Throughout the flight, Su Ming kept one hand pressed to the young lady, steadily circulating his Qi to keep her stable.
Beside her, the elder stirred and coughed weakly.
"We are out," Su Ming said. "You are safe."
"Thank you..." the elder whispered. "My niece... Xian'er..."
"She is fine. Rest." Su Ming did not press for details.
When the Heavenly Cloud Sect appeared, Su Ming saw massive crowds gathering around the arenas.
"The tournament... starts tomorrow?" Su Ming muttered.
It was almost normal for a secret realm to dilate time. On the outside, barely two weeks had passed, though he spent almost a month inside. Sensing the dormant Thunder Fire Seed resting quietly beneath the lantern in his Soul Sea, he had some doubts.
In the final trial, he saw images of his past and future.
He could not help but wonder whether the seed had reacted to his desperate intent and opened a tear across space-time to bring him out where, or rather when, he wanted.
'Nah...I'm probably thinking too much.'
Deep within his Soul Sea, the seed remained silent.
Su Ming guided the boat directly to the Medicine Hall, descending onto the stone courtyard. Carrying the unconscious pair in his arms, he stepped onto the ground and waved his hand, storing the flying boat back into his pouch.
Because he had rushed back at maximum speed, his Late Golden Core cultivation base was still actively radiating invisible pressure from his body. The disciples standing around the courtyard froze, feeling the crushing weight of his presence.
Disciples and younger cultivators parted instinctively, murmurs breaking out as they stared in awe.
"Who is that? He looks unfamiliar..."
"Isn't that the handyman disciple who became the acting master of White Lotus Peak by luck? But since when was he so strong?..."
Su Ming ignored the hushed commotion, his tempered, broader frame moving with steady steps as he carried the two inside. Finding Elder Liu, he placed them down.
"Elder Liu, these are some people I encountered during my travels outside. They need urgent care and treatment," Su Ming said.
Without waiting for the elder to respond, he tapped his storage ring, passing over two premium Yang-element spiritual herbs—knowing he had hundreds more—along with a small bowl's worth of the concentrated liquid Yang Qi essence.
Elder Liu's eyes widened as he sensed the pure, rich energy radiating from the offerings. He quickly agreed, nodding as he accepted the treasures.
"Nephew Su, it is the duty of the Medicine Hall to care for those in need. Leave them to us, we will ensure their recovery." Su Ming nodded.
In his storage rings and pouches, he had mountains of crystals, dragon scales, bones, and raw minerals; these basic offerings were merely a drop in the ocean compared to the haul he got. And with that much raw material, establishing a future connection to the Alchemy Peak or Blacksmith Hall would be trivial.
"Thank you," Su Ming said, leaving the pair in the elder's care.
Stepping out of the Medicine Hall, he summoned his flying sword and took off into the sky as a streak of light, leaving the staring disciples in a daze.
Su Ming returned to White Lotus Peak. The moment his sword landed, Lin Yao rushed out from inside, her eyes bright with relief.
"Master! You returned!"
"Of course," Su Ming said with a reassuring smile. "I promised I would return before the tournament, didn't I?"
He stepped off his sword, scanning her with his Essence Sight.
"How is your cultivation?"
"I have consolidated the eighth stage of Foundation Establishment," Lin Yao replied, manifesting her dark nether flame Qi. The violet flames flickered stably around her fingers.
"Good." Su Ming nodded.
"Tomorrow, the tournament begins. Let us show them what White Lotus Peak is."
***
The morning mist on White Lotus Peak was thinner than usual, split by the first rays of a golden dawn.
Lin Yao stood in the courtyard, her posture unusually rigid. She wore simple white robes, the fabric clean and pressed. Hanging freely from her waist was the wooden token he had given her, with the word 'Eldest' cleanly engraved into its surface, swinging slightly with her breath.
Su Ming stepped out of his personal quarters. His steps were light, yet his footing was solid. He had spent the entire night circulating the Origin Flame Scripture to compress his newly restored Late Golden Core cultivation base.
Despite his efforts to conceal it, he was actively giving off the aura of a basic, early-stage Golden Core. But if a seasoned cultivator were to look carefully, they would see that his cultivation was far deeper.
"Master," Lin Yao said, bowing low. Her hand drifted to the wooden token, ensuring it rested prominently on her hip.
