Liu Ying took a deep breath, the newfound vitality of the Nascent Soul stage humming through her veins. She looked at Jiang Yun, her eyes reflecting the wisdom of a long life lived in his absence. "Where do I even begin?" she murmured.
Liu Ying then started her story from the moment after Jiang Yun left. "Soon after you departed, I explained to my parents what had happened. To their surprise, we were finally free. Shortly after, my father went into seclusion, hoping to break through to the Golden Core realm. He had mediocre talent, just like me, but decades later, he finally broke through and retook control of the family. That gave me the chance to finally set out on my own adventure."
She continued, "While traveling, I revisited the places we had once explored together and journeyed even further. I visited all kinds of lands and experienced many beautiful sceneries. The next thing I knew, a few decades had passed. Since I couldn't find you during that time, I eventually went back home. To my surprise, I had a little brother who was already a teenager! Apparently, my mother had also gone into seclusion and, a few years prior, had broken through to the Golden Core realm as well. With her renewed vitality, she decided to have another child to continue the family line," Liu Ying said in amazement.
"As the years went by, I stayed home and helped the family business grow. Soon, my brother became the head of the family. He married and had children of his own, so my responsibilities decreased, and I started to take things easy. I took the time to build the monument you see here, as I wasn't sure I would ever see you again. I heard this was where you fell, and since you came back that day stronger than ever, I thought this place might be important to you. So, I came here every once in a while to remember our time together."
She sighed with a wistful look in her eyes. "Who knew several hundred years would pass and I would turn into an old woman? My parents have already passed away due to old age, and because my brother’s talent was worse than mine, he has also passed on. Now, only my brother’s descendants remain; otherwise, I am quite alone. To my surprise, I got to meet you again. Life is truly full of strange turns."
Jiang Yun, after listening, felt quite fortunate. If he had waited much longer, Liu Ying might have died of old age and entered the cycle of reincarnation. If that had happened, it would have been quite annoying, as he would have needed to find her reincarnation and awaken her memories. He then asked, "Now that you have regained your youth, would you like to come with me?"
Liu Ying replied unhesitatingly, "Yes. I have waited so long to see you again. My family business already has heirs to run it, and I don’t really involve myself in family affairs anymore. I always wanted to go with you."
Jiang Yun nodded and took Liu Ying away, appearing back at the Invincible Cloud Sect. "You can live here from now on; this is my territory," he said. "Soon, I will hold a disciple recruitment ceremony to look for members for my sect. Currently, we only have three members. You can walk around as you please, and from now on, you can be an Elder if you want. We will be recruiting based on character."
Liu Ying replied, "I’m fine with being an Elder, but how will you test character?"
Jiang Yun replied, "I will put them in an illusion. If they make the right choices, they pass and can join the sect if they wish. If you are interested in teaching someone, you may do so, provided they agree."
Liu Ying replied, "That sounds fun. Alright then, I’ll go prepare, but where will I be staying?"
Jiang Yun replied, "Wherever you like. In this vast sect, there are only five people, including you, anyway." Liu Ying nodded and left to choose a room.
In the days that followed, nothing eventful happened, and soon Bai Yue advanced to the Golden Core realm. Upon seeing this, Jiang Yun congratulated her and went off to announce the sect’s recruitment ceremony. He traveled to various regions, announcing when and where it would take place, welcoming anyone who could pass the assessment. Finishing his announcement, Jiang Yun returned to prepare for the event.
Not long after, the day finally arrived. Not many people came, as the Invincible Cloud Sect was new and lacked a reputation. The only people who showed up were mortals unable to join other sects, low-level cultivators who were fine with any sect, or those curious because the Invincible Cloud Sect was situated on the former territory of the Flaming Phoenix Sect. Very few people came—numbering only in the hundreds—but Jiang Yun was content. He never expected a large turnout; even if a handful joined, that would be enough.
