Chapter 49: Xie the Fox's words are getting more and more sarcastic.
Inside the Forgotten Dust Palace, the chill seemed even more intense than usual.
The high dome, reflecting the thin sunlight filtering in from outside, made the figure sitting on the cold jade throne appear even more ethereal and lonely, unlike any other person in the mortal world.
Fang Li stood with her head bowed below the hall, not daring to utter a sound.
His mind was filled with the system's constant nagging: "Host, stay calm! Treat it like a final defense! Answer whatever your advisor asks, and if you don't know the answer, just say you don't know! Don't panic!"
"Come forward." Ye Wuyang's voice was cold and clear, piercing through the stagnant air in the hall.
Fang Li did as she was told and took a few steps forward.
"Your spiritual energy circulation seems unusual lately." Ye Wuyang's gaze swept over Fang Li indifferently, without any direct confrontation, yet Fang Li felt her spiritual energy stagnate, as if he had seen right through her. "Damn it! That old ice block found out? System! Are you about to be exposed?"
[Detection in progress... The Immortal Venerable's energy field is too strong, interfering with the analysis! Host, hold on! Adopting a fuzzy response strategy!] The system's tone tightened.
Fang Li's palms were slightly damp as she tried to remain calm: "Reporting to Master, I... have recently noticed that my spiritual energy sometimes feels sluggish during cultivation, and sometimes... it seems more active than usual. Perhaps it's due to my shallow cultivation and lack of control." She attributed everything to her own insufficient cultivation, half-truthfully, her tone carrying just the right amount of confusion and apprehension.
After a moment of silence, Fang Li could almost hear her own heartbeat.
"In the beginning of chaos, all things were contained. There is no need to force it to be so, nor to fear the reasons why it is so." His voice was calm and even, yet it was like the gentle tolling of an ancient bell, striking Fang Li's heart: "Just follow your heart and guide it naturally."
Fang Li was stunned.
Was that a hint? Did he know something? Or was it some kind of test? "Master, what exactly does he mean? Is he telling me to let things take their course? This doesn't seem like he's trying to get to the bottom of things..."
【Profound! So profound! Is this the art of speaking of a big shot? It sounds like he's said everything, yet he's said nothing at all! But it doesn't sound like he's trying to make things difficult for us?】 Even Tongzi couldn't figure it out.
Then, Ye Wuyang briefly pointed out a few methods on how to guide the compatibility of different attribute spiritual energies and how to enhance control in subtle ways.
His words were concise yet to the point, as if he had already seen through the nascent, unruly signs of chaos within her.
Fang Li listened intently and suddenly felt enlightened, as many previously unclear points in her cultivation became clear.
She couldn't help but secretly circulate her spiritual energy, and found that the originally restless spiritual energy had indeed become a little more docile, flowing more smoothly through her meridians like a stream.
"Wow! The Immortal Venerable is truly something else! A few words from him are more effective than a month of hard work! Is this what a VIP one-on-one private tutoring feels like? I love it!" Her heart was instantly filled with admiration and the joy of learning new knowledge, temporarily forgetting the embarrassment of the "Thousand-Year Kill" incident.
"Thank you for your guidance, Master!" She bowed sincerely, her eyes slightly brightening.
Ye Wuyang nodded slightly, said nothing more, and closed her eyes again, as if entering a meditative state.
The hall fell silent once more, as if the brief conversation and guidance from earlier had never happened.
Fang Li tactfully withdrew quietly.
As she stepped out of the palace gate, dusk had already tinged the sea of clouds with red. She finally let out a long sigh of relief, feeling a chill on her back as she was covered in a thin layer of sweat.
"I passed? That's it? I thought I'd have to write at least an eight-thousand-word self-criticism and be locked up!" She patted her chest, still shaken.
[It seems the Immortal Venerable is taking the high-end, hands-off approach! Host, it seems we've survived another hurdle!] The system cheered.
Just as she was about to leave this place of trouble, a gentle voice called out to her.
"Miss Fang?"
