521: Return to the sect

Hum—!

The unique dizziness of spatial teleportation passed in an instant, and as the milky white light before his eyes dissipated, it was replaced by the familiar, vast, and pure Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi rushing towards him!

The solid sensation beneath his feet came from the massive green jade platform—the Yin Yang Sect Mountain Gate teleportation core, engraved with the Sect emblem and flowing with stable spatial runes!

"Luoxia Peak Disciple Yao Delong, Spirit Water Peak Disciple Cang Yunyao, and Luo Miaomiao return to the Sect! Mission confirmed!"

The Law Enforcement Hall Elder on duty nearby spoke with a booming voice, his gaze sweeping like lightning over the three returnees' identity token information and aura imprints.

Yao Delong and the others stepped off the stone platform one by one.

The plaza was already bustling with noise, as streams of Escape Light emerged incessantly from the massive teleportation portal, all of them being returning Disciples from various peaks and their leading Elders. Fatigue and excitement were intertwined on every face.

"All participating Disciples and Elders, take a short rest!

Two hours later, the Sect Head will personally preside over the ceremony at the plaza outside the Tianshu Peak Scripture Hall to recount merits and distribute rewards!"

A voice containing immense majesty, like a great bell, rang out across the entire teleportation plaza! It was the Sect Head's majestic Clone transmitting the message!

The crowd instantly erupted in suppressed cheers, and the atmosphere became even more heated.

The tension from days of fighting finally saw the dawn of rest and rewards.

"Stinky little brother, don't be late!"

Cang Yunyao gave Yao Delong a charming smile and pulled the still somewhat dazed Luo Miaomiao, "Miaomiao, let's go, let's head back to Spirit Water Peak to rest first."

Luo Miaomiao nodded obediently and gave Yao Delong a soft smile: "Delong, I will come find you later."

Yao Delong watched the two women leave, the gentle smile on his face fading, replaced by a settled solemnity and a trace of imperceptible worry.

"Qiong Shuang..." he whispered in his heart.

Before the mission began, Qiong Shuang had remained in a safe place on Luoxia Peak, focusing all her efforts on breaking through to the Ninth-Order Transformation!

Given Qiong Shuang's fundamental Origin and the massive amount of resources he had left behind, passing the Lightning Tribulation should be a sure thing.

But she was still young, and the dangers and potential agonizing suffering contained within breaking through such a crucial major Realm... Even with Revered Master Luoxia hiding nearby to protect her, the string in Yao Delong's heart had never truly relaxed.

With this thought in mind, he stopped hesitating!

With a slight stomp of his foot, a pale golden radiance tore through the air, his speed three times faster than when he arrived!

His target was his own lush, scenic villa on Luoxia Peak, filled with Spiritual Qi!

Meanwhile, on the edge of the Frosty Desolation Plains.

Xin Yuelan's snow-white long hair danced in the biting gale, her scarlet demonic pupils staring fixedly at the mark in her palm that had completely dimmed and fallen into silence.

That ripple locking onto Yao Delong's position... had disappeared!

"Spatial traversal..." she gritted her teeth, her cold voice sounding like it was scraping against ten-thousand-year black ice, "He must have returned to the Sect!!"

This place was already within reach of the Hegemonic Summer heartland!

"Sister Luo!" She turned abruptly, looking at Luo Tianying, who stood still like an ice sculpture, her voice resolute, "You are the most familiar with the Eastern Region Dynasty's network! I want the exact movements of that Yao Delong!

All of his public and semi-public activities within the Sect, his connections with the outside world, and any possible missions abroad!

Activate all the secret agents your father planted!"

Her red pupils flickered with an eerie light, carrying an unquestionable command:

"From now on, you are my eyes! Spare no cost to infiltrate Hegemonic Summer!

At the slightest sign of trouble, immediately send a Blood-Burning Order message! I want his whereabouts to be as clear as the lines on my palm!"

"Yes! Young Miss!"

