Chapter 170: Master’s Dao
That night, they stayed on Mount Yu.
After finally tiring Xiang’er out, Chen Yin went to the cliff overlooking the valley, lost in thought.
After a while, Master’s voice came from behind him:
“What’s wrong? Taking a breather after satisfying Xiang’er?”
“Something like that.”
Chen Yin squatted down, a twig in his mouth, looking like a delinquent.
“How’s it going with Ye Ling’er?”
“Don’t even get me started!”
Master’s voice was filled with exasperation. “Do I look like I know how to take care of children? Do you know how tiring it is to play house with her?!”
“If it weren’t for those fifty jars of wine, I would have told you to take care of her yourself.”
Chen Yin chuckled. “It’s already a miracle she’s not terrified of you.”
“That child has been through a lot. Be nice to her.”
Master just snorted, but her eyes softened slightly.
“By the way, that little girl’s poison, it’s from Shen Li, isn’t it?”
Chen Yin turned to her. “Have you seen it before?”
“No.” She shook her head. “But the Ten Thousand Fragrance Pavilion has intel on Shen Li using a strange poison to control cultivators.”
“It’s highly addictive. Difficult to deal with.”
“That’s why I’m going to the Wu Xuan Cave. I have to try.” Chen Yin sighed.
Master’s eyes narrowed slightly, lost in thought.
“The Wu Xuan Cave is reclusive, and the Ten Thousand Mountains are dangerous. This trip will take a while.”
“I know what you’re worried about.” Chen Yin smiled and ruffled her hair. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back within three months.”
Master swatted his hand away playfully, but a hint of a smile touched her lips.
“Since you’ve hit a bottleneck in your cultivation, I won’t push you too hard.”
Her eyes turned serious. “But since you’re going to the Southern Region, I have another task for you.”
Chen Yin looked at her curiously.
“The last time the Ten Thousand Fragrance Pavilion encountered Shen Li was in the Ten Thousand Mountains.”
She said casually, “Those Shen Li pests aren’t a major threat, but they’re still annoying. I want to minimize any potential problems, so it’s time to deal with them.”
Chen Yin nodded silently after a moment.
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Don’t underestimate them. They’re not easy to deal with.”
Master hesitated, then said, “Since we’re finally dealing with them, I should tell you a few things.”
“You already know that Shen Li is an organization that recruits Chosen Ones, right?”
Chen Yin blinked.
It seemed Master knew more than he had realized.
“Chosen Ones possess unique abilities granted by the Heavenly Dao Fragment. They can wield powers that don’t belong to this world. They’re incredibly difficult to deal with.”
“Shen Li wants to gather these Chosen Ones and create a force powerful enough to overthrow the cultivation world.”
“But that’s not their only goal.” Master’s tone changed.
“They’re not collecting the Heavenly Dao Fragments for themselves, but to offer them to someone else.”
“To whom?” Chen Yin asked.
Master didn’t answer, just pointed a finger towards the sky.
Chen Yin’s eyes narrowed.
“The Heavenly Dao Fragment might seem like a treasure, but it’s not a good thing.”
Master sat down beside him, her robes spreading around her.
“Chosen Ones aren’t as lucky as their name suggests.”
“On the contrary, I’d call them unlucky bastards.”
“Heaven is fair. When it gives you something, it always takes something away in return.”
“Unfortunately,” her eyes dimmed, “many people realize this too late.”
Chen Yin sensed her sudden sadness.
He reached out and patted her head gently.
“…Hey.”
Master pouted. “Do you really think I’m a child?”
“Even grown-ups,”
“Need comfort sometimes.” Chen Yin said seriously.
Master stared at him, her lips pressed together, then she let him ruffle her hair.
“…Aren’t you going to ask me why?”
“If it makes you sad, I won’t ask.”
Chen Yin said softly, “I can find the truth myself. But I don’t want you to be unhappy.”
“Where did you learn these cheesy lines?” Master couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Did it work?”
“Hmm… guess.”
Master covered her mouth with her hand, her laughter so carefree and innocent that it was easy to forget her true identity.
She looked like a little girl, gazing at the stars with wide, curious eyes.
Chen Yin also looked up at the sky, imitating her.
“If you want to know more about Shen Li, go to the Ten Thousand Fragrance Pavilion.”
