At night, a layer of autumn mist rose over Gufeng Mountain.
Winter was approaching soon.
In the Duzhou Continent, within the cultivation world, there was no clear distinction between seasons. Cultivation focused on cultivating the Dao heart, and the cycle of seasons passed by in the blink of an eye. However, Master Yushan of the Taiyan Sect was a mischievous old man who didn’t want to live a dull life. He lifted the seasonal restrictions on Gufeng Mountain, so throughout the year, it resembled the mortal world. There were spring flowers and autumn moons, summer rains and winter snows, each with its own scenery.
A young man sat by the window, his hands resting behind his head, gazing at the distant peaks. The night breeze tousled his hair, obscuring his vision somewhat.
Someone knocked on the door from outside. After a few knocks, Gu Baiying didn’t turn around but said, “Come in.”
The person outside walked in.
The newcomer was a delicate and exquisite-looking young boy, appearing to be about eight or nine years old, with a complexion like jade and a lovely appearance. He wore a pink gauze robe embroidered with a pink-purple rose at the chest. His hair was tied with a matching ribbon. Though he was a boy, he looked even more delicate than a girl.
This was Men Dong, the personal disciple of Daoist Yueguang.
“Senior Uncle,” Men Dong walked to the window and looked up at the young man sitting on the windowsill, “We just came back like this, what about your spiritual veins?”
Gu Baiying, the son of the Qinghua Fairy, was exceptionally talented. At the age of fourteen, he formed his core, and now he had reached the later stage of the Nascent Soul realm. Although he was in the Nascent Soul stage, his true strength was not limited to that. Everyone said that he not only inherited the beauty of the Qinghua Fairy but also her spiritual roots. Perhaps, in the future, he would be the second genius to successfully ascend in the Duzhou Continent.
Moreover, he was so young.
However, ordinary people did not know that Gu Baiying was born with damaged spiritual veins. If he didn’t cultivate, his spiritual veins would backlash, endangering his life. But if he kept cultivating, his spiritual veins would swell and eventually be devoured by his own cultivation method.
Not cultivating meant death, and cultivating only meant a slower death.
So over the years, Gu Baiying rarely appeared in the sect. It wasn’t because he was arrogant or haughty, but because most of the time, Zhao Mayi and Men Dong accompanied him to various places to find spiritual herbs and medicines to repair his spiritual veins.
Men Dong was the personal disciple of Daoist Yueguang. Although his cultivation level was not very high, he had a natural “Spiritual Immortal Apperture” and could identify various spiritual herbs and elixirs. Whenever there was a difficult and complicated illness among the disciples, as long as it was not a terminal illness, Men Dong would brew some spiritual medicine, and most of the time, the illness would be cured.
Last year, Zhao Mayi and Men Dong, together with Gu Baiying, went to Xizhou, but they gained nothing, wasting a year’s time in vain. Even if Gu Baiying didn’t want to, his elemental power would accumulate in his body, and before long, he would probably break through again. But now, every breakthrough for Gu Baiying meant getting closer to death.
“Fifth Senior Uncle is really something,” Men Dong said irritably, “Talking about some demonic star appearing, rushing us back, and in the end, nothing happened. Every time he consults the oracle, it’s ineffective. Why hasn’t the sect leader expelled him from the sect yet? It’s really unfortunate for the sect!”
“You can say that to the sect leader’s face,” the young man snorted. “What’s the use of complaining to me?”
“I’m just thinking about you,” Men Dong thought for a moment, then looked at him, “But Martial Uncle, don’t lose heart. The ‘Qinchong’ we’ve been nurturing at the bottom of the Black Marsh should mature in a few days. The timing of our return is just right. When we implant the ‘Qinchong’ into your body, it will repair part of your spiritual veins. By then, you’ll feel much better.”
“I hope so,” Gu Baiying replied absentmindedly, picking up the teacup on the table and taking a sip.
“Senior Uncle!” The young boy grabbed Gu Baiying’s sleeve, almost pulling him off the windowsill. “Why have you been so absent-minded these days? They say you’ve taken a fancy to a new female disciple named Yang Zanxing. Is it true?”
“Pfft—” Gu Baiying sprayed tea out with a single sound, looking at Men Dong with annoyance. “Who told you that?”
“Sixth Senior Uncle did,” Men Dong said. “Sixth Senior Uncle said you keep sneaking glances at that female disciple. Senior Uncle, is she really pretty?”
“That damn Xuan Lingzi,” Gu Baiying slammed the teacup heavily on the table, then glared at Men Dong. “If you’re curious, go see for yourself!” He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
The young boy stood behind, watching his retreating figure, muttering, “If you don’t want to talk, just don’t do it. Why get angry about it?”
*
At the same time, Zanxing stood in Li Danshu’s alchemy room. A young boy came out carrying a box and handed it to Zanxing. “Senior Sister, the Skin Rejuvenation Pill is ready.”
Zanxing took the box, her gaze falling on the pills inside.
The pills looked like chocolate beans and carried a faint herbal fragrance. She asked Li Danshu, who was sitting in front of the pill furnace, “Senior Uncle, should I chew these pills or swallow them with water? Should I take them all at once or divide them into several doses?”
“Up to you,” Li Danshu waved his hand. “There aren’t that many rules. Take them however you like.”
“Then,” Zanxing asked again, “When will the scars on my face disappear after I take this pill?”
Li Danshu glanced at her. “Not long, at least a year, at most two.”
“Two years?” Zanxing was surprised. “Why does it take so long?”
Li Danshu adjusted his hat, which was slipping down, and looked displeased at her astonishment. “Of course not. What do you think this is, some miraculous elixir?”
Zanxing asked, “Isn’t it?”
Li Danshu coughed and shook his fan. “The scars on your face were caused by demonic energy from demonic beasts. It’s impossible for an ordinary person to fully recover from such injuries. This pill may take effect slowly, but it might help restore your original appearance, which is already quite good. Besides, a woman’s inner beauty is what matters. Don’t worry too much about your appearance.”
Zanxing looked at Li Danshu’s ash-covered face and his burnt robe and found his words unconvincing.
But for now, she had no other choice. Inner disciples could only receive thirty spirit stones per month, which wasn’t even enough to buy intermediate-level spiritual medicines, let alone anything else.
Zanxing had no choice but to bow to Li Danshu and say, “Thank you, Senior Uncle. I’ll take my leave now.”
“Off you go then,” Li Danshu waved his hand.
Exiting the pill refining room, Zanxing headed towards the direction of the small wooden tower. Her rest days were almost over, and starting tomorrow, all the inner disciples would begin their cultivation classes together. In a way, she could finally consider herself enrolled in the Taiyan Sect’s elite class, becoming one of the specially trained seedlings.
But… Zanxing looked at the red marks on her hand. Leaving aside the previous ones, ever since Mimi hatched from the egg, the red marks on her palms had deepened noticeably, vaguely outlining the shape of a flower.
She couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease.
Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly felt a strong wind behind her. Zanxing instinctively dodged and drew the iron staff from her waist, turning around to meet the oncoming force, only to find herself facing a streak of silver light.