Chapter 22: As Your Master

Chapter 22: The Master

Qu Qianxing frowned as he stood before the "chessboard."

He didn't understand why a perfectly good public lesson had turned into this, but since it was his master's command, there must be deep meaning behind it. Qu Qianxing had no objection to playing this teaching game himself—though he didn't like it, as long as his master needed it, he was willing to assist with anything.

What really upset Qu Qianxing was Yu Wenxuan's behavior.

Although Qu Qianxing had never encountered this kind of "chess" before, he could tell that the initial conditions of the game were unfair—the strength of the "pieces" clearly determined how easy or difficult victory would be.

No wonder Yu Wenxuan had been acting shamelessly with the master.

But this rascal had obtained the pieces yet didn't use them himself, shoving Qu Qianxing out to face Ran Deng in the match. What does he mean by "I won't bully my junior sister"? Does that mean I enjoy bullying my junior sister or something?

Qu Qianxing thought this, feeling annoyed, then said to Ran Deng:

"A Ran, let's swap pieces? Otherwise it's not fair."

"Second Senior Brother, you're underestimating me," Ran Deng refused. "I might not be as strong as you in real combat, but this is chess, and it's about formations—I won't necessarily lose to you."

"But..."

"Besides, this is your first time playing this kind of chess, right?" Ran Deng smiled. "I've helped Master test and adjust the board and have already played several games with him. In this area, I'm your senior."

Ran Deng said this, her smile widening: "Or is Second Senior Brother already making excuses for his defeat?"

...This junior sister really isn't cute at all.

Qu Qianxing's mouth twitched, and he gave a fake smile: "Then I look forward to your guidance."

*

Zhou Hui smiled as he waited for his two disciples to take their positions at opposite ends of the "chessboard."

"Since the players are in position, let's choose the board! Since this is everyone's first time playing this kind of chess, we'll pick the small board—the 'secret realm' mode."

Zhou Hui said, raising his hand slightly.

His wide sleeve brushed across the board, and delicate flowers, grass, and trees sprouted from it, eliciting another round of admiring gasps from the disciples.

Zhou Hui then asked out of the blue: "Qian Xing, do you know why 'secret realms' are formed?"

As a top student, Qu Qianxing naturally wasn't fazed by such surprise questions. A lengthy stream of theory that could leave people dazed flowed from his mouth: "Secret realms are formed in two ways: naturally and artificially. But regardless of which, they arise from innate or acquired factors that form spatial structures similar to formations, making this space more stable than the surrounding areas. Spiritual energy flow is unpredictable; the space of the greater world is constantly eroded by spiritual energy, being destroyed and regenerated. Relatively stable small spaces aren't destroyed but get covered by newly generated space, forming fragments in the gaps of time and space—what are commonly known as 'fragments.'"

Zhou Hui asked again, "Then what's the key to exploring a secret realm?"

"Since secret realms are formed by formations, the key naturally is to identify the type of formation and control or destroy its core." Qu Qianxing had no problems when it came to theory.

"Very good," Zhou Hui nodded approvingly. "Then let's start with the most basic circular formation."

As Zhou Hui spoke, a group of demons "grew" onto the chessboard, stationed around the board in a surrounding formation. And at the center of the board, guarded by the demons, rose a hill, on top of which a treasure chest sparkled.

"The win condition is simple: whoever gets the treasure chest wins," Zhou Hui said. "Begin!"

With those words, the "pieces" came to life, raring to go.

Qu Qianxing felt this "secret realm" was so straightforward that there was no need to overthink it. He first sent out his "Senior Brother" piece to lead the way, while "he himself" followed behind with his junior brothers and sisters, heading toward the top of the mountain.

Yu Cong finally got to see how the personal disciples' pieces performed.

Unlike Yan Fei, who had used his best move, the piece representing Yu Wenxuan used the most basic attack—just slashing at everything. Even so, Yu Wenxuan's attack power was way stronger than Yan Fei's, killing Golden Core stage demon beasts with one sword strike each.

Yan Fei noticed Yu Cong's disdain and pouted: "Well, he's a Deity Transformation Stage grand completion cultivator. It's only natural he's that strong."

"Yeah, your piece might get bitten to death soon!" Yu Cong laughed.

