanced in He Qingling's direction at the ferry on Du Cang Mountain earlier, countless leaders of top sects had come personally to court favor with He Chengjie.

"Just so happens I have a disciple a few years older than your daughter, currently at Peak Qi Sea Realm, who has always admired your daughter. Could Master He introduce my wayward disciple so they might meet?"

Master Jiang asked.

"My apologies, Master Jiang, Qingling just arrived by ferry to Du Cang Mountain today and feels unwell. Could we…"

He Chengjie declined tactfully.

"Understood, understood."

Master Jiang's attitude remained genial, and he laughed while cupping his hands:

"Then, another day?"

"Another day for sure."

Deep within the courtyard, He Qingling sat alone by the window, staring at her father's back with eyes full of wistfulness.

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