Chapter 51 (Part 3)

Yu Yu entered the secret realm. He first went to see the Enlightenment Tea tree and the Tribulation Fruit tree. After feeding them full and recovering his spiritual energy, he began caring for the other spiritual plants.

As he released his spiritual energy, the spiritual plants in the secret realm swayed their heads and began absorbing the delicious food.

After eating the spiritual energy, the leaves on the spiritual plants became much glossier. They had a certain degree of spirituality. As soon as Yu Yu came in, they all became excited, because this meant they would have something tasty to eat again.

That was right. To them, Yu Yu’s spiritual energy was delicious.

After ordinary spiritual energy was absorbed, it still had to be refined. But Yu Yu’s spiritual energy did not need them to refine it and could be absorbed directly. After lower-grade spiritual plants absorbed it, they grew taller by a section, and the change was especially obvious.

As for mature spiritual plants, especially spiritual herbs, Yu Yu was not in a hurry to pick them. Instead, he waited until their years were greater before picking them.

Because the older a spiritual plant was, the more valuable it became.

Although it cost more time and spiritual energy, the returns were also greater! In short, taking a loss was impossible. In the end, only he would profit.

After coming out of the secret realm, Yu Yu was grabbed by one hand.

“Master?”

“I’ve run out of all the food here.”

Qingyang showed not the slightest embarrassment as he asked his disciple for food.

“Here.”

Yu Yu suppressed the urge to sigh and took out a pile of food, stuffing it toward his master.

Every day, while cultivating, he still had to squeeze out time to prepare food, because his master consumed food far too quickly.

“Master, is your seclusion just eating things?”

Yu Yu clearly remembered that a certain someone had said he was in seclusion. Yet every day when Yu Yu came to the great hall, he saw that this person was not in the cultivation room in seclusion, but instead was eating, drinking, and amusing himself in the great hall.

“I don’t need to go into seclusion right now. I’m afraid that if I go into seclusion again, when I wake up one day, I’ll ascend directly.”

Qingyang said this confidently and with full justification.

“Then why did you tell the outside world you were going into seclusion?”

Yu Yu could not understand why his master had said that.

“Isn’t this so I can progress together with your Eldest Martial Uncle and the others? They’ve all started going invisible. As their junior brother, naturally, I can’t be an exception!”

Qingyang’s words could not fool Yu Yu at all.

“Tell. The. Truth.”

“I’m afraid certain people will come begging to me. You think our lineage is the only line of sword cultivators in the Taizhen Immortal Sect? Unfortunately, their talent isn’t as good as mine. Right now, the strongest among them is only in Soul Transformation and can’t even beat your Eldest Senior Brother.”

Qingyang said this smugly.

Ever since he had appeared out of nowhere, the representative of the entire sword cultivator line of the Taizhen Immortal Sect had become Holy Sun Peak.

“What are they begging you for? Everyone cultivates the same sword arts. We have what they have too. Don’t tell me they still want you to teach them sword arts? Where’s their shame? A dignified Daoist Lord has no face left? Anyone can make you go teach sword arts?”

“No. They want my reflections and insights on sword intent.”

Qingyang wagged a finger as he spoke. Their ambitions were quite large.

“Huh?”

Yu Yu could not understand. Swordsmanship could be taught, but if one wanted to cultivate sword intent, one could only rely on comprehension. Everyone’s comprehension of sword intent was different. Even if they got his master’s and Eldest Senior Brother’s insights, the effect on them would not be great!

For people who had not even reached perfection in sword arts, how could they comprehend sword intent?

“Why does this sound more and more unreliable the more I listen?”

“Even you, who aren’t a sword cultivator, can think of that. Unfortunately, not everyone is as rational and smart as you.”

Qingyang praised his disciple. Of course, the main point was that his own luck was good and he had taken in this clever disciple.

“They’re getting anxious?”

Yu Yu thought for a moment and understood Qingyang’s meaning.

