Published at 28th of December 2025 7:59 am

Chapter 1958: Finally Home! (Part 2)

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The crowd followed the voice and looked over, only to see a young man with an arrogant expression, dressed in the Inner Sect elite disciple attire, walking over slowly. A few disciples followed behind him, faintly led by him.

Luo Qingchen recognized this person, named Sun Haoran, the grandson of a powerful Elder in the Inner Sect, who, relying on his family background, was as arrogant as Fang Hao.

It seems that there are indeed quite a few spoiled brats within the Qingyun Sect, Luo Qingchen thought to himself.

A new commotion seemed to be brewing quietly before even stepping into the sect’s mountain gate.

The appearance of Sun Haoran instantly tense up the atmosphere that was previously somewhat eased at the mountain gate. His sarcastic tone and the unhidden disdain and scrutiny when looking at Luo Qingchen and the other two all indicated unfriendly intentions.

"Senior Brother Sun." A few gatekeeping disciples hurriedly saluted upon seeing Sun Haoran, showing considerable respect. Clearly, Sun Haoran held quite a sway among the Inner Sect disciples.

Sun Haoran nodded casually to those gatekeeping disciples, but his gaze remained locked on Luo Qingchen, with a trace of a playful smile at the corner of his mouth: "Luo Qingchen? I do recall that name. I heard you were quite a figure back then, but unfortunately, with little fortune and short life, you disappeared early on. So, are you here to beg for a living back at the Sect now that you couldn’t make it outside?"

His words were extremely sharp, clearly intending to humiliate Luo Qingchen.

Su Xiaowan’s eyebrows arched at these words, her eyes widened, ready to confront: "How can you talk like that! Our Senior Brother Luo..."

However, Luo Qingchen stopped her with a gesture, shaking his head slightly to signal her to remain calm. Then he looked at Sun Haoran, his expression calm, without any ripples: "Senior Brother Sun is jesting. All three of us are disciples of the Qingyun Sect. Having survived life-or-death trials, we have finally returned to the Sect. Now that the Sect is in difficulty, we ought to offer our strengths, so where is the talk of begging for a living?"

His words were neither humble nor overbearing, leaving no room for criticism, making it difficult for Sun Haoran to unleash the ridicule he had prepared.

Sun Haoran’s expression darkened slightly, and he snorted coldly: "Easier said than done! Who knows whether during your disappearance, you had done anything detrimental to the Sect’s interests? It’s a critical time now, and any person of unknown origin must be thoroughly investigated!"

He emphasized the words "unknown origin," clearly lumping the trio of Luo Qingchen into this category.

"What do you mean by that, Senior Brother Sun?" Lin Wan’er’s cold voice sounded, her eyes sharp as she stared at Sun Haoran, "All three of us have the Sect’s identity jade token as proof, how is there talk of unknown origin? Or is it that Senior Brother Sun is trying to abuse authority for personal revenge?"

Being under Lin Wan’er’s sharp gaze, Sun Haoran felt slightly uneasy, but relying on his family background and position within the Sect, he persisted: "Hmph, identity jade tokens don’t prove everything! Who knows if your tokens are forged, or if you’ve encountered something unclean outside, had your minds controlled, and came back as spies!"

"You!" Su Xiaowan’s face flushed with anger, and if it weren’t for Luo Qingchen holding her back, she would have already rushed up to argue with Sun Haoran.

"Sun Haoran, you can eat indiscriminately, but you cannot speak indiscriminately." Luo Qingchen’s voice suddenly turned cold, "Our loyalty to the Sect is clear to heaven and earth. If you dare slander us again, don’t blame me for disregarding our same Sect ties!"

As he spoke, a fierce momentum emanated from Luo Qingchen, which, despite his restraint, still made Sun Haoran and the few disciples behind him slightly change their expressions upon feeling the Golden Core Intermediate Stage oppressive force.

Sun Haoran was also taken aback in his heart; he didn’t expect this long-lost Luo Qingchen to have reached the Golden Core Stage, and judging by his momentum, it seemed even stronger than himself, who had only recently broken through to the Golden Core Initial Realm.

