The sect's reception hall gradually filled with returning disciples, the air thick with mixed emotions—relief, grief, envy, and lingering fear. Elder formations shimmered faintly above the stone platform, stabilizing the chaotic qi that clung to those who had barely escaped the collapsing secret realm.
Li Chen stood slightly apart from the crowd.
He kept his posture relaxed, his breathing steady, his aura suppressed to the point of near invisibility. To the observing elders, he looked exactly as he intended to look: uninjured, composed, and unremarkable. A competent core disciple—nothing more, nothing less.
Inside, however, his mind was already moving.
The loot must be divided. Information must be filtered.
That was always the most dangerous part.
One by one, sect elders began calling disciples forward to report their experiences. Some spoke eagerly, embellishing their gains. Others spoke in fragments, haunted by what they had seen. A few said nothing at all, their eyes hollow.
When Li Chen's name was called, the hall quieted slightly.
He stepped forward and clasped his hands. "Reporting to the elders."
The lead elder nodded. "Speak. What did you encounter?"
Li Chen chose his words carefully.
"Moderate danger," he said evenly. "Spatial instability increased after the first month. I avoided large-scale conflicts. I obtained minor cultivation resources—spirit moss, damaged formation components, and fragmented jade slips."
He paused deliberately before adding, "I encountered several sect disciples under attack and intervened where feasible."
A ripple moved through the elders.
"Details," another elder demanded.
Li Chen inclined his head. "A Void Maw Lizard. Already wounded. I eliminated it and assisted with emergency treatment. No significant injuries remained."
That part was true.
The way it had been eliminated was another matter entirely.
The elders exchanged glances. One of them exhaled quietly. "Good. You acted according to sect principles."
Li Chen nodded and stepped back, his report concluded. No mention of the Divine Sword Breathing. No mention of sword intent anomalies. No mention of the treasures that truly mattered.
After the general debriefing ended, the disciples were ordered to gather by group. Large stone tables were brought out, formation light scanning each disciple's storage ring. Anything deemed a shared inheritance—realm crystals, ancient relics, or high-grade resources—was placed on the tables for redistribution.
Li Chen complied without resistance.
He released several items: a cracked Spirit Vein Nurturing Crystal, a portion of Spirit Nourishing Moss, and one fragmented jade slip. Valuable—but not irreplaceable.
The elders nodded in satisfaction.
"These will be recorded," one elder said. "Merits will be assigned accordingly."
Li Chen stepped back once more, watching quietly as disputes erupted among other disciples—arguments over ownership, accusations of theft, suppressed resentment barely hidden behind forced smiles.
This is why people die after secret realms, Li Chen thought. Not inside—but afterward.
Later, as the hall emptied, several disciples approached him. Among them were two he had saved in the ravine.
"Senior Brother Li," one said respectfully, bowing deeply. "Thank you again. If not for you—"
Li Chen raised a hand gently. "Enough. Speak of something useful."
They hesitated, then nodded.
"The Void Maw Lizard didn't come alone," another said quietly. "There were traces of someone driving it toward us—using blood talismans. Likely disciples from the Crimson Cliff Sect."
Li Chen's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
So it wasn't just recklessness.
"Anything else?" he asked.
"There were… strange fluctuations near the inner zones," the first disciple added. "Sword-like pressure. Not aggressive. Almost… guiding."
Li Chen's heart skipped a beat—but his face remained calm.
"I see," he said. "Thank you."
He dismissed them shortly after, offering no promises, no alliances.
Information was a currency more dangerous than spirit stones.
As night fell, Li Chen finally returned to his temporary residence within the sect. He activated several isolation formations before sitting down, reviewing everything in silence.
The loot he had surrendered. The loot he had concealed. The information shared. The information withheld.
Everything was balanced.
Only then did his thoughts drift—inevitably—to Xu Ming.
I'm back, Li Chen thought. And stronger.
He exhaled slowly, letting the Divine Sword Breathing circulate just enough to soothe his foundation.
The secret realm had ended.
But the consequences were only beginning to surface.
And Li Chen intended to stay several steps ahead of them all.