At the cave entrance.
“Did that fellow Ke really make it into the third level of Divine Edge Cave?”
“Whoa, how did he even get in there?”
“It’s hopeless. A few years back, a newbie accidentally wandered into the third level and when they finally pulled him out, he was like a porcupine and half his brain was scrambled. Even after he got treated, he was drooling everywhere.”
“Yikes… he better not end up as a decoration at our peak!”
“That’s Shang Wu’s disciple we’re talking about… suddenly, I remember I haven’t hung out the laundry back home. Gotta run!”
The entrance was bustling with excitement, while many inner disciples stopped practicing to gossip.
If a true disciple got into trouble in Divine Edge Cave, it would definitely become a big story in Qingyuan Sect.
Murong Xiao was pacing back and forth like an ant on a hot pan.
“Brother Ke is such a good guy, please don’t let anything happen to him…”
As he was muttering, suddenly his spirit perked up.
“Why is everyone gathered here? Get back to your own things!”
Han He strutted in front, scolding the curious inner disciples.
Shang Wu and Ke Mo followed behind him.
Little Ke still had that goofy grin on his face.
“Brother Ke, you’re okay, right? Still remember who I am? How many fingers am I holding up?”
Murong Xiao raced over in a couple of leaps, waving his fingers like a madman.
“Five… uh, aren’t you just holding five fingers?”
Ke Mo thought it was some kind of riddle.
“Five plus five equals what?”
“……..Ten.”
After a round of brain teasers.
“Thank goodness you haven’t turned into a fool!”
Murong Xiao sighed with relief, his face lighting up.
Ke Mo: “…Thanks, I guess.”
They hadn’t chatted for long when Shang Wu whisked Ke Mo onto the carriage.
“Off we go, old buddy.”
With a cheerful crack of the whip, Shang Wu sent the horse trotting off.
“Take care, Brother Ke!”
Murong Xiao waved goodbye to Ke Mo.
Han He couldn’t help but wonder.
How did this disciple get so chummy with Ke Mo? They seemed pretty tight!
Whatever, it doesn’t really matter.
In the Nine Peaks Martial Meet, personal feelings mean little; the rankings still need to be settled.
Even if Ke Mo is talented, he’s still just at the beginning of the bl**d energy realm, and Murong Xiao’s realm is a whole different league.
But what lies ahead? Who knows…
“Xiao’er.”
“In just over ten days, the newly admitted disciples will take part in the sect’s trial. For now, you’ll be practicing martial skills with me every afternoon.”
“Yes, Master.”
…
Nighttime.
The vast and serene Qingyu Mountains were eerily quiet.
In the courtyard where outer disciples lived, one of the houses still had light streaming out.
Xiao Qian was gripping a mysterious crystal, and his realm had surprisingly returned to the ninth level of bl**d energy.
That chunk of crystal was now mostly gray-white.
This wasn’t just a coincidence.
“Ahhhh…”
“Ninth level! I’m back in the bl**d energy ninth level!”
When Xiao Qian opened his eyes again, a hint of joy crept onto his determined face.
But then, he glanced at the now completely gray-white crystal in his hand, looking just like a regular stone, and his expression turned puzzling.
“Did it get totally drained? I should have never…”
“You could never do that, it was I who drained it.”
Suddenly, a hoarse old voice echoed in his ear.
“Who are you?!”
“My name… well, it’s been a long time since anyone asked.”
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—
Ten minutes later.
Xiao Qian sat there feeling both thrilled and confused.
Turns out, the reason his cultivation dropped was because of the jade pendant on his chest.
In fact, it was because of the old man inside the pendant who called himself ‘Qianxing Wuzun’.
If what he said was true, this old timer was even stronger in his prime than the leader of Qingyuan Sect!
And he also said he could be a teacher, while asking Xiao Qian to help him reforge his physical body once he grew stronger.
“Looks like the Seven Star Ancient Pendant didn’t choose wrong. You’ve persevered this long without giving up on cultivation, which finally woke me.”
The ancient voice carried a note of approval.
He was quite satisfied with Xiao Qian’s perseverance and potential.
“Since it’s come to this, I should give you a gift to avoid any hard feelings.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the Seven Star Ancient Pendant suddenly lit up, as though it opened a tiny mouth.
Out floated a small pouch.
“This pouch contains a phoenix feather. Though it only carries a trace of true phoenix bloodline, after I refined it countless times, it’s still exceedingly rare.”
“Wearing it will ward off all evils and can also nurture your body; its uses are endless.”
Xiao Qian cradled the pouch, feeling a warm sensation envelop him.
But he was still honest about it:
“If it were just me, who knows how long it’d take to bring you back.”
“Mainly because Junior Brother Li gifted me a mysterious crystal.”
“Mysterious crystal?”
The ancient voice seemed startled before realizing the crystal he absorbed was gone.
“In this barren land of Eastern Wilderness, a mysterious crystal should indeed be exceedingly rare…”
“Is he really willing to give it to you?”
“Yeah, Junior Brother Li is quite the honorable person. Master, I want to repay him by gifting this phoenix feather pouch to him.”
Xiao Qian’s eyes sparkled with determination.
Now that he had this old predecessor backing him up, danger wouldn’t be a concern.
But after all, this was a gift from his teacher.
It wouldn’t do to just hand it over; he needed the teacher’s approval first.
“It’s nice that you have such goodwill.”
“In the future, if you achieve greatness, you can help him out too.”
Qianxing Wuzun, the old man, didn’t stop him.
He hoped that Xiao Qian would be grateful and not forget favors in the future, which would be worth his while to reforge his body.
And besides, since Junior Brother Li easily handed over a mysterious crystal, he definitely had some background in Eastern Wilderness.
“Help Junior Brother Li?”
Xiao Qian’s face turned bitter, shaking his head, “He’s a true disciple, while I’m just an outer disciple.”
He had personally experienced how incredibly talented Junior Brother Li was.
He mastered the Six Harmonies Fist in a single day!
Words like ‘genius’ didn’t even cover it; he was practically a monster.
“True disciples have the brightest future, but the best they can hope for is becoming an elder.”
“Qingyuan Sect is merely a small sect in the Eastern Wilderness.”
The ancient man paused for a moment after this.
Then he spoke earnestly, “In the not-so-distant future, you will leave this place and shine brightly in a broader world.”
“As my disciple, don’t underestimate yourself.”
“Remember your teacher’s words.”
Xiao Qian hesitated, nodding a bit.
“You seem to lack confidence in yourself, perhaps even in me.”
“Fine, tomorrow I’ll meet your Junior Brother Li and see what kind of prodigy he really is.”
Noticing Xiao Qian’s mindset, Qianxing Wuzun couldn’t help but feel a bit surprised.
Soon, he shifted the conversation back to the main topic.
“The heart method you’re practicing isn’t quite right for you.”
“Listen closely, I will teach you a method called the Transformation of the Void Heart Sutra.”
“Thank you, Master!”
Xiao Qian perked up.
Moments later, Qianxing Wuzun fell silent again, seemingly returning to sleep in the jade pendant.
He tucked the pouch into his clothes and earnestly began practicing the newly learned heart method.
