Accidentally invincible!

"Sect Leader, stop discussing where she came from; I just want to know where my mom went."

Lin Fan hadn't expected the Sect Leader's sharp little eyes to see through everything hidden so deeply. Impressive, truly impressive.

The Sect Leader's expression grew solemn.

The baby girl gave him a dangerous feeling.

She shouldn't exist in the cultivation world.

And she certainly shouldn't appear in Taiwu Immortal Sect.

"Where did she come from? You must know her circumstances," the Sect Leader asked seriously. What had this kid been through in the past year?

Lin Fan sighed, "Ah, it's a long story. Back then, I went to the Northern Desolation and encountered a pregnant demoness. I initially planned to slay her and eradicate evil, but knowing I'm a disciple of the Immortal Sect, while slaying demons was fine, taking an innocent life felt impossible."

"So, I asked her: should I save the mother or save the child..."

At first, the Sect Leader didn't think there was anything unusual, but as the story went on, his expression shifted to something that exclaimed, "Are you telling me a fairy tale?"

"Alright, alright, stop with the dramatics. If I believe you, my years as Sect Leader would be wasted."

"I'm not asking much of you."

"This baby girl cannot stay. She must be killed."

For the Sect Leader of a great Immortal Dao Sect to say such shocking words—if malicious individuals heard this and only spread half the message, it would explode into public chaos about Taiwu Sect's ruthless Sect Leader targeting innocent infants.

And this could get very messy.

Lin Fan glared, "Sect Leader, isn't that the biggest demand of all? You're asking me to take her life—no way, absolutely not! I won't kill her."

"I brought her back knowing her situation. I have confidence and determination to change her fate."

"Hah!" The Sect Leader couldn't help but laugh aloud. "You're too confident. Her inherent corruption is too strong, with demonic origins in her aura. How can you possibly change her? Even a high-level Buddhist monk chanting scripture day and night wouldn't succeed."

"And you?"

"Not to belittle you, but you truly don't have the ability."

To the Sect Leader, Lin Fan seemed to be walking further and further down an inevitable path to self-destructive folly.

It was almost impossible to pull him back.

The Sect Leader cast a deep glance at the baby girl.

Her aura made even him feel deeply uneasy.

Lin Fan asked, "Sect Leader, none of this matters right now. Where's my mom gone? She's usually on the mountain peak."

"Your mother's fine; she's simply gone into closed-door training. When you ventured to the Northern Desolation and shattered the Northern Sky Four Saints Formation trying to save her, without a passageway, it would've taken too long to reach her. Everyone here thought you were already dead," the Sect Leader explained.

Lin Fan paused, "Then I..."

The Sect Leader waved dismissively, "Leave her be for now. Don't disturb her. I sense her ascension to immortality is imminent. Let her focus fully on cultivation. When she emerges from seclusion, I will notify her immediately."

Lin Fan reflected briefly and found this reasonable. In that case, he wouldn't reveal himself yet.

Then, he promptly left the area.

The Sect Leader's gaze toward the baby girl, nicknamed Little Sun, remained unfriendly, as though he could crush her at any moment.

Sigh!

When faced with problems, one should tackle them head-on; avoidance solves nothing.

That's the way things are.

The Sect Leader seemed a little lacking in confidence.

The mountain peak.

Xi Xi, Brother Chen, Brother Yang, and Nan Gongjin had all gathered around.

"Junior Brother, you nearly scared me to death! You've been gone for a whole year. I asked around, and everyone said you went to the Northern Desolation—everyone thought you perished there," Xi Xi said earnestly, hugging Lin Fan's arm.

Lin Fan reflexively moved his arm, lightly brushing against hers—he claimed no deeper intention, simply acting on impulse.

"Senior Sister, don't worry. Though the Northern Desolation is dangerous, for me, it's not that big of a deal," Lin Fan replied indifferently.

To anyone else, the suggestion that the Northern Desolation wasn't a dangerous place would provoke outrage and even violence.

That's absurdly pretentious.

Why act humble when you can brag?

"Master, Jiu Jiu missed you so much," Huang Jiujiu said, hugging Lin Fan tightly. Not seeing him for a year made her miss him terribly. Then, noticing the baby girl in his arms, she curiously asked, "Master, who is this? Is she my new junior sister, brought back for me?"

Everyone else turned their curious gazes toward him as well.

Indeed.

How did the Junior Brother return with a baby girl after his journey?

Lin Fan patted Huang Jiujiu's head and smiled, "Yes, you guessed right. She's indeed your new junior sister brought back by your master. But she's a bit... special. Her temperament is bad, so don't approach her carelessly, or you might end up hurt."

Huang Jiujiu's round eyes stared at the Little Sun with curiosity—she only found the junior sister adorable, sensing nothing inherently bad.

"Brother Lin, Junior Brother feels there's something unusual about this baby girl," Nan Gongjin remarked.

Lin Fan chuckled, "You're right; she indeed has some peculiarities. Junior Brother has sharp eyes! Oh! Your cultivation level has risen so much; it seems Junior Brother had a unique chance encounter during the year I was away."

Nan Gongjin replied, "Brother Lin, half a year ago, I stumbled upon a secret realm while passing through a location and managed to enter. By chance, I obtained some fortuitous opportunities."

