In the southeast corner of the cemetery stood a tombstone. Inscribed vertically on it were the words: "Tomb of Shangguan Rong."
Shangguan Rong was once a legendary figure of the Xuanqing Sect, and Chen Qingyuan's adoptive master. Since Chen Qingyuan could remember, he had never met Shangguan Rong, only knowing that he had been found and taken in by him.
"Master, your disciple has come to offer incense," said Chen Qingyuan. Though he had never met his master, he held great respect for him. He bowed deeply and performed the ritual of offering incense.
"Senior Master," Lin Changsheng and Dong Wenjun also bowed, their eyes filled with reverence. If not for Shangguan Rong's guidance and blessing, they wouldn't have become the sect leader and elder guardian—they would likely have died in some corner long ago.
The three of them cleaned the dust from the grave, performed some simple rituals, and then left the cemetery.
Dong Wenjun was punished to face the wall and reflect, while Lin Changsheng stayed with Chen Qingyuan in a sealed cultivation chamber to discuss important matters. "Junior brother, I've been inquiring about ways to reconstruct spiritual roots lately and have made some progress."
"Senior brother, you needn't trouble yourself so much. Everything follows its own causality," Chen Qingyuan noticed Lin Changsheng's haggard appearance, knowing he had been worrying extensively about this matter. The world of cultivation was extremely dangerous, and human hearts were most complex. It wasn't that Chen Qingyuan refused to speak about his reconstructed cultivation base—he simply couldn't.
If news leaked out that he had survived a hundred years in the Abyss and reconstructed flawless spiritual roots, it would not only bring trouble to Chen Qingyuan but would drag the entire Xuanqing Sect into the mess. Such news reaching the ears of certain powerful beings would cause unimaginable upheaval.
"This is what a senior brother should do," Lin Changsheng shook his head gently. "I've learned of Ghost Doctor's whereabouts, reportedly somewhere in the Yunhai Star Region. This person is the most famous physician in the Northern Wasteland, having cured numerous difficult ailments. It's even rumored they possess the ability to resurrect the dead and regrow flesh on bare bones."
"I've heard of Ghost Doctor's reputation before—appearing and disappearing mysteriously, true identity unknown," Chen Qingyuan had known of Ghost Doctor's name since he was very young. They were said to be the most skilled physician in the Northern Wasteland, reportedly commanding respect even from Great Vehicle realm cultivators.
"I heard Ghost Doctor has been spotted in the Yunhai Star Region. I'll accompany you to try our luck," Lin Changsheng had likely spent considerable effort and resources to obtain this information. However, any cost was worth it to cure Chen Qingyuan.
"Senior brother, if I can't be cured, would you be disappointed?" Chen Qingyuan looked up to meet Lin Changsheng's gaze, his expression somewhat grave.
"Nonsense! You're a lucky star—heaven favors the fortunate. It's impossible that you can't be cured," Lin Changsheng quickly consoled, fearing Chen Qingyuan would lose hope.
"There are exceptions to everything. What if?" Chen Qingyuan wanted to hear Lin Changsheng's true thoughts, his manner serious.
Seeing Chen Qingyuan's grave expression, Lin Changsheng remained silent for a long while.
After some time, Lin Changsheng spoke with determination in his eyes: "If you truly can't be cured, senior brother will ensure you live the rest of your life without worries. I'll find you a suitable marriage, help you leave behind descendants. After you pass, I'll bury you beside Senior Master's grave and come sweep the tomb regularly, telling you about interesting happenings in the sect."
Regarding the worst outcome, Lin Changsheng had actually thought it through many times—it would mean watching Chen Qingyuan grow old and die as a mortal.
No matter what, as long as Chen Qingyuan lived, Lin Changsheng would not let him suffer any grievances. Not only Lin Changsheng thought this way, but all the high-ranking members of the Xuanqing Sect felt the same.
"Alright, I understand," Chen Qingyuan suddenly smiled, breaking the room's somber atmosphere. "We haven't reached the point of my death yet, don't make it so serious."
"Weren't you the one who brought up this topic first? How dare you turn this around?" Lin Changsheng's gaze was sharp.
"My fault, let's not speak of it anymore."
