On the way to the meeting point, everyone’s thoughts were scattered, and their Xian Recognition transmissions wove together like an intricate web. Xuanya, Xuanping, and Xuanya Shigu were together.
Xuanya spoke with deep concern, “Senior Brother, Junior Sister. This Yao Xian’s rash request to stay in the sect… her intentions are unfathomable. We must prepare well in advance.”
Xuanping calmly reassured them, “Things have come to this. After all, she is a benefactor, so etiquette must not be neglected. Junior Sister, since you are at Tianquanfeng, please pay close attention to any unusual movements.”
Xuanya nodded briefly, “Understood.”
Xuanya Shigu, however, was utterly unconcerned, a hint of disdain flickering in her expression.
“Senior Brother, Senior Sister, rest easy! I sense her strength is on par with mine; she won’t stir up any trouble! If there is any abnormality…”
She raised an eyebrow, revealing a trace of deadly intent, “we’ll just send her flying!”
Xuanping glanced sideways at his own Junior Sister upon hearing this, shaking his head with a faint smile.
***
Shangguan Yunzhu and Lu Qiancha stood together.
Shangguan Yunzhu said, “Thank you, Senior Brother, for saving me earlier. If there’s anything I can do, I won’t let you down!”
Lu Qiancha couldn’t help but glance at Shangguan Yunzhu. That statement… was dangerously close to the kind of plotlines he had seen in countless novels in his past life.
The female lead would be coerced into repaying a debt and eventually become someone no one dared provoke…
“Senior Brother? Is there something wrong with Yunzhu?”
Shangguan Yunzhu lowered her voice to ask.
“Ah, Junior Sister, you’re too modest.” Lu Qiancha composed himself, clearing his throat lightly before saying, “But I do have something to trouble you with…”
“Please speak, Senior Brother!”
Shangguan Yunzhu instantly became alert, her amber eyes shining brightly as she stared intently at Lu Qiancha. “If it means repaying the life-saving grace, I wouldn’t hesitate to stake my life!”
“No need to be so serious.” Lu Qiancha quickly waved his hand, interrupting with a smile. “Our expedition was full of twists and turns. After we return to the mountain, the Shizhang will surely inquire about the details.”
“Senior Brother tends to be lazy and dislikes drawing attention. He fears needless trouble. When you report back to the Shizhang, please don’t mention too much about me.”
“My cultivation isn’t high; I only dabble a bit in poisons—just some minor underhanded tricks. If that gets out, it might cause gossip.”
Yunzhu’s expression flickered subtly. She clearly remembered how this Senior Brother Lu once helped her deal with a powerful Jindan Realm expert without seeking fame or gain.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her heart.
To bestow grace without expecting reward? In this mortal world, one need not compete for empty fame.
A modest gentleman, gentle as jade, whose virtue shines without needing to outshine the ancients.
Shangguan Yunzhu’s heart was filled with mixed emotions, her eyes shimmering with profound admiration.
“Senior Brother Qiancha truly embodies the gentlewoman’s way, with such broad mind and magnanimity—qualities I find difficult to match. Compared to that, Qingfeng Senior Brother is nowhere close.”
“Ah, Shangguan Yunzhu, you often find the world around you filled with vanity and arrogance and think that’s all there is among fellow cultivators. Yet such noble souls hide quietly among our own peers.”
“If only I could become close friends with Senior Brother Qiancha, I would consider my path in the sect truly worthwhile.”
After much thought, Shangguan Yunzhu’s gaze hardened, and she said earnestly, “Senior Brother, rest assured, I will keep all this in my heart.”
Lu Qiancha laughed softly upon hearing this, feeling a weight lift from his chest at last.
***
At the gathering spot, everyone sat down to meditate and recover, waiting for the others to arrive.
But Lu Qiancha’s attention was fixed on the movements of Xuanping, the Daoist in the Bagua Robe.
He saw Xuanping’s sleeve flutter lightly as his palm hovered over the forehead of a comatose Dacheng Elder. Between his fingers, a faint spiritual fire flickered—clearly, he was performing Shouhun Duopo!
Moments later, his palm retracted subtly with a tremor. The elder’s vitality instantly extinguished, collapsing like a heap of mud.
Xuanping’s face remained unchanged, his smile warm as ever.
He casually tossed the corpse into the dense forest behind him, as if discarding a withered branch, then his eyes swept over the group with a knowing smile.
Lu Qiancha observed him carefully. That expression didn’t look like someone who had just killed a person, but more like someone crushing a bug on a whim…
This made Lu Qiancha involuntarily think of two words: smiling death, ruthless.
“Why are you sneaking glances everywhere? Hurry and take advantage of this downtime to cultivate!”
Xuanya picked up her Fuchen and swatted Lu Qiancha lightly on the head, then said half-jokingly, half-seriously, “Gantang is already at Jindan Stage. If you don’t work harder, she might catch up to you. Then, let’s see if you still have the face to act as Senior Brother!”
“Hmph, Master, you don’t know, during my training here, I broke through to the Divine Transformation Realm.”
Saying this, Lu Qiancha revealed his aura—early Divine Transformation Stage.
His energy was still a little unstable, exactly as one would expect from a recent breakthrough.
Shangguan Yunzhu stared at this scene in stunned silence for a moment.
“Senior Brother Qiancha had already stepped into Divine Transformation…”
Just then, Lu Qiancha winked at Shangguan Yunzhu. She blinked in surprise and immediately recalled his earlier admonition.
Her cherry lips pressed lightly together, unsure of what to say.
“Qiancha, you broke through?”
Xuanya suddenly grew excited, carefully sensing Lu Qiancha’s aura. A bright smile appeared on her face, her eyes shining.
But before her smile could fully bloom, her expression stiffened, and she scolded, “You’ve been cultivating for over sixty years and only just barely glimpsed the threshold of Divine Transformation, yet you’re so conceited?”
“Look at your Junior Sister Yunzhu! She has fewer years but has already reached the peak of Divine Transformation! Aren’t you ashamed?”
Lu Qiancha gave a helpless, embarrassed smile beside her, clearly a bit annoyed at being reprimanded.
In truth, he was quietly calculating his gains this trip, and the missing ingredients needed to refine the Rebirth Pill.
“Ah, Junior Sister, don’t be too harsh on Senior Brother Qiancha. Breaking into Divine Transformation within a hundred years is already considered excellent talent.”
Xuanping stepped in smoothly to ease the tension, chuckling, “Look at me, wasting two hundred years before entering Divine Transformation, then gathering strength for a century to become a Flying Immortal.”
“The path of cultivation depends on fate and opportunity, so don’t be too strict with the disciples.”
“Hmph, for Xuanping Senior Brother’s sake, I’ll let you off this time. But if you get arrogant like this again, my Fuchen won’t be so merciful.”
Xuanya snorted coldly, waving the Fuchen threateningly, but her eyes had already softened, the corners betraying undeniable joy and pride.