Master whispered, “Any branch will do. They’re all our people. Use the token Wan Yunhai gave you.”
Chen Yin’s face fell.
“What’s wrong?”
“That token… I gave it to Xiang’er.”
Master looked at him with disdain.
Chen Yin chuckled awkwardly and scratched his head.
“Fine, take this one. I’ll ask Wan Yunhai for another one later.”
Master tossed him a jade token, its surface still warm from her touch.
Chen Yin took the token, examined it, and asked curiously, “Is the Ten Thousand Fragrance Pavilion really our backyard?”
“Of course,” Master said proudly, raising her chin. “Who do you think your Master is? They would be thrilled if I lived there permanently.”
“Then why do you always make me pay for your drinks? Just go to the Ten Thousand Fragrance Pavilion and get them for free.”
“…Ahem. Children shouldn’t ask so many questions.”
Chen Yin looked at her suspiciously. He suddenly wondered if she was just using him as an excuse to get free drinks.
“By the way, one more thing.”
Master suddenly stood up, brushed off her dress, and looked at Chen Yin. “Spar with me. Let me see how strong you are now.”
Chen Yin paused.
“Are you sure?”
“What? Are you scared? Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you.”
“No, my swordsmanship is very powerful. I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.” Chen Yin said seriously.
Master just snorted.
“It seems you’ve become quite arrogant. You don’t even respect your Master anymore?”
“Don’t worry, I won’t make you pay for my medical bills.”
Chen Yin was still hesitant, but seeing her about to throw a tantrum, he nodded.
“Then be careful.”
The Eternal Light sword emerged from his sleeve, its size increasing as it filled with spiritual energy, its surface glowing faintly.
Master’s eyes flickered as she saw the sword.
Before Chen Yin could decide how much force to use, Master made the first move.
She took a step forward, and the scenery around them shifted instantly. A profound and mysterious aura enveloped them.
Chen Yin’s eyes widened in surprise as the world around him transformed.
The mountains, the cliffs, the moon, the trees, everything lost its form and distance, as if the real world had been replaced by a black and white ink painting.
A strong sense of danger made his heart pound.
…Holy crap.
This old loli granny was serious!
As even his own hand began to transform into lines of ink, Chen Yin no longer hesitated. The Eternal Light sword blazed with a brilliant light.
Within the ink painting, a crescent moon rose, its vast and powerful sword energy threatening to tear apart the very fabric of the world.
“Second Sword!”
Under the bright moonlight, the man with the sword unleashed a powerful attack, his blade aimed at the seemingly fragile girl in the flowing robe.
But then, as if time had reversed,
The sword light vanished, as if it had never existed.
Chen Yin found himself back in his original stance, his mind racing.
“…Not bad.”
Master, unharmed, waved her hand dismissively. “With that sword, you should be able to handle those Shen Li pests.”
“What you just did…” Chen Yin started to ask, but she interrupted him.
“Hah, who told you to underestimate your Master?”
She grinned, her fangs showing. “How about that? Your master will always be your master~”
That wasn’t what Chen Yin wanted to ask.
He was still trying to comprehend her profound and mysterious technique.
But hearing her taunts, he said seriously, “That was just my Second Sword. I still have a Third Sword. Want to try it?”
…Although he had never used the Third Sword before.
He had no idea what its power was like.
“Hey, are you actually trying to kill your Master? Don’t push it.”
Master shook her head. “The spar itself is not important. What matters is the insight you gained from it.”
“For you, trapped in a bottleneck, that’s more valuable than anything.”
Chen Yin nodded thoughtfully.
“Remember that insight and reach the Grand Clarity Realm soon.”
With that, Master stretched and walked back to her cave.
Chen Yin stood there alone, from nightfall to dawn, his body motionless.
As the morning dew settled on his clothes, his dark eyes finally regained their focus.
He looked at the birds flying overhead, the flowing stream, the clouds drifting across the sky.
He stretched and yawned.
“…Everything can be a path to the Dao.”
“It seems I’m still missing something.”
But compared to before, when he had been completely lost and clueless about how to reach the Grand Clarity Realm, he now had a direction.
He turned towards Master’s cave and smiled wryly.
…That old loli granny. Why couldn’t she be more straightforward?
If she wanted to teach him, why couldn’t she just say so?
He straightened his clothes and bowed deeply towards her cave.
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