Shattered Defenses

“Good wine, wonderful wine! This stuff really has a kick!”

Inside the wine cellar, Mo Yan was completely lost in his cups, losing all track of time. He drank with utter abandon, enjoying himself immensely.

He wasn't worried in the slightest about Wang Xuanyi returning anytime soon. He wouldn't be able to make it back, as Mo Yan had arranged for him to eat and spend the night at Tianyun Peak, in addition to assigning him a mission.

With this series of coordinated moves, it would take at least half a month for him to return.

“That boy is really something else. Tianyun Peak doesn't have many people, but they're all high quality. What's wrong with marrying a wife as soon as possible and letting this old man hold a great-grandchild early? How can he be so dense?”

As if sensing someone talking about him, Wang Xuanyi suddenly shivered while eating, a wave of inexplicable coldness washing over his entire body.

“Xuanyi, Junior Brother Mo Yan asked me to pass along a message. He has arranged a mission for you.” Xiao Hongye took a small bite of food and then conveyed Mo Yan's words.

Wang Xuanyi stopped stuffing his face and said respectfully, “This disciple understands. May I ask what the mission is? I will go handle it immediately.”

“No rush. Go after you finish eating.”

“Oh.”

With that, Wang Xuanyi sat back down. Little did he expect that Xiao Hongye's next sentence would instantly shatter his defenses, nearly causing him to faint on the spot.

Xiao Hongye said in a leisurely manner, “Sining, this mission is somewhat dangerous. I hope you can go with Xuanyi to temper your cultivation.”

Wang Xuanyi shuddered and slipped right off his seat, landing flat on his butt. His cheeks were stuffed full of food as he stared blankly at Xiao Hongye, his eyes practically screaming, Are you kidding me?

“Yes, Master.”

Wen Sining agreed without a second thought.

She had just broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, and her cultivation was not yet stable. She desperately needed some real-world experience to temper herself, so she didn't mind who she traveled with.

However, seeing Senior Brother Wang's panicked expression...

Could this mission be exceptionally perilous?

Wen Sining consoled him, “Senior Brother, I do have some strength. I won't let you fall into danger.”

Wang Xuanyi roared inwardly but didn't dare say it aloud. Swallowing the food in his mouth, he forced a smile and said, “Then I'll have to trouble you to look after me, Junior Sister.”

“There's no need to be polite between fellow disciples.”

As the two exchanged pleasantries, Leng Ning'an's expression grew colder and colder. Her master was clearly intending to have Wen Sining help this ungrateful wolf, Wang Xuanyi.

As for Long Zitian, he wasn't worried about Wang Xuanyi stealing his wives and concubines from his past life. After all, he possessed extensive knowledge of future events and understood Wen Sining's personality well. She was not the type to offer her hand in marriage just because someone saved her life.

Wen Sining was even more stubborn than Xiao Hongye. If she didn't like someone, she simply didn't like them, no matter how much they tried to please her. Even if she had to repay a life with a life, she would never fall in love with them.

Winning Wen Sining over was a long, tedious, and dull process.

Having been reborn, Long Zitian was currently debating whether he should even bother pursuing Wen Sining. In his past life, it had taken thousands of years of constant wooing to finally move her heart.

Yet, before they could even consummate their relationship and make it official, an unexpected disaster had occurred.

Because of this, Long Zitian was planning to abandon Wen Sining and try someone else instead.

After all, among his harem of wives and concubines, there were too many who were just like Wen Sining. He didn't need her.

His primary targets were Xiao Hongye and Leng Ning'an.

These two would be of immense help to his cultivation.

“Master, I have a question.”

Finally, Leng Ning'an couldn't hold back any longer. Seeing her cold, contemptuous expression, Wang Xuanyi looked at her as if she were his savior, his eyes filled with hope.

Though it was only a fleeting look, Xiao Hongye still caught it.

Xiao Hongye temporarily set aside her thoughts and turned to ask Leng Ning'an, “What is it?”

