Melinda agreed repeatedly and said, "You all be careful too, contact me anytime if something comes up!"

"Also, if Ningxue asks about us, let's not let her know for now," Lin Bingxuan said.

This sentence made Xiao Tian's heart move involuntarily. Lin Bingxuan was genuinely worried. This time, let this be a trip to make it up to her!

——

At this moment, in front of the three-story loft, a circular stage with a diameter of about ten zhang was set up.

Two figures occupied each side of the stage, but their heights were not proportional, showing a significant disparity.

Seeing Bai Xiaoxuan, whose small face was full of tension on the other side, Ji Dantong couldn't help but smile bitterly in her heart, never imagining she could stand here, thanks to this little girl.

She understood that if not for Bai Xiaoxuan's strong request, her current position should have been Sun Miaohan's.

As the highly respected and deeply powerful senior sister waved her hand, a pink protective shield enveloped the circular stage within a ten-zhang radius.

At the instant the shield appeared, Ji Dantong's Protective True Qi suddenly dissipated, and her True Qi was firmly confined within her body, unable to release even a thread.

Ji Dantong's heart was startled; before, she had only heard of this revered elder Immortal Envoy's unfathomable abilities, but few had seen her in action, and now her effortless ease proved the rumors true!

"Senior Sister, Xiaoxuan just started practicing 'Words Accompanied by Law.' Throwing her into actual combat now, isn't it too hasty?" asked a dignified white-robed woman, her delicate eyebrows raised.

"Not at all!"

The elder who was the senior sister waved her hand and said, "I've temporarily sealed all of Dantong's True Qi within her body. Even so, the odds for Xiaoxuan aren't high, but learning only theoretically without real combat isn't just fighting on paper?!"

The woman was about to retort, but then the senior sister's voice turned solemn: "Xu Ming!"

The graceful and composed white-robed woman had a trace of displeasure flash subtly across her face; when this senior sister spoke, even as the current Sect Leader, she could only retreat.

"Senior Sister!" Xu Ming agreed reluctantly, cupping her hands.

"I remember, when you were an entry-level disciple, on which day did you step onto the stage?"

Xu Ming reluctantly replied, "The second day!"

The senior sister chuckled lightly, "To be precise, less than a day!"

"But, after all, Xiaoxuan is still young..." Xu Ming understood the senior sister's intention but really didn't want to risk such a good seedling.

"No buts!"

The senior sister's eyes were stern, "I understand what you're thinking, but excessive indulgence and protection seemingly are for her good, but they actually harm her!"

"You all have overcome this challenge. Besides, with so many of us here, what could possibly happen?" The senior sister snorted coldly, "I really don't know what goes through your minds every day, worrying about shadows, how can one accomplish anything?!"

These words silenced the few junior sisters who attempted to speak; no one dared to provoke the senior sister's bad temper.

In fact, achieving such an elevated status where even Sect Leader Xu Ming would not dare oppose her, indeed showed her uniqueness.

The senior sister was now seventy-one years old, named Chen Zhenfang. She swore upon entering the sect at thirty to devote all her energy to it for life.

Prior to this, Chen Zhenfang experienced a tumultuous marriage, reportedly suffering severe emotional scars, leading to a drastic change in her personality.

It was precisely because of this that Chen Zhenfang gained the sect leader's favor at the time, receiving her complete teachings without reservation.

Chen Zhenfang truly lived up to her mentor's expectations. Without attachments, her improvement in strength was rapid beyond description.

As a result, after that sect leader recruited new disciples, most were personally trained by Chen Zhenfang.

This included the current sect leader Xu Ming, hence Chen Zhenfang held a significant say in front of Xu Ming.

"Among us, do you know why the master specifically passed the position of Sect Leader to you?" Chen Zhenfang looked at Xu Ming intently, with a look of disappointment.

"Please enlighten me, Senior Sister!"

Xu Ming bowed her head slightly, cupping her hands.

"Because she saw your youth, vitality, and willingness to give one hundred percent effort for that one percent chance!" Chen Zhenfang said, "In fact, before becoming the Sect Leader, you indeed did exactly that."

Upon these words, the surrounding Immortal Envoys nodded, as if they saw the younger junior sister who tirelessly enhanced her strength, even at the risk of her life.

"But these years, you have been a bit too conservative!" Chen Zhenfang said indifferently, "Perhaps I wouldn't have intervened before, but now hope is before us. Continuing as before with lack of progress is really unacceptable!"

Xu Ming felt a shiver in her heart and replied, "Senior Sister's lesson is just!"

After a moment, Chen Zhenfang spoke again, and her previously harsh tone had softened significantly: "Actually, it's not entirely your fault. Master entrusted the Sect Leader position to you for a reason. As for what I just said, you might as well take them as the ramblings of an old woman!"

"I wouldn't dare!"

Though Xu Ming still replied respectfully, she harbored considerable resentment internally. Becoming the Sect Leader was not her own wish. Once she took the position, a myriad of bothersome issues were thrust upon her, overwhelming the then-twenty-five-year-old.

For instance, elder senior sisters who surpassed her in both expertise and strength, sect's daily expenses, or dealing with pressure from two competing opponents; all were significant challenges to her at the time.

Moreover, the truly daunting matters were the everyday trifles. Beyond steering the sect, she had to employ various methods tailored to each disciple, mind their progress, and fathom everyone's psychological states.

If in such a situation, not striving for progress, Xu Ming really couldn't say what defines qualification!

While pondering, Chen Zhenfang once again waved her wrinkled hand, and the scene inside the protected stage changed instantly.

Starting beneath their feet, the blue stage slowly turned pink, and cherry blossom trees rose from the ground, prompting Bai Xiaoxuan to exclaim with surprise.

In just a moment's time, the cherry blossom trees bloomed, their pink petals moving effortlessly in the air, and gradually fell underfoot.

Xu Ming and others were taken aback, whether for the skill displayed here or her genuine concern for the new disciple Bai Xiaoxuan.