Wait a minute, where is my master?

Therefore, the Ten-thousand-year-old Heart Calming Willow, seeing the Bronze Gate behaving in such a manner in front of it, felt almost too delighted to know how to express itself. Even its incredibly frail body felt somewhat better.

"I suppose I've also basked in the Taoist's glory. However, after Little Jin Xu handed this fellow over to me for handling, the Bronze Gate's attitude of submission was too swift."

"I always feel like something's missing in the sense of achievement."

The Ten-thousand-year-old Heart Calming Willow thought to himself while idly grabbing a thousand-year-old spiritual ginseng from the Square Table, dipping it haphazardly into a bowl of brown sugar before putting it into his mouth and chewing vigorously.

Southeast corner of the martial arts field.

The Bronze Gate stood askew, occasionally using the corner of its eye to observe the Ten-thousand-year-old Heart Calming Willow chewing vigorously on the ginseng coated in brown sugar, while inwardly giving itself a pep talk.

"Hmph, I might not be good at cultivation, Master Qin, but as for bootlicking... Little Liu, wait and see, someday here in Xuanxu Temple I'll climb over your head!"

Elder Qin ambitiously planned his future 'career' advancement path in Xuanxu Temple in his mind.

But suddenly, he noticed a few specks of golden light emerging from the door frame on his right.

"Eh, this is the temple master he... "

Before he could finish speaking.

At a spot half a person wide to the right of the Bronze Gate, Elder Qin, there was a loud boom!

A fist, looking as pristine as jade wrapped in golden spiritual power, burst through the void!

"Crack, crack!"

After the fist pierced through the space, it trembled slowly, and abruptly, numerous large fissures appeared in this void.

In no time, a spatial passage that could allow Taoists and others to traverse was constructed just like that.

"Temple master, it is indeed you, sir. Miss Yuer, Miss Little White, and Little Purple Spirit. Eh, this is... This one, with aura divine and youthful features despite white hair. Could it be you're Jin Xu's mentor—the thirty-third temple master of Xuanxu Temple, Tianxing Taoist?"

The Bronze Gate warmly greeted everyone as they emerged from the spatial passage.

After extravagantly greeting everyone, he immediately added, "Senior Liu is over there resting, but due to his frail body, he is not convenient to move around. I'll go help him over right now."

Having said this, the Bronze Gate directly fluttered toward the Ten-thousand-year-old Heart Calming Willow who had yet to react, meanwhile still loudly calling out,

"Senior Liu, the little Taoist and the others are back! The old temple master is back too!"

Jin Xu was somewhat amused by the overly enthusiastic Bronze Gate, Elder Qin. He glanced over at Xuanxu Temple and the Square Table in the distance, thinking it seems that Senior Guan Ling has trained this gate well.

Meanwhile, Tianxing Taoist felt a bit perplexed and said, "Disciple, which Taoist friend is this door? It looks somewhat similar to the Door of Destiny that appeared in Nine Provinces for a while.

"But, I recall that door wasn't as obsequious as this one."

As he spoke the last few words, the old Taoist inadvertently lowered his voice, his eyes full of confusion.

However, it wasn't long before he no longer had time to wonder if this overly obsequious Bronze Gate was the Door of Destiny.

The golden Spiritual Power Shield was lifted by the little Taoist.

The Ten-thousand-year-old Heart Calming Willow, lying on the wicker chair, was also moved over by the Bronze Gate using spiritual power.

The encounter between Tianxing Taoist and the Ten-thousand-year-old Heart Calming Willow, two old friends, left them momentarily lost for words. Jin Xu then motioned to the two women and Little Purple Spirit with a shushing gesture, signaling them not to cause any trouble.

After a long while, the old Taoist was the first to speak.

"Old Liu, what happened to your eyes, why are they surrounded by such heavy dark circles?"

"..."

Jin Xu, who had thought he would witness a touching reunion of old friends, raised his eyebrows momentarily upon hearing this.

Then, he signaled to the two women to do whatever they wanted, as the mood had already been disrupted!

"Cough, just some minor side effects from treating a divine soul injury."

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Tianxing, you old snoot, you vanished after taking in disciples, hurry up and tell me, what have you been up to these days?"

The Ten-thousand-year-old Golden Heart Willow found an excuse to change the subject and leapt up from the recliner.

However, not yet fully recovered, he staggered as he stood up.

Fortunately, the ever-alert Bronze Gate, Elder Qin, swiftly floated to his side and propped him up with its sturdy frame.