“Master, forgive my bluntness, but Senior Brother Wang's strength is meager, and he is still stuck in the Qi Refining Realm. This should be his own trial. If we forcefully interfere, wouldn't it cause his cultivation to stagnate?”

Every word Leng Ning'an spoke was the absolute truth, cutting like a howling, freezing wind.

Yes, yes, yes! Say exactly that! My strength is meager, so quickly let me handle the mission alone. I'll go early and return early. That's only fair to me! Wang Xuanyi crossed his arms and nodded in silent approval.

To his dismay, Xiao Hongye refuted, “It matters not. This mission is quite dangerous, making it a good opportunity for Sining as well. There is no need to worry about his strength.

“Furthermore, your senior brother is not in the Qi Refining Realm. Just like your junior sister, he has already broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, and he did so even earlier than you.”

“...”

With those words, not only did Leng Ning'an fall silent, but Long Zitian and the others also looked at the calm Wang Xuanyi in shock, reevaluating him.

“What?! He did it earlier than me?”

Leng Ning'an couldn't believe it.

Wang Xuanyi was two years younger than her and a year younger than Wen Sining. He had also started cultivating several years later than both of them. How could he have reached Foundation Establishment before them?

“Do you have the ability to question my words?”

Xiao Hongye said indifferently, then glanced at Wang Xuanyi.

She had no reason to lie. Wang Xuanyi's cultivation talent was decent and his bone structure was excellent. It was only his spiritual root that was slightly lacking. Otherwise, he might very well have broken the records of past cultivators.

Achieving the Golden Core Realm before the age of twenty.

(The cultivation realms for cultivators, from lowest to highest, are Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Violet Palace, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Formation, Void Return, Dao Integration, Tribulation Transcendence, and Great Ascension... Each realm is further divided into nine minor layers, with every three layers representing the early, mid, and late stages, followed by the great perfection stage after the ninth layer.)

“Martial Aunt, there's no need to expose this junior's cultivation realm like that, is there?”

Wang Xuanyi let out an embarrassed, bitter laugh.

The aura he released to the outside world was at the eighth layer of the Qi Refining Realm, masking his actual Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation. As for his true, precise cultivation level, unless he spoke of it himself, probably no one would ever know.

This was also something Zhu Huai had always been curious about. On the surface, his senior brother was always laughing and playing around, appearing a bit foolish, but in reality, no one could see through him. He was always shrouded in a layer of mist, impossible to read.

“You juniors always like to hide your cultivation to avoid drawing attention. It was my oversight for not considering your feelings,” Xiao Hongye said calmly.

There was neither apology nor guilt in her voice.

Instead, she maintained a very delicate balance.

“Haha, it's fine, Martial Aunt. We are all disciples of the Heavenly Martial Immortal Sect. It was this martial nephew who failed to understand his place,” Wang Xuanyi replied with a chuckle.

He didn't have the courage to clash with Xiao Hongye. Even if his old man came, they still wouldn't be able to beat her. It was better to admit it openly to avoid raising this old woman's suspicions.

After this little episode, he had lost his appetite anyway.

In that case, it was better to just leave.

Wang Xuanyi immediately said, “Thank you for the hospitality, Martial Aunt. This martial nephew is full. Please inform me of the mission location and the arrangements.”

“...”

Xiao Hongye was taken aback. What did this mean?

She understood the dynamic between Wang Xuanyi and Junior Brother Mo Yan very well. The two of them often argued and even brawled at the dining table.

Although Wang Xuanyi was always the one getting beaten up—often stuffing his face while taking a beating, and still finding the appetite to eat even when bruised like a pig's head—he always managed to keep eating.

Sometimes, Mo Yan would even have a large chunk of his beard ripped out by Wang Xuanyi, showing that both of them had their pathetic moments.

Yet, the atmosphere between Wang Xuanyi and her had never been this cold.

Moreover, wasn't Xuanyi acting far too restrained in front of her?!

Was this normal?