Wen Qingxue

White robes, black hair, long legs, and a flat chest. Her face was cold and distant, and her eyes seemed to be brewing a sharp sword light.

Every inch of her body radiated four words: 'Keep your distance.'

Xu Xian's first impression of the woman before him was that she was not someone to be trifled with.

Ye Xianyu introduced her, "Allow me to introduce you. This is Wen Qingxue, a Deacon of the Sword Suppression Hall. She is the prized pupil of Elder Li, the master of the Sword Suppression Hall, and a sword cultivator at the seventh-realm body integration stage."

Xu Xian nodded slightly and gave her a small smile.

"And this is Xu Xian."

A flicker of light moved within Wen Qingxue's clear eyes.

Ye Xianyu's voice grew heavier as she added, "He is also your Little Martial Grand-Uncle."

Wen Qingxue was visibly stunned, her expression one of utter bewilderment.

Ye Xianyu didn't seem to care. She stood up slowly and said nonchalantly, "Your Little Martial Grand-Uncle has just joined the sect and is unfamiliar with many things. Take him around and get him settled."

Wen Qingxue frowned slightly and gave a soft, "Oh."

Ye Xianyu looked back at Xu Xian with a smile. "Little Eleven, don't forget our agreement. If you haven't reached foundation establishment in a year, this senior sister will have to punish you. Hehe."

Their eyes met.

That smile sent shivers down Xu Xian's spine.

Ye Xianyu gave a graceful smile.

"I'm off."

With that, she rode the wind and vanished.

Xu Xian remained sitting on the edge of the cliff, his head throbbing. He hadn't even agreed to that.

Foundation establishment in one year.

Breaking through three realms in a row.

And she wouldn't even let him use the back door... that was a bit much.

After Ye Xianyu left, Wen Qingxue remained silent. She summoned a flying sword; when it left its scabbard, it was only three feet long and of average width.

As the sword hung in the air, it instantly grew larger. Wen Qingxue stepped onto the longsword and looked flatly at Xu Xian.

"Little Martial Grand-Uncle, let us go."

Xu Xian didn't dally. He stood up immediately, patted the dust off his rear, and stepped onto the longsword.

His fear of heights was real.

But this wasn't the first time he had flown, so it was manageable.

Especially now that he was a person of status, he couldn't lose face in front of his grand-disciples. Imitating the manner of an immortal, the youth stood with his hands behind his back, chin tilted high, and asked profoundly, "Grand-disciple, where are we going?"

Wen Qingxue seemed uncomfortable with the title 'grand-disciple.' A flash of distaste crossed her brow, and she countered with a question instead: "Are you standing steady?"

Xu Xian replied with an air of feigned seniority, "Just go."

Wen Qingxue said nothing more. With a mere thought, her sword took off with a zero-frame startup. From zero to a hundred in 0.01 seconds—Xu Xian's center of gravity shifted, and he tumbled backward off the cliff...

"Ah! Grand-disciple... protect me!"

Wen Qingxue sighed and shook her head. The sword dove straight down like a whistling wind, returning to the sky with the youth already back on the blade.

Xu Xian clung desperately to Wen Qingxue's waist. He no longer cared for his 'ancestor's dignity' or the impropriety of physical contact between men and women. His legs were shaking, and he didn't dare look up.

Wen Qingxue furrowed her brows. Without a word, she focused on controlling the sword.

The sword crossed a thousand peaks.

As they traveled toward the setting sun, they passed over a mountain peak. A disciple happened to look up and catch a fleeting glimpse. He swallowed hard and muttered, "Holy crap... He dares to hug Senior Sister Wen. That kid is brave. Truly a role model for us all."

As requested by Ye Xianyu, Wen Qingxue took Xu Xian away from Sword Inquiry Peak and brought him to Zhijian Peak, the headquarters of the Deacon Hall.

This was also the peak under Li Qingshan's jurisdiction.

When the immortal sword landed, Xu Xian still had his eyes tightly shut, clinging to Wen Qingxue. She reminded him, "Little Martial Grand-Uncle, we have arrived."

Xu Xian opened his eyes.

