Meanwhile, back at the Azure Mystic Sacred Land.

The sky was ablaze with ten thousand auspicious clouds. Countless disciples poured out from their cultivation caves, staring up at the majestic Immortal Gate hanging in the firmament, their voices hoarse with fanaticism.

“Heaven’s Gate Manifestation! The Heaven’s Gate has appeared!”

“This is the glory of our Azure Mystic Sacred Land! A Perfect Golden Core! A truly flawless foundation!”

“With Little Martial Uncle Jiang here, the sect is destined for greatness!”

“Invincible!”

Today was a day of jubilation for the sect. Jiang Xun had formed his core.

As the beloved Little Martial Uncle, Jiang Xun carried the collective hopes of the entire Sacred Land. Though his cultivation speed had not been the fastest, everyone convinced themselves he was the steadiest.

He had lingered in the Foundation Establishment stage for an eternity, consuming mountains of resources and exhausting Guan Xuelan’s energy. But now, looking at the celestial phenomenon triggered by his Perfect Golden Core, every disciple held a single thought:

It was all worth it.

“Wonderful! The previous phenomenon in Cloud Firmament City was like a fishbone stuck in my throat, weighing heavily on my heart,” a senior disciple exclaimed, eyes shining. “But now? With this phenomenon, our Azure Mystic Sacred Land can finally exhale and hold its head high!”

“Little Martial Uncle could already defeat ordinary Core Formation experts when he was just at Foundation Establishment. Now that he has achieved perfection, even powerful enemies will find him untouchable!”

“He proceeds steadily, building a solid foundation. His future potential will far surpass ours.”

“Even those so-called peerless geniuses are nothing before him. Little Martial Uncle will surely carve his name into the annals of history!”

The gathered senior sisters watched with eyes full of adoration. In their minds, Jiang Xun was the sole future of the Azure Mystic Sacred Land.

“Master, when do you plan to let Little Martial Brother descend the mountain for experience?” Lu Qingyao asked Guan Xuelan.

Jiang Xun had rarely left the mountain. Because his cultivation had been low, he was kept sheltered to avoid risks. He had never truly tasted the blood and grit of the Jianghu.

But now, things were different. A Perfect Golden Core cultivator had the power to protect himself, or at least escape.

Guan Xuelan smiled faintly. “Elder Chunlei is finishing the forging of his Dao Sword. Once it is complete, Jiang Xun may take his blade and descend the mountain.”

“Master, can this disciple go with him?” Lu Qingyao’s eyes brightened.

“You?” Guan Xuelan frowned.

Lu Qingyao immediately put on a pleading expression. “Master, although my cultivation isn’t the highest, I am well-traveled. I have rich experience in the Jianghu, and I have many tricks up my sleeve.”

She puffed out her chest confidently. “If I go with Little Martial Brother, I won’t be a burden. I can help him avoid many detours!”

“This matter…” Guan Xuelan hesitated.

She knew her seventh disciple well. Lu Qingyao was only a Golden Core, but she was indeed crafty. Seeing the expectant look on Lu Qingyao’s face, Guan Xuelan finally nodded.

“Very well. Ask your Little Martial Brother for his opinion. If he is willing to travel with you, then so be it.”

“Yay! Little Martial Brother definitely won’t refuse me!” Lu Qingyao giggled, her large eyes sparkling with fantasy. She was already imagining them roaming the world together, seizing opportunities and trampling on lesser cultivators.

Beside them, Shi Siling raised a more serious question. “Master, now that Little Martial Brother has formed his core, will you pass the Sect Master Jade Token to him?”

The chatter died down instantly. All eyes turned to Guan Xuelan.

The Sect Master Jade Token—also known as the Carefree Pendant—was the ultimate symbol of authority. It designated the bearer as the future Sect Master. Outside the sect, the bearer’s words were the sect’s will.

More importantly, it was a supreme defensive treasure.

It contained the accumulated power of the sect. In a crisis, it could block attacks that would otherwise obliterate the wearer. With the might of a Sacred Land behind it, its protective capabilities were top-tier. Unless one left the sect or died, it was the ultimate life-saving talisman.

Previously, this token belonged to Gu Xiu.

But Gu Xiu had signed the Sect Severance Treaty and left. The token should naturally be ownerless. Everyone had been speculating when Guan Xuelan would bestow it upon Jiang Xun.

The timing seemed perfect.

Guan Xuelan nodded, her expression solemn. “I was just about to address this. Pass down the order: summon all disciples, elders, and the allied forces of the Azure Mystic Sacred Land.”

“Three days from now.”

“We shall hold a Grand Enthronement Ceremony for Jiang Xun!”

