Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Long Aotian's Father 18
Yan Bufan listened to Zhuozhuo's brutal speech, was silent for a moment, and said, "Daddy will do it, Zhuozhuo, don't do it."
He thought that it was not that he was indulging the children, but that Bai Zhu'er and Mr. Zhao San wanted their lives, so they could naturally fight back or strike first.
Even so, Yan Bufanhai still thought Zhuo Zhuo's method was too gentle. After all, the world of immortal cultivation was so magical. Maybe digging out the eyes, sewing up the mouth, and resting for a few days would heal. Only death was the most reassuring. Of course, after a few days, Yan Bufan knew that the most safest thing was to let the soul be scattered.
But Zhuozhuo is too young, and these methods are difficult to implement. As a parent, Yan Bufan must provide help.
At that moment, across the surging crowd, the four men's gazes met. A murderous undercurrent surged between the three adults, yet none of them showed it. Zhuozhuo's eyes instantly lit up, and he excitedly hugged Yan Bufan's head, saying nervously and excitedly, "Daddy! They're looking at us!"
"Yeah, Daddy saw it..."
Yan Bufan tried to calm Zhuo Zhuo's emotions immediately, but before he could finish his words, the scenery in front of him changed. The noisy voices and crazy crowds all disappeared, replaced by the chirping of insects and birds and a winding stone staircase extending upwards.
At the same time, Yan Bufan's arm felt lighter, and the burning energy in his arms disappeared. The spiritual energy around him suddenly surged, then was immediately suppressed.
Yan Bufan, don't panic. This is just like the illusionary test we went through at the Immortal Gate. Everyone is in a separate space. No one will disappear, they just can't see each other. The disciple-taking test is definitely not as dangerous as the cross-border test. Zhuozhuo has a clear mind and is extremely talented, so nothing will happen.
Zhuozhuo will be fine.
What he had to do now was to pass the Immortal Path as soon as possible and meet up with Zhuozhuo.
Thinking of this, Yan Bufan climbed up the stone steps without hesitation. When he lifted his foot, he felt a slight resistance, as if there was something invisible in the air blocking him.
Yan Bufan remained calm as he stepped steadily onto the stone steps. He could clearly sense a faint pressure in the air. It was as if a high and mighty god, looking down at a mortal who was vainly trying to steal his power and break through his flesh, could inadvertently leak a breath that could bring disaster to ordinary people.
Yan Bufan continued to climb, the pressure growing heavier with each stone step. Fortunately, the intensity increased evenly with each step, so climbing at his own pace wasn't difficult. As he continued like this, Yan Bufan reached the fifth step, and the pressure suddenly intensified a hundredfold.
At the Zhengyin Hall on Shouyuan Peak, Elder Qingyin, who was always keeping an eye on the Guanshijing, looked at Qi Tianwen with a stern expression, "Master Qi, are you planning to openly undermine the fairness of the Immortal Path and harm the disciples of the Immortal Sect?"
Qi Tianwen wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes dark. He had been severely injured by Guan Congyun earlier, and the use of his spiritual power only exacerbated the injury. But he was not afraid at all, not hiding his intention to cause trouble. He said sinisterly, "This Yan Bufan is extremely talented. How can we reveal his character without increasing the difficulty?"
"You!" Elder Qingyin loved Qi Tian and his family, and he became even more angry after hearing what he said. He was about to teach Qi Tian a lesson.
"Qingyin." Guan Congyun spoke to stop her.
Elder Qingyin clasped his hands together and remained motionless, with a cold face and no words.
Guan Congyun looked at Qi Tianwen and said with a smile, "Since Sect Leader Qi has such high expectations for his disciples, I think very few will be able to meet his standards. Why not allocate half of the Beastmaster Sect's quota this year to other sects?"
His tone left no room for doubt. Qi Tianwen glared at him, wanting to argue, but found himself speechless. The other sect elders, however, naturally saw no reason to refuse such a gift, and they all thanked Guan Congyun and praised Qi Tianwen's generosity.
Qi Tianwen was so angry that his vision went dark and he almost fainted.
The pressure was as if it was real and was pressing down on Yan Bufan, making him feel as if he was carrying a heavy burden. All the bones in his body were creaking under the weight, and he was sweating profusely. His eyeballs were bloodshot and bulging, and the smell of blood in his mouth and nose was getting stronger and stronger.
But all these are bearable. The greater test Yan Bufan faces is the pain of his soul being squeezed and twisted, which makes him want to scream and tear up everything in front of him irrationally, venting his emotions through violent destruction.
Yan Bufan struggled to stay conscious and used all his strength to avoid rolling on the stone steps and wailing in pain.