He looked over at Ran Deng's side and froze.

Ran Deng had only sent out a single piece—Yan Fei.

Of course, Yan Fei's attack power couldn't compare to Yu Wenxuan's, but as a sword immortal, he had innate advantages: fast flight speed and agile evasion. Honestly, he still couldn't match Yu Wenxuan, but he didn't need to fight monsters!

The result was that the tiny Yan Fei piece nimbly dodged a Foundation Establishment stage demon beast, snatched the spiritual herb it was guarding, and a small boot icon appeared above its head: Speed +3.

Repeating this process, the piece's speed quickly increased to around 10, flying like lightning toward the center of the board and opening the treasure chest.

The entire process took less than half an incense stick's time—or by the new sundial clock's calculation, less than three minutes. When Ran Deng won, Qu Qianxing hadn't even registered what had happened.

"This is unfair!"

After reviewing the match, Qu Qianxing protested discontentedly: "I had no idea there were spiritual herbs that could increase speed."

"I reminded Second Senior Brother from the start—knowing the rules is important, right?" Ran Deng smiled. "How about another round?"

So they began a second game.

This time, Qu Qianxing went for the spiritual herbs first, while Ran Deng added a Spell Cultivator alongside the Sword Cultivator. They didn't pick herbs but instead provoked the demon beasts—the Spell Cultivator attacked while the Sword Cultivator drew aggro—quickly throwing the entire map into chaos and wiping out Qu Qianxing's side.

"Too despicable!" Qu Qianxing's eyes were red with anger, making him look strikingly beautiful.

"Another round?" Ran Deng smiled.

The third game was quite a spectacle. Qu Qianxing immediately sent his pieces charging at Ran Deng, clearly losing his temper and abandoning any pretense of senior-junior sibling camaraderie—he intended to eliminate Ran Deng first. Unexpectedly, Ran Deng was well-prepared: she first ambushed Qu Qianxing's Alchemy Cultivator and Artifact Cultivator, then used demon beasts to tie up his Body Cultivator, and finally lured the piece representing Qu Qianxing into a trap, finishing him off with the Sword Cultivator.

Yan Fei's face was flushed with excitement: "I killed Second Senior Brother!"

"Yes, yes, you killed Second Senior Brother." Yu Cong watched with burning envy.

In actual combat, ten Yan Feis wouldn't be enough for Qu Qianxing to kill, but these were pieces with fixed attack power—no Cultivation Level crushing, and the board was filled with spiritual herbs, spirit beasts, and traps as buffs.

Even knowing this, Qu Qianxing didn't feel great about it.

He paid no attention to the two ordinary disciples and fixed his gaze on Ran Deng. This time, without waiting for her to speak, he took the initiative: "Another round!"

"Ah..." Ran Deng let out a helpless laugh and looked at Zhou Hui. "Master—"

"Qian Xing, that's enough. Let's end the demonstration match for this lesson here, shall we?" Zhou Hui smiled.

Qu Qianxing let out an "ah" and finally remembered why he had played this game in the first place. He looked around and saw the other disciples staring at him and whispering among themselves.

Qu Qianxing's blush spread from the corners of his eyes to the tips of his ears. But this only made him more unwilling to accept his defeat:

It was all because he didn't know the rules!

Just one more time! One more time and he could win!

Unfortunately, Zhou Hui didn't give him that chance: "If you enjoy it, you can invite your junior sister to play privately. For now, let the other disciples have a try!"

"...Yes, Master."

Qu Qianxing, obedient as he was, still stepped back reluctantly but glanced at Ran Deng, clearly planning to settle the score with her later.

Ran Deng had no reaction yet, but Yu Wenxuan made a provocative gesture behind her back, firmly pulling Qu Qianxing's anger onto himself.

"Ah, that Yu Wenxuan is totally doing this on purpose!" Qu Qianxing recalled who the culprit was.

Zhou Hui ignored the "intimate interaction" among his inner disciples, as the other disciples were already eager to give it a try.

In fact, Qu Qianxing's failure only made the other disciples more eager:

"Even with such powerful pieces, he still played that badly! Second Senior Brother sucks at chess, but I'd definitely do better!"

(Qu Qianxing: ...)