However, thinking of his grandfather being a powerful Elder in the Inner Sect gave Sun Haoran some confidence. He shouted with a menacing tone: "What? You want to make a move? This is the Qingyun Sect’s mountain gate! Dare you act here unruly, believe me, I will immediately report to the Law Enforcement Hall and charge you with causing trouble at the mountain gate!"

Amid this tense standoff, an elderly yet imposing voice suddenly echoed from inside the mountain gate:

"Haoran, don’t be rude! Now that Nephew Luo and the others have returned, let them in."

With the words still echoing, an old man in a green Taoist robe, with crane-like hair and youthful features, exuding an immortal demeanor, walked out slowly from within the mountain gate, escorted by a few disciples.

As the elder appeared, the surrounding atmosphere became solemn at once. Both Sun Haoran and those gatekeeping disciples lowered themselves in salute, displaying utmost respect.

"Greetings to Elder Qin!"

Luo Qingchen, Lin Wan’er, and Su Xiaowan also felt stirred. This Elder Qin, named Qin Mingyuan, was a veteran Elder within the Qingyun Sect, overseeing the Sect disciples’ training and external affairs. Known for his fairness, he held considerable prestige within the Sect. Luo Qingchen had also received his guidance several times in the past.

Seeing Elder Qin’s appearance, Sun Haoran immediately retracted his arrogance but still tried to explain unwillingly: "Grandfather Qin, it’s just that these people have been missing for a long time, and suddenly returned, I was merely worried about them..."

"Enough, I understand your concerns." Qin Mingyuan waved his hand, interrupting Sun Haoran abruptly, then turned his gaze to Luo Qingchen and the others, his eyes showing a complex mix of emotion, including relief and a hint of exploration, "Luo Qingchen, Lin Wan’er, Su Xiaowan, I never expected you little ones to actually make it back alive. It must have been tough for you over the years."

His voice was gentle, carrying the elder’s concern for the younger generation, warming the hearts of the trio.

"Thank you, Elder Qin, for your concern. We managed to return safely by not failing our mission." Luo Qingchen respectfully bowed.

Qin Mingyuan nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the three, pausing at the little Bai Ling’er cradled in Lin Wan’er’s arms, a flash of indescribable interest in his eyes, quickly returning to normal.

"It’s good that you’ve returned, really good," Qin Mingyuan remarked, "The Sect is fraught with troubles now. Your return is indeed a great help. Come in first. We can discuss more inside the Sect."

With that, he turned and walked toward the mountain gate.

Even though Sun Haoran was still seething, he dared not utter another word against Qin Elder’s order; he only glared venomously at Luo Qingchen then reluctantly stepped aside.

Luo Qingchen and the other two followed behind Elder Qin Mingyuan, finally stepping into the long-lost mountain gate of Qingyun Sect.

Entering the mountain gate, the sight before them weighed heavily on their hearts.

The once fog-filled, tranquil, and harmonious Sect scenario from their memories had vanished. Replaced by an atmosphere of somberness and tension.

Along the mountain path, they saw disciples rushing past now and then, most showing serious expressions and frowning brows. The previous cheerful bantering scenes had vanished without a trace.

There were also more patrolling disciples now, with shining armor and weapons in hand, vigilantly observing the surroundings.

Some key halls and areas were heavily protected by restrictions, emanating an aura of danger.

"Elder Qin, what exactly happened to the Sect?" Su Xiaowan couldn’t help but ask softly, feeling like the Qingyun Sect had turned into a volcano that could erupt at any moment.

Upon hearing this, Qin Mingyuan paused momentarily, then sighed as he spoke: "It’s a long story. Simply put, it’s internal turmoil and external threat occurring simultaneously."

He walked while briefly explaining to Luo Qingchen and the others about the recent happenings in the Sect.

It was similar to what Luo Qingchen had heard in the workshop, indeed even more grave.

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