Chapter 1212: Rewards; The Third Sect Leader (I)

"Zeng Yilong, you've done well defending the sect. When everything fell into chaos, you stepped up when it mattered and lived up to your father's hopes for you. For that, I'm giving you two treasures: a top-grade flying enchanted treasure, the Moonbreak Wings, and an offensive enchanted treasure, the Myriad Jun Halberd."

Under the eyes of everyone present, Zeng Yilong abruptly raised his head and stared at Luo Chen in disbelief.

Luo Chen chuckled. "What are you standing there for?"

Only then did Zeng Yilong snap out of his daze and hurry forward to bow. "Thank you, Supreme Elder!"

Two streaks of light floated down before him as Luo Chen's voice sounded in his ears. "I refined those Moonbreak Wings myself and used them for many years. You practiced the Ninety Thousand Li I taught you, right? With these, your speed should improve a lot. And don't think they're only useful for running away. They can fight too. I've already removed everything I left on them, so they're yours now. Take them, bind them with your blood, and spend some time refining them properly."

Zeng Yilong's eyes lit up as he carefully took the Moonbreak Wings. Back then, he had personally watched Luo Chen commission an expert of Skysail City to make them, and Luo Chen had even given him a defective pair afterward. Those old wings had supported him through a century of fighting before finally breaking apart in the arena. He had never imagined that shortly after Luo Chen's return, he would receive an even better pair. And there was also this great halberd. Zeng Yilong reached out to take it, only for—

Thud!

The massive halberd crashed into the ground and smashed straight through the hard green tiles. Had he not desperately clung to the shaft, the entire weapon might have sunk into the floor. With countless eyes fixed on him, his face immediately flushed red.

Luo Chen smiled faintly. "Infuse it with fortified qi, then try again."

Zeng Yilong hurriedly followed his instructions. It was not that he had been careless; rather, there were simply too few weapons in the cultivation world made specifically for physique cultivators, and almost every enchanted treasure he had encountered was activated with mana. Naturally, his first instinct had been to wield the halberd the same way.

Once he channeled fortified qi into the halberd, however, the enormous weight became far more manageable. He tightened his grip and slowly pulled the Myriad Jun Halberd free from the ground. As the massive weapon rose slowly, the embarrassment on his face disappeared, replaced by growing excitement.

What a WEAPON! It's heavy, powerful, and practically made for me! Once I master it and I get to full speed with the Moonbreak Wings, I’ll be able to smash a middle-stage Adept like nothing!

Seeing that Zeng Yilong had figured out how to use the halberd, Luo Chen nodded and turned his attention elsewhere.

He felt no reluctance to give away either treasure. The Moonbreak Wings still had room to grow, even beyond the level of a top-grade enchanted treasure, but their growth could no longer keep pace with his cultivation. As for the Myriad Jun Halberd, although it was an excellent weapon, Luo Chen was not a pure physique cultivator. In the past, he had only been able to wield it by relying on the overwhelming strength of his fourth-tier physique and his origin energy. Rather than let such treasures sit unused in his hands, it was better to give them to someone capable of drawing out their full potential.

Zeng Yilong was fully capable of that, and more than worthy of them. He was one of the two most outstanding figures among the Luo Tian Sect's younger generation, and Luo Chen had personally watched him grow from a child into the man he was today. Whether for his talent, loyalty, or merit, he had fully earned these rewards. As for the other outstanding figure of the younger generation...

Luo Chen's gaze shifted to another handsome and refined man whose expression carried a hint of sadness. "Qin Yuanjiang."

Qin Yuanjiang froze, clearly not expecting his name to be called. Even so, he quickly stepped forward, though a trace of unease remained on his face.

As Luo Chen looked at him, he could still see echoes of the man's parents in his features: Qin Liangchen's rugged masculinity blended with Murong Qinglian's elegant beauty, and for a moment, the resemblance stirred memories Luo Chen had not thought about in years.

"It's easy to stand with someone when things are going well. What's hard is staying when everything is falling apart. You joined us when the sect was at its lowest, and you’ve stayed with us all these years. That says a lot about the kind of man you are. So today, I'm giving you these three puppet manuals."

"Thank you, Supreme Elder." Qin Yuanjiang bowed and accepted the three manuals. From how fresh the writing looked, they had clearly been copied only recently.

Just as he was about to put them away, Luo Chen suddenly smiled at him. "Xiaohu, keep working hard. Don't get too comfortable."

Qin Yuanjiang froze. By the time he recovered from hearing that familiar form of address, however, Luo Chen had already turned to the next person and continued distributing rewards.

