Chapter 1611: Change of Heaven

"Huh?" Chu Chuyan gasped, as if transported back to the fear of being dominated when she first joined the sect. Copying the "Ice Heart Formula" was clearly not a pleasant memory for her.

She moved closer to Yan Xuehen and sat down beside her, whispering, "I just saw that Master has been preoccupied lately, so I deliberately said something to help ease your worries."

"Is *this* how you ease my worries?" Yan Xuehen glared at her, feeling utterly helpless.

In the past, she would have easily asserted her master's authority and given Chu Chuyan a good scolding.

But now, things felt a bit strange. For one, she saw a hint of guilt in Chu Chuyan, and then there was the thought of the future…

Chu Chuyan already had an engagement. What if, as her master, she'd have to serve tea to her in the future? What kind of situation was this?!

Yan Xuehen shivered, a blush fleetingly coloring her skin. What was she even thinking? How could she possibly have any further involvement with that man?!

Unsure if she was angry with Zu An or herself, she abruptly stood up and said coldly, "One hundred times! Not a single one less!"

With that, she turned and left, giving Chu Chuyan no chance to plead.

Chu Chuyan was left standing alone, feeling utterly bewildered. *Sigh*, she thought. She used to teach Xue'er not to gossip, but why couldn't she remember that lesson herself when it came to her?

***

Meanwhile, Zu An and his group were resting and drinking tea in the Reception Hall when he suddenly felt a stir and looked up. He saw a middle-aged man in long robes descend onto the plaza in front of the hall, then walk steadily and unhurriedly towards them.

Even Zu An, for all his narcissism, had to admit that this man's demeanor and charm must have captivated countless female cultivators in his youth. Now, with a streak of white at each temple, he didn't appear old at all; instead, it made him seem even more graceful, exuding mature charisma. This was evident from the young female disciples of the Nine Sects on the plaza, who were swooning, their eyes practically heart-shaped, looking as if they might faint.

This guy was quite a looker, almost as handsome as himself.

"Esteemed sirs, you've traveled a long way. This humble Taoist apologizes for not welcoming you sooner and for any neglect." After entering, Wang Wuxie cupped his hands in greeting towards Zhang Zijiang. Among the group, Zhang Zijiang's armor was the brightest, and his cultivation appeared to be the highest, so Wang Wuxie instinctively assumed he was the leader.

"Deputy General Zhang Zijiang of the Imperial Forest Army greets the Grand Preceptor!" Zhang Zijiang felt a bit awkward and hastily introduced Zu An, who was standing beside him. "This is Lord Zu, Marquis of Shen and Imperial Forest Army Commander, who is leading this expedition."

Wang Wuxie paused, a flicker of surprise in his eyes as he looked at Zu An. Had he misjudged?

Earlier, Zu An hadn't shown any spiritual energy fluctuations, and he looked young, like a pretty boy. Wang Wuxie had no idea he was the actual person in charge.

"So it's Lord Zu. Truly a young hero, I'm impressed!" Wang Wuxie, accustomed to various situations, showed no sign of awkwardness. He greeted Zu An naturally, without a hint of disrespect.

"You're too kind, Grand Preceptor," Zu An replied, returning the greeting. "We are here by His Majesty's decree to repair the temples on Mount Zi..."

He then took out the imperial decree and read it aloud. Of course, he wasn't so stubborn as to demand the Grand Preceptor kneel to receive it. Fortunately, Wang Wuxie's demeanor remained respectful throughout, so both parties maintained face.

"We thank His Majesty for his profound grace..." Wang Wuxie uttered some polite formalities, facing the direction of the capital.

Zu An was quite impressed. This handsome older man truly had an extraordinary aura; even his flattery sounded so refined and otherworldly.

In comparison, Zhang Zijiang still had much to learn.

Many disciples from various sects gathered outside, curious about what important figure could warrant a personal reception from Wang Wuxie. After all, even sect leaders who had arrived earlier hadn't been personally greeted by him.

When they saw it was just a young man, they were immediately disappointed.

Especially since the young man appeared rather unremarkable—aside from being taller, more handsome, and seemingly wealthy, he didn't seem particularly special otherwise.

Furthermore, they couldn't detect any spiritual energy fluctuations from him; he seemed like an ordinary person.

Of course, this was just the men's perspective. Many of the female cultivators, however, had stars in their eyes:

"Look, what a handsome young man!"

