Chapter 24: Gift-Giving

"Sect Master Chen! It's a misunderstanding! A complete misunderstanding!"

Dongfang Qiu fell to his knees in terror, casting aside all dignity as a Sect Master and the poise of a patriarch. After all, reputation meant nothing compared to one's life.

"A misunderstanding?" Chen Xuan’s face held a playful expression. "Aren't you and the Qingyun Sect brother sects with deep ties?"

"We were wrong! Totally wrong!" Dongfang Qiu kowtowed on the ground. "My Sun-Moon Sect and the Qingyun Sect aren't close at all; we haven't visited each other in hundreds of years. Someone must have been spreading rumors."

"Oh? Did I hear wrong, then?"

"You must have heard wrong."

"Then how do you explain bringing so many people here?" Chen Xuan gestured toward the Sun-Moon Sect disciples and their flying ships.

"This..." Dongfang Qiu’s face twisted like a bitter gourd as he struggled to find an excuse. "I heard that Sect Master Chen had broken through to the Spirit Transformation Realm, so I brought people here specifically to offer you my congratulations."

"So that's how it is." Chen Xuan realized, then added, "To offer congratulations, one must bring gifts. Where are the gifts?"

"The gifts..." Dongfang Qiu felt a pang of agony. Where was he supposed to get gifts? But since Chen Xuan had just killed Li Qingshan in an instant, if he couldn't produce gifts to prove they weren't there to besiege the Xuandan Sect, he feared Chen Xuan would kill him with a wave of his hand.

"We brought them! We brought them all." Dongfang Qiu immediately commanded his disciples, "Everyone, take out all the gifts you have on you!"

"Sect Master, we don't have any gifts," an elder whispered in his ear.

"You idiot," Dongfang Qiu scolded. "Just take out your storage rings!"

"This..." The elder looked troubled. Storage rings were their private property, accumulated with immense effort, and now they were being asked to hand them all over.

"Do you want to die?" Dongfang Qiu roared.

"Everyone, hand over your storage rings," the elder decided, concluding that his life was more important. The Sun-Moon Sect disciples begrudgingly surrendered their rings.

"What about you?" Chen Xuan looked at Shi Hui.

"Same here, me too!" Shi Hui hurried to say. "Everyone, hand over your storage rings!"

"Lingyun," Chen Xuan said, a smirk playing on his lips as he turned to Chu Lingyun. "What are you waiting for? Go and collect their gifts."

"Yes!" Chu Lingyun nodded, though she felt it was a pity. These people clearly intended to attack the Xuandan Sect; they should have been slaughtered. Collecting just a few gifts felt like a waste.

After a while, Chu Lingyun returned with all the storage rings—nearly three thousand of them.

[Ding! Chu Lingyun has shown you filial piety. Reward: ...]
[Ding! Chu Lingyun has shown you filial piety. Reward: 5,500 Filial Piety Points.]

Notifications refreshed constantly before Chen Xuan. He received various pills, techniques, and weapons—a total of 12 Saint-grade weapons, 5 Saint-grade techniques, and over 50 bottles of Saint-grade pills.

Most importantly, he gained 5,500 Filial Piety Points. Combined with the rewards from the recruitment tournament and the points automatically generated by the sect system, Chen Xuan had accumulated over ten thousand points.

"Sect Master Chen," Dongfang Qiu asked cautiously, "the gifts have been left behind. May we leave now?"

"You may," Chen Xuan said, his tone shifting. "But since you came to congratulate me, you should say a few pleasant words before you go."

Dongfang Qiu’s mouth twitched. They had been looted of every storage ring in the sect, and now they were being forced to offer praise? It was infuriating.

"Congratulations to Sect Master Chen on your breakthrough to the Spirit Transformation Realm. May you soon comprehend the Great Dao and ascend to immortality."

"May Sect Master Chen comprehend the Great Dao and ascend to immortality!" Shi Hui echoed.

"Get lost," Chen Xuan waved his hand.

"Sect Master Chen, can we still join the Xuandan Sect?" Seeing the three great sects slink away, the Poison Master asked with an incredibly awkward expression. He was filled with regret. He had originally been on the verge of joining the Xuandan Sect and had even received a Saint-grade technique, but out of fear of death, he had backed out.

"Sect Master Chen~" Elder Yao of the Joyous Union Sect also spoke up. She leaned her voluptuous, seductive body forward and practically threw herself into Chen Xuan’s arms, her voice dripping with charm. "This humble one knows she was wrong. Please accept my apologies."

"I am skilled in the art of dual cultivation and am willing to accompany you every day to help you rapidly improve your cultivation. If you allow it, I can return and persuade our Sect Master to bring the entire Joyous Union Sect into the Xuandan Sect. Then, you can dual cultivate with whoever you like."

The Poison Master listened with envy. Everyone knew the Joyous Union Sect was filled with beauties who were the best at pleasing others. Furthermore, they excelled in dual cultivation, which didn't just drain energy but could also nourish the partner. If one could have the support of the Joyous Union Sect, even if ascension wasn't guaranteed, stepping into the path of Enlightenment would be well within reach.

"Shameless," Chu Lingyun muttered, her small hands clenched. She was extremely nervous. Chen Xuan had rejected her before; if he accepted this mature woman now, would it mean he had no interest in her at all, and she would never have a chance?

"Sorry, I'm not interested,"