Of course, not everyone wanted the inner disciple's pieces. Ran Deng's actions also inspired many to want to try defeating the Celestial Spirit Sect's inner disciple in a game.

Finally, there was a small group with some particularly creative ideas, such as Yu Cong.

Yu Cong plucked up his courage and asked loudly, "Lord Immortal Venerable, can I use my own pieces?"

"Of course." Zhou Hui gave him a knowing look.

Yu Cong didn't have time to think about the meaning of the Immortal Venerable's glance before he saw the Tireless Immortal Venerable flick his sleeve, and a strange jade platform appeared in the corner of the room.

Zhou Hui said, "You can make your own pieces there. However, please note that creating pieces requires not only a certain Cultivation Level but also a good deal of skill on your part."

The Immortal Venerable answered me!

Yu Cong thought happily, ignoring Zhou Hui's warning.

He and a bunch of others rushed over to the jade platform, trying to create their own pieces.

But no matter how many times he tried following the instructions, he failed.

"What's going on? My cultivation is clearly more than enough!" Yu Cong said in shock. As a Sword Cultivator, he felt he was even slightly stronger than Yan Fei.

Could the jade platform be broken? No, this was a magic artifact made by the Immortal Venerable; it couldn't possibly have issues.

Finally, Yan Fei patted him on the shoulder and pointed to the instructions on the jade platform:

"Rules for Creating Pieces:

1. Must be at the Foundation Establishment stage or above;

2. Must be skilled in something;

3. Must have the right basic knowledge (for reference: Cultivation Method 60 points, Artifact Refining 40 points, Wood-type Spell...)"

Third... have the right basic knowledge? They even put scores on it?!

Yu Cong felt his vision go dark.

He recalled his awful sect exam scores.

Waaah, I'll study!

Fine, I'll study, alright?!

*

Yeah, no matter the world, practical classes always make students happier.

Zhou Hui mused.

Watching the disciples crowd around the "game table," Zhou Hui left it to Qu Qianxing and the other inner disciples to keep order, made himself invisible, and stood aside observing.

Honestly, in the cultivation world, "practical classes" weren't rare, but nothing became enjoyable once it became studying, especially without immediate feedback. Even the ultimate try-hard would lose enthusiasm.

So for your average cultivator, the most popular "practical class" was probably exploring secret realms.

Unfortunately, secret realm resources were limited, with too many people fighting over too few spots. Even the Great Sects that held the secret realm resources only opened them once every thirty to fifty years, and only elite disciples were allowed in.

On the other hand, battles in real secret realms were no joke—they were life-or-death struggles, not a place for "teaching."

There were also cultivators skilled in illusions who could create "illusionary realms," but this spell consumed spiritual energy and required careful effort, so it was mostly used for trials and guarding cave dwellings. At best, as with the underwater palace used for the exam venue the other day, it served grand occasions for entertaining guests—though using such a palace for exams was probably unique to the Celestial Spirit Sect. Few used it for recreation, and even if some cultivators did for fun, it was done privately.

At least Zhou Hui had never imagined illusions could go this far before.

Unexpectedly, in another world where illusions didn't exist at all, numbers and signals constructed a virtual world, and the "game" before him was just the tip of the iceberg.

After "waking" from this dream, Zhou Hui sometimes pondered:

The "humans" of that other world were like a single complete organism, where thoughts from one ganglion (a person) would be amplified and spread, becoming nourishment for the entire "humanity." Even if some parts were necrotic or rigid, the whole was evolving and growing.

In contrast, in the cultivation world, mortals and cultivators seemed like two different species. Even among cultivators, those at the Mahayana stage and those at Foundation Establishment seemed like two different species. Most people were led by the two carrots of "longevity" and "power," circling in place like donkeys turning a millstone. Even if occasionally someone had extraordinary ideas, their small changes were insignificant before absolute power, making the entire world as hard as rock, unchanging for millennia. The only way to break free from this level was to extract immense energy from this world to achieve "Ascension"—

"Master? Master!"

"...Ah?" Zhou Hui snapped out of his reverie, finding his third disciple Ran Deng looking at him with concern.

"Sorry, I was just lost in thought," Zhou Hui said with a smile. "Is something the matter?"