"Hmm?"

He let out a long sigh of relief.

"Can you let go now?" Wen Qingxue asked.

Xu Xian's face flushed with embarrassment. He quickly released his grip and hopped off the sword, explaining awkwardly, "Sorry, sorry... my apologies, I was out of line..."

Wen Qingxue remained expressionless. She put away her sword, straightened her robes, and walked forward.

Xu Xian followed, looking left and right. The bluestone paths wound through the landscape, with pavilions and towers standing tall at every turn. Occasionally, immortal cranes could be seen soaring through the clouds, chasing the sunset, while exotic flowers and herbs grew along the mountain paths.

He asked curiously, "Where is this?"

"Zhijian Peak."

Xu Xian nodded thoughtfully and asked again, "Where are you taking me?"

At that moment, Xu Xian's stomach let out an unceremonious growl.

True to her habit of being frugal with words, Wen Qingxue replied, "To eat."

Xu Xian's eyes lit up. His confusion, doubt, and novelty were all swept away. It was as if a character with low health had returned to the fountain; he was instantly revitalized and full of spirit. "Eating is good!"

His pace naturally quickened, and he soon overtook Wen Qingxue, leading the way. "It's this way, right? Let's hurry..."

Wen Qingxue said nothing, simply picking up her own speed.

At the end of the path, a building appeared. Red candlelight glowed within, and thin wisps of cooking smoke rose from above. Many disciples were rushing in and out.

As they drew closer, the clamor from inside the building reached them. The evening breeze carried a mouth-watering aroma, making Xu Xian's mouth water.

He stopped at the entrance, looked up, and read the sign:

"Spirit Food Workshop."

Wen Qingxue walked past him into the building. Xu Xian retracted his gaze and followed at a quick trot.

Inside, tables were arranged neatly in rows, each equipped with a chopstick holder. Many disciples were hunched over, eating heartily. They looked like they were enjoying every bite!

Wen Qingxue found a long table by the window and sat down gracefully. Xu Xian hurried to sit opposite her, his eyes still scanning the surroundings with anticipation.

Suddenly, a man appeared. He was fat with large ears and a greasy face. His short hair was sparse, an apron was tied around his waist, and he carried a large ladle over his shoulder. A collection of kitchen knives was tucked into his belt. He swaggered over to them and laughed heartily.

"Oh, rare guests! Rare guests indeed! Senior Sister Wen has actually deigned to eat in my humble establishment. This place is truly blessed. I was wondering why my right eyelid kept twitching today. As expected, something good was bound to happen! Hahaha!"

Facing the flattery, Wen Qingxue simply looked at him and said, "Is it on the house then?"

Upon hearing this, the fat man's smile vanished instantly. He became exceptionally grave.

Pretending they weren't acquainted, he asked formally, "What would the two guests like to eat?"

His change in attitude was faster than the wind could react. He emphasized, "This is a small business. No credit allowed."

Wen Qingxue's cold eyes remained unchanged. She pulled out a palm-sized green jade tablet and said flatly, "A bowl of spirit porridge."

The fat man's face changed again, breaking into a brilliant smile. "Coming right up!"

After taking the jade tablet, he looked back and forth between Xu Xian and Wen Qingxue and asked, "Is one bowl enough?"

Wen Qingxue frowned slightly.

The fat man understood immediately.

"Understood. Just a moment."

He trotted off with his ladle. Xu Xian quickly shouted after him, "I want a large bowl!"

The fat man glanced back at Xu Xian—just a single glance—then scratched his nearly bald head and walked away, shaking his head as if lost in thought.

Wen Qingxue remained silent.

Xu Xian had thought he'd be getting a grand feast; he hadn't expected it to just be porridge. However, he wasn't picky.

As long as there was food, he wouldn't complain. No one owed him anything, after all. He eagerly pulled out a pair of chopsticks, tapped them on the table to align them, and stared toward the kitchen.

He was starving.

"Dao jade."

Wen Qingxue uttered the two words.

Xu Xian blinked.

Wen Qingxue said softly, "That jade tablet just now... it is called a dao jade."