"Ask about the path to immortality, examine your heart, temper your will, and initially screen out those with bad character and bad behavior."
Zhuozhuo's soft, baby-like voice drifted over the stone steps. He repeated Fengfeng's words intermittently, but she didn't understand a word. So he changed to words she could understand, "As long as you climb the stone steps, you can see your father."
"Ah, so this is the road." Zhuozhuo suddenly realized.
Yan Bufan had said similar things many times, saying they might be separated for a while. It was just that the scene had changed so suddenly that Zhuozhuo hadn't immediately grasped it. Now that she knew what was going on, she felt like "Daddy has everything under control," and her emotions immediately calmed down.
Zhuozhuo didn't climb the stone steps right away. Instead, like a young animal just out of its den, she was full of curiosity about the new world. She trotted over to the steps with her short legs and explored, picking up dirt, pulling leaves, touching passing insects, and picking up a few broken stones.
Finally, he plucked a small pink flower with his dirty little hands. Zhuozhuo looked up at the seemingly endless stone steps, exclaimed "Wow" exaggeratedly, pointed to the place where the clouds and mist met, and said childishly, "The clouds ate the stone steps."
She asked worriedly, "Will Yuncai eat Zhuozhuo? Will he eat Daddy?"
Hearing such innocent and childish words, Fengfeng smiled and said, "No, it's just that the stone steps are too high and too far away, and they are covered by clouds and fog."
A leaf floated up, blocking the burning sight. "Look, many stone steps are invisible now. But were these steps eaten by leaves?"
"No." Zhuozhuo shook his head and said in a baby voice, "It was Zhuozhuo's eyes that were deceived."
"Yes. Sometimes, what you see isn't necessarily true."
Zhuozhuo nodded, not quite understanding, and looked at the clouds with interest, "Fengfeng, I've never touched a cloud before." Her imagination suddenly opened up, "Does Fengfeng live on the clouds?"
"Yes."
"Wow, Zhuozhuo wants to see Fengfeng's house on the clouds."
"There will be opportunities later."
"Okay."
Zhuozhuo cheered and began to climb the stone steps.
The stone steps were of a suitable height for adults, and each step was almost as high as her legs. She hugged her legs and dangled them on the stone steps, then got stuck and couldn't force her other leg up.
After trying for a while, Zhuozhuo struggled to move her legs down again, and even sat down on the ground because she didn't stand firmly. But Zhuozhuo was not discouraged. She supported herself with her hands and stood up with her butt sticking out. Then she lay on the stone steps, raised her right leg and placed it on top, raised her left foot on tiptoe, and then used her arms and hands to exert force.
Grunting, Zhuozhuo crawled up the stone steps like a fat worm. She stood up, turned her head to look at the ground, and jumped happily, "Zhuozhuo has climbed high!"
Zhuozhuo looked up at the seemingly endless stone steps, full of energy, and announced loudly: "Zhuozhuo will climb to the highest point!"
Then, Zhuozhuo lay on the second stone step, repeated the previous process, and successfully climbed up.
This time, after she stood up, she didn't immediately start conquering the third stone step. Instead, she looked down at her hands and arms, which were dirty and had many scratches. The worst of them were bleeding on the palms, which were burning with pain.
Zhuozhuo looked at it for a while, then sat down and pulled up her skirt and trouser legs. She saw red spots of blood on her knees, and she couldn't help but shudder when she touched them lightly.
"Does it hurt?" Without waiting for Zhuozhuo to say anything, "Fengfeng" couldn't help but ask.
"It hurts, it hurts so much." Zhuozhuo blew carefully on his knees, arms, and palms, his voice low, "It still hurts after blowing on it, I need to apply medicine. The medicine is with Daddy, but Zhuozhuo doesn't have it. I can only apply the medicine after I find Daddy."
After speaking almost to herself, Zhuozhuo regained her energy. She stood up and jumped a little, as if she didn't feel any pain, and lay down on the third stone step. Then she shouted "Hi!" and crawled up quickly.
After climbing up, Zhuozhuo lay on it motionless, with his little face buried in his arms, and faint sobbing sounds coming out.
"shining?"
Zhuozhuo looked up, "Fengfeng..."
Her voice was tearful and pitiful, and her bright eyes were misty, as if she could burst into tears at any moment.
Fengfeng felt a little distressed and said, "The current height of the stone steps is suitable for adults. It's unfair to you, a child. The Asking Immortal Road can adjust its shape. Zhuozhuo, please protest and ask Guan Congyun to make the stone steps shorter."
Zhuozhuo didn't say anything. Fengfeng continued, "If you don't adjust, you'll bleed if you climb so many stone steps. Your skin and flesh will be worn away, and even your bones will be exposed. It will hurt a lot, so much so that you'll cry for three days and three nights."
