"Old Daoist Zhenyang!"
Lord Daoist Jinghe broke into Lord Daoist Zhenyang's cave in an imposing manner and shouted like an enemy, "Come out!"
Lord Daoist Zhenyang's cave was as simple as most cultivators', but it didn't lack anything it should have.
As one of the four or five late stage Nascent Soul cultivators in the Celestial Pole and the person with the highest power in Xuanqing School, Lord Daoist Zhenyang's cave was naturally heavily guarded with numerous restrictions. If an enemy really came, he wouldn't be able to do anything. However, it was Lord Daoist Jinghe, so the guarding disciples could only helplessly let him come and go as he pleased.
Lord Daoist Zhenyang, who was cultivating, opened his eyes and waved his hand to remove the restrictions around him, letting Lord Daoist Jinghe in.
Different from Lord Daoist Jinghe's style of a fatuous ruler, Lord Daoist Zhenyang wore a simple sect Daoist robe and tied his hair in a bun. He looked calm and composed, looking like a real expert with a transcendent demeanor.
Seeing Lord Daoist Jinghe breaking into his cave, Lord Daoist Zhenyang just raised his eyelids and then lowered them again. His voice was gentle and calm. "What's up?"
"What's up?
You're asking me what's up? "
Lord Daoist Jinghe yelled, "Old Daoist Zhenyang, are you jealous of me because I accepted a genius disciple but don't dare to say it?"
Not to mention Xuanqing School, perhaps only Lord Daoist Jinghe would talk to Lord Daoist Zhenyang like this in the entire Celestial Pole.
Lord Daoist Zhenyang was also a genius in the past. He advanced to the Nascent Soul realm when he was about two hundred years old and advanced to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm when he was about six hundred years old. From then on, he roamed the Celestial Pole for hundreds of years, and only three or four late stage Nascent Soul cultivators could rival him.
The reason why he couldn't be sure was that one of the old monsters in the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm had been living in seclusion for a long time and no one knew whether he was still alive or not.
As for Lord Daoist Jinghe, his cultivation experience couldn't be regarded as the best in either Xuanqing School or the Celestial Pole. He could only be regarded as excellent. However, only Lord Daoist Jinghe talked like this, and Lord Daoist Zhenyang listened.
There were reasons for this. First, although Lord Daoist Jinghe's cultivation level was only in the middle stage of the Nascent Soul realm, he was combative by nature and had a deep understanding of fights of magical powers. He had treasures and secret techniques in his hands, so even great cultivators in the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm wouldn't dare to say they could win against him for sure. Second, his temperament was like this. Lord Daoist Zhenyang knew this very well, so why would he fight with him over this trivial matter?
Therefore, even though Lord Daoist Jinghe was making a big fuss, Lord Daoist Zhenyang still looked indifferent and didn't even glance at him.
"You have your own disciple, and I have mine. Why should I be jealous of you?"
"Not jealous?"
Lord Daoist Jinghe sneered. "If you're not jealous, why did you let your disciple seduce my disciple?"
This sentence made Lord Daoist Zhenyang a little confused, so he raised his eyelids. "Hook up?"
This choice of words was really inelegant, but Lord Daoist Jinghe continued to sneer. "Don't tell me you don't know. You took in a disciple with a single spiritual root and treated him like a treasure. I don't believe you don't know about such a 'big matter' as him seducing my disciple."
Lord Daoist Jinghe deliberately emphasized the word "big matter." He raised his eyebrows and looked at Lord Daoist Zhenyang from the corner of his eyes, meaning: Don't try to fool me!
"You mean Yanfei?"
Lord Daoist Zhenyang raised his eyes. There were only a few disciples with a single spiritual root in Xuanqing School, so he only needed to think for a moment to know who Lord Daoist Jinghe was talking about.
"You're not muddle-headed yet!"
