“Halt.”
“Senior Sister Yu Fei.”
“Who are these two?”
“Oh, they are two newly joined outer disciples. With the Old Ancestor’s birthday celebration coming up, we were short on personnel across various divisions, so Martial Uncle Li ordered me to recruit some new disciples.”
The middle-aged man leading them, dressed in light yellow robes, bowed respectfully.
Though she was clearly younger than him, he addressed her as Senior Sister.
The woman, looking elegant in deep purple attire, swept her eyes over the three strangers across from her before taking long strides toward Yao Dai.
“What is your name?”
Standing behind, Yao Dai lowered her head and furrowed her brow. Did she discover something?
Wen Li curled her lips into a calm, gentle smile and casually answered for her.
“Replying to Senior Sister, her name is Yao Dai.”
Upon hearing this name, Yu Fei narrowed her slender fox-like eyes. “You...”
Yao Dai’s heart leaped into her throat, her fingers twitching slightly under her sleeves.
“Forget it. You may leave.”
Unexpectedly, Yu Fei waved her hand and let them go.
“Understood. We shall take our leave.”
The Taixuan Sect disciple leading the group ushered the two away.
Yu Fei also turned and flew toward the central pavilion nestled among the mountains.
“Master.”
The wooden door opened, and she stepped inside, bowing her head to report.
“We have been searching for ten days, but we still haven’t found Senior Feng Ling. After relaying the news to Jiuyin Island, they didn't blame our Taixuan Sect. They merely said they could not send any more people over and offered their advance congratulations for the Old Ancestor’s birthday.”
Inside, the Taixuan Sect’s Grand Elder, Shen Qiyong, opened his eyes from his meditation.
“Mm. Then we won't concern ourselves with Jiuyin Island. How are the preparations for the other guests coming along?”
“The important guests have been settled in Penglai Residence. Among them, the representatives from Lingjian Sect, Fuxian Sect, and Xuandu Sect have all arrived.”
“Good.” Shen Qiyong stood up, and Yu Fei immediately stepped forward to support him.
“When I took you in years ago, you were just a child. Now, many years have passed, and you are at the mid stage of the Golden Core realm. Though your talent falls short of your junior brother’s, you are diligent and willing to endure hardship.”
Yu Fei bowed her head. “With Master's careful guidance and exemplary leadership, I would not dare to be anything less than twice as diligent. Junior Brother is indeed extraordinarily gifted, having reached the early stage of the Golden Core realm five years ahead of me. Surpassing me is only a matter of time.”
“Mm.” Seeing her so humble and respectful, Shen Qiyong felt deeply gratified. “There is no need to belittle yourself. Although your talent is not listed on the Aptitude Ranking, you accumulate strength steadily to burst forth later. When the Five Provinces Aptitude Battle comes, there will certainly be a place for you.”
Yu Fei whipped her head up, astonishment flashing in her eyes. “Master... wants me to represent the Taixuan Sect in the Western Province's Qingyun Gathering?”
Only by passing the selection at the Western Province's Qingyun Gathering would one qualify to represent the Western Province in the Five Provinces Aptitude Battle. And if one stood out there, they could attract the attention of powerful factions from the Central Province.
Shen Qiyong walked out to the balcony railing and gazed into the distant horizon, his aging voice carrying a hint of helplessness. “This Western Province is vast, but even at its grandest, it is not even one-tenth the size of the Central Province. Do you know why, for tens of thousands of years, the number of Fourth-Grade Cultivation Kingdoms in each province has remained fixed, and why barriers are erected between every province?”
“As for why the number of Fourth-Grade Cultivation Kingdoms remains fixed, your disciple does not know.” She had always assumed that as long as a Third-Grade Cultivation Kingdom met the required number of high-level cultivators to qualify, it could advance to Fourth-Grade status and enjoy the corresponding resources and territory.
“As for the provincial barriers...” Yu Fei offered tentatively, “is it not to protect the cultivators of each province and minimize conflicts and wars?”
Chasms and oceans separated the provinces, and their customs differed, occasionally leading to minor clashes among cultivators.
“That explanation only fools cultivators below the Soul Formation realm.”
