Chapter 785: Returning to the Sacred Sect

The next day.

Lin Fan spent some tender moments with his wife before leaving. Back in the Xuanhuang Realm, there were many matters awaiting his attention.

Yun Xian naturally understood that her husband had important affairs, so she did not press him to stay. There would be plenty of time in the future for lingering affection.

At the Orchid Pavilion.

Lin Fan stood alone, his thoughts drifting as he considered what lay ahead.

He knew that when the myriad realms opened wide, it would be a time of surging storms.

Hidden powerhouses from all paths would emerge into the world.

Along this journey, he had indeed encountered many strong beings, but compared to the vast Great Thousand Middle World and the Ancient Sacred Realm, what he had seen was merely the tip of the iceberg.

The Great Thousand World was immeasurably ancient; if it only had this many experts, then what was the point of it all?

Lin Fan knew that when that moment came, it would be a true melee.

To protect those he wanted to protect when the myriad realms opened, he could only continuously improve his own strength.

Master!

Zhiqiao and Jiuling walked slowly from afar. They had not slept well the night before—tied together, everything was inconvenient, and even rest was uneasy.

Master, your disciples know they were wrong. Can you untie this? they said pitifully. Just one day was so unbearable; if it dragged on, it would be torture.

This is a test I have set for you, Lin Fan naturally would not untie them.

Having left early, he had not properly educated these two disciples. If he did not make them reconcile, things would explode later.

Alright, I still have matters to attend to.

Lin Fan did not linger. In an instant, he vanished between heaven and earth.

Ah!

Zhiqiao and Jiuling pouted and stamped their feet. To them, this was torture.

But they dared not defy their master's will. They glanced at each other and let out a delicate snort.

The Sacred Sect was now the foremost sect in the Xuanhuang Realm, both in the past and the present—still the number one sect.

A place worshipped by countless sects.

In the distant void, Lin Fan looked out and saw a statue faintly visible. He knew it was his own Heaven-Sacrifice Spirit Statue.

Thinking of this statue, Lin Fan couldn't help but smile. It had been the result of a play he had put on, which the sect had later erected to commemorate him.

The Sacred Sect truly lives up to its name—its fortune is like a dragon. Just one sect alone claims nearly twenty percent of the Xuanhuang Realm's fortune.

Having cultivated to Lin Fan's level, he was intimately familiar with the concept of fortune. Moreover, the Heavenly Will was his, making it extremely simple to inspect fortune.

With twenty percent of the fortune, the sect produced prodigies in abundance and flourished for ages.

When Lin Fan appeared at the Sacred Sect's gate, many disciples inside were puzzled by this outsider.

These disciples were immensely proud to be members of the Sacred Sect.

The number one sect of the Xuanhuang Realm was no joke.

Stepping onto the soil of the Sacred Sect, Lin Fan was flooded with memories. He wondered how many people still remembered him.

Five years had passed; perhaps he had been mostly forgotten.

You... you!

Just then, a group of disciples surrounded him, their expressions stunned, as if they had seen something extraordinary.

Lin Fan was puzzled. He didn't know what was wrong with these disciples—why they all looked as if they had seen a ghost.

The disciples stared at the distant statue, then fixed their eyes on Lin Fan.

These were outer disciples, but when they entered the sect, the first rule they had to learn was about Lin Fan.

Moreover, every new disciple had to stand silently before that statue for an entire day, without making a sound.

If they made a sound, they would be deemed unqualified.

And every day, these disciples passed by the statue. Over time, even without looking, they knew exactly what the statue looked like.

Lin Fan stood gracefully with his hands behind his back, then took a step forward and walked inside.

The surrounding disciples, without a word, parted in unison, standing in two rows.

Greetings, Grandmaster Lin.

In an instant, a thunderous roar of voices rang out, spreading throughout the entire Sacred Sect.

The disciples inside, hearing the sound, had no idea what was happening. But when they saw the figure, they were as dumbfounded as the others.

Greetings, Grandmaster Lin.

Lin Fan hadn't expected that after five years away, the Sacred Sect disciples would still all recognize him. This struck him as somewhat incredible.

That's Grandmaster Lin, the foremost of the Sacred Sect!

He looks exactly like the statue—no mistake!

I heard Grandmaster Lin ascended to the upper realm. Why is he appearing in the Sacred Sect?

I don't know, but there's absolutely no mistake—the divine aura, the temperament, the face—they're all identical.

Quickly report to the Sect Master and the Elders!

...

But what puzzled Lin Fan was that his seniority seemed to have risen again.

That was a curious thing.

Many of the Sacred Sect's prodigy disciples stared at Lin Fan.

They were the sect's geniuses—some aloof, some proud, some domineering.

But at this moment, they had no choice but to respectfully call out, Grandmaster Lin.

In an instant, from deep within the Sacred Sect, several streaks of light flashed over.

That's the Ancestor.

The Sect Master is coming too.

The Supreme Elders are also here.

...

Lin Fan sensed the familiar auras, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth. I'm back, he said calmly.

Ancestor Yan, Supreme Elder Wuya, Zong Hentian—all the people Lin Fan knew appeared before him.

Lu Yan with his profound Buddhist nature, Meng Hao with his unmatched combat prowess, Jian Wudi with his sweeping sword aura...

Lin Fan! Yan Hongyu's expression shifted, disbelief on his face.

Even Supreme Elder Wuya, whose face was usually unchanging, showed a ripple of emotion.

Haha, what, do none of you recognize me anymore? It's only been five years, Lin Fan said with a smile.

Grandmaster. Zong Hentian was especially excited and immediately stepped forward.

Grandmaster had been away for five years, and he had thought of him day and night. He had originally believed he would never see Grandmaster again, but after five years, Grandmaster had returned.

Not bad, kid—you've become Sect Master. Lin Fan looked at Zong Hentian's attire and couldn't help but laugh.

Hehe! Zong Hentian scratched his head smugly. The authority of the Sect Master vanished completely before Lin Fan.

It was as if he were still the little follower behind Grandmaster Lin, just like before.

To the disciples, seeing their dignified Sect Master behave like this left them utterly astonished, as if they couldn't believe it.

For the later disciples, Grandmaster Lin was a legendary figure.

Within the sect, they had heard many stories from the older generation about past events, and they were all shocked, feeling that such a powerful being could hardly exist in the world.

To the Sacred Sect disciples, the most curious legendary figure in their hearts was Grandmaster Lin.

...