Lord Daoist Jinghe ridiculed him. Soon after, he said in a seemingly sincere tone, "I say, Old Daoist Zhenyang, my disciple is very good, but you still have to ask me whether I can seduce him or not. Otherwise, wouldn't it be very bad if we hurt our friendship?"
Lord Daoist Zhenyang wasn't fooled by his words. He just asked, "What's going on?
Either speak properly or don't waste time. "
The only person in Xuanqing School who could talk to Lord Daoist Jinghe like this was Lord Daoist Zhenyang.
Lord Daoist Jinghe knew this old Daoist was impatient, so he should stop while he was ahead. He immediately chose to speak nicely. "I don't know what wrong medicine your disciple took, but he's been so attentive to my disciple that my disciple doesn't even dare to go out.
What? You really don't know? "
"How could I know such a trivial matter?"
After hearing the whole story, Lord Daoist Zhenyang couldn't help but have a headache. This Jinghe was really something. Did he really have to report to his master that his disciple was attentive to a woman?
Who was as free as him? He was already in the Nascent Soul realm, but he still came to question his disciple over such a trivial matter?
Nevertheless, he still slowed down his voice to confirm. "You mean Yanfei is pursuing your disciple?
En, the little disciple you just accepted, right? "
"Yes." Lord Daoist Jinghe nodded then put his hand on Lord Daoist Zhenyang's shoulder. He once again said earnestly, "Senior Martial Brother Zhenyang, don't say I didn't give you face. My disciple is good, but I really can't give her to your disciple. Tell your disciple not to worry, okay?"
Lord Daoist Zhenyang was confused. "My disciple is unmarried, and your disciple isn't. Is there a problem?
Is such a trivial matter worth you coming here in person? "
Lord Daoist Jinghe was furious. "Trivial matter?
I'm telling you, this isn't a trivial matter! "
He looked around mysteriously then leaned close to Lord Daoist Zhenyang and said in a low voice, "This disciple of mine was brought back by my brat. You also know what kind of personality that brat has. It's so rare for him to bring back a girl!
Right now, he's in a hurry to form his Nascent Soul and can't take care of this matter. If I don't take care of her for him, he'll be angry with me when he comes out of Closed Door Meditation! "
Lord Daoist Jinghe then added, "You should tell your disciple not to pester my disciple anymore. It's useless even if she thinks about it!"
Lord Daoist Zhenyang already understood what Lord Daoist Jinghe said, but Lord Daoist Jinghe complacently added, which made him unhappy. "Your disciple has his own good points, but my disciple has a single spiritual root that's hard to come by in a hundred years. She's young and promising, and her future is bright. Why would he pester your disciple?
I think he's just bored and wants to talk to your disciple.
You shouldn't think too much about young people's interactions. "
"I'm thinking too much?" Lord Daoist Jinghe shouted, "If I'm really thinking too much, would that brat keep asking my disciple out?
Old Daoist Zhenyang, don't just protect your disciple. Although your disciple has a single spiritual root, compared to my disciple, she's just so-so.
Do you want to know what my disciple's aptitude is?
Hehe, I won't tell you first! "
Lord Daoist Zhenyang's face darkened when he saw Lord Daoist Jinghe blowing his own trumpet. "All right, don't treat your disciple like a treasure. There are many people who want to perform Dual Cultivation with my disciple. Do you need to rush to please your disciple?
What are you worrying about?! "
"Hey, Old Daoist Zhenyang, you're jealous! Jealous!"
"I'm jealous?
I have a disciple with a single spiritual root; do I need to be jealous of you?
Is such a trivial matter worth you coming here in person?
Go back! "
Lord Daoist Zhenyang was annoyed that his disciple kept being belittled. He flung his sleeve and ordered him to leave.
"Do you think I'll go back just because you tell me to?" Lord Daoist Jinghe argued with him. "I'm telling you, my disciple has the Spiritual Root of the Origin!
You know what the Spiritual Root of the Origin is, right?
She even obtained the Art of the Origin and is in the middle stage of the Foundation Building realm before she's thirty. Can your disciple do it?
