Chapter 121 Past Notes: Now that we've decided to go out, we need to make more thorough preparations. ...

Now that we've decided to go abroad, we need to make more comprehensive preparations.

Xi Congshuang once had a demonic mark appear between her eyebrows, and her subsequent approach to dealing with it changed. She could no longer restrict her spiritual power, as suppressing the demonic bloodline required spiritual power, and the spiritual power in the Immortal Pavilion was insufficient.

So she removed the formation, balancing the conflict between the two bloodlines in her body. To others, Xi Congshuang appeared no different than usual.

But Su Wenxin, who often lived with her, noticed something was wrong. She discovered that Xi Congshuang had become lazy and less active.

Although she doesn't like to move around much because of her eye problem, she still occasionally walks around in the back woods and fishes blindfolded.

She didn't eat the fish she caught, but let Su Wenxin eat it; she was just looking for something to do for amusement.

Hearing her hesitant question, Xi Congshuang suddenly realized: "You want to eat the fish I caught?"

She got up and started looking for her fishing rod, intending to go fishing by the pond again.

"No, no," Su Wenxin quickly pulled him back and explained, "I wasn't craving the fish you caught, I just felt... were you feeling unwell anywhere?"

Xi Congshuang understood what she meant and smiled gently: "No, don't worry."

"Really not?" After a while, Su Wenxin strolled over and asked again.

Xi Congshuang's smile deepened, but she still said, "No."

"..."

More than once, Su Wenxin regretted that her cultivation level was too shallow and her progress too slow. She could not tell from Xi Congshuang's expression whether she was unwell, nor could she input her spiritual power into Xi Congshuang's body to investigate her true condition.

For someone who is used to suppressing their spiritual power, the spiritual power surging within their body is far more turbulent and profound than Su Wenxin can imagine at this stage. The spiritual power of the early Golden Core stage is like a stream flowing into the sea to her, which will be swallowed up by the raging waves in an instant.

It will definitely backfire.

Not wanting to cultivate as slowly as Yu Se, Su Wenxin asked Xi Congshuang if there was a way to cultivate faster.

She had mastered the sword technique to the fourth level. If she wanted to advance further, she needed to catch up in terms of cultivation. Otherwise, she would have the techniques but not be able to unleash their full power.

Xi Congshuang replied, "Yes, there is. If you want to cultivate faster, there is nothing faster than actual combat. A skilled swordsmanship will allow you to respond to battles more quickly."

"What do you mean?" Su Wenxin asked, puzzled.

Xi Congshuang: "Illusion Array Battle"

So the two of them came to a larger open space deep in the back forest. Xi Congshuang took out a lot of odds and ends from her sleeves and set up the formation as she walked.

Those who set up formations don't necessarily need to see to do it; they rely more on their senses.

Sensing a suitable location, using a spiritual artifact as a catalyst, and taking advantage of the opportune time and place, with the spiritual artifacts connected to each other, one can set up an array capable of blocking thousands of troops. At a certain level, array masters can surround tens of thousands of cultivators with one person and kill them invisibly.

Su Wenxin, who was destined to go it alone, used to think that array cultivators were all cultivators who were used to hiding behind others and controlling things. Now she still thinks so, and she sincerely believes that array cultivators should indeed be protected.

And another thing... Having seen Xi Congshuang form formations with a wave of her hand so often, this is truly the first time I've seen her need so much time to form a formation.

Su Wenxin was a little nervous.

How many obstacles has she created for herself? They can't be that difficult, right? Wouldn't it be embarrassing if she couldn't get through?

Don't ask her why a Golden Core cultivator would be afraid of losing face in front of a Nascent Soul cultivator at the Great Perfection stage; she's just afraid.

She hadn't realized that Xi Congshuang had already become special in her heart, and she couldn't bear to see her disappointed in her.

"..."

The person who had been setting up the array with magical artifacts straightened up and said to the person not far away, "All done."

The people who were still hesitating under the tree moved at the sound, carrying knives, and strode over.

As soon as she stepped into the array's range, icy blue spiritual energy shone, enveloping Su Wenxin. Before she could react, a chilling killing intent struck, and she instinctively drew her sword to counterattack.

With a clang, the blade blocked the opponent's knife, and Su Wenxin took a step back to use the momentum to block the attack.

