Inside the Lingxu Cave, the last wisp of spiritual energy flowed slowly back along the meridians into the dantian. Shen Qingxian's eyes snapped open.
He exhaled a long breath of stagnant qi and leaped down from the stone platform. After months of seclusion, complete control over this body had been firmly transferred. The spiritual power within him responded freely and naturally, reaching a level even higher than before. Shen Qingxian stretched his limbs and felt every part of his body light as wind, as if filled with pure essence, every muscle brimming with explosive force.
Of course, this was probably mostly his own wishful thinking. After all, time during seclusion flew by quickly, like someone randomly dragging the video progress bar. If it were written into a book, it could probably be skipped in a single chapter.
Shen Qingxian straightened his robes, feeling quite pleased. The Liu Chänge who was supposed to die by his hand had actually been saved by a twist of fate. If he could befriend this person, even if enemies came knocking, he would have one more card to play. Even if the plan to raise the obedient good disciple Luo Hanchuan went awry, Liu Chänge as the master of Yujian Peak would at least have the strength to stand against that monstrous protagonist.
It was just a shame the system panel had neither a【Scheming Value】nor an【Intelligence Value】. Otherwise, he would definitely want to rack up some points.
System: 【...】The system expressed that it did not wish to communicate with the host at this moment.
Before leaving seclusion, Shen Qingxian, out of courtesy, knocked on the stone wall of the adjacent chamber, cleared his throat, and said, "Junior brother, I've exited seclusion. I'll take my leave first."
The voice echoed through the empty cave, loud enough for someone of Liu Chänge's cultivation to hear. There was no response from the other side, and Shen Qingxian didn't mind. It was the thought that counted. He strode out of the Lingxu Cave with the wind at his feet.
The moment he stepped out of the cave, the scene before him made his heart lurch.
The entire Lingxiao Main Peak seemed to be under siege by beacons of war. Urgent warning bells rang in rapid succession, and everywhere were disciples running about in panic.
Shen Qingxian immediately understood—the demon clan had attacked the mountain.
Calculating the timing, it was about now. This was a minor plot point in the early stages of Proud Son of the Immortal-Demon Chronicle. Demon monsters had infiltrated the sect, causing great chaos, and the two important female leads of the book would use this opportunity to make their entrance and begin noticing Luo Hanchuan.
He had arrived neither too early nor too late, perfectly timing his entrance.
Several disciples, their faces pale with panic, rushed toward him as if seeing a savior. "Elder Shen! Elder Shen, you've finally emerged from seclusion! Something terrible has happened—demon realm evildoers have infiltrated the Lingxiao Main Peak and have injured many of our fellow disciples!"
Shen Qingxian steadied one of them with a hand, his expression calm. "Compose yourselves. Where is the Sect Master?"
One disciple said with a trembling voice, "The Sect Master went down the mountain on important business. If not for that, the demon clan evildoers wouldn't have dared to seize the opportunity to attack!"
Another disciple said indignantly, "The demon clan evildoers are despicable and shameless! Not only did they take advantage of the vulnerability, they also destroyed the flying bridges connecting the twelve peaks. The Lingxiao Main Peak cannot receive reinforcements from any other peak now!"
Shen Qingxian already knew all this in his heart; he had just been going through the motions. Now, with genuine strength in his body and full confidence, he declared boldly, "No need to panic. Our Lingxiao Sect is a grand and mighty sect, filled with outstanding talents. Could we possibly fear these remnants of the demon realm?" He truly had an air of an immortal master about him.
The disciples immediately felt they had found someone to rely on and formed a long line behind Shen Qingxian. Along the way, other disciples who had been running around like headless flies also quickly joined in. The procession grew longer and longer until they arrived in a grand display before the Lingxiao Grand Hall.
Almost all the Lingxiao Sect cultivators on the main peak had gathered here, preparing to encircle and annihilate the demon clan forces that had penetrated deep into their territory. The disciples of Qinglan Peak happened to be on the main peak to welcome Shen Qingxian's emergence from seclusion due to "plot requirements," and were naturally already in formation. Shen Qingxian's gaze first searched the crowd for Luo Hanchuan, and sure enough, he found him standing there, expression solemn.
