Chapter 38: You’re My Best Friend

Chapter 38 You're My Best Friend

Unable to get support from Xie Xiyi, Senior Brother Qing Xuan could only hold Ming Xin with one hand while fighting back with the other, retreating step by step until there was nowhere left to go. He had no choice but to watch as the crimson mist swept Ming Xin away.

Chi Yu saw this and was about to say something to Xie Xiyi when Xie Xiyi cut him off first, "If you're going to plead for mercy on his behalf, save it."

Chi Yu was taken aback and quickly replied, "No, no, I wasn’t going to plead for him."

How could he ignore right and wrong? Hearing the Crown Prince’s words, Ming Xin had secretly attacked him, and Senior Brother Qing Xuan hadn’t denied it—most likely he had seen it too. Under these circumstances, how could he possibly ask the Crown Prince to save him? That would make things awkward for everyone.

Chi Yu said, "I was going to ask, Brother Xuan Ji, can you really handle all this?"

As he spoke, he used his sword moves to disperse the mist. Though extremely tense, having the Crown Prince by his side to protect him made Chi Yu surprisingly unafraid.

Xie Xiyi said, "That’s not something you need to worry about—upper right, don’t lose focus. Are you treating my words as nothing but wind past your ears?"

Chi Yu: "..."

Not even a school dean is this strict!

However, he knew Brother Xuan Ji was sparing no effort in guiding him. Though he held the title of senior brother, he was already acting like a master.

He stopped diverting his attention to others and focused wholeheartedly on following Xie Xiyi’s instructions, diligently swinging his sword. Even as his arms grew sore and heavy, he didn’t dare pause for a moment, afraid of disappointing the Crown Prince’s goodwill.

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but Chi Yu had truly run out of strength. Not a trace of spiritual power remained in his body, and his meridians throbbed with a dull pain—he had clearly reached his limit.

As the crimson mist surged toward him again, he gritted his teeth and prepared to push on when a large hand grasped his sword. Brother Xuan Ji’s voice, tinged with laughter, sounded beside his ear, "Enough."

Chi Yu lifted his face and met Xie Xiyi’s gaze, a smile spreading across his lips. "Brother Xuan Ji, did I live up to your expectations?"

Xie Xiyi lowered his head slightly to look at him. His face was beaded with fine sweat, his cheeks slightly flushed, and his eyes sparkling like stars.

Xie Xiyi felt a slight stir in his heart, his smile unchanged as he said lightly, "You’re still far from meeting my expectations—but you’ve done the best you can."

Chi Yu’s smile widened, and he said happily, "Yes! I’ve improved a lot!"

Xie Xiyi looked at his smile, paused for a moment, then averted his gaze. "Stand behind me."

Though he said this, he didn’t wait for Chi Yu to move and instead stepped forward first, shielding Chi Yu behind him.

Not far away, Senior Brother Qing Xuan finally witnessed Xuan Ji take action.

The crimson mist and light serpents formed by the demonic seeds were entities that ordinary spells couldn’t destroy. After all, they were demonic seeds—trump cards cultivated by demons to infect righteous cultivators, naturally immune to many spells.

Only the techniques of the Zen School could truly kill demonic seeds.

All the attacks they had made so far were merely repelling the seeds.

Senior Brother Qing Xuan had only entered the Zen School a little over three months ago and was still in the tempering stage. He hadn’t even begun learning the Zen School’s techniques. So, if the City of Extreme Pleasure was full of demonic cultivators, their team could only rely on Xuan Ji.

Xuan Ji had reached the Second Dhyana Ābhāsvara Realm. At this level, he could cultivate the Buddhist esoteric methods of extermination—something Senior Brother Qing Xuan had long since inquired about.

Now, he finally saw it in action.

Xuan Ji formed hand seals, and a massive seven-colored lotus rose behind him. The lotus was exquisitely beautiful, emitting golden thread-like rays of light. The light whirled like a vortex, countless golden threads scattering outward, dispersing the crimson mist. Innumerable blood-bead-like demonic seeds had their color drained by the golden light, turning into snow-white jade beads that fell one after another, clinking melodiously against the golden jade floor tiles.