He didn't hide anything.

Normally, people fear revealing their stroke of fortune to avoid trouble.

But here, he was completely relaxed, deeply admiring Brother Lin's charismatic influence.

"Good, that's excellent. You've had a stroke of fortune, meaning you have destiny on your side. Perhaps you'll reach immortality one day," Lin Fan encouraged. Overall, within his circle of disciples, at least four or five should ascend to immortality to meet expectations. Remembering something important, he asked, "Regarding the disciples who sacrificed themselves at the mortal world's Demon Passage last year, how did the Sect Leader handle it? And what about the rewards for the survivors?"

Nan Gongjin assured him, "Brother Lin, rest assured. When Ye Donglai returned and conveyed your words to the Sect Leader, he appropriately rewarded the surviving disciples with generous treasures."

Lin Fan nodded in satisfaction, relieved that his words played an effective role. If they hadn't, it would've been deeply awkward.

Following this, he continued asking about numerous matters.

For cultivators, a year's time passes as fleetingly as a blink of an eye—but for Lin Fan, it felt significantly longer.

He asked about Meng Qingyao, anticipating perhaps some drama, but was told she had emerged from a period of seclusion with nothing truly out of the ordinary.

It seemed he had overthought things.

Xi Xi inquired, "Junior Brother, six months ago, a disciple from Kunxu Palace came looking for you. Her name was Cheng Lingsu. She's quite beautiful. When we told her that you were lost in the Northern Desolation, Senior Sister noticed her expression looked... off. Don't tell me you did something to her."

"Senior Sister, do I seem like that kind of person? It's pure friendship, forged in adversity—a bond of steel born from life-or-death encounters. It's not what you think. At most, I've touched her chest a few times. Nothing extreme or inappropriate!" Lin Fan said earnestly.

Everyone: ???

Confused and shocked.

Almost imploding with bewilderment.

Meanwhile.

The news of Lin Fan's return spread quickly.

Ye Donglai felt like he was standing tall again. As Taiwu Sect's most skilled flatterer, he had charmed Wen Xian into treating him as an actual brother.

Lin Fan was evidently far sharper, but Ye Donglai was convinced Lin Fan thought of him as a brother too.

This self-assurance was everything.

Taiwu Immortal Sect had fierce competition.

True Disciples were plentiful.

But only a select few stood out.

Ye Donglai aspired to great heights—who doesn't aim for Sect Leader? Yet, ambition must be tempered by capability.

So many outstanding seniors eclipsed him.

Hence, he redirected his focus, cultivating relationships with those most likely to lead the sect in the future. Becoming a Supreme Elder would guarantee his place.

Thus, he deliberately opted out of direct contention.

Inside the room.

"You all must keep a close eye on her—don't let your guard down. Her existence is highly unusual, with an extreme corruptive aura. I aim to reform her, guiding her onto the righteous path; even the slightest affinity with her should be approached with caution," Lin Fan instructed.

Xi Xi and the others nodded—they had already noted Little Sun's fierce nature.

She was extraordinarily feral.

Wilder than most demons.

Xi Xi asked, "Junior Brother, with her intense corruption, can she truly be rehabilitated?"

Lin Fan smiled confidently, "Of course. I've already embedded an ancient ring into her body to gradually suppress her corruption. Combined with my persistent teachings, it should be manageable."

Huang Jiujiu reached out to touch Little Sun, "Junior Sister is so adorable. How could she be bad?"

But before her hand could make contact.

Little Sun abruptly turned her head to bite Huang Jiujiu, at which point Lin Fan swiftly held her jaw, shaking his head in resignation.

"Jiu Er, don't be careless."

Huang Jiujiu withdrew her hand, cautiously eyeing the new junior sister.

"Junior Sister is really bad!"

"But she's adorable too. I still want to touch her."

Days later.

Lin Fan prepared to crack Little Sun's defenses further, personally crafting multiple dolls to entertain her—but each suffered brutal fates.

Some were dismembered; others lost their heads. The scenes were consistently gruesome.

Even so.

He remained unfazed.

The ancient ring's power began faintly taking effect.

Through repeated experiments, he discovered progress—though decapitations had reduced to simple dismemberment. This was an encouraging start.

What Lin Fan hadn't anticipated.

Huang Jiujiu seemed especially devoted to her junior sister. Although she didn't dare draw near, she frequently perched by the window, speaking to Little Sun.

One day.

She cupped her cheeks, leaning close to the window, chatting with Little Sun seated atop the bed.

"Junior Sister, don't you know how to talk yet?"

"I brought you something delicious. It was made by Master Chen himself—it's really tasty."

Then, Huang Jiujiu produced a chicken drumstick and tossed it toward Little Sun.

Little Sun glared fiercely, her expression monstrous. Huang Jiujiu recoiled a few steps, but summoned her courage to face her again, offering a warm smile.

"Junior Sister, it's delicious. Try it."

Huang Jiujiu pondered why her junior sister was so spiteful.

After much reflection.

She finally understood.

She must've been bullied for far too long—at last rescued by Master, which left her distrusting and hostile toward everyone.

Patience and familiarity were the only solutions.