Chapter 281 - A Crowded Peak and Quiet Warnings

Chapter 281: Chapter 281 - A Crowded Peak and Quiet Warnings

The conversation had barely settled when Shen Youran’s attention shifted away from Su Bai.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

A moment later, her spiritual sense swept outward from Heavenly Forge Peak.

"You caused trouble before coming here."

Su Bai blinked.

The other Peak Masters immediately noticed the slight change in her expression and followed her spiritual sense toward the Main Peak.

What they found made the room quiet again.

The Main Peak had become crowded.

The disciples who normally trained there were only a small part of the gathering now. Disciples from the other peaks had begun arriving as well, while groups from the Outer Sect were being brought over under the supervision of elders.

Almost all of them were gathered around the same place.

The ancient comprehension walls.

Several elders were maintaining order around those who had entered deeper states of comprehension, while more people continued arriving from the surrounding paths.

The open training grounds were rapidly disappearing beneath the crowd.

Huo Yan stared through his spiritual sense for several breaths.

Mo Shanyue and Yao Ding were not much better.

They had already seen what Su Bai had brought to Heavenly Forge Peak.

Only now did the picture seem to become complete.

He had not simply returned from Fallen-Star Sanctuary carrying a large amount of treasure.

At this point, it looked as though he had brought Fallen-Star Sanctuary itself back with him.

Lu Canghai was the first to laugh.

"My disciple, did you leave anything inside at all?"

Su Bai considered the question seriously.

"There should still be some things. Like ’ancient’ stones, collapsed ruins, and a few things that weren’t worth carrying."

That only made Lu Canghai laugh harder.

Huo Yan shook his head.

"At this point, I almost feel sorry for the demonic cultivators who went there looking for treasures."

Mo Shanyue gave him a strange look.

"Almost?"

Huo Yan glanced toward the mountains of materials outside his own forging chamber.

"Not enough to return anything."

Yao Ding’s mouth twitched.

Even Su Bai could not argue with that.

Shen Youran, however, continued watching the Main Peak.

Her expression did not change.

"Do not become careless."

The amusement faded gradually.

Her gaze returned to Su Bai.

"Too many of the younger cultivators who entered Fallen-Star Sanctuary know that you remained inside after the others left."

Su Bai’s expression became more serious.

Shen Youran continued in the same calm tone.

"They also know what the Sanctuary contained before they were forced out. Now ancient materials, comprehension walls, and other things that should still be inside appeared in Radiant Sky Sect."

She did not need to finish the thought.

Eventually, someone would connect those facts.

Perhaps not immediately.

Perhaps most people would dismiss the possibility that one Golden Core cultivator had somehow emptied the Fallen-Star Sanctuary by himself.

But disbelief would only delay the conclusion.

It would not prevent it.

Lu Canghai’s earlier amusement disappeared completely.

He had already told Shen Youran enough about what Su Bai experienced after the others left behind. Now that so many treasures appeared, keeping Su Bai separate from those events would become increasingly difficult.

Mo Shanyue looked toward Su Bai.

"Once people start believing even half of what you brought back, some will stop caring how you obtained it."

Yao Ding nodded faintly.

Treasures were useful.

Too many treasures gathered around one person could become something else entirely.

Su Bai understood that well enough.

He had never expected everything he brought back to remain unnoticed forever.

Still, he was not particularly frightened.

Radiant Sky Sect was no longer as vulnerable as it had once been, and the sect would only grow stronger once the materials, inheritances, and new formations were put to use.

The Sect Suppression Array was not yet Sect-Scale, but given enough time, Su Bai believed that problem could be solved as well.

Shen Youran clearly reached a similar conclusion, although her concern was more immediate.

"For now, do not leave the sect unless there is a reason."

Su Bai nodded.

"Yes, Martial Aunt."

Her spiritual sense returned to the Main Peak.

"The situation there needs to be organized before someone damages a wall, interrupts an enlightenment, or starts fighting over a better position."

Su Bai looked toward the distant crowd and smiled somewhat awkwardly.

He had only wanted to give the disciples something useful.

In hindsight, placing several ancient comprehension walls directly beside a busy training ground without warning anyone had perhaps been slightly too casual.

Shen Youran stood.

"After that, we will decide how the new manuals should be handled."

