Chapter 558

At the mountain gate.

Lin Chen smiled warmly at the Wan Huozong disciples; Elder Zhuang’s temper was still as fiery as ever, but that precisely proved he truly regarded Lin Chen as one of his own junior disciples—otherwise, he would never speak to him so bluntly.

Lin Chen was a prodigy of Canglan Sect, representing Canglan Sect abroad; if he weren’t regarded as one of their own, even Elder Zhuang would have treated him with proper courtesy.

“Then I won’t waste your time, Brother Lin.”

The Wan Huozong disciple’s lips twitched slightly; since Elder Zhuang had personally transmitted his message, he could no longer block Lin Chen—Elder Zhuang’s fiery temper… none of their sect disciples weren’t intimidated by it.

This time, Lin Chen went directly to Elder Zhuang’s residence.

“Senior Brother Lin?”

Zhao Haoyang saw Lin Chen, froze for a moment, then his face lit up with excitement.

“Junior Brother Zhao.”

Lin Chen also smiled as he studied Zhao Haoyang; after more than two years apart, Zhao Haoyang’s entire demeanor had matured considerably since last they met.

“Senior Brother Lin, why are you here?”

“Didn’t Junior Brother Zhao know? I came to your sect at Elder Zhuang’s invitation.”

Hearing Zhao Haoyang’s question, Lin Chen was puzzled—had Elder Zhuang not told Junior Brother Zhao?

“My master invited you?”

Zhao Haoyang’s eyes widened in surprise—why hadn’t his master mentioned this to him?

“Has Junior Brother Zhao become Elder Zhuang’s disciple?”

Although seeing Zhao Haoyang at Elder Zhuang’s residence had already led Lin Chen to suspect, learning that Elder Zhuang had truly taken Zhao Haoyang as a disciple still filled him with genuine joy for Zhao Haoyang.

“My master doesn’t deem me foolish, and is willing…”

“He’s truly an idiot—he still hasn’t fully refined the second primordial flame.”

Elder Zhuang’s voice came from behind, his figure walking forward; Zhao Haoyang immediately fell silent, while Lin Chen bowed: “Disciple greets Elder Zhuang.”

“What realm are you in now?”

Elder Zhuang squinted at Lin Chen; before sending the letter to Canglan Sect, he wasn’t certain Lin Chen would still be there—but the messenger returned confirming the letter had reached Lin Chen’s hands.

Since Lin Chen received the letter, knowing his nature, Elder Zhuang was certain he would come to the sect; his spiritual sense had been fixed on the mountain gate ever since, which was why he detected Lin Chen’s arrival instantly.

But earlier at the gate, his spiritual sense had only sensed Lin Chen’s presence—his cultivation base remained hazy; this revelation shocked Elder Zhuang, which was why he immediately asked this question upon meeting him.

“Disciple was fortunate—has entered the Fourth Primordial Realm.”

Beside him, Zhao Haoyang’s pupils shrank sharply, as if hearing something unbelievable, his mouth gaping open…

Fourth Primordial Realm…

How the hell did Senior Brother Lin cultivate so fast?

Elder Zhuang’s expression didn’t change—he’d already anticipated it; hearing Lin Chen say it aloud was merely confirmation.

“Stay here for now; I have matters to discuss with the sect master. I’ll return shortly.”

“Elder Zhuang, please go ahead—disciple isn’t in a hurry.”

Lin Chen nodded; he had a suspicion—Elder Zhuang was going to meet the Wan Huozong sect master to discuss something concerning him.

Elder Zhuang left; Zhao Haoyang led Lin Chen into the courtyard and brewed fragrant tea.

“Senior Brother Lin, do you know why my master summoned you?”

Zhao Haoyang asked openly; Lin Chen shook his head: “Elder Zhuang didn’t specify in his letter—only asked me to come to Wan Huozong.”

Hearing Lin Chen’s answer, Zhao Haoyang fell silent for a moment, then said: “If I’m not mistaken, my master summoned you because of the Sacred Flame Realm.”

Sect internal matters shouldn’t be disclosed to outsiders, but Zhao Haoyang knew how much his master valued Lin Chen—and given that his master summoned Lin Chen now, it could only be about the Sacred Flame Realm.

So revealing details about the Sacred Flame Realm to Lin Chen wouldn’t earn him punishment; even if the Discipline Hall’s overseers found out, he wasn’t afraid—his master’s temper meant they’d simply turn a blind eye.

“Sacred Flame Realm?”

Lin Chen’s eyes narrowed slightly: “When I first came to Wan Huozong, Elder Zhuang made a pact with me to return in two years—I suspected it had to do with the Sacred Flame Realm. But it’s been three years now—shouldn’t the Sacred Flame Realm’s opening window have passed?”

“The opening window has passed, but the Sacred Flame Realm hasn’t closed yet.”

Zhao Haoyang lowered his voice slightly: “I don’t know the full details, but I’ve heard none of the disciples who entered have emerged yet.”

“None have emerged?”

“Other senior disciples told me that after each opening, those who enter usually emerge gradually within half a year—some as soon as two weeks. But this time, seven months have passed and not a single one has come out.”

The opening of the Sacred Flame Realm was a major event for Wan Huozong disciples; those who entered were all their sect’s prodigies. With so many prodigies still missing, even the sect’s high elders couldn’t hide the news—these disciples had close friends and brothers within the sect.

