Welcome to Youyun Peak

Waiting quietly for the father and daughter to compose their emotions, Xia Dongyan bowed once more toward Xu Jinghuai.

“I have shown the Immortal Master a shameful side of myself.”

“It is my daughter’s blessing to be accepted under the Immortal Master’s sect; my wife and I prepared ourselves for this long ago.”

“Mhm, rise.”

Xu Jinghuai nodded slightly and flicked his sleeve, sending an exquisite red sandalwood box drifting slowly toward Xia Dongyan.

After raising his head, Xia Dongyan instinctively caught the box as Xu Jinghuai spoke in a leisurely tone.

“Since you possess such resolve, this Venerable is not a heartless person; the box before you contains three Second-grade Immortal Healing Pills—Longevity Pills.”

“When consumed by a mortal, they significantly improve physical constitution and extend one’s lifespan by up to fifty years.”

Fifty years of extended life!

Upon hearing this, Xia Dongyan’s legs went weak, and he fell to his knees before Xu Jinghuai again.

The red sandalwood box in his hands felt immensely heavy, and his arms trembled uncontrollably as his speech became slurred.

“Immortal Master, this, this, this… such an immortal pill, Xia is unworthy…”

Xu Jinghuai waved his hand.

“No matter, just accept it; Xia Jin’s talent is one in ten thousand, the most remarkable immortal sprout this Venerable has ever seen; since Xia Jin has entered my sect, it is only natural for this Venerable to bestow some grace upon your family.”

Although the Longevity Pill was an immortal pill for increasing life, it was essentially a medicine refined for mortals and was practically useless to cultivators, which is why it was classified as a lowly Second-grade Immortal Pill.

Had it not possessed the effect of extending life, it likely wouldn’t even have ranked as a second-grade pill.

Therefore, Xu Jinghuai felt no sting in giving it away.

Xia Dongyan knew that refusing any further would be impolite, so he bowed to Xu Jinghuai once more.

“This… Thank—thank you for the Immortal Master’s gift! Xia is eternally grateful! I shall remember the Immortal Master’s benevolence for the rest of my life!”

Extending a mortal’s life was no different from changing their destiny, so it was no wonder Xia Dongyan performed such a grand salute.

‘But speaking of which, it seems the tradition in the Cangnan Realm is always for the disciple to give the master a greeting gift; how did it turn into the master giving the disciple a gift when it comes to me?’

Xu Jinghuai grumbled inwardly but maintained a calm expression.

“Mhm; additionally, regarding the Longevity Pills, you must know that the effects only work upon the first consumption; subsequent doses will have greatly diminished efficacy, and pregnant women should not consume them in the short term, as the medicinal effects will be siphoned by the child in the womb.”

“Xia understands!”

Xu Jinghuai nodded, then rose from his seat and looked at Xia Jin.

Xia Jin had just finished bowing in gratitude alongside Xia Dongyan and was currently standing up.

Xu Jinghuai spoke calmly.

“The matters I needed to address have been almost entirely conveyed to you; next, Xia Jin will be taken back to the Wuling Immortal Sect by me; before that, I will leave you the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn for your goodbyes.”

“Once you have finished your accounts, have Xia Jin find me outside the restaurant.”

After speaking, Xu Jinghuai’s figure flashed and vanished from the spot.

He reappeared ten thousand meters above the restaurant.

“Phew…”

Once out of the sight of Xia Jin and her father, Xu Jinghuai changed his posture, stretching grandly and summoning a passing cloud from the distance before lying straight down upon it.

With the father and daughter saying their goodbyes, Xu Jinghuai felt his presence as an outsider would be somewhat awkward, so he decided not to interfere and chose to leave them a private space.

Resting his hands behind his head and staring with dead-fish eyes, Xu Jinghuai lamented.

‘Sigh, acting serious is so tiring…’

‘I wonder how long the Sect Master has to maintain that dead-serious look every day; tsk tsk… just thinking about it is a hassle.’

Gazing at the azure sky before him as a gentle breeze brushed past, feeling the tranquility of being amidst the clouds, Xu Jinghuai dazed off slightly and murmured.

“In the end, I really did take a disciple…”

Although he had lectured the father and daughter about the resolve required for the separation of immortals and mortals, he himself had not truly prepared the resolve to take a disciple.

Especially after hearing Xia Dongyan’s heartfelt words, Xu Jinghuai asked himself deep down.

Can he teach Xia Jin well?