Looking up, his pupils constricted. The other person was also a faceless woman wielding a knife, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, looking just like a swordsman from the martial arts world.

The opponent's blade pressed down on Su Wenxin's blade, a silent struggle of strength.

Su Wenxin was secretly shocked by Xi Congshuang's skill. Every detail was perfectly rendered: the wear marks on the knife handle, the mud spots on the black leather boots, the chest rising and falling with her breath—it was as if she were a real person.

Only the face is blank.

However, Su Wenxin remained vigilant. She didn't believe that the faceless swordsman would show her any mercy, so she would retaliate in kind.

"This is the first of the eighteen levels. Once you defeat this level, you can proceed to the next one," Xi Congshuang's voice drifted from afar.

Looking up again, Xi Congshuang, who had just been standing in the center of the formation, leaped away.

"I'll wait for you outside."

In another month, the disciples of Feixian Palace will set off for Qingfeng Sect. She needs to complete eighteen trials within a month to gain the ability to be independent.

The scenes of "Flying Fairy from Heaven" are beautiful, but you can't watch them too much, or you'll die.

The one who's deadly isn't Xi Congshuang, it's the faceless swordsman.

Su Wenxin focused her attention, keeping all her eyes on her opponent. Observation is the most important thing in a battle between cultivators.

Negligence will only lead to your needless death.

The people inside were fighting fiercely, while those outside stood under the tree waiting.

An hour later, Xi Congshuang made her decision: "One win."

Then, Su Wenxin moved on to the next level.

This time, she was going to face a gigantic monster.

Unlike the nimble swordsman, it is bulky and large, but its fur has amazing defensive capabilities.

While a single killing move can be universally effective, different creatures have different weaknesses, and the corresponding methods vary accordingly. It is necessary to consider the combination of physical strength and tactics.

The master of the formation watched the battle with peace of mind.

At the end of the day's cultivation, Su Wenxin rolled out of Xi Congshuang's illusion array and was caught by the hands that had been waiting for her.

When there is physical contact with someone, Su Wenxin subconsciously tenses up all her muscles, her fighting spirit still burning as she tries to retaliate.

Fortunately, she saw that the person who caught her was Xi Congshuang, and her body went limp. She was taken aside to heal her wounds and review the situation.

For Su Wenxin, who had just embarked on the path of immortality and was only one step away from the Nascent Soul stage, Xi Congshuang's few words were invaluable experience, and she greedily absorbed them all.

The eighteen levels were completed faster than expected, taking twenty days to finish, with the last level taking the longest.

Strangely enough, the guardian of the penultimate level was more powerful than Su Wenxin, and she managed to defeat him after a day and a half.

She spent three days on the final stage.

The final challenge awaited her with the Law of Mirrors, where the guardians generated were mirror images of Su Wenxin.

The other party finally had a face, but his eyes were lifeless, and although he was also holding a knife, he looked even more indifferent and ruthless.

Not only do they look exactly alike, but the other party also knows everything about her, including her dodging movements, her skillful moves, and all her actions when she explodes.

As expected of a mirror image, he was still defeated by Su Wenxin and caught by Xi Congshuang at the edge of the formation once again, and brought back.

After passing the eighteen trials, Su Wenxin, unusually, did not get up early to cultivate, but instead lay in bed to recuperate.

Even though she was lying down, her mind was still working. She kept reviewing her experiences from the past few days, recording her thoughts on a jade slip, and then showing it to Xi Congshuang.

Now, facing Yu Se, who had started learning the art at least ten years earlier than her, she was confident of victory and was growing at an astonishing rate.

During her trials, Yu Se also successfully formed her core, becoming the youngest core-forming disciple of her generation—Su Wenxin was not a disciple of the Immortal Palace, so she didn't count.

*

"Young Palace Master, are you really planning to go to the Qingfeng Sect?"

In front of the Immortal Pavilion, Lan Hui asked Xi Congshuang with a worried expression, "But your health is not yet good. Why don't you rest a little longer and wait until your condition is more stable before going out?"

Xi Congshuang shook her head calmly: "Lan Hui, the lifespan of a Nascent Soul cultivator at the Great Perfection stage is six hundred years. I have already wasted three hundred years in the Immortal Pavilion. Even if I spend another three hundred years resting and waiting, my result will still be a natural death."

Lan Hui still hesitated: "But..."

