Chapter 41

“Little Junior Brother will be in Sect Master Song’s care.”

Chu Cong, Li Xuanji’s eldest disciple from Star-Plucking Tower, brought Xie Ming’an to Taixuan Heavenly Sect.

Because Li Xuanji had greeted Sect Master Song in advance, he happened to have time to come over and take the person in.

“You’re too polite.”

Song Chengyuan had been rather surprised when he received Li Xuanji’s flying message earlier.

Others all believed the master of Star-Plucking Tower to be extraordinarily mysterious, but for leaders of top forces like Sect Master Song, they understood every generation of Star-Plucking Tower’s tower master very well.

Star-Plucking Tower had always had very few disciples, and due to the special nature of the mental arts they cultivated internally, it was highly regarded among the major forces of the Longevity Realm.

The previous masters of Star-Plucking Tower had not paid much attention to outside affairs, but the current tower master, Li Xuanji, was even more extreme in that regard.

Unless it was an especially unusual situation, such as the matter of the seal last time, this man would stay inside Star-Plucking Tower forever and have very little contact with the outside world.

So when Song Chengyuan received a flying message that the other party had taken the initiative to send over, he truly was surprised.

After reading the contents, he agreed at once.

Song Chengyuan had heard of this little disciple Li Xuanji had accepted. He had specially left his mountain gate and personally brought him back. He could not be more special.

Judging from what the other party wrote in the flying message, this little disciple of Li Xuanji’s had a temperament that differed quite a bit from Star-Plucking Tower’s inherent style.

“This junior takes his leave.”

After bringing Xie Ming’an into the inner sect and handing him over to Sect Master Song, Chu Cong saluted and bid farewell.

Chu Cong had always handled matters steadily and appropriately. Otherwise, Li Xuanji would not have let him escort Xie Ming’an to Taixuan Heavenly Sect.

“Give my regards to the tower master.”

After seeing Chu Cong off, Song Chengyuan prepared to bring Xie Ming’an to Bamboo Cloud Peak to find Qin Xiuyue.

In the end, before they even left Sect Master Peak, they saw conspicuous lightning tribulation clouds appearing over Bamboo Cloud Peak.

“A Deity Transformation lightning tribulation with such a huge commotion. Tian Sect disciples truly are outstandingly gifted.” Xie Ming’an glanced over there and struck up a conversation with Sect Master Song very naturally.

“Actually, this is only a special case.” Sect Master Song watched the lightning tribulation descending over there. It struck so fiercely that Gu Cloud Peak beside Bamboo Cloud Peak had opened its main peak array.

Xie Ming’an stood there and watched for a while longer. Seeing that Sect Master Song did not seem to intend to leave, he asked, “Sect Master Song, aren’t we going to Bamboo Cloud Peak?”

“The place undergoing the lightning tribulation right now is Bamboo Cloud Peak.” Song Chengyuan felt that, in recent years, he had become used to watching Qin Xiuyue’s breakthrough lightning tribulations.

“…Oh.”

At present, Bamboo Cloud Peak of Taixuan Heavenly Sect seemed to have only Qin Xiuyue as a disciple. Did that not mean the other party had already broken through to Deity Transformation?!

Although Xie Ming’an had never been very enthusiastic about cultivation, and he had only broken through to Nascent Soul after his master urged him for a long time, now that he saw Qin Xiuyue had broken through to Deity Transformation, he very rarely reflected on whether he should work a little harder and strive for improvement.

After all, when they had last met, his cultivation realm had been higher than Qin Xiuyue’s. The other party had started cultivating a few years later than him, yet now he was already at Deity Transformation. The contrast was too strong.

But this thought only lingered in Xie Ming’an’s head for a few seconds before disappearing.

Because Xie Ming’an felt that since Qin Xiuyue could reach Deity Transformation in such a short amount of time, his cultivation talent must be above his own.

Someone more talented than him was already working this hard. Even if he worked harder, he would not be able to catch up. Besides, the techniques he cultivated in the first place did not have much combat power.

After thinking this through, Xie Ming’an had not the slightest psychological burden left.

