Chapter 349: Senior brother, you are back!
The sun hung high in the sky as the airship gracefully pierced through the clouds, crossing the boundary between the Central and Western Realms, and returning to the Western Territory. Outside the window, the landscape gradually shifted from barren deserts to lush green mountains and rivers.
A gentle autumn breeze whispered into the room, creating gentle ripples on the long silver locks.
Feng Yudie lounged on the windowsill, lazily watching the receding mountains outside, occasionally brushing her bangs as she pondered.
—Senior Sister Xiao and Young Master Ye were now a couple.
She had overheard their conversation in the corridor that night and witnessed Young Master Ye embrace and kiss Senior Sister Xiao.
Feng Yudie genuinely felt happy for them, believing they were well-suited for each other. Plus, with Young Master Ye spending more time with Senior Sister Xiao, she could enjoy more time alone with Junior Sister Pei.
It should have been a good thing. But for some reason, whenever she recalled that night’s scene, a strange feeling enveloped her.
So much so that—
—these past few days, even roast chicken didn’t taste as savory anymore.
“Woo…”
Xiao Tian, sitting on the room’s bed with a scroll of celestial teachings in hand, looked up at the sound, glancing at Feng Yudie.
“Yudie, what’s wrong?”
“Argh!” Feng Yudie exclaimed, as if in a frenzy, darting back from the window and onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow, pounding the bed with her hands and feet. “I just feel so irritated! I don’t know why, I just feel so irritated! Argh!”
Xiao Tian watched her for a moment, sighed lightly, then resumed reading, licking his fingers and turning the pages.
“Yudie, if you’re bored, why not go find Anping?”
Hearing this, Feng Yudie’s hair bristled, and she turned to look at him, but after a moment of hesitation, she shook her head and buried her face back into the pillow.
“Never mind…”
“Hmm!”
Feng Yudie pursed her lips and expressed with a slightly discontented tone, “He’s with Senior Sister Xiao, why should I bother?”
However, upon hearing this, Xiao Tian suddenly seemed to sense something. How could he detect a hint of jealousy in her words?
Swiftly, he floated over to Feng Yudie’s side, raising an eyebrow as he inquired,
“Yudie, are you feeling jealous? Uncomfortable seeing Ye Anping and Xiao Girl together? hey-hey–”
“Why would I be jealous? I have no romantic interest in Senior Sister Xiao.”
Feng Yudie raised her eyebrows proudly as she replied,
“I’m devoted to Junior Sister Pei!! But… speaking of which, what has Junior Sister Pei been up to these days? She never leaves her room, and she won’t let me in to hang out with her…”
Xiao Tian averted his gaze and responded,
“Ah… Um… She’s probably practicing Qi Condensation!”
“Oh… That’s how it is…”
Feeling somewhat disheartened, Feng Yudie sighed and then flopped back onto the bed, feeling restless.
“So dull, so dull~~”
Xiao Tian looked at the innocent demeanor of Feng Yudie and felt somewhat weary for reasons he couldn’t quite pinpoint. He shook his head and sighed.
Thinking about it, Ye Anping was also guilty of forgetting his old friends when he found new ones.
These past few days, besides spending time with Pei Girl and Xiao Girl, he had completely overlooked Feng Yudie. Back when they were in Tainan City, he used to wake her up every day on time and encourage her to practice.
“Hmph! Anping is truly rotten to the core!”
Although Feng Yudie didn’t understand why Xiao Tian suddenly wanted to scold Ye Anping, she immediately nodded in agreement, hands on hips, and declared, “Yes! Rotten to the core!”
Xiao Tian was momentarily shocked and asked, “Why do you say he’s bad?”
“I just feel like scolding him out of the blue!”
Bang bang——
Two knocks echoed from outside the house. Feng Yudie paused, tapped her nose, and immediately caught the scent of roast chicken, sparking a glimmer in her previously dull eyes.
“It’s roast chicken!”
She briskly hopped out of bed and rushed to open the door. Ye Anping stood at the doorway, watching Feng Yudie open it with a speechless expression. He handed her the roast chicken and asked, “It’s me, not the roast chicken.”
“Hehe, didn’t you bring me roast chicken? It’s the same,” Feng Yudie replied with a smirk, snatching the chicken from his hand and heading back to the round table in the room to indulge in her meal.
Seeing that Ye Anping had no intention of leaving, Feng Yudie paused, toning down her usual hearty eating habits, and asked, “What’s up? Do you want to eat too?”
“…I do want to eat. I’ll just roast another one myself,” Ye Anping sighed, taking a new storage bag from his waist and placing it on the table.
“This is the reward for the Emperor Sect’s tasks. Brother Liang and Miss Ye sorted out the account books yesterday. I brought them for you,” Ye Anping explained.
“Oh,” Feng Yudie nodded, “Just leave it there. I’ll take a look after I finish eating.”