Zhuozhuo was terrified. She couldn't even imagine how painful it must be to "cry for three days and three nights." But she was taking an exam. "The exam can't be changed. It's the same for everyone." Zhuozhuo said childishly, "The stone steps can be made shorter. Can the path to immortality be shortened? Can it be made easier to walk on?"
Without waiting for Fengfeng to answer, Zhuozhuo shook his head with an air of superiority, his little voice resounding, "No, the path to immortality will never change. You can't always be special, not even once."
After saying this, Zhuozhuo felt a bit proud. She had been paying close attention to Yan Bufan's training, carefully memorizing his words. Now, combining this with her own situation, Zhuozhuo suddenly realized the truth from Yan Bufan's efforts. She raised her little hand and pointed at the clouds and mist, saying with fighting spirit, "Zhuozhuo will defeat it!"
After a moment of silence, Fengfeng smiled and said, "Zhaozhuo is really amazing."
"Zhuozhuo knows." Zhuozhuo was delighted to receive the affirmation and immediately began to climb. A glimpse of the heights from the corner of her eye stunned her. She rubbed her eyes, making sure the scene hadn't changed, and suddenly exclaimed excitedly, "Fengfeng, look! Zhuozhuo scared the stone steps away!"
The stone steps that once stretched endlessly are now only a dozen or so, standing quietly in the mountains, waiting for the arrival of challengers.
This is the special feature of the Path to Immortality. If the person in the illusion has enough understanding, the test can be greatly reduced.
Fengfeng wanted to explain it to Zhuozhuo, but then he thought Zhuozhuo's explanation was better. He was extremely relieved and said, "I see."
I won’t say anything else, for fear that saying too much will disturb Zhuozhuo.
Zhuozhuo didn't care and continued to climb the stone steps with great interest. As he climbed, Zhuozhuo gradually got better and better, forgetting that he was taking the entrance test, forgetting Fengfeng who was by his side, and forgetting his eagerness to find Yan Bufan.
After climbing a certain staircase, Zhuozhuo suddenly realized that instead of another higher staircase, he was faced with a flat, open space. A gentle breeze blew by, and the pain and fatigue in Zhuozhuo's body disappeared, leaving him feeling completely full and comfortable.
Zhuozhuo didn't get lost in the moment. She pushed the hair off her nose and continued climbing the stone steps. She thought the steps were just that wide, so she stood up and ran around looking for the next step, but she couldn't find it.
Just when Zhuozhuo wanted to climb up the tree to take a look, a familiar voice came from behind him, "Zhuozhuo."
“Daddy!”
Zhuozhuo cried out in surprise and ran towards Yan Bufan like a calf, and was picked up by him by the armpit. Zhuozhuo hugged Yan Bufan's neck and whimpered, "Daddy, Zhuozhuo misses you so much, so much..."
"Daddy wants Zhuo Zhuo too."
"Zhuozhuo is so tired from climbing the stone steps. My hands are bleeding, my arms are bleeding, my legs are bleeding, it hurts so much..." After hugging his father, Zhuozhuo began to complain aggrievedly, raising his little hands to show Yan Bufan.
Then, her fake sobs stopped. Zhuozhuo looked at her white and tender little hand in amazement. She turned it over and looked at the palm of her hand again. She even clenched it into a small fist and shook it, finally confirming that the wound was healed. She instantly forgot the pain and sadness before and said happily, "Daddy, now that we have finished our journey, can we learn to become immortals?"
Zhuozhuo had forgotten, but Yan Bufan hadn't forgotten. He knew what was going on. The Path to Immortality is a mixture of reality and illusion. The illusion is false, but the experiences within are real. After successfully exiting the illusion, everyone will receive a gift. It will not only heal injuries, but also benefit future cultivation and advancement.
This kind of magical power is comparable to a thunder tribulation. Although each person can only use it once, it is enough for Askxianlu to become the third-ranked artifact in the world of immortal cultivation.
Yan Bufan looked at Zhuozhuo's sleeves and trouser legs, which were badly worn and had several large holes. He could imagine how difficult it was for the child to crawl.
For a moment, Yan Bufan wanted to stop Zhuozhuo from embarking on this path of cultivation, which was destined to bring her constant injuries. He would protect Zhuozhuo and find a way to help her live as long as the cultivators. But when he met Zhuozhuo's expectant eyes, all his thoughts were shattered, and he wanted only to fulfill her every wish.
Yan Bufan rubbed Zhuozhuo's little head and laughed, "Yes, Zhuozhuo will be a little god in the future."
Zhuozhuo danced with joy and almost jumped out of Yan Bufan's arms.