Only after the Deity Transformation lightning tribulation had completely ended did the two of them continue toward Bamboo Cloud Peak.

“Hah…”

Having had his divine soul hammered once over by the lightning tribulation, Qin Xiuyue carefully sensed what differences there were compared to before he crossed the tribulation.

It was only because he had comprehended the Law of Space that he dared let his divine soul come into contact with the lightning tribulation. Otherwise, he truly would not have dared. After all, with this kind of method, if the divine soul was even a little careless, it would be scattered by the lightning tribulation.

If Ming Hui had been present and seen Qin Xiuyue doing this, he would have been frightened half to death. He had never seen anyone who dared use their divine soul to directly clash with tribulation clouds.

Although the process of having his divine soul hammered by tribulation clouds had been hard to endure, Qin Xiuyue felt it was very worth it.

Because he had comprehended the Law of the Soul in the Returning Cloud Sea and then experimented with the lightning tribulation after coming out, Qin Xiuyue’s current tenacious divine soul, even without the system’s protection, could not be possessed even by someone at Mahayana.

He could even counter them if the other party underestimated him.

In terms of cultivation strength alone, he indeed could not beat someone at Mahayana, but if the other party wanted to play with divine souls, then the result was hard to say. After all, something like the Law of the Soul was not necessarily mastered just because one’s cultivation was high.

“In the entire inner sect, you’re the only one who can create such a huge spectacle during a breakthrough lightning tribulation.” Sect Master Song came over and waved a hand, restoring the pockmarked areas of Bamboo Cloud Peak that had been struck by lightning tribulation to their original state.

“Greetings, Sect Master.”

Qin Xiuyue saw Xie Ming’an following behind Song Chengyuan.

In the last flying message, Xie Ming’an had mentioned that he would come to Taixuan Heavenly Sect, but he had not expected the other party to be a little fast. Hadn’t he said that his master managed him very strictly?

“No need for so many formalities in private.” Sect Master Song truly admired Qin Xiuyue.

He had outstanding talent, a resilient temperament, and cultivated very seriously and diligently. During this period, Ming Hui had been in seclusion, yet this disciple still kept breaking through.

Forget the elders of the other peaks envying him. Even Sect Master Song himself felt a little regretful that he had said he would not accept disciples before the Disciple Acceptance Ceremony back then.

“You two already know each other, so I won’t say much. When the time comes for the trip to Brahma Sea Domain, the two of you can help each other.”

After Sect Master Song finished saying this, he did not linger on Bamboo Cloud Peak.

Qin Xiuyue waited until Sect Master Song left, then looked at Xie Ming’an’s cultivation. “How are you only just at Nascent Soul?”

When they had met at the Sacred Hall back then, Qin Xiuyue had seen Xie Ming’an’s various basic attributes. Under normal circumstances, the other party should not have only just broken through to Nascent Soul. At the very least, he should have been around the fourth or fifth level of Nascent Soul.

So when he asked this, it was purely out of surprise and contained no other meaning.

Fortunately, Xie Ming’an had already mentally prepared himself earlier. Now, hearing Qin Xiuyue’s question did not affect him in the slightest.

“Of course I spent all my effort on mental arts. Otherwise, who wrote you the answers in that last flying message?”

Although he had crammed at the last minute, Xie Ming’an felt that as long as the result had been achieved, there was absolutely nothing wrong with him saying this.

At the mention of this, Qin Xiuyue suddenly thought of the Nine Great Laws he had seen in the Returning Cloud Sea, then glanced at Xie Ming’an again.

Sure enough, his luck had been pretty good lately. Whatever he thought of came right to him.

“As a friend, aren’t you going to show me around?”

Xie Ming’an, who was used to seeing all kinds of cold white towers and pavilions in Star-Plucking Tower, found Bamboo Cloud Peak’s emerald bamboo forest very nice.

“Let’s go.” Qin Xiuyue had crossed the tribulation on Bamboo Cloud Peak’s front peak. The main hall was on the rear peak.

From the front peak to the rear peak, Xie Ming’an truly did not see anyone else.