As the golden threads faded, the enormous lotus shattered into countless petals that scattered in all directions. The tightly shut palace doors suddenly swung open, and the petals swirled outward. A faint exclamation could be heard from outside as the demonic energy hidden within the City of Extreme Pleasure broke free. In an instant, the sky darkened, twilight descended, and a sense of impending storm filled the air.

Senior Brother Qing Xuan took a deep breath and immediately turned to search for Ming Xin.

Ming Xin had been swept by the mist into a side chamber. For the demonic seeds, this was a relatively safe warm nest, while cultivators were their prey—trapped in illusions where their innate spiritual energy was drained. If completely drained, they could only become puppets of the demonic seeds, like the "female" cultivator named Wan Wan.

Senior Brother Qing Xuan had figured out the scheme behind the Extreme Pleasure Palace and knew that after this commotion, the remaining demonic seeds would no longer hold back.

Sure enough, as he passed by the side chamber he had previously pushed open, he caught a glimpse of a cultivator entangled in layers of curtains. The cultivator’s throat emitted vague, guttural sounds, and the hand struggling to reach out had clearly begun to wither—this meant not only had their innate spiritual energy been drained, but even their flesh and blood—

There was no more time to waste!

Senior Brother Qing Xuan quickly located Ming Xin using the contract between them. Ming Xin’s face was deathly pale. Senior Brother Qing Xuan reached out to check and frowned sharply—

Clearly, his senior brother had already lost most of his innate spirit.

Without delay, he pressed two fingers to his forehead at the spiritual platform, drew upon a measure of clear spiritual sense, and channeled it into Ming Xin’s forehead. After much effort, he finally roused him from the illusion.

Upon waking, Ming Xin’s face changed dramatically. His lips trembled as he said in disbelief, "M-my cultivation has fallen! It’s dropped to the early Foundation Establishment stage!"

His Foundation Establishment cultivation was already unstable, teetering on the brink. Not only that, but half of his innate spiritual energy had been drained—his natural talent would only worsen!

Senior Brother Qing Xuan slapped him across the face and said coldly, "Be glad you’re still alive. Calm down."

Ming Xin took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm. His Primordial Yang was already gone, and he had lost half of his innate spiritual energy. His aptitude had plummeted drastically, and his comprehension ability would decline accordingly. His foundation—it was practically half ruined!

Xuan Ji!!

It was Xuan Ji’s fault!

Senior Brother Qing Xuan could tell what he was thinking just by looking at his expression. He lowered his voice and said, "If you have any strength left, get up and come with me. The entire Extreme Pleasure Palace is filled with demonic seeds, and the demonic cultivators haven’t even shown themselves yet. If we don’t kill the demonic cultivators, Senior Brother, your fallen cultivation will have been for nothing. Do you understand?"

Ming Xin reluctantly gathered his thoughts and said, "I understand."

He stood up and straightened his robes slightly. Then, Senior Brother Qing Xuan added, "I know you have many grievances against Brother Xuan Ji, but Brother Xuan Ji is powerful. I hope you can avoid crossing him for now and must not conflict with him again.—The same goes for Brother Long."

Though filled with resentment, Ming Xin gritted his teeth and agreed.

After all, Senior Brother Qing Xuan had saved him multiple times, and he could only rely on and trust this junior brother.

Having prepared Ming Xin mentally, Senior Brother Qing Xuan didn’t feel much relief.

Xuan Ji is too arrogant, Senior Brother Qing Xuan thought, so arrogant that it makes people want to crush him.

*

Chi Yu picked up the jade beads scattered on the ground and noticed that although they resembled jade in texture, they were actually seeds.

Xie Xiyi walked over to him and explained, "These are demonic seeds, but their demonic nature has been purged."

Chi Yu said, "I know."

The demonic seeds in "Divine Path" had always been highly prominent. These things could infect normal cultivators, subtly controlling them like an incurable disease. Once infected, there was no cure—only execution.

