Yang Chan gazed at the mountain gate of the Cyan Yuan Sect. He was back again.
After confirming that the major sects had begun to return, he stopped hesitating and set off for Qing State.
He wasn’t in a rush to get back, so he didn’t travel at full speed. Instead, he rode on horseback.
The horse was much slower than him, but it was also more relaxing. He did this to make his return seem more reasonable.
He didn’t know if Song Yunxiang and the others had already made it back to the Cyan Yuan Sect. The battle had expanded to where they had been when they left, and he hadn’t been strong enough to participate. They had to rely on their own skills.
Yang Chan had estimated their normal travel speed, so he wasn’t worried. The main reason for his leisurely pace was that his previous mad dash had been a bit too fast. Even another Inner Master would have been astounded by it.
After all, few people could travel continuously without rest. While Inner Masters had stamina far beyond that of ordinary people, they were still fundamentally human.
Not to mention, Yang Chan could travel with the wind—a feat very, very few could accomplish.
And it would be easy to come up with an excuse for getting separated from Song Yunxiang and the others. He just needed to state the facts and add a few minor embellishments.
The situation had been chaotic, so it was perfectly normal for people to get separated.
Besides, as long as he returned alive, few would care about the details.
Anyone who survived a clash between Martial Saints could be considered lucky.
"Greetings, Pharmacist Yang!"
The gatekeeper disciples called out respectfully when they saw Yang Chan approaching on horseback.
As the Chief Pharmacist, Yang Chan naturally held a high status within the Cyan Yuan Sect and was respected by its disciples.
After all, Pharmacists not only saved lives and healed the wounded, but also refined the medicinal drugs and elixirs they needed for their cultivation.
Perhaps some of the very medicine they took to improve their cultivation was formulated and refined by Yang Chan himself.
"Have Elder Song Yunxiang and the others who went to fight at the border returned?"
Yang Chan asked, looking at the gatekeeper disciple.
These gatekeeper disciples guarded the mountain gate, so they were naturally aware of everyone who came and went.
"Elder Song and three other elders returned to the Cyan Yuan Sect from Jinyun City the day before yesterday, bringing over fifty senior brothers with them. They also told us to guard the gate well and to inform him if any more disciples returned!"
Hearing Yang Chan’s question, the gatekeeper disciple naturally told him everything he knew.
It wasn’t a secret. Many people were aware of it, so there was no need to hide anything.
"It’s good that they’re back!"
"Guard the gate well. These two bottles of elixirs are for you!"
Yang Chan was pleased to hear this.
’It’s wonderful that they made it back alive.’
’Not many people returned this time. They must have suffered heavy losses on the battlefield where the Martial Saints clashed. But being alive is the best possible outcome.’
In his good mood, he gave the disciple a bottle of elixirs suitable for disciples who were comprehending Power to enhance their cultivation.
"This disciple thanks Pharmacist Yang!"
A look of pleasant surprise flashed in the gatekeeper disciple’s eyes. He hadn’t expected to receive such a great reward just for answering Pharmacist Yang’s question.
To exchange for elixirs like these, he would have had to guard the mountain gate for who knows how long.
Yang Chan started off in the direction of the Medicine Hall. However, he didn’t go back to Yuanqing Courtyard directly. Instead, he made his way to the Council Pavilion, as he had heard that the acting Sect Leader, Gu An, was currently there.
Now that he was back, he would report to Gu An first. Then he could return to Yuanqing Courtyard in peace and focus on steadily improving his cultivation.
As for the power struggle between the major sects and the Great Zhou Imperial Family, he had no intention of getting involved.
Along the way, he had heard that the major sects were planning to settle scores with the Great Zhou Imperial Family. After all, the Old Emperor had broken through to the National Guardian Martial Saint Realm by stepping on the corpses of their experts.
What was done could not be undone. Furthermore, while the Old Emperor, Yang Yu, had broken through to the National Guardian Martial Saint Realm, the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty would have to pay a price and offer some benefits.
It was unreasonable for the major sects to make all the sacrifices while the Great Zhou Imperial Family reaped all the rewards.
This time, the major sects were joining forces.
When Yang Chan arrived at the Council Pavilion, he saw Elder Song Yunxiang walking out, his expression grim.
Evidently, the conversation inside had not gone well. Yang Chan could guess some of the reasons why.
"Elder Song!"
Yang Chan greeted him proactively.
"Phar... Pharmacist Yang! You’re still alive! No, that’s not right. You actually survived! No, that’s not it either. What I mean is..."
Song Yunxiang thought the voice sounded familiar. When he looked up and saw Yang Chan, a look of delighted surprise flashed in his eyes.
"Elder Song, I know what you mean. Things were chaotic back then. I hid and managed to escape disaster!"
Yang Chan said with a smile.
’It seems Song Yunxiang is quite surprised I made it back alive,’ Yang Chan thought. ’But according to the gatekeeper disciple, Song Yunxiang’s group suffered heavy losses on the battlefield. They were clearly caught in the crossfire, which explains the high casualties.’
’He probably even thought I had died there, which is why he’s reacting like this.’
"Pharmacist Yang, come!"
"The Sect Leader was just talking about you. He’ll be thrilled to know you’re alive!"
Song Yunxiang grabbed Yang Chan and pulled him back into the Council Pavilion.
