Even after everything in the Outer Astral Spacetime had ended, no one could calm the turmoil in their hearts, especially with eight quasi-immortals buried there for eternity.

The experts of the various forces gradually departed and returned to their sects. The moment they carried the news back, it spread across the four astral domains like wildfire, and everyone began talking about Liu Wuxie.

His feat of slaying eight quasi-immortals with a single palm strike shocked the entire world. The tale spread with such vivid detail that anyone who heard it could almost see the scenes unfold before their eyes.

Countless storytellers began spreading the story through teahouses and restaurants. The legends surrounding Liu Wuxie multiplied without end, with some claiming he possessed an immortal artifact, others saying he was the reincarnation of an immortal, and still others insisting he was the rebirth of a monster.

Where there was praise, there was naturally condemnation as well. That was simply the way of the world.

......

When the group returned to the Heavenly Dragon Sect, Luo Hai first led a large group of experts back to the Heavenly Dao Society. In the eruption of treasures from the celestial realm, the Heavenly Dragon Sect and the Heavenly Dao Society had undoubtedly emerged as the greatest winners. By relying on the Trigram Net Skywolf Diagram, they had collected close to a thousand items.

When they divided the items by number, the Heavenly Dao Society received 300, while the Heavenly Dragon Sect received 700. The distribution was fair, since the Heavenly Dragon Sect had twice as many people as the Heavenly Dao Society.

According to Dong Wu's original suggestion, both sides were supposed to divide the treasures evenly. But Liu Wuxie had strongly insisted on distributing them according to headcount. Only that method, in his view, would be fair to everyone.

The moment Liu Wuxie and the Heavenly Dragon Sect's group returned to the sect, all the elders came out to welcome them. The news had already reached the sect before their arrival.

"Junior Brother, well done!" Liu Wuxie's three senior brothers appeared and pulled him into a fierce embrace. This trip to the Outer Astral Spacetime had brought enormous gains to the Heavenly Dragon Sect.

"Everyone, enter the main hall. The Sect Master has already been waiting." The elders who had come out to receive them led everyone into the main hall.

Once he settled the affairs of the Heavenly Dragon Sect, Liu Wuxie planned to return to the Heavenly Dao Society and begin building his team.

After everyone had taken their places in the main hall, more than a dozen quasi-immortals sat inside in addition to Dong Wu. They had remained in seclusion for thousands of years and had only emerged because of the current upheaval in heaven and earth.

"Greetings, Master and all the elders," Liu Wuxie said as he bowed the moment he entered the hall.

"Wuxie, sit down. Though you still hold the status of a disciple, none of us has ever truly regarded you as an ordinary disciple," Hua Feiyu said as he motioned for Liu Wuxie to take a seat.

Aside from cultivation, Liu Wuxie had already surpassed everyone present, including Hua Feiyu. Yet his identity remained awkward because he was still nominally only a disciple.

Logically, Liu Wuxie should've already held the position of elder, or even stood as a holy son.

Once everyone took their seats, all the elders who had never seen Liu Wuxie before fixed their eyes on him.

"Sect Master, our Heavenly Dragon Sect would have suffered catastrophic losses in the Outer Astral Spacetime if not for Liu Wuxie. We were fortunate that he made a breakthrough in his cultivation at the critical moment," Dong Wu said as he rose and recounted everything that had happened in the Outer Astral Spacetime.

Everyone could not help sighing in amazement as they listened. This time, the Heavenly Dragon Sect had truly miscalculated, and no one had anticipated the Grand Unity Sect to unite so many forces.

Most importantly, they hadn't expected the mysterious gate to spew out so many treasures. Had they known in advance, they would have sent more people, even if it meant mobilizing the entire sect.

"I already know what happened. The Grand Unity Sect, the Immortal Slaughter Palace, and the Nalan Clan have all suffered heavy losses this time, and they will come at us again. So, we need to discuss how we should respond," Hua Feiyu said as he looked at everyone.

"I propose that we launch a counterattack. We should take the initiative instead of waiting for them to strike us," Zhuge Ming said as he rose and voiced his opinion.

In the past, he had rarely spoken in meetings and had always maintained a neutral stance. But after getting to know Liu Wuxie, his temperament had gradually begun to change. Perhaps a fierce fighting spirit had always existed deep within him, and he had only suppressed it in the past because his cultivation had not been strong enough.

"Elder Zhuge is right. We should seize this chance to counterattack and press our advantage."

Many elders nodded in agreement, believing they should use this opportunity to seize more territory from the Grand Unity Sect.

After a hundred thousand years, the Heavenly Dragon Sect had to reclaim what was rightfully theirs. Ever since that ancient battle, the Heavenly Dragon Sect had suffered devastating losses and had relinquished many assets, most of which had ended up in the hands of the Grand Unity Sect.

Even so, more than half the elders remained silent, simply looking at the sect master. If a war truly broke out between two superpowers, the losses would be unimaginable.

They did not fear war with the Grand Unity Sect. Rather, it had taken tremendous effort for the Heavenly Dragon Sect to develop to its current state. A war, no matter the outcome, would leave both sides grievously wounded. Even victory would be bitter.

"Wuxie, what do you think?" Hua Feiyu asked instead of immediately giving his own opinion.

At a time like this, even he had to seek his disciple's judgment.

Liu Wuxie's ability to plan and command the overall situation had already far surpassed Hua Feiyu's. He had arranged many things in advance and had long since anticipated much of what had happened. He knew none of it had been a coincidence.

Everyone looked at Liu Wuxie as they awaited his answer.

"We can't go to war with the Grand Unity Sect for the time being," Liu Wuxie said after a brief moment of thought. His answer took everyone by surprise.