"Divine Path" advocated for the humane destruction of cultivators infected by demonic seeds, leaving no room for negotiation. But seeing Brother Xuan Ji’s methods... Chi Yu couldn’t help but ask, "Brother Xuan Ji, if I were accidentally infected by these demonic seeds, could you save me?"

Xie Xiyi smiled slightly and said, "That depends on my mood."

Chi Yu’s eyes lit up. "So you can? Then why did you scare me earlier?"

Xie Xiyi said casually, "If I hadn’t said that, would you have given it your all?"

Chi Yu declared earnestly, "Of course I would. Even with you as my safety net, I wouldn’t place all my hopes on you."

He paused, his voice growing solemn and serious. "I’m growing too, Senior Brother. You can rest assured—I won’t always hide behind you begging for protection."

Xie Xiyi looked at his face, his smile faded slightly, and said, "I hope so. —Since you’ve made such a bold claim, how many hours a day do you plan to cultivate from now on?"

Chi Yu: "..."

It’s only when you need to use knowledge that you regret not having enough; likewise, it’s only in actual combat that you realize how lazy you’ve been, he thought.

Chi Yu said with deep sorrow, "From now on, I’ll cultivate ten hours a day!"

No more writing practice tests for now.

The cultivation world’s version of the sea-of-questions tactic, "activate.jpg".

Chi Yu then remembered the cultivators in the Bliss Palace and asked, "Brother Xuan Ji, should we go save those cultivators?"

Yet, Xie Xiyi responded with extreme indifference, "Why should we save them?"

Chi Yu was slightly taken aback, "We’re not saving them?"

Xie Xiyi’s voice was cold: "They chose to enter the Bliss Palace, so they must face its dangers. The cultivation world is a battlefield everywhere, with situations that change in the blink of an eye. This is the natural order; there’s no need to interfere."

He then smiled faintly and said to Chi Yu, "If you want to save them, I won’t stop you."

Chi Yu felt a chill from Xie Xiyi’s meaningful smile, sensing some hidden mischief, and said awkwardly, "...But I don’t know how to save them."

Xie Xiyi said, "So, by bringing it up, did you mean for me to save them?"

Chi Yu: "..."

Suddenly realizing, he immediately repented, "I understand, Senior Brother."

He lacked the ability to do such a thing—how could he impose it on the Crown Prince and make him do it?

This was moral coercion!

Seeing him so compliant, Xie Xiyi’s heart stirred, and he ultimately added a few more words: "Do not form deep bonds with other cultivators. The cultivation world is a place where the strong prey on the weak. Even if you save someone, they might still try to kill you upon seeing you possess a Spatial Ring."

His tone remained indifferent as he continued, "In the cultivation world, there is no such thing as bonds. Friendship, familial love, desire—they are all stumbling blocks on the path of the great Dao, as insignificant as dust."

Chi Yu said, "But Brother Xuan Ji, you treat me very well."

Xie Xiyi said coolly, "Is giving you a few words of advice considered treating you well?"

Chi Yu replied candidly, "Of course! Not only does Brother Xuan Ji advise me, but he also cares for me like he does Xiao Yu, treating me as one of his own—Brother Xuan Ji, you are my best friend. 'May we grow old together and be friends through the years' [1]."

As he spoke, he flashed Xie Xiyi a radiant smile, his sweat-dampened cheeks glistening softly at that moment, his lips red and teeth white, his gaze clear and bright, as bright as sunlight.

Xie Xiyi took in his face, his golden eyes flickering slightly, yet his tone remained cool and detached: "Best friend? But as I recall, isn’t your best friend Xiao Yu?"

The corners of his lips arched into a mocking curve, his voice melodious yet tinged with sarcasm, "You’re quite loose with your words. How many people have you said this to?"

Chi Yu’s smile froze: "..."

Huh?

Why does it feel a bit... sour? he wondered.

Author’s Note:

Xiao Yu: Feeling jealous, are we?

11: It’s because you’re too fickle.