Chen Wentian looked the stranger up and down. He was surprised when he had been called over by Lin Qingcheng by an important guest. When he heard that, the last thing he expected was to meet a mortal.
The person standing before him had a slender, average build, about half a head shorter than himself. The clothes were simple and common among scholars which made their gender ambiguous. However, upon closer inspection, it was clear that this guest was a young woman no older than thirty.
"Who are you?" He asked.
The woman bowed and then took out a rectangular, wooden badge. After a moment, the badge glowed with multi-colored light and emitted a burst of profound spiritual energy. It was unmistakable, the signature of an immortal. And it wasn't from a Spirit Lord but a Spirit King. It was for this reason that Lin Qingcheng had called him over.
Chen Wentian studied the four prominent characters on the badge. He also considered the spiritual energy closely until it faded away. He sensed trouble and an oncoming headache.
"Lord immortal, this one is named Wang Yuqi, disciple of the Sun Moon Fantasy Sect."
He frowned. So, it was that sect. He had heard of the name before, from stray conversations between other immortals. The Sun Moon Fantasy Sect was a super sect known across the cultivation world. It was one of the few names that every human immortal would hear of sooner or later, no matter where they were or how far away they were from civilization.
He peered at this person again, more carefully this time. Wang Yuqi wore no makeup, making her appear youthful and innocent. She had a pair of inquisitive eyes. Her expression bore not a trace of ill thoughts or intentions. Her mere presence filled the room with a refreshing feeling of spring.
But the problem wasn't her but the reputation her sect carried. It was said that whenever there was a great upheaval in the world, when there were terrible wars or disasters, the Sun Moon Fantasy Sect would appear without fail. They were the heralds of change, whether such change was welcome or not. They were masters of history and the story of humanity.
"So, you've been quite busy around my city," Chen Wentian said, "How is it? Up to your standards?"
Wang Yuqi bowed again, "Lord immortal, I apologize for my rudeness and any offense I may have caused."
He snorted, "What do you want with me?"
"Lord immortal, my task was indeed to observe your sect Ten Thousand Flower Valley. But myself and my sect mean no harm to you. We are merely scholars and historians. We heard about your great accomplishments in a short period of time. The higher-ups deemed it a worthy matter to pay attention to. My presence here is only to record the history of humankind in this harsh world. I can already see that the names Immortal Blue Dragon Chen Wentian and Ten Thousand Flower Valley will leave a deep mark that will last for many eras."
"You flatter me."
She replied with simply another bow.
Chen Wentian didn't know how to deal with this annoying person. He knew exactly why the Sun Moon Fantasy Sect was here. Too many things had happened in the Eastern Sanmu Subcontinent in a short few years. So many immortal lords had lost their lives in one incident after another. Immortal sects with lengthy histories like Glacier Palace, the Divine Blazing Mountain, and the Tower of Swords all fell. Even the four great sword sects which were a tier below suffered disasters.
Yet out of the chaos, one sect emerged unscathed and only grew in power and influence. Ten Thousand Flower Valley, a brand-new sect, was the envy of the subcontinent. Chen Wentian was like a young dragon roaring at the endless sky, declaring his dominion over the vast lands.
He had finally attracted a truly big shot. With it came dangers but also opportunities. He didn't know what this meant for the future. He could only tackle it step by step.
"If there is nothing else, you may come and go through my territories as you please. But remember, I will always be keeping an eye on you." Chen Wentian said.
"Lord immortal, actually…" Wang Yuqi took out a scroll and a brush, "This is a custom of our Sun Moon Fantasy Sect. Will you leave behind a few words, a message for future generations? It can be anything from your thoughts on the great Dao or insights into your worldview. These words will be stored within our archives. Even if continents or sacred lands fall into ruin, our Sun Moon Fantasy Sect will protect your words for a hundred thousand years."
Chen Wentian thought about it and nodded. There was no harm in a few words. For many, this was considered a great honor. He didn't care too much but there was no point in thinking too much.
He took the brush and wrote a brief phrase consisting of seven characters. He then closed the scroll and returned it.
"Thank you, lord immortal. Then, I shall bid my leave. I wish lord immortal and his sect good fortunes." Wang Yuqi bowed and left.
---
Later that day, Chen Wentian was having dinner with Lin Qingcheng, Zhou Ziyun, and Wu Qianyu in a private room within the House of Paradise. The disciples were chatting with each other while he remained silent and thoughtful. Eventually, Zhou Ziyun broke away from her sisters and nudged him.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"It's nothing. Maybe…" He muttered.
He had already told them the story of the special guest from the Sun Moon Fantasy Sect. He was still bothered by the meeting and couldn't help but think about it.
He drank some wine and then stared at the empty cup in his hand for a long time, "Some immortals have said that meeting the Sun Moon Fantasy Sect is an ill omen."
Zhou Ziyun didn't say anything but rubbed his arm to comfort him.
Chen Wentian remained deep in thought.
After emptying another bottle of wine, he let out a long breath after clearing his mind.
"What a Sun Moon Fantasy Sect, why should I care?" He said, "It doesn't matter. As long as my disciples are happy, as long as they grow stronger, there is nothing else I will be worried about."
He looked up at his three beautiful disciples and their expectant gazes. He smiled, "Do you want to go see your junior sister Long?"
"Sister Long? Of course!" Lin Qingcheng said. "We all miss her a lot, right?"
The other two nodded at her words.
"Good, it's about time. We need to prepare for her end-of-the-year assessment. Ziyun, how much money do we have saved?"
Zhou Ziyun pursed her lips and did some mental calculations, "Not as much as you think. We have to rebuild the areas ruined by the bandit attack. We also have to pay for a new teleportation array. And that's on top of our normal expenses which are always growing higher. We recently gained a spiritual crystal mountain but we're currently using all of it to support Beast God Sanctum and help solidify the changes happening there. Meanwhile, we are still supporting Glacier Province, Divine Blazing Province, Cloudy Mountain, Red Bamboo, and we recently added Sword King Province as well."
"That's… a lot." He admitted.
"However," She continued, "The problem is that even if we ignored everything in the Eastern Sanmu Subcontinent and gave everything to Sister Long, the amount still won't be enough. The Martial Brilliance Continent is on an entirely different level. We can't compete with them with the resources we have on hand."
"You're right!" He said and stood up, "That's why, I've decided, we'll go to the continent to earn some money!"
"How are we going to do that?" Zhou Ziyun asked.
Chen Wentian smiled and held a finger to his lips, "I think it is time for Lin Huzhong to make a comeback!"
Lin Qingcheng, Zhou Ziyun, and Wu Qianyu all groaned at the same time.
---
That is the end of the arc, next arc returns to Long Yifei's story.