Once everyone had arrived, Jiang Yun began his speech: "I will be recruiting today. I will test for character rather than cultivation aptitude. I believe anyone can achieve great things with the correct character, so don’t worry if your aptitude is not the best."
A murmur of displeasure rippled through the crowd, but some showed interest in the rare chance to enter a sect. Jiang Yun proceeded with the test, putting everyone present into an illusion that challenged their morality. If they passed, they would be transported next to him; otherwise, they would remain in place.
In the following hours, many failed. Upon learning they had failed, some left unhappy, while others tried to cause trouble but were directly teleported off the sect grounds. Soon, only ten people remained, yet none had passed the trial. To Jiang Yun’s disappointment, most people’s character was far too horrible in this cruel world.
After more time had passed, finally, three people succeeded, and the rest were asked to leave. Jiang Yun hadn't expected such a small number, but as long as some succeeded, it didn't matter. All three were women with mediocre appearances, but one of them seemed oddly familiar.
Jiang Yun decided to put his curiosity aside for later. He congratulated the three survivors on passing and led them to the sect hall. There, he called out the four women who were in seclusion to choose their disciples.
Upon arriving, Tang Mei and Nangong Yu were immediately surprised to see Liu Ying. They had never seen her before, but since she was living in the sect, she must have had some relation to Jiang Yun. These two women had only recently met each other, yet another woman had already appeared. Liu Ying was equally surprised to meet these beautiful women; she wondered what relationship they had with Jiang Yun, as she hadn't seen them while they were in seclusion. All three women decided to set their questions aside, as they still had three potential disciples standing before them.
Jiang Yun turned to the three chosen disciples. "You may choose your master. As long as they agree, you may begin your training immediately."
Sensing the auras of the women before them, two of the recruits chose Tang Mei and Nangong Yu, respectively, as they possessed the strongest auras—not to mention they were also women. Bai Yue and Liu Ying looked slightly upset, though they found it understandable, as they were currently weaker than the other two.
As for the last woman—the one Jiang Yun felt was familiar—she chose him, to his surprise. He accepted her, and with the other two also accepted, the recruitment ceremony concluded. Soon, Nangong Yu and Tang Mei led their new disciples away for training. Bai Yue and Liu Ying also departed to cultivate, leaving Jiang Yun alone to become familiar with his new disciple.
After everyone else left, Jiang Yun asked, "Is there a particular reason you picked me?"
The woman, who appeared neither young nor old and was currently at the Foundation Establishment stage, replied, "You don’t recognize me? I didn’t change my appearance by much. Besides, I’m pretty sure you can sense my familiar aura." As she spoke, she removed her disguise.
A woman with a slightly above-average appearance stood before Jiang Yun. He took a more thorough look at her face, trying to remember who she was. After a moment of thought, it finally clicked.
"You’re from Earth, aren't you?" Jiang Yun asked. "How did you end up in the cultivation world?"
The woman replied, "That’s right, I’m from Earth. I don’t know if you remember, but my name is Hua Jing. As for how I got here, I was pulled by some force into a strange portal. I arrived here about half a year ago, familiarized myself with this world, and then recently saw you advertising a recruitment ceremony. I decided to join to meet you."
Jiang Yun thought back to how he had met this woman. He wasn't from Earth himself, but he had visited Earth long ago by some strange twist of fate. He had met this girl near the end of his adventure there and had decided to give her an opportunity.
As Jiang Yun became absorbed in his memories, he recalled how it all started. He had just reached the Beginning Dao realm and fought another expert of the same level. The fight ended in his victory, but it left him exhausted; he fell through a portal and landed on Earth. When he opened his eyes, he found himself on the Moon—completely desolate, without a sign of life. He wondered where he was, why he found himself standing on such a barren, white landscape, and what the massive blue sphere hanging in the sky before his eyes could possibly be; his mind was flooded with a barrage of questions to which he desperately wanted answers.
Jiang Yun also wondered if it was possible to find his way back, or if he would be unable to navigate his return and remain stranded there forever.
With many worries on his mind, he started to formulate a clear course of action.