Chapter 35 [VIP]

Jiang Zhuochen sighed deeply and went back to pack his bags, feeling utterly miserable.

For some reason, Xu Xing was determined to have him come along this time. Although his master was protecting him, and nothing should go wrong, the other party's attitude was truly puzzling.

Jiang Zhuochen slowed down halfway through packing. He looked at the clothes in his hands, a blankness creeping into his eyes, unable to recall why he was doing this.

He remained silent for a long while, then could only blindly continue packing. His memories returned unconsciously as the bundle was nearly finished being organized; the unusual feeling was automatically suppressed and he no longer thought of it.

Because this trial was not to be underestimated, the gates of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion opened and closed repeatedly, with disciples coming and going frequently to receive the trial orders. Jiang Zhuochen touched his Qiankun bag and resolutely walked towards the Physician's Hall. What magic treasure could compare to a life-saving elixir?

On the morning of the third day, before dawn, with low-hanging clouds, all the disciples gathered at the mountain gate square. Xu Xing stood directly in front, accompanied by Ni Gui and Immortal Venerable Ju Mo.

Ju Mo's face was cold and stern. When his gaze swept over the crowd, it seemed that he lingered on Jiang Zhuochen for a moment longer, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Jiang Zhuochen felt that the other party was about to take offense again, so he quickly lowered his head to avoid it.

"The time has come, let's set off." Xu Xing said succinctly, and with a flick of his sleeve, a stream of light flew out from his sleeve, suddenly enlarged in the air, and transformed into a Nine Heavens Mystic Jade Spirit Boat.

The disciples leaped up one by one, with Jiang Zhuochen lagging behind. He was lightly patted by Shen Hezhou, who caught up with him.

"What are you daydreaming about? You can't even walk properly anymore."

Jiang Zhuochen staggered in fright, turned his head and replied, "No, I'm just a little flustered. This is the first time I've ever heard of this rare small world."

"What are you afraid of?" Shen Hezhou rubbed his head. "Your senior brothers won't abandon you."

"Won't there always be times when you can't manage everything?" Jiang Zhuochen didn't speak, but smiled at Shen Hezhou and followed him into the spirit boat.

The spirit boat ascended smoothly, piercing through the clouds and mist at incredible speed. Jiang Zhuochen leaned against the corner of the ship's railing, watching the mountains and rivers rushing past below. He could hear the chattering of his fellow disciples, some of whom were eagerly preparing for a competition.

On the deck of the ship, several disciples of Chixiao Peak, dressed in green school uniforms with flame cloud patterns embroidered on their sleeves, began to chat and laugh in hushed tones, their voices gradually rising. Chixiao Peak's martial arts were fierce and powerful, and its disciples, having learned from a similar lineage, were mostly combative and active individuals.

One of the disciples, a tall and burly man with a somewhat arrogant expression, was named Liu Meng. He glanced around the cabin with disdain, his eyes finally settling on Jiang Zhuochen, who stood serenely in the corner.

Liu Meng curled up a malicious smile, nudged his companion with his elbow, and whispered, "See that? That's the sect leader's personal disciple from a few years ago, he's a real treasure."

His companion looked in the direction he was pointing and chuckled. "The sect leader's personal disciple? But he looks so weak. Could it be that he had some incredible luck to be accepted into the sect by the sect leader?"

After all, there aren't many direct disciples, and if a Celestial Venerable takes one in, the other peaks will more or less hear about it. Jiang Zhuochen, however, is a "frequent visitor" to Chixiao Peak. Every few days, their master would smash a table, saying how unambitious and useless this person was, and telling them to avoid dealing with the sect leader as much as possible.

Over time, thanks to Ju Mo's slanderous remarks, Jiang Zhuochen became practically a criminal on Chixiao Peak, and most disciples harbored some resentment towards him even before they had met him.

"Who knows?" Liu Meng chuckled. "Since we're just idling around anyway, why not ask the sect leader's top disciple for advice? Maybe we can get some pointers?"