“Then, about your core formation. In this bag, I’ve prepared all the heavenly materials and earthly treasures you need. You have Heavenly Spiritual roots and the blood of the Holy Emperor, and with Xiao Tian by your side, forming a core shouldn’t be a problem. But there are some things you should pay attention to,” Ye Anping advised, pulling out a few jade slips from his storage bag containing core formation methods he had compiled for Feng Yudie over the past half-month.
Placing the jade slips on the table, Ye Anping felt a sudden wave of fatigue. Looking at Feng Yudie holding the roast chicken, he suddenly felt a paternal sense of responsibility, much like she was his troublesome daughter.
“Take a good look at these jade slips. Core formation is no trivial matter,” Ye Anping reminded her.
Feng Yudie glanced at several jade tablets, as if sensing his annoyance, waved her hand and said, “Oops! Got it~”
“Don’t just brush it off, take it seriously,” Ye Anping frowned slightly, his eyes showing a hint of severity. “The core formation process can take anywhere from half a year to two years. If you encounter any difficulties later on, you won’t be able to find me.”
Seeing his expression, Feng Yudie smiled, mimicking Pei Lianxue, took a deep breath, and exclaimed loudly, “Okay!!”
Xiao Tian floated over and reassured, “It’s okay, Anping, I’ll accompany her. Yudie has great potential, forming the core is just a minor issue. But for you, with dual spiritual roots, it’ll be much tougher. How about I accompany you? If there are any problems, I can help you through one or two tribulations.”
“No need, just stick with her,” Ye Anping replied, sighing softly before continuing, “In two days, the flying boat will reach the Hundred Lotus Sect. After landing, you and Senior Sister Xiao, along with her sister, will return to Xuanxing Sect first. After I sever ties with my junior sister, I’ll send her to Xuanxing Sect. I’ve already informed Senior Sister Xiao and Miss Xuanji about the spiritual formation, they’ll prepare everything for you. There’s nothing else to worry about.”
“I know, you’re so verbose,” Feng Yudie teased.
“As I always say, if I ever stop being verbose with you, then you’re beyond help,” Ye Anping retorted.
“Alright, let’s go. Take your time eating,” He said, adjusting his clothes and heading towards the door.
Seeing him leave, Feng Yudie hesitated for a moment, then grabbed a roast chicken leg from the table and chased after him. “Wait! Here, take this!”
“Hmm!” Ye Anping turned, surprised.
“A token of gratitude, hee hee,” She grinned, handing him the chicken leg before pushing him out of her room and closing the door with a snap.
Ye Anping stood outside her door, silent for a while. He looked down at the oily chicken leg in his hand, feeling a bit weary. With a sigh, he raised it to his mouth and took a bite.
“Hmm… Next time, let’s add more sugar,” He muttered.
Tasting the chicken drumsticks, Ye Anping slowly departed the corridor. Meanwhile, inside the room, Feng Yudie closed the door and returned, settling back at the round table. She observed the storage bag and several jade slips that Ye Anping had placed there, feeling unexpectedly content.
She couldn’t quite pinpoint the reason behind her happiness, but it lingered nonetheless.
“Hehe… howl~”
Then, lifting the roasted chicken, she took a bite and tore off a sizable chunk of meat.
In recent days, the roast chicken, which had lost its flavor, seemed to have regained its deliciousness.
Whizzing–
The autumn breeze swept through Wanzhong Mountain, causing the red leaves in the forest to flutter and fall to the ground.
On the spiritual Lake beside the Hundred Lotus Sect, a bamboo raft with a canopy floated alone in the center, swaying with the waves.
Ye Ao, clad in his pink robe, sat on a bamboo chair for two hours, holding a spirit jade fishing rod. However, the fish basket at his feet remained empty, just as it had been when he arrived.
“Hey! I’ve got a bite!!”
Suddenly, a robust voice stirred the lake’s surface, creating ripples. Another cultivator sitting on a bamboo chair beside Ye Ao stood up, pulled a three-pound grass carp from the lake, and placed it in his fish basket.
This person was Huangshan Hu, the sect leader of the Tiger Roar Sect, with cultivation in the late stage of core formation.
Glancing at his fish basket filled with more than a dozen fish and then at Ye Ao’s still-empty one, Huangshan Hu grinned broadly,
“Haha—Old Ye, I told you before. Fishing is all about technique, not the fishing rod. Your fishing rod, worth a hundred thousand spiritual stones, isn’t as effective as my bamboo stick.”
“…”
Ye Ao’s face turned pale with anger, feeling somewhat frustrated and unsure how to respond. However, Wang Shouren, seated on Ye Ao’s left, spoke up,
“Sect Master Huang, the essence of fishing lies in the process, it’s common for nine out of ten attempts to yield nothing. We cultivators engage in fishing for self-improvement. If it’s merely for the fish, wouldn’t it be better to purchase them with spirit stones?” Ye Ao listened to these words and promptly added, “Indeed, Lao Huang. Fishing isn’t about the fish, but about finding tranquility.”
