Over the past two days, the two finally stopped their romantic antics at the senior’s grave and instead focused on comprehending the Dao of the Sword and the Dao of Water, respectively. Two days passed quickly.

When the guards of Wan Jian Zong and Wu Xing Zhi Xu came to announce the end of the designated time, they found Du Gu Qing Li with a sword-shaped phantom merging into her body, and Lu Xing Zhou surrounded by a faint mist of water. Both had clearly gained significant insights.

The guards were secretly amazed.

Three days — for cultivators above the third rank, this amount of time was barely enough to meditate for a few cycles. Many people gained nothing in three days, leaving the same way they entered. Yet, these two, who entered consecutively, both achieved enlightenment. It truly goes to show that people cannot be compared to each other.

The two met again, each smiling. Du Gu Qing Li asked, “How was it?”

Lu Xing Zhou replied, “I understood some things I hadn’t thought of before… but mine isn’t important. Yours is.”

Du Gu Qing Li asked, “Why is mine important?”

“Because you are trying to break free from Bing Lin, which relates to a more critical future. I am merely cultivating.”

Du Gu Qing Li looked at him steadily, a little confused. Shouldn’t this fellow have flirtatiously said, “Because you are important”?

Since she didn’t get the expected flattery, Du Gu Qing Li wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed. She said stiffly, “Then, as we discussed the other day, shall we go find Shifu?”

Lu Xing Zhou immediately ascended on a cloud. “Let’s go then.”

Du Gu Qing Li silently followed him, and they arrived at the large bridge.

“We can’t fly here; we have to stop and cross the bridge,” Du Gu Qing Li said, pulling Lu Xing Zhou down. She then added, “I’ll go inform them.”

Lu Xing Zhou: “…No need, follow me.”

Du Gu Qing Li: “”

Then she watched Lu Xing Zhou step onto the bridge. The dragon-turtle below lazily raised its head to look, but showed no reaction. The guards glanced at them, also showing no reaction.

Du Gu Qing Li: “…”

Am I the direct disciple or are you?

Confused, she followed Lu Xing Zhou all the way to Ye Ting Lan’s sleeping quarters. There, she saw Ye Ting Lan cradling A’Nuo, sitting kindly outside the courtyard. The two were happily eating a fruit each.

What a picture of a loving mother and filial daughter. Du Gu Qing Li found it rather glaring.

As the two entered, Ye Ting Lan had already sensed their presence from afar. Without raising her head, she asked, “Are you both doing well?”

Lu Xing Zhou stepped forward and unreservedly massaged her shoulders. “Both are well.”

Ye Ting Lan said, “I heard Du Gu Qing Li had some trouble, and you rescued her.”

“Mm.”

“Consider you a合格 Shibo,” Ye Ting Lan said with a smile. “What reward do you want?”

Lu Xing Zhou was sweating profusely. He secretly glanced at Du Gu Qing Li, who, expressionless, interrupted their display of affection: “Are you openly calling him Shibo now? No more acting?”

Ye Ting Lan said, “There are no outsiders here.”

Du Gu Qing Li: “Thank you very much.”

Lu Xing Zhou quickly changed the subject: “A’Nuo’s aura is off, did she break through?”

“Mm-hmm,” A’Nuo sniffled. “Irresponsible Shifu.”

“…Shifu is cultivating too, you know.” Lu Xing Zhou was even more surprised. “No, you’re at the third rank, so why haven’t you grown taller?”

Ye Ting Lan said, “I was just about to discuss this with you. I want to research A’Nuo’s condition more deeply, for example, by drawing some blood. What do you think?”

Lu Xing Zhou was silent for a moment, not answering immediately.

Ye Ting Lan nervously clasped her hands. A’Nuo quietly pulled her hand out of hers.

Lu Xing Zhou finally said, “I also intend to ask for your help in deeply researching A’Nuo’s condition.”

Ye Ting Lan’s eyes lit up with joy.

A’Nuo was right; he had refused Yuan Mu Yu over this matter, but he hadn’t refused her this time. Win!

Not only a win, Lu Xing Zhou even said he intended to ask for her help, not just agreed after she requested it. A massive win!

Ye Ting Lan relaxed, leisurely sipping her tea. “I heard you didn’t let others examine her in detail before. Why was that? Didn’t trust Yuan Mu Yu? Feared she might harm A’Nuo?”

Lu Xing Zhou was silent for several more seconds before saying, “I know some things about A’Nuo’s condition… it’s quite unbelievable and not suitable for others to know.”

Ye Ting Lan’s expression became serious. “Elaborate.”

“A’Nuo’s blood… can save lives,” Lu Xing Zhou said slowly. “If this were known, A’Nuo would be very dangerous.”

This was, of course, an extremely serious matter. If people knew, A’Nuo would never have peace.

Lu Xing Zhou hadn’t even let A’Nuo herself know, fearing she was too young at the time to keep a secret. But now, this fellow’s insides were entirely black; many adults weren’t as cunning as her, so it was probably safe to tell.

No matter how good his relationship with Yuan Mu Yu was back then, that barrier was never broken; they weren’t a couple, so it couldn’t be casually discussed. Furthermore, Yuan Mu Yu was a practitioner of the Demonic Dao, and in the difficult early stages of establishing her sect, it was hard to say what choices she might make. Ye Ting Lan, with her white hair, was a true orthodox cultivator and possessed all the resources of a sacred land, so she couldn’t possibly have any ulterior motives.