She only has a single spiritual root; she's still far from being able to catch up to my disciple! "
"Spiritual Root of the Origin?"
Lord Daoist Zhenyang was fuming, but when he heard that, he paused for a moment. "Your disciple has the Spiritual Root of the Origin from the Distant Past era?"
"Yes!" Lord Daoist Jinghe raised his head.
The next moment, Lord Daoist Zhenyang sneered. "So what if she has the Spiritual Root of the Origin?
It's been lost for hundreds of thousands of years; I don't know what will happen to it!
My disciple has a solid single spiritual root; she can't be that bad! "
"Old Daoist Zhenyang!"
Lord Daoist Jinghe was waiting for Lord Daoist Zhenyang to admit defeat a moment ago, but when he heard what Lord Daoist Jinghe said, he also fumed. "What's the use of a single spiritual root?
How many of us Nascent Soul cultivators have single spiritual roots?
Old man Song Feng has three spiritual roots, but you still can't beat him! "
Lord Daoist Zhenyang was also angry when he heard Lord Daoist Jinghe mentioning this. "When did I lose to him? It's just that the winner hasn't been decided yet!" Then he said sarcastically, "Haven't you always looked down on old man Song Feng?
Why are you speaking for him now?
You also have a single spiritual root; isn't a single spiritual root good?
How did you cultivate it? "
"It's because I have a single spiritual root that I don't speak for it!
What's so great about a single spiritual root?
Many people with single spiritual roots can't even cultivate to the Nascent Soul realm! "Lord Daoist Jinghe was already pestering him endlessly.
Lord Daoist Zhenyang was so angry that he laughed. "Qin Jinghe!
You're itching for a beating, aren't you?
I'll fulfill your wish! "As he spoke, he took out something, clasped his hands together, and threw it at Lord Daoist Jinghe.
Lord Daoist Jinghe flashed, and a surge of spiritual aura blasted a stone wall into ashes. He was also burning with anger. He took out a gourd, raised it, and a wisp of Real Fire spurted out of the gourd. He shouted, "Old man Zhenyang!
If I don't teach you a lesson, you'll really think I'm easy to bully! "
Lord Daoist Zhenyang didn't speak. Instead, he withdrew his magic weapon and attacked again.
* * *
Mo Tiange naturally didn't know that her casual words caused the two most powerful Nascent Soul cultivators in Xuanqing School to fight each other and almost raze Lord Daoist Zhenyang's Immortal's Cave to the ground.
Of course, this was actually because Lord Daoist Jinghe was too good at stirring up trouble. Anything he said would make people unhappy, and it didn't have much to do with her.
At that moment, she stepped into Ye Zhenji's small room with a solemn expression.
Two years had passed. Ye Zhenji had grown a lot taller, and his cultivation level had also improved. A few days ago, he finished his studies at Mengxue Hall and became an official disciple.
Because the distribution of elite disciples and ordinary disciples was different, their management methods were also different. Since Ye Zhenji lived in Shangqing Palace, the steward's hall couldn't interfere too much, and it was difficult to stop other people's mouths. Thus, Lord Daoist Jinghe waved his hand and directly indicated that Ye Zhenji should be recorded as Master Daoist Shoujing's disciple.
Mo Tiange originally didn't approve of this. Why should she record a child she taught herself as someone else's disciple?
Especially when that person basically didn't care about him.
But Lord Daoist Jinghe said that she was only in the middle stage of the Foundation Building realm now. No matter how fast her cultivation was, it would still take her fifty to sixty years to form her Gold Core.
By that time, Ye Zhenji should've already built his foundation. The method of distributing Foundation-Building Pills to elite disciples and ordinary disciples was also different. Did Lord Daoist Jinghe want to drag him into building his foundation?
For this reason, Mo Tiange could only acquiesce.
Now, Ye Zhenji still lived here and hadn't even seen his nominal master.
