Jiang Huai finally enjoyed a rare period of leisure.
Since he last revealed a portion of his unfathomable depth, Tang Zhaoxue had been smart enough not to visit him again.
Instead, she arranged for him and Zhu Siyao to be well taken care of in the Cloud Rest Pavilion, ensuring they lacked nothing.
In the courtyard, Zhu Siyao practiced a set of punches with fierce momentum, flames of spiritual power swirling around her body.
After finishing her form, she frowned deeply, standing in place, staring at her hands with a hint of distraction.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Huai asked from the side, where he had been sitting cross-legged observing her for some time.
Did the girl have another worry?
“I…!”
Zhu Siyao hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly, tinged with a trace of frustration:
“I’m about to breakthrough to the Golden Core stage.”
“But I don’t have the right Immortal Materials to assist me.”
Without top-tier Immortal Materials or special techniques to aid her, forming a Golden Core had to rely purely on innate talent and foundation.
She was not lacking in cultivation methods, but rare Immortal Materials that could help form the core and improve its quality were nowhere to be found.
Not even in Jiang Huai’s Storage Ring was there any reserve specifically for this purpose.
“If it were based on your talent, how many Turns of Golden Core could you form?” Jiang Huai asked curiously.
Hearing this, Zhu Siyao’s heart tightened.
She cast him a resentful glance, pouting her lips unconsciously.
“Who do you think can just form such a high-level Golden Core? Not everyone has a talent as good as yours!”
The lowest grade Golden Core was the Patterned Golden Core, followed by the Pure Golden Core, and above that, the “Turns” could be discussed.
Of course, geniuses among geniuses, like Wu Zhaohua and Qin Qingyue, naturally reached the Nine-turn Golden Core.
Her mother had also been a Nine-turn Golden Core genius in her prime, full of vigor and cultivated a strong character.
But for Zhu Siyao herself, it was difficult to say.
“Why so silent?” Jiang Huai asked, noticing her gloomy expression.
Zhu Siyao sat down heavily on the stone steps beside him, speaking with a hint of despair and self-abandonment:
“I don’t want to talk to you.”
Her mother’s Nascent Soul cultivation had faltered, but at least she had been a Nine-turn Golden Core genius.
Why hadn’t she inherited even half of her mother’s talent?
With just her own ability, not to mention the Nine-turn, even forming a flawless Pure Golden Core was difficult.
This massive gap, especially when compared to those around her, made her feel powerless and ashamed.
Without her mother’s protection, Zhu Siyao truly felt the vulnerability of being alone, and her talent was insufficient to support her ambitions.
“If you have something to say, just say it. Maybe I can help,” Jiang Huai said softly, comforting her.
“In this world, we should… rely on each other.”
Now, they were truly the closest people to one another.
The return date was uncertain, and the future was unpredictable.
Hearing this, Zhu Siyao turned her head to look at Jiang Huai. Her pretty face flushed slightly, and she whispered shyly:
“I… I’m not Purple Mansion Foundation Establishment level, and my talent isn’t that good.”
“If it weren’t for Qin Qingyue giving me some medicine, my cultivation speed would probably be even slower.”
“I guess I can only form a Patterned Golden Core. If I’m lucky, maybe a Pure one.”
A Pure Golden Core was already difficult enough for her; the idea of “Turns” was something she dared not even think about.
Moreover, there was no such thing as Secret Realms in this world. The high-pressure external threats meant resources were almost entirely controlled by the Major Sects.
There was basically no such thing as a scattered cultivator.
Jiang Huai thought for a moment. In that case, he could only ask Tang Zhaoxue for Immortal Materials again.
There was no other way; they were dependent on others.
Zhu Siyao stared at Jiang Huai’s thoughtful profile, and her heart suddenly ached. An indescribable sadness welled up within her.
With her talent, she feared she would never touch the threshold of the Immortal Realm in her lifetime.
Her mother, a peerless genius, would surely ascend to the Immortal Realm, become a Personal Immortal, or even an Earth Immortal.
Jiang Huai’s talent was even more astounding. Perhaps he was already at the Celestial Immortal Form stage, destined to become a Heavenly Immortal.
But herself? Where would she go?
If she stopped at Nascent Soul or Divine Transformation, wouldn’t she only be able to watch as they both walked hand in hand into longevity while she silently aged, becoming dust?
Thinking of that fate, Zhu Siyao suddenly felt suffocated. A flood of sorrow drowned her chest like a tide.
She was still young, but it was as if she had already seen a future where she was left far behind.
Jiang Huai resolved then and there: he had to go find Tang Zhaoxue.
He turned his head and saw the girl’s eyes red-rimmed, staring unblinkingly at him.
Her gaze was like that of a wounded, helpless but stubborn little beast, filled with heartbreaking grievance.
Jiang Huai’s heart suddenly softened.
She was far too much like Zhuxin, with a resemblance close to ninety percent. For a moment, he was half-deluded into thinking it was Zhuxin revealing vulnerability to him.
“Don’t cry. What’s there to cry about?” His voice involuntarily softened as he reached out to gently brush away her tears.
“It’s just forming a Golden Core. If there are difficulties, we’ll find a way through.”
Zhu Siyao shook her head and looked directly at Jiang Huai.
“You wouldn’t understand.”
Of course he wouldn’t understand. His future was bright, his background vast. How could he be like her?
“If I don’t understand, so be it. I’m not deaf,” Jiang Huai said in confusion.
The girl simply shook her head again, no longer looking at him. Her gaze grew empty as she stared toward the courtyard gate, lost in thought.
“Wait here for me. I’ll be back soon,” Jiang Huai said as he stood, determined to immediately seek out Tang Zhaoxue.
Zhu Siyao watched his back, resting her chin on her hand.
“Jiang Huai.” She suddenly called out.
“Hm?” Jiang Huai stopped, tilting his head slightly.
“Nothing. Go ahead.”
“Come back early.”
“Okay.”
Jiang Huai walked toward the Sect Master’s quarters.
Zhu Siyao had wanted to ask why he said they should rely on each other, why he was so good to her.
But as the words formed, she no longer wished to ask.
How would he answer? For her mother? Or for some other reason?
Neither answer seemed particularly important anymore.
She took a deep breath, patted her skirt, and the scarlet flames curled around her body again. Her delicate figure stretched out as she continued practicing her fist form.
Inside the secret chamber, Jiang Huai arrived at Tang Zhaoxue’s door with practiced ease. After a moment’s hesitation, he pushed it open and entered.
The personal disciple Mu Nianyan naturally did not stop him, greeting him with a smile.
The room was warm and dim, filled with the faint scent of warm jade smoke.
Tang Zhaoxue was not attending to sect affairs as usual. Instead, she lounged lazily on a long chair draped with pure white beast fur.
She wore only a thin, cicada-wing-thin veil.
Her graceful curves were faintly visible beneath it. Her snow-white skin gleamed with a moist radiance. Her long jade legs were crossed elegantly.
Her bare feet were delicate, ankles slender.
Through the veil, Jiang Huai could even see the grooves of her rounded hips, and a few strands of black hair elsewhere.
Why was this woman not wearing clothes again?
Tang Zhaoxue seemed to have just bathed; her ink-black hair was damp and loose, with strands clinging to her cheeks and neck, adding a lazy charm.
Seeing Jiang Huai enter, she did not rise but lifted her eyelids, parting her red lips.
“Oh? What a rare guest.”
“Not training in your little den, keeping company with that girl, and yet you have time to come to my sect?”
“Could it be you’ve changed your mind and want to renew our ‘healing’ agreement?”