“Such a huge mountain peak, and it’s only you alone. It’s even quieter than my residence.”

“Don’t worry. Now that you’re here, it won’t be quiet anymore.” Qin Xiuyue remembered Xie Ming’an’s chatterbox nature during that half year in the Sacred Hall. More than ten years had passed, and it still had not changed.

“You might not believe me when I say this, but I… It’s so shiny.”

Halfway through speaking, Xie Ming’an saw the glittering main hall on the rear peak. Even with a strip of white silk covering his eyes, he was still dazzled.

Only after Xie Ming’an adjusted his inner-vision mental art did he feel it was no longer so blinding.

“I couldn’t tell you liked this kind of style.”

“My master set it up.” Qin Xiuyue felt that he was already tired of explaining.

“I understand. No need to say more. I understand everything.”

As soon as Qin Xiuyue heard this, he knew the other party had not listened, but he also did not want to keep explaining. Fine, just take it as him liking glittery things.

In truth, there really was not much to tour on Bamboo Cloud Peak. Even the main hall, which drew the most attention, could only be viewed from the outside. Ming Hui had not set up any decorations inside, and Qin Xiuyue did not have the time either, so it had not changed much from how it looked at the very beginning.

“How did your master agree to let you come out?” Qin Xiuyue deliberately used the Void-Piercing Eye to check. Xie Ming’an’s Astral Fate Body still had not unlocked.

“That’s obviously because I’m obedient enough.”

“If you keep talking nonsense, we don’t have to communicate anymore.” Qin Xiuyue would not believe a single word of what Xie Ming’an said.

“Sigh, look. These are all things my master will test me on after I return from Brahma Sea Domain.” Xie Ming’an took out a portion of the book slips from the storage ring his master had given him before leaving. The table in front of the two of them could not even hold them all.

Qin Xiuyue took one scroll, unfurled it, and quickly swept his eyes over it. “Perfect. I’ve been planning to go to the Book Pavilion recently. Bring these things with you.”

Originally, he had still been thinking about what excuse to use to get Xie Ming’an, this answer-tool person, to help him look over records about the Laws of Time, Space, and Nature. Now he did not need to think about it.

“Huh? That’s not what I meant.”

Xie Ming’an had said this to complain to his friend, but judging by the other party’s reaction, something seemed wrong.

“You just broke through to Deity Transformation. Aren’t you going to take a few sect missions to train a little?”

Xie Ming’an simply wanted to follow Qin Xiuyue and experience what it felt like to go out on sect training. Star-Plucking Tower had no such rule.

“It’s precisely because I broke through that there are some questions I haven’t figured out. Sect missions aren’t urgent. If you don’t want to go, you can stay here.”

Qin Xiuyue retreated in order to advance. Xie Ming’an had come for his face. Could Qin Xiuyue not control a hopeless face-con?

“Uh, fine.”

“Good. We’ll go now.”

After receiving Xie Ming’an’s answer, Qin Xiuyue put away the book slips on the table, grabbed the other person, and headed for Tian Sect’s Book Pavilion.

“There’s no need to be this urgent, right?”

Xie Ming’an, who had never been anxious about cultivation matters, was shocked by Qin Xiuyue’s swift and decisive behavior.

However, Qin Xiuyue had already coaxed the person to the Book Pavilion and gave Xie Ming’an no chance to go back on his word.

The positions of the book slips concerning inheritance records that he had found when he came to the Book Pavilion last time surfaced in his mind, and he went straight up to the fifth floor.

Before Sect Master Song left, he had given Xie Ming’an a token representing an inner sect disciple, so he could borrow and read anything below the eighth floor of the Book Pavilion.

What differed from the Sacred Hall this time was that Qin Xiuyue took the initiative to seek out Xie Ming’an for discussion, and the topics all happened to match his expertise.

So as they talked, Xie Ming’an forgot that he had come here intending to go out and have fun.

Sometimes, in order to figure out a single Great Era Pronouncement, Xie Ming’an rummaged through the book slips in his storage ring even faster than Qin Xiuyue.

