Chapter 279: Is There Still a Place for Me, Ye Yan, in the Jade Cauldron Sect?

Shen Mo’s closed-door cultivation lasted an entire six months.

During this period, he never stepped out of his residence.

It was a relentless cycle of alchemy and practice, practice and alchemy.

The six months passed in the blink of an eye.

Yet, Shen Mo’s surroundings remained spotless, and his appearance was exactly the same as it had been half a year ago, without the slightest change.

Suddenly, his aura began to surge at a visible speed.

In an instant, it soared to an astonishing level.

Gale winds swirled around him.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth grew chaotic.

On Dragon Snake Mountain, the spirit beasts stopped whatever they were doing and instinctively turned toward Shen Mo’s residence with expressions of fear.

Mei Haihe and the other stewards were also startled, followed by a wave of joy.

Mei Haihe exclaimed excitedly, “It must be Elder Shen’s cultivation breakthrough! His strength has advanced yet again!”

Boom!

An overwhelming aura swept outward.

Shen Mo’s cultivation naturally advanced to the Nascent Soul stage’s peak.

He opened his eyes abruptly, exhaling a cloud of turbid air.

A trace of joy flickered across his face.

The Nascent Soul stage’s peak.

Although he hadn’t reached the absolute peak of the Nascent Soul stage, his strength was now so immense that he could disregard any cultivator below the Divine Transformation stage.

He could truly claim—below Divine Transformation, I am invincible.

Shen Mo turned his spiritual sense inward to examine his dantian.

The Red Lotus Flame had completely refined five centennial Earthfire Essences, growing even more powerful.

The Solar Flame had absorbed the millennial Earthfire Essence, undergoing a dramatic transformation.

Previously just a tiny spark the size of a fingertip, it had now grown to the size of a fist.

Even the Red Lotus Flame had to yield more space to it.

“Not bad,” Shen Mo muttered with a satisfied smile, striding out of his residence.

The moment he stepped outside, he was greeted by Mei Haihe leading a group of stewards, all kneeling on one knee before him.

“Congratulations, Elder Shen, on reaching a higher realm!” Mei Haihe said excitedly.

Though he couldn’t discern Shen Mo’s exact cultivation level, he could sense the tremendous leap in Shen Mo’s aura compared to six months ago.

Shen Mo nodded with a faint smile. “Stand up. It’s just a small advancement, not worth celebrating.”

He glanced around and asked, “Why don’t I see Huang Bayi?”

Mei Haihe’s expression dimmed slightly. “Elder Huang reached the end of his lifespan. He passed away two months ago.”

Shen Mo sighed softly.

When he had first arrived at Dragon Snake Mountain, he’d already noticed that Huang Bayi had only a few years left.

Moreover, Huang Bayi’s potential had been fully exhausted, making it impossible for him to break through and extend his life.

Now, it was simply dust returning to dust, earth to earth.

“Where was he buried?” Shen Mo asked.

Mei Haihe replied quietly, “Elder Shen, please follow me.”

He gestured to the other stewards to disperse and return to their duties before leading Shen Mo to a mountaintop.

There stood a small stone tablet engraved with two lines of text:

“Grave of Huang Bayi, Steward of Dragon Snake Mountain, Jade Cauldron Sect.”

“Erected by Huang Caiying.”

Before the tablet stood a petite figure, Huang Caiying, silently gazing at the grave.

She seemed to sense someone behind her and turned to see Shen Mo.

Tears immediately welled up in her eyes as she ran toward him without hesitation, throwing her arms around his waist.

“Elder, my grandfather… he’s gone… he left me behind… all alone…”

Shen Mo patted her gently on the head. “All living beings face death someday. Your grandfather raised and taught you well; he left with no regrets. He was happy and at peace when he departed.”

“You must also live happily and steadily, so your grandfather can rest in peace in the afterlife. Do you understand?”

Huang Caiying wiped her tears and nodded firmly. “Yes, Elder. I will listen to you.”

Shen Mo thought for a moment before casually saying, “Mei, take Caiying to the sect’s Scripture Pavilion. Help her select some cultivation techniques and martial arts suitable for her. Whatever contribution points are required, report them to me for reimbursement.”

