Longevity Begins From Raising Disciples

Even in the original game storyline, this Immortal Sect held a place of its own.

According to how the original plot developed, within the next five hundred years, the Immortal Sect would have an heir emerge and escort Zhiwei into the sect to cultivate.

But now,

because of Ancestor Songyang’s blunder, this Immortal Sect seemed likely to be alerted ahead of time, causing a significant deviation in the world line.

”Enemy... or friend? In the original storyline, the Immortal Sect could barely be considered righteous, but now that our positions are different, we might just fall out...”

Chen Ye thought to himself.

He had no intention of making an enemy of this mysterious and powerful force.

However, there was no doubt that as a master, he would definitely protect his disciple, no matter who came.

If the Immortal Sect had no intention of harming his disciple, everything could be discussed;

but if they meant ill toward Zhiwei or Qing Jun, he would not sit there and wait for death.

...

Luoxiao Grotto Heaven.

Though the blood waterfall still thundered on without cease, without the Scarlet-Scaled One-Horned Serpent coiled upon it, this vicious land inexplicably felt much quieter.

”Ka! Ka! Ka!”

From the cliff face came a series of crisp chiseling sounds.

Qing Jun looked like a nimble little silver gecko, hanging upside down headfirst on the sheer rock wall.

Her two small, pale hands clutched tightly at that black reverse scale embedded in the stone, her little face flushed bright red as she grunted and tugged it outward with all her might.

”Qing Jun, what are you messing around with now? Didn’t we already pick the Bodhi fruit?”

On the shore, Zhiwei, who had been sitting with eyes closed regulating her breath, opened her eyes and looked helplessly at her own restless little junior sister.

”Senior Sister, can’t you see it? This pitch-black reverse scale is a real good thing!”

Qing Jun suddenly kicked hard against the cliff, and with a boom, forcibly pried off half the rock layer along with that dragon reverse scale, which was like a giant black shield.

”Splash——”

Once the reverse scale was severed, blood gushed out wildly, making Zhiwei sigh inwardly.

Without the reverse scale, this Blood-Gathering Grand Array probably wouldn’t last much longer.

Though the reverse scale was indeed a treasure, it was certainly no match for the Dragon Blood Bodhi.

She had originally planned to wait until her cultivation was accomplished, then return to the Grotto Heaven and retrieve that precious tree for her master.

The little girl hugged the reverse scale that was more than half a head taller than she was, leapt down from the cliff back onto the shore like she was presenting a treasure, her face full of pride:

”Look at this scale, so big and sturdy! When we leave the Grotto Heaven and bring it back to Cangli Courtyard, it’ll be perfect to make a sunshade awning for Master! That way when Master naps in the courtyard in summer, he won’t get tanned by Taiyang!”

Hearing this bizarre train of thought, Su’s lips twitched at the side.

That was the reverse scale of a Golden Core Late Period great demon!

This little lass actually wanted to take it back to use as a sunshade for her master?!

”Senior Sister, are you unhappy?”

Hugging the scale, Qing Jun looked carefully at her senior sister, speaking in a righteous tone,

”Senior Sister, oh Senior Sister! Even without the reverse scale, this Dragon Blood Bodhi looks like it can hold on for a few more years. When the Luoxiao Grotto Heaven opens next time, we’ll be way stronger than we are now! Maybe then we can bring the Dragon Blood Bodhi out intact.”

”Forget it, do as you like.”

Zhiwei sighed. She didn’t want to quarrel with her junior over a mere treasure of heaven and earth.

Besides, her junior sister did have a bit of a point.

Although they couldn’t take the Dragon Blood Bodhi out now without risking it withering, five years later they might have a way.

”Su, is your little snake sick?”

Just as Su was examining that reverse scale, Jin’er’s soft, milky voice sounded beside her.

Su lowered her head and saw her beloved spirit pet standing ramrod straight in her palm. Not only was its tongue no longer flicking, even its emerald scales had lost their luster.

”Qing Huan? What’s wrong with you?”

Su suddenly panicked and hurriedly took out all kinds of precious Healing Elixirs, stuffing them into its mouth.

But Qing Huan kept its mouth tightly shut, its whole body shaking uncontrollably, stubbornly refusing to open up.

”This...”

Su grew anxious. After she fed it pills before, Qing Huan had obviously started to get better, hadn’t it?

”Ah, is it feeling cold?”

Jin’er blinked her innocent big eyes and kindly extended a fair finger. With a soft ”poof,” a wisp of ghostly blue Red Lotus Divine Fire flared at her fingertip as she moved it toward Qing Huan,

”Jin’er will help it warm up by the fire, okay?”

Feeling that terrifying flame draw near, Qing Huan’s eyes rolled back with a ”gah,” and this time it really fainted dead away from fright.

”Jin’er, don’t mess around.”

Zhiwei shook her head, a bit amused,

”Taoist Su’s spirit pet isn’t sick, it’s... scared.”

”Scared? Scared of what?”

Su Qingdai was stunned. The largest Demon Beast in this canyon had already been killed; what else could scare a Foundation Establishment Middle Period cultivator like Qing Huan this badly?

