Is this white silk authentic?

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three days had passed since Zhong Qing returned to Mufu Peak.

These three days also gave Zhong Qing a concrete understanding of the Immortal River Sect's development!

Overall, the Immortal River Sect, from top to bottom, had been completely revitalized.

Not only did it have its own Right Guardian Hushan formation, but the number of Sect Disciples also skyrocketed.

The strength of its upper echelons doubled!

It could now truly be called a first-rate Sect.

Of course, this 'first-rate' was relative.

Even the few Holy Lands had to give the Immortal River Sect some Face.

The Sect Master and a group of Elders weren't extremely powerful, but throughout the entire Eastern Region, they already subtly held a transcendent position.

It was believed that it wouldn't be long before the Immortal River Sect was promoted to the new fifth power in the Eastern Region; it was only a matter of time.

As time went on, the news of Zhong Qing's return to Mufu Peak spread completely.

The result of this was that Sect Leader Xuan Yuanhong, the Sect Master of Immortal River Sect, and various high-ranking officials came to visit.

Along with them came the Heaven Cloud Sect, which Zhong Qing had previously subjugated!

For a time, the entire Mufu Peak was exceptionally lively and bustling with people!

The small courtyard was packed with people.

On the left sat the Sect Master of Immortal River Sect and his high-ranking officials.

On the right sat Heaven Cloud Sect's Old Ancestor Guo Shijie, as well as Xie Hao and others whom Zhong Qing had brought under his command.

Zhong Qing and his Disciples sat at the head of the table.

Sect Master Sect Leader Xuan Yuanhong looked at Bai Ling and Du Hao.

Then he smiled and asked Zhong Qing, "Are these your two newly accepted Disciples?"

Zhong Qing nodded.

"That's right!"

"I went to the Northern Region this time and took on two Disciples."

"In a few days, I'll take them to the Sect to register."

Hearing this, Sect Leader Xuan Yuanhong's smile grew even wider.

What was Zhong Qing's identity?

He was an Immortal Emperor Reincarnation!

His two previous Disciples, Lin Feng and Su Ye, had shown incredible Cultivation speed, which was evident to all.

Given time, once they matured, they would undoubtedly become pillars of the Sect.

Now, Zhong Qing had taken on two more Disciples.

He didn't expect their talent to reach the heights of Lin Feng and Su Ye; even half would be enough.

He would be content.

This meant that in the future, the Immortal River Sect would have two more individuals capable of taking on major responsibilities.

"This trip, was it smooth?"

If the previous question was out of overall consideration for the Sect, then this question was purely out of genuine concern.

"I heard that the Northern Region is in great chaos now, and two of the Four Transcendent Powers have been destroyed, with another being annexed."

"You didn't encounter any danger, did you?"

Zhong Qing: "Thank you, Sect Master, for your concern; this trip went smoothly."

"That's good!"

Sect Leader Xuan Yuanhong smiled and nodded.

The two parties exchanged a few pleasantries.

He then said with a sigh, "This world truly is incredible now."

"Who would have thought that the mighty North Demon Cave, one of the four strongest powers in the Northern Region, would be annihilated by a young girl?"

"I heard that girl, what was her name again!"

"Sect Master, her name is Bai Ling!"

One of the Elders added.

"Yes, yes, it's that Bai Ling."

"At such a young age, she ascended to the ranks of the Northern Region's top powerhouses, single-handedly destroying the North Demon Cave, becoming legendary in one battle."

"I've lived for so many years, and this is the first time I've heard of such a Heaven-Defying Prodigy."

"Indeed!"

The other Elders and high-ranking officials of the Sect echoed in agreement.

"I heard this Bai Ling is just barely an adult, but her Cultivation is terrifying, having already reached a height that we can only ever look up to."

"Truly, there is always someone stronger, and one mountain is always higher than the next."

"This girl's future achievements will truly be extraordinary; she likely possesses the potential of an Immortal Emperor!"