"Nothing, I just felt your expression was a bit... strange just now." Ran Deng said worriedly.

Ran Deng actually wanted to ask if Zhou Hui was feeling unwell, because when she had casually glanced in this direction, she thought her master had become semi-transparent, like a ghost, as if he would vanish the next moment. It had startled her.

Now that she had calmed down, she thought she must have been mistaken. After all, someone at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage shouldn't suffer any illness or pain, and his lifespan was certainly much longer than hers at the early Golden Core stage.

Once Zhou Hui came back to his senses, the strange phenomenon from before had indeed disappeared.

He replied casually, "I suppose I was just too absorbed in my thoughts."

"I see," Ran Deng said, though she still felt uneasy.

She decided to chalk it up to overthinking. Since the last Heavenly Tribulation, Zhou Hui had claimed he would stop cultivating and enjoy life, but he had instead focused his energy on the sect. Ran Deng couldn't shake the feeling that her master might be settling his affairs.

With this thought, Ran Deng asked worriedly, "Are you concerned about Second Senior Brother?"

Qian Xing? ... Zhou Hui glanced toward the chessboard and smiled. "You noticed?"

"I didn't before, but after two games, I couldn't help but notice," Ran Deng said, also glancing at Qu Qianxing who was patrolling the area, and chuckled. "Second Senior Brother is strong on paper, but he lacks experience. He doesn't understand how secret realms behave under the influence of formations. It's clever of you to come up with this method to train him."

"This method wasn't my idea," Zhou Hui said.

"Then whoever thought of it must be an illusion master, right?" Ran Deng said nonchalantly.

Zhou Hui wanted to explain in detail, but Ran Deng didn't really care about the origin of this "chessboard." She rarely took the initiative and said, "Master, just leave this to me! I'll make sure Second Senior Brother quickly familiarizes himself with the structures of various secret realms!"

Hearing this, Zhou Hui's smile deepened. "Alright, I'll leave it to you." It was rare for the lazy A Ran to be so proactive; indeed, games really do spark enthusiasm!

Ran Deng didn't know about Zhou Hui's misunderstanding. She looked at her master expectantly and said, "Then you..." go rest peacefully!

Zhou Hui smiled and said, "Since Qian Xing's in your hands now, I'll go check on your little junior brother, then?"

"Huh? But the little junior sister already went..."

"Right, Bei'er must be worried too!" Zhou Hui nodded and vanished from where he stood. "After the last exam, Xi'er burned through all his spiritual power and still hasn't recovered. I should go see him too."

And with that, he vanished completely, leaving Ran Deng standing there, totally lost:

"No..." I wanted you to go rest!

*

I swear, this brother of mine is an idiot.

Mo Bei thought, feeling worried.

She peeled a peach, glancing at the jade bed beside her.

Her twin brother lay there, big eyes squeezed shut, his small face—so much like hers—pale and tinged with blue. Red runes crawled from under his collarbone all the way up to the corners of his eyes, making his usually cute face look eerie... and almost seductive.

But Mo Bei knew these runes were the "cracks" that appear when a cauldron overdraws their spiritual power.

Yes, Mo Bei and Mo Xi were a pair of cauldrons.

Or rather, they'd once been treated as a pair of cauldrons by the Fallen Immortal Palace.

Mo Bei wasn't really sure how she'd ended up in that situation. Was she sold? Kidnapped? Who were her parents? Where was she from? Mo Bei had lost all her memories from before age seven, so she didn't know where she and Mo Xi came from, or even whether "Mo Bei Mo Xi" were their real names.

Her earliest memories started when she was already in the Fallen Immortal Palace.

It sounded tragic, but Mo Bei didn't think she had it all that bad.

Because her aptitude as a cauldron was exceptional—the rarest kind—she wasn't subjected to much abuse. Instead, she was kept as a high-value commodity.

Even though Mo Bei had a vague sense her future probably wouldn't be great, at least until she was sold, they wouldn't do anything to devalue their "merchandise." Besides, who could say what the future would bring? What if the buyer turned out to be some handsome young man who appreciated beauty? At least, that's how it went in the romance novels she'd read.

But Mo Xi didn't seem to see it that way.

Even back in the Fallen Immortal Palace, Mo Xi had been more eager to prove himself.

