Myriad Dragon Divine Sovereign

A blush crept up Gao Yuerou’s face upon hearing the North Mountain Master’s words. She slowly walked to Wen Qingye’s side, her head bowed, too shy to say anything.

Back at the thatched cottage below North Mountain, Lil Ya took out some medicinal herbs and Primordial Stones. Wen Qingye didn’t stand on ceremony and accepted them all.

Lil Ya looked at Wen Qingye and suddenly said with indignation, ”You absolutely must participate in the upcoming Four Mountains Martial Arts Gathering, and you’d better put on a good show.”

”What’s wrong?” Wen Qingye asked, curious about the indignant look on Lil Ya’s face.

Lil Ya said fiercely, ”That damn Gong Tianshun! The East Mountain Master said your aptitude is good, but that it would be difficult for you to break into the top sixteen of the Four Mountains Martial Arts Gathering. He said you’re just a new disciple, and that next year’s gathering is when you’ll really shine. So I made a bet with him! I told him you would definitely pass the first round this year.”

Wen Qingye nodded and said nonchalantly, ”Oh, so that’s what this is about.”

The corner of Wen Qingye’s mouth curled into a smile as he thought, ’The first round? They’re underestimating me far too much. Once my sword is unsheathed, I’d like to see who can possibly block my blade.’

Lil Ya nodded emphatically. ”Exactly! So you have to work hard. Show those old geezers! North Mountain might not recruit disciples often, but when we do, they’re absolute prodigies who make all the young talents on their mountains pale in comparison.”

Wen Qingye shrugged, his hand unconsciously tightening its grip on his sword.

Wen Qingye would only learn later that before the Four Mountains Martial Arts Gathering, the various mountains had already held their own selections. Each mountain chose ten disciples to send. Crucially, there were almost no new disciples among them; they were all senior students. Even though Wen Qingye was already exceptionally skilled, Lil Ya still believed that just passing the first round would be an amazing feat for him.

If not for special circumstances, disciples like Xia Moyu, Lu Hongfei, and Guu Xiong would have been eliminated immediately, losing any chance to even qualify for the gathering.

After giving a few more instructions, Lil Ya shot Gao Yuerou a series of winks and knowing glances before taking his leave.

Wen Qingye chuckled. ”Our Mountain Master is just like that. Don’t pay him any mind.”

Gao Yuerou lowered her head and shook it. ”I don’t mind at all. Your Mountain Master seems very approachable, unlike ours, who always has a stern look on his face.”

Wen Qingye looked at Gao Yuerou. Her cultivation had seen limited progress after a month of cultivating on her own. After all, her pills and Primordial Stones had been used up by Xia Moyu and Qii Feng. Even with a visit to the Celestial Essence Hall, her cultivation still hadn’t broken through to the Refining Essence First Layer Heaven.

Wen Qingye said slowly, ”After you take the pills I gave you, you should be able to break through to the Refining Essence Realm soon.”

He knew that, one way or another, Gao Yuerou was ostracized because of him, and it was because of him that Xia Moyu had withheld her cultivation resources.

Gao Yuerou smiled sweetly. ”It’s all right. I’ll just consider it building a stronger foundation for a later breakthrough.”

Wen Qingye said casually, ”Right. Why don’t you stay here for the next few days? There are plenty of rooms, and I can give you some pointers on your Swordsmanship.”

Joy filled Gao Yuerou’s heart. She blinked her eyes and replied, ”Okay.”

She didn’t really care about the details; the important thing was that she could stay here. A happy feeling bubbled up inside her at the thought.

After getting Gao Yuerou settled, Wen Qingye returned to his room to cultivate. With the pills and Primordial Stones from Lil Ya, he wouldn’t need to gather his own herbs for Alchemy for a while.

Wen Qingye’s cultivation had already reached the Refining Essence Third Layer Heaven. He planned to use a Secret Technique to refine a Yang Fire. With a Yang Fire, his Alchemy would be much more effective.

Wen Qingye sat down cross-legged and began the process of refining the Yang Fire within his body.

The ambient temperature suddenly spiked. A scalding wave of energy erupted from Wen Qingye’s Qi Sea, surging toward his Dantian.

”PFFT!”

The wave of energy grew hotter and hotter. Beads of sweat started to form on Wen Qingye’s forehead, and before long, his entire body was drenched.

The steadily intensifying heat surged through him, scorching his meridians. Wen Qingye felt as if his entire body was being roasted over a raging inferno.

”WHOOSH!”