Hearing Zhao Haoyang’s revelations, Lin Chen fell into deep thought—he now confirmed Elder Zhuang summoned him because of the Sacred Flame Realm, but clearly, this opening had encountered an anomaly. And under these circumstances, why had Elder Zhuang still summoned him?

…

…

In Wan Huozong’s main hall, over a dozen Elders stood present.

Dong Congyang watched Elder Zhuang debating fiercely with the other Elders, feeling helpless.

“I haven’t said anything wrong—now that the Sacred Flame Realm has encountered an anomaly and so many disciples remain trapped inside, are you just going to let them stay there forever?”

“Elder Zhuang, you’re exaggerating. The Sacred Flame Realm has indeed changed, but that doesn’t mean all disciples can’t escape—they may merely be temporarily trapped.”

Another Elder countered: “We’ve all experienced the Sacred Flame Realm. The most likely cause is a wind storm sealing off the exit—once the storm ends, the disciples will naturally emerge.”

“Elder Zhuang, I know you’ve always favored Lin Chen, but no matter how much you value him, he’s still a disciple of Canglan Sect. Why use our sect’s resources to cultivate a disciple from another sect?”

“Not our sect’s resources—those within the Sacred Flame Realm.”

Elder Zhuang corrected the opponent: “The martial resources inside the Sacred Flame Realm can be harvested by those with sufficient ability; if one lacks talent or strength, they return empty-handed.”

“Elder Zhuang, what’s the difference? Why quibble over words?”

“There’s a difference,” Elder Zhuang sneered. “Though the Sacred Flame Realm was created by our ancestral master, all primordial flames within were born of heaven and earth. Our Wan Huozong merely serves as its guardian—the resources won’t diminish because one more enters. Our ancestral master never forbade outsiders from entering.”

“When the Sacred Flame Realm once allowed outsiders in, did it harm our sect’s development?”

Elder Zhuang’s gaze swept across all present: “During the three thousand years it was open, our sect produced far more prodigies than in the three thousand years since we closed it. Why? Because talented outsiders who didn’t join us came to our Sacred Flame Realm and exchanged insights with our young disciples, spurring each other on.”

This silenced many Elders—they knew Elder Zhuang spoke truth.

Whether the Sacred Flame Realm was open or closed, it had little impact on the sect—its disciples showed no significant change.

“We stopped opening the Sacred Flame Realm to outsiders to attract all fire-talented martial artists in Yanhuang Dynasty to join us. If outsiders could enter freely, many with fire talent might never join our sect.”

An Elder at the left front slowly spoke; Elder Zhuang sighed: “I’ve recently reviewed all records of disciples who joined our sect over the past three thousand years—including those with fire talent who didn’t join—and compared them to the three thousand years when the Sacred Flame Realm was open. The results stunned me.”

“Elder Zhuang, just say it outright,” the left-front Elder frowned.

“During the three thousand years the Sacred Flame Realm was open, our sect’s overall strength far surpassed the three thousand years since we closed it. One reason: talented outsiders who came to our Sacred Flame Realm after failing to join us engaged in mutual discussion and healthy competition with our young disciples.”

“The martial path is long—how many young disciples truly settle down?” Elder Zhuang looked at them again. “Since we barred outsiders, few prodigies from other sects come to us. Our disciples face only internal competition—after losing once or twice, they give up.”

“But when outsiders arrive, the dynamic changes. I’ve specifically observed our disciples’ progress over the past two years—especially those who just entered the Primordial Realm. Their growth rate has noticeably outpaced the previous batch, and the reason is Lin Chen’s arrival two years ago.”

“When Lin Chen first came to our sect, his talent ignited our disciples’ determination. Take my disciple Haoyang—he deeply admires Lin Chen, yet I know he never stops cultivating, striving to catch up.”

“I informed the sect master of this situation half a year ago.”

Hearing this, all Elders turned to look at Sect Master Dong Congyang.

Dong Congyang nodded: “Elder Zhuang is correct. After he informed me, I sent people to investigate—the results matched his. Since Lin Chen’s arrival, this batch of disciples has improved their cultivation speed by twenty percent, and they spend twenty percent more time cultivating than the previous batch.”

The entire hall fell silent.

They opposed Lin Chen entering the Sacred Flame Realm not because they disliked Elder Zhuang or Lin Chen—but because of sect rules, unwilling to make an exception for him.

“I don’t oppose reopening the Sacred Flame Realm to outsiders, but the current situation inside is unclear—and more importantly, Lin Chen is a disciple of Canglan Sect, which is now at war with Bahuang Sect. If we let him enter, might Bahuang Sect misunderstand and think we’ve allied with Canglan?”

In Yanhuang Dynasty, neighboring super-sects were ancient enemies. Wan Huozong, due to its unique cultivation, held no grudge against Canglan Sect—but it also wished to avoid being dragged into Canglan and Bahuang’s war.

“No need to worry—if we don’t publicize it, no one will know.”

Elder Zhuang had already prepared his response: “Even if word leaks, it won’t matter. The Sacred Flame Realm has encountered an anomaly, and many of our disciples remain inside, their fates unknown—we must send someone in to investigate. Bahuang Sect can’t object.”

“Elder Zhuang, even if we must send someone, we don’t have to choose Lin Chen—we can pick others.”

“Because Lin Chen is irreplaceable. No one else is more suitable.”