The purple spiritual shield shattered like glass.
Immediately after, two light knocks were heard outside the palace door.
Knock knock...
Grandmaster Zhiming, wearing a golden cassock, pushed the door open and glanced around the palace. Seeing that only the offerings on the table had been eaten up, he seemed to be relieved. His shoulders slowly dropped, and he stepped over the threshold. "Disciple Ye, congratulations..."
Grandmaster Zhiming seemed to want to congratulate Ye Anping on forming his Nascent Soul.
But as soon as he said this, he smelled a strange smell in the room. Frowning slightly, he cupped his hands and stared at Ye Anping. "I see, I see. Disciple Ye, please keep the seven 'precepts' in your heart and restrain the lust."
Ye Anping naturally understood immediately, and a little embarrassment showed on his face. He stood up and cupped his hands as well, nodding to express his apology.
Then, he took out a spiritual pearl from his storage bag and handed it over. "Although I don't believe in Buddhism, I have borrowed your land to form my Nascent Soul. This is the Golden Element Spiritual Pearl that I found in the Central Region a few years ago. Consider it my offering of the Three Treasures*. As a thank you for the protection of the Heavenly Buddha, please accept it."
This was the first time Grandmaster Zhiming had spoken to Ye Anping. Before, he thought that this boy was favored by Si Xuanji because his personality was similar to hers, but this move changed his mind.
"You are very thoughtful, then I will..."
Grandmaster Zhiming was about to take it, but suddenly saw Si Xuanji next to him, pouting and glaring at him, with a look of "If you dare to take his things, I'll fill you with lard".
He hesitated, then shook his head and said, "It's good that you have the intention. Please take back the Spirit Pearl, disciple Ye."
Ye Anping hurriedly pushed it over. "No, no, no, Master Zhiming, please accept it..."
Zhiming pushed it back. "No need, the Buddha's heart is pure, and he cannot accept material possessions."
After three rejected attempts, Ye Anping sighed and simply walked to the offering table, then placed the Spirit Pearl into the golden plate that originally contained melon seeds. "Then, I'll just leave it here. If you don't take it, it won't count as possession."
With that, he cupped his hands and bowed. "I will take my leave now."
"Then, I would like to thank disciple Ye..."
Si Xuanji looked at Ye Anping and sighed slightly. She floated up and rode on Ye Anping's shoulders like a sloth, clamping his neck with her calves.
"Baldy, you are so rustic, how about redecorating? I will lend you some craftsmen from the Black Star Sect, hmm?"
"...Red Moon Matriarch is kind, I appreciate it."
"Then, next time I bring him here to enter the Deification stage, remember to help me get a bed in advance. Such a big temple hall, I can't even find a place to lie down."
"..."
Ye Anping sighed helplessly and looked up at Si Xuanji on his shoulders. He cupped his hands and bowed again, then carried Si Xuanji out of the temple's gate and looked up at the sky.
It was noon at this time, and the blue sky above the Clear Heart Immortal Sea was stacked with clouds.
After reaching the Nascent Soul stage, his sight and hearing were much clearer than before. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let the salty sea breeze clear out the turbid energy from his body. Then, he looked up at Si Xuanji who was riding on his shoulders, his eyes showing a little helplessness.
Si Xuanji bent down and lowered her head, asking, "Why are you staring at me like this?"
"Am I not allowed to look at my beautiful cultivation partner?"
Si Xuanji smiled and pulled his face. "Smooth-tongued..."
"Heh..."
Ye Anping shrugged, then summoned a small flying boat from the storage bag and jumped on it while holding the two legs swaying in front of his chest, then drove it into the sky.
When the flying boat rose above the clouds, Ye Anping stabilized it, then took out a teapot and melon seeds. While holding Si Xuanji, he entered under the small boat canopy in the middle and sat cross-legged to boil water and make tea.
Si Xuanji supported her face and looked at Ye Anping as he brewed tea. After a while, she said, "No arrogance at all, just like a little scholar."
Ye Anping was silent for a while, then replied, "A little scholar couldn't make a Void Returning cultivator moan for three months..."
?
Si Xuanji was taken aback and blushed unconsciously. She flicked her hair in the air, causing Ye Anping's head to tilt. "Hmph~"
Ye Anping touched the back of his head helplessly and said, "Now, there are only three Void Returning cultivators left in the Immortal Family: you, Master Zhiming, and Sun Juehu. Even if the demonic cultivators are now missing two people, Six Eyes and Mei Yunlu, there are still four of them, including Seven Ghost Tomb and Yu Yan."
"There is also the fox in the Central Region."
"Hu Mu's position is always neutral. Even if he recognizes Yunluo's Black Dragon bloodline, he will only help Yunluo, not you."
Ye Anping carried the boiling teapot and sat at the table. After making tea for Si Xuanji, he picked up the melon seeds and brought the kernels to her mouth. "Xuanji, if you want to eliminate all those who threaten you and unify the five regions, you will need Grandmaster Zhiming's help. Grandmaster Zhiming cultivates Buddhism and has no desires. If you ask me, he's a good ally."
