Early the next morning, Ye Tianyi dragged Lu Changsheng out of his peaceful slumber.
True to his word from the day before, he was taking his Junior Brother out to cultivate. In mere moments, they had already left the bounds of the Cangyun Sect.
“Senior Brother, even if we are to cultivate, there is no need to be in such a rush, right? The sky isn’t even bright yet!” Lu Changsheng protested, his eyes still heavy with sleep.
“A day’s plan is set in the morning, and a lifetime’s path is forged through diligence. We cultivators must naturally be industrious. While Master has been away, I was too absorbed in my own cultivation and neglected your discipline. Starting today, I will personally oversee your progress!” Ye Tianyi spoke with absolute conviction.
Lu Changsheng was left entirely speechless. After ten years of being allowed to run wild, having someone suddenly breathe down his neck like this was incredibly hard to swallow.
“How about we wait for Master to return and let him supervise me personally? Let us not trouble you, Senior Brother!”
He assumed this would make Ye Tianyi relent.
Instead, his Senior Brother’s expression turned solemn.
“Junior Brother, there are some matters I had been waiting for the right opportunity to tell you. Since you brought it up, I shall tell you now!”
“What matter? Is Master about to pass away?” Lu Changsheng’s expression froze.
Ye Tianyi shook his head. He fell silent for a long time before slowly saying, “Originally, I was accompanying Master on his travels. But two years ago, Master suddenly disappeared!”
“Disappeared?”
“Correct. I searched for two full years without finding a single trace of him. Left with no other choice, I returned to the Sect. However, this matter cannot be mentioned to outsiders, lest it draw unwanted trouble. As of now, only the Sect’s upper echelons know!” Ye Tianyi said with utmost gravity.
Lu Changsheng was completely rendered speechless.
Back then, he had just been minding his own business, walking down the street, when an old man fell from the sky. The old man fiercely insisted that his bone structure was peerless, calling him a one-in-ten-thousand cultivation prodigy. Blabbering endlessly, the old man demanded to take him in as a disciple.
In the end, the old man had simply tied him up and dragged him to Qingyun Peak. It was a true tragedy for his vast family fortune-who knew who ended up inheriting it.
He could have let that go. After all, since he was already here, he might as well cultivate. If he achieved greatness in the Dao, wouldn’t he be able to run amok and dominate a region?
What he never expected was that on his second day upon the mountain, that old man would dump him onto Eldest Senior Brother and leave to wander the world.
He had been gone for ten whole years. He had not spared a single thought for the psychological shadow it would cast on an eight-year-old child to grow up in such a cruel environment.
To make matters worse, he was stuck with this monstrous, Spirit-Qi-devouring physique.
Lu Changsheng wanted to weep but lacked the tears. He had lived cautiously for ten years and managed to grow up, but now he was being told that his Master was lost…
“Just what kind of wretched ship have I been dragged onto…”
For a moment, his heart was a tangled mess of emotions. What difference did it make whether he had a Master or not?
Ye Tianyi, completely unaware of his Junior Brother’s shifting mood, continued talking.
“I heard from the Sect that Master came to the Cangyun Sect over a hundred years ago. He seemed to have lost his memory when he arrived. More than ten years ago, he suddenly remembered something and insisted on traveling the world. The Sect was worried and had me follow him, but I ended up losing track of him…”
Lu Changsheng was speechless. Still, he could tell that Ye Tianyi was an earnest, straightforward, and somewhat pitiful person.
“Senior Brother, say no more. Let us just cultivate diligently!”
It was only meant to be a polite comfort.
Instead, Ye Tianyi nodded vigorously.
“You are absolutely right, Little Junior Brother. I will cultivate diligently. Once I reach Core Formation, I will head out and search for him. I will definitely bring the old man back!”
“…”
Lu Changsheng had no words. It was blatantly obvious that Master had ditched him and run off to enjoy himself who-knows-where, yet Ye Tianyi was still dead set on dragging the old man back.
Talking as they walked, they arrived at the foot of a mountain-their destination for this trip!
However, looking at this mountain peak, Lu Changsheng frowned once more.
“You dragged me out of bed early in the morning just to bring me to the outer disciple trial grounds?” Lu Changsheng was dumbfounded.
This place was several hundred li away from the Sect, a location designated entirely for outer disciple trials.
In the eyes of others, he only possessed the cultivation of the third layer of Spirit Accumulation and could not compare to Direct Disciples. Even so, bringing him here was somewhat insulting. At the very least, he should have been brought to the inner disciple trial grounds.
Ye Tianyi lowered his voice and said, “Junior Brother, there is something you do not know. The Sect has upgraded the difficulty here. It is no longer the same as before. Furthermore, almost no one realizes that an Earth Spirit Vein is hidden here. Even Eldest Senior Brother comes here to cultivate!”