More than those things, Lan Hui was worried about the unpleasant rumors and gossip, fearing they would upset Xi Congshuang.

After all, they were fellow disciples she had watched grow up. Although the other party's cultivation was higher than hers, Lan Hui was the senior sister and was used to taking care of her junior sisters, so Xi Congshuang was naturally within her sphere of influence.

After thinking for a while, Lan Hui said, "Alright, I'll prepare it on the fairy boat."

"Where are my things?" Xi Congshuang was satisfied and reached out to Lan Hui.

Lan Hui, remembering the real reason she had been summoned, sighed helplessly and took out a wrapped oil paper package from her sleeve: "Pastries from the foot of the mountain, here you go. How did you know a new pastry shop opened down the mountain, and the disciples always sneak off to buy them?"

"You can't blame me for this. It's all because Junior Sister Yu Se kept bringing it up in front of Wenxin at my house, which made her come over to ask me. I've never eaten it, so how would I know what it tastes like?" Xi Congshuang raised her hand, her fingertips touching the paper package in Lan Hui's hand. She found the knot in the middle of the rope and took the paper package away.

"..." Lan Hui was speechless and felt extremely ashamed.

There was a question Lan Hui had always wanted to ask, and she asked Xi Congshuang as well: "Then why not take her as your apprentice?"

Since she has been teaching so meticulously, it must be because her talent impressed her that she would take her as her disciple, which is something most cultivators would do.

Lan Hui can also do it, but she doesn't plan to take on any disciples for the time being. The Palace Master doesn't like to discipline his disciples, so the burden of teaching the junior sisters falls on her shoulders.

Although this was what she should do as the head disciple, enjoying the sect's resources and contributing to the sect, she no longer had the extra energy to take on disciples.

Xi Congshuang remained silent for a moment before giving an answer that surprised Lan Hui: "She doesn't like music or formations. If I take her as my disciple, she must learn one of these two things. I don't want her to be unfree."

"..." Lan Hui sensed the shared plight in the young master's words, opened her mouth, but ultimately did not ask any further questions.

Being willing to accept disciples is already a great blessing for a novice cultivator. Who would care about whether the disciples are free or not? If they want freedom, they can become independent cultivators. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

Looking at the young palace master again, I was surprised to find that she was so different from before. These differences were not only reflected in her clothing, but also in her spirit and energy.

The former young palace master always wore white clothes and hid himself deep in the immortal pavilion, like a handful of white snow, cold and soft, ready to melt at any moment.

The young master of the palace is still as white as snow on a mountain peak, but his confidence and composure make him seem awe-inspiring and unapproachable.

She even felt that her advice to Xi Congshuang not to go out was a mistake, as it would completely destroy Xi Congshuang.

The person who was reviewing the data was interrupted by a knock on the door. Su Wenxin stopped typing, rolled around on the bed, and ran barefoot to open the door.

Sure enough, Xi Congshuang was standing outside the door. She raised her hand, revealing a paper package in her hand, and the sweet aroma of pastries wafted over.

"Eat up, they're fresh out of the oven." Xi Congshuang walked straight into her room, and the pastries in her hands were taken away. She turned her head and asked, "Is the data entered? Let me see it."

"Wait a minute." Su Wenxin turned to look for it on the bed. When she turned back, Xi Congshuang was already sitting at the table, pouring herself a cup of tea.

Since the formation was removed, Xi Congshuang seemed to have found a way to maintain balance. She could now move freely throughout the Immortal Pavilion, so Su Wenxin was no longer worried.

Little did people know that Xi Congshuang had so many ways to balance things that she could write a book called "The Art of Enduring Pain," with the inscription on the title page being: "Just endure it and you'll get used to it."

It has a similar effect to the idea that a calm mind naturally brings coolness.

Su Wenxin brought the jade slip and placed it in Xi Congshuang's outstretched palm. Then she sat down and untied the knot. The aroma of the cake, wrapped in oil paper, was even stronger. The cake was small and snow-white, with the shop's name printed on the front—Lixiangfang.

Yu Se said it was made from spirit fruit, melts in your mouth, and has a wonderfully fragrant aroma.

She didn't rush to eat. Instead, she picked up the first piece of pastry, turned Xi Congshuang's hand over the table, and placed it in her palm.

Then they started eating.

She knew that Xi Congshuang had long since stopped eating and didn't like to eat much, but she still preferred to share the flavors with her.