He wanted more spirit stones, more treasures, more wealth. He actively tried to understand the world outside the Fallen Immortal Palace, struck up conversations with outsiders, and sometimes even used Mo Bei as a foil.

Mo Bei didn't get what her twin brother was trying to achieve. As a "commodity," she knew exactly what she and Mo Xi were worth—they were a set, sold together. Because they were twins, their price could double, which made them valuable. Losing either one would cut their value in half. So what was he doing, hopping around like that? Did he think someone would like him so much they'd buy just him, alone?

In the end, Mo Xi's "efforts" in the Fallen Immortal Palace came to nothing.

Then one day, out of nowhere, a cultivator toppled the Fallen Immortal Palace. He rescued the kidnapped girls and, almost as an afterthought, opened the dark warehouse, turning the "merchandise" back into people.

Unfortunately, that cultivator wasn't like the young, handsome heroes in the novels—well, he was handsome, but his seniority and age were a bit much for Mo Bei—and of course, he didn't fall for her either. He even sent all the "merchandise" back to their homes. Since Mo Bei and Mo Xi had nowhere to go, he took them in as his disciples.

This only made Mo Bei more certain—

Certain that her destined hero was waiting for her somewhere in the distant future.

After everything, Mo Xi seemed to have become certain of something too. Once unbound from Mo Bei, he bounced around the Celestial Spirit Sect even harder.

Back in the Fallen Immortal Palace, Mo Xi had scorned to curry favor with anyone, but at the Celestial Spirit Sect, he was constantly running after the senior and second senior brothers. It was only because their master went into seclusion so often that he couldn't just camp out at the master's place as a servant boy.

At the same time, Mo Xi's desire to build up his own private fortune grew stronger.

He recruited a bunch of followers, making waves from the inner sect to the outer sect, getting his hands into everything—treasures, spiritual artifacts, pills. Who knew what he wanted all those spirit stones for? For cultivation alone, the resources provided to inner disciples were more than sufficient. Mo Xi himself had even said their resources exceeded those of inner disciples at some prestigious orthodox sects.

So why wasn't Mo Xi satisfied?

Mo Bei couldn't figure it out.

And that was exactly what sparked this whole incident.

Mo Bei didn't know the details, but apparently Mo Xi, trying to curry favor with the senior brother and earn some spirit stones on the side, had his followers sell off the previous exam papers. He got caught red-handed by the master and second senior brother. To make amends, Mo Xi took on the task of hosting the sect's grand examination. But Mo Xi didn't just want to "make amends"—he wanted to impress the master. He took on too many tasks and finally had to bring out his "pet."

That "pet" was a mirage demon, whose exhaled mist could transform into a sea palace.

It had originally been one of the Fallen Immortal Palace's "merchandise," used to entertain distinguished guests with luxurious aquatic-themed banquets.

Such a mirage demon was naturally a "premium product." Like all high-priced goods, it wasn't easy to maintain. It required vast amounts of yin-aligned spiritual energy to sustain. Unless one was naturally yin-aligned aquatic kin, it would consume cultivators who practiced yin-attributed techniques. And "cauldrons" became the most suitable consumables.

Even Mo Bei and Mo Xi, as long as it didn't damage their commercial value, were used by the Fallen Immortal Palace to provide spiritual energy to nourish the mirage demon. The demon was kept in a "warehouse" near them. So when Zhou Hui razed the Fallen Immortal Palace, Mo Xi brought it along.

This time, without time to properly restore the Silent Heart Palace, Mo Xi planned to use the mirage demon's palace as a substitute.

But Mo Xi seemed to have overlooked one thing. Even the Fallen Immortal Palace had always had Mo Bei and Mo Xi work together to nourish the mirage demon—their cultivation methods were specially selected to be complementary, achieving a tenfold boost when used in tandem. If Mo Xi relied on himself alone, even with his extremely pure yin constitution, he couldn't fully supply the spiritual energy.

But Mo Xi didn't ask Mo Bei for help. He silently bore the burden of supplying all the mirage demon's spiritual energy alone, until he finally collapsed from exhaustion after the exam ended. He'd been unconscious ever since.

Mo Bei didn't understand what Mo Xi was so stubborn about. His brain must be broken...