Huang Bayi had dedicated his life to serving Shen Mo, so it was only fitting for Shen Mo to spend some contribution points on his granddaughter.

Mei Haihe was moved. “Understood, Elder Shen. I will carry out your orders!”

At the Scripture Pavilion

Mei Haihe brought Huang Caiying to the pavilion.

Both of them were visiting for the first time, feeling somewhat uneasy amidst the bustling crowd.

At that moment, in the first-floor hall of the pavilion, Ye Yan stood before a Scripture Pavilion steward, his expression cold as he asked, “Where are the books on the Ten Thousand Demon Nation I requested? Why are they gone?”

The steward could only offer an apologetic smile. “Elder Ye, my sincerest apologies. Those books were exchanged by Elder Shen.”

“Elder Shen? Shen Mo?” Ye Yan’s face instantly turned icy.

The steward smiled wryly. “Exactly. Orders from above state that Elder Shen’s requests are given priority… Please don’t blame me.”

Ye Yan took a deep breath, his heart heavy with dejection.

He was a genius, too.

Why did the treatment he received differ so drastically from Shen Mo’s?

At that moment, a timid voice spoke behind him.

“Excuse me, Steward, how should I go about selecting cultivation techniques and martial arts?”

Ye Yan turned around to see a frail, petite girl accompanied by an elderly man with a dignified, celestial air.

Something about them felt familiar, but he couldn’t immediately place them.

The steward frowned. “Use your eyes to look and your hands to choose. Do you need me to teach you that?”

Mei Haihe quickly interjected, “I’m sorry. We’ve been stationed at Dragon Snake Mountain all this time and have never visited the Scripture Pavilion. We don’t know the rules. My apologies.”

“Hmph, then step aside and don’t block others. Wait… Did you say you’ve been at Dragon Snake Mountain?”

The steward suddenly gasped, as if recalling something.

Mei Haihe paused, puzzled. “Yes, I’m the chief steward of Dragon Snake Mountain. This girl is a disciple of Dragon Snake Mountain.”

The steward’s eyes lit up. “Ah, so you’re one of Elder Shen’s trusted aides! Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“Come, come! Is this young lady here to select cultivation techniques and martial arts? I’m free right now. I’ll help her!”

“Follow me. The best techniques and martial arts for Core Formation cultivators are here. Judging by her agility, she’s best suited for subtle and precise martial arts…”

The surrounding cultivators overheard terms like “Dragon Snake Mountain,” “Elder Shen,” and “chief steward,” and their eyes gleamed with interest.

Over the years, Shen Mo’s reputation had soared, and his achievements were well-known among the disciples.

Dragon Snake Mountain, being Shen Mo’s base of operations, had drawn considerable attention.

Many people had dreamed of joining Dragon Snake Mountain and becoming one of Shen Mo’s subordinates.

However, Mei Haihe strictly enforced Shen Mo’s orders, rigorously vetting applicants and barring anyone of unclear background from entering Dragon Snake Mountain.

Thus, despite their desires, most people couldn’t get in.

Now, seeing the chief steward in person, many disciples eagerly crowded around Mei Haihe and Huang Caiying, their enthusiasm unmistakable.

To an outsider, it might even seem like the two were Nascent Soul elders themselves.

Meanwhile, Ye Yan’s side became eerily quiet.

His face darkened to an extreme.

It was one thing to be overshadowed by Shen Mo.

But now even Shen Mo’s stewards and disciples were stealing his thunder!

Damn it.

Absolutely damn it!

Was there still a place for me, Ye Yan, in this Jade Cauldron Sect?

🌟 Unlock Exclusive Early Access on Patreon! 🌟

Hello, beloved readers!

Join my Patreon community to enjoy:

📚 Daily Updates: Never wait for new chapters—get your story fix every day!

📖 20 Chapters Ahead: Access new chapters far in advance of NovelBin/RoyalRoad/NovelBin releases.

Support the creation of the stories you love and dive deeper into my /Alex_Cruise

https://ko-fi.com/anish_44

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Madara Web Novel