Lu Yang’s group transformed into streaks of light, racing through the mountain gate, through the bamboo grove, and straight to the Great Mission Hall.

Sister Mengmeng said that Big Senior Sister is visiting friends and isn’t at the sect, which means we can only report the situation to Senior Brother Dai first.

A winding stream meandered through the bamboo grove. The River Spirit blew bubbles out of sheer boredom, with only half his head peeking out of the water. As he yawned, he happened to catch sight of Lu Yang’s group flying past from the corner of his eye. Seeing the person slung over Lu Yang’s shoulder, his mouth hung open for a long time.

He rubbed his eyes forcefully, but by the time he looked again, Lu Yang was already gone.

“Am I seeing ghosts?”

~~~

In the innermost room of the Great Mission Hall, Acting Hall Leader Dai Bufan finished processing the last mission report.

“All settled~”

Dai Bufan stretched in satisfaction. With his official duties completed after a long day of work, this was the most relaxed moment of his day.

He used spells to clean the ink from his brush, twirling it between his fingers. “I wonder how things are going at the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect. Those two little rascals haven’t caused any trouble for me, have they?”

Dai Bufan recalled the recently published issue of Cultivation Monthly, which had praised over a dozen Great Xia cultivators for their courage and initiative in restoring terrains. He knew this must have been the work of Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou.

But this was a good thing. Dai Bufan was happy to see it.

“Even if something happened, it probably shouldn’t be a big problem. Junior Brother Fang Jin mentioned in his reply that he bought insurance.”

Dai Bufan pulled out Fang Jin’s letter. It contained only one word—Bought.

It’s even more concise than my letter.

“Good that he bought it.”

“Senior Brother Dai, are you in?” Lu Yang’s polite knock sounded at the door.

“Come in.”

Lu Yang walked into the room with a wide smile, baffling Dai Bufan. “Weren’t you and Junior Brother Meng supposed to spend two months studying at the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect? It’s been less than a month; why are you back?”

“Senior Brother Dai, we have fantastic news. Old Meng and I couldn’t contain our excitement and came to share it with you right away!” Lu Yang sounded thrilled, his eyes sparkling.

“What fantastic news?” Dai Bufan twirled his brush. How could you two possibly bring back any good news from a trip out?

“Old Meng, bring him in.” Lu Yang yelled toward the door.

“Gotcha.”

Soon, Meng Jingzhou dragged a straw mat into the room. Lying on it was a burly man, still unconscious.

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou congratulated Dai Bufan in unison. “Senior Brother Dai, we brothers have found all three founding ancestors of the Dao-Seeking Sect for you!”

“F-Founding Ancestor Primordial?!”

Seeing the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign, who had been missing for eighty thousand years, appear before him alive, Dai Bufan was so shocked that he flung the brush away, fell backward, and crashed to the floor along with his chair.

He scrambled over the table to check on the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign’s condition.

Alive, but unconscious.

“Why is he unconscious?”

Just then, Yun Mengmeng dragged in the Thunder Arbiter Divine Lord. “The Second-in-Command told me to blast him.”

“I clearly told you to stop him!”

Yun Mengmeng defended herself with self-righteousness. “But this is the only move I know. I couldn’t stop him any other way.”

Having spent much time together, Yun Mengmeng had grown smarter. She could understand the implication behind Lu Yang’s words. “Stop him” meant “blast him.”

Hearing this, Dai Bufan felt the blood rush to his head. His steps became unsteady, and he swayed uncontrollably. Lu Yang could no longer bother analyzing the situation with Yun Mengmeng and rushed forward to support Dai Bufan.

“Senior Brother Dai, are you alright?”

“Don’t call me senior brother. You are the senior brother. Wait, no, you are my ancestor.”

He had previously overheard the Innate Daoist Priest mention that he had been strung up and threatened with a whip by Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou upon their first meeting.

And now, Lu Yang had blasted the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign unconscious upon their first meeting.

