Not long after, the mist in her eyes evaporated, and she regained her cold and indifferent demeanor. At this moment, a dozen disciples of the Five Elements Sect were approaching from a distance.

"Greetings, Peak Master!"

"Greetings, Peak Master!"

"Greetings, Master!"

The disciples bowed their heads and clasped their hands, though there was a hint of puzzlement in their eyes.

Every hundred years, the Peak Master would visit Yuxu City alone, forbidding anyone from accompanying her. It seemed as if she was searching for something, but she never asked the disciples for help.

Liu Yuan waved her sleeve, her gaze filled with authority and composure. "Let's go

"Yes, Peak Master!"

"Yes, Master!"

The disciples responded, following her.

It seemed that with the passage of time, the young junior sister who once felt embarrassed for accepting thirty spirit stones had now become a protective shield for the Five Elements Sect.

Over the years, there had been numerous conflicts in the Wu Nations territory. Strangely, the two major sects behind them had never intervened to mediate, and the conflicts between the sects had deepened, even leading to bloodshed.

Back when Chen Xun was in the Five Elements Sect, such incidents still occurred, but they were all handled by the powerful Golden Core cultivators, keeping the hardships outside the sect.

Now, however, the Golden Core cultivator in charge was Liu Yuan. Each generation of disciples seemed to be in a cycle, repeating the events of the past.

...

Outside the talisman shop, the crane spirit trees continued to sway in the wind.

Chen Xun remained seated in the chair, silent. He seemed to see a miracle, yet also saw nothing at all.

The big black ox slowly approached, its steps heavy. It walked to the front of the shop and gently nudged Chen Xun.

"Moo?"

It remembered he had once said they were old monsters, destined to recognize each other.

"Old ox..." Chen Xun's gaze remained deep. "There's no need for recognition. Our paths are different, and this is the best outcome. Having lived for hundreds of years, what can't we understand?" He smiled and shook his head. "Should we embrace, overwhelmed with joy, tears streaming down, going through the motions like children? That's a child's play."

"Moo..."

"Not recognizing each other is the greatest restraint of a Golden Core cultivator." Chen Xun looked up at the sky, a faint smile on his face. "Sister Liu Yuan has indeed grown a lot."

The big black ox also looked up at the sky, its eyes becoming unfocused. It had heard everything they said.

Chen Xun sighed. Liu Yuan had always been considerate of his feelings, never speaking of irrelevant matters, even about herself.

Although she hid it well, how could he not see that Liu Yuan was just pretending to be strong?

"Old ox, don't be sad. It's a great thing that Sister Liu Yuan is still alive." Chen Xun suddenly patted the big black ox. "What's better in these hundreds of years than this? Let's be happy, ha, ha, ha! We should celebrate tonight. I'll buy you four Red Lightning Wolves, and I'll drink soup tonight!"

"Moo~"

The big black ox nudged Chen Xun. It wasn't stupid; it knew he was the most upset...

It silently returned to the backyard, squatting on the ground, flipping through the merit book, already starting to perform the rituals alone.

With these merits, Chen Xun had said their friends would be blessed with supreme spiritual roots in their next lives.

"Moo~"

The big black ox slightly closed its eyes. These merits were difficult to accumulate, but it didn't hesitate. It never cared about the merits themselves and erased them all at once.

Outside the shop, one memory after another flashed through his mindbirth, aging, illness, death, the separation of yin and yang. A cultivator's lifespan eventually ran out, which was a natural law.

"Haven't I already come to terms with it? There's nothing to be upset about..." Chen Xun muttered to himself, his face becoming serene again. No one could tell what he was thinking.

A month later, they attended another auction, and this time, their luck seemed to change. Yu Chen Grass appeared not long after.

However, it was only a 500-year-old spirit herb, not even old enough to be used in medicine. They spent 100,000 spirit stones to buy it and quietly left.

Chen Xun and the big black ox showed no signs of cheer or joy, their eyes only calm. In the long wash of time, all encounters seemed inevitable.

They continued to run their talisman shop, but Liu Yuan never visited again.

Chen Xun did not close the shop to go back to alchemy. He still opened it only half a day each day, still sat outside the shop with a book in his hands, silent.

The centennial grand gathering was still ongoing, with prodigies continuing to dominate the world, constantly astonishing the cultivators.

This year, however, there were noticeably more large external forces present. Giant ships continuously docked outside the city, their presence imposing.

In Yuxu City, in a grand, ancient hall, thirteen seats were arranged on the high platform, all occupied.

The overwhelming presence of great cultivators continuously reverberated within the hall. Dozens of Golden Core cultivators stood with bowed heads below the platform, their eyes respectful and steady.

However, under the sunlight, these seats were shrouded in darkness, mysterious and unfathomable.

"After several hundred years of recuperation, the cultivation world of the Qian Nation has recovered its vitality." On one of the seats, a man spoke calmly, a star-like sparkle between his brows. "We can now proceed with the next phase of our plan."

A woman smiled in the shadows. "But the various sects have taken too many resources in the Wu Nation and have become complacent about warfare."

"Short-sighted fools. They are satisfied with just the resources of a single Wu Nations cultivation world." An old voice echoed, a mysterious smile appearing in the shadows.

"Now that the various sects have begun to clash over the resources of the Wu Nation, the conflicts have fully erupted, which we had previously suppressed."

"Over the past centuries, the major sects have naturally replenished their members, but it's indeed time to curb their momentum and reduce their numbers."

"Exactly. When the time comes, they won't dare to act rashly, and the number of sects paving the way will be sufficient."

"Like the last great war in the cultivation world? As expected of the Top Ten Sects, quite to my liking." Another figure emerged from the shadows, his eyes deep as the sea, revealing a meaningful smile.

As soon as he finished speaking, several sharp gazes shot toward him, but he remained calm, unmoved. On the thirteen seats, the people continued their conversation. If these words were to be leaked, the entire cultivation world would be shaken to its core.

The Golden Core cultivators below held even their breaths, having weathered many storms, determined not to lose face here.

These were the true rulers of the cultivation world, capable of deciding the life and death of millions with a single word.

At this moment, a gaze swept over them.

"Patriarch!"

"Patriarch!"

"Patriarch!"

The Golden Core cultivators bowed deeply, a drop of cold sweat trickling down their foreheads.

"Send out the order: as long as it remains within the rules, the conflicts among the major sects need not be overly managed." A cold voice resounded. "But the cities of the major cultivators must not engage in combat, and the mortal order must not be disturbed. Anyone who exceeds the rules will be executed without mercy."

"We obey the Patriarch's command!"

The Golden Core cultivators shouted in unison, their voices powerful. Those who could be present here were the ones capable of touching the core of the cultivation world's power.

They would naturally not cut off their own future. Perhaps one day, they too would have a seat on the platform.

After receiving their orders, these Golden Core cultivators left the hall to arrange various affairs.

At this moment, the real meeting of the rulers had begun...