Second Mother spoke softly and gently, while the old man squinted his eyes, appearing kind and benevolent toward the two lovely youngsters.
Gelan’s unauthorized passing of the Sword Mark violated the sect’s rules, but Master Shen Zhong was quite satisfied with Qin Xiang’s character.
At the very least, she was much more decent than her rogue Master.
Consequently, he only intended to give his Junior Sister a light punishment and wait for an appropriate time to announce the matter.
The position of Peak Head was of great importance; it required more than just cultivation and seniority.
One needed prestige to command the respect of the masses.
Until then, Qin Xiang might need to make a name for herself to prove her worth.
During the chaos of the Shengyu Festival, the Clear Mist Peak Senior Sister had performed excellently, but it was still far from enough.
The upcoming Peak Dao Discussion on the Fengchan Platform would be a good opportunity.
If she could reach the Nascent Soul Realm and achieve respectable results, no one among the Five Peaks would object.
Regarding the Trial of Fate, Shen Zhong did not speak plainly.
He provided a few cryptic hints, essentially suggesting a fair competition that upheld the upright style of the Shenhua Sect—not to follow the example of a certain someone who was always stirring up trouble!
He remembered how the union of Yun Liu’s parents had been turned into a chaotic mess by Gelan, causing tension between the two peaks.
Fortunately, the outcome had been positive.
Opportunities of Heavenly Fate were a matter of luck; if one obtained them, it was fortune; if not, it was fate.
They could not be forced.
Just like Xiao Ran, there would be nowhere to even cry about it.
Outside the Dragon Subduing Hall, as she watched the back of the white-clothed Fairy departing, the shameless Second Mother’s eyes darted around.
She had already planned how to backstab her Aunt Master.
‘So you say I’m old and indecent, do you? Then I’ll show you what a tower dive looks like. At worst, I’ll just tighten my belt for ten years and live off my daughter-in-law!’
Gelan turned around and rushed into the Pharmacy Hall, dismissing the irrelevant disciples and nodding solemnly toward Mr. Kuai.
“It is time.”
“Has it finally come to this?”
Mr. Kuai’s expression turned serious as he returned her determined gaze.
Anyone unaware would have thought these two heavyweights were planning some grand operation.
Gelan gritted her teeth and spent a long time struggling to fish something out from her chest.
Finally, she pulled out a green jade bottle.
She couldn’t help it; her Fangcun Object was a pendant buried deep within her robes.
The transparent liquid inside the bottle was crystal clear, emitting a rich aura of life.
Its rank was unknown, but it was brimming with wood element energy.
This was the Tree Sea Soul Essence, a treasure of the peak passed down through generations of the Qingxia lineage, which took a millennium to accumulate in such a small bottle.
Gelan only had two bottles on hand, and every bit used was a bit lost.
If Yun Liu saw this, he would probably be drooling.
This was a top-grade spirit material that surpassed the effects of Meitian by 100 times.
If he had this, the ingredients for refining a Grade 6 Heavenly Way Soul-Suppressing Pill would be secured!
In the game, this item was the final reward for the “Qingxia Weeping Blood” legendary questline.
Normally, it was impossible to obtain without killing Gelan, and only the successive Peak Heads were permitted to use it.
Even without an Elixir Cultivator to process it, just one drop could enhance the Divine Soul, reshape the physique, and grant near-infinite energy.
It was essentially a gas station for male cultivators and a beauty salon for female cultivators.
When the previous Peak Head passed down the position, she specifically instructed Gelan that it was best used alongside the Qingxia Sword Codex and dual cultivation with a Dao Companion to maximize absorption.
Because of the explosive surge of spirit and soul entering the body, it was no different from any aphrodisiac, containing the wild power of nature.
Unfortunately, Second Mother had never had the chance to use it over all these years, which was why she had an extra bottle.
The Divine Sense of a lineage head was always powerful, and each head could only use one bottle in their lifetime.
“The matter is urgent. Let’s begin.”
“Understood.”
With the assistance of a millennium-old spirit material, work began immediately.
Mr. Kuai took it solemnly and also brought out many of his own treasures.
With his ability, refining such a precious material into spiritual medicine was unrealistic.
However, the successive masters of the Pharmacy Hall had other unorthodox methods to help the Peak Head bring out the full efficacy of the essence.
This involved a high-level technique within the Qingxia Sword Codex—Soul-Haunting.