Hearing Lin Changsheng's words, warmth filled Chen Qingyuan's heart. Unlike other sects that prioritized benefits, the Xuanqing Sect valued deep emotional bonds—this was why Chen Qingyuan relied so heavily on them.
"Ghost Doctor's whereabouts are extremely difficult to track. We'll depart for the Yunhai Star Region early tomorrow morning," Lin Changsheng said.
"Why such hurry?" Chen Qingyuan asked in surprise.
"If we miss this opportunity, we might not be able to find Ghost Doctor for another hundred years." The implication was clear—Chen Qingyuan only had this one chance to reconstruct his spiritual roots. After all, living as a mortal in this world meant only having a hundred years of life.
"Senior brother, if you accompany me, what about matters at home?" Chen Qingyuan worried about potential chaos in the Xuanqing Sect, not wanting to cause trouble for the sect because of his personal matters.
"Junior Brother Dong will oversee things at home. There won't be any problems, don't worry about such matters." Lin Changsheng had arranged everything before making time to leave the Xuanqing Sect. For him, restoring Chen Qingyuan's spiritual roots was crucial and couldn't be handled carelessly.
"Alright then!" Having no reason to refuse, Chen Qingyuan could only nod in agreement.
Lin Changsheng escorted Chen Qingyuan to his cultivation chamber before turning to leave.
In the dead of night, Chen Qingyuan sat at the edge of his bed, taking out the jade bracelet to examine it carefully. As his consciousness entered it, he once again felt terrifying laws envelop his soul, a suffocating sensation overwhelming him as his heart sank slightly.
"The first agreement is barely fulfilled," a cold voice reached Chen Qingyuan's ears. This jade bracelet contained mysterious and unpredictable power, seemingly able to connect with the Abyss and allow communication with that girl in red.
"Now you must do the second thing," the girl in red continued.
"What thing?" Chen Qingyuan asked.
"Go to the North Cang Star Region. There's a gift for you." The ice-cold words echoed through every corner of the space within the jade bracelet.
"What gift?" Chen Qingyuan was very curious.
"You'll know when you get there." With these words, Chen Qingyuan's consciousness was ejected from the jade bracelet.
"North Cang Star Region..."
Chen Qingyuan fell into deep thought, feeling both anticipation and unease about the gift mentioned by the girl in red. Every time he recalled his hundred years of life in the Abyss, Chen Qingyuan felt a chill of fear run through him.
The next day, Lin Changsheng arrived early at Chen Qingyuan's door, ready to escort him to the Yunhai Star Region.
Just as they were preparing to leave, an inner sect elder rushed over in great haste: "Sect Leader, this is a joint invitation from the Eighteen Sects of the Fulin Star Region, requesting your personal attendance to discuss the matter of the Demon Cave."
The Fulin Star Region had nineteen top-tier forces in total, including the Xuanqing Sect. The weight of a joint invitation from the Eighteen Sects was evident.
As the Demon Cave grew increasingly larger, the various holy lands had to devise a solution.
"I don't have time. Let the Grand Elder go instead!" Lin Changsheng frowned, his first instinct being to refuse the invitation, not wanting to waste time arguing with the various sect leaders.
"Sect Leader, this matter is extremely serious. It would be inappropriate if you don't attend," the elder said with a bitter smile.
"The Tianyu Sect created this disaster, why should I be the one to discuss solutions?" Lin Changsheng snorted coldly, thinking he was already being generous by not taking advantage of their misfortune.
"If the Demon Cave situation escalates, our Xuanqing Sect will surely suffer as well. Sect Leader, you must go and see. Perhaps we can obtain considerable resources from the Tianyu Sect." This elder was responsible for the sect's internal and external affairs and had some authority to supervise the sect leader.
"Senior Brother, you should go attend to this," Chen Qingyuan understood the gravity of the situation and could comprehend Lin Changsheng's desire to accompany him in seeking the Ghost Doctor. However, as sect leader, Lin Changsheng couldn't be absent from such an important matter: "Someone else can accompany me instead!"
Lin Changsheng turned to look at Chen Qingyuan, his expression grave, and let out a long sigh: "Ah!"
After some thought, Lin Changsheng could only prioritize the greater good, and sent a mental message calling for someone.
Who could it be?