It was probably because no one had comprehended sword intent all this time, and with Master about to ascend, they wanted Master’s and Eldest Senior Brother’s insights.

“Mm. But I say they’re wasting their effort. They’re called insights, aren’t they? Who would write them down?”

Qingyang had no desire at all to write down his own insights. Sword intent was something one either knew or did not know.

Even if one read more, if one could not comprehend it, it would still be the same.

“Those who learn from me live. Those who imitate me die. I left sword intent in the sect’s Reflection Cliff. That was something your Eldest Senior Brother had me leave there. He said it would be a small benefit for the sect’s disciples who cultivate sword arts.”

It was not that Qingyang had done nothing. He had left sword intent there. If one had the heart, one could go to Reflection Cliff and comprehend his sword intent.

Going directly to him made it clear that they were unwilling to suffer hardship.

“The astral winds of Reflection Cliff are beneficial to a sword cultivator’s cultivation. After your Eldest Senior Brother reached Soul Transformation, he stayed inside for ten years. Aside from comprehending my sword intent, he also improved his own sword arts.”

The reason Qingyang did not like the other party was that they feared hardship. What sword cultivator did not endure hardship?

After Lingzhen and Linglong reached Soul Transformation, they would also have to stay in Reflection Cliff. As for how long they stayed, that would depend on when they could comprehend sword intent.

This counted as training for the disciples of the Holy Sun lineage. Only after comprehending sword intent could they leave Reflection Cliff.

“But Senior Sister went in at Golden Core!”

Yu Yu discovered the blind spot. Thinking of that senior sister of his, who had already gone inside for several years, could it be that she also had to comprehend sword intent before she could come out?

“Hehe. Your master punished her for twenty years, but if she can’t come out, that has nothing to do with me.”

Qingyang let out a sinister laugh. In this matter, he had indeed concealed a few things and tricked Lingfeng into entering Reflection Cliff to cultivate.

“What if Senior Sister can’t comprehend it for several hundred years?”

Yu Yu began getting a headache. Eldest Senior Brother definitely knew about this too. In the end, the Eldest Senior Brother he had thought was the most honest and least capable of deceiving others had conspired together with Master and sent Senior Sister into Reflection Cliff.

“Since Lingfeng is a sword cultivator of my Holy Sun lineage, she cannot merely be a sword cultivator without even sword intent.”

When Qingyang said this, the coldness on his face was fully revealed. Not even a trace could be seen of his previous indulgence toward Lingfeng.

“I don’t doubt that Senior Sister can advance to Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation, but I’m still rather worried about whether she can comprehend sword intent.”

Yu Yu could not be like his master. Not seeing Senior Sister for several hundred years would be far too long.

“Why do you think I insisted she go to Reflection Cliff? Lingfeng is actually very talented in the path of sword arts. If I must say it, even Linglong is inferior to her. It’s just that she’s lazy and covets enjoyment, so her talent in sword arts never showed.”

Qingyang knew his little disciple was worried about his fourth disciple, so he rarely offered an explanation.

“There’s no food inside and nothing fun. Aside from cultivating, she can’t do anything else. Comprehending sword intent won’t be hard for her.”

The disciples Qingyang had been most optimistic about in the past were Lingji and Lingfeng. It was just that this girl had been far too unruly before and had not focused on cultivating at all. That was why she had wasted so many years.

If not for seeing that after being persuaded by his little disciple, she had settled down and worked hard at cultivation for a few months, even making some progress, Qingyang would not have thought of this idea. One could only say that his little disciple had played a major role in it.

Only then did Yu Yu learn that it turned out Senior Sister’s few months of calm cultivation had made Master see hope for changing her!

Since Master was so confident, he had no grounds to say too much. After all, he was only her junior brother. Master was Senior Sister’s master, and in this world where a master was equivalent to one’s father, if Master wanted to discipline Lingfeng, even Eldest Martial Uncle would not interfere.

At least now that he knew Senior Sister would still have a day when she came out, Yu Yu could relax.