Zhiwei paused slightly, her gaze flicking toward the edge of the blood pool.

Su Qingdai followed Zhiwei’s line of sight and looked over.

She saw a little fox, pure white from head to tail, sitting gracefully on a protruding rock at the edge of the blood pool.

”This white fox?” Su Qingdai’s pupils shrank slightly.

This little fox was indeed beautiful, but it looked quite ordinary, didn’t it?

”Taoist Su misunderstands. I mean, perhaps it was that reverse scale that triggered Qing Huan?”

Zhiwei let out a soft laugh, silently withdrawing her gaze from the little white fox.

Hmm...

She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination.

After the Crimson-scaled One-horned Snake was slain,

she had secretly been on guard against Su Qingdai turning on them, yet she noticed the little white fox had been staring at the little green snake, on and off, as if in warning...

”So it was the lingering draconic might from the reverse scale...”

Su Qingdai let out a long breath of relief, hurriedly and carefully stuffing Qing Huan back into the Spirit Beast pouch, afraid it might be further agitated.

...

At the same time, in another dangerous place within Luoxiao Grotto Heaven called Black Barrier Ravine.

On the ground lay more than a dozen corpses, strewn about in grotesque poses, their deaths miserably tragic.

Most of these bodies were incomplete; some looked as though they had been sliced into pieces by some kind of sharp thread, while others were black all over, poisoned by a vicious toxin. Judging from the tattered remains of their clothing, they were all Loose Cultivators.

”Drip...”

Crimson blood slid down and dripped from a fingertip.

Hua Wuyin casually crushed the skull of a still-breathing cultivator and chuckled:

”This Loose Cultivator had some fame outside. Name’s Wang Kan, once lucky enough to obtain the inheritance of a Foundation Establishment Late Period cultivator. His strength was decent; he wasn’t just empty reputation, and he even managed to gather a dozen Loose Cultivators here in the Grotto Heaven... It’s just a pity he ran into us.”

”Hua, stop playing. If the Realman finds out, he’ll definitely rebuke you.”

Zhong Yue frowned slightly, unable to stomach such acts of cruel torment.

He thought to himself:

He’d long heard that those of Budu River were mostly perverts; seeing it today, it was indeed so.

Back in Huayue Mansion, Hua Wuyin had at least behaved himself; now that they were in the Grotto Heaven, his true nature was laid bare.

But thinking it over, not all of the blame could be placed on Hua Wuyin alone.

For Budu River itself was a twisted sect to begin with, repressive and chaotic...

Just from the Tianxiang Jade Dew alone, one could see a glimpse of it.

If someone came to Budu River bearing Tianxiang Jade Dew, they could select a cultivator for carnal pleasure, regardless of the visitor’s status or the selected person’s status.

Tsk tsk... even more debased than brothels in the mortal world.

”Still, for such a despicable sect, they do have some bizarre depth of foundation. Otherwise, why would Huayue Mansion pinch their noses and work with them?”

Suppressing the disgust in his heart, Zhong Yue shifted his gaze away from the mangled bodies covering the ground.

As if sensing Zhong Yue’s disdain, Hua Wuyin snapped open his exquisite, blood-stained folding fan with a ”swish,” gently fanning himself as he smiled teasingly:

”Junior Brother Zhong, what kind of look is that? Are you secretly slandering my Budu River in your heart?”

”Yes.” Zhong Yue answered frankly.

Hua Wuyin sneered: ”Junior Brother, you are honest, I’ll give you that. But though Budu River is deviant, we are certainly not of the Demon Path, and we would never commit something like matricide.”

Zhong Yue frowned: ”Oh? Your younger sister is still so young, yet she must suffer dual-cultivation harvesting. Is this act of Budu River what you call the righteous path?”

”You... shut up!”

”Enough, both of you say less.”

A cold female voice came from deep within Black Barrier Ravine.

He Qinyuan casually tossed a corpse aside and shook her head:

”Strange, the disciples of Lingyin Sect seem to have vanished? The method Gu Tangyin left behind has lost effect, and these Loose Cultivators have only seen one Lingyin cultivator, yet that person was mingled together with people of the Spirit Treasure Sect... truly strange.”

”If you two want to fight, take it outside. For now, finish the task properly.”

Speaking up to this point,

He Qinyuan glanced at Hua Wuyin’s darkened expression and shook her head helplessly: ”Those three girls—why don’t I leave them all to you later?”

The man’s face, twisted and gloomy from having his sore spot poked, pulled into a ferocious grin:

”Many thanks for fulfilling my wish, Senior Sister He! To vent such resentment, I can only refine those three little girls into dolls. Once we’re out of the Grotto Heaven, I’ll savor Chen Ye’s expression properly... then reunite master and disciple.”

He Qinyuan gave a helpless smile.

Fortunately, this junior brother of hers still had his wits about him.

She had previously seen that Hua Wuyin seemed quite fond of those three girls and had thought he might show mercy.

Thinking about it now—how could someone from Budu River ever be soft-hearted?