"You're the one... whose brain is broken."

Just as Mo Bei was thinking this, she suddenly heard a hoarse voice from the bed beside her.

Mo Bei ignored the speaker and focused on peeling the last strip of peach skin. Only then did she look up and see those eyes—identical in shape to hers, yet always praised as clever and sharp—staring at her... at the peach in her hand.

"Oh, you're awake!" Mo Bei said.

"With you making so much noise, how could I not wake up?" Mo Xi said in a dry, raspy voice.

After he'd collapsed, the master had placed him in the Heart Calming Hall—a meditation room reserved for Celestial Spirit Sect disciples, situated on a major spiritual vein with abundant energy to nourish Mo Xi's depleted body and hasten his recovery. But Mo Xi's cultivation level was clearly still too low. Though he could technically abstain from food, several days of unconsciousness without water or sustenance had left him in an extremely weakened state.

Mo Bei looked at Mo Xi with a pained expression, slowly cut off a slice of peach flesh, and said, "What noise? I haven't made a sound."

"You know perfectly well I can hear what you're thinking!" Mo Xi continued staring at the peach.

"Oh, can you?" Mo Bei asked, then popped the peach slice into her own mouth.

"..." Mo Xi stared at her in disbelief. "I thought you were here to look after me?"

"I am. Second senior brother ordered it," Mo Bei nodded. "I couldn't get out of it. Today's open lecture was so interesting, but I had to come back and watch over you."

"I don't need you watching over me!" Mo Xi said irritably.

"Don't say that. To outsiders, we're sold as a package deal," Mo Bei said, slowly cutting another piece of peach. "But I really don't understand you. Back in the Fallen Immortal Palace, sure, but here, no one's trying to sell you. Why do you keep pushing yourself to such a state?"

Mo Xi frowned. "Someone like you, who fantasizes about others coming to save you, wouldn't understand. The feeling of not being able to grasp your own future."

"What's wrong with our future?" Mo Bei gave her twin a puzzled look, biting into the second piece of peach.

"..." Mo Xi glared at her, not wanting to speak.

"Why aren't you answering? We're not in the Fallen Immortal Palace anymore. No one wants to sell us, and we don't lack food or clothing. What are you struggling for?" Mo Bei asked. She'd grown tired of cutting peaches slowly, so she just bit directly into the remaining flesh and recommended, "Oh, by the way, the kitchen got a fresh batch of spiritual peaches today. I picked this one on my way here—juicy and sweet, really delicious."

"............"

Mo Bei said that as she finished the peach.

Seeing that Mo Xi still showed no sign of speaking, she spat out the peach pit and said, "Fine, if you don't want to talk, then don't. Since you're awake now, I'll go inform Second Senior Brother." With that, she licked the peach juice off her fingers, stood up, and walked out without a trace of reluctance.

Mo Xi watched her figure disappear down the path outside the door, his expression full of disgust, then muttered:

"You simply don't understand..."

He muttered this while struggling to prop himself up.

It wasn't until he moved that Mo Xi realized—not only was his throat parched, but his body was also limp and devoid of any strength. He hadn't felt hungry despite having gone so long without food, but the lingering fragrance of the peach Mo Bei had eaten floated in the air, making even his stomach cramp.

Why did Second Senior Brother have to send that Mo Bei to "look after" him?!

Mo Xi felt so wronged he could cry. Just as he was about to fend for himself, a plate of peeled immortal peaches was set before him:

"What don't I understand?"

"Master?!" Mo Xi exclaimed, startled.

He fell back onto the bed and saw Zhou Hui sitting in the chair Mo Bei had just vacated, smiling at him warmly.

"Eat something first to settle your stomach, then we'll talk."

"Master..." Mo Xi said, deeply moved.

He gazed at the soft white glow radiating from his master and suddenly recalled the day he first met him.

That day should have been an ordinary one. He was locked in that gilded cage as usual, like a doll sealed inside a heavy golden box. But on that day, the ornate, coffin-like lid was suddenly thrown open, even ground to dust, and an immortal bathed in moonlight descended from the heavens.

It was that day that Mo Xi understood what a true "immortal" should look like.

