The crimson explosion consumed everything within a kilometer of Lakestone Keep. Shockwaves flattened the entire castle and the surrounding forest. Anything that could burn was instantly ignited. Water in the lake evaporated as the heat reached it, sending billowing clouds of steam up into the air. The steam then mixed with the smoke from the fires and the dust from the explosion, creating a thick cloud that hid everything from view.
"Cough, cough…"
"Help!"
"Hey, I'm here!"
What was left of the courtyard was filled with rubble and dead bodies, but there were still people alive and screaming out in panic. The Glacier Palace disciples picked themselves up from the ground and stumbled around, searching for survivors. As the haze gradually cleared, they found more and more of their sisters. They were surprised to find that all of them were alive and more or less uninjured except for a few scrapes and bruises.
They looked around in shock at the devastation, wondering how they were able to survive. The last breath of Fen Jue had laid waste to everything around them and it was completely silent and devoid of life. Their confusion was resolved when Chen Wentian finally descended from above and landed in front of them. He looked a bit tired but otherwise perfectly fine.
"Hello there!" Chen Wentian said brightly.
The women realized that the young immortal had saved them once again and they all kneeled as one and bowed in gratitude.
"Thank you, sir immortal!"
"You don't have to thank me. It was my duty. I made a promise to my disciples to save you so you should thank them later. I'm sure you guys know them, all five of them used to be in your sect."
The women understood and still thanked him many times before he could get them to stand up again. Afterwards they went silent, unsure about what to do. Their grand elder and elders had all died and they weren't sure what happened to their master. This was their first time every experiencing something like this and they were all speechless.
Long Yifei eventually walked forward and bowed courteously before asking, "Sir Chen, may I ask, do you know what happened to our master? Is she alive or dead?"
"Ahh, that… is very unfortunate." Chen Wentian said, "She died from Fen Jue's last attack. I'm sorry."
Long Yifei let out a soft sigh, she seemed more relieved than anything. The women behind her had varying expressions of shock and worry but that was it. Murong Aiyin and the elders had always mistreated their disciples and the final moments of crazed cruelty and depravity were the last straw. It didn't surprise him to see that no one showed any signs of grief.
He didn't bother to tell them that Murong Aiyin had actually survived Fen Jue's explosion. She was a tenacious old witch and managed to incase her vitals in ice before the blast. Her body and limbs were still blown to pieces and she was merely a bloody mass of flesh that was still alive. He also wasn't going to tell them that he took advantage of the hazy cloud to finish her off with his flames.
The actual unfortunate thing was that both spatial bags belonging to Murong Aiyin and Fen Jue were destroyed by the explosion and everything inside was lost. He felt a bit of heartburn thinking about the treasures he missed out on. The only thing left was the weird stone tablet that contained the true Eternal Winter Sutra. It held a mysterious ice energy and was not damaged at all. It also refused to go into his spatial bag.
"…" Chen Wentian suddenly looked up, "You all stay put. I have a visitor."
He ignored their questioning looks and flew into the air, coming to a stop in front of a familiar elderly woman whose red dress was a different color and design but still inappropriately revealing as before.
"Chen Wentian greets elder immortal Gong Liyun." He said.
"Oh Wentian! You don't have to call me elder." Gong Liyun giggled, "Call me Yun'er."
Chen Wentian wanted to throw up but held it in somehow and replied, "I'd rather not. Anyway, took you long enough to get here. I've already resolved your little problem."
"Tsk, tsk. Two Spirit Lords are dead. Two immortal sects are in shambles. Yet you sound like you did me a favor… so audacious!" Gong Liyun crossed her arms together, squeezing her sizable but sagging breasts together, "I should punish you for this… Turn around, let me spank you!"
Chen Wentian backed away from her, "How about no."
Gong Liyun laughed heartily, covering her mouth with her hands. Although she was getting on in age, her laugh was genuine and gentle. Anyone else would have been charmed and lowered their guard. But Chen Wentian knew better and his body, mind, and spirit were on high alert.
"Fine, fine." Gong Liyun muttered, "You're no fun. You're still so serious around me."
Gong Liyun finished her teasing and finally turned serious. She gathered a bit of spiritual energy in her hand and waved towards the ground, sweeping the remaining clouds away and revealing the full extent of the damage. She took in every detail of the battlefield and then gave him a questioning look.
Chen Wentian explained the whole plot from the beginning till the end, leaving out the parts involving his shadow fox or the Giant Mole Worm. He put the blame equally on the two sects, Divine Blazing Mountain for coveting Glacier Palace women and Murong Aiyin and her elders for selling out the disciples.
"Well I guess you're happy." Gong Liyun said suddenly.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"The end result is perfect for you isn't it? You get to take thousands of virgin women under your wing." She glared at him. "Then your sect will be called Ten Thousand Freshly Plucked Flower Valley."
Chen Wentian backed away a little further, "I assure you, that is not my intention. I merely did what was right."
"Don't lie. Wentian, I know your true self. How many beautiful female disciples do you have now, twenty? But it's not enough to warm the bed of an outstanding man like you." Gong Liyun giggled to herself. "Well guess what. You can do what you want with those women. You earned them through your hard work after all. But you also have to handle the remaining members of Divine Blazing Mountain and the affairs of their sect."
"What?"
"I'm putting in charge of both sects, any objections?"
He wanted to flat out refuse but the look behind her smile was dangerous. "… Fine, but I won't accept any of those men as disciples. That is not negotiable. And I'll probably just kick them all out onto the streets."
"That's fine. Do whatever you want within reason and the Immortal Association will look the other way." Gong Liyun said.
"Whatever."
"Good!" Gong Liyun happily clapped her hands, "The Immortal Association officially names you, Immortal Blue Dragon Chen Wentian, the administrator of both Glacier Palace and Divine Blazing Mountain. I expect a status report in few months!"
"…" Chen Wentian suddenly felt like he had fallen into her trap.
"No take backs!" Gong Liyun laughed at his expression and disappeared into the sky.