Zhuozhuo and Yan Bufan took the first and second place in the test. They waited on the top of the mountain for half an hour, until the sun set in the west and fell to the horizon. The sky was filled with spectacular fiery clouds, and the third place finally appeared.
It was a young man, about twenty years old, carrying a sword, dressed in black and looking cold. He didn't know what he had experienced in the illusion. His clothes were lacerated with swords, two of which had even torn through his inner garments. It was estimated that the injuries were nearly fatal.
The young man glanced at the other two people on the top of the mountain, walked straight to the farthest corner and stood there, as if refusing to communicate.
Zhuozhuo blinked and looked at the young man a few times, then looked at the exit of the Immortal Path. Suddenly realizing something, he leaned over and whispered in Yan Bufan's ear, "Daddy, are there too many people to finish walking?"
"Yes." Yan Bufan lowered his voice, "Zhuozhuo is great." He looked at the exit with a deep gaze. He originally thought that the Questioning Immortal Road was just a test of everyone's qualifications, but now it seems to be a cruel watershed.
Only those who can complete the Path to Immortality are qualified to cultivate immortality. As for those who cannot complete it...
After the third person came out, the fourth, fifth, sixth... and so on soon came out. After the sunset completely fell into the horizon, the dark mountain top suddenly became as bright as day, and two monks with fluttering robes flew in the air.
Amidst the crowd's unconscious exclamations, a monk holding a zither raised his hand toward the exit. After silently reciting a mantra, he transformed into a beam of white light and flew towards her, simultaneously ejecting hundreds of people who were either unconscious, wailing, or in pain.
The monk holding the sword looked at these people and said calmly: "You have not passed the test of the immortal path. Follow me."
After saying this, she turned and walked down the mountain.
Yan Bufan's heart sank. There weren't enough people. The combined total of those who had passed the Immortal Path and those who hadn't was nearly a hundred fewer than the number at the foot of the mountain. He remembered that when Bai Zhu'er had exposed him for murder, Hua Duo had persuaded the Immortal Path to eliminate the most heinous criminals.
Were these nearly one hundred missing people the eliminated villains? What was the fate of those eliminated? Did they just quietly vanish from the Immortal Path, never to be mentioned again?
Yan Bufan restrained himself, not letting on any unusual expression. He hadn't expected the peaceful and rewarding path to immortality to be so dangerous. In the world of immortal cultivation, one truly couldn't let their guard down for even a moment.
More than a hundred people who failed the test looked at each other in bewilderment. A dozen people shouted for another chance, but only two people resigned themselves to their fate and followed the sword-wielding monk, walking towards an unknown future with gloomy faces.
The monk holding the zither frowned, and her slender fingers casually plucked the strings. A melodious sound rang out, sending the man who had attempted to leap at her feet flying. The man vomited blood and fell unconscious, his life or death unknown, deterring the rest who were about to make a move.
The remaining people did not dare to act rashly and ran towards the sword-wielding monk in fear. Only five or six people woke up the unconscious people, and carried those who could not be awakened away.
Yan Bufan was worried that this scene would scare Zhuo Zhuo, and was about to explain a few words to divert her attention, when he noticed that her eyes were clear as water without any haze. She said in a statement tone: "Daddy, there are so many people who haven't finished the journey."
"...Hmm." Yan Bufan was a little dazed. At this moment, Zhuo Zhuo actually had a bit of divinity in him.
"Daddy, White Pig and Third Eunuch have also passed." Zhuozhuo wrinkled his nose and acted like a naive child again. He said a little willfully, "Zhuozhuo doesn't want to be a family with them."
Zhuozhuo was thinking back to what Hua Duoyou had said about the sect and his fellow disciples, about how the master-disciple relationship in the sect was more important than kinship in the secular world. She hated these two people; she didn't want a relationship with them that was more important than blood.
"Don't worry, there are many sects and elders who are recruiting disciples. The probability of them being in the same place as us is very small."
"Okay." Zhuozhuo closed his eyes, clasped his hands together in front of his chest, and made a wish, "Gods passing by, please bless me to be with my father and not with those I hate."
The harp-wielding monk glanced at the whispering father and daughter, then recalled the atmosphere at Shouyuan Peak before their departure. After everyone boarded the flying boat, he kindly reminded them, "When you are in front of the sect leaders and elders, be careful not to act rashly or disobey."
Zhuozhuo leaned in Yan Bufan's arms, looking at the beautiful monk holding the harp who had been fierce just now and was now very kind, and whispered, "I understand. Thank you, sister."
The monk holding the harp froze for a moment, then said, "No matter what happens later, don't cry."
Zhuozhuo was very clever and asked curiously, "Would someone deliberately scare me to tears?"