Though he always mocked his twin sister Mo Bei's unrealistic fantasy of a "savior descending from the sky," every time he looked at his master's radiant aura, he felt that indulging in this brief moment of peace for just a little while shouldn't be a problem, right?

With that thought, Mo Xi carefully picked up a slice of immortal peach and put it in his mouth.

Sure enough, just as Mo Bei had said, it was juicy and sweet.

No, the peach his master brought was definitely better than anything that Mo Bei could have brought! Mo Xi ate the peach slowly, feeling all the discomfort from his days of unconsciousness melt away, replaced by a satisfying sense of fullness.

But Mo Xi couldn't bear to finish it all at once, so he deliberately slowed his pace.

Zhou Hui didn't rush him, simply waiting with gentle patience.

Unfortunately, even the most plentiful peaches come to an end. Mo Xi slowly finished the last slice, staring at the juice on his hands in a daze. Out of pride, he couldn't bring himself to lick his fingers in front of his master.

Zhou Hui didn't give him the chance, anyway.

Seeing Mo Xi finish, Zhou Hui casually summoned a sphere of water for him to wash his hands, then asked in a leisurely tone:

"Continuing from earlier—why do you think Bei'er doesn't understand?"

"Ah, Master, you heard my conversation with her?" Mo Xi asked. He took a moment to recall, then remembered what Mo Bei had said, and complained, "You don't need to pay it any mind. That Mo Bei has no sense of vigilance in times of peace, and never thinks about the future—instead, she thinks I'm doing too much."

"Then is there anything about the Celestial Spirit Sect that requires you to be vigilant?" Zhou Hui asked.

"N-no, of course not!" Mo Xi's fur stood on end in a sudden panic, terrified that his master might be displeased. "With Master here, the Celestial Spirit Sect is the safest place in the world."

"Your actions say otherwise," Zhou Hui shook his head, speaking to Mo Xi seriously. "Forget your usual craving for spirit stones—your obsession with completing tasks is too extreme. In fact, from the moment I learned you'd accepted such a task, I was waiting for you to reflect and honestly admit you couldn't do it." He hadn't expected Mo Xi to persist to the very end, collapsing from exhaustion without ever saying a word.

"Master..."

Zhou Hui sighed. "Honestly, when I saw you collapse, I couldn't help but doubt myself. Have I been so harsh in the past that even my disciple doesn't dare rely on his master—"

"Of course not! This was my own choice!" Mo Xi denied passionately.

He tried to grab Zhou Hui's hand, but ultimately let his shoulders slump. "It's my own hang-up... But I always feel that I can't rely on Master forever. Master will eventually ascend."

If anything, it was people like Mo Bei who always waited for others to save them that Mo Xi couldn't understand.

Mo Xi tried to take control of his own future, whether at the Fallen Immortal Palace or the Celestial Spirit Sect. He knew that as an Extreme Yin Body—the most coveted top-grade cauldron for cultivators—once he lost the protection of the Tireless Immortal Venerable, he would fall to depths he dared not imagine.

Mo Xi didn't want that nightmare to become reality: "This is quite treasonous to say, but in the past, every time Master underwent Tribulation Transcendence, I secretly hoped Master would fail. If only I were stronger—strong enough to control my own future—then I wouldn't have thoughts that hinder Master."

"There's no need..."

Zhou Hui wanted to say that he still had his senior brothers, that the sect wouldn't collapse just because he ascended, but thinking of the script of heaven's will, he truly had no right to say that.

As it turned out, he hadn't even ascended yet! He'd only gone into seclusion, and the Celestial Spirit Sect had already met that fate. Though Mo Xi himself had played a part in it, this worry wasn't entirely unfounded.

Zhou Hui sighed helplessly: "I've given up on ascending now. You should be relieved?"

"..." Mo Xi's head hung even lower, like an innocent kitten that had shattered a glass bottle.

He didn't believe a word about not ascending.

Even if his master truly gave it up, Mo Xi felt that the immortal realm should proactively lay down a path of immortality to welcome his master's ascension. After all, if even his master wasn't qualified to ascend, who else was!

Zhou Hui could tell from Mo Xi's demeanor that he didn't believe him.

Zhou Hui also felt quite helpless—why was it that no matter how many times he said it, no one believed him?