After not seeing him for a period of time, the youth had shot up in height like bamboo after a growth spurt. His features were clear, handsome, and elegant, quite eye-catching.
With the protagonist present, Shen Qingxian felt at ease and finally turned his attention to the enemy.
Before the magnificent Lingxiao Grand Hall, over a hundred alien beings emanating demonic energy had gathered. And the leader of this invasion was actually a girl who appeared to be only fifteen or sixteen years old.
Shen Qingxian felt a small surge of excitement inside: There she is! Finally, she's here!
Even among the demon clan members in their exotic attire, this girl's appearance was quite unconventional. Her head was full of black hair styled into multiple small braids, her skin fair and pale, her eye makeup heavy, her lips unnaturally red. Though young, one could already see the stunning beauty she would become. In the heat of summer, she wore very scant clothing—just a few red silk curtains draped around her body, silver rings on her wrists and ankles, small bells jingling with every movement.
She had bare white feet touching the ground directly. Shen Qingxian couldn't help but steal a few more glances.
It wasn't being lecherous, but... traveling thousands of miles from the demon realm to climb such a high mountain, girl, don't your feet hurt?
No, that wasn't the point.
The point was—this was one of the most popular female leads in Proud Son of the Immortal-Demon Chronicle—the Demon Clan Holy Maiden, Sha Lingling.
Sha Lingling was of pure demon bloodline, ruthless and cunning, yet would later fall deeply in love with Luo Hanchuan, even going so far as to betray the demon clan. Although this kind of blindly obsessed character design was often criticized nowadays, there was nothing to be done about it—this scorching, fiery girl was hard for any man not to like.
Unfortunately, this kind of girl was destined to fall into someone else's arms. Shen Qingxian couldn't help but glance at Luo Hanchuan, just as Luo Hanchuan happened to look over unconsciously. Their eyes met briefly and parted. Luo Hanchuan's expression was excited; he seemed to want to speak but hesitated. Shen Qingxian gave him a slight nod.
At this moment, with the flying bridges cut off and the masters of various peaks absent, Shen Qingxian's arrival as an elder was undoubtedly a powerful reassurance. The disciples' morale instantly surged. Mingyuan was the first to shout, "Vile woman! My master has arrived. Dare you still be so arrogant?"
More people gathered. Hundreds of disciples, their emotions running high, formed an encirclement, trapping the invaders before the hall. Several demons tried to break through, and Shen Qingxian took the opportunity to warm up, his figure flickering as he casually grabbed them and tossed them back at Sha Lingling's feet.
Sha Lingling had always been clever and resourceful. Earlier, her arrogance had been because she was bullying the Lingxiao Main Peak for having no elder present. Now, realizing she wasn't gaining any advantage, she quickly changed her tune. "This time, my clan came to the mountain, not originally for battle. We have long heard that the Central Plains' Lingxiao Sect is filled with talented individuals. Our clan was curious and wished to come to the mountain for a friendly exchange, to see for ourselves."
Shen Qingxian waved his fan and said, "Easy to say, easy to say. But if your clan came for friendly exchange, why did you choose when the Sect Master was away? Why did you cut the flying bridges? And why did you injure so many of our sect's disciples? This isn't how friendly exchanges work."
Sha Lingling bit her lip and deployed the weapon unique to young women.
She lifted a strand of hair from before her face and said gracefully, "You must be the renowned 'Wind-Sword' Shen Qingxian, Shen Senior. One hears a hundred times but is still unprepared for the real thing. It was Ling'er who was young and failed to properly control her subordinates. If there were any offenses or misunderstandings, I beg the immortal master to forgive."
No matter how soft her words, Shen Qingxian would not be moved. As for the ins and outs of this matter, no one knew it better than him.
This demon clan invasion was caused by Sha Lingling's recent appointment as Demon Clan Holy Maiden. She had a proud and ambitious spirit, not knowing the heights