The disciples of Chixiao Peak who participated in the Demon Phoenix Pearl trial some time ago had the opportunity to witness their sect leader's protective behavior. The two looked at each other, hesitant to speak.

The third senior brother advised, "Eighth junior brother, internal strife is forbidden in the sect. Why not save your energy for the smaller world?"

Liu Meng scoffed, "Senior brother, don't talk nonsense. I didn't fight among myself. I just went to ask for some pointers. The sect leader's disciple can't be so delicate that he's afraid of pain even in a friendly spar with his fellow disciples, can he?"

He exchanged knowing glances with the others, ignored his two senior brothers, and stood up with a chuckle as he walked towards a corner.

Their commotion drew the attention of the other disciples, and the noise subsided somewhat.

Jiang Zhuochen was lost in thought when he suddenly felt the light dim. Looking up, he found three disciples from Chixiao Peak surrounding him. Liu Meng, the leader, crossed his arms and looked down at him with undisguised contempt.

“Junior brother, isn’t it boring to be all alone in a corner?” Liu Meng said. “We are all from the same sect, and we are about to face danger together again. Why don’t we take this opportunity to spar and exchange ideas to improve our understanding?”

Jiang Zhuochen's heart tightened, and he sighed inwardly. Did everyone in Chixiao Peak dislike him? The sparring was still in doubt, and the expressions of the three people in front of him clearly indicated that they were not to be trifled with.

I should have stayed in the room with my senior brothers instead of feeling bored.

Not wanting to cause trouble, he lowered his eyelids and said in a low voice, "Senior brother is joking. Is the spirit boat a place for sparring? It's better to just keep on our way. There will be plenty of opportunities to cooperate in the small world."

“Hey, Junior Brother, you’re wrong about that,” another of Liu Meng’s companions chimed in. “It’s precisely because we’re bored on the road that we need to find something to do and stretch our muscles. Otherwise, what will we do if we can’t perform well? Junior Brother, are you looking down on Chixiao Peak and unwilling to teach us?”

That was a rather harsh statement, carrying a clear provocative tone.

Jiang Zhuochen sighed, his gaze sincere, and said with genuine emotion, "No, it's just that my cultivation is too low, and I dare not fight with you senior brothers."

"Low cultivation level?" Liu Meng deliberately raised his voice, as if he had heard a joke. "Junior brother is the sect leader's personal disciple! The sect leader is incredibly powerful; how could the disciple he taught have low cultivation level? Junior brother, are you perhaps being too modest, or... do you think we are not worthy to fight you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, several disciples from Chixiao Peak around him burst into laughter.

Jiang Zhuochen pressed his tongue against his upper teeth and made a barely audible "tsk" sound. Sure enough, the idea that taking a step back leads to a brighter future was all a lie; some people just loved to take advantage of others. He didn't want to cause trouble for his master, but there were just some people who didn't know what was good for them.

Seeing Jiang Zhuochen remain silent, Liu Meng assumed he was cowardly, and his arrogance intensified. He stepped forward, leaning down almost to Jiang Zhuochen's face, and though he lowered his voice, his words were still clearly audible.

"Junior brother, it's just a simple competition. It's just a test of control over the spiritual energy within your body. It won't hurt you. If you can't even handle this, then... does the Sect Leader Immortal Venerable not even know how to teach a disciple properly?"

Snap!

Jiang Zhuochen slapped Liu Meng across the face. He blew on his palm, which was red from the force of the slap, and smiled innocently. "Sorry, senior brother, my hand tends to shake when I'm scared. Did I hurt you?"

The unexpected slap stunned Liu Meng, and after hearing the sparse laughter, he quickly realized what was happening and his face turned red with anger.

"You started it, don't blame me!" He was furious, extending his palm upwards, a crimson light surging from his hand.

Jiang Zhuochen frowned, instinctively trying to circulate his spiritual power to block.