Only when night fell and the lights inside the Book Pavilion fully lit up did Xie Ming’an realize he had stayed here for four whole hours.

“It’s getting late. Let’s go back. We’ll come again tomorrow,” Qin Xiuyue spoke first. As expected, bringing Xie Ming’an along made things efficient.

“We’re coming again tomorrow?” Xie Ming’an was not very willing.

“Yes. The sooner we resolve the doubts in my heart, the sooner we can go accept sect missions.”

Xie Ming’an looked at Qin Xiuyue’s face and felt that if he gritted his teeth and endured it for a bit, it was not impossible.

He had heard his senior brothers say that after a breakthrough, there would indeed be many new insights and doubts that needed to be resolved, but this period should not last too long.

Yet the opposite happened. Qin Xiuyue had caught hold of such a useful puzzle-solving tool, and he became even more intensely driven than when he had previously been cultivating. He practically wanted to live in the Book Pavilion.

Without realizing it, Xie Ming’an followed along and digested a small half of the book slips his master had stuffed into his storage ring.

Later, after he got used to Qin Xiuyue’s pace, Xie Ming’an only shouted verbally that he would not come tomorrow.

Then the next day, he still followed Qin Xiuyue over.

After that, once the questions Qin Xiuyue asked became even deeper, Xie Ming’an began going back to seek off-site assistance.

Thus Li Xuanji, far away in Star-Plucking Tower, received as many flying messages in this half month as he would normally receive over several years.

And every single one was from Xie Ming’an. What shocked him even more was that the contents written in the flying messages were all questions regarding the laws of inheritance.

While surprised, Li Xuanji did not delay. He wrote out the directions of comprehension for these questions and sent them back by flying message.

Back in the sect, this disciple of his had never shown such a strong desire to cultivate. Yet once he was not there, he actually became diligent instead. Could there be something in Star-Plucking Tower that countered this little disciple of his?

But no matter what, being willing to cultivate diligently was a good thing.

After Xie Ming’an maintained this kind of daily life in Taixuan Heavenly Sect for a month, he finally understood why Qin Xiuyue’s realm rose so quickly!

He had seen people cultivate diligently and painstakingly, but he had never seen anyone as diligent as Qin Xiuyue!

Moreover, during this period, Xie Ming’an heard of all kinds of deeds Qin Xiuyue had spread through Taixuan Heavenly Sect.

He was clearly a law cultivator, yet he had such high talent in the path of the sword. Was there anything this person did not know how to do?

“We’re not going to the Book Pavilion tomorrow.”

“Huh? Why?” Xie Ming’an did not react for a moment.

“I need to comprehend for a while.”

During this period, Qin Xiuyue had already trained Xie Ming’an into a qualified diligent cultivator.

“Now that you say that, I also feel like I need to comprehend for a while.” Xie Ming’an felt that in just this one short month at Taixuan Heavenly Sect, he had learned more than he had in the past year.

So afterward, the two of them entered a meditative state on Bamboo Cloud Peak.

The records on the Nine Great Laws collected over the course of a month were very few, but what was truly useful still needed Qin Xiuyue to personally experiment.

Ever since he had used the Heavenly Derivation Platform to deduce Ten Directions, he had discovered that this thing was truly useful. It was like an experimental platform where variables could be controlled at will.

As long as Qin Xiuyue input his own ideas and settings, he could soon obtain results through the Heavenly Derivation Platform. It could be called an immortal cultivation simulator.

Of course, during the experiment process, Qin Xiuyue would also glance a couple of times at the small world where Qin Doudou was.

The last time he had looked at Qin Doudou, the other party had still been surrounded and attacked by three late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators and had fallen into an unknown place.

When Qin Xiuyue once again saw the scene on the small world’s side, the first thing he noticed was the little black dragon that had been lying on top of Qin Doudou’s head the entire time.

The Chiyan Kingdom where Qin Doudou was now not only no longer had the oppression of the previous powerful alliance between East Heng and Wu Xuan, even the players’ cultivation had improved greatly.

Using the world line on Qin Doudou, Qin Xiuyue saw what had happened in the small world over the past few months.