In terms of cultivation, he—who had always been obsessed with bitter self-cultivation—had absolutely zero experience in mentoring disciples.

Xu Jinghuai actually lacked the confidence to teach Xia Jin properly.

Raising a disciple wasn’t like raising a spirit pet; you couldn’t just feed them at set times every day and expect them to thrive.

A Heavenly Spirit Root and a Refined Water Spirit Immortal Body; Xia Jin’s talent could be described as one in ten thousand; such an extraordinary immortal sprout hadn’t been seen for thousands or even tens of thousands of years; if she were ruined in his hands, he would likely be a laughingstock in the future…

Thinking about it this way, he suddenly felt the burden on his shoulders was quite heavy.

But who was Xu Jinghuai? Could such a small matter truly trouble him?

‘Decided!’

‘When I get back, I’ll go to the Sect Master and ask for double the stipend to go enjoy myself for a while!’

‘It was the Sect Master who wanted me to take a disciple anyway; how I teach her is my business.’

Xu Jinghuai returned to his previous lighthearted and heartless state.

He even fished out the Oracle Network token from his storage ring and started playing Tetris.

Time ticked away, and the duration of a single incense stick passed in a flash during his gaming.

Xu Jinghuai reluctantly put away the Oracle Network token and leaped down from the clouds.

He arrived outside the restaurant where he had agreed to meet Xia Jin.

Xia Jin was already at the door; seeing Xu Jinghuai appear, she immediately jogged over.

Xu Jinghuai looked toward the restaurant entrance, where a man and a woman were standing; one was Xia Dongyan, and the other was a woman who still possessed a charming grace; her appearance was somewhat similar to Xia Jin’s, so she was likely Xia Jin’s mother; she had no fluctuations of immortal power and was also a mere mortal.

However, Xu Jinghuai made an unexpected discovery.

To confirm his suspicion, Xu Jinghuai activated an immortal-grade eye technique and focused his gaze on Xia Jin’s mother.

A crystal shaped like a transparent water droplet at the center of her brow was slowly shrinking.

‘I see…’

A look of realization appeared on Xu Jinghuai’s face.

Logically speaking, when two mortals are together, the child they produce is most likely a mortal without any cultivation talent.

Yet Xia Jin, as the child of mortals, possessed a Heavenly Spirit Root.

This was essentially an impossible occurrence.

But through his immortal-grade eye technique, Xu Jinghuai saw that Xia Jin’s mother actually possessed a Crystal of Essence.

The Crystal of Essence was a legendary immortal item and the source for nurturing the Five Elements Immortal Bodies!

No one knew how such an immortal item was born, but ancient records stated that those who possessed it were, without exception, purely virtuous and kind women who had performed great acts of kindness in their youth and had encountered incredible fortuitous opportunities.

Looking at the karmic lines on Xia Jin’s mother, Xu Jinghuai secretly marveled that it was no wonder.

Xia Jin arrived at Xu Jinghuai’s side.

“Apologies, Jin’er has kept the Immortal Master waiting.”

Xu Jinghuai snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head.

“Those words should be said by me instead.”

“Have you finished your goodbyes?”

“Mhm.” Xia Jin nodded her small head, as sensible and obedient as before.

“In that case, we should be going.”

Xia Jin nodded again and proactively stepped forward to dive into Xu Jinghuai’s arms; since Xu Jinghuai had carried her here in his arms, Xia Jin assumed it would be the same on the way back.

What Xia Jin didn’t know was that previously, it was only because he didn’t know the way that Xu Jinghuai chose the method of flying through the air.

And for this return to the Wuling Immortal Sect, he naturally knew the way; being a lazy person, Xu Jinghuai simply made a single thought, and they returned directly to Youyun Peak.

The scene shifted; Xia Jin didn’t even know what had happened and was still buried in Xu Jinghuai’s chest until he reached out and patted the little one’s shoulder, whispering softly.

“We’ve arrived.”

Only then did she barely react.

Looking back, the restaurant had indeed disappeared; appearing before Xia Jin’s eyes was a peak standing amidst the clouds, shrouded in immortal mist.

Among the mountain ranges, immortal birds and spirit beasts frolicked; in the distant mist, several figures occasionally flashed by like glimpses of greatness.

This was a magnificent sight rarely seen in the mortal world!

Looking at the surprised Xia Jin, Xu Jinghuai gave a faint smile.

“Welcome to Youyun Peak; this will be your place of cultivation from now on.”