Just as tensions were about to rise, a cold voice rang out, calm yet containing an unquestionable authority, clearly reaching the ears of every disciple on the spirit boat.

What are you all doing?

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a clear spring that instantly extinguished all the restless flames.

Everyone was startled and turned to look. They saw that Xu Xing had appeared from inside the boat at some point, standing with his hands behind his back, his face calm and expressionless. His gaze lightly swept over Liu Meng's hand, which was about to touch Jiang Zhuochen, and the Chixiao Peak disciples surrounding him.

Ju Mo, standing to the side, was furious. He wanted to grab this rebellious disciple and beat him up. Was this how he usually taught him?!

In an instant, the entire spirit boat fell silent. The three men, who had been so arrogant just moments before, turned pale instantly, hurriedly withdrew their hands, and bowed their heads in greeting. "Greetings, Sect Leader, Master."

Xu Xing's gaze lingered on Jiang Zhuochen. Seeing that he was unharmed, he slowly turned to Liu Meng and the others, his tone still calm: "Do you know the consequences of recklessly using spiritual power and engaging in private fights while the spirit boat is on its journey?"

Cold sweat poured down Liu Meng's forehead, yet he also harbored a hint of resentment. "This disciple merely wished to exchange insights with my junior brother, and had absolutely no intention of fighting. Yet, my junior brother attacked first; my actions were merely retaliation..."

Jiang Zhuochen interjected, "Why don't you say that you were the one who spoke rudely first?"

"I didn't!" Liu Meng shouted, not daring to turn around and face Xu Xing. He suddenly realized that if someone with the sect leader's cultivation level could appear in front of everyone so easily and silently, then their every move was also under his control.

He was clenching his teeth so hard they were bleeding, frantically trying to recall what outrageous things he had just said.

"Exchange experiences?" Xu Xing repeated the question indifferently, his tone unreadable. "Once we reach the Cloud and Water Realm, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to exchange ideas. For now, each of you should remain in your positions, concentrate, and prepare for any eventuality. Anyone who makes a disturbance or causes trouble will be dealt with according to the sect rules."

"Yes, we will obey the sect leader's orders!" Liu Meng and the others were overjoyed, both surprised and frightened. They hurriedly responded and slunk back to the cabin. When they passed Ju Mo, their master glared at them with eyes that seemed to spit fire, and the three of them almost lost their footing.

The other disciples also composed themselves, sat upright, and dared not make any unnecessary movements.

Xu Xing looked at Jiang Zhuochen, whose triumphant expression was so lively and cheerful, he was practically shouting it out. Reassured, he said softly, "Come here."

Jiang Zhuochen followed Xu Xing into the room, poured a cup of tea and handed it to him, her eyelashes fluttering. "Thank you, Master, for supporting your disciple."

Xu Xing, exasperated by his antics, took the teacup. "Did he hurt you?"

Jiang Zhuochen patted his chest, "Master arrived just in time, who could possibly hurt me?"

Xu Xing pulled his hand over to examine it. The pulse in his wrist traveled through their skin, resonating in unison. The slight coolness of his fingertips melted away with the heat. Gentle spiritual energy enveloped Jiang Zhuochen, who squinted his eyes in satisfaction, his fingers twitching unconsciously.

Xu Xing moved his hand away, his fingertips gently rubbing against the jade pendant in the lingering warmth. "Did you take the jade pendant I gave you?"

“Yes.” Jiang Zhuochen took out the jade pendant he had kept in good condition from his inner pocket. “I’ve always carried it with me.”

"Remember to keep this safe on this trip."

This jade pendant contained a wisp of Xu Xing's divine sense. If he couldn't arrive in time, it could at least save Jiang Zhuochen's life in a critical moment.

"Of course I will take good care of what Master gave me." After saying that, Jiang Zhuochen stuffed the jade pendant back in and patted it twice to make sure it was safe.

Xu Xing was pleased by his action and tilted his head slightly to indicate, "Let's rest for a while."

A note from the author: