After a day and a night.

Exhausted, Qing Muling took the genuine spirit pill handed to him by Mu Yinghua and began to meditate and recuperate. The toll of healing was so extreme that even the robust recovery ability of the Harmony Spirit Seed was stretched thin, necessitating the aid of pills for a swift recovery.

“How do you feel, Ancestor Master?”

Mu Yinghua asked Xinyu Emperor with a hint of nervousness.

“Fantastic!”

The radiant and spirited Xinyu Emperor replied with satisfaction, “It’s almost equivalent to the healing effect of thirty million merits of heaven and earth. Muling’s ability… truly miraculous!”

“That’s a relief!”

Mu Yinghua breathed a sigh of relief. Over the past day and night, excluding rest periods, Qing Muling had used his divine abilities nine times, each lasting nearly half an hour.

To restore Xinyu Emperor to her peak condition would require a hundred billion merits of heaven and earth. The effects of Qing Muling’s day and night of healing equated to thirty million merits, which meant thirty billion in a hundred days.

By this calculation, perhaps in just about a year, Xinyu Emperor could be fully healed. With her presiding over Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, the sect could reverse its decline of ten thousand years, significantly elevating its status and influence to stand on par with superpowers like Calamity Fate Palace and Great Brahma Temple.

“In that case, Muling, why don’t you stay in the back mountain to heal the Emperor? I’ve prepared a time acceleration formation for you; it should all be done in half a month,”

Mu Yinghua told him, “All other matters can be set aside for now. I’ll explain everything to your Senior Sisters. Once the Emperor is fully recovered, you’re free to do as you please!”

“Your disciple obeys.”

Qing Muling had no reason to refuse. In the world of cultivation, the strong were revered, and the deterrence of a peak Quasi Holy Emperor was worth more than thousands of ordinary immortals.

From the standpoint of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, Xinyu Emperor was the most crucial piece on the board. As long as she could recover smoothly, the majority of the sect’s problems would no longer be issues.

The matter was settled. Mu Yinghua immediately sealed off the back mountain of Imperial Dao Peak, announcing only that Qing Muling was in half a month of closed-door cultivation, mastering profound divine techniques, and that no one was to disturb him for any reason.

After all, for high-level cultivators with long lifespans, it was common to spend hundreds or thousands of years in seclusion. A mere half-month was but a fleeting moment, hardly worth mentioning.

“Ah, I knew it…”

In her dwelling, Cheng Yulan sighed upon hearing the news. She had missed several draws in a row, and just when it was finally her turn, her family had already prepared her dowry, eagerly awaiting the ceremony with Junior Brother.

But then the Sect Master threw this curveball, and she had to wait again, leaving her Second Senior Sister in a gloomy mood.

Looking at her enchanting, dreamlike beauty in the mirror, Cheng Yulan turned her head and asked her Senior Sister, Xuebing Xuan, “Did Master say what divine ability Junior Brother is cultivating? We are his Dao Companions; if he’s to be in seclusion, shouldn’t it be with us?”

Dressed in pure white robes, the serene Xuebing Xuan shook her head briefly, “I’m not quite sure.”

In truth, she was aware of the situation, but the details of Xinyu Emperor’s recovery were a top-secret matter for the sect’s highest echelons. It wasn’t a matter of distrust, but rather that the fewer people who knew, the better.

“Forget it! At least you have something to look forward to; I don’t even know how long I’ll have to wait!”

The vivacious Luo Wanqing downed her cup of Spiritual Wine and Nectar, grumbling, “With so many vixens out there eyeing him, even some of the Elders are unreliable… Are there no good men left in this world? Why must they all fixate on our Junior Brother?”

The enchanting Qi Yalan, holding a sword and sipping from a jade flask, interjected, “Don’t waste your breath on the useless. Better to focus on improving our cultivation. Once we’re all True Immortals, we’ll have the power to keep those vixens at bay and away from Junior Brother.”

Luo Huan rolled her eyes, thinking even if you reach the Sect Master’s level now, it might not be enough to fend them off! It’s possible that some of the Supreme Elders have also taken an interest in Junior Brother!

