62: Chapter 62 Returning to Emptiness, Returning to the Mountain

A month later.

Early in the morning, Ye Qingxuan stood in front of the mountain gate of the Shangqing Sect. Xiaojiu was sleeping on his shoulder, and soft snores drifted into his ears. He recalled the experiences of the past month down the mountain, witnessing the warmth and coldness of the Mortal World.

During this past month, Ye Qingxuan walked across the land of Huaxia on foot, from the quaint town at the foot of Mount Mao to the bustling streets of the big cities, watching the changes in Huaxia since the opening of the National Destiny Space.

He had ridden buses, squeezed into subways, and quietly watched gossip just like ordinary people. No one ever discovered that this handsome Daoist holding a cat was the formidable Daoist Ye who had slaughtered in all directions within the National Destiny Space.

The beautiful, the ugly, the simple, the harsh—he observed the joys and sorrows of all living beings one by one.

Across the vast Mortal World, what was refined was the body, what was cultivated was the heart, and what was saved was oneself, as well as all living beings. Supreme virtue is non-action, acting without seeking. To relieve suffering upon seeing it, and to save those in peril upon encountering them, was the natural state of one's original heart, rather than something done deliberately.

Fanxu: Returning to nothingness and the Origin of the Dao; the Primordial Spirit merges with the void of heaven and earth, aligning with the Laws of heaven and earth. Having walked through the Mortal World, the Bottleneck had shattered, and the natural chasm to breaking into the Void Return Stage had turned into a smooth path.

Just yesterday, he broke through to the Void Return Stage. There were no strange phenomena, nor any fluctuations; once he comprehended it, the Breakthrough happened just like that, naturally.

At this moment, Ye Qingxuan looked at the young Daoist leaning against the heavy doors taking a nap, who looked exactly like Xiaojiu right now. It was none other than Ximo. Without even calculating, he knew Ximo had caused trouble again and was punished by the Senior Brother to guard the gate.

"Swish, bang!" A flick of a finger sent a stream of Qi straight toward Ximo's forehead. "Ouch! Master, I was wrong!!!!! I shouldn't have fallen asleep while guarding the gate!!"

Watching Ximo admit his mistake the second he opened his mouth without even opening his eyes, Ye Qingxuan shook his head speechlessly. Xiaojiu was also awakened by this howl, squatting on Ye Qingxuan's shoulder and yawning.

After all, he was a beloved Disciple, and as a Master, he still cared deeply for his Disciple. Although it looked like a punishment to guard the gate of the Shangqing Sect, frankly speaking, it was just to let him lie low and avoid the limelight.

Because of Ye Qingxuan, which Cultivator wouldn't greet the Disciples of the Shangqing Sect with a smiling face? National Destiny rewards, the recovery of Spiritual Qi, and nationwide cultivation were all brought by Ye Qingxuan of the Shangqing Sect—this was the grace of enlightenment.

When Ximo finally saw the figure in front of him clearly, he shivered involuntarily. Standing before him was the Junior Martial Uncle whom he admired the most and also feared the most.

His Master and Grandmaster would at most scold him a couple of times, but this Junior Martial Uncle actually beat him up for real! Moreover, throughout the entire Shangqing Sect, apart from Junior Martial Uncle Qingling, no one dared to come over and persuade him otherwise.

"Junior Martial Uncle, you're back? I'll go report to Grandmaster!" Before Ximo even finished speaking, he bolted.

"Meow, Daoist, does he seem to be very afraid of you?" Xiaojiu's heterochromatic eyes stared at the running Ximo, filled with confusion. Was the Daoist really that scary?

Watching the little demon pill run off, Ye Qingxuan raised his hand with a beckoning gesture, and a suction force from his palm dragged Ximo back. As Ximo was running, he suddenly found himself floating. By the time he came to his senses, he had already been grabbed by the collar and placed back at the front gate by Ye Qingxuan.

"Don't even think about slacking off. Guard the gate well." As he spoke, Ye Qingxuan walked toward the main hall; his Divine Sense had already seen that his Master and the others were all inside the main hall.

"Meow, Daoist, Daoist!" Ye Qingxuan turned his head to look at Xiaojiu. Seeing its eyes fixed on Ximo, Ye Qingxuan thought for a moment, put Xiaojiu down, stroked its head, and said

"Go play!" With just this one sentence, he said nothing more.

Before breaking through to Fanxu, Ye Qingxuan had always avoided letting these little demon pills get together. However, after comprehending the Dao, he had let go of this mindset, because this was simply their nature.

Cultivating the Dao meant cultivating the natural flow of the Dao and being true to oneself. Constantly suppressing their nature was not a good thing.

Their basic nature wasn't bad; they just loved to play. Let them be.

Furthermore, he had now entered Fanxu and had sufficient strength to back them up. Even if they poked a hole in the sky, the current Ye Qingxuan could hold it up for them.

If they were wrong, he would teach them. As for not changing after being taught? That didn't exist; Ye Qingxuan had plenty of methods to deal with them.

Xiaojiu and Ximo looked at Ye Qingxuan's receding figure, looking at each other in dismay.

"Meow, the Daoist has changed a lot."

"Junior Martial Uncle has changed a lot!"

The person and the cat spoke at the same time. After exchanging a glance, Xiaojiu came up with an idea: "Meow, little Momo, let's go hunting in the Monster Forest and call Disciple Xiyue along. This feline can protect you two."

Ximo hesitated somewhat, "But, Big Sis Head, Master told me to guard the gate. Can I just leave like this? Besides, Junior Martial Uncle is already back, will I get beaten up?"

Ximo had long been beaten into submission by Xiaojiu and was forced to call her Big Sis Head.

"It's fine, this feline will guard the gate for you. Go call Disciple Xiyue."