After Xi Congshuang finished reading the contents of the jade slip, she started eating. Only after Su Wenxin finished eating did she begin to offer the advice she wanted to give.

“…I feel that practicing only one cultivation technique is a bit monotonous. Come with me.” Xi Congshuang got up and left first.

Su Wenxin brushed the debris off her skirt, cast a cleansing spell on herself, and then followed after them.

The destination was the familiar library. It had been a while since I'd been there, and it was as clean and tidy as ever. Su Wenxin, busy practicing her martial arts, had no interest in visiting this place. Xi Congshuang was the one who came most frequently.

She read everything that was within her reach.

Xi Congshuang said, "Having only one sword technique for you to practice is a bit too little. You now have the ability to choose the techniques you prefer. Today, you can choose whatever is in the study."

These words were like putting a mouse in a rice jar. Su Wenxin's eyes lit up, and she excitedly confirmed, "Really?"

"Really, go ahead." Xi Congshuang wasn't worried that she would make a mistake. Even if she did, she would oversee it herself, so it wouldn't be too far off.

Just as Xi Congshuang thought, Su Wenxin was not a greedy person. She did not blindly choose high-grade cultivation techniques, but only those that suited her.

The vast array of cultivation techniques hidden here, and this is merely the young master's library, which demonstrates the strength of the Flying Immortal Palace.

It is clearer than ever what the number one palace in the world is.

Suddenly, Su Wenxin's fingertip touched the crevice, and a book with curled edges fell out and opened up.

Su Wenxin looked down and nodded in confusion. Someone had left neat handwriting on the scroll, writing notes about the cultivation process.

Who could leave their mark in the Immortal Pavilion's library? Xi Congshuang was born blind, but once she entered the Qi Refining stage, she could use spiritual artifacts to identify objects, making her no different from ordinary people.

A person who can form a golden core at the age of twelve can only be in the Qi Refining stage at an earlier age. Therefore, she had a long period of time to read and write before she turned eighteen, and she even made her handwriting so beautiful.

"..."

Su Wenxin glanced at the figure facing away from her, pursed her lips, and her strong curiosity drove her to continue watching. She wanted to know about Xi Congshuang when she was a teenager.

The reason is unknown, but let's do it first and see what happens.

Using the bookshelf as cover, Su Wenxin squatted down to read about Xi Congshuang's previous thoughts on cultivation, but to be honest, they weren't very useful.

She was a genius, a born genius. Cultivation was a piece of cake for her, with no difficulties whatsoever. Her only trouble was that she needed to suppress her cultivation level.

The story repeatedly complains about the Palace Master's constant seclusion and the fact that Senior Sister Lan Hui forbids her from forming her Nascent Soul prematurely.

Achieving infancy at the age of fifteen is a rare feat, a prestigious title, but the price is maintaining the appearance of a fifteen-year-old girl until the Mahayana stage, a fact that Xi Congshuang also finds daunting.

He reluctantly accepted Lan Hui's suggestion to reach infancy at least by the age of eighteen.

She intended to suppress her cultivation and slow down the formation of her Nascent Soul, but her terrifying cultivation speed wouldn't wait for her at all. She formed her Nascent Soul at sixteen, reached the Great Perfection at seventeen, and was about to enter the Deity Transformation stage at eighteen.

The content of the scroll gradually turned into complaints that when she was training outside, the cultivators did not believe that she was a Nascent Soul cultivator and even called her a little yellow-haired girl, which made the young palace master very angry and gave them a good beating.

The last line on this page reads, "He's about to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, why isn't Mother planning to come out of seclusion yet?"

Upon seeing this, Su Wenxin suddenly couldn't bear to continue reading.

She knew what this proud and unrestrained genius had gone through at the age of eighteen.

For more than two hundred years, Xi Congshuang's stagnant appearance gradually changed, and she no longer looked like a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, but had her current appearance.

Looking up at the figure standing to her side again, Su Wenxin's heart pounded like a drum. She considered simply closing the book and not looking, so she wouldn't have to face the blank space behind her, but her hand acted before her mind could.

She turned the page.

Behind her was not an abrupt blank space, but a pitch-black mass of ink, one mass after another, rushing menacingly toward Su Wenxin.

"..."

The blind man could no longer write the beautiful characters he once had; every time he lifted his pen, it was just a blob of ink. By the time he turned to the back of the scroll, the owner of the scroll had given up the struggle.

