Chapter 1 The Return

The Wood Immortal Secret Realm was not far from the Yin Yang Sect, only a few hundred thousand li away. After all, the Yin Yang Sect was located in the eastern part of the Central Domain, while the Wood Immortal Secret Realm was in the northeastern part.

Incidentally, the Kui Lian Sect was also in the northeastern part, not too far from the Wood Immortal Secret Realm.

Along the way, the warship did not travel very fast. Those on board chatted while enjoying the scenery.

Everyone exuded a strong aura of being thoroughly relaxed.

This made Young Master Lei unaccustomed to it.

It was important to note that he was always diligently cultivating, never taking a moment's rest.

Well, except when he was with little sister Yu...

At other times, Young Master Lei was very hardworking, alright?

After admiring the scenery for a long time, Wan Lei found it utterly uninteresting. He sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes to rest, and practiced the formations within the stone tablet in his sea of consciousness.

Although he was already a Grandmaster, there were countless formations within the stone tablet, and he had learned less than a tenth of them.

Qian Duoduo, leaning against the railing and chatting with Ba'er Nu and others nearby, saw Wan Lei cultivating with intense focus and couldn't help but laugh.

"Brother Lei, you're already so powerful, you shouldn't work so hard anymore. This kind of internal competition is bad, leave some room for us to survive."

Wan Lei opened his eyes and glanced around.

"I finally understand why so many renowned Heavenly Prodigies of the Central Domain are so weak."

These people, relying on their status as prodigies of great clans and sects, were lax in their cultivation, unmotivated, and lingered in their hollow reputations, having forgotten the very reasons they had earned these titles.

"Alright, no need to say more, I understand. Brother Lei, you must know that not everyone has your talent or Fang Xiaoyu's talent, nor can everyone achieve such talent and still be so diligent and desperate.

Life, after all, needs something beautiful to be worth loving. Why work so hard and get so tired? Isn't it all for the sake of enjoying life?"

"If we didn't work desperately, we would have died over a hundred times in these five years."

"Alas, indeed, only life-and-death crises can truly stimulate a person's ambition.

They say interest is the best teacher, but that's not true; survival is."

Looking at Qian Duoduo's pretentious lament, Wan Lei felt like slapping him.

"If you want to become stronger, I can help you."

"Oh? Senior Brother Lei, please tell me."

Qian Duoduo's interest was piqued.

"I will set some goals for you. If you fail to complete any of them, I will kill you."

"..."

Qian Duoduo broke out in a cold sweat, frightened.

"Forget it, forget it, Senior Brother Lei, this kind of joke can't be made."

Wan Lei chuckled. Back then, when Lei Xinghai was undergoing the inheritance of formations, it was truly a matter of life and death if he failed.

The journey was uneventful. Three days later, they finally arrived at the Yin Yang Sect.

This made Wan Lei sigh. He should have squeezed onto a teleportation array if he had known; he had wasted three precious days.

The Yin Yang Sect's territory was vast. From the sky, from a distance, one could vaguely make out its full appearance.

It was a sect built amidst a ring of mountains, as if all immortal cultivation sects were built in the mountains. This puzzled Wan Lei greatly.

However, the sect's area was truly immense. On the towering peaks, buildings were everywhere, with people coming and going.

"Senior Brother Lei, that hundred-zhang-tall building sitting north and facing south in front of us is the main gate."

Qian Duoduo explained to Wan Lei with great interest.

"Past the main gate, the area at the very front is for outer disciples, this is the Liu Feng Peak, this is the Dan Feng Peak...

Our Yin Yang Sect has millions of outer disciples alone...

Further ahead is the area for inner disciples, totaling three thousand great mountains...

This is the area for personal disciples and elder mentors, generally only cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage and personal disciples can come here.

The back mountain area is the region to the north, mostly cultivation grounds, each with its own purpose. If you have time someday, I'll take you for a good tour."

"Just tell me where I live."

Wan Lei was getting a little impatient. With so many peaks, how could he remember them, nor did he need to.

"You? Probably the main peak, as you are a Hereditary Disciple, just like me."

"No, I am an Honorable Hereditary Disciple."

Wan Lei emphasized.

"..." Qian Duoduo.

"Are there any benefits to being an Honorable Hereditary Disciple? Will they give more things?"

This was what Young Master Lei cared about most.

"I don't know."

"How can you not know?"

"Honor is just a title, it's for the dead. You are the first living Honorable Disciple, how would I know what benefits there are?

Perhaps... the Sect Master will take you as a disciple?"

"This was promised from the start, wasn't it? Forget it, it's useless to ask you. We'll ask the Sect Master when we get there."

Soon, the fleet of war достигла the cloud-piercing main peak. Here, the Acting Sect Master, along with a group of elders, was waiting to greet them.

Elder Yun led the disciples down from the warship. After forming ranks on the plaza, they all bowed in unison.

"Greetings, Sect Master."

"Reporting to the Sect Master, for the expedition to the Wood Immortal Secret Realm, a total of three thousand two hundred and ninety-four people participated, and three thousand and eighty-two returned, with two hundred and thirteen casualties. Here is the list of the deceased for your perusal."

The number of participants minus the casualties should be two hundred and twelve. The extra person was naturally Young Master Lei.

"Mm."

The Acting Sect Master simply nodded slightly, saying nothing more.

Secret realm expeditions were arranged by the sect, but no one was ordered to participate; it was entirely voluntary.

If one obtained divine abilities there, it was their good fortune. If they died, they could not blame others.

The divine abilities obtained could be cultivated by oneself, or a copy could be made for the sect in exchange for contribution points.

This was a matter of mutual consent. Cultivation invariably involved risk of death.

"Wan Lei, you're finally back. Your master has waited for you for a full five years."

The Acting Sect Master walked up to Wan Lei and looked at him with a smile.

"Disciple greets Master."

Wan Lei knelt down, performing the ritual of three bows and nine prostrations.

"Good, get up quickly."

"Yes, Master. Your disciple has faced near-death experiences outside these years, and my heart has always yearned for the sect and Master. Now that I have fortunately survived and finally arrived at the sect, and with Master's favor, your disciple will surely shed blood and sacrifice for the sect, and dedicate his life!"

"Alright, don't say so much of that nonsense. The Yin Yang Sect doesn't operate like that, nor does it have so many formalities.

Everything I promised you before will be given to you. You can cultivate all the martial arts and divine abilities within the sect without needing contribution points. Any cultivation sacred ground is also open to you.

Now, you must be tired after adventuring for so long. Go to your cave dwelling to rest first. In a couple of days, I will take you to select martial arts and divine abilities.

Duoduo, you take Wan Lei to his cave dwelling."

"As you command, Master."

Qian Duoduo cupped his hands.

"Let's go, Senior Brother Lei, I'll show you your...

Lei Emperor's Cave Dwelling."

Qian Duoduo smiled slightly and flew towards the back mountain proudly.

Wan Lei's eyes lit up upon hearing this. He was also very curious about how extraordinary the place where the Lei Emperor once lived was.