"Unfortunately, other sects were forced out by the Shenglong Sect. I never expected that the old Tuoba Xi would one day become a Titled Douluo."
The sect leader felt a headache coming on as he sat in the hall. After the rise of the new Seven Great Sects, they relied on the support of the Spirit Hall behind them to suppress other powers.
Several sects that had good relations with the Star Crown Sect were also suppressed, and almost all of them sought help from the Star Crown Sect.
The sect leader wanted to help, but there was nothing he could do due to Qian Daoliu's strength. He could only send them messages, telling them that only when they arrived at the Xingluo Mountain range would the Star Crown Sect be able to protect them.
Those sects and families were merely suppressed, not on the verge of extinction, so of course, they wouldn't want to live under someone else's roof. Almost all of them chose to establish new sects and families elsewhere.
Only one civilian soul master managed to become a Soul Douluo through a martial soul mutation. He led a small clan of soul masters or his own family to Star Luo Mountain.
That was the limit of what the sect leader could do. He couldn't let the Star Crown Sect risk being attacked by Qian Daoliu just to help them.
Just as he was worrying, the disciple guarding outside the hall rushed in frantically. Just as he was about to shout, he saw Xu Mingxi and four others following behind him.
"Mingxi, you're finally back. Fang Shuo, quickly ring the golden bell to summon all the elders."
The entire Star Crown Sect erupted with excitement. While those who had defected to other sects were confused, the original loyal followers had already begun to celebrate.
All the elders had remained in the sect due to Spirit Hall, and when they heard the golden bell ringing through the sky, they gathered immediately. When they saw Xu Mingxi and the others, they were overjoyed and could hardly contain themselves.
Zhou Chun, the newest elder, was stunned when he first entered the hall. He had assumed that the owners of the four empty seats at the meeting had already died.
He never expected that all of them would return now, and judging from their positions, their status might even be higher than the Second Elder, a Titled Douluo.
The Second Elder looked at the First Elder's empty left sleeve, tears welling in his eyes. He had never imagined that his old friend, who had always bickered with him, would be injured just for going far away.
"You old man, you've already become a Titled Douluo, yet you still got beaten so badly."
"It didn't affect my strength. I'm telling you, this time we brought back a lot of good things."
The sect leader looked at Xu Mingxi and the three elders who had returned, then at the other Star Crown Sect elders present. He felt relieved. He had finally not let down their ancestors. The Star Crown Sect had grown immensely powerful.
He introduced the identities of the four to Zhou Chun, the newly promoted external elder of the sect, then turned to inform Xu Mingxi of the current situation of the sect.
Now, with Xu Mingxi and the Grand Elder, there were a total of eight Titled Douluo in the Star Crown Sect. In addition to the previous generation's Sect Master, Second Elder, and Third Elder, the middle generation members Xu Fangxing and Xu Fangming had also become Titled Douluo. There was also a guest elder of the Star Crown Sect—Dugu Bo.
The number of Soul Douluo elders was increasing rapidly. Aside from three middle-generation individuals breaking through one after another, Xu Mingxi's mother, Xu Ya, and Dugu Xin, Dugu Bo's son, had also reached that level.
Among the younger generation, Xu Mingguang, Xu Mingwei, Xu Mingyue, Xu Mingxing, and others had also become Soul Douluo one after another, with Xu Mingguang just a step away from becoming a Titled Douluo.
Eight Titled Douluo, sixteen Soul Douluo—even Xu Mingxi was surprised by the Star Crown Sect's growth. This was a truly formidable force, and their past decision to seize the immortal herbs had proven to be absolutely right.
What's more, now that he had returned, with the help of the moonlight essence, perhaps some elders who had been stuck could make breakthroughs.
However, once everyone had dispersed, the sect leader brought bad news. The Star Crown Sect had now caught Qian Daoliu's attention and was not allowed to participate in the continental conflict.
---
"Master, the place we'll be going this time is called the Sun and Moon Continent. I've already obtained the item, but it's still in the testing phase.
Besides that item, we also brought back many soul guidance diagrams. Once these are used, the overall power of the Star Crown Sect will definitely rise to a higher level. We might even be able to defeat the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect."**
The master waved his hand. He had been under pressure for years, and now that Xu Mingxi had returned, he could finally relax. With Xu Mingxi and Xu Mingguang, he believed the Star Crown Sect would continue to thrive.
"Mingxi, it's up to you. The Star Crown Sect will ultimately be yours to lead in the future."
"Alright. With Qian Daoliu's blockade, there's not much we can do now. There are only two crucial tasks:
First, go to Gengxin City and seize as much soul-guiding metal as possible, and recruit more blacksmiths.
Second, I'll personally lead a team to the Sun and Moon Forest and completely destroy the inheritance site of the Blue Silver Emperor."
The sect leader had no objections, nor did he ask why Xu Mingxi was so intent on targeting Tang San. He only knew that Xu Mingxi would never harm the Star Crown Sect, and that was enough.
After bidding farewell to the sect leader and returning home, Xu Mingxi was immediately embraced by his mother, Xu Ya. Her son, whom she hadn't seen for ten years, had finally returned, and Xu Ya couldn't stop her tears from falling.
She caressed the terrible scar on Xu Mingxi's neck and noticed that it extended beyond the edge of his mask. How could she not know what had happened?
"Mingxi, does it hurt?"
"It's nothing, Mom. We can remove it later when there's a chance."
"Alright, that's good."
They both quietly let the matter drop—until Xu Mingxi removed his mask during dinner. Xu Ya burst into tears, and even his father, Xu Fangming, seemed to choke while swallowing.
"By the way, Mom, where's my younger sibling? I haven't seen them in a while."
To avoid upsetting his parents, Xu Mingxi quickly changed the subject. He truly didn't see the scar on his face as a big deal—it was better than losing his life.
"Your sibling's at school. They said they're preparing for the Soul Master Competition in four years."
"And you just let them go? It's dangerous outside right now. We don't know how many eyes are watching the Star Crown Sect."
"Don't worry, they're at the Star Luo Royal Academy. While it's not as safe as the sect, it's still one of the safest places on the continent."
The Star Luo Royal Academy? Davis and Zhu Zhuyun should also be studying there now. I wonder if they'll meet.
At this moment, Xu Mingxi didn't care whether his sibling would get caught up in the internal conflicts of the Star Luo Empire while studying at the academy. As long as they were happy, that was enough. With the Star Crown Sect's reputation as one of the top three hidden sects, most people wouldn't dare provoke them.