Cheng Yulan pondered and then frowned, “Right, the Chiye Ling of the ancient Kylin clan, the Holy Maiden Mu Yingshuang of Qingqiu Hall, and a few others had made appointments to purchase items from Junior Brother. If they come during this half-month and can’t find him, wouldn’t that be…”

Xuebing Xuan reassured, “No worries, we’ll inform them in advance to come later. We need to sort out our own urgent matters first.”

At Imperial Dao Peak, in Mu Yinghua’s dwelling.

A group of high-level female cultivators, directly under the command of the Supreme Sect Master, stood guard outside, each with a stern posture and expression. Their powerful divine senses enveloped the entire mountain, and the protective formation was fully activated, strictly forbidding outsiders from approaching.

Inside the dwelling, on the high platform, Sect Master Mu Yinghua sat on a cloud bed, with over thirty dignified and elegant beauties seated on both sides, discussing the sect’s strategy for exterminating the Magic Clan progeny in the coming period.

A large projection mirror in the center displayed a detailed star map of Cloud Dream Immortal Domain and several surrounding domains.

Countless armies of the Magic Clan progeny were rampaging across the immortal domains, with countless mortal kingdoms and smaller sects being slaughtered every day. The calamity facing the Great Void was the largest in hundreds of thousands of years.

These ugly, ferocious, and bloodthirsty Magic Clan progeny typically hunted in the void in groups of hundreds or thousands. Upon finding a land inhabited by sentient beings, they would swoop down and slaughter indiscriminately.

Without cultivators to stop them, a prosperous land spanning tens of thousands of miles would be decimated in no time, with nearly all living beings becoming their targets.

“…We’ve just received news that the Main Altar of Azure Fall Divine Sect has been besieged by a massive army of the Magic Clan progeny, suffering heavy losses. Even their Sect Master Supreme has been injured, and the situation is dire.”

The Fairy Butterfly, in charge of external intelligence for the sect, reported with ease, “They’ve already sought help from their allies and the Dao Courts, but given the current situation, most Dao Lineage powers are overwhelmed and unlikely to assist. Only the Dao Courts might still lend a hand.”

Yu Lingzhou commented indifferently, “The Dao Courts are capable of helping, but there are too many Supreme Dao Lineages in crisis. The three Emperors can’t be everywhere at once. Although Xuan Yin Emperor wasn’t injured when he killed that Magic Clan Emperor-level powerhouse, the toll was heavy, and it won’t be easy for him to exert full strength again soon. It depends on what terms Azure Fall Divine Sect can offer.”

The Elders nodded in agreement; the cost of mobilizing an Emperor was not small. Dao Lineage powers without sufficient resources need not even ask. Of course, if Azure Fall Divine Sect was willing to pay the price, they could afford it.

Compared to the foundation of their sect, all other wealth and benefits were trivial. If spent, they could be accumulated again, but if the sect’s legacy was destroyed, everything would be over.

Not wanting their disciples to be wiped out and their sect’s name erased from history, the high ranks of Azure Fall Divine Sect would have to resolve this matter quickly, even if it meant borrowing at the cost of their lives.

Ice Falcon Heavenly Lord spoke up, “Besides Azure Fall Divine Sect, the situation for several nearby Supreme Dao Lineages is also grim. For instance, the Main Altar and core territories of Armillary Sphere Star Palace are in jeopardy. If the Magic Clan calamity continues for three to five more years, they might be doomed!”

Yueyi Heavenly Lord chuckled, “If they’re doomed, won’t those immortal domains become ownerless? If we can last until the end, we can send people to take over one by one, turning all those lands into Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace’s territories.”

The Elders were tempted. Although many of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace’s territories were also plagued by the Magic Clan progeny, the overall situation was stable, and the Main Altar had never been attacked. Was it because of Xinyu Emperor’s presence or Qing Muling’s supreme fortune?

However, if Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace could endure this great calamity without significant losses, it would be natural to expand their territories on a large scale.

Mu Yinghua nodded lightly, “That would indeed be the ideal outcome for us, though unlikely. Those Supreme Dao Lineages, as long as they’re willing to spend everything, have a chance to preserve their legacies. But even just taking over the territories of those extinct smaller Dao Lineages would be a significant gain for us.”

