Chapter Forty-Two: Returning to the Sect

Tianmu Mountain, Heavenly Profound Sect.

A massive three-story flying ship, a hundred zhang long, descended from the distant sky.

At the sect’s gate, three elders—Song Yuchen, Song Yuxin, and Gai Nie—who had been waiting half a day, hurried to the mountain entrance and lifted the barriers to welcome the ship’s arrival.

At the bow, Wen Xuan, pale with exhaustion, piloted the ship down toward Tianmu Mountain. Even with Wen Xuan’s True Immortal cultivation, steering such a colossal vessel was a strenuous effort.

Behind him, Ge Qingyang and Mo Bufan stood casually, with several disciples of the Heavenly Profound Sect—including Gao Xiu—gathered further back.

At this moment, the five disciples, especially Zhao Yunfan and Chen Tianwen—who had suffered serious injuries—regarded Mo Bufan with untold respect, bowing and scraping before him.

Mo Bufan’s earlier displays had left them awed and humble. The first time he saved them, they’d felt only gratitude and surprise. But when they heard Mo Bufan call Wen Xuan “Senior Brother,” and learned he was the Deputy Sect Master’s husband, they were utterly stunned. After Qian Yuanzi’s analysis of Mo Bufan’s identity, they realized they inhabited entirely different worlds from him.

All along the journey, Zhao Sinan kept stealing glances at Mo Bufan. As a cultivator eager to progress further on the path of immortality, she was determined to forge a connection with someone like him. She felt she’d gotten along well with Mo Bufan throughout the trip, and, having stood up for him when her brother was disrespectful, she believed she must have left a favorable impression.

If she wanted to go further, she needed to create karmic ties with Mo Bufan—at the very least, to be remembered by him. Such a connection could prove invaluable in the future.

Yet Mo Bufan had scarcely spared them a glance, silently carrying his bamboo basket and occasionally checking on the two nearly white-haired demon beasts they’d brought along.

Now that they’d reached the sect, if she didn’t speak to Mo Bufan, she feared she’d miss her chance forever.

With this in mind, she stepped forward, cupped her hands, and said, “M-Mister Mo, I am Zhao Sinan, an outer disciple of the Heavenly Profound Sect.”

Mo Bufan was pondering how to explain the demon beasts’ presence when Zhao Sinan interrupted him, causing him to frown slightly.

Zhao Sinan immediately noticed his displeasure, and her heart trembled—she knew she must have disturbed him. Anxiously, she said, “Mister Mo, thank you for your care along the way. You saved our lives, and I will surely repay this debt. As for my brother and the others’ earlier offenses, I hope you can overlook them.”

“Huh?” Mo Bufan finally responded. Seeing the beautiful Zhao Sinan before him and hearing her words, he waved his hand hurriedly. “No need. It was nothing—just a small matter, not worth mentioning.”

But Zhao Sinan wouldn’t let it end there. “Please, Mister Mo, don’t say that. Repayment is only right. Though my abilities are modest, I am, after all, a princess of the mortal realm. If you ever have need of anything, just ask, and I will do my utmost to help.”

Mo Bufan scratched his head at her offer, thinking to himself that princesses these days seemed all too common—he ran into them everywhere. He nodded at last. “Very well. Princess, you should rest now; we’re about to arrive at the sect.”

Zhao Sinan, understanding when to withdraw, cupped her hands and returned to the others. She dared not disturb Ge Qingyang or Wen Xuan—their cultivation was far beyond hers, and provoking such immortals was asking for trouble.

Meanwhile, Chen Tianwen, often jealous of Zhao Sinan’s attention to Mo Bufan, was itching to strike up a connection with him as well. Seeing Mo Bufan converse so easily with Zhao Sinan, he felt a pang of envy, but he understood it wasn’t that Mo Bufan was interested in Zhao Sinan. The Deputy Sect Master was his wife, after all; it was simply that everyone wished to create some karmic link with Mo Bufan.

Gao Xiu and the others felt much the same.

But none of them had a chance—by now, the ship had pierced the mountain’s protective array and entered the heart of the Heavenly Profound Sect.

