461 - Rebirth of a Star: Another Day, Another Drama

Chapter 461: Return to the Celestial Realm - No More of This Resentful Master Sister! In the Lower Celestial Realm The figures of three people appeared on the mountain where Xiong Fei resided, the very location where Ye Ling Long first ascended to the Celestial Realm—the Ascension Platform. Ye Ling Long and her companions managed to arrive without alerting Xiong Fei; after all, they had left right under his nose not long ago. Revealing themselves as having emerged from the Ascension Platform would plainly disclose they had just come up from the Lower Realm. Taking advantage of the cover of night, the trio left immediately without lingering, heading straight to the Celestial Academy. Despite the late hour, there were still many patrolling the area surrounding the academy. However, these patrols posed no threat to Ye Ling Long, Bai Li Ming, and their companion. Silently, they made their way to the Still Water Secret Realm. With precision and care, Ye Ling Long used her Thousand Jin to cut a small slit in the realm's spatial barrier, not making even the slightest sound. Beneath the secret realm lay a formation that Bai Li Ming had tampered with. “How long will it take to restore this to its original state?” Ye Ling Long whispered to Bai Li Ming. Bai Li Ming’s eyes gleamed with confidence, and he softly replied, “You underestimate your father.” As a rare genius from the Bai Li family, second to none in formation art, although soon he suspected his daughter might surpass him. With a few quick and decisive gestures, Bai Li Ming effortlessly erased all his previous modifications from the formation. As Ye Ling Long admired the seamlessly restored formation, her eyes were filled with admiration. Yet, she voiced her concerns, “Now that the formation is restored, won’t Fu Chang Ming still be able to absorb power from the Lower Realm?” Bai Li Ming explained in a hushed tone, “He won’t. I added some subtle adjustments to the formation. It appears to function normally, but it’s completely ineffective now. This formation disk must have been obtained by Fu Chang Ming from a secret realm. He doesn’t fully understand it and won’t notice my tweaks.” Upon hearing this, Ye Ling Long inspected the formation closely, comparing it to the patterns in her formation book. She noticed a minute difference that she wouldn’t have recognized without the book’s detailed engravings. Giving her father a thumbs-up, she thought to herself that elders still have their wisdom. Bai Li Ming couldn’t help but feel a bit smug after receiving praise from his daughter. On the side, Bai Li Feng watched his elder brother’s rare delight, accustomed now to the transformation of the typically stern and frosty brother who melted only in the presence of his niece. His inner grumbles about this favoritism were cut short as his brother’s stern expression returned when facing him, silencing his thoughts. After tidying up any trace of their presence, the trio concealed themselves in the darkness. Sure enough, shortly after Ye Ling Long and the others "left," another figure appeared in the Still Water Secret Realm. The night was thick, and the figure was cloaked in shadow, but for the cultivators, seeing in the dark posed no challenge, and they clearly identified the person. “It’s him!” Ye Ling Long gasped quietly when she recognized the face, though on second thought, it made perfect sense. Who else would oversee the Celestial Academy’s formations better than this individual? The newcomer wore a robe similar in style to the teachers' at the Celestial Academy, though his attire was of a finer, more luxurious material and detailing. Rising their gaze, the person dressed in the robe was the Celestial Academy’s Headmaster, Qiu Ze Yuan. Qiu Ze Yuan stood outside the Still Water Secret Realm, performing a complex series of hand seals, seemingly controlling the secret realm’s mechanisms. As he concluded the hand seals, the spatial barrier of the secret realm surprisingly parted open, revealing the operating formation within. Qiu Ze Yuan was clearly accustomed to this task, indicating it wasn't his first time. After examining the formation and finding nothing amiss, he gave a slight, puzzled sound. He then took out an image-recording stone to capture the state of the formation before carefully restoring the secret realm’s barrier and leaving quietly. Once Qiu Ze Yuan was confirmed to be gone, Ye Ling Long and the others emerged from the darkness. It became clear to Ye Ling Long why the Fire Clan, despite besieging the Celestial Academy for so long, never harmed the students or teachers. This was likely one of the reasons why. In the Upper Celestial Realm, Fu Family's Cave Residence Fu Chang Ming sat cross-legged inside his cave dwelling, treating his injuries. Unable to reclaim the lost power, he dared not use the formation again without knowing what had been altered. Furthermore, absorbing the Lower Realm’s power was a closely guarded secret he wished to keep from others, hence avoiding other formation experts' scrutiny. Ordinary experts wouldn’t detect any issues, and noteworthy ones were beyond manipulation. His method of cultivation through the formation must remain hidden. Within the mirror's ripples, Fu Chang Ming brushed his hand over the surface, revealing a figure—Qiu Ze Yuan. Qiu Ze Yuan’s face was full of deference. “Master.” Fu Chang Ming nodded. “Were any changes made to the formation?” “I personally inspected the formation and found nothing amiss,” Qiu Ze Yuan replied with profound respect. Fu Chang Ming furrowed his brows upon hearing this. “Nothing at all? Was there no sign of tampering?” “There was no sign of anything wrong. I even recorded an image with a stone for your review,” Qiu Ze Yuan insisted, presenting the recording stone. The projected image showed the formation functioning normally, indistinguishable from prior views, though Fu Chang Ming felt an inexplicable unease. Not being proficient in formations himself, he couldn’t discern any subtle shifts. Contemplating this, he inquired further, “In the last five hundred years of my seclusion, has anything significant occurred, or has anyone special arisen?” After a moment's pause, Qiu Ze Yuan responded slowly, “During your seclusion, the Celestial Academy followed its usual routine without any major events. However, in the last three years, a particular woman appeared. She’s the daughter of the Bai Li family's young lord, Bai Li Ming…”