There was no need for further discussion.

The secret methods belonging to the suspicious factions were already a separate matter. The Supreme-Grade inheritances Su Bai intended to contribute to the sect would require a completely different system of access and distribution.

Shen Youran left the chamber.

A moment later, her figure rose above Heavenly Forge Peak and disappeared toward the Main Peak.

Mo Shanyue watched her leave before standing as well.

"I will go with her. With that many disciples gathering in one place, the elders there will need help separating those who can actually benefit from the walls from those who are merely blocking the paths."

Su Bai bowed.

"Thank you, Martial Uncle."

Mo Shanyue waved a hand.

"They belong to the sect now. You have already done your part."

He glanced once toward the mountains of materials outside.

"We will sort those later. There is enough here to keep several peaks busy for a long time."

Su Bai was perfectly comfortable with that.

He had brought the materials back because they would be more useful in Radiant Sky Sect than sitting inside his System Inventory.

How the Peak Masters divided or used them was something he trusted them to decide.

Mo Shanyue left soon after.

Yao Ding remained for only a little longer.

"I still have a batch of pills waiting for me."

He began walking toward the door before pausing.

"Martial Nephew Su."

Su Bai looked toward him.

"If you have time, visit Verdant Peak."

Something in Yao Ding’s tone made Su Bai pay closer attention.

"There was some trouble while you were away. Old Qin can explain it better than I can."

Su Bai’s brows drew together slightly.

"Is it serious?"

Yao Ding considered the question.

"Serious enough that you should hear it from him."

That answer did not make Su Bai less curious.

Still, Yao Ding clearly had no intention of explaining someone else’s matter in passing.

Su Bai nodded.

"I understand, Martial Uncle. I’ll visit Verdant Peak."

Yao Ding gave a small nod and left.

That left Huo Yan, Lu Canghai, and Su Bai inside the forging chamber.

Huo Yan was already looking at the Sect Suppression Array again.

His spiritual sense moved across the parchment while his fingers occasionally traced one of the formation anchors.

Su Bai could almost see his attention drifting away from everything around him.

Huo Yan finally spoke without looking up.

"I will be busy for a while."

Lu Canghai snorted.

"You say that as though you have ever been anything else."

Huo Yan ignored him.

"The formation you drew gave me several ideas. I also need to prepare something suitable for your Nascent Soul breakthrough before you suddenly announce that you are ready."

Su Bai smiled.

"I’ll trouble Martial Uncle, then."

Huo Yan waved him away.

"If you really feel guilty, stop bringing me things that make me want to lock myself inside a forge for three months."

Su Bai thought about the treasures he had not shown yet.

He decided silence was the kinder response.

Lu Canghai noticed the pause and immediately understood that his disciple was hiding something.

For once, he chose not to ask.

"Come, my disciple. Let this old fool ruin his sleep in peace."

Huo Yan looked up.

"Get out."

Lu Canghai laughed and walked toward the door.

Su Bai bowed once more to Huo Yan before following his master outside.

The scene beyond the chamber remained absurd.

Several hills of ancient materials still occupied Heavenly Forge Peak, while disciples farther away were trying very hard not to stare at them.

In the distance, the Main Peak was even more crowded than before.

Su Bai and Lu Canghai did not return to Clear Cloud Peak immediately.

They stopped where the distant training grounds could still be seen.

Shen Youran had already arrived.

Whatever confusion had existed before was rapidly disappearing under her direction.

Disciples were being moved into separate areas. Elders were establishing distance around those already in enlightenment, while others began controlling how many people approached each wall at once.

Mo Shanyue had joined her as well, directing several groups away from the most crowded sections.

Su Bai watched for a while.

What had looked like chaos only moments earlier was steadily becoming orderly.

He felt slightly guilty.

"I probably should have spoken to someone before putting the walls there."

Lu Canghai glanced at him.

"That realization came quickly."

Su Bai ignored the faint amusement in his master’s voice.

He had survived enough disasters to make ordinary expeditions look relaxing.

Apparently, the difficult part of bringing treasures home was remembering that other people needed time to organize them.

Once the Main Peak had settled enough that no immediate disaster seemed likely, Lu Canghai finally turned away.

"Come. You have caused enough excitement for one day."

Su Bai followed him back toward Clear Cloud Peak.