He could almost imagine the excited expression on her face as she animatedly recounted everything.
One had to admit, this girl was truly smart.
What he didn’t expect was that she first turned her own courtyard upside down, and then dug deep outside looking for it.
After finding the entrance, she didn’t go down, but instead, held back her curiosity and stayed outside to keep watch.
Her reasoning was twofold; she was concerned that Li Daoxuan and others might suddenly come looking for her. In that case, she could watch for any signs of trouble for Zhou, effectively serving as a lookout.
On the other hand, she was a little nervous that if she went down hastily, it might end up being a hindrance instead of help.
There were some things she felt she was better off not knowing too much about.
That actually made Zhou feel a bit touched.
He had to take a gamble now!
"It’s good to know. In the future, when simulating in the Divine Ruins Celestial Palace, if there’s any opportunity, I might need to rely on her for some paths."
After a quick mental calculation, Zhou soon made his decision. He waited until Lu Yaoyao finished talking non-stop, and then he sent her a big thumbs-up, unhurriedly.
Not long after, Lu Yaoyao’s message came again: "Also, thanks for the hush money, Senior Brother Zhou. After Master took me to soak in the No.1 Flame Spirit Blood Pool last time, I successfully broke through to the Perfection of Foundation Establishment Realm. Now with these two good items, I might even touch the threshold of Golden Core Realm."
Zhou felt the pain in his flesh as he read the message.
"The Almanac? The Almanac? Get out here, you damn thing!"
Zhou couldn’t help but yell. He then rummaged through his things, found it, and in a fit of anger, shredded it to pieces, venting his frustration.
Because Senior Brother Yan had something to do, the next morning, Niu Guangmo took him to Divine Peak.
Lu Yaoyao was already waiting there.
When she saw Zhou, she ran over joyfully.
The two of them then started up the mountain together.
"Where’s your senior brother?"
"Don’t worry, I’ve told them in advance that I’m going into seclusion and shouldn’t be disturbed."
"That’s good. This matter is of great importance. You mustn’t tell anyone."
"Oh, you’re so naggy. Do I seem like someone who blabs? I swear, I won’t tell anyone in this lifetime."
"Then why is your master here?"
They stopped and looked at Cao Zhengyang standing there. Zhou immediately looked at Lu Yaoyao in confusion.
Lu Yaoyao was also puzzled, then she shook her head slightly at Zhou.
Seeing the situation, the two could only respectfully step forward and salute.
Cao Zhengyang’s gaze fell on Zhou, and he nodded slightly, his expression gentle as he said, "Zhou, you seem to be recovering well."
Zhou hastily replied, "Thank you, Uncle, for your concern. A person must look forward; dwelling in the past isn’t good."
Hearing this, Cao Zhengyang looked at Zhou with some surprise, not expecting such maturity from him.
"Good, good. No wonder you look so energetic now." Cao Zhengyang praised him with a smile.
Then, he turned his gaze to Lu Yaoyao, sighed inwardly, and his thoughts returned to when Zhou was brought back covered in blood, unconscious, heartbroken.
He too had been young once and understood the feelings between young boys and girls.
Especially after hearing that, during this time, she had even put aside her cultivation to stay in her room every day, carving wooden sculptures to give to Zhou as gifts.
She often visited Little Spirit Peak too.
He had thought that with Zhou now an ordinary person, she would let go. After all, their lives would be separated; the gap between them would only grow larger.
But she hadn’t let go. Instead, her visits became more frequent, showing true dedication.
For her, a century is just a closed-door session, but for him, it’s a lifetime.
Yesterday, he heard that Zhou returned late, and this morning, Lu Yaoyao came to pick him up, even bringing him to his residence.
So he had no choice but to come himself. Some things needed to be said, though it felt cruel.
After a brief hesitation, Cao Zhengyang looked at Lu Yaoyao and said slowly, "Yaoyao, even before you started your cultivation, your foundation was extraordinarily solid. Now, being a Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, your future prospects are limitless. Wasting away is not right; you must not disappoint your master’s effort and expectations."
As he spoke these earnest words, he glanced indistinctly at Zhou.
When she advanced from the early to the late stage of Foundation Establishment, he even held a celebration for her.
At that time, the peak masters probably all guessed something, and some might have already informed their disciples.
So, Lu Yaoyao’s Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment wasn’t much of a secret in the core disciple circle of Taiqing Sect.
Zhou was very surprised to hear about Lu Yaoyao’s Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment.
She hid it well, better than him.
But he understood Cao Zhengyang’s message and quickly said, "Yes, Junior Sister Lu, though I always see you as a sister, you must make good use of your great potential and work hard."