Shen Qiyong chuckled softly and shook his head. “When you reach the Soul Formation realm one day, you will realize just how thin the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is in the other four provinces outside the Central Province. It is to the point where once the number of Soul Formation cultivators reaches a certain limit, for a new Soul Formation cultivator to emerge, another Soul Formation cultivator must be killed.”
At this point, Shen Qiyong seemed to recall something that terrified him, stopping himself from elaborating further. “In short, the Old Ancestor has already decided that you will lead our team at the Qingyun Gathering ten years from now. You must seize one of the few spots that the Taixuan Sect spends vast amounts of resources every century to secure.”
Yu Fei only half-understood, but she grasped the underlying truth: her master meant that leaving the Western Province to enter the Central Province was the only real way forward.
“Yes! Thank you, Old Ancestor and Master, for your high regard. Your disciple will surely work twice as hard.”
...
“You two will stay here for now. I'll come back tomorrow to assign you your duties.”
“Yes, thank you, Senior Brother.”
In front of a simple thatched hut, Yao Dai held out five medium-grade spirit stones with a beaming smile, handing them to the Taixuan Sect disciple who had led them inside.
“Easy, easy.”
Once the man left, the smile vanished from Yao Dai’s face.
She followed Wen Li into the thatched hut and looked around. It was reasonably clean—as long as the money was right, everything went smoothly.
As for why Xie Tinglan hadn't come along, it was because the duration he could maintain his teenage form was unstable. What sect would take in a four-year-old toddler?
What’s more, after Yao Dai’s incident at the inn, the Taixuan Sect had likely sent people to investigate the appearances of all three of them. Yao Dai and Wen Li had solved the issue with disguise, but Xie Tinglan’s tiny frame was simply too eye-catching.
Wen Li had given him an aura-concealing talisman and sent him to wait outside as backup.
“Master, can we really take advantage of the chaos during the birthday celebration to kill Chen Feng?”
Yao Dai was still uneasy, afraid of putting Wen Li in danger.
Wen Li calmly sat in a chair and poured herself a glass of water to drink. “We’ll look for an opportunity first. If it doesn't work, we’ll just leave. When you grow powerful enough in the future, you can come back and take revenge yourself—including the Taixuan Sect’s Old Ancestor.”
Hearing this, Yao Dai felt uncertain. The Taixuan Sect’s Old Ancestor was at least at the early stage of the Soul Formation realm, while she hadn't even reached Foundation Establishment yet. Would that day really ever come?
Noticing her doubts, Wen Li snapped her fingers. “What, if you don't believe in yourself, do you not believe in me? I am the top of the Aptitude Ranking. Could I possibly teach you into a failure?”
“...”
Yao Dai pouted, unable to hold back. “In that case, aren't you only at Foundation Establishment Great Perfection yourself?”
Wen Li clicked her tongue softly and tapped Yao Dai's forehead. “When your cultivation surpasses mine one day, I will naturally let you go to a better place. For now, you still need protection.”
Yao Dai grew anxious and immediately stepped forward to grab her sleeve. “Master, do you not want me anymore?”
“You said it yourself—I’m only at Foundation Establishment Great Perfection.” A faint smile tugged at Wen Li’s lips. “Staying by my side won't allow you to make greater progress. Master wants to wait for you to take me to see a broader world.”
“No! Without Master, no matter how vast the world is, it means nothing to me.” Yao Dai knitted her brows, dropped half to her knees, and threw herself into Wen Li’s arms.
She understood the logic, but she had never considered leaving Wen Li. Even if she became stronger than her, she could just protect her instead.
Seated, Wen Li froze for a moment before gently stroking Yao Dai’s head. “No, you cultivate not for your master, but for yourself. As long as you do not betray the sect, no matter where you are, your master will always hold you in my thoughts. One day, we will meet at the peak.”
“Mm-hmm, Master! Who says we have to part ways just because I grow strong? You are the top of the Aptitude Ranking, so you will definitely cultivate faster than me. I certainly won't catch up to you.”
Yao Dai’s mind was in turmoil. Right now, she was in no mood to think about revenge; she simply clung to Wen Li and acted spoiled, trying to coax her into promising they would stay together, as her master was always softest when she acted like this.
...
Rate on N.U.