He had just been chewed out by Gu An, and he hadn’t been able to argue back. Gu An had entrusted Yang Chan’s safety to him, telling him that if necessary, he could abandon everything else, as long as he brought Yang Chan back alive.
If the situation became untenable, he was to head directly to the Merak Sacred Land. Gu An had specifically instructed him on all this before he left, yet now he had returned alone.
Even though he had brought other members of the Cyan Yuan Sect back alive, in Gu An’s eyes, all of them combined were not as important as Yang Chan.
This was true even though there were other Intermediate Pharmacists among them.
Their potential wasn’t on the same level, and besides, their relationships with the Sect Leader were completely different.
Now, seeing Yang Chan alive, Song Yunxiang was naturally overjoyed. He excitedly led Yang Chan back into the Council Pavilion.
Yang Chan’s survival benefited him greatly. Most obviously, the spot Gu An had promised him for the Merak Sacred Land was no longer at risk.
Having witnessed the combat power of a Martial Saint Level, he was now even more desperate to improve his cultivation. At the Merak Sacred Land, he would at least have a chance—an opportunity that was hard to come by in the Cyan Yuan Sect.
The Cyan Yuan Sect had limited cultivation resources. It was difficult enough to produce an expert at the Inner Refining of the Five Viscera level, let alone a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster.
The Former Sect Leader, Liu Xuan, had only managed to break through to become a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster because he found an opportunity in the Silver State Secret Realm and used an elixir to aid his breakthrough. Otherwise, who knows how much longer it would have taken.
For Song Yunxiang, this meant he had one more chance.
Yang Chan didn’t struggle. Song Yunxiang’s grip was strong, but that was only relative. To Yang Chan, that strength was nothing, especially after his recent breakthrough.
On his way back to the Cyan Yuan Sect, Yang Chan had already spent all the Potential Points on his panel, converting them entirely into the abilities he needed most.
He had now not only completed the tempering of his third of the Five Viscera, but had also made significant progress. This was much faster than he had anticipated.
Risk was always accompanied by opportunity. Even if Yang Chan actively avoided it, some things were simply inescapable.
’Until I’m invincible, how can I ever be truly free? I’ll always be constrained by others.’
This was also why Yang Chan wasn’t in a hurry to go to the Merak Sacred Land. He had a relatively high degree of freedom in the Cyan Yuan Sect, where he could continue to accumulate Potential Points and improve his cultivation.
"Why are you back in here—"
Gu An was extremely displeased to see Song Yunxiang’s face, because the man hadn’t even knocked.
It was a minor issue, but when one was in a bad mood, small things could easily cause anger. However, his rebuke died on his lips when he saw Yang Chan standing next to Song Yunxiang.
"Pharmacist Yang, you’re alive?"
Gu An asked in surprise, but after the words were out, he realized they weren’t quite right.
"How did you get back?"
Gu An quickly recovered and rephrased his question.
From what Song Yunxiang had told him earlier, he too had felt that Yang Chan had very likely met his end at the border.
On a Martial Saint’s battlefield, even if he had been present, he could have only fled for his life. The difference in power was simply too vast; there was no room for resistance.
Before a Martial Saint, the gap between the Inner Refining of the Six Viscera level and the Inner Refining of the Five Viscera level was completely meaningless.
A single casual strike could kill them with ease.
The major sects were joining forces to cause trouble for the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty because they knew that the Old Emperor, Yang Yu, had borrowed the Power of Origin National Fate, which also meant he was constrained by the national fate.
If the major sects within the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty joined forces against the Great Zhou Imperial Family, the national fate would surely be affected. The Imperial Dynasty’s Destiny Golden Dragon was already injured; if the major sects banded together to cause a disturbance, the impact would be even greater.
Therefore, the major sects were now striking at the Great Zhou Imperial Family’s lifeline. Having suffered such great losses, they naturally needed to be compensated by the Imperial Family.
As for revenge, some sects had considered it, but they were persuaded against it.
The dead could not be brought back. Fighting the Great Zhou Imperial Family would only lead to mutual destruction with no benefit to either side, so there was no point.
It was far more reasonable to make the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty offer up some benefits instead.
Gu An had also received the news earlier. Upon learning that Yang Chan had died at the border, he had been furious. Later on, however, he could only think about how much he could demand in compensation.
The living must always move forward.
"When I felt the Martial Saints’ clash approaching, I tried to leave with Elder Song and the others, but I was affected by the tremors and couldn’t keep up right away. Seeing that powerful aura getting closer and closer, I had no choice but to flee in the opposite direction from them."
"I was lucky it didn’t hit me. Later, I saw an unfamiliar expert shatter the magic array’s power, so I headed toward Yan State."
"Because I was unsure of the situation, I first stayed there to gather information. I only started back toward the Cyan Yuan Sect after hearing that the people from the major sects were returning."
"Since I was traveling back alone, I stuck to the main roads and didn’t travel very fast, to avoid dangerous areas."
"And I just got back today!"
"And then Elder Song dragged me over here!"
After speaking, Yang Chan raised the hand that was still being held by Song Yunxiang.
"Pharmacist Yang, my apologies! I was in too much of a hurry just now!"
Seeing this, Song Yunxiang quickly apologized and let go of his hand.