Chapter 176: Ascending Yunlan

"Good morning, Qinglin." As Xiao Xie pushed open the door, the first thing he saw was Qinglin. Watching her yawn, he smiled and said, "Did you not sleep well last night? Since I'm going to the Cloudmist Sect today, you can stay home and catch up on your rest!"

"Yes, young master. Ha..." Qinglin nodded at Xiao Xie's words, rubbed her drowsy eyes, and let out another big yawn before turning around to return to bed.

Xiao Xie gently closed the door behind him and walked out quietly. Ya Fei had indeed been exhausted yesterday; it was best not to disturb her rest.

A massive mountain stood alone and desolate in the middle of the plain, its peak soaring into the clouds like a blade, faintly emanating a sharp, fierce aura that pierced straight into the sky, shrouded in swirling mists.

"Yun Yun, an old friend has come—won't you come out and greet me?" A streak of white light flashed across the sky, and a playful, irreverent voice echoed throughout the entire Cloudmist Sect.

Deep within the Sect, in Yun Yun's private cultivation hall, gentle lantern light flickered in the breeze, casting a soft glow over the hall and dispelling the cold that lingered within.

At the center of the hall, dressed in a flowing white gown, Yun Yun sat cross-legged on a cushion. Her elegant and noble face was, at this moment, filled with a peculiar expression. Just now, she thought she'd heard Xiao Xie's voice. Yun Yun herself didn't know how to face Xiao Xie. Every time she saw him, he would always take liberties with her, and yet she couldn't bring herself to be angry. Instead, there was a trace of joy in her heart. But when she thought about Nalan Yanran's engagement to Xiao Yan—and Xiao Xie being Xiao Yan's cousin—she couldn't help but feel like an old cow coveting young grass. Nonsense, she wasn't some old cow!

Shaking her graceful head, Yun Yun pushed these chaotic thoughts out of her mind. How had she started thinking about that rascal again?

"Yun Yun, I'm back. Won't you come out and greet an old friend?"

That familiar voice sounded again. Yun Yun's beautiful eyes widened—it wasn't a hallucination. With a swirl of her white gown, she transformed into a streak of light and shot out of the hall.

"Yun Yun, it's been too long. I've missed you so much!" As Xiao Xie saw the graceful figure soaring toward him, he opened his arms and pulled her into a tight embrace.

Yun Yun, just about to speak, was enveloped in Xiao Xie's arms before she could utter a word. The words at her lips instantly died away.

"Who is that? He just pulled the Sect Master right into his arms! It's outrageous—no, it's utterly enviable!" A male disciple, seeing the two figures in the sky embracing, spoke with a mix of jealousy and admiration. To them, Sect Master Yun Yun was the goddess of every disciple in the Cloudmist Sect. Yet now, she was being held by another man. Envy couldn't even begin to describe it—it was unbearable.

"Junior brother, you must be new here and don't know—that's the War God, Xiao Xie! At just sixteen, he became a fifth-tier alchemist and even drove back Queen Medusa, saving the Sect from disaster. If anyone in the Jia Ma Empire is worthy of our Sect Master, it could only be him!" A female disciple nearby gazed up at the figure in the sky with adoration. In the Jia Ma Empire, Xiao Xie was the idol of nearly every young person, and she was one of his admirers.

"So that's the War God Xiao Xie? He's even more handsome than I imagined! I've long heard rumors of the special relationship between Lord Xiao Xie and Sect Master Yun Yun, but I never thought it was true. I envy the Sect Master so much! If I could spend just one night with Lord Xiao Xie, I'd gladly give up twenty years of my life!" A newly initiated female disciple of the Cloudmist Sect gushed, her face dreamy.

The other female disciples, hearing such bold words, blushed but nodded inwardly in agreement. Whether it was Xiao Xie becoming a fifth-tier alchemist at sixteen or his strength rivaling that of a Sect-level Dou Zong, any single feat was enough to cause a sensation, let alone both together.