Zhou Hui said with a headache: "At the very least, in the future, when you encounter something that could exhaust you to death, you should seek my help in time."

"Yes, Master," Mo Xi obediently raised his round, cat-like eyes and said, "I won't dare do it again."

Liar.

He would absolutely do it again.

If he didn't exhaust himself to the brink of death, how would Master ever feel sorry for him!

Failing an exam was deduction of points, not completing homework was deduction, and not completing homework while also selling exam papers was even more deduction—if he bit off more than he could chew and went to Master for help, that would be the biggest deduction of all!

He, Mo Xi, was never Master's most beloved disciple to begin with, and doing that would ruin everything!

But if he exhausted himself completing a task, persisting to the very last moment to perform well, that was adding points. Not to mention he'd been seriously taking the exam while sustaining that palace!

This way, didn't the image of a useful yet stubbornly pitiful little disciple stand tall?

The fact that Master personally peeled peaches for him was proof!

Mo Xi had learned back at the Fallen Immortal Palace that while people claimed to feel heartache, they were most intolerant of the "incompetent." For someone like him who put in extra effort while feigning injury, they'd be willing to repay him several or even dozens of times over—of course, those trash couldn't compare to Master, but precisely because Master was truly gentle, he'd feel even more guilty for letting his beloved disciple fall into unconsciousness.

Mo Xi thought this to himself while not forgetting to reinforce his persona: "Speaking of which, Master, what score did I get?"

"We'll discuss that later. Come with me for now," Zhou Hui sighed.

He wrapped Mo Xi in a white glow.

"Master?" Mo Xi put on a surprised look, but was thrilled inside:

See? It worked! I actually got "that" master to say "exam scores don't matter"!

As if responding to Mo Xi's hidden excitement, Zhou Hui teleported with his young disciple. Once the white light faded, they were no longer in the Quiet Heart Hall, but in a cave somewhere.

The cave seemed to be underground—stifling and cramped.

But oddly, it wasn't dark—it was blindingly bright, and overflowing with spiritual energy.

The instant Mo Xi arrived, he sensed something was off. He peered toward the cave's mouth and spotted a magnificent "river" below—except the "river" wasn't made of water, but of spirit stones.

Massive spirit stones formed a river-like vein, glittering as they stretched out underground. You could just bend down and pick them up—no digging needed.

"Is this our Celestial Spirit Mountain's spirit mine?" Mo Xi asked, his voice excited.

But his eyes didn't match that excitement.

Though he loved spirit stones, he was used to seeing treasures at the Fallen Immortal Palace. Treasures that weren't his, no matter how precious, couldn't stir a single ripple in his heart—much less his master's spirit mine. He could steal from the Fallen Immortal Palace without guilt, but how could he ever touch his master's things?

As for why Zhou Hui had brought him here now, Mo Xi figured he knew what "reward" his master had in mind.

But he should refuse, right?

It hurt to turn down spirit stones, but if he took them, his master would stop feeling guilty—and that was worse.

Mo Xi was calculating as meticulously as ever.

Zhou Hui seemed oblivious to Mo Xi's scheming, only smiling as he said, "You like it? Then it's all yours."

"Huh?" Mo Xi's cat-like eyes went wide.

Then he started to panic: "Master, you must be joking! A spirit mine like this could keep a Great Sect going for centuries!" How could it possibly be just for him?

"In the Celestial Spirit Sect, this is nothing special," Zhou Hui said casually. "Besides, with this mine, you can switch your Cultivation Method without worry, right?"

"Cultivation Method?"

"Yes," Zhou Hui nodded, gazing sternly at his little disciple. "You practice a pure yin method, which is totally unsuitable for a man. When you first became my disciple, I asked if you wanted to switch, but you said no back then. I thought your sister's method could complement yours, so it wasn't that bad. But after this incident, given how you've been using it, it's better to switch—to something you can cultivate on your own."

"B-But then I'd be of no use to you, Master!" Mo Xi said flatly.

Giving up the pure yin method meant cutting himself off from everything in his past.

Even with the mirage demon, he could never make that palace again.

Zhou Hui didn't hesitate at all:

"I never needed you to be of use." As a Tribulation Transcendence Stage cultivator, what couldn't he get if he wanted it?

"As your master, I'd rather you have a real future."