1: I'm back?

"My head hurts so much..."

Su Lin opened his eyes amidst a sharp pain, and what greeted him was a dilapidated wooden ceiling.

He abruptly sat up and looked around.

This was the cheapest inn room in a small border town, sparsely furnished and with thin Spiritual Qi.

"I... came back?"

Su Lin muttered to himself, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.

He immediately looked inward at his Dantian, where a Golden Core was slowly rotating, emitting a faint glow.

Early Stage Core Formation.

His cultivation had actually fallen to this level!

Su Lin gave a bitter laugh as a flood of memories surged like a broken dam.

He was not originally from this world; three years ago, he had Transmigrated with a System called "Invincible Revered Master," starting with the supreme cultivation of the Mahayana Stage.

The System's mission was for him to take disciple and nurture them into capable individuals.

He had, in total, taken seven female disciple with unparalleled talent.

His First Disciple was steady, his Second Disciple was aloof, his Third Disciple was charming... and then there was his clingiest and most spoiled Little Seven, Mu Qingxue.

Each of them revered and depended on him immensely, seeing him as their sky, their everything.

He, too, cherished them as treasures, imparting everything he knew.

However, a catastrophic disaster struck without warning.

A terrifying enemy, whose origin was unknown, suddenly appeared; its strength far exceeded imagination, making Su Lin even suspect it was an Incarnation of the Heavenly Dao.

In that battle, the heavens collapsed and the earth shattered.

To protect his seven disciple who were still growing, Su Lin made the only choice he had.

He forcibly channeled all the System's power into himself.

Amidst the heart-wrenching cries of his disciple, he forcibly activated a teleportation Formation to send them away, then met the world-destroying attack, detonating all his own power.

His last memory was of those seven exquisite faces, tear-streaked like pear blossoms, and their repeated cries of "Revered Master."

"Thankfully, only three years have passed."

Su Lin felt the residual insights of the Mahayana Stage, his heart settling slightly.

"They should all still be safe, but I wonder how they've fared these past three years."

His heart was filled with longing for his disciple.

The most urgent task was to find them immediately.

Just then, a cold, mechanical voice sounded in his mind.

[Ding! Detecting the host's return to his old place, Divine Soul stable, the Strongest Revered Master's Bond System is officially activated!]

[Bond Value: The host can increase the corresponding Disciple's "Bond Value" by interacting with disciple, giving gifts, and resolving their doubts.]

[Each time the Bond Value increases by one stage, the System will directly feedback cultivation to the host, helping you quickly recover your strength. The deeper the bond, the stronger your power!]

[Increasing Bond Value grants points, which can be used in the mall to exchange for rare treasures from all realms and lost Divine Arts.]

A blue light screen, visible only to Su Lin, unfolded before his eyes.

On the screen were seven dim silhouettes of beautiful women, representing his seven disciple.

[Newbie Mission Issued: Find one of your disciple, recognize her, and raise your Bond Value with her to 10 points.]

Su Lin was stunned at first, then quickly regained his composure.

This wasn't his first time having a System.

Su Lin secretly deliberated, thinking he needed to recognize them as soon as possible, firstly to help improve his cultivation.

Secondly, and more importantly, after three years apart, he truly wanted to know what his disciple had become.

After a simple wash, Su Lin pushed open his door and strode towards the tavern downstairs.

As soon as he found a corner to sit in, the conversation of a few Cultivators at a neighboring table caught his attention.

"Did you hear? That Sect Master of Qingyao Sect, who emerged from seclusion the other day, extinguished the provocative Old Demon Wu with just one move!"

"I heard about it ages ago! That Sect Master is truly a Divine Being! In just a hundred years, she cultivated to the Void Refining Stage. Such talent is unprecedented!"

"Indeed, in today's Cultivation World, who doesn't know the name Mu Qingxue!"

The words Mu Qingxue and just a hundred years exploded in Su Lin's mind!

Little Seven... Mu Qingxue? She became the Sect Master of Qingyao Sect? And even Broke Through to the Void Refining Stage?

How was this possible!

Three years ago, she had only just reached Foundation Establishment and was still wobbly when flying on her sword!

What shocked him even more was the word "hundred."

"Fellow Daoist, did you just say... that Sect Master of Qingyao Sect, her name is Mu Qingxue?"

The Cultivator was startled by him and frowned, saying, "You don't even know the Fairy Qingyao's name?

A hundred years ago, Fairy Mu took charge of the Sect in a crisis with only Foundation Establishment cultivation. Now, a hundred years later, she is already a Void Refining mighty expert. What, is there a problem?"

So... that's how it is?

What I thought was three years, for them, was a full hundred years!

In those hundred years, how did they, without their Revered Master's protection, manage to get by?

How much hardship did they endure to achieve what they have today?

In an instant, endless heartache and self-reproach almost tore Su Lin's chest apart.

Su Lin no longer hesitated for a moment.

He had to see Mu Qingxue immediately, right now!

From a corner of his storage ring, he pulled out a half-piece of jade pendant that had long since lost its luster.

Back then, Mu Qingxue's cultivation was the lowest, so Su Lin gave her this jade pendant.

As long as she encountered danger, Su Lin would be able to sense it immediately.

The great battle a hundred years ago had almost exhausted all its spiritual essence.

But at this moment, Su Lin could still feel a faint, ethereal connection from it, pointing towards the distant east.

That was the direction of Qingyao Sect.

Along the way, Su Lin heard countless legends about his seven disciple.

His Sixth Disciple established the continent's largest business association, the Master-Seeking Alliance, whose wealth and Cultivation resources almost monopolized the entire Cultivation World.

His Fifth Disciple fell into the Demonic Path for revenge, becoming a terrifying Demonic Path Empress.

His Fourth Disciple led all Yao, becoming the supreme ruler of the Yao Race... Every Disciple was now a formidable power in their own right.

And he himself, Grand Ascension Supreme Su Lin, also became a legend in the mouths of Cultivators.

Qingyao Mountain, as one of the most renowned Sects in the current Cultivation World, was majestic in its peaks and enveloped in Immortal Qi.

At the foot of the mountain, the light screen of the mountain-guarding Formation flickered faintly; ordinary Cultivators couldn't even approach within a hundred li.

Su Lin, relying on his profound understanding of the Dao of Formations, easily passed through the outer warning area and entered a deep, secluded forest.

He planned to observe here first before making a decision.

After all, he was now only at the Core Formation Stage, while his Seventh Disciple, Mu Qingxue, was already a Void Refining mighty expert.

This huge disparity in status and strength filled his heart with mixed emotions.

Two sneaky figures entered the range of his Divine Sense.

They were two Cultivators, also at the Core Formation Stage, engaged in some kind of secret plot.

The appearance of one of them was identical to his own! Evidently, he had undergone some kind of disguise.

"Senior Brother, that Mu Qingxue is indeed within the Sect these days.

As long as our plan succeeds, we won't have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of our lives!"