In the Jia Ma Empire, who knows how many girls dreamed of Xiao Xie? If he so much as beckoned, hundreds, even thousands, would line up for his favor. Even the imperial family would probably offer their princess to him at a word, so eager were they to forge a connection.

The only problem was that Xiao Xie was elusive and unpredictable; no one could find him to make such an offer. Still, despite his mysterious comings and goings, the influential families of the empire had found another way. Many of the Xiao family's disciples had become engaged over the past six months. If they couldn't marry their daughters to Xiao Xie himself, marrying into the Xiao family was the next best thing. After all, Xiao Xie was one of their own, so any connection to the Xiao family was a connection to him. For a while, the unmarried disciples of the Xiao family became the prime candidates for alliances among the empire's great powers.

"Stop it—a whole crowd is watching!" Yun Yun pushed Xiao Xie away, a blush lighting up her cheeks. With her sensitive hearing, she could catch every word of the disciples below. Some of their talk made her face burn. In the past, any intimacy between her and Xiao Xie happened in private. Now, with the entire Sect watching, how could she maintain her authority as Sect Master?

Seeing Yun Yun lower her head, nervously twisting the corner of her robe, Xiao Xie chuckled softly. "All right, let's go inside and talk."

"Mm." Yun Yun nodded, relieved, and led Xiao Xie toward the Sect's council hall.

By now, many people had already gathered in the council hall. Thanks to Xiao Xie's boisterous calls earlier, everyone in the Cloudmist Sect had heard and the hall was now filled with the Sect's core members.

"Greetings, Master Yunshan," Xiao Xie said with a smile to the elder seated at the head of the hall.

Yunshan, the former Sect Master, usually left the Sect's affairs to others, but having been startled by Xiao Xie's arrival and learning it was him, he had come to greet him personally. Xiao Xie was worth such an honor.

"Xiao Xie, boy, you've changed so much in just half a year!" Yunshan sensed the aura radiating from Xiao Xie and was momentarily stunned before forcing an awkward smile.

Yet in his heart, Yunshan muttered, "What a little monster. What on earth has he experienced in half a year to reach the Dou Zong level? Even I can't see through his strength anymore. Does that mean he's surpassed me? He's a monster, a real monster. I mustn't be angry; I can't compare myself to him!"

He repeated this to himself several times, afraid he might lose control and bang his head against the wall. Once, Yunshan had taken great pride in being one of the few Dou Zong in the Jia Ma Empire. But every meeting with Xiao Xie shattered his understanding of what was possible. Now, seeing that Xiao Xie's cultivation had surpassed his own, he suddenly felt all his years had been lived in vain.

"My cultivation advanced a little too quickly with a bit of luck," Xiao Xie replied with a self-deprecating smile, feigning modesty.

Yunshan rolled his eyes in exasperation. Seeing Xiao Xie's smugness, he had the urge to give him a good beating—if only he could win.

"Xiao Xie, let me introduce you. This is Dan King Gu He, our Sect's honored guest elder." Yun Yun quickly changed the subject, sensing the tension in the room.

Xiao Xie recognized most of those in the hall, but he hadn't expected the middle-aged man seated at Yunshan's right hand to be none other than Dan King Gu He.

Gu He possessed an indescribable aura; his sharply defined features suggested that he must have been a strikingly handsome man in his youth. Even now, although advanced in years, the maturity honed by time lent him an added air of composure and depth.

"Xiao Xie, I have long heard of your great name. For an alchemist of your talent to emerge among our ranks is truly rare. I've wanted to meet you for some time, but never had the chance—until now," Gu He said with a smile.

"I have also heard much of your reputation," Xiao Xie replied. Though Gu He smiled, Xiao Xie could sense a faint trace of hostility beneath it.

Adopting a tone of elder authority, Gu He continued, "To become a fifth-tier alchemist at your age is already remarkable. But if you wish to reach the sixth tier, you will need to work even harder."