Fenghua Fairy, in charge of the Punishment Hall, frowned slightly, “My concern is whether Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace will face a sudden attack from an Emperor-level powerhouse of the Magic Clan? Although Xinyu Emperor has awakened, her ability to act is limited. Facing such a crisis, it might be difficult to protect the Main Altar.”

The exact number of Quasi Holy Emperor-level beings among the Magic Clan progeny was unknown, but there were certainly more than one or two.

If such beings appeared in Cloud Dream Immortal Domain, the pressure on Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace would be immense.

At this moment, aside from Mu Yinghua, these Core Elders were unaware of Qing Muling’s seclusion to heal Xinyu Emperor, hence Fenghua Fairy’s concerns.

Moreover, the contributions and favors Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace had accumulated in the Dao Courts were spent, leaving no avenue for further assistance.

As for the sect’s efforts to exterminate the Magic Clan and collect merits of heaven and earth to aid Xinyu Emperor’s recovery, it wasn’t something that could be accomplished overnight, and countless disciples would be sacrificed in the process.

After some thought, Mu Yinghua finally said, “There’s no need to keep this from you all. With Qing Muling here, Xinyu Emperor will soon be restored to her former self, and even the thousands of Supreme Elders sleeping in the Hidden Cave Mystical Realm have hope of recovery. So your worries are unnecessary.”

“…Is this true?”

The Elders were shocked. Although they had recognized Qing Muling’s miraculous abilities, they never imagined he could heal a Quasi Holy Emperor’s injuries.

If this was indeed the case, what was there to worry about? A peak Quasi Holy Emperor, along with thousands of Supreme Elders restored to their prime, meant Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace’s bright future was all but assured.

“Absolutely true,”

Mu Yinghua said with a smile, “So I ask you all to swear a great Dao oath to keep this secret, not even to your closest kin.”

“How wonderful!”

The overjoyed Elders readily agreed, took their oaths, and continued discussing sect affairs.

Time flew by, and the half-month passed in a blink.

On the appointed day, the deep and melodious bell rang atop Imperial Dao Peak, echoing throughout the Main Altar and beyond. One hundred and eight tolls later, it ceased, leaving a lingering resonance.

The more experienced Inner Disciples understood that this was the sect’s highest level of summons. All qualified high-level Elders, upon hearing the bell, had to set aside their tasks and proceed to Imperial Dao Peak to meet the Supreme Sect Master.

However, upon entering the dwelling, the Elders found not the familiar Sect Master on the cloud bed, but a completely unfamiliar beauty seated there. She was dressed in a luxurious deep purple ceremonial gown, exuding the distinct aura of a Quasi Holy Emperor that dominated the room, shrouded in a dazzling mist. A dense aura of blue and purple gathered above her head into a vast cloud of celebration, with visions of stars shifting, ancient divine beasts, and the evolution of galaxies swirling endlessly.

Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace’s highest leader, Mu Yinghua, now stood beside the cloud bed, not taking her seat.

“Elders, have you not yet greeted Xinyu Emperor?”

Seeing everyone assembled, Mu Yinghua straightened her expression and spoke solemnly.

Xinyu Emperor…

The many Elders felt a chill at the name, which had become quite foreign to them, only mentioned in the oldest sect records. Yet today, this legendary founder and third-generation disciple, once a formidable force in the Great Void, appeared before them.

Immediately, uncontrollable joy surged from the Elders’ hearts. Xinyu Emperor’s revival meant that Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace was no longer seen as a declining power but a Supreme Dao Lineage that even the Dao Courts must treat with caution.

“Greetings, Emperor!”

Thousands of Elders bowed respectfully.

……

On the back mountain of Imperial Dao Peak.

Qing Muling lay on a rocking chair, eyes half-closed, gazing at the sky. As Xinyu Emperor’s injuries gradually healed, the sect’s fortune also visibly grew.

Today, Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace’s overall fortune had far surpassed that of ten thousand years ago, even outshining the combined fortunes of the surrounding immortal domains.

“Now, I truly need to go into seclusion for a while.”

Qing Muling murmured to himself. With the current growth of the Harmony Spirit Seed, healing a Quasi Holy Emperor-level being was somewhat forced. Despite the successful healing, the immense drain on his spiritual essence was real, and only with sufficient rest could he recover.