As long as the heart still beats, even a collapsed spiritual foundation can be restored to its original state.
There was a reason why the sword cultivators of Clear Mist Peak were so popular.
Their strength wasn’t just in being perfect supports; it was because having such a Dao Companion was equivalent to having an extra life.
The two had solemn expressions.
Even though their task was essentially drugging their disciples, they looked as if they were performing a sacred ritual.
Because the succession of the Peak Head only truly began at this step!
***
Since returning from Yudu, Yun Liu had somehow become increasingly weak, as if his body were being hollowed out.
According to Xiang’er, it might have been related to the Bloodthirsty Banner demon, or perhaps something had gone wrong with his damaged Qi Sea?
Fighting only with his Divine Soul, he might have looked majestic above the clouds, but in reality, he didn’t dare use even a sliver of spiritual energy.
On top of that, he had spent a great deal of effort saving the girl from the Xiao Family; he truly didn’t care for his own body.
Gelan saw all of this and came up with this plan, where every piece fell into place.
Why did she think she was in such a hurry to pass on the Sword Mark?
Only successive Qingxia Peak Heads and their Dao Companions could share the Tree Sea Soul Essence, and “Soul-Haunting” could only be performed by those who were intimate.
This way, even Liuer would receive this gift.
No matter what illness he suffered from, he wouldn’t fall into being a useless person again.
Gelan had been unable to help when Yun Liu was injured before, and she had always felt she had failed Junior Sister Liu’s trust.
She had even once thought about consuming the essence herself and personally performing Soul-Haunting with him to save him.
‘Liu Ru calls me Senior Sister, but I’d be dual cultivating with her son behind her back. That would be something… becoming the Yun family’s daughter-in-law?’
‘This… this… this is just too chaotic! It’s beyond an old cow eating tender grass; even the usually reckless Gelan thought it was utterly absurd!’
If that happened, she probably wouldn’t be able to look Junior Sister Liu in the eye ever again, and Yan Bingling would likely shave her bald.
Given Liuer’s personality, he would never accept it anyway.
However, her affection for Yun Liu was no less than Yan Bingling’s.
Looking back on it now was somewhat embarrassing.
Although Second Mother was indecent, she ultimately hadn’t taken that step.
Now, the young man was invincible and had provoked the Fang family, a situation in which Gelan had played a part years ago.
She had to take half the responsibility.
Though she acted like it was nothing, she felt quite guilty in her heart.
While this appeared to be a Trial of Fate between Qin Xiang and Jing Tan’er, Gelan’s goal was simpler—it was mostly for that lonely “half-son” of hers.
Thus, from the moment a spark appeared between Qin Xiang and Yun Liu, she had begun planning.
One should never let good things go to outsiders, after all.
Of course, a final assist was also very important.
‘Since the two youngsters are in love but making no progress, it’s enough to drive someone mad. That Huangmao girl and the red-haired girl have already made their moves, and the little Princess is eyeing him from the side. Yet Xiang’er doesn’t have a single sense of crisis. I really don’t know how much girls like our little Yun.’
This way, it would be perfect for everyone!
No, it was three birds with one stone!
With the Sword Mark and the essence, Qin Xiang’s chances of winning would be higher, and Yun Liu would benefit immensely.
‘Who says big breasts mean no brains?’
Gelan felt she was simply too brilliant.
Having been muddled for most of her life with no partner in sight, she felt this move would be enough to blind Yan Bingling’s eyes and make her obediently accept her as an in-law.
A massive fortune was about to hit him in the face, yet a certain someone was completely unaware.
Before even entering the Sword Furnace, he had been thoroughly set up by Second Mother.
The work was complete.
Mr. Kuai wiped his sweat and muttered, “But how exactly should we operate this?”
“How is that hard to handle? We’ll just find any excuse to make them drink it, shove them into a room, and lock the door. If a girl is too conservative, she’ll regret it for the rest of her life.”
“You’re talking about yourself, aren’t you?”
“Bullshit! If there were a decent man who caught my eye, I would have snatched him back to my mountain long ago!”
Gelan puffed out her chest fiercely.
Seeing this, Mr. Kuai wiped his sweat and quickly tried to distance himself from the situation.
“Let’s be clear: I know nothing about this. This was all your idea. If the Master and Aunt Master come to place blame, it has nothing to do with me.”
“Don’t you worry. Just you and I know about this.”
This was the finest dowry Clear Mist Peak had to offer.