Si Xuanji supported her cheeks and sighed. "You can't know a person's heart, Anping, how can you assert that the baldy has no bad intentions? Maybe he says one thing in front of you and another behind your back."
Si Xuanji stared into Ye Anping's eyes, and her tone was a little serious. "Besides, in my opinion, that baldy's temper is too good to be true. It's more like he's faking it."
Ye Anping knew Si Xuanji's temper. Her heart was as small as her tiger.
?
Ye Anping was a little embarrassed and retorted. "Uh, I didn't say..."
Si Xuanji narrowed her eyes. "When I need to, I will tell them myself. I am not interested in competing for favor with those little girls. I will sleep now... Call me when we are near the Black Star Sect. "
Ye Anping nodded, took out a blanket, and covered her. He let her use his shoulder as a pillow and closed his eyes. While condensing his energy, he also drove the flying boat forward.
A month passed in a flash.
The flying boat flew nearly ten thousand miles from the southernmost part of the Southern Region, the Clear Heart Immortal Sea. After reaching the Bright Star Sect, Ye Anping went to meet Zu Yuan and told him the good news that he had formed his Nascent Soul. He even specially prepared a sumptuous meal for Zu Yuan to thank him.
When they were about to reach the Black Star Sect, Si Xuanji kissed him reluctantly, and then she turned into starlight before disappearing. She went back alone, telling him not to worry and to take it slowly.
After all, it was better to slowly reveal his relationship with Si Xuanji to the Elders of the Black Star Sect, like boiling a frog in warm water. There was really no need to shock everyone.
... ...
At three o'clock in the morning, Ye Anping flew to the Black Star Sect market alone, thinking of strolling around and asking if there were any major events in the Western Region recently.
According to the plot of the game, after the incident of the Bright Star Sect, the demonic cultivators, although frustrated, could not make any more waves for a while.
Because the Bright Star Sect lost its Patriarch, it also could not make any big moves too soon.
Just like the Imperial Sect in the Central Region, there will be a lot of side quests in the Southern Region after the main story.
However, he did not plan to do them. He had to recuperate for now and help his sister to form her Nascent Soul first.
His sister was born with a pure water spiritual root, so it was no surprise that she could already form a Nascent Soul. Besides, there were many top-grade natural treasures that Brother Liang had taken from the secret vault of the Imperial Sect. For now, they were hidden in a secret cave beside the Black Star Sect. Only he, Liang Zhu and Ye Waner knew the exact location.
Ye Anping restrained his aura and strolled around the streets of the market like a simple visitor.
Suddenly, a boy in the Black Star Sect's outer sect uniform ran along the way with the Immortal Daily in his hand and shouted,
---"Extra! Extra! The Hundred Lotus Sect's Young Master has reached the Nascent Soul stage! A month later, the Hundred Lotus Sect will hold a dual cultivation ceremony for him to marry his cultivation partner!"
?
He had no idea he was going to hold a dual cultivation ceremony...
Shocked, Ye Anping took out a spirit stone from his storage bag and used his spiritual power to carry it to the kid. In exchange, he took a newspaper and unfolded it.
The front page clearly stated his marriage to Pei Lianxue.
Passing by a restaurant, Ye Anping heard a few female cultivators talking about this through the window on the second floor.
---"Who is this Pei Lianxue? How come I've never heard of her..."
---"She's so lucky to be favored by the Young Master of the Hundred Lotus Sect. I wonder how beautiful she is..."
---"I heard that she seems to be the younger sister of the Young Master Ye, and she grew up with him."
---"Ah~ Childhood sweethearts... I'm so envious. She won't have to worry about spirit stones in the future..."
... ...
Listening to the jealous chats of those girls, Ye Anping felt mixed emotions, but soon thought of one thing.
---Does Feng Yu Die know?
Since Feng Yu Die had a record of stealing the bride in the game...
Ye Anping couldn't decide whether he should cook ten roasted chickens for her on the wedding day or find a cave and tie her up there...
"Mother probably decided on her own. It's not a big problem, but why make such a big fuss... Sigh..."
Ye Anping was thinking about this and was ready to hurry back to the three-house compound when suddenly, a woman's soft call came from behind. "Anping? "
Ye Anping was stunned hearing this voice and turned to look.
He saw a woman dressed in the inner sect uniform of the Black Star Sect. She was holding a few bags in her hand and was standing there, staring blankly at him.
The woman had black hair scattered on her shoulders, and she was already in the early stage of the Core Formation. She carried a sword with a black scabbard on her back, and there was a bandage wrapped around her exposed wrist as if her hand was injured.
"Sister Bai..."
"Ah~~ Anping..."
Seeing that Ye Anping still recognized her, tears welled up in Bai Yuexin's eyes, and she instantly forgot the etiquette. Without saying a word, she opened her arms and rushed forward, but when she was about to hug Ye Anping, she realized something and stopped. "Ah...Senior Ye?"
"You don't need to be polite to me. Sister, if you want to hug me, just hug me..."
Hearing this, Bai Yuexin didn't care about anything else. She reached out and pulled Ye Anping into her arms, hugged his shoulders tightly, and lifted him up, spinning him several times. "Ah~~ Anping! I missed you so much!!"