Song Yuchen and the other two elders appeared instantly on the ship, and when they saw the ten giant demon beasts and nearly two hundred cubs behind the disciples, they were momentarily dumbstruck.

But after one look at the demon beasts, their eyes immediately returned to Mo Bufan. To them, he was still the most precious one present.

“Son-in-law, are you all right?” Gai Nie inquired at once.

Mo Bufan shook his head. “Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Gai. I’m fine.”

“That’s good, that’s good,” Song Yuchen and Gai Nie both breathed sighs of relief.

Their attention finally shifted to the demon beasts.

“Senior Brother Wen, what’s the story with these demon beasts? How did you end up with so many treasures?” Song Yuchen asked.

Wen Xuan pursed his lips and gestured at Mo Bufan. “Our son-in-law here saved them. But whether they’re treasures remains to be seen—it depends if these grand demon beasts are willing to become our treasures.”

Song Yuchen looked at Wen Xuan in confusion.

As he steered the ship toward his own mountain, Wen Xuan gave a brief account of how Mo Bufan had promised Dragon Ancestor to protect these demon beasts.

After hearing this, Song Yuchen and Gai Nie couldn’t help glancing at Mo Bufan, though their looks were more like those one gives a fool, leaving Mo Bufan flushed with embarrassment.

As they approached the sect gate, Song Yuxin swept her wide sleeve, sending the disciples off the ship in an instant.

Ge Qingyang cupped his hands in farewell to the three elders and Mo Bufan, reminding Mo Bufan not to forget to attend class before departing.

Mo Bufan promised at once, only rising after his master’s figure had completely vanished from the ship.

“Son-in-law, I’ll keep these things in my own domain for now. I’ll help you find Master in a bit—after that, whether you achieve your goal will depend on your own abilities,” Wen Xuan said as he walked.

Song Yuchen and his brothers coughed and immediately looked away, each fearing Mo Bufan would choose them to accompany him to see Old Wei Wuwei.

Moments later, the ship landed in a vast clearing of Wen Xuan’s domain. He grabbed Song Yuchen and prepared to seek out their Grand Elder, Wei Wuwei.

But before they could set out, an old man in a long robe, with a scruffy beard, appeared before Mo Bufan and the others.

“Greetings, Master.”

“Greetings, Martial Uncle.”

All present bowed respectfully to the Heavenly Immortal Grand Elder of the Heavenly Profound Sect.

The old man waved them aside and strode directly to Mo Bufan, glancing at the peacefully sleeping demon beasts behind him. Curling his lip, he said, “Boy, did you get tricked by that old Dragon Ancestor and bring these demon beasts home with you?”

Mo Bufan, well aware he’d overstepped, hung his head and thought, “So you’ve met Dragon Ancestor too.”

“I was just worried they wouldn’t survive in Dragonfall Abyss. Besides, even if I hadn’t brought them back, the other sects would have,” Mo Bufan explained.

“So, young hero, how do you intend to deal with these demon beasts?” Wei Wuwei asked.

Seeing the elder wasn’t angry, Mo Bufan decided to persist shamelessly. “Elder, could you spare a portion of the land for them, so they can have a place to live?”

Wei Wuwei sighed. “The rear mountains of the Heavenly Profound Sect are vast—plenty of space for them to survive.”

Overjoyed, Mo Bufan bowed in gratitude. “Elder, I also promised these demon beasts they wouldn’t be forcibly bonded to any human cultivator. Could you make an announcement to that effect?”

Wei Wuwei curled his lip. “Fine, you brought them back—do with them as you wish…” He turned to Wen Xuan and the others: “Take these creatures to the rear mountains, and seal the area—say it’s on my orders.”

Mo Bufan and the rest were taken aback—their master was being unusually agreeable today.

Wen Xuan and the others accepted the order and departed immediately, not daring to delay.

Wei Wuwei beckoned Mo Bufan to sit beside him. Once seated, he looked at Mo Bufan and said, “Boy, was it you who messed up my disciple’s body…”

The old man’s sudden words stunned Mo Bufan into a shiver. He knew well enough how fiercely protective this elder was—if he said the wrong thing now, it could be the end of him…