After all, Liu Wuxie had gone all the way to the Laman Astral Domain to destroy the Immortal Slaughter Palace. Judging by his temperament, he should have been the first to advocate striking the Grand Unity Sect. So why had he changed his stance now? It was not his style at all.

"Be more specific," Hua Feiyu probed. He knew his disciple had more to say. Since Liu Wuxie had advised them not to go to war, there had to be a reason.

"Because we have something even more important to deal with," Liu Wuxie explained.

With his current strength, he could destroy the Grand Unity Sect if he truly wished to. He was confident that no quasi-immortal in the astral domains could survive his attack. The Grand Unity Sect possessed an immortal artifact, but so did he.

However, time was too precious now, and he could not afford to waste it on the Grand Unity Sect. The current astral domains gave him the feeling that a storm was already gathering.

"Wuxie, are you worried about the immortals returning?" Hua Feiyu asked, finally understanding his disciple's intention.

In just another six months, the ten-thousand-year mark would arrive, and the Skyfall Realm would once again undergo a violent upheaval. Because of Liu Wuxie's rise, many sects had already used secret methods to contact their ancestors. If nothing unexpected happened, a great number of immortals would return within half a year. The Heavenly Dragon Sect might be powerful, but it had only one immortal.

Liu Wuxie nodded, confirming his master's guess.

"So, another ten thousand years have passed?!" the quasi-immortals in the hall murmured among themselves the moment they heard the immortals would return.

Whenever the immortals returned, the entire structure of the four astral domains would undergo a massive upheaval. Apart from the great superpowers, it would be impossible for weaker sects to survive such chaos.

"Wuxie, have you found a way to deal with the return of the immortals?" Hua Feiyu asked with a frown. He knew Liu Wuxie's concern was not unfounded. They had formidable strength now, but what chance would they really have against immortals?

The hall instantly fell silent.

Upon learning of the deaths of Luo Jingshan and the others, the Grand Unity Sect had already activated its strongest defenses. Even an immortal would struggle to break through them.

They had also begun withdrawing their scattered forces and contracting their territories, all while waiting for the immortals to return. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

The Great Divine Sun Bell rang every day, and the Grand Unity Sect had already established contact with the celestial realm.

"I plan to forge a powerful team to resist the assaults of the immortals," Liu Wuxie said after a brief pause.

The moment they heard that Liu Wuxie planned to form a powerful team, everyone's expressions changed. None of them could imagine what kind of team would be powerful enough to contend with immortals.

"Wuxie, tell us your plan," Hua Feiyu said.

Since Liu Wuxie already had a plan, all they needed to do was follow his lead and support him with everything they had.

"I need to select one hundred elites, and within six months, I want to help all of them reach the Quasi-Immortal Realm," Liu Wuxie said as he rose to his feet.

Everyone in the hall was completely stunned. The Heavenly Dragon Sect had developed for over a million years, yet only fifteen quasi-immortals remained alive. So it was only natural that their expressions changed when they heard that Liu Wuxie planned to nurture one hundred in six months.

If word of this spread outside, countless people would call him insane. But everyone present knew Liu Wuxie would never speak recklessly. Since he dared to say it, he must have had his reasons. Over the years, every statement he had made had come true without exception.

"Wuxie, feel free to choose experts from the Heavenly Dragon Sect," Hua Feiyu said.

The Heavenly Dragon Sect had over four hundred elders, with more than two hundred in the Heaven Gaze Realm and another two hundred at the higher levels of the Earth Immortal Realm. As for those at the lower levels of the Earth Immortal Realm, they did not even qualify to set foot in this hall.

Every elder present looked at Liu Wuxie with anticipation, each hoping to be selected. Whoever Liu Wuxie chose would become a quasi-immortal in six months, and there were only one hundred spots.

Some elders immediately began recommending themselves for the team.

"Wuxie, what do you think of me?"

"Wuxie, let me join. I won't disappoint you!"

"My cultivation isn't low. I won't drag the team down!"

"Do I qualify?"

"......" Voices rose from every direction until the noise swelled so loudly that Liu Wuxie felt as though his eardrums might burst.

"Everyone, quiet down!" Hua Feiyu rose to his feet and restored order to the hall. For the dignified elders of the Heavenly Dragon Sect to behave this way was simply disgraceful.

"I understand how everyone feels. This is only the first batch, and all of you will reach the Quasi-Immortal Realm in the future," Liu Wuxie said, reassuring them.

As long as they survived this calamity, the Heavenly Dragon Sect would rise to glory once more, and producing more quasi-immortals would come naturally. But if they failed to survive it, then all of them would perish.

The moment they heard Liu Wuxie's reassurance, everyone in the hall visibly relaxed.

"Sect Master!"

At that moment, Elder Han entered the main hall with Han Feizi.

Elder Han looked far older than before, even though only six months had passed since they had last met. A layer of deathly energy shrouded him, and it was obvious that repeated divinations had consumed much of his lifespan.

Han Feizi also looked far more mature than before. He now resembled a middle-aged man, with rough stubble covering his face. It was clear he had gone a long time without rest. However, the moment he saw Liu Wuxie, a broad grin spread across his face.

Liu Wuxie walked over and pulled Han Feizi into a fierce embrace. He knew better than anyone that Han Feizi had done everything for his sake.

"Brother, you've had it hard," Liu Wuxie said as he released Han Feizi, guilt evident on his face.

If not for him, Han Feizi would never have pushed himself this far. By nature, Han Feizi should have been living freely and at ease, not shutting himself inside the Spirit Sealing Institute day after day.

"It's fine. All our effort over the past year has finally paid off," Han Feizi replied with a grin.

At that moment, Elder Han took out an item and handed it to the sect master. The instant Hua Feiyu accepted it and opened it, he shot to his feet, his face turning grim.