"You look ready," Su Ming said, scanning her. Her Foundation Establishment aura was steady and calm. "Remember, do not delay or drag out the fights. Win quickly and cleanly, keeping it simple."
Lin Yao nodded, her grip on her training sword tightening. "This disciple understands. I will not drag out the matches."
"Good. Let us depart."
Su Ming waved his sleeve, releasing the wooden flying boat. They stepped onto the deck, and the vessel rose into the sky, carving a path through the clouds toward the center of the Heavenly Cloud Sect.
***
The Central Arena was the designated site for the Grand Disciple Tournament. By the time they arrived, the grand mountain valley was a sea of moving figures. Thousands of outer and inner disciples crowded the stone paths, their voices merging into a low, continuous rumble that shook the pine trees. Massive floating platforms—each a ring-stage forged from white stone and protected by shimmering defensive arrays—hovered in the sky above the central valley.
Su Ming steered the boat down to a designated landing platform at the edge of the grand plaza. He stepped onto the stone courtyard, carrying himself with a quiet, steady posture, and waved his hand, stowing the flying boat back into his storage ring.
As they walked toward the central seating gallery, the wooden disciple token at Lin Yao's waist drew immediate attention.
"Look at that. It's the acting master of White Lotus Peak," a Tiger Peak disciple muttered, a light smirk playing on his lips. "And his only disciple."
"Is she actually flaunting the Eldest Disciple token?" another laughed under his breath. "A peak with only one disciple has an eldest disciple? How embarrassing. They should have just stayed hidden."
Lin Yao did not turn her head. Her jaw remained set, her gaze fixed straight ahead as she followed half a step behind Su Ming. Her steps did not falter. Su Ming did not look back either, a faint, amused smile touching the corner of his mouth.
***
The seating gallery was built in a massive amphitheater surrounding the floating arenas.
At the absolute peak of the stadium, Sect Master Jun Tianya sat on a high, floating silver throne. Behind him, a colossal, starlight-infused projection of the Heavenly Cloud Sect symbol rotated slowly, casting a soft, celestial glow over the entire valley.
Below the Sect Master, the nine Inner Peaks Masters sat on grand stone thrones. Hovering above each of their seats was a vibrant, roaring Qi projection representing their peak. Azure Dragon Peak had a winding azure dragon breathing mist; Vermilion Flame Peak projected a burning bird of fire; and Golden Qilin Peak projected a colossal, shimmering golden Qilin breathing white qi. The sheer spiritual pressure of the projections made the air hum.
The seventy-two outer peaks were seated in a lower, collective gallery. There were no grand Qi projections here. Instead, simple banners and flags printed with the names of the peaks stood behind their stone seats.
Su Ming guided Lin Yao to the outer peak section and took his seat. Directly to his right was the banner of Azure Bamboo Peak, where Elder Qingya sat quietly, her eyes resting on the floating arenas. Beside her sat her personal disciple, a young woman in light green robes named Ye Xiaoling, who was quietly attending to her master.
As Su Ming sat down, Elder Qingya turned her head. Her sharp, serene gaze swept over him, but as she drew closer, her eyes suddenly paused. The calm mask she usually wore cracked for a brief moment.
At close range, she could clearly see the faint, golden pulse vibrating within his meridians. It was thin, but it was undoubtedly the mark of a Golden Core.
She looked at Lin Yao, who sat straight-backed with the wooden token swinging on her waist, her breathing calm and deep.
A soft, genuine smile broke Elder Qingya's quiet expression. She reached out, her fingers gently brushing a speck of dust from his white sleeve with a familiarity she showed to no one else in the sect. Her cold, aloof posture melted, replaced by a maternal warmth in her eyes as she leaned slightly closer and said, "Su Ming, you have done well. White Lotus Peak... is saved. Senior Brother Xuan would have been proud."
Hearing her words, Su Ming did not put on his usual mask of polite distance. A warm, relaxed grin broke his face, his eyes softening as he took the praise cheerfully. "With Elder Qingya looking after us from Azure Bamboo Peak, how could I dare to fail?"
She let out a soft, hushed chuckle, tapping the side of his head with her finger in a silent, gentle scold before returning her gaze to the arena. The coldness in her expression had completely vanished.