Chapter 81

As the sound echoed, the other disciples of the courtyard, who had almost filled the courtyard of Dongchen Manor, subconsciously made way for the person when they turned their gazes.

At the end of this path, they could clearly see two young men. One of them looked somewhat disheveled, with some bloodstains on his clothes, but they had already dried. This person was stout, and it was Su Xuan.

The other one had sharp eyes and a calm expression, looking straight ahead as if he hadn't noticed the many disciples. He was supporting the fat man and walked straight to Dongchenzi's presence through the path cleared by the others. This person was Bai Shi.

"Uncle Master... the disciples have returned." Upon reaching Dongchenzi's presence, Su Xuan and Bai Shi immediately clasped their fists in a salute.

Even though Su Xuan usually had a hard time cultivating in Dongchen Manor, the long-term interaction had made the master-disciple bond between them inseparable. Seeing the bloodstains on Su Xuan's clothes, Dongchenzi was suddenly taken aback, then nodded and gently placed his hand on Su Xuan's shoulder. Immediately, a powerful force emanated from deep within Su Xuan's shoulder, coursing through his muscles and instantly dispelling the remaining burning pain on his back.

It seemed that when Dongchenzi saw Bai Shi and Su Xuan return, he felt an almost uncontrollable excitement. This excitement made his gaze fall on the two of them, and his weathered eyes seemed to glisten. But this glistening quickly disappeared as he nodded heavily and patted Bai Shi's shoulder, his silence filled with endless thoughts.

"Good to be back, good to be back." From Dongchenzi's heart, when Su Xuan and Bai Shi left Dongchen Manor, even though there was much reluctance, his initial wish was that Bai Shi and Su Xuan would not return. But now, seeing Bai Shi and Su Xuan standing before him, the endless thoughts seemed to be released, and his heart was not conflicted but filled with immense joy.

After all, since Su Xuan and Bai Shi left Dongchen Manor, Dongchenzi suddenly felt that the already lifeless Dongchen Manor became even more desolate. He, who often found himself alone, felt particularly uncomfortable, lonely, and... lonely!

Bai Shi could read the emotions in Dongchenzi's eyes and hear the feelings in his words. He smiled faintly, then shifted his gaze from Dongchenzi to the people standing in Dongchen Manor.

With a glance, he immediately saw an elderly man in a white robe, his face wearing an indelible kind smile.

"Disciple greets Master Xichen." Bai Shi clasped his fists in another salute.

In Xichenzi's heart, Bai Shi had always been a sensible child. To be precise, in his heart, all the disciples were like his children. He had no contempt for those without cultivation talent, but rather, more sympathy and comfort. Hearing Bai Shi's words, his smile seemed to become even brighter, and he nodded with a smile.

"Someone who failed the test in Xichen Manor now has the资格 to call me Master, what a joke..."

Just as Bai Shi straightened his body, a young man standing beside Xichenzi, whom Bai Shi immediately recognized, suddenly spoke, his words filled with ridicule.

This person was Lin Nan.

In Lin Nan's heart, he had always harbored resentment towards Bai Shi. This was not only because of his disdain for the weak but also because of Bai Shi's relationship with Ouyang Jingjing.

Bai Shi looked at Lin Nan, his expression unchanged. As he looked at Lin Nan, he also saw several young men of about the same age as Lin Nan standing beside him, watching him in silence.

Bai Shi recognized these people. They were the ones who had gotten lost with Lin Nan in the depths of Daocheng Mountains. Unlike Lin Nan, they were grateful to Bai Shi for leading them out of danger, so they chose to remain silent.

"If I'm not mistaken... you are Lin Nan, who almost wet your pants from fear of some long-nosed crocodiles in the depths of Daocheng Mountains, right?"

Looking at Lin Nan, Bai Shi said indifferently.

Lin Nan's body stiffened, and his expression became awkward, but he quickly retorted, "What a joke... those long-nosed crocodiles could scare me? With my strength, even if there were several of them, I could easily avoid them!"

As he spoke, Lin Nan subconsciously clenched his fist. As he did so, a crack appeared around his fist, seemingly squeezed out by an invisible force. Within this crack, nine white lines appeared around Lin Nan's fist, a symbol of the Ninth Level of the Foundation Establishment stage.

With the appearance of these nine white lines, the young men of about the same age as Lin Nan around him immediately looked at him with envy, their lips trembling in surprise, and their breathing quickening. In their hearts, in Xichen Manor, apart from Ouyang Jingjing, Lin Nan had become the person they admired for his rapid cultivation speed.

This was not only a symbol but also a mark of authority!

Even the man in the gray robe, who came from Beichen Manor, saw the nine white lines around Lin Nan's fist. His eyes, like those of the Xichen Manor disciples, changed, and he swallowed a mouthful of saliva. But in the next second, their gazes stopped on a man in a gray robe standing beside Beichenzi, who was also in his thirties.

This man had sharp eyes, a well-defined brow, and a calm expression. He seemed to be ignoring everything around him but was also waiting for something. His brows revealed a sense of pride, which made people feel a chill and a sense of distance from deep within their hearts.

This person was about the same age as Lin Nan, but the only difference was that he held a sword. The sword did not emit a cold glow because it was sheathed, but an invisible light emanated from his body, which, though invisible, was clearly felt by those who looked at him, making him seem very mysterious.

This person had definitely entered the Cave Profound stage!

Bai Shi was very clear about this. In these manors, only those who had entered the Cave Profound stage could have their own sword!

Beside this person, there were about twenty men in gray robes, each holding a sharp sword and looking calm. But compared to this person, they were much older, around thirty years old.

Bai Shi's gaze swept over and immediately met this person's eyes. This meeting was like a brief focus, and in that moment, the person's eyes subtly changed. This change came from the deep, invisible perception of Bai Shi's aura, which he could not detect any cultivation aura from Bai Shi.

Bai Shi did not continue to pay attention to Lin Nan or this mysterious person. Instead, his gaze swept over again and looked at Beichenzi and the young man on his right, whose eyes were filled with anger.

This young man with angry eyes was very familiar to Bai Shi. One of the reasons for his return to Dongchen Manor was because of him. This person was Cai Heng.

The one who had a competition agreement with Bai Shi a year ago.

Cai Heng's injuries were clearly healed. His gaze was fixed on Bai Shi, filled with deep hatred. When their gazes met, his fist subconsciously clenched, and a 'crack' sound immediately echoed, shaking Beichenzi's heart, making him suddenly step forward and stop in front of Bai Shi.

With this step, an invisible pressure emanated from Beichenzi's body, making the pupils of those around him suddenly constrict, as if they were experiencing a nearly suffocating illusion!