The shores of Emerald Ripple Pool were lined with jagged rocks, and mountains rose around the still waters. A white-robed Daoist sat on a slab of greenstone with his back to the pool, facing the three figures who had come to greet him. Black King stood in his smaller form beside Heavenjade and Sang Jinghe. All three held themselves with proper respect, though the excitement on their faces was impossible to hide.

Luo Chen, however, felt a sense of melancholy. What a fall from grace…

In the past, each breakthrough had been marked by thorough preparation and grand ceremony. His disciples would busy themselves with arrangements, and invitations would be sent far and wide to gather guests from across the cultivation world. He still remembered his Golden Core Ceremony at Danxia Peak, when representatives from the great sects had come in person to offer their congratulations. It had been an occasion of unmatched scale, and nothing since had ever surpassed it.

Now, after enduring countless...