Still somewhat dazed, Qin Yuanjiang stepped to the back and quietly examined the three manuals. Two were indeed puppet manuals written in an ancient style, most likely passed down through the ages. However, when he opened the third, his eyes abruptly widened.

Wait... Soul Split?! Why does this look so much like one of the Falling Cloud Sect's legendary secret arts?

Qin Yuanjiang immediately looked toward Luo Chen again, but Luo Chen showed no sign of noticing his reaction. He had already moved on, continuing to reward those who had rendered meritorious service to the sect over the past century.

"Min Longyu, you've put a lot of effort into the sect over the years as well, especially when it came to protecting it. You've earned this Divine Seal Compass. It comes with three major formations and eighteen smaller ones. There's also a formation manual to go with it, Immortal Workings of the Stone Chamber."

Min Longyu stepped forward to receive them.

Luo Chen then turned to the next person. "Yang Pingdu, you've stayed loyal to the sect through everything and done your part when it mattered. For that, I'm giving you a fourth-tier earth-element cultivation art, a few bottles of pills, and a complete set of Wu Earth Apricot Flags."

One treasure after another left everyone overwhelmed. Most of the names Luo Chen called were ones they had expected, but a few still came as a surprise. Qin Yuanjiang was one, having joined the sect relatively late, while Yang Pingdu was another. Even so, both had received rewards generous enough to show exactly how highly Luo Chen regarded their contributions.

Still, several people had yet to hear their names. Fu Jiusheng remained perfectly composed, as though none of this concerned him. Chu Kui, on the other hand, was already struggling to sit still, while Qu Lingjun kept his head lowered, giving away nothing of what he was thinking. Then, suddenly...

"Fu Jiusheng, Chu Kui!"

At the sound of their names, both men instinctively looked up.

"My dear old friends, you really haven't let me down. Even after I left, you stayed and helped protect the sect all these years. That's more than I can say for Diwu Qi. Back then, the three of us started out together. I happened to take one step ahead of you and reach the Nascent Soul Realm first, but I hope the two of you can catch up. So for the two of you, I have a complete technique for forming the Nascent Soul."

Fu Jiusheng and Chu Kui stared at him in disbelief. Neither possessed exceptional aptitude, nor were their cultivation arts particularly profound. Becoming an Adept was already close to the limit of what they’d thought they could achieve through their own efforts. But now, Luo Chen had placed another path in front of them. Even if the chances were slim, who would willingly give up when they could still reach higher? Who would simply wait for their lifespan to run out?

Two streaks of light shot from Luo Chen's fingertips and entered their glabellas. "Take your time and study it properly. Your aptitude may not be the best, and neither of you is young anymore, but that doesn't mean you have no chance. When the time comes, even if you only have one last attempt left in you, at least you'll have something worth fighting for. We've come this far together, so let's see how much farther we can go!"

Fu Jiusheng and Chu Kui remained motionless for a long moment as the information settled into their minds. Then, almost at the same instant, they bowed deeply.

"Thank you for the reward, Supreme Elder!"

"Thank you for the reward, Supreme Elder!"

Luo Chen smiled faintly before finally turning toward the man who had kept his head lowered all this time, looking almost like a child who had done something wrong. Of course, he was no longer a child, and the wrinkles on his face made him look even older than Luo Chen himself. Yet no matter how many years had passed, Luo Chen still remembered him as the boy standing under the snow in Crescent Moon Valley, loudly reciting the Compendium of Hundred Herbs to him.

"Qu Lingjun!"

Qu Lingjun slowly raised his head. There was an unmistakable plea in his eyes, though Luo Chen could not tell what he was asking for. Perhaps he wanted to be rewarded like everyone else, so he would not seem to have fallen behind. Or perhaps he wanted no reward at all, only a punishment severe enough to finally ease the guilt he had carried for so many years.

Luo Chen acted as though he noticed none of it. "You are my personal disciple, so by definition you belong to the sect. From today onward, give up your position as a guest elder of Windflower Palace and return to the sect."

So this is Master's judgment for me? Qu Lingjun trembled all over and stammered, "M-Master, Windflower Palace..."

"I'll speak to the Sage over there myself. But anything tying you to Windflower Palace, you'll have to deal with on your own. That includes the woman you married afterward. Of course, if you don't want to come back, I won't force you."

Qu Lingjun took an unsteady step back.

Back when he was still in the Qi Refinement Realm, he had given his whole heart to Mi Li. Later, after becoming an Initiate, he wanted nothing more than to follow in Luo Chen's footsteps. But before he ever had the chance, the sect was drowning in turmoil. To help preserve it, he entered Windflower Palace and eventually became entangled with Meng Qin'er.

Now, love and loyalty were pulling him in opposite directions. How was he supposed to choose?