As Xiaojiu spoke, a flash of golden light emanated from its body, and a Clone appeared, possessing approximately the strength of the Golden Core Early Stage. Having always followed the two spell-casting geniuses Qingling and Ye Qingxuan, Xiaojiu was bound to pick up a few tricks.

Seeing this, Ximo didn't hesitate at all and went to call Disciple Xiyue. With a substitute helping out, why wouldn't he run?

Ye Qingxuan was well aware of their petty actions, but he didn't stop them. There were methods he left behind on Xiaojiu; even if it stood right at the center of a mushroom explosion, not a single hair would fall off.

This time when Ye Qingxuan went to the main hall, he didn't use any flying spells; instead, he walked over step by step. The Disciples of the Shangqing Sect he met along the way cast surprised gazes at him and stepped forward to bow in salute one after another.

They all knew that over the past month, this Genius had gone down the mountain to experience the Mortal World in order to break through to Fanxu. Now that he was back, was he about to make the Breakthrough?

Ye Qingxuan responded to each of them with a warm expression, unlike the perfunctory attitude he used to have.

"Why do I feel like Qingxuan Senior Brother is a bit different?" Watching Ye Qingxuan's departing back, a Disciple muttered to himself.

"Senior Brother, what did you say?" The Disciple who spoke was clearly a latecomer to the sect and only knew of Ye Qingxuan by reputation.

"I'm not quite sure either. It just feels like he has changed, yet hasn't changed—he's still the same him. It's a very strange feeling."

...

Ye Qingxuan was well aware of the astonishment among the Shangqing Disciples, but he paid it no mind. Right now, he was contemplating things he had previously overlooked.

Before long, he arrived inside the main hall. His Master and several of his fellow apprentices, along with Ye Qingxuan's fellow apprentices of the Qing generation—all the Golden Core and Nascent Soul Cultivators of Shangqing—were gathered here.

They were discussing something and were completely oblivious to Ye Qingxuan's arrival.

Ye Qingxuan simply chose not to make a sound, standing quietly behind the crowd and watching them.

Master Yuanxin was engaged in a fierce argument with Yuanhui and the others.

"Now that our Shangqing Sect already has four Soul Transformation Cultivators, can't we also add a Dao-disputation and sparring competition for Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators in this Grand Ritual of Luotian?"

Senior Martial Uncle Yuanhui also retorted, arguing with strong justification.

"Junior Brother, I don't disagree. Soul Transformation Cultivators can indeed shield against the aftermath of battles, but isn't the reward for the Nascent Soul Stage champion a bit too generous? Using the Origin of a major world as a reward?"

Junior Martial Uncles Yuanqing, Yuandan, and Yuanxing watched the argument between these two Senior Brothers without taking sides, because both of them made sense, so they just tried to appease both sides.

"Senior Brother, this is the first Grand Ritual of Luotian since the recovery of Spiritual Qi, and it is also the greatest golden age in the history of the cultivation world. If we don't bring out something to anchor the show, they'll think our Shangqing Sect has gone crazy with poverty. What? The reward for the Golden Core Stage is a butian pill, and for the Nascent Soul Stage you're giving a Spiritual Artifact?"

The few Senior Brothers of the Qing generation looked at the two elders, each making valid points. Apart from Qingming and Senior Brother Qingcang occasionally inserting a word, the others could only play dumb like pieces of wood.

Watching them argue more and more fiercely, with their Auras beginning to surge and on the verge of coming to blows, Ye Qingxuan stood aside.

At this moment, Senior Brother Qingming, who was caught between both sides, chimed in, "Why don't we ask for Junior Brother's opinion?"

"Hmm?" Master Yuanxin and Yuanhui, who were about to fight, stared uniformly at Qingming.

Master Yuanxin said angrily, "Don't you know that Qingxuan is tempering his heart in the Mortal World? Can you bear the responsibility if you delay his Breakthrough? Furthermore, Qingxuan has already stated that the Origin of this world is entirely up to me to handle."

"Don't forget, those Chosen Ones from the National Destiny Space returned twenty days ago, and the next opening is approaching soon. Don't disturb him over such a minor matter; let him concentrate on his comprehension."

"..." Qingming remained silent.

"I agree with Master's opinion." At this moment, Ye Qingxuan's voice suddenly sounded, making everyone look back in unison.

"...When did Qingxuan come back?" Elders like Master Yuanxin and Yuanhui looked at Ye Qingxuan, so shocked they could barely speak.

Because Ye Qingxuan was standing right there, yet in their perception, that spot was nothing more than a mass of air.

You must know that previously, when Ye Qingxuan was in the Soul Transformation Stage,

his Aura was far too obvious in the perception of these Cultivators—that sharp Sword Intent and that pure, flawless Dao Heart...

Even if he restrained his Aura with all his might, as long as he didn't use a Qi-concealing talisman, Ye Qingxuan was like a giant light bulb in their perception.

But now, Ye Qingxuan was standing there so casually, and no matter how they used their Divine Sense to probe, that spot was completely void, empty—only emptiness.

Master Yuanxin's hands trembled with excitement as he asked, "Y-Y-Y-You... You've broken through to Fanxu?!"

Inside the main hall, more than twenty pairs of eyes stared fixedly at Ye Qingxuan, awaiting his answer.

"Fanxu Middle Stage."

Ye Qingxuan answered very calmly. It was indeed the Fanxu Middle Stage. The Dao had already been comprehended; the moment the shackles shattered, his cultivation surged directly from Soul Transformation Perfection into the Fanxu Middle Stage.

That was how the Void Return Stage worked: once enlightened, one progressed a thousand miles a day. Back then, Patriarch Lü had reached Perfection the very moment he entered the Void Return Stage.

Ye Qingxuan's current Realm still fell a little short compared to Patriarch Lü back then.