Zhong Qing listened with a strange expression on his Face.

Why did he feel that the Sect Master and the Elders were acting a bit strangely today?

Everything they said seemed to be hinting at him.

Of course, the high-ranking officials of the Immortal River Sect were indeed hinting at Zhong Qing.

Zhong Qing was the stabilizing force of the Immortal River Sect, and even more so, its future and hope.

However, he was an Immortal Emperor Reincarnation.

They naturally couldn't teach him from the position of Elders.

Instead, they were subtly telling him.

"Stay calm!"

"You are an Immortal Emperor Reincarnation."

"As long as you stay calm, you will surely shine brightly in the future."

"As long as you stay calm, the world will be yours."

It was pitiful how much effort they put in to keep Zhong Qing vigilant at all times, reminding him not to be careless when outside.

Meanwhile, Bai Ling's Face was flushed red.

Being praised so much in front of her, especially when they didn't even recognize her, made her feel quite embarrassed.

The high-ranking officials of the Immortal River Sect knew when to stop.

Feeling that their hints were sufficient, they all changed the subject.

"By the way, what are the names of these two Disciples of yours?"

Sect Leader Xuan Yuanhong took a sip of tea to moisten his throat.

Upon hearing the Sect Master's question,

Bai Ling and Du Hao politely stood up and bowed to him.

Although Sect Leader Xuan Yuanhong's strength was incredibly weak compared to theirs,

they saw that their Master treated him with respect.

Moreover, they were nominally Disciples of the Immortal River Sect.

Naturally, they had to show sufficient respect to the Sect Master.

While bowing, they did not forget to introduce themselves.

"Reporting to Sect Master, this Disciple's name is Bai Ling!"

"Reporting to Sect Master, this Disciple's name is Du Hao!"

"Pfft..."

As soon as the name Bai Ling was uttered, the tea Sect Leader Xuan Yuanhong was about to swallow was instantly spat out.

"Cough, cough, you, what did you say your name was?"

He patted his chest with one hand to catch his breath, and pointed at Bai Ling with the other.

His Face was flushed red.

His eyes were wide open, as if they were about to pop out.

Everyone present was equally astonished.

Each of them looked as if they had seen a ghost, with boundless waves of shock surging in their hearts.

"Reporting to Sect Master, this Disciple's name is Bai Ling!"

Seeing this, Bai Ling had no choice but to repeat herself.

"Is this Bai Ling, is she legitimate?"

Even after hearing the confirmation again, Sect Leader Xuan Yuanhong still couldn't believe it.

He immediately asked anxiously.

This question stumped Bai Ling!

Bai Ling was Bai Ling; was there a difference between legitimate or not?

Sect Leader Xuan Yuanhong also felt that his question was problematic.

He said in a trembling voice.

"Is it the Bai Ling who annihilated the North Demon Cave?"

Bai Ling nodded.

Upon receiving confirmation, Sect Leader Xuan Yuanhong's Face turned beet red.

He was completely flustered!

After a long while, his classic catchphrase reappeared.

"Holy cow!"

Clearly, he was utterly shocked to the extreme.

He had originally intended to use Bai Ling's rise to prominence to hint at Zhong Qing: even if he was an Immortal Emperor Reincarnation, before he fully matured, there were countless Prodigies in this world, and it was not guaranteed that there wouldn't be someone who could threaten him.

He even used Bai Ling as an example to warn him.

He never expected!

The example he used had directly been taken as a Disciple by Zhong Qing.

This was truly impossible to guard against!

It was laughable that he had previously thought that the Disciples Zhong Qing took on would be sufficient with just half the Cultivation talent of his first and second Disciples.

Who would have known.

This was no longer a question of 'enough'.

This was surpassing them by an unknown number of leagues!

For a moment, the old man, who had toiled for the Immortal River Sect his entire life, had a Face like a chameleon.

It was green for a moment, then red, then purple.

How wonderfully dramatic it was.

...