She gradually began to give up entirely, using her magic to vent her anger and malice, writing incoherent and illegible words that no one could decipher.

Su Wenxin saw the torn pages, and then saw clumps of ink. She was about to turn to the next page when her gaze was suddenly drawn to something.

She felt that this page of ink blots was different from the previous ones; it was more regular, with crooked strokes, yet one could vaguely see the spirit of the past.

As she touched the page with her fingertips, Su Wenxin tried to recreate the strokes. Gradually, her eyes widened, her mind reeling, unable to believe what she was seeing.

“Xi Congshuang…”

Xi Congshuang turned around in response: "You found the cultivation technique you wanted? Let me see what it is."

Su Wenxin was curious as to why she would write that sentence, so she said, "Not yet, but I found something you left behind."

Xi Congshuang's smile faded: "What did you see?"

"You wrote 'Mother is not mother'... What does that mean?" Su Wenxin traced messy strokes with her fingertips again, arriving at the same conclusion.

"That's right, these words are not mother."

"..."

Xi Congshuang reached out and took the book from her hand, tucking it into her sleeve: "It was a little discovery I made when I was young. I hope you will keep it a secret from me and never tell anyone."

As if bewitched, Su Wenxin responded softly with an "okay".

*

Strangely enough, Lan Hui never knew she would be able to visit the Immortal Pavilion as diligently as before.

She originally thought that the young master had asked her to bring something new and interesting to someone in his family.

Seeing Xi Congshuang appear, she said helplessly, "Why can't you just send me a paper crane if you need something? I could bring it up with me... Tell me, what do you want me to buy for you this time?"

"I don't want to buy anything, I just want to move downstairs," Xi Congshuang said, surprising everyone.

Lan Hui was caught off guard: "What?"

Xi Congshuang said, "In order to get used to going out in advance, I will live in the Fairy Palace for a while, and I will also bring Wenxin along so that they can get to know each other better."

Su Wenxin can participate in the disciple competition as a rogue cultivator. Whether she participates or not will be decided after she arrives at the Qingfeng Sect. There is no time limit for ranking, and opponents will be randomly paired up on-site.

Even if you don't participate in the competition, you can still play with the disciples of the Celestial Palace.

This is what she said to Lan Hui.

He also successfully persuaded Lan Hui.

Having figured things out, Lan Hui naturally stopped interfering and ordered the council to clean the cave dwelling and welcome the young palace master to move in.

As luck would have it, the cave dwelling was not far from the palace master's residence. After all, it was quite normal for the young palace master to live near the palace master, and no one raised any objections.

The palace mistress has been away from home recently. She heard that a magical herb capable of healing flesh and bone is about to be born, and she plans to go and see it.

Therefore, Lan Hui was in charge of all matters, big and small, within the palace. If the palace disciples were not so afraid of Xi Congshuang, Xi Congshuang should be the first in command.

Fortunately, Xi Congshuang did not hold any grudge against Lan Hui because of this incident.

Soon, Xi Congshuang moved downstairs with Su Wenxin. While everyone thought that the young palace master would be getting used to the new environment in the new cave on her first day of moving, she changed her clothes and went out.

No one knew she would leave that night, including Su Wenxin, who was meditating next door.

Under the cover of night, she appeared outside the residence of the Palace Master of the Immortal Palace.

Xi Congshuang used an illusion technique to change the color of the white silk over her eyes, dyed her white hair black with spiritual power, opened her dark green eyes, and stood in the shadows in front of the gate.

A suspicious-looking red apple followed him.

She planned to take the system into the palace master's residence. A person's residence can reveal a lot. It is a place where people can feel at ease from the bottom of their hearts and can also take off their disguise.

Due to her visual impairment, she could not see the surface even with the aid of a magical artifact. She needed someone to describe the scene before her, and the system was undoubtedly the best choice. Without hesitation, she was captured by Xi Congshuang to be an accomplice.

"..."

This is the worst thing Red Apple has ever done since it left the factory; it can't even swear, and it's extremely nervous about it.

"Do we really have to go in?" Red Apple asked hesitantly.

Adjusting the waist token at her waist, which would allow her to enter the palace master's residence without being stopped, and putting on the magical artifact that could conceal her whereabouts, Xi Congshuang said decisively, "It's necessary."