Surely it could not be that by the time he left, Senior Sister was still trapped inside Reflection Cliff, right? He really wondered what the ancestral masters had done to Reflection Cliff. If the disciples who entered did not reach the expectations of their masters, then no matter what, they simply could not come out.

Yu Yu had not known before that Reflection Cliff had this function. Now he knew.

But if Reflection Cliff had this kind of function, then what about the Heart-Tempering Cave? Those disciples he had punished back then, could they still come out of the Heart-Tempering Cave?

With Senior Brother Lingbao there to take responsibility, the problem should not be too big, right? Yu Yu thought guiltily.

“Oh right, Little Feather, how is your sword art practice going?”

Qingyang suddenly became concerned about his little disciple’s sword arts. Although his little disciple was a medical cultivator, he still had to practice sword arts more. At crucial moments, sword arts could preserve his life.

“Does Master want to see?”

Yu Yu stopped thinking about the disciples he had punished back then and instead suddenly asked with an odd smile.

“Come.”

Although Qingyang did not know what scheme his little disciple was plotting, he was not afraid. Let him bring it on.

“Then Master had better watch closely.”

Yu Yu withdrew the Green Feather Branch into his dantian and took out the water-wood spirit sword. Right in front of Qingyang, he began practicing the Four Seasons Sword Art.

Of the Four Seasons Sword Art, Yu Yu had already mastered spring and summer. What he was practicing now was autumn.

He did not know whether it was a psychological effect, but Qingyang watched the sword his little disciple danced and somehow felt that the surroundings were a little bleak.

However, his little disciple’s sword arts were still practiced quite well. They had form and substance, and were much stronger than those sword cultivators in the sect.

“Not bad.”

When Yu Yu stopped, Qingyang applauded.

Clap, clap.

“You’ve completed the basic sword arts very well. You didn’t slack off.”

Although what his little disciple practiced today was not the basic sword arts, traces of the basic sword arts could still be seen from this set of Four Seasons Sword Art.

Basic sword arts were reflected in every set of sword arts, because they were the foundation. All sword arts were created with them as the root.

Whether one’s foundation was good or not could be known with a glance at the other person’s sword arts.

“Hmph. In any case, I’m still your final disciple. Even if I walk the path of a medical cultivator, I can’t embarrass you and Holy Sun Peak in sword arts!”

Yu Yu put away the spirit sword and summoned the Green Feather Branch again, holding it in his hand.

This was the name he had given the severed branch that was his bonded spiritual weapon. As for its second form, it also had a name that belonged to it.

“Heh. You’re rather confident, aren’t you?”

After hearing this, not only did Qingyang not feel his disciple was arrogant, he instead thought Yu Yu was very much like himself in terms of confidence.

That was right. As his disciple, he should be this confident.

He, Daoist Lord Qingyang, had never lost to anyone in sword arts in the Holy Feather World. If he said he was second among sword cultivators, no one dared claim first.

Oh, that fool from the Sword Sect was the exception. His strength was no good, and his brain was no good either. He wondered how that person was doing now. Later, he would have someone ask about the Sword Sect’s affairs.

“Master, I’m your final disciple. They say like master, like disciple.”

After Yu Yu finished speaking, he ran off, leaving Qingyang in the great hall, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

Had he been mocked by his disciple?

No. This was praise.

Qingyang would never admit that his confidence had long since reached the point of narcissism!

“Mm?”

Qingyang lowered his head and saw that the spiritual plant on the table, which was used to decorate the great hall, had at some unknown time turned yellow. Yellow leaves had fallen all over the table.

“Damn it.”

Qingyang cursed.

Yu Yu had run out of the great hall. Outside, he secretly listened for a bit. Only after hearing his master curse did he make a face and leave.

Aiya, Master, you were the one who said you wanted to see it. Yu Yu would never admit that he had done it on purpose!

He had not expected that he, too, would have a day when he could shock his master! It was quite interesting. Next time, he would find another chance to keep playing.

Heehee.

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