The disciples’ eyes lit up. Lu Qingyao nearly jumped with excitement.

However, a cautious voice spoke up. “Sect Master, if we publicize the Enthronement Ceremony so widely… the matter of Gu Xiu abandoning the sect and dying will likely spread…”

The excitement cooled. Brows furrowed.

Gu Xiu’s existence was a complicated stain on their history. Five years ago, he was too dazzling, his connections too vast. Even after he returned from the Forbidden Realm, the sect had kept it quiet. When he left, they said nothing.

Most of the world didn’t know he was alive. Those who did thought he was merely in secluded healing.

To hold this ceremony was to announce to the world: Gu Xiu is dead.

“That waste is already dead,” Lu Qingyao scoffed, breaking the silence. “I don’t see the point in hiding it. Just say he died. That way, his old enemies won’t keep staring at our sect waiting for him to emerge.”

“No!” Xu Wanqing, still pale from her unhealed injuries, shook her head. “If we say he is dead, people will ask how. If they learn he abandoned the sect and died alone in the wilderness, it will damage our reputation.”

“He chose to leave! What does that have to do with us?” Lu Qingyao snapped.

“Little Junior Sister, you still don’t understand the human heart,” Xu Wanqing sighed. “The world is full of malicious people. Without a proper narrative, they will fabricate one.”

She looked around the room. “They will say the hero of Azure Mystic was forced out in his twilight years. They will say we failed to protect him and let him die like a dog. If such rumors spread, our prestige will crumble.”

Lu Qingyao spat on the ground. “Always harping on the same old tune from five hundred years ago. As if the sect couldn’t rise without him! Anyone with a brain knows that’s impossible.”

“Rumors are a soft knife that kills without blood,” Xu Wanqing countered. “A tall tree attracts the wind. We are a target.”

“Fine,” Lu Qingyao sneered. “Then we say Gu Xiu attempted to kill his master. Say he was rotten to the core, persecuted the sect, and Master mercifully let him leave. Say he overestimated his abilities and got himself killed. We control the narrative, don’t we?”

“That won’t work either,” Xu Wanqing said tiredly. “His reputation was too great. Few would believe such a sudden villainy.”

“This won’t work, that won’t work! Then what do you suggest, Third Senior Sister?”

“The best way is to let Jiang Xun carve out his own name first,” Xu Wanqing said, her eyes cold and calculating. “Let him overshadow Gu Xiu’s past glory. We erase Gu Xiu’s traces not with words, but with time.”

“Five hundred years is enough for old legends to be forgotten and new ones to ascend the peak.”

The group nodded slowly. It was a cruel, pragmatic, and effective strategy.

“But that’s so unfair to Little Martial Brother,” Lu Qingyao complained. “He’s already a Golden Core. Can’t we at least give him the Jade Token?”

“We must give him the token,” Xu Wanqing agreed. “He needs it for protection when he descends the mountain. I only mean that we should delay the public ceremony.”

Everyone understood. Give the power now, do the pomp and circumstance later. When Jiang Xun had made a name for himself, the transition would be seamless.

“I thought with Qin Meran away, we were missing a strategist,” Guan Xuelan said approvingly. “But Wanqing, your wisdom is not inferior to hers. This is a good plan. It will serve as a test for Jiang Xun.”

Guan Xuelan smiled confidently and brushed her thumb over her storage ring.

“We shall proceed as discussed.”

But then, her smile froze.

A flicker of confusion crossed her face. She probed the ring again.

Nothing.

She frowned, pulling out a second storage ring. She searched it frantically, her spiritual sense rummaging through every corner.

The more she searched, the blanker her mind became.

At that moment, Jiang Xun walked over. He was glowing with the pride of his breakthrough, eager to share his joy.

“Little Martial Brother!” Lu Qingyao rushed to him. “Master just said she is going to pass the Sect Master Jade Token to you! You are the officially designated future Sect Master!”

Jiang Xun’s eyes lit up, though he put on a mask of humility. “My seniority is shallow. Senior Sisters are more suitable…”

It was a standard polite refusal. Everyone knew he was waiting for the token.

But to everyone’s shock, Guan Xuelan—who was still clutching her storage ring with a pale face—nodded abruptly.

“Yes… well… also…” She stammered slightly, regaining her composure with effort. “The matter of bestowing the Sect Master Jade Token… shall be postponed for now.”

The atmosphere in the clearing shattered.

The smiles froze on every face.

Jiang Xun stood there, his humble bow halted halfway. His expression stiffened, and for a brief second, a cold, dark glint flashed in his eyes.

Master… changed her mind?