Those present had imagined many possible reactions from Xu Zifan, but none of them expected a calm blessing. Hearing Xu Zifan's words, they exchanged bewildered glances. Because the original owner of this body had always been upright, they didn't think anything of it, only finding his reaction strange. Only Xiang Wentian looked at Xu Zifan steadily for a few moments, praising, "It's good that you've come to your senses; this makes everyone happy. Alright, if there's nothing else, everyone can disperse. Zhengyang, come with me."
"Yes, Master." Xu Zifan's lips curled slightly, and he took a step to follow Xiang Wentian.
Xiang Yushuang subconsciously stepped forward, facing Xu Zifan, and choked out, "Senior Brother, I'm sorry."
Xu Zifan smiled, then turned back to Huo Chongjun and smiled again, "Junior Brother and Junior Sister are a match made in heaven. I wish you a loving and trusting relationship that lasts forever."
Xiang Yushuang opened her mouth, her heart filled with panic. She had so much to say, but in the end she only managed to say, "Thank you, Senior Brother."
Xu Zifan nodded, walked past her, and strode after Xiang Wentian without looking back, not even glancing at them again. It was as if he wasn't the one who had just broken off the engagement, the one who had been betrayed, or the one who had been furious yesterday. Xiang Yushuang felt completely lost with this senior brother. She turned around, bewildered, looking at Xu Zifan's retreating figure, clearly sensing that something had changed.
Even Huo Chongjun squinted and stared at Xu Zifan's back for a long time. He didn't know Xu Zifan well. It wasn't that he thought Xu Zifan had changed or anything, but he was at least suspicious that Xu Zifan might have some kind of conspiracy, or that he might be trying to outwardly agree to something while secretly plotting against him.
Xu Zifan followed Xiang Wentian to the Xuantian Pavilion where the sect leader resided. Xiang Wentian took his pulse and then used his spiritual energy to examine his injuries. Only then did his brow relax. "Your injuries have not worsened. It seems that Chong Jun still knows his limits and did not hurt you. So don't hold a grudge against him."
"He injured me quite badly, but fortunately I found a small bottle of spiritual spring water in the secret realm, which relieved my injuries in time. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't be able to see Master again." Xu Zifan didn't give him a chance to make amends and immediately smiled and said, "However, I will obey Master's orders. I will not hold a grudge against Junior Brother from now on. Since Junior Sister is in love with him, I will sincerely wish her well. Master, you don't need to worry."
Having said all that, Xiang Wentian couldn't say anything more. He was also furious with Huo Chongjun and Xiang Yushuang, but unfortunately, she was his only daughter and had already consummated her marriage with Huo Chongjun. He could only accept her as his son-in-law, thus wronging his eldest disciple. He could understand his disciple's resentment and wanted some compensation, but he couldn't let him hold a grudge.
Xiang Wentian looked at him scrutinizingly and tentatively asked, "Zhengyang, your temperament has changed quite a bit since you came back this time."
Xu Zifan smiled casually, "A life-or-death calamity and a major life event, I'm facing two at the same time, so naturally I'm affected." He stood up and walked to a painting on the wall, sighing, "Life is short, even cultivators cannot predict when their lives will end. These past two days, I've been quietly recuperating, and I've suddenly realized something. When life is good, one should enjoy it to the fullest. Why bother living a boring life bound by so many rules? I should follow my heart and do more interesting things."
Xiang Wentian nodded and said with satisfaction, "You're right. Your junior brothers and sisters used to think you were too strict and had too many rules. Now that you're recuperating, it's a good time for you to relax. If you can change your temperament, you'll be much more at ease."
Seeing that he truly harbored no resentment, Xiang Wentian felt relieved. He gave him several top-grade pills and a considerable number of high-grade pills to treat his injuries. Then, he took out a palm-sized golden bell from his own collection, engraved with intricate patterns. "This is the Golden Concealment Bell, a defensive and concealment magic treasure. You are injured and need to recuperate slowly, so take this for self-defense. You only need to activate your spiritual power and hide it inside the bell, and the bell will conceal its form and isolate its aura. Only those with the cultivation of the late Nascent Soul stage can see through it."
This was clearly a top-grade magic weapon, a pleasant surprise. Xu Zifan accepted it with both hands, revealing a genuine smile, "Thank you, Master!"
"Yes, go. Remember, you are still my chief disciple and their senior brother. Don't overstep your bounds."
"Yes, Master, don't worry."
Xu Zifan was determined to stay away from the couple, but unexpectedly, breaking off the engagement brought him so many good things. The biggest benefit was that he had taken a walk around the Xuantian Pavilion, and Shaohua had already scanned all the books that could be scanned into the system, even knowing what treasures Xiang Wentian possessed. Although some jade slips could not be scanned and required divine sense, the gains were still substantial. All the books here represented entirely new knowledge for him, things he desperately needed to learn.
Having made a fruitful trip, Xu Zifan hurriedly returned to Xuantian Pavilion on his flying sword. He didn't want to encounter anything outside; being drawn into demonic energy would be disastrous. Back in his own territory, Xu Zifan shook his head and sighed, "[It's true what they say, fortunes change. After being a boss for so many years, I've been relegated back to being a subordinate after this transmigration. It feels like my days surviving in the slums, always cautious, afraid of offending the wrong people.]"
[Shaohua: There's no need to be sad. I believe you'll surpass him soon.]
Xu Zifan chuckled softly, "[Why would I be sad? I just think...it's very interesting, really very interesting. And there are so many things I've never seen or heard of before, isn't that great?]"
