"Our Yin-Yang Heaven has three great mantras, and the Myriad Attachments Mantra is one of them. It's just that this particular mantra is extremely powerful — it requires many people chanting together before it can be sung aloud. It doesn't have much offensive capability, but it has miraculous effects in calming the mind and achieving clarity," Yu Xiangdie explained.
Yang Kai nodded in understanding. Recalling his own state of mind while chanting the Myriad Attachments Mantra just now, he had indeed achieved an unprecedented tranquility.
Then again, he was already the son-in-law of Yin-Yang Heaven — practically half a member of the Sect. Chanting the Myriad Attachments Mantra or not wouldn't change anything.
He waited several more days before Luo Tinghe was barely able to control her own power.
The Yin-Yang Heaven Sect Master led a group of high-rank Open Heaven cultivators forward, came to a stop before Luo Tinghe, and bowed in unison: "Greetings, Supreme!"
Luo Tinghe walked up to him, her eyes crinkling with amusement as she tugged the long beard hanging beneath his chin: "Junior Brother Zuo, it's been so many years — how did your beard get so long already?"
Zuo Qiuming's eyelid twitched violently, and he secretly sighed with bitter amusement. After all these years, this Senior Sister was still exactly the same. She had always been this carefree in temperament, and back in the day only Senior Brother Sun had been able to keep her in line. Now that Senior Brother Sun had been dead for over two thousand years, none of their generation of fellow disciples could control her anymore.
Besides, she was now an Eighth-Order Supreme.
"Supreme Luo, my surname is Zuoqiu, not just Zuo," the Sect Master protested weakly.
"Same difference!" Luo Tinghe slapped the Sect Master heartily on the shoulder. Having only advanced a few days ago, she still hadn't mastered her strength very well, and with that single pat, Zuo Qiuming's shoulder dropped noticeably. The group of Seventh-Order Elders behind him watched with twitching eyelids.
Luo Tinghe suddenly leaned close to Zuo Qiuming's face, waggling her eyebrows at him: "Junior Brother Zuo, where are all your little lady friends? I don't see a single one. Didn't you used to have women on both arms whenever you went out, having the time of your life?"
The moment those words left her mouth, shock appeared on many of the Elders' faces. Most of them had no idea about the Sect Master's romantic past. He usually presented himself with solemn dignity before others, and his image as the master of an entire Sect was deeply ingrained in everyone's minds. No one would have associated him with being a romantic wanderer.
But now, one remark from Luo Tinghe had their imaginations running wild.
Zuo Qiuming's face flushed red: "Supreme Luo mustn't speak irresponsibly. I am the Sect Master of Yin-Yang Heaven now, representing the Sect's dignity. If words like these reached outsiders' ears, it would cause misunderstandings. It is Yin-Yang Heaven's honor that would suffer."
Luo Tinghe began counting on her fingers: "Let me think... when you were fifteen, there was a Senior Sister Zhou who was three years older than you. Then you fell for someone else, and that little Zhou girl came crying in front of me for days on end — absolutely unbearable. When you turned twenty, you found a Senior Sister Zhang who was ten years older than you. I don't think you were together for very long either, a few months at most. Oh, and the year you advanced to the Emperor Realm, there was also a Martial Aunt Tan..."
With each story Luo Tinghe recounted, Zuo Qiuming's expression grew a shade darker. By the time she reached the Martial Aunt Tan, he could no longer keep his composure. A smile plastered on his face, he quickly interrupted: "Senior Sister truly has an excellent memory! Your charm is undiminished from the old days!"
Luo Tinghe gazed at him with a smile, then gave him another heavy slap on the shoulder: "Exactly! Why keep calling me Supreme? Ever since we were children, Senior Sister has wiped your behind I don't know how many times. Calling me Supreme is too distant, isn't it?"
"Whatever Senior Sister says goes!" Zuo Qiuming wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "However, as Senior Sister has now reached the Eighth Order, by the rules she is indeed an Supreme Elder of Yin-Yang Heaven. I would need Senior Sister to find time to visit me so that I can register her officially. Her name must also be entered into the Evergreen Registry, and she will enjoy all the treatment befitting a Supreme."
Luo Tinghe replied offhandedly: "Mm, mm. I'll find you when I have time. I'm heading out first."
With that, she turned and dashed toward Yu Xiangdie and the others. After giving Yu Xiangdie a wink, she enveloped her in power and vanished in a flash.
Yang Kai and Qu Huashang were left behind, staring at each other.
"See the Supreme off!" Zuo Qiuming bowed, and the others followed suit.
"The Sect Master prefers... older women?" an Elder behind him suddenly asked.
Zuo Qiuming reached up to stroke his beard and replied evenly: "Junior Brother Wang, you joined the Sect late and may not know Senior Sister Luo's personality too well. Just listen to what she says — no need to take it seriously."
That Junior Brother Wang was about to ask more when Zuo Qiuming suddenly turned his gaze toward Yang Kai and Qu Huashang: "You two, come with me. Elder Chen, you as well — bring your disciple!"
Nearby, Chen Xiu bowed: "Yes!"
Yang Kai immediately understood — Zuo Qiuming wanted to speak with him about the marriage arrangement.
With Luo Tinghe's advancement to Supreme and the conclusion of the Open Heaven witnesses' ceremony, the crowd naturally dispersed quickly. However, this exhilarating news was sure to cause a sensation throughout Yin-Yang Heaven for quite some time.
Yang Kai took Qu Huashang's hand and flew forward alongside Zuo Qiuming. Chen Xiu followed from behind with Tao Lingwan, and after a few strides caught up, calling out proactively: "Nephew Yang!"
"Elder Chen!" Yang Kai nodded in greeting, then glanced at Tao Lingwan beside him and offered a slight smile: "Junior Sister Tao."
He held no particular fondness for Chen Xiu, but toward Tao Lingwan he felt a certain inexplicable guilt, perhaps because he understood he could never give her anything.
Tao Lingwan's cheeks flushed slightly, and she murmured: "Senior Brother Yang."
Qu Huashang shot Yang Kai a glare: "I've been meaning to ask — why were you taking advantage of her?"