"Won't."
"Will someone beat me and make me cry?"
"Won't."
"What could possibly make me cry?"
The other disciples also gathered around, wanting to ask where they were going, what they should pay attention to when becoming a disciple, and to inquire about the advantages of each sect and the temperament and specialties of each elder.
The monk holding the harp fell silent.
Yan Bufan guessed something. He touched Zhuozhuo's little head to attract her attention and whispered to her, "Don't talk for a while. Daddy asked you to speak, so speak first. Zhuozhuo, can you do it?"
"Zhuozhuo can!"
Soon they reached Shouyuan Peak, where everyone lined up and entered the Zhengyin Hall one by one. The pressure unintentionally emanated from the powerful was too much for these mortal disciples to bear. Those who had been restless with excitement on the flying boat were now as quiet as chickens, standing with their heads bowed, even breathing lightly.
Zhuozhuo stood beside Yan Bufan's legs, looking curiously at the group of leaders and elders sitting high up, his clear and bright eyes blinking, very smart.
Elder Qingyin was somewhat surprised that Zhuozhuo remained unaffected, and she even grew fonder of her, truly worthy of being the child Zhulong cared for. She smiled and said, "Zhuozhuo, congratulations on passing the Path to Immortality. You are the fastest person in the history of Qingyuan Sect to complete the Path to Immortality."
Zhuozhuo understood for a moment, and just as she was about to speak, she remembered. She took Yan Bufan's hand and shook it, asking him with her big eyes if she could talk. Seeing Yan Bufan nod, Zhuozhuo said in a baby voice, "Sister Qingyin, am I the best?"
"Yeah, you're the best. How do you know my name?"
"I heard it." Zhuozhuo stretched out his other little hand and pointed at Guan Congyun and Qi Tianwen, "When you went to see Zhulong, they called your name."
"Zhuozhuo has a really good memory." Elder Qingyin didn't feel offended, but the age difference between her and Zhuozhuo was too big. "Just call me Auntie."
"Aunt Qingyin."
"Good boy, Zhuozhuo can come to Leshan Peak to play with me in the future."
"Okay, Zhuozhuo and Daddy can go together, okay?"
"Can."
A few daily conversations diluted the oppressive and suffocating feeling in the hall. The disciples were shocked that Zhuozhuo and the elder actually knew each other. For a moment, they ignored the fact that she could speak freely, and instead worried about whether her friendship with the elder would affect their becoming their disciples.
Bai Zhu'er was the most anxious and apprehensive, fearing that Zhuozhuo would exploit his connections to dissuade the elders from accepting her. She wanted to look up to see the other elders' reactions, to gauge their relationship with Zhuozhuo. She also wanted to speak out, interrupting Zhuozhuo's conversation with Elder Qingyin. She even wanted to shout out Zhuozhuo's abnormality and Yan Bufan's crimes.
But despite her intense inner thoughts, Bai Zhu'er stood there stiff, not even a breeze blowing through her hair, only cold sweat pouring out. Bai Zhu'er was so anxious that her head was dizzy and her ears and eyes were ringing. Suddenly, she felt a sweet sensation in her throat and spat out a pool of blood with a "wow".
Then, as if breaking free from her restraints, Bai Zhuer fell straight to the ground.
The other disciples were in a commotion, looking at Bai Zhu'er in confusion and panic, not knowing what had happened.
Soon, a disciple standing behind Guan Congyun came down to check on Bai Zhuer. "Master, she couldn't bear the pressure in the hall, and due to anger, she vomited blood and fainted. She's fine and will wake up in about a quarter of an hour. Do you want to wake her now?"
Guan Congyun said unhappily, "She has such a bad character, don't bother with her. Do you have any disciples you're interested in?"
The latter sentence was addressed to the elders of other sects.
The disciple made hand gestures, cleaned up the dirty traces left by Bai Zhuer, moved her to the corner, and then stood behind Guan Congyun.
Of course, everyone has their favorite disciples, but they all know that these good disciples have little to do with themselves, so they took the opportunity to say that since the disciple-recruiting ceremony will be held in Qingyuan Sect, Qingyuan Sect will naturally be the first to choose.
Guan Congyun pondered for a moment, then looked past Zhuozhuo and Yan Bufan at the third-placed young man in black. "You wield a sword, are you interested in becoming a sword cultivator?"
"have."
"Then please become my disciple."
The powerful people were not surprised by Guan Congyun's actions. When it was their turn, they did not try to "pick up the missing" Zhuozhuo and Yan Bufan, but tried hard to pick the best among the remaining disciples. In the end, even Bai Zhuer was picked up by an old man who practiced talismans and looked like Maitreya Buddha.