Huang Shan glanced at the fish basket of Wang Shouren, filled to the brim with ten fish, and chuckled, “Elder Wang, you’ve truly excelled in finding inner peace through fishing. Your harvest is impressive, and I commend you for it!”
Ye Ao, hearing this, paused briefly, unable to find words to respond. After a moment of contemplation, he turned to Wang Shouren and inquired, “Elder Wang, have there been any updates from the Central Domain Emperor Sect? I’ve heard rumors of the demon clan unexpectedly venturing beyond their territory. Is there any truth to this?”
Wang Shouren paused for a moment upon hearing this, glanced at the two, and replied, “Indeed, there is truth to it. However, the exact situation in the Central Domain remains unclear. Xuanxing Sect has dispatched disciples to investigate, but it seems the situation there is currently chaotic. None of the dispatched disciples have returned yet.”
Upon hearing this, Ye Ao nodded slightly with a hint of concern, “I see… I wonder how Anping is faring. He seems to attract trouble wherever he goes.”
Huang Shan, upon hearing Ye Ao’s words, inquired, “What is your boy doing in the Central Domain?”
“I have no idea,” Ye Ao replied. “He didn’t inform me. All I know is that he wanted to go, and soon after, news of the demon clan’s breach reached me.”
Having lost face to Huang Shan in fishing, Ye Ao now sought to boast about his excellent son to regain his pride, intentionally changing the subject, “Old Huang, how’s your son doing? What’s his current level of cultivation?”
“He reached the middle stage of foundation building last month. Considering he has a single spiritual root qualification, I’m content. It’s quite impressive to reach the middle stage of foundation building at twenty,” Huang Shan replied proudly.
“At twenty, only in the middle stage of foundation building? Isn’t that a bit slow? My son was already at that stage last year. Perhaps he’ll even reach the late stage of foundation building when he returns,” Ye Ao boasted.
“Oh, come on,” Huang Shan waved dismissively, clearly skeptical. “Your son has dual spiritual root qualifications. He can’t progress that quickly. You haven’t resorted to any miraculous techniques to expedite his progress, have you?”
“How could that be? If you doubt it, ask Elder Wang. My son is training at Xuanxing Sect.”
“Oh! How did the dual spiritual roots get in?”
“As a study companion.”
“Study companion!” Hearing that term, Huang Shan also chuckled, shook his head, and jokingly said, “I recall, being a study companion involves doing laundry and washing feet for disciples! Is your son working as a study companion for someone else’s son?”
The middle-aged man’s tendency to compare was evident, causing Wang Shouren to shake his head repeatedly. However, Mr. Qi and the sect leader seemed to favor Ye Anping, so he chimed in to support Ye Ao, saying, “Master Huang, the young master of the Hundred Lotus Sect is accompanying the young master Xiao of Xuanxing Sect.”
“Young Master Xiao…” Huang Shan paused, widened his eyes, and exclaimed, “What on earth? Is his son serving as a companion to Immortal Danyue’s daughter?”
“Haha… that’s the case.”
Huang Shan was immediately dumbfounded. Then, Wang Shouren adjusted his beard, looked up at the sky, and sighed, “Speaking of which, Immortal Danyue has been in seclusion for half a year. She occasionally asks me to play chess with her to pass the time. I wonder how long she’ll be in seclusion this time.”
“In seclusion! Could it be that she’s about to make a breakthrough into the Mahayana realm?”
“It shouldn’t happen that quickly. I wonder what she’s thinking. Who can predict the thoughts of these virtual cultivators?”
“True.”
As the two conversed casually, the serene blue lake surface was suddenly overshadowed by a massive black shadow, as if a solar eclipse had occurred, casting the entire lake into darkness in an instant.
The three individuals on the bamboo raft paused briefly, then immediately looked up to see a sizable divine boat flying slowly towards the main peak of the Hundred Lotus Sect at a low altitude.
They all appeared visibly stunned for a moment, but it was Wang Shouren who regained his composure first. He looked at the totem painted on the tail of the divine boat and muttered, “Is this the Royal Boat of the Emperor Sect’s Heavenly Execution Court? Sect Master Ye, have you invited people from the Heavenly Execution Court?”
“Ah!” Ye Ao looked perplexed and shook his head. “I have no idea.”
Huang Shan paused briefly, then patted Ye Ao on the shoulder and remarked, “Judging by the direction it’s heading, it seems to be preparing to land within your Hundred Lotus Sect. The Emperor Sect’s Heavenly Execution Court… Could it be, Lao Ye, that there are some fugitive cultivators hidden within your sect?”
Ye Ao blinked and remained silent for a moment. He knew he didn’t have the authority to engage with the Emperor Sect’s Heavenly Execution Court, so he politely gestured and said, “Old Huang, Elder Wang, would you mind accompanying me to take a look? Your presence would be greatly appreciated.”