"He just looks a bit fragile."

"What do you know? He's much more beautiful than those muscle-bound brutes! I just want to hold him close and protect him."

***

The surrounding male cultivators were bewildered: "???"

Rage points from XXX +444, +444, +444…

Seeing a burst of rage points accumulating in the backend, Zu An felt helpless. It wasn't his fault that he was handsome and popular with girls, was it?

He glanced at the disciples outside and tentatively said to Wang Wuxie, "Grand Preceptor, your mountain seems quite lively."

Wang Wuxie smiled slightly. "The Nine Taoist Sects are holding their decennial Grand Taoist Competition recently, so there are more people than usual."

"A Grand Taoist Competition. That might make it inconvenient for us to repair the temples..." Zu An thought to himself. This man hadn't tried to hide it from him. He wondered if Wang Wuxie had a clear conscience or was simply fearless.

"No matter," Wang Wuxie replied. "The main venue for the Grand Taoist Competition is on the Golden Summit. You can continue repairs elsewhere as usual. By the time those are almost complete, the competition should be over, and you can then proceed to repair the remaining parts on the Golden Summit."

"How long will this Grand Taoist Competition last?" Zu An asked.

"About half a month or so. The exact duration isn't set yet; it depends on the final matches," Wang Wuxie smiled. "Since Lord Zu is so interested in the competition, perhaps you'd like to be a guest judge and observe it firsthand? The sect leaders and elders from all the sects will be in attendance. For fairness, I've also specially invited some highly respected seniors from the martial world to serve as witnesses."

Zu An initially had no interest and was about to refuse, but then he had a sudden thought and agreed. "Alright, then I'll trouble the Grand Preceptor." He figured that Wang Wuxie's words implied he didn't want the Imperial Forest Army on the Golden Summit during this time, so this was the perfect opportunity to see for himself if there were any secrets hidden there.

Wang Wuxie was taken aback. He had only been polite, never expecting this man to be so bold as to accept.

One had to understand that the judges would be highly renowned figures in the martial world—either sect leaders or senior elders. At the very least, they would be Grandmasters, with many Great Grandmasters among them. How could someone with no cultivation dare to sit among them?

However, since he had already extended the invitation, it would be difficult to retract it. Wang Wuxie nodded. "I will send someone to notify Lord Zu once the competition begins."

"Please, everyone, rest for now. If you need anything, feel free to contact the sect disciples. This humble Taoist has matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave."

"Please attend to your duties, Grand Preceptor."

After Wang Wuxie departed, disciples from the Zhengyang Sect soon arrived to lead them to their accommodations.

The disciples in the plaza then began to discuss amongst themselves: "Is that really a Marquis from the imperial court, and a general too? I feel like any random disciple from our sects has higher cultivation than him."

"Who knows which wealthy family's prodigal son he is. It's truly disheartening to see such incompetent people in high positions in the imperial court."

"Maybe he's a prince, with a magical artifact concealing his aura. It's normal for you not to detect it," a female cultivator couldn't help but retort, adding, "At least he's handsome."

"Are you dreaming of becoming a princess? Forget it. None of the current princes have this surname, nor do they fit his description. Besides, I just heard someone say his surname is Zu, not Zhao."

"Forget about that pretty boy leading them. I don't think his deputy general's cultivation is anything special either. Not to mention the chief disciples of our various sects, even some core disciples could easily defeat him. I just can't understand how the major sects of the world were defeated by these guys back then."

"Watch what you say. The imperial court excels at combining military formations. Don't let that deputy general's individual cultivation mislead you. If he's skilled at commanding military formations, then forget chief disciples—any one of our sects might not be able to withstand them."

"Brother Li, you're being overly alarmist. Once a Great Grandmaster steps out, the opposition is nothing more than chickens and dogs."

***

Soon, a group of self-proclaimed strategists began fiercely debating national military affairs.

Just then, an old monk with white hair arrived at the foot of the mountain, accompanied by a plump and adorable young novice.

Zhang Xi, guarding the mountain gate, hastily inquired, "May I ask who you two are?"

These two monks clearly couldn't be from the Taoist sect, but their distinguished bearing was obvious, so he didn't dare to be rude.

The old monk did not reply. He simply looked up towards the Golden Summit and murmured to himself, "The heavens are about to change."