After Qin Doudou fell into an unknown place and woke from his sleep, not only had his injuries recovered, he had also signed a contract with a demonic beast capable of swallowing all things.

After that, starting from East Heng, he soloed a Nascent Soul ancestor in less than the time it took to burn a stick of incense.

Then, in the fully guarded capital of Wu Xuan, he staged a one-against-six battle. Even while fighting through severe injuries, he still killed the two Nascent Soul cultivators who had originally hunted him down.

This act shocked every cultivator in the capital of Wu Xuan.

Afterward, Liu Nian and the remaining two Nascent Soul cultivators of Chiyan Kingdom also arrived in the capital of Wu Xuan.

Originally, the Wu Xuan Imperial Preceptor saw that Qin Doudou was already an arrow at the end of its flight and wanted to use attacks from a large number of cultivators to pile on until he died. In the end, half of them were eaten by the little black dragon.

No matter what methods they thought of, they could not target this strange demonic beast.

Adding to that the sight of Chiyan Kingdom’s people arriving, after weighing the matter, they ultimately did not choose mutual destruction and let someone take Qin Doudou away.

But the day after this incident happened, it spread throughout the three kingdoms. From then on, while Dongheng Kingdom and Wuxuan Kingdom both suffered great damage to their vitality, their status in the hearts of many cultivators also plummeted.

So many Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators from the two kingdoms had been forced to that point by one mid-stage Golden Core cultivator. Their prestige collapsed outright.

In contrast, Qin Doudou’s reputation naturally reached its peak.

The players listened to the rumors spreading into Scarlet Flame’s territory one by one, their blood boiling. The only pity was that they had not been present back then and could only imagine it.

The severely injured Qin Doudou was brought back from Wu Xuan by Liu Nian to Danyang Academy to recover.

What Qin Xiuyue saw through the Heavenly Derivation Platform at this time was precisely Qin Doudou, whose injuries had mostly recovered.

After seeing what had happened over the past few months, Qin Xiuyue did not feel that anything was absurd. These were all basic operations for a Child of Destiny.

What Qin Xiuyue cared about most was that demonic beast Qin Doudou had signed a contract with. The Void-Piercing Eye only gave him a black box that had yet to unlock. Other than that, he could not see anything.

According to his habits when using the Void-Piercing Eye, this symbol should mean that the little black dragon itself was restricted and had not yet encountered the unlocking conditions. So even the Void-Piercing Eye, which could see through the essence of all things, could only give the most direct answer.

A contracted demonic beast capable of accompanying a Child of Destiny throughout his growth was definitely not simple. Qin Xiuyue marked the little black dragon for special attention.

Qin Xiuyue continued watching for a while longer and felt that during this period, Qin Doudou would not encounter anything that required Qin Xiuyue to pay real-time attention in the short term.

As for the players, among the first batch of one hundred closed beta testers, a tenth had already successfully reached Foundation Establishment, while most of the rest were at the ninth level of Qi Refining.

The second batch of two hundred closed beta players had also raised their cultivation to the fourth or fifth level of Qi Refining over half a year in the small world.

It was very obvious that the players had likewise not yet grown up.

So after seeing this, Qin Xiuyue closed the scene and continued observing the Heavenly Derivation Platform’s deduction process.

Another half month passed. After Qin Xiuyue completely came out of the divine sense world, Xie Ming’an, bored with nothing to do, had greatly remodeled the rear peak.

Xie Ming’an could not stand it after comprehending for only a few days. Later, he began entertaining himself. When he saw that Bamboo Cloud Peak’s grand array still had places that could be supplemented, he began studying it. For this, he even specially went to Zhenyun Peak to consult Elder Ming Wen.

“If you didn’t come out soon, I was going to die of boredom.”

“Prepare yourself. Tomorrow, we’ll go to the Training Hall and accept a sect mission.”

Qin Xiuyue felt it was time to take Xie Ming’an out for a stroll. Otherwise, how would he make him obediently listen in the future?

“Great!”

Xie Ming’an had been waiting for this day for a very long time.

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