The disciples with masters all stood beside their respective masters. Zhuozhuo and Yan Bufan, standing alone in front of His Highness, stood out. The disciples who had initially regarded them as their top competitors couldn't help but feel sympathy, and a few of the more shy ones even felt embarrassed for them.
Zhuozhuo had no idea she was the only one left. She was left wondering why Zhulong hadn't come out. The strongest master wanted the best disciples, and since they were all afraid of Zhulong, he certainly couldn't accept her, the first-place finisher, and her father, the second-place finisher.
Although there are many people present, none of them are qualified to be their master, hehe.
Yan Bufan has experienced too much, and even trivial matters cannot make him change his expression.
It would be hard to just leave him alone, so Guan Congyun said, "Zhuozhuo, Senior Zhulong may summon you someday. Where would you like to wait in the meantime?"
Zhuozhuo blinked and said softly, "No, no, no?"
Guan Congyun didn't understand Zhuozhuo's meaning for a moment and stared at her. Yan Bufan explained, "Master Guan, Zhuozhuo asked if there are any places to choose from."
Guan Congyun said, "You can choose any of the Qingyuan Sect's peaks. Today, all the peak masters are here. Zhuozhuo, take a look and see who you want to play with. It doesn't matter if you can't choose. You can stay on each peak for a while and get familiar with the sect and fellow disciples."
If Zhulong really took Zhuozhuo in, then Zhuozhuo's seniority would be higher than Guan Congyun, and she would be the well-deserved "little ancestor" of the sect. She would be worshipped wherever she went, and there would be no place in Qingyuan Sect that she could not go.
Zhuozhuo's gaze passed over the elders of Qingyuan Sect and stopped at Elder Qingyin. She smiled so sweetly that Elder Qingyin almost hugged her and flew away. Zhuozhuo looked up at Yan Bufan and said softly, "Daddy, let's go stay at Aunt Qingyin's house, okay?"
Before Yan Bufan could say anything, Elder Qingyin said considerately, "Don't worry. The disciples of Leshan Peak specialize in musical instruments. Most of them are calm and peaceful, dislike disputes, and are hospitable and friendly."
Receiving the kindness, Yan Bufan bowed to Elder Qingyin and said, "Thank you, Elder. Zhuozhuo and I will be troubling you for now."
"How could it be?" Elder Qingyin originally thought that he had no chance with Zhuozhuo, but who knew there would be such an unexpected turn of events. He was so happy that he couldn't contain himself.
Putting aside the question of when Zhulong would finally remember Zhuozhuo, during her time at Leshan Peak, she could teach Zhuozhuo like a disciple. Apart from the lack of a master-disciple relationship, there wasn't anything wrong with it.
Just as Elder Qingyin was about to lead his men back to the peak, Guan Congyun suddenly said, "Yan Bufan, come with me."
Yan Bufan paused and calmly asked Elder Qingyin to look after Zhuozhuo for a while. Elder Qingyin readily agreed, but Zhuozhuo held Yan Bufan's hand tightly and refused to let go. "Zhuozhuo, stay with Daddy."
Elder Qingyin smiled and said, "Zhuozhuo can't go. This is because the head brother couldn't bear to see your father neglect his life, so he gave him some guidance in private."
Zhuozhuo shook his head and said stubbornly, "I'm going."
She couldn't explain why, but she felt that something bad would happen to him after she separated from Yan Bufan.
Yan Bufan had the same intuition, so he couldn't possibly agree to let Zhuozhuo go with him. He knelt on one knee, held Zhuozhuo's little face in his hands, and said, "Zhuozhuo, stay with Elder Qingyin and wait for Daddy at Leshan Peak. Daddy will definitely come to you as quickly as possible."
Zhuozhuo wanted to shake her head, but suddenly she felt sleepy and her little head tilted and rested in Yan Bufan's palm. Yan Bufan picked up Zhuozhuo and handed her to Elder Qingyin. "Zhuozhuo will definitely come running to find me when she wakes up. Please keep an eye on her."
Elder Qingyin was a little surprised by Yan Bufan's attitude. Thinking that she would talk to him about the taboos of raising children when she had the chance, she reached out and took Zhuozhuo. As soon as the soft little body was in her arms, Elder Qingyin felt like she was drowning in the soft sea water. She dared not breathe, for fear of waking the little guy, and she had no mind to pay attention to anything else.
Seeing that Elder Qingyin couldn't even hide her love for Zhuozhuo, Yan Bufan put his worries aside and turned to walk towards Guan Congyun. Facing Guan Congyun's kind smile, Yan Bufan subconsciously raised his hand and touched the token in his arms.
At this moment, an old voice came into his ears, "Boy, did you wake me up?"