Mo Tiange walked to the frost jade bed and saw Ye Zhenji lying on the bed. She frowned slightly and helped the child up. She placed her hand on the top of his head and inserted her spiritual aura into his body.
After a long time, Ye Zhenji groaned and woke up. When he saw her, he called out in a low voice, "Auntie."
Mo Tiange let go of him and said, "Aren't you going to take some medicine to heal your injuries?"
Ye Zhenji's face reddened. He hurriedly took out some medicinal pills and ate them then sat cross-legged.
Mo Tiange stayed by his side, quietly observing his condition.
Just now, when she was cultivating, she used her divine sense to pay attention to the outside world. Suddenly, she noticed spiritual aura fluctuations here. After careful examination, she found that the spiritual aura inside Ye Zhenji's body was in disorder and showed signs of being possessed by the devil.
Just now, when she placed her hand on the top of Ye Zhenji's head, she immediately realized what was wrong. This child obviously ate several Aura-Converging Pills. The medicinal power was too strong and he couldn't control it, so he almost suffered from the devil.
Before long, the spiritual aura inside Ye Zhenji's body finally calmed down.
When he opened his eyes, he saw Mo Tiange standing in front of him with a gloomy expression. He immediately lowered his head and said, "Auntie, I'm sorry."
Mo Tiange regained her composure and shook her head. "Sorry for what?"
"… I made you worry."
Mo Tiange sighed and sat next to him. "What does it matter if you made me worry?
In the end, you'll be the one to bear the consequences. You didn't cultivate for me — you cultivated for yourself. "
"Yes," Ye Zhenji answered. He then hesitated and asked, "Auntie, don't you blame me?"
"Blame you for what?"
"I … Just now, something happened because I ate Aura-Converging Pills. Don't you blame me for acting recklessly?"
Mo Tiange smiled. "What's the use of blaming you?
The most important thing is that you won't make the same mistake again.
En … If you feel uncomfortable, you can tell me why you ate so many Aura-Converging Pills. Don't tell me you never thought there would be problems? "
"This …" Ye Zhenji paused for a moment then answered honestly, "I think my cultivation speed is too slow, so I wanted to eat more medicinal pills to speed up my cultivation."
"Slow cultivation …" Mo Tiange couldn't help but laugh. "You're only twelve years old, but you're already in the third layer of the Aura Refining realm. How could it be slow?"
"But Hualing is the same age as me, and he's already in the fifth layer of the Aura Refining realm!"
Hualing was the youngest disciple of Lord Daoist Jinghe's second disciple, Master Daoist Mingzhen. Because he was the same age as Ye Zhenji, he could be considered Ye Zhenji's little playmate.
Mo Tiange smiled. "Hualing is your Martial Uncle Mingzhen's blood-related descendant. His spiritual roots are also better than yours, and he's been carefully taught since he was a child. How could he be the same as you?"
Upon hearing what she said, Ye Zhenji pursed his lips and his gaze dimmed. "I know my aptitude isn't comparable to his, but if that's the case, doesn't that mean I'll never be able to catch up to him for the rest of my life?"
"Of course not." Mo Tiange stroked his head. "On the path of cultivation, aptitude isn't enough. You might not be able to catch up to him now, but as long as you continue to cultivate earnestly, you'll eventually catch up.
Besides, in the past two years, you've advanced two layers from the first layer to the third layer, while Hualing barely advanced to the fifth layer a few days ago. What are you afraid of? "
Seeing that Ye Zhenji lowered his head and didn't say anything, Mo Tiange knew he was still unconvinced, so she said with a smile, "Then let's do it this way. You'll spend ten years cultivating earnestly. Let's see if you'll build your foundation first or if he'll build it first. What do you think?"
Ye Zhenji thought about it. He still had a high chance of advancing to the Foundation Building realm within ten years, so he smiled and said, "En."
"But let's make this clear — you can't do things like you did today — pulling up seedlings to help them grow.
