After the Great Elder had finished explaining, he anxiously observed Leng Yanran, fearing that she might not believe him. After all, Li Yourong had already become a disciple of that esteemed senior Chen.
If Leng Yanran were to complain to Senior Chen, their Holy Mountain could face significant trouble.
Upon hearing the Great Elder's explanation, Leng Yanran was momentarily taken aback. Soon after, she let out a sigh.
Without a trace of doubt, she chose to believe the Great Elder's words. After all, this was indeed something that Yourong could do… Furthermore, the Great Elder had no reason to deceive her. When they reached the mountain, she could verify if Yourong was truly given a grand hall.
"Hey hey, Senior Sister, Yourong's house is quite decent, isn't it?"
Li Yourong, however, failed to sense the tension that had just hung in the air between everyone. She looked at her senior sister with anticipation and asked.
"Well… if you had to put it that way, it does actually resemble a house. Except that it's not really a house… but it's all good…"
Leng Yanran glanced at her junior sister and then at the pitiful small stone house. Eventually, she laboriously responded.
After uttering those words, she felt a twinge of guilt. If it weren't for the sake of considering her junior sister's feelings, she would have been tempted to blast that stone house to smithereens with a single shot—how dare something so hideous call itself a house!
The misunderstanding was resolved, and the two elders heaved a long sigh of relief.
"Let's go up the mountain first, and we'll talk after we go up the mountain."
After the Great Elder regained his composure, he continued to walk up the mountain.
"Wait a moment! Elder, hold on. I need to bring along my best friend to introduce to Senior Sister," interjected Li Yourong once again, interrupting the Great Elder. She darted toward her stone house with excitement.
Seeing this, the two elders exchanged a glance, recognizing the exasperation in each other's eyes. Meanwhile, Leng Yanran couldn't help but grow curious. Could her junior sister really have someone living in that stone house?
She couldn't sense any human presence, though…
Before she could inquire with the elders, she witnessed Li Yourong return, cheerfully carrying a large white goose in her grasp. The goose struggled incessantly, clearly unwilling to be held captive. But Li Yourong paid no mind to its protests.
"Look, Senior Sister, this is my best friend on Holy Mountain! It's just that it got all skinny from not being taken care of while I was away," Li Yourong said, her eyes full of tender concern for the struggling goose.
"Ah… Who would've thought that my junior sister would be so lonely up on the mountain, left with only a big white goose for company? Ah, I should be nicer to my junior sister in the future," Leng Yanran sighed involuntarily.
Throughout her life, though not part of the main Leng Family, she had never lacked companionship, and the members of the Leng Family treated her fairly. However, her junior sister didn't even have a playmate and was left to befriend a goose. It was truly pitiable…
"Cough, let's go up the mountain, and we can continue our conversation there," the Great Elder reminded, fearing that Li Yourong might stir up more trouble.
"Oh right, Yourong, loosen your grip a bit. Your best friend is nearly dying…"
As they were about to depart, the Great Elder glanced at the increasingly feeble goose struggling in Li Yourong's hands and discreetly reminded her.
"Oh! Right! It won't taste good if it's already dead! Hehehe, later, Second Elder can make a braised goose for Yourong. Senior Sister hasn't tasted Second Elder's culinary skills yet!"
Upon hearing the Great Elder's words, Li Yourong suddenly looked as if she had an epiphany. She promptly handed her supposed "best friend" over to the resigned Second Elder.
Hearing this, Leng Yanran stumbled in mid-air, nearly tumbling from the sky.
"Junior, don't misunderstand. Every month, Yourong has several 'best friends' on the mountain… After she finishes eating one 'best friend,' she catches a new one… Just enjoy the meal…"
The Great Elder blushed slightly as he spoke. He really couldn't understand how the sisters, Li Shenruo and Li Yourong, could be so different from each other!
While Li Yourong displayed better natural talent, the elders had initially planned to fully nurture her and groom her as a potential Saintess when she first arrived on the mountain. Li Shenruo, on the other hand, had practiced diligently, focusing solely on her cultivation path. As time went on, Li Shenruo took the lead, and Li Yourong's carefree nature flourished.
As they embarked on the journey uphill, Li Yourong hummed a cheerful tune, occasionally recalling her beloved friend and glancing back at the large white goose.
Leng Yanran remained silent, her thoughts spinning. She had barely set foot on Holy Mountain, yet her junior sister had already challenged her perception. It was truly vexing…
Sighing inwardly, she couldn't help but feel sorry for her junior sister's best friend. If she had known, she would have extended her compassion to Li Yourong's dearest friend, the hapless white goose. Who knew how many "best friends" had come before it…
When her junior sister mentioned the skinny goose, she was genuinely touched, thinking she was so kind-hearted. Now, thinking about it, she was probably worried about the goose becoming too thin... Less meat means it wouldn't fill her up when she eats!
As they continued their journey, nothing unexpected occurred, and before long, the four of them arrived at a flat area atop the mountain.
Before them were seven grand halls, arching to protect the two at the center. Observing this arrangement, Leng Yanran couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement.
Judging from the layout of these halls, the position of the Holy Maidens seems to surpass even that of the Elders? This Holy Mountain is indeed peculiar…
There's no supreme authority over the Holy Mountain. Seven Elders jointly govern it, even sharing the responsibility of nurturing the Holy Mountain's cultivation.
"Brother is back? Has the matter with the Ren Family been resolved?"
Seeing the return of the Great Elder, other Elders promptly appeared. This time, they descended the mountain due to a plea for aid from the Ren Family. However, with the presence of the Great Elder and the Second Elder, any issue in the Eastern Region must have been handled with ease.
"Uh… The matter with the Ren Family has been settled."
The Great Elder was momentarily taken aback, then glanced at me before addressing the other Elders.
"Yes, as long as it's resolved. Ah? Saintess Yourong is also back? Hmm? Wait! What do you mean by 'the Ren Family has been settled'?"
One Elder nodded slightly, smiling. Soon, he noticed Li Yourong's presence as well as the young woman from the Demon Race whe he had never seen before. Given her power at such a young age, she was undoubtedly a prodigy!
Yet, before he could inquire further, a sense of unease crept in What did the Great Elder mean by "the Ren Family has been settled"?
"Uh… that esteemed Senior Chen from the Northern Region took action against the Ren Family. Our Holy Mountain couldn't intervene. Furthermore, let me introduce this young friend. She is the esteemed Senior Chen's senior disciple! Oh, by the way, where is Shenruo?"
Author's Note:
Finally, presenting the complete realm before ascension in this book. After the Tribulation, it will be ascending to immortality. If I write quickly, I might add another realm after that, otherwise, this is it.
Body Tempering, Qi Condensation, Qi Sea, Void Sky, Profound Sky, Unity, Annihilation, Boundless, Divinity Separation, Fusion, Mahayana, Heaven's Gate, Crossing Tribulation, Ascension to Immortality.