"Excellent. I didn’t expect Ziwei Sect to have grown to this scale. It must now be considered one of the mightiest powers upon Primordial Continent."
Zisheng Zhenjun observed Ziwei Sect’s headquarters below with frequent praise.
At this moment, Ziwei Sect Headquarters had become one of the most heavily guarded locations on all of Primordial Continent! Intricate Formations were spread everywhere, their energies constantly shifting to manifest all manner of wondrous phenomena: divine beasts, demons, spirits, and deities, presenting an utterly mystical sight.
Furthermore, multiple patrols constantly roved in various directions, creating a stern, vigilant perimeter. The headquarters itself was shrouded in layers of mist and clouds, its peaks rising tall and numerous amidst rich, concentrated Spiritual Qi. Spirit birds abounded, and spirit herbs were planted throughout—truly a fine place to found a flourishing sect.
Beneath Ziwei Sect Headquarters, Ye Yunfei had previously performed renovations. A massive surrounding area’s terrestrial energies all converged here, gathering the finest of essences.
The more Zisheng Zhenjun gazed upon this scene, the happier he became. For many years, he had been traveling far from home, almost never returning to see Ziwei Sect. Deep down, he carried a constant sense of guilt. Now, seeing the sect’s magnificent development alleviated a portion of that guilt.
"Master, let’s head down," Ye Yunfei said to Zisheng Zhenjun.
"Very well," Zisheng Zhenjun nodded.
Ye Yunfei and Zisheng Zhenjun then began descending toward the headquarters below.
Before their feet touched the ground, a patrol unit from the headquarters came rushing over.
"You there...!" the patrol's captain demanded sharply, his mouth snapping open. But then he recognized Ye Yunfei.
"It’s Senior Brother! Senior Brother Ye Yunfei has returned! Salute the Senior Brother!"
The captain immediately roared in excitement. Over the years, Ziwei Sect had expanded, recruiting many new disciples. But this captain was a veteran, a disciple from the old days who had seen Ye Yunfei many times when he’d been at the headquarters, recognizing him at a single glance.
"What? Senior Brother Ye Yunfei is back? Great news! Senior Brother Ye Yunfei is back—quick, go and report it!"
The captain’s shouts spread far and wide, and soon, the entire Ziwei Sect headquarters was in a great stir. Many disciples flocked over upon hearing the news, running to greet and salute Ye Yunfei.
Ye Yunfei’s influence among Ziwei Sect disciples was immense. Almost every member regarded him as an idol!
"It seems they quite admire you," Zisheng Zhenjun remarked, standing to the side with a smile. He was a senior figure from Ziwei Sect’s ancient history, yet upon his return, no disciple recognized him. Meanwhile, Ye Yunfei was warmly welcomed.
"Master, you’ve mainly been away too long. Most of these disciples were recruited after you departed from headquarters. They simply don’t know you," Ye Yunfei explained.
"Indeed. I have been absent a very long time," Zisheng Zhenjun concurred.
"Ye Yunfei! You’re back!"
An excited voice called from afar. Sect Leader Liu, along with over a dozen senior figures, came hurrying over, landing before Ye Yunfei.
"Eh?"
In the next instant, Sect Leader Liu’s eyes fell upon Zisheng Zhenjun standing beside Ye Yunfei. He stared in momentary shock before breaking into an expression of ecstatic joy. While ordinary disciples wouldn’t recognize Zisheng Zhenjun, he certainly did!
"Ancestor Zisheng! You, venerable one, have finally returned! We welcome Ancestor Zisheng! Quick! Everyone, kneel at once! Welcome Ancestor Zisheng!"
Sect Leader Liu proclaimed loudly.
"We welcome Ancestor Zisheng!"
The several Elders accompanying Sect Leader Liu all knew Zisheng Zhenjun and promptly followed his lead, performing the formal greeting. Soon after, a large contingent of Ziwei Sect’s forces, led by Sect Leader Liu, performed the salute to Zisheng Zhenjun in unison.
Throughout all tiers of Ziwei Sect, news that both the Senior Brother and Ancestor Zisheng had returned simultaneously spread like festival cheer, filling everyone with exuberance.
"Ancestor! You've finally returned! This one, Ji Yue, missed you sorely!"
Suddenly, a young woman rushed over from the distance, arriving before Zisheng Zhenjun, her tears falling uncontrollably. It was Ji Yue. She had originally been personally recruited into Ziwei Sect by Zisheng Zhenjun, who had also guided her cultivation. Thus, she held deep affection for him.
"Heh heh, Ji Yue... not bad. Your strength has improved greatly compared to before," Zisheng Zhenjun replied, also delighted to see her.
"Hmph! Now that Ancestor is back, let’s see if you still dare to bully me!" Ji Yue glanced toward Ye Yunfei with a smug look.
"When did I ever bully you? How about this: I’ll return the position of Senior Brother to you now," Ye Yunfei replied, laughing.
"I don’t want it. The entire Ziwei Sect recognizes you and only you as the Senior Brother now. Even if you tried to pass the title to me, it wouldn’t work. Besides... you’re way, way stronger than I am," Ji Yue said, her voice tinged with wistfulness. Long ago, when Ye Yunfei first entered Ziwei Sect, she'd been quite unconvinced of him and tried to seize the Senior Brother title from him multiple times. But she now understood the vast gap between them.
"Big Brother! Day and night I’ve been looking forward to it! You finally came back!"
Just at that moment, Wu Heishan appeared, rushing over from afar with a face full of weepy snot.
"Not bad. Tribulation Birth Realm already," Ye Yunfei appraised Wu Heishan’s cultivation stage with a satisfied nod. With his current realm, plus cultivating the Starry Sky Grand Method, Wu Heishan could now contend with masters of the Star Contemplation Realm. When Ye Yunfei had last left Primordial Continent, Wu Heishan’s cultivation was far from reaching the Tribulation Birth Realm—this progression was quite astonishing.
"Big Brother, you should know, some time ago my cultivation suddenly felt like I'd activated cheat codes. In a short time, I kept breaking through realms, pushing all the way to Tribulation Birth Realm. And I feel like I still have momentum to spare; I reckon it won’t be long before I break through again," Wu Heishan declared proudly.
"So that’s it," Ye Yunfei instantly understood. It must be related to the recent Heaven and Earth Mutation in Primordial Continent, when energy and Laws greatly intensified, causing massive progress in the cultivation of all living beings across the continent.
Hearing that Ye Yunfei had returned, a group of friends quickly gathered to see him: Wen Zi, Ji Yan, Murong Pei, Jiang Yan, Xiao Hui, Yuan Dayong, and more. To Ye Yunfei’s pleasant surprise, the cultivation levels of all these friends had advanced by leaps and bounds.
Since Ziwei Sect was now one of the strongest forces on Primordial Continent, possessing vast cultivation resources and with the headquarters’ particularly dense Spiritual Qi, all of Ye Yunfei’s friends resided there in closed-door cultivation.
Additionally, a group of beings from Canghuang Realm, including members of Qingyun Palace, Hudao Academy, the Ye Family, and others, also used Ziwei Sect Headquarters as their base.
"And Dugu Huan? Any news on his whereabouts?"
During the joyful gathering with his many friends, Ye Yunfei realized Dugu Huan was absent. He couldn’t help asking Sect Leader Liu.
"Still not. I once specially dispatched a team to search every region of Primordial Continent. Until now, we've found no trace of Dugu Huan."
Sect Leader Liu answered.
"May he remain safe," Ye Yunfei said quietly.
Ever since Dugu Huan had long ago left Ziwei Sect Headquarters for outside training, Ye Yunfei had heard no further news of him.