https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-371-A-Life-Without-Shame-or-Restraint/12550143/
Chapter 370: A Warm Welcome and News of the Celestial Demon
Chapter 370: A Warm Welcome and News of the Celestial Demon
"It's really Chu Ning!
He's already in the late Golden Core stage!
How is his spiritual sense stronger than that of the Sect Master?"
Ge Liuyang's rapid-fire questions left everyone present just as perplexed as he was.
Everyone's curiosity mirrored his, and they all gazed in the direction from which Chu Ning had appeared.
Before long, a fleeing figure drew near, its speed akin to that of a startled swan.
Chu Ning, having sensed the situation from afar with his spiritual sense, had abandoned all reservations and rushed over at full speed.
The onlookers curiously observed Chu Ning, who appeared unchanged in appearance but had clearly advanced significantly in his cultivation.
Their faces couldn't help but reflect their astonishment.
Chu Ning flew towards the group and greeted them with a smile and a bow.
"Sect Master, fellow seniors and peers, it's been a long time!"
Yu Changge, his eyes fixed on Chu Ning, smiled and said, despite the myriad of questions swirling in his mind, "Elder Chu, your return and advancement to the late Golden Core stage is a great blessing for our sect. Congratulations!"
Chu Ning returned the smile and said, "Sect Master's advancement to the Nascent Soul stage is the true cause for celebration."
As he spoke, Chu Ning's gaze swept across Ling Cang, Luo Jie, Ge Liuyang, Fu Lihong, and the four Foundation Establishment cultivators.
"Senior Ling, Senior Luo, Senior Ge, Senior Fu, and fellow peers, I hope you've been well."
Ge Liuyang, ever the impatient one, blurted out, "Don't call us seniors. You're a late Golden Core cultivator now, so it's only right for us to address you as Senior Chu.
Never mind all that, just tell us where you've been all these years and how you suddenly became a late Golden Core cultivator."
Chu Ning was about to speak when Yu Changge gently interrupted with a smile, "This isn't the place for a lengthy conversation. Let's invite Elder Chu back to the sect to discuss things further.
Elder Luo, please return to the sect ahead of us and inform the other cultivators. The entire sect should welcome Elder Chu's return!"
"Yes, Sect Master!"
Luo Jie immediately acknowledged the order and transformed into a beam of golden light, disappearing from view in the blink of an eye.
As the elder of the Jinhua Sect's Jinyuan Peak, he had cultivated a body of metal-attributed techniques and had once accompanied Chu Ning to the Jinlingzong Spirit Realm.
He was incredibly curious about what had transpired with Chu Ning in that spirit realm.
However, with the Sect Master's orders, he naturally complied and returned to the sect ahead of them.
Chu Ning had wanted to say that there was no need for such a grand reception, but he thought better of it and remained silent.
According the foremost high-level cultivator the appropriate respect was a tradition of the Jinhua Sect.
Chu Ning had experienced this firsthand when he'd broken through to the Golden Core stage.
After Luo Jie flew off, Chu Ning, Yu Changge, and the others followed at a slower pace.
Yu Changge sighed, "Elder Chu, when the Jinlingzong Spirit Realm encountered that change, we waited for your return but heard nothing for a long time. We even feared that something unfortunate had befallen you.
Fortunately, over fifty years ago, Sect Master Xue Rong of the Guiyuan Sect visited our sect to deliver a message.
She relayed that you were safe and sound but had been transported to another realm by the spatial storm.
We assumed it wouldn't be long before we saw you again, but who would have thought..."
Yu Changge shook his head, "You stayed away for over fifty years without any news, which truly worried us.
But we never expected your cultivation to progress so rapidly, reaching the late Golden Core stage."
"I was transported to Wuling Island by the spatial storm, along with Master Shuxue," Chu Ning explained. "Although we repaired the teleportation formation,
it was set to random coordinates, and I was sent directly to the Northern Cold Lands, where I also gained some opportunities.
I was fortunate to make my way to the Eastern Sacred Continent, which gave me the chance to return to the sect."
Chu Ning briefly recounted his experiences over the years, omitting certain details. The onlookers naturally didn't pry too deeply, and they chatted casually as they made their way back to the Jinhua Sect.
Soon enough, they arrived, where Gong Yuyuan, Yuan Zhuo, Luo Jie, and others had already gathered to greet them.
Throughout the sect, countless cultivators had emerged from their dwellings and looked up towards the sky, where Chu Ning, Yu Changge, and the others hovered.
Yu Changge's voice rang out, echoing across the entire Jinhua Sect, "Elder Chu Ning of our sect has returned after a sixty-year absence and has advanced from the early Golden Core stage to the late Golden Core stage!
Let the entire sect welcome Elder Chu's return!"
"Welcome back, Elder Chu!"
As Yu Changge's words landed, the cultivators below bowed and shouted in unison.
Chu Ning had witnessed such grand displays of respect within the Jinhua Sect before, but that had been over sixty years ago.
Hearing the enthusiastic cries of so many cultivators moved him, and he immediately returned the bow, saying, "Thank you, fellow peers, for your concern. I, Chu Ning, am deeply honored!"
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Chu Ning, followed by Yu Changge, made their way to the discussion hall on Jiuling Peak.
Meanwhile, throughout the sect, whispers and discussions about Chu Ning echoed.