Yan Bufan was shocked, but he didn't show any abnormality.
The owner of the voice seemed to be a chatterbox, chattering non-stop even when no one was paying attention. "Abundant spiritual energy, is this the world of immortal cultivation? Not bad, not bad, it saves me the trouble of bringing you in. Yo ho, this person in the Tribulation Crossing Stage is your enemy? You're in the Qi Training Stage and you're provoking this level of cultivation? Not bad, not bad, you're quite capable of courting death. I can continue to sleep and wait for the next destined person."
Yan Bufan: “…”
"You're quite patient. Boy, aren't you curious about my origins? Aren't you worried that I might harm you? Oh, I remember now. You're just a little bumpkin, and you don't even know the methods used in the world of immortal cultivation to harm others. Given our current situation, I can seize your body when you're not prepared, turn you into a puppet, use your soul to cultivate, and even directly devour your soul to increase my cultivation..."
Yan Bufan didn't respond, so he let him act on his own.
"Wow, good boy, you're not afraid, and neither are the people around you? I counted with my fingers, and you have a sweet and soft daughter, with thin skin, tender flesh, and soft bones. One bite of her will fill your mouth with fragrance... Ouch, let go of me, or you'll break my old bones."
Yan Bufan not only did not let go of the token, but instead increased his strength by 10%. He said in his mind: "If you know Zhuo Zhuo, don't touch her, otherwise I will make you regret existing in this world."
"I know, I know, I know, please let me go, please."
Yan Bufan: “…”
Unsure of the old man's tactics, Yan Bufan said nothing more, released the token and focused on dealing with Guan Congyun.
Guan Congyun sent the disciples away, looked at Yan Bufan with a smile, and said earnestly: "Although your spiritual roots and physical constitution have not been tested yet, your talent is not low. Unfortunately, too many concerns are not conducive to cultivation. When you can cut off worldly ties and focus on cultivation, you will understand my regret now."
He gestured for Yan Bufan to come closer, and even though he was ignored, he didn't get angry. "Today, I will teach you some basic sword techniques and mental skills. When you return, you must study them diligently and practice them diligently. Keep trying. You've already broken through to the third level of Qi training. Now, I'll take a look at your spiritual energy..."
Guan Congyun grabbed Yan Bufan's hand and poured spiritual energy into it without waiting for him to struggle. The vast ocean destroyed the narrow and shallow stream bed in an instant with overwhelming force.
Yan Bufan suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, his body smashing to the ground like a collapsing mountain. He struggled to move his eyes and saw Guan Congyun's concerned face. Before he passed out, the last thing Yan Bufan heard was Guan Congyun's hypocritical words.
"Your training has gone awry. Don't be afraid. I will treat you."
After returning to Leshan Peak, Elder Qingyin took Zhuozhuo directly to his residence and placed her on his bed. While watching her sleep, he selected food and things for her from his storage ring.
Unfortunately, Elder Qingyin has had a cold personality since childhood. Even at home, she kept to herself and was not close to her brothers and sisters. Later, when she began to accept disciples, the disciples she chose were all in their teens, so there were not many things suitable for children in her storage ring.
Her eyes flashed, and the confusion and distress on Elder Qingyin's face disappeared. She turned her head and looked at Zhuozhuo who was sleeping like a pig for a while, took out an unused soft couch from the storage ring and placed it on the bed, then carried Zhuozhuo to the couch.
Afterwards, Elder Qingyin took out shark gauze, cloud brocade, and snow silk and personally made clothes for Zhuozhuo. He also took out a thousand-year-old spiritual conch and placed it next to Zhuozhuo's pillow. He also sent a message to call the eldest disciple in, threw him a storage bag, and asked him to ask Elder Qifeng to refine a magic weapon according to the drawings in the storage bag.
The eldest disciple did not go to the Zhengyin Hall, but he had just been told by the younger sister how their master was so infatuated with a three-year-old child that his character collapsed. However, none of this was as shocking as seeing Elder Qingyin, who had only touched musical instruments, sewing clothes with an embroidery needle.
The eldest disciple pinched his palms to suppress the urge to scream, and asked in a trembling voice, "Master, are you going to make a toy for Junior Sister Zhuozhuo?"
"no."
The eldest disciple breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that his master was still rational.
"Zhuozhuo is not your junior sister, don't call her that. From now on, you must treat Zhuozhuo the same way you treat me and the Sect Leader."
"Huh?" The eldest disciple was dumbfounded. What did this mean? Was Zhuozhuo the daughter of the Grand Elder? The reincarnation of a powerful sect leader? An ascended master who had returned to earth to experience trials and tribulations?