A trace of complexity flashed in Luo Tianying's eyes, but it was suppressed; she cupped her fists and bowed, her voice cold and waveless.

She instantly transformed into an elusive gray shadow, like Death Qi merging into the ice and snow, disappearing in the blink of an eye into the vast snowy land, heading straight towards the spiderweb-like Mortal gathering points in the heart of Hegemonic Summer.

"A-Da! Go! Infiltrate!"

Xin Yuelan did not linger, her scarlet demonic shadow wrapping around A-Da's massive body, like two ink lines cast into the deep sea, piercing through the thick frozen earth and ice layers, at an unimaginable speed, silently heading towards the core region of the Hegemonic Summer Dynasty—the vast, bustling, prosperous, heavily populated, and chaotic Mortal quagmire—quietly sneaking in!

Luoxia Peak, a quiet villa where bamboo shadows swayed.

Just as Yao Delong arrived outside the courtyard gate, a snow-blue silhouette, carrying the light fragrance of lotus, threw herself into his arms like a swallow returning to the forest!

"Senior Brother! Senior Brother, you're finally back! You worried me to death!"

Lin Qingxue's voice carried the relief of someone who had been on the verge of tears, full of reliance, as she lifted her pretty face, her eyes still slightly red.

Yao Delong wrapped his arms around her slender, soft waist, feeling the slight trembling of the delicate body in his embrace, and the coldness at the tip of his heart, wrapped in the Evil Qi of the battlefield, melted away.

He lowered his head, his thumb gently brushing across Lin Qingxue's slightly red eye corners, teasing: "Silly girl, it's only been a few days? That little skirmish on the Northern border battlefield couldn't hurt me in the slightest."

Lin Qingxue pouted slightly: "That day we only met briefly at the camp, without even saying two words, and then I was persuaded to go back by Senior Martial Uncle... and I heard that you had to go and clear out the demonic cultivators later..."

The worry in her eyes had not dissipated; she had clearly heard some rumors.

Especially when she thought about how she had once been ambushed by demonic cultivators, if not for Senior Brother appearing in time... the consequences would have been unimaginable!

Yao Delong tightened his arms, rubbing his chin against the top of her soft hair: "Alright, aren't I back in one piece now? But as for you..."

He loosened his embrace, tapped her perky nose, and pretended to be serious, "Promise me, next time there's that kind of 'treasure hunting adventure' where you 'know there is fire on the mountain, yet you jump into the fire pit', if you dare to hide it from me and go secretly again, watch out, I'll spank you!"

Lin Qingxue's face turned red again, this time from shyness, but it carried the sweetness of being cared for, and she muttered softly: "That wasn't... I just thought it was a rare Opportunity..."

She immediately changed the subject, puffed out her chest, her eyes sparkling with genuine pride: "Senior Brother, look! I'm a True Disciple now too!"

"Hahaha!"

Yao Delong laughed heartily, rubbing her smooth hair, his eyes full of appreciation and doting, "I knew our Qingxue was the best! Come, this is the 'reward' from Senior Brother for you!"

As he said "reward," he made a move to lower his head for a kiss.

Lin Qingxue shyly closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, her pretty face tilted up, looking like she was ready for him to take what he wanted.

However, the warm kiss she imagined did not fall; instead, an extremely pure and restrained aura, carrying an eternal, silent, icy coldness, arrived quietly, with a cool touch.

She opened her eyes in surprise.

She saw a stunning, ice-blue starlight-flowing ring appear on the tip of her ring finger!

The ring was shaped like intertwined ice crystal vines, with a gemstone embedded at the top that looked like it was condensed from ice soul, with stardust flowing endlessly inside!

The coldness seeped into her bones upon contact, yet it strangely resonated and echoed with her Ice Soul Spiritual Body, without any discomfort, and instead seemed to awaken the power sleeping deep within her Bloodline!

"This... what is this?!"

Lin Qingxue instantly felt the terrifying defensive fluctuations and the massive storage space contained within the ring, and exclaimed.