"Elder Chu is back, and he's become a late Golden Core cultivator! Who would've thought!"
"Sixty years ago, he had just formed his Golden Core, and now he's in the late stage!"
"Elder Chu isn't just outstanding in cultivation, but his pill and weapon refining skills are also unparalleled!"
...
In the discussion hall, Chu Ning, the subject of all the buzz, sat quietly.
So, Chu Ning only highlighted the key points, such as how he had obtained the Golden Spirit Seed in the Jinling Realm.
As for his numerous experiences in the Northern Cold Lands, he mostly glossed over them briefly.
"So, you obtained the Golden Spirit Seed, which explains why you were able to advance to the late Golden Core stage in just sixty years."
Upon hearing that Chu Ning had acquired the Golden Spirit Seed, Roger's face lit up with understanding.
He had entered the Jinling Realm with Chu Ning, but he hadn't obtained anything, let alone the Spirit Seed.
The other Golden Core elders wore similar expressions, and the second elder, Tan Zhuo, sighed:
"Elder Chu, you truly are blessed. Many perished in the Jinling Realm. Elder Luo and I were already fortunate to escape with our lives, and now you've obtained the Golden Spirit Seed as well."
Chu Ning's curiosity was piqued when Tan Zhuo mentioned the Jinling Realm, and he couldn't help but ask:
"By the way, after the spatial storm in that spirit realm, how many people survived in the end?"
"Initially, only about twenty people managed to leave the realm directly. Later, a few more stragglers returned to their sects. They were probably like me, transmitted to other parts of the Western Alliance Continent. Based on the news we received, the total number shouldn't exceed twenty."
Tan Zhuo paused briefly before continuing, "As for the others, they might have been transmitted to other places like you, Elder Chu, and we don't know if they'll ever return."
Chu Ning couldn't help but whistle inwardly upon hearing Tan Zhuo's words.
"Back then, the three alliances—the Cloudsoaring Alliance, the Celestial Extremity Alliance, and the Demon Path Alliance—had a total of two hundred people, but less than fifty made it out. We were indeed lucky."
Chu Ning exhaled slowly, a smile playing on his lips.
"It seems that not only was I fortunate, but our entire Nine Marvel Sect has been blessed with good fortune."
At Chu Ning's words, everyone's faces lit up with smiles.
Before Chu Ning's return, they couldn't claim that their sect was lucky. However, now that Chu Ning had returned safely, all three who had entered the realm had made it back to the sect alive.
Indeed, the Nine Marvel Sect had been blessed with exceptional luck.
Gong Yuyuan laughed and said, "It seems that heaven truly intends for our Nine Marvel Sect to prosper. Not only has our Sect Master become a Nascent Soul cultivator, but Elder Chu has reached the late Golden Core stage. It won't be long before he reaches the peak of the late Golden Core stage, and there's a high chance he'll advance to the Nascent Soul stage as well."
Everyone nodded in agreement. They had asked Chu Ning about his age when he formed his Golden Core back then, and now they could estimate that he was just over a hundred years old. For a cultivator of his age to reach the late Golden Core stage was indeed impressive, and the probability of him advancing to the Nascent Soul stage was extremely high.
At that moment, Chu Ning remembered Tang Xuan and casually asked, "Where's Senior Brother Tang? Is he in seclusion?"
"Yes, Senior Brother Tang is in seclusion," replied Yu Changge, his smile fading slightly. "Elder Tang knows that his lifespan is limited, so he's mostly focusing on cultivating and recuperating."
Chu Ning nodded. He then recalled another important incident from the spirit realm and quickly asked, "By the way, everyone should know about the Extrinsic Demon that appeared in that realm. But what happened to that demon in the end?"
"That demon escaped from the realm as well," answered Yu Changge.
"It possessed a cultivator from the Demon Path Alliance, and even the late Nascent Soul cultivator from the Demon Path Alliance failed to detect it. Later, that demon caused quite a stir, driving a wedge between the Demon Path Alliance and the Celestial Extremity Alliance. On top of that, the two alliances already had some friction due to the events in the Golden Spirit Seed realm, and their relationship has only deteriorated further over the past few decades. In fact, the Western Alliance Continent is far more chaotic now than it was back then, with many sects and alliances being drawn into the conflict."
"That Extrinsic Demon even helped its host cultivator advance to the Nascent Soul stage. However, its cover was eventually blown during a battle with cultivators from the Celestial Extremity Alliance. Once its true identity was exposed, the chaos it had sown couldn't be easily resolved. As for the demon itself, it was severely injured by several Celestial Extremity Alliance cultivators working together and has gone into hiding, its current whereabouts unknown."
After sharing this information, Yu Changge turned to Chu Ning with a smile and said, "Our Cloudsoaring Alliance has managed to maintain stability over the years, with all the sects focusing on recuperating and strengthening their power. With your return, Elder Chu, our alliance's strength has increased significantly."
Chu Ning smiled in response, "Sect Master, I didn't come back alone this time. If the sect is interested, we can further enhance our strength."
He then proceeded to tell them about the Yao Chi Palace.
Upon hearing Chu Ning's story, Yu Changge stood up without hesitation and said, "This is wonderful news! Elder Chu, lead the way. Let's go and invite our fellow cultivators to join us in the sect."
(End of Chapter)
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