Ye Yuan thought this new little disciple was a bit strange. He had been asleep for so long that he could barely remember how many years he had been residing in the spirit tablet. Only after awakening did he realize that in the entire Qingyang Temple, there was only that rotten piece of wood left.
He had always loved quiet and never cared much about the temple’s affairs. But even so, he could still confirm one thing—Bai Yu was definitely the stupidest disciple he had ever had.
His aptitude was terrible, his mind was dull, and though he always shouted about revitalizing Qingyang, he had no idea Ye Yuan even existed. After decades of tossing about, he still hadn’t opened the Heavenly Eye, not even the Yin-Yang Eye. Ye Yuan himself felt Qingyang was bound to collapse sooner or later. If not for Bai Yu’s daily incense offerings without fail, showing a heart at least sincerely devoted to the Dao, Ye Yuan might have expelled him long ago.
So when Bai Yu brought this girl Yun Jiao over, the difference was stark—like night and day. Ye Yuan, who had been bored and ready to go back into slumber, suddenly became interested. As usual, he casually handed her a cultivation manual.
To him, it wasn’t anything special. He had always done this for those who came to pay respects. Of course, Bai Yu had never been able to see him at all, so he was excluded. He had even copied an extra manual these past few days, thinking maybe the next person who came could also receive one.
But just five days later, that little disciple had returned.
He thought it was normal—she was young, had only just entered the Dao, and with only Bai Yu by her side, of course she would struggle with understanding the Xuanxin Jue. It was natural for her to come to him for guidance. That was why he appeared—absolutely not because he was bored.
╭(╯^╰)╮
Who could have guessed? Not only did she indeed have questions, but they were significant ones. And then she shoved a stack of five books into his hands. Besides the Xuanxin Jue, the other four were each thicker than the original. With a sweep of his divine sense, he instantly grasped their contents.
Page after page was filled with her comprehension of the techniques, with detailed explanations line by line. She had even improved some minor spells. When he simulated them in his mind, they were indeed workable—albeit a little raw.Ye Yuan was stunned. For the first time in his life, someone had returned his teaching with a “gift”—and such a gift, an entire stack of books!
And after setting them down, she only said, “Ancestral Master, please take your time reviewing these. I’ll wait for your reply,” then turned and left, as if she weren’t in any hurry. She left behind only a steaming bowl of chicken soup.
Ye Yuan, holding the stack: “…”
After all these years of passing down techniques, this was the first time someone had ever “handed in homework”—and compiled it into volumes, no less. He had to admit, this disciple was going to be difficult to manage.
Sweeping over her questions again, he found she understood the mysteries of the cultivation method thoroughly, her notes clearer than his own writings. With such a book, even a fool could begin cultivating the Xuanxin Jue. Yet for the most basic questions—common knowledge, even—she seemed utterly clueless. Most of her questions were about these. And the way she phrased them… he could hardly understand them.
He sighed, waved his hand, and stored the books away. What a peculiar little disciple! He mulled over how best to respond as he prepared to retreat into the spirit tablet. Then his eyes fell on the steaming bowl of chicken soup, and his brows furrowed.
Offerings for immortals were always incense. Incense carried a trace of the worshipper’s faith, which was useful to spirits, immortals, and ghosts who had already shed their mortal bodies. Grain and common food were useless to them. This was the first time he had ever seen someone offer chicken soup to an ancestor.
Clearly, this disciple’s understanding of basic Daoist customs was sorely lacking. Shaking his head, Ye Yuan glanced again at the soup, then turned into a streak of white light and disappeared into the tablet.
The tower fell silent again.
Five minutes later…
Whoosh! His white figure appeared again, staring fixedly at the bowl. It was only mortal food, but… it smelled really good. Pity it was useless to eat. He vanished once more.
Another five minutes passed…
Whoosh! He appeared again, still staring at the soup. Fragrant, yes, but mortal food was mortal food. He wasn’t a mortal anymore. Surely it couldn’t taste better than spiritual energy. He vanished again.
Yet another five minutes later…
Whoosh! Once again, he appeared. By now, the soup looked like it was starting to cool. At the very least, it was his little disciple’s offering… Maybe… maybe he should try it?
A flick of his wrist, and a small spoon appeared in his hand. He cautiously took a sip. His whole body froze, and his eyes lit up like lanterns.
(⊙_⊙)
So… so delicious!
In the next moment, the small spoon in his hand flashed with white light and became a ladle as big as his palm. Then—scoop, scoop, scoop!
So fragrant, so delicious, so good!
He decided. This was a good disciple, one worth cultivating carefully. Yes, starting today!
Thus, after Yun Jiao spent the whole morning patching up the big hole in the wall, she returned to her room—only to see a man in snow-white robes sitting properly at the table. When he saw her, his eyes locked on her, his expression stern and dignified.
If not for… the basin-sized empty bowl in front of him.
Yun Jiao suddenly felt as if her teacher had come for a surprise home visit. But as a study god, she had never feared such things. She only paused for a moment, then tentatively called, “Ancestral Master?”
“Mm.” Ye Yuan nodded, his expression grave. “The doubts you raised—I understand them. They are not difficult. Even without my answers, once you begin cultivating, you would naturally comprehend them. But since you are newly entered into the Dao and have a thirst for knowledge, I’ll make an exception and come this time.”
Yun Jiao: “…” Aren’t you here just to return the bowl?
But remembering her recent questions, she ignored the empty bowl and instinctively took on the bearing of a good student. She respectfully said, “Many thanks, Ancestral Master. Please guide me.”
“Come here.” Ye Yuan pointed to the chair beside him.
Yun Jiao quickly sat down. Just as she was about to ask, he suddenly raised his hand and touched lightly between her brows.
She instinctively closed her eyes. A cool stream of energy flowed into her, tracing along her meridians, spreading through her limbs and bones, then settling in her dantian. Her whole body warmed, and she felt immeasurably lighter, her senses magnified countless times.
Before her eyes, faint specks of light appeared, drifting all around, omnipresent. And almost instantly, she understood what they were.
—Spiritual energy!
(End of Chapter)