Tianqing Taoist looked at his old friend, so frail, and a flicker of concern crossed his eyes. He turned his head toward Jin Xu at his side,

trying to get some explanations from him.

However, the initiator of the "Strengthening Pill," chose not to elaborate further on the matter.

Thus, the young Taoist made a Daoist salute and respectfully addressed the elder Tianxing Taoist.

"Master, Senior Nan Wubo, and others are still trapped in that unknown small world. Disciple will first go and bring them back to the Nine Provinces."

"You have not returned for a long time, first catch up with Senior Guan Ling. Oh, by the way, Senior Yan and Senior Chi should also be in this mansion."

Jin Xu finished speaking and did not wait for the elder Tianxing Taoist to respond, vanishing from the martial arts field with a flicker of his body.

The two ladies and the elephant had already discussed going to the kitchen to study the newly caught crabs, so this time, the young Taoist did not take them along to retrieve people from the unknown small world.

The Tianxing Taoist looked somewhat puzzled at the spot where his disciple had disappeared, feeling as if the latter had fled in a hurry.

However, what Jin Xu said was indeed reasonable.

Previously, in the Chaos Void, the elder had been too agitated and had temporarily forgotten about Nan Wubo and the others. Now that he was back in the Nine Provinces, it was indeed time to bring them all back.

"Tianxing, you don't even know what kind of destiny you've stepped into, you've brought back a treasure to Xuanxu Temple."

The Ten-thousand-year-old Heart Calming Willow, leaning against the Bronze Gate, made this remark with a tone of emotion.

Then, the two old friends who hadn't seen each other for a long time walked slowly toward the Xuanxu Temple located in the martial arts field.

"Old nostril, what exactly did you encounter after you entered that space rift?"

"That matter is not important, we can talk about it later.

"Elder Liu, hurry up and tell me, what has my disciple been up to in the Nine Provinces while I was away?"

The two stepped into the Xuanxu Temple.

The elder Tianxing Taoist finally could not restrain himself and began to inquire about his disciple's recent activities in the Nine Provinces from the Ten-thousand-year-old Heart Calming Willow.

"Hey, I also just woke up not long ago, so I don't know much. Nothing major, just eradicated the Demon Sect, purified the Nine Provinces Sea Eye, and produced many cultivation talents for the Nine Provinces. Oh right, he also saved a hundred thousand common people in Shangjing City among other things..."

The Ten-thousand-year-old Heart Calming Willow recalled his own shocked expression upon learning of these things and narrated them to the elder Tianxing Taoist in a deliberately casual tone.

Now, with his disciple not present, the Tianxing Taoist finally let go of the master's burden, his expression complex as he began a series of shocks.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea.

The backyard of Xuanxu Temple.

Beside the stone table, where the Big Willow Tree used to be.

The old Taoist, with a heavy push to his chin, finally managed to close his mouth, which had been agape with astonishment for quite some time.

No wonder back in the martial arts field. The Ten-thousand-year-old Heart Calming Willow said, he stumbled upon such luck to have such a disciple?

Now the Tianxin Taoist himself started to wonder if he had traded life span for destiny, thus managing to fish out such a disciple with an ink jade fishing rod.

"But in just one year... this this this..."

The old Taoist became somewhat incoherent.

At this moment, footsteps of several people suddenly came from the small door leading to the main hall of Xuanxu Temple.

"Senior Liu, I am Yan Chu. I heard that the young Taoist has returned. Is this news true?"

"Has that old nostril Tianxing also come back together with him?"

As the voice fell, the old Dean of Qingmu Academy led three people out from the small door and directly into the backyard.

Following him on the left side was Mr. Mei in a plum-colored Confucian robe.

However, the other two were not the Pine and Bamboo of the Cold Season Friends.

Instead, it was Ji Junqiao, who had previously made an appearance in the Mountain and Sea Realm,

and a newcomer.

"Old scholar, it hasn't been long since we last met, yet you enter my Xuanxu Temple and ask about my disciple first rather than me."

The elder Tianxin Taoist, hearing his old friend's voice, stood up and jokingly greeted him at the small door.

His gaze swept over the three people behind the old Dean and paused slightly when he saw Ji Junqiao.

Clearly, he had heard of this notorious rebel miss from the Confucian Upper Realm.

As his gaze passed over her, the elder Tianxing Taoist, upon seeing the unfamiliar face,

flashed a deep puzzlement in his eyes...