Fang Li turned around and saw Chu Yunfan dressed in a green robe, holding a lantern, with a smile on his face, elegant and refined, and holding an antique-style brocade box in his hand.
"Fellow Daoist Chu?" Fang Li was somewhat surprised.
"What's he doing here? Do the people of the Qingxu Sect like to suddenly appear?"
Chu Yunfan stepped forward with a sincere smile: "Having heard that Miss Fang has officially become a disciple of the Immortal Venerable, I have come to offer my congratulations. This is just a small gift to express my sincere wishes, and I hope you will not refuse it." As he spoke, he handed over the brocade box.
Fang Li opened it and found a high-quality ancient jade pendant inside. The patterns were natural, the jade was warm to the touch, and it exuded a faint spiritual aura that calmed the mind.
"This pendant is named 'Purifying the Mind,' and it has the effect of calming the mind and resisting external evils. I hope it will be of some help to your cultivation, young lady," Chu Yunfan explained, his eyes clear and without the slightest hint of intimacy.
The system also provided timely commentary: [Scan complete: Mind-Clearing and Spirit-Concentrating Pendant, a superior-grade auxiliary spirit jade. Long-term wear can slowly improve the refinement of spiritual consciousness, effectively resisting common illusions and inner demon interference. A good item! Host, quickly keep it! Chu Yunfan, a promising prospect, with S+ potential; maintaining a good relationship is recommended!]
"Wow! Handsome guy, you're such a nice person! This jade pendant looks expensive! It's supposed to calm the mind and focus the spirit, perfect for someone like me who's prone to overthinking!" Fang Li had a very good impression of this refined and generous Fellow Daoist Chu. She accepted it graciously and smiled, "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Chu! I really like this gift."
"You like it?" A slightly cool, amused voice suddenly interrupted from the side: "What good thing did Junior Sister get that she can show her Senior Brother?"
Xie Chen walked over unnoticed, waving a jade fan. His gaze fell on the Qingxin Pendant in Fang Li's hand, his lips curved, but his eyes were devoid of warmth.
"The Qingxin Pendant of the Qingxu Sect? Fellow Daoist Chu is quite generous. However, the spiritual energy of this pendant is tepid, which may not be very compatible with Junior Sister's lively nature. If Junior Sister needs something to calm her mind, Senior Brother has a few pieces of Extreme Northern Cold Jade, which would be even more effective."
Chu Yunfan's smile remained unchanged as he bowed to Xie Chen, saying, "Fellow Daoist Xie is right. I was overthinking it. I just felt that this pendant might be destined for Miss Fang, so I presented it to her."
Fang Li: "...?" "Why is this 'white-cut-black' thing popping up again? Why does that tone sound so sour? 'Cold Jade'? That sounds like it'll freeze my brain! No way!"
Just as she was about to say something to ease the strangely awkward atmosphere, Xie Chen turned to her, his jade fan lightly closed, and he smiled as he extended his hand: "Junior Sister seems to have many friends and is very popular. Why don't you let your senior brother take a look at the quality of this Qingxin Pendant? Don't be fooled by things that are all show and no substance."
"???" Fang Li looked at Xie Chen's seemingly gentle but actually unyielding hand, and then at Chu Yunfan who looked calm and composed, and her inner alarm bells went off.
Looking at Xie Chen's seemingly gentle but unfathomable smile, and recalling his endless "golden cage" test versions, Fang Li felt an alarm go off in her heart. She subconsciously tucked the jade pendant into her bosom and said with a dry laugh, "No... no need to trouble Senior Brother Xie. I... I'll just take a look at Fellow Daoist Chu's kind gesture myself."
Fang Li took a half step back: "I'll ask my senior brother for his appraisal experience another day!" With that, she turned and ran, her footsteps echoing in the distance on the bluestone path.
The two men remained in the twilight. Xie Chen chuckled softly, fanning himself with his fan: "Fellow Daoist Chu, you've come all this way to deliver a congratulatory gift?"
Chu Yunfan, holding the lantern, bowed and said, "It was just along the way."
Xie Chenyu snapped his fan shut and turned to walk into the deepening night.
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