[Shaohua: Whatever makes you happy.]
Having obtained the elixirs and books, Xu Zifan stopped going out. He could abstain from grains and didn't need to eat; by opening a barrier to isolate himself from the outside world, it was equivalent to entering seclusion for cultivation. His house was similar to a courtyard house, with a barrier enveloping the entire courtyard, keeping everyone out. Xu Zifan spent his days recuperating from his injuries, reading, cultivating, and practicing spells in the courtyard. He felt there wasn't enough time; he even used his sleep time for cultivation.
The biggest advantage of doing this was that it allowed him to focus completely. The worst thing for someone recovering from injury is to be restless and agitated. A major reason the original owner of this body hadn't recovered after his serious injuries was the stimulation he received from that couple. Now, Xu Zifan was consuming the top-grade pills given to him by Xiang Wentian, focusing intently on circulating his spiritual energy to heal and cultivate, resulting in twice the effect with half the effort. Furthermore, as a pure Yang body, his natural talent and physique far surpassed others, causing his injuries to heal much faster than he had imagined.
Three months passed in the blink of an eye. Xu Zifan hadn't gone out even once, while Xiang Yushuang and Huo Chongjun were busy preparing for a grand Daoist couple's ceremony. This stark contrast caused a stir among the sect members. Everyone said that the senior brother was ruined. He had been defeated on the spot by Huo Chongjun when he caused trouble for him. He couldn't even beat a junior brother who had just joined the sect, which meant that his injuries were too severe and he couldn't recover. Some said that he was heartbroken and didn't want to see his beloved marry someone else, so he stayed at home. Others said he was pitiful, feeling sorry for him because he had sacrificed so much for the sect and for Xiang Yushuang, only to be replaced by a new junior brother.
The disciples each had their own thoughts, and the increasing gossip somewhat affected Huo Chongjun and Xiang Yushuang's reputations. After all, they had acted dishonorably, while Xu Zifan appeared entirely like a victim; it was quite lamentable that their once-great senior disciple had fallen into such a state. Huo Chongjun still wanted to seek revenge on Xiang Wentian, and wanting to avoid adding to his own troubles, he asked Xiang Yushuang to plead with Xu Zifan to attend their Daoist couple's ceremony and offer his blessings. This way, everyone would stop gossiping about them.
Xiang Yushuang loved him very much and listened to almost everything he said. She actually found Xu Zifan's door. Looking at the barrier that kept everyone at a distance, she bit her lip and sent a telepathic message inside: "Senior Brother, I've come to see you. Please let me in."
Xu Zifan was practicing his internal energy cultivation technique and, of course, wouldn't let an ex-girlfriend interrupt him. He had Shao Hua block out Xiang Yushuang's voice so he could concentrate on his cultivation. Xiang Yushuang talked for a whole carload of time outside, speaking very emotionally until her throat was dry. It wasn't until half an hour later that Xu Zifan stopped his cultivation, changed his clothes, and went out to see her.
Xiang Yushuang's eyes lit up, and she said happily, "Senior Brother, you've finally agreed to come out and see me! Do you agree with what I just said?"
Xu Zifan asked in confusion, "What did you just say? I'm sorry, I was in the middle of a critical healing process and had shut down my five senses, so I didn't hear what you said."
Xiang Yushuang's excitement was suddenly doused with a bucket of cold water, her eyes widening, "You...you didn't hear a single word?"
Xu Zifan nodded, looking at her with a distant smile, and said, "Junior Sister, what brings you here?"
Xiang Yushuang had already spoken for quite some time, and now that she was asked to repeat herself, she had lost the mood and the emotion. She simply said, "Senior Brother, in three days it will be my and Chongjun's Daoist wedding ceremony. I've come to invite you to attend. Could you come and offer your blessings that day?"
She looked at Xu Zifan, ready with her words of persuasion, but to her surprise, Xu Zifan nodded casually without any hesitation, "Sure, is there anything else?"
His quick agreement only fueled Xiang Yushuang's doubts, causing her to hesitate. "Is it really possible, Senior Brother? I..." She pursed her lips, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Senior Brother, I really like Chongjun. I've been preparing for the Dao Couple Ceremony for three months. I've never put in this much effort before. Senior Brother, I'm really begging you to bless me. Can you promise me that you absolutely won't cause any trouble at my Dao Couple Ceremony?"
Xu Zifan raised his eyebrows in surprise. When did he ever think of causing trouble? He couldn't beat Huo Chongjun right now, so wouldn't disrupting someone else's Dao Couple Ceremony be courting death? Did he seem like someone who lacked self-awareness? Seeing Xiang Yushuang's tense and worried expression, he chuckled and said, "Junior Sister, what are you thinking? Why would I do such a thing? You and Junior Brother are a perfect match, and I'm happy to bless you both. I'm also glad that our engagement has been dissolved. We're completely incompatible, and I have no romantic feelings for you. You don't need to worry about that."
Xiang Yushuang got the assurance she wanted most, but for some reason, she felt so choked up inside.
Xu Zifan asked, "Is there anything else?"
Xiang Yushuang shook her head, a little confused, unsure of what to say.
Seeing that she was alright, Xu Zifan immediately flew away on his sword. Since he was already out, he might as well take a look around the sect. He might not come back after leaving, and he couldn't possibly have transmigrated here and not even visited the number one sect in the cultivation world. Besides, he had read many books about cultivation, so he wanted to see if he could gain any other insights.