The weary group of four hurried back through the mountain gates and into the sect. Yu Jiajia and Zhao Yunhai first took the injured Jia Yushu to Tianhua Peak to see the Jia Family Ancestor for immediate treatment, while Yu Zongfan went straight to meet his own master at her residence.
As soon as Lü Se spotted the bright streak of the escape light in the sky, he knew Yu Zongfan had returned from his travels. He immediately went to report the arrival to Jian Dan Zhēnzūn.
"Zhēnzūn, your second disciple Yu Zongfan is back," he announced.
"Oh?" Jian Dan said with a flicker of mild surprise. "He is pretty fast. He even beat his junior sister back to the peak."
Jian Dan set down the ancient jade slip she had been holding, muttered that to herself with a small shake of her head, and then instructed the waiting Lü Se.
"Let Zongfan come see me directly in the inner chamber."
"Yes!" he replied.
Only a moment later, Yu Zongfan stepped straight into his master's quiet cave abode.
"Disciple Yu Zongfan greets Master. Congratulations on Master advancing to the prestigious Mahayana stage!"
He lowered his head respectfully and spoke the words clearly.
Since he had been traveling outside for quite some time, Yu Zongfan was wearing a sturdy ginger yellow robe. It looked understated in the soft light of the cave, but its defensive power was extremely strong. Intricate gold thread patterns were embroidered into the fabric, forming hidden defensive runes that hummed with energy. As he moved, a faint golden light flickered across the silk. He wore a yellow jade crown on his head, with a matching silk ribbon binding his long hair neatly.
After advancing to the Nascent Soul stage, Yu Zongfan had fully grown into his looks and stature. Unlike Mao Dou's thick, rugged brows and large eyes, his appearance matched the Cultivation Realm's more standard sense of refined beauty. He was elegant, with sharp, sword like brows and star bright eyes that made him clearly handsome to any observer. Yet at this moment, there was a visible trace of lingering anxiety between his brows.
"Mm. Sit down and talk with me. Is something wrong? Your expression looks off today," Jian Dan said, noticing the tension in his posture at a glance.
"Please forgive me, Master. I truly came to congratulate you on your breakthrough. My original plan was to rush back once the training ended. I even contacted Steward Lü Se in advance, in case you were holding a Mahayana ceremony, so I could return immediately to assist. But something unexpected happened along the way, so I hurried back instead to seek counsel," he explained.
Yu Zongfan immediately stood up from the stool and bowed low as he replied.
After hearing this, Jian Dan swept him with her divine sense to check his condition. Once she confirmed Yu Zongfan was physically unharmed, she spoke.
"Did something happen to your companions? Sit and explain it to me in detail."
"Yes, Master!"
Since his master hadn't blamed him for his hurried state, Yu Zongfan finally relaxed his shoulders and poured everything out, recounting what had happened during their long training journey.
After advancing to the Nascent Soul stage, Yu Zongfan couldn't wait to go out and train in the wider world. He had planned to return to the Yu family territory first to see the Ancestor and pay his respects, and then decide where to head next. Before he could do that, Yu Jiajia, Zhao Yunhai, and Jia Yushu came looking for him at the peak. They wanted to invite him to train together as a team.
The three of them hadn't advanced at the same time, so they had been waiting on each other for months, which dragged things out until now. Only recently had all three successfully reached the Nascent Soul stage.
When they learned Yu Zongfan was also planning to train, it was perfect timing for a group effort. Zhao Yunhai had broad connections across the land and had received secret news about a Cavern Heaven blessed land that was about to emerge, which was why they came to find him.
The four of them had been close companions back in the Children's Hall when they were very young. Although each had taken a different master upon entering the inner sect, Jian Dan was their shared master and mentor, and they had known each other since childhood. They trusted one another implicitly. Since Yu Zongfan hadn't decided where to train yet, once Zhao Yunhai brought it up, both sides immediately agreed to the plan.
Just like that, the four traveled together through various provinces. They first went to the Yu family territory to visit the clan members and their Ancestor. After that, they headed far west, slowly making their way toward the location of the Cavern Heaven blessed land.
Because Zhao Yunhai had arranged for his own people to guard the entrance, and there were no signs of it opening yet, they didn't rush their journey. Instead, they trained along the way, hunting beasts and exploring ruins. Whenever they encountered large cities, they stayed for a while to trade. They wandered like this for two and a half years, and all four of them grew significantly stronger through their experiences.
Not long ago, they received urgent word from the people staying behind at the site. The entrance was finally about to open, and they were urged to hurry over. That was when the four headed straight for the hidden blessed land.
Many other people had also received the news through various channels. By the time they arrived at the valley, a large crowd had already gathered outside the Cavern Heaven entrance. After waiting less than three days, the blessed land finally opened amid a sudden burst of brilliant golden light.
Everyone rushed in through the shimmering portal, afraid that being even a step late would cost them their unique opportunities for treasure. The four of them, however, were far more cautious in their approach. Because of that caution, they discovered something horrifying hidden inside. There was actually a broodmother from the invasive insect race nested deep within the blessed land.
No one knew how the broodmother had entered the protected Cavern Heaven, but it had used the dense spiritual energy there to nurture countless black armored insect larvae. The entire blessed land was on the verge of becoming a barren, dead wilderness under their hunger.
None of the cultivators who entered were fools. The insect race threat and the two hundred year invasion limit were known across the entire continent to every sect. Without a single word, everyone drew their spirit swords and decided to wipe out the scourge first.
At moments like this, the individual strength and coordination of disciples from major sects truly showed. The four formed a tight battle formation and charged straight into the heart of the broodmother's nest. They killed the broodmother immediately, cutting off the larvae's command and connection. Only then did they each take a defensive position and begin slaughtering the black armored insect larvae.
The others also knew their limits in such a fight. When they saw the overwhelming combat power of the four, someone quickly proposed that each of them lead a team of cultivators to cooperate in clearing out the remaining insects in the Cavern Heaven.
After a brief discussion on tactics, Yu Jiajia and the others agreed to the lead. Fighting separately wouldn't completely eradicate the insects and would only lead to unnecessary casualties among the group.
So each of them led a group of around fifty individual cultivators. Working together, they systematically exterminated the black armored insect larvae in every corner. After fighting nonstop for three days and three nights, they finally killed the last one in the cave.
Just as everyone was completely exhausted from the exertion, a loose cultivator squad suddenly rushed into the Cavern Heaven. When they saw the bloody scene inside, they froze in place. It was a female cultivator who politely asked what had happened in the tunnels. After learning that this place had become an insect breeding ground, she was equally shocked by the news.
After introducing themselves to the group, she led her squad to help treat injuries and distribute medicinal pills to the survivors.
Everyone present was a seasoned cultivator with a wary mind. Although they accepted the pills, none of them took them immediately. The female cultivator noticed the reason for their hesitation at once and swore that the pills were absolutely safe for consumption. She explained that they were a training squad from the Loose Cultivator Alliance and even showed their official waist tokens as proof.
She added that if anyone felt uncomfortable accepting them as a gift, they could pay spirit stones and treat it as a standard purchase. With that, she walked over to Yu Zongfan and handed him a small pill bottle.
Not to mention that Yu Zongfan had his family backing him with wealth, even the resources Jian Dan had prepared for him in the past were more than enough. He didn't care about these basic healing pills at all and was about to refuse the offer. At that moment, Bai Bai suddenly leaped up and swiped down with a single, sharp claw.