He is practically an ancestor.

Just then, the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign lying on the straw mat stirred. He groaned a few times and opened his eyes, only to find himself staring directly at Yun Mengmeng, who was curiously examining him. Startled, he leaped up and assumed a defensive stance against her.

“Exactly whose side are you on?!”

“I’m on the Second-in-Command’s side.”

“Who is the Second-in-Command?”

The Primordial Heavenly Sovereign grew even more wary upon hearing the title “Second-in-Command.” If she’s already this powerful, just what kind of figure must the Second-in-Command be?

Meng Jingzhou stepped forward to mediate. “It’s all a misunderstanding, Founding Ancestor. We’re all on the same side.”

“Same side?” The Primordial Heavenly Sovereign looked suspiciously at the people in the room: the Thunder Arbiter Divine Lord, Yun Mengmeng, Lu Yang, Meng Jingzhou, and Dai Bufan.

Finally, his gaze settled on Lu Yang’s and Meng Jingzhou’s identity jade tablets.

“Dao-Seeking Sect jade tablets—are you two disciples of my Dao-Seeking Sect?”

“Founding Ancestor, we are in the Dao-Seeking Sect.”

“This is the Dao-Seeking Sect?” The Primordial Heavenly Sovereign extended his spiritual consciousness to survey his surroundings.

“It really is the Dao-Seeking Sect. But only a little over two hundred years have passed. How have things changed so much?” It was roughly the same as the Dao-Seeking Sect in his memory, but many details were different.

Only Lu Yang could explain this. “Founding Ancestor, the immortal box you entered was created by the Epoch Immortal. One day inside the box is equivalent to a year outside. You spent over two hundred years inside, so eighty thousand years have passed in the outside world.”

“Eighty thousand years?!” The Primordial Heavenly Sovereign was shocked. He quickly whipped out the immortal metal box. If I’d known this damn box had such an effect, I would never have forced my way in.

“You look conflicted.”

The Primordial Heavenly Sovereign was indeed conflicted. “If I keep this box, it feels pretty useless. But it’s a rare item forged by the Epoch Immortal after all, so tossing it away would be a pity.”

Lu Yang really wanted to tell him that tossing it away wouldn’t be a pity at all. If you think this box is rare, I can take you to meet the Epoch Immortal himself, who is even rarer.

“Founding Ancestor, how did you end up inside the immortal metal box?” Meng Jingzhou asked curiously.

“I happened to come across the secret domain back then. Upon entering, I saw a small box at the very end and thought it looked valuable, so I wanted to take it and examine it. The restrictions were troublesome, but I thought my body was tough enough even if I triggered the restrictions, so I just forced my way in.”

At this, the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign slapped his thigh in regret. “If I’d known this damn box was so unreasonable, triggering the restrictions and sucking me in, I would never have forced my way in!

“It sent me eighty thousand years into the future. The moment I stepped out of the box, I got struck by lightning, and that fellow didn’t even apologize. It wasn’t easy for me to beat him, and when I was about to chase him down, I got blasted several times!”

The Primordial Heavenly Sovereign felt he had the worst luck imaginable.

Lu Yang lowered his head, feeling too guilty to meet the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign’s eyes.

The Primordial Heavenly Sovereign remarked with melancholy, “Eighty thousand years have passed; some things may remain the same, but the people have changed. I’m afraid there’s no one left in the Dao-Seeking Sect whom I know.”

“Uh, actually, there should be a few people in the sect who you know,” Lu Yang consoled him.

“Who? The River Spirit?”

“The River Spirit is one. Additionally...”

Just then, there was another knock at the door.

“Senior Brother Dai, do you know where Junior Brother Gu is?”

Qi Tongtian pushed the door open. Seeing the room full of people, he felt he had come at a bad time and tried to retreat.

Lu Yang hurriedly pulled Qi Tongtian over and introduced him. “You’ll definitely recognize him. He is the Innate Daoist Priest, the founder of our sect!”

“Huh?” Looking at the somewhat shy Innate Daoist Priest, the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign sank into deep doubt. Have I come to the future or gone back to the past?