All things considered, his trust in Ye Ting Lan now seemed to truly surpass their best period with Yuan Mu Yu.

After all, they had done everything short of the final step… and even for that final step, she was willing. If A’Nuo’s condition became urgent and required someone’s help, it had to be Ye Ting Lan. Hiding it would be meaningless.

Ye Ting Lan indeed had no other thoughts. Instead, her delicate brows furrowed, looking very worried. “This problem is very strange. You absolutely must not speak of it to outsiders again.”

“Mm.”

Ye Ting Lan stood up, holding A’Nuo, and coaxed her like a child, “A’Nuo, can you prick a drop of blood for Niang, please?”

A’Nuo’s little face twitched. She cautiously picked up the fruit-peeling knife from the table, measured it against her finger for a long time, then closed her eyes as if going to her death, and made a cut.

Silence fell around them.

A’Nuo quietly opened her eyes. There was only an extremely shallow white mark on her hand, no injury at all.

A’Nuo: “…”

“You have a third-rank body; how could such a light cut injure you? If you were truly like Long Qing Huang, a sword poke wouldn’t even harm you.” Ye Ting Lan sighed and lightly scratched with her fingernail.

A’Nuo’s finger, which couldn’t be cut by a knife, bled after being gently grazed by Ye Ting Lan’s fingernail.

A’Nuo didn’t feel pain. She looked at Shifu with a touch of sympathy.

If you two were in a passionate moment, and Xiān Sheng accidentally scratched… would Shifu die?

Ye Ting Lan took a small jade bottle, carefully collected three drops of A’Nuo’s blood, and then performed a spell. A’Nuo’s small wound instantly healed.

A’Nuo watched her healed wound with curious eyes and asked a philosophical question no one could answer: “If my blood can heal injuries, then why do even such small wounds need others to heal?”

The three people in the room were dumbfounded, unable to respond.

Ye Ting Lan took out an hourglass-like magical artifact, dripped a drop of blood into it, and watched the blood trickle down the hourglass. The hourglass glowed faintly, as if analyzing.

A moment later, Ye Ting Lan’s expression relaxed, and she smiled, “It’s nothing, an Immortal Spirit Body.”

A’Nuo’s melancholic little expression suddenly brightened. “I knew it!”

Ye Ting Lan smiled and said, “A’Nuo, play with Du Gu Qing Li for a while. Xing Zhou, come inside with me.”

A’Nuo was alert. “Is there something you don’t want me to hear?”

Ye Ting Lan sternly said, “Your Shifu and I want to make love. Do you want to listen?”

A’Nuo: “…”

Du Gu Qing Li turned her head away.

The two sat at a table, their eyes filled with resentment as they watched their own Shifu and someone else’s Shifu walk arm-in-arm into the sleeping quarters, and the door slammed shut.

Once the door was closed, Ye Ting Lan’s smiling expression turned serious. She whispered, “A’Nuo is not human.”

Lu Xing Zhou nodded calmly. “I know.”

“Although I don’t know how she transformed or what her true form is, it can basically be concluded that her true form is a treasure that can cure almost all ailments. Perhaps she’s a transformed immortal herb?”

Lu Xing Zhou said, “I’ve had that guess too. With you saying so, I’m even more certain. After all, A’Nuo has the talent to communicate with plants. This talent might have other wonderful uses with her third-rank breakthrough; we can research it then.”

“You’re still thinking about developing her talent… aren’t you concerned this is a type of demon?”

“Is this a demon? Lin Mei Mei was also a transformed immortal herb, owing a tear…”

Ye Ting Lan: “?”

The two looked at each other. After a long while, Ye Ting Lan said, “Alright, whether it’s a demon or an immortal, there’s no fixed definition. Our sect also has the Dragon-Turtle Divine Beast, which isn’t regarded as a demon by anyone here.”

“Exactly, it’s an organizational matter.”

“…But you must be careful. If A’Nuo is a transformed immortal herb, she would be an excellent material for alchemy. Perhaps the true Jiuzhuan Jindan requires her. It’s not just ordinary cultivators who would covet her; even ancient immortals would be envious.”

“Yes, of course, I won’t tell anyone.”

Actually, Lu Xing Zhou suspected that A’Nuo herself was a pill, and that she escaped from Mo He’s cauldron. There was plenty of evidence, but no definitive proof. Perhaps one wouldn’t even need to use A’Nuo for alchemy; simply swallowing her might be an immortal pill.

But there was no difference; being swallowed or refined amounted to the same thing.

Lu Xing Zhou’s expression was somewhat somber. A’Nuo’s condition could currently be hidden from those of super-rank. If they didn’t draw blood for a detailed examination, even those of super-rank wouldn’t know the truth. But what if it were a higher rank? Could they discern it at a glance?

What if he met Mo He himself? Could he realize this was his own pill?

“To put it bluntly, one important reason I want to cultivate and stand tall is to protect A’Nuo,” Lu Xing Zhou whispered. “Back then, I was limited and couldn’t cultivate well, so I desperately fed A’Nuo elixirs, not for her to grow up, but for her to be able to protect herself. Whether she grows up or not isn’t important at all; I’d raise her for a lifetime… but she cannot be in danger.”

“You don’t need to worry too much,” Ye Ting Lan stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “You both have entered the third rank, you’ve stepped into the halls of cultivation. Not just anyone can scheme against you. I will also help you; the entire Tian Yao Sacred Land is your backing.”

Lu Xing Zhou embraced her in return, speechless for a moment.

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