Cultivation has to be done step by step. Being too impatient won't do you any good. If you're careless and end up suffering from qi deviation, you'll have to delay your cultivation for many years. The gains won't make up for the losses. "
"Alright, I'll listen to Auntie."
On the other side, Lord Daoist Jinghe had just finished his fight. His luxurious golden dragon robe had already been burnt to ashes, and his face was also stained with a lot of unknown ash or soil. Even half of his beautiful short beard was burnt. He was in a sorry state.
He flew back to Clear Spring Peak angrily. As he flew, he muttered, "Old Daoist Zhenyang, I gave you face today!
If I used the Great Yang Technique, even if you didn't die, you'd still be half-dead!
Hmph, I'll let you off for the sake of us being fellow disciples! "
The Old Daoist Zhenyang he spoke of was currently directing his disciples to tidy up the cave with a dark expression. He himself called his youngest disciple over and locked him in a relatively intact stone room before he started scolding him. "Brat, you're too bored, aren't you?
Instead of cultivating diligently, you went to seduce that old fool Qin Jinghe's disciple?
You could've fallen for anyone, but that old fool is a complete scoundrel!
If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked. How good can his disciple be?
If you behave yourself, I'll forget about this matter! "
Bai Yanfei was bewildered by his scolding. "Master, I told you about this …"
Lord Daoist Zhenyang was stunned. "You told me?
When did you tell me? "
"Last time, when you were cultivating, I said I wanted to find someone to perform Dual Cultivation with, and you said I could do whatever I wanted …"
Thinking about it carefully, Lord Daoist Zhenyang seemed to have said that. He couldn't help feeling embarrassed, but he still scolded him angrily, "I said you could do whatever you wanted, but you really did?
There are many beautiful female cultivators with high cultivation levels in our sect; how did you fall for that old fool's disciple? "This time, he didn't even want to call him Qin Jinghe; he just directly called him 'old fool'.
Bai Yanfei felt even more wronged. "I said I'd choose from the several martial uncles, but you agreed. I looked around, and only Senior Martial Sister Mo was suitable …"
"But you still didn't tell me!" Lord Daoist Zhenyang thought for a while then said angrily, "Doesn't your Martial Uncle Miaoyi also have a girl?
I remember she's not that old, and she's also suitable for you. Why didn't you choose her? "
Bai Yanfei cautiously looked at his master and said, "That Senior Martial Sister Wu … doesn't look too …"
He didn't finish his sentence, but how could Lord Daoist Zhenyang not understand? Lord Daoist Zhenyang glared at him. "You … as a cultivator, why are you so fixated on appearances?
Whether they're beautiful or ugly, they're just bones under the skin!
Besides, how ugly could a cultivator be?
That old fool's disciple isn't that beautiful! "
Seeing his furious master, Bai Yanfei cleverly shut his mouth and stopped talking.
Now that his master had a falling out with Martial Uncle Jinghe, saying anything more would only add fuel to the fire.
Lord Daoist Zhenyang paced around the room twice then said, "Let's just forget about this matter. You don't need to think about this girl anymore. That old fool was prepared to give her to his boy; it's not your turn!"
"Huh?" Bai Yanfei was dumbfounded. "Master, what do you mean?"
"What I mean is that girl belongs to Qin Shoujing. Do you understand now?"
This news shocked Bai Yanfei, but he quickly shouted, "What does it have to do with him?
I asked, and Senior Martial Sister Mo clearly has no intention of performing Dual Cultivation! "
"That's also none of your business."
Lord Daoist Zhenyang looked at his disciple and sneered. "Alright, brat, be a bit smarter. I had a falling out with that old fool, but you still went to provoke his disciple. Are you trying to humiliate me?
Let's just forget about this matter. If you want to perform Dual Cultivation, just pick someone else! "Lord Daoist Zhenyang swung his sleeves then turned around and left the stone room.
Although Bai Yanfei understood his master wasn't sneering at him, he still gnashed his teeth.