The searing wave of energy converged in his Dantian and suddenly erupted, sending out a few tiny sparks. The sparks flared, growing more intense until they coalesced into a single wisp of flame.

Wen Qingye immediately suppressed the scorching heat and began to slowly gather Primordial Qi into his Dantian.

A small flame abruptly shot up within his Dantian. It flickered and grew, eventually transforming into a stable fire.

Seeing the fire, Wen Qingye inwardly sighed in relief. He then slowly compressed it until it became a single point of starlight, lying dormant within his Dantian.

First Grade Yang Fire!

He had only just refined it, so the grade was still low. As his cultivation increased and he carefully nurtured it, the Yang Fire would slowly level up as well.

In time, the Yang Fire would evolve into a Spiritual Fire, or even a Samadhi True Flame, making Alchemy far easier.

”Master, I’m back!” Xiaxia called out joyfully as she suddenly burst into Wen Qingye’s room.

Wen Qingye frowned. ”Haven’t I told you to always knock before you come in?”

Xiaxia stuck out her tongue. ”I forgot.”

Wen Qingye shook his head, exasperated. ”Did you manage to refine the pills I assigned you today?”

Xiaxia opened her palm, revealing several small vials. ”Look, Master,” she said cheerfully, ”I made all of them.”

Wen Qingye nodded, feeling a sense of gratification. Xiaxia really had been working much harder lately. He said slowly, ”Tonight, I will prepare a medicinal bath for you.”

”A medicinal bath?” Xiaxia asked, surprised. ”What’s that for? Will it hurt?”

”It will help you raise your cultivation quickly,” Wen Qingye said slowly. ”And yes, it might hurt a little.”

”Okay, I understand,” Xiaxia said, nodding with her head lowered.

Wen Qingye’s expression grew stern, but his tone was calm. ”Your cultivation is too low. You must use the medicinal bath. Tonight, I’ll have Yuerou join you.”

Xiaxia’s face lit up. ”Sister Yuerou? Is she coming here too?”

”Yes. Her cultivation has stagnated lately, so she also needs a medicinal bath to speed things up. She comes from a clan, and they place great importance on cultivation.”

In truth, Gao Yuerou could have rapidly improved her cultivation just by taking pills, but Wen Qingye was worried Xiaxia wouldn’t be motivated, so he decided to have Gao Yuerou join her in the bath.

Xiaxia’s cultivation had to be raised quickly. Otherwise, the Nine Tribulations Burial would manifest ahead of schedule. Wen Qingye still hadn’t found all the herbs for the fourth tribulation, so his only option was to raise Xiaxia’s cultivation to delay its onset.

...

That evening, Gao Yuerou disrobed and slowly lowered herself into a large wooden tub. Nearby, Little Yunshan treated the medicinal bath as its personal wading pool.

Xiaxia looked at Gao Yuerou in amazement. ”Sister Yuerou, you have a really great figure!”

”You think so? You have a great figure too,” Gao Yuerou said with a laugh.

Xiaxia frowned. ”This bath is so uncomfortable. My whole body feels like it’s on fire.”

Gao Yuerou advised earnestly, ”Qingye is only doing this for your own good. He wants to help you improve your cultivation.”

”I know.” Xiaxia suddenly looked at Gao Yuerou and asked curiously, ”By the way, Sister Yuerou, what is my master’s wife like?”

Gao Yuerou’s thoughts turned to Zhang Xiaoyun. Thinking of her, she smiled softly. ”Your master’s wife... I don’t know her very well, but I imagine she must be a very gentle woman.”

Xiaxia asked, ”Is she gentler and prettier than you, Sister Yuerou?”

Gao Yuerou smiled. ”You’ll like her when you meet her. She’s very kind. In any case, your master is very fond of her.”

”Oh.” Xiaxia nodded, then looked at Gao Yuerou. ”Sister Yuerou, does that mean you don’t like my master?”

A blush spread across Gao Yuerou’s face. She hadn’t expected such a direct question. After thinking for a moment, she replied, ”I didn’t... back then, we were just friends. But now...”

Xiaxia laughed. ”Ha! I knew it! Sister Yuerou, you like my master! I’m going to go tell him!”

Gao Yuerou froze, then grabbed Xiaxia’s arm, her face flushed. ”Xiaxia, don’t you dare...”

”Why not? Would it be so bad if he knew?” Xiaxia looked at Gao Yuerou earnestly. ”Maybe my master likes you, too.”

Hearing this, Gao Yuerou’s expression fell. ”Your master... he did like me before, but I rejected him. So now... now I...”

Xiaxia’s jaw dropped as she stared at Gao Yuerou in disbelief.