Layers of curtains blocked Zhuozhuo's figure, and the eldest disciple could only see a small bulge. He couldn't find anything different about this small ball than an ordinary one.
Before the eldest disciple could calm down, he heard his master say worriedly, "Take out the blueprints from your storage bag and see if there's anything you can improve. I don't know what toys three-year-olds like... Never mind. You're over two hundred years old and you definitely wouldn't understand. Ask your younger sister to come in."
The eldest disciple, who was being criticized for being too old, was unconvinced: "...Master, during my training, I've come into contact with many children. They can play with a small stone for a long time, and they can also cling to an exquisite doll and can't let it go. Generally speaking, as long as they find something new, beautiful, and interesting, they like it."
"That makes sense. Let's make the one in the storage ring first."
With the help of her magic, Elder Qingyin's hands moved at lightning speed, and she had already finished a set of clothes. She then pulled out a pile of materials suitable for making top-grade robes and began to match the colors and think about the style. She even found time to toss a storage bag to her eldest disciple and said thankfully, "I almost forgot about food. Children are greedy. Go find Elder Hua from Yaofeng and ask her to make some beautiful and delicious snacks."
The eldest disciple took a peek and discovered that the contents were filled with rare spiritual fruits and herbs that couldn't be bought even with a handful of spirit stones. While marveling at the profound wealth of his master, who seemed unlike a mere sect elder, the eldest disciple felt the urge to perform a transfiguration spell on himself, transforming into a three-year-old girl.
When Zhuozhuo woke up, her first reaction was to look for her father. She turned her head and saw a colorful conch. The conch had been emitting white noise to help her sleep, but when Zhuozhuo looked at it, it became a gentle and pleasant music.
If it were any other time, Zhuozhuo would have been drawn to the conch and would have played with it for a long time. But now, she was worried about Yan Bufan, so she didn't even look at the conch.
"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy—"
Zhuozhuo slid down from the couch, pushed away all the beautiful and interesting things piled on the bed, and crawled down the edge of the bed while calling for help.
Elder Qingyin soon appeared and carried Zhuozhuo, whose bare feet were almost touching the ground, back to the soft couch. She casually threw the treasures and magical instruments that hadn't been favored by Zhuozhu on the ground. She said gently, "Zhuozhuo, your father has gone to practice with the headmaster. Before you went to bed, your father asked you to wait for him at your aunt's place. Do you remember?"
Zhuozhuo pouted and wanted to cry, saying aggrievedly: "But Zhuozhuo didn't agree."
"That's why your father waited until you fell asleep before leaving. Zhuozhuo, cultivation is very important, but it's also lonely. A cultivator's retreat often lasts three to five years, and they go down the mountain to train for seven to eight years. A breakthrough or enlightenment lasts at least ten years, and healing from injuries can even take thousands of years."
Elder Qingyin gently wiped away the tears from Zhuozhuo's eyes and said, "Zhuozhuo, after embarking on the path of cultivation, you must get used to being apart from those around you and getting used to being alone. No one can stay with anyone forever."
After he finished speaking, Elder Qingyin waited for Zhuozhuo to cry out "wow", but he found that she was holding back her tears, her little mouth pursed into a crooked slit, her chubby face trembling, looking pitiful, and the tears in her eyes seemed to overflow at any time, but she never cried.
Zhuozhuo looked at Elder Qingyin stubbornly, his fists clenched tightly. After calming down, he immediately and firmly retorted: "Zhuozhuo will always be with Daddy!"
Elder Qingyin smiled with an ambiguous tone, "Naive."
“Not naive!”
"Then tell me, when you grow up, will you want new friends and see the new world? At this time, why are you staying with Yan Bufan? It's good enough that you don't kick him away so that he won't get in the way."
"Zhuozhuo would never kick Daddy!" After loudly retorting, Zhuozhuo said unhappily, "I'm not grown up yet, Auntie, please don't tell lies."
Zhuozhuo felt very aggrieved. He felt that the current Elder Qingyin, who was talkative and gentle, was not the same person as the Elder Qingyin who sat on the high platform in Zhengyin Hall, seemed distant and distant, but was actually very approachable.
Now this, bad.
Elder Qingyin hadn't given up on his point. "Well, I won't talk about the future, I'll talk about now. Now that Yan Bufan has been taken away by the Sect Leader, and you're staying at Leshan Peak, how can you return to Yan Bufan and be with him forever?"
Zhuozhuo opened her mouth, but was stunned by the question. She said angrily, "If you send me to find my father now, I can accompany him."
She was really angry and didn't even call her aunt.
"Then why should I send you to find Yan Bufan?"
Elder Bad Qingyin spoke carelessly with a vicious smile on his face.
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