Lu Changsheng let out a soft sigh. He already knew Eldest Senior Brother was here; he had come here last night, after all.
He had discovered the Spirit Vein here years ago and had nearly sucked it entirely dry. What was the point of coming here now?
However, he couldn’t be bothered to complain. Although there was nothing remarkable left about this place, it had the advantage of being quiet. With twenty thousand Spirit Stones in hand, he could enjoy a peaceful cultivation session.
Upon reaching their spot, Ye Tianyi watched Lu Changsheng enter a state of cultivation before finally sitting to the side with a satisfied expression.
Glancing at his Senior Brother, Lu Changsheng felt helpless. Ye Tianyi meant well and genuinely wanted to help him.
Giving in, Lu Changsheng began to cultivate. Elevating his cultivation base was the true path forward.
After all, ever since he had witnessed the cruelty of the cultivation world-where a single misstep could lead to one’s body perishing and their Dao vanishing-he had never dared to slack off. He feared that a moment of carelessness would leave him dead in some unknown ditch.
The only agonizing part was that the twenty thousand Spirit Stones were rapidly devoured. He was still a long way from the ninth layer of Core Formation. Without at least a hundred thousand Spirit Stones, breaking through would be impossible.
“If the ninth layer of Core Formation demands this much, how much will Nascent Soul require? Are the heavens truly going to force me to resort to robbery?” Lu Changsheng thought in utter frustration.
The amount of Spiritual Qi he needed was simply staggering. The quantity of Spiritual Qi he had just consumed would have been more than enough to nurture two Void Transformation realm experts.
He only wanted to break through to the Nascent Soul realm as quickly as possible. According to the ancient records of the Myriad Tribulations Immortal Physique, once he reached Nascent Soul, the agonizing pain of cultivation would cease. The only catch was that every subsequent breakthrough would require him to undergo Tribulation Transcendence.
When all was said and done, he was still short on Spirit Stones. The amount was far too vast, and he had no idea how long it would take to scrape it together. At that moment, Ning Yuxin’s figure flashed through his mind once more. Visit novelping dot com for the full chapter.
“As the daughter of the wealthiest man in the region, she ought to be loaded!”
With that thought, an idea quickly took root in his mind. He quietly slipped away and headed back to the Sect.
He had already been here for a few days. By now, Ning Yuxin should have successfully manifested her Sword Intent. He needed to go back and check if she had any other areas requiring improvement.
Lu Changsheng swiftly returned to the Sect, rushing non-stop back to Qingyun Peak.
The moment he arrived, he spotted her sitting at a stone table. A pile of ancient books and scrolls lay scattered before her, and her face was etched with worry and deep disappointment.
“Junior Sister Ning, did you fail to manifest it? That shouldn’t be possible!”
Lu Changsheng feigned confusion, though he could already sense the newborn Sword Intent coiled within her body.
Ning Yuxin looked up and let out a soft sigh. “I succeeded!”
“Then why do you look so gloomy? Is Eldest Senior Brother still ignoring you?”
“No!” Ning Yuxin shook her head. “After I condensed my Sword Intent, Eldest Senior Brother’s attitude toward me changed completely. He considerately explained the Way of the Sword to me and even gave me all his personal cultivation insight notes. He comes by every day to guide me!”
“Isn’t that wonderful? You have grown closer! What on earth are you worrying about?” Lu Changsheng asked.
Based on his understanding of Eldest Senior Brother, the only things that could ever capture his attention were related to the Way of the Sword-whether it be rare sword manuals, predecessors’ hand-written insights, or fellow sword cultivators.
This was a blatant success.
Ning Yuxin pointed at the table. “But I have been reading these for days and I cannot understand a single word. If time drags on and he realizes I haven’t made an inch of progress, will he…”
Lu Changsheng immediately understood her fears. He casually picked up one of the manuals and leafed through it.
After a moment, he could not help but nod. “It is indeed rather complex. Without at least the fifth or sixth level of sword cultivation, it would definitely be incomprehensible!”
Ning Yuxin only grew more anxious the more she thought about it.
But Lu Changsheng smoothly countered, “However, it is not a major issue. As long as your Sword Intent continuously improves, in his eyes, it will mean you have understood and grasped his teachings. Your daily interactions will naturally increase, and over time, genuine affection will bloom!”
Ning Yuxin’s eyes lit up with hope, only to quickly dim once more.
“Improving Sword Intent is easier said than done. I am no sword genius. How could I possibly elevate it in such a short amount of time?”
She slumped over, completely deflated.
“Actually, it is not particularly difficult!”
“Really?” Ning Yuxin instantly perked up.
Lu Changsheng revealed a brilliant smile and said, “As long as you have the money!”