Last night, Xia Xiao told Ah Zhu the detailed plan in his mind, which made Ah Zhu, who was sitting in the bedroom eating snacks, overturn his original cognition again and again.

It was too crazy to go under the seal to find the Emperor Qishi, but Xia Xiao was confident with his master behind him. Even if he couldn't persuade him, he wouldn't lose his life. The Emperor Qishi didn't break through the seal at the moment, which must be because his strength had not yet fully recovered, but it was unrealistic to take this opportunity to kill him, because according to Xia Xiao's speculation, it should be difficult for the master to pass through the seal gap. In such a dangerous place, those who are too strong can't squeeze in, and those who are too weak will be crushed. Only his strength is just right.

Therefore, Xia Xiao decided to go to the East China Sea with Azhu!

That day, Xia Xiao stood in the backyard, facing east, and called out to his master. This was a very mysterious way of communication, like a weak force that instantly spread thousands of miles in the air, but Xia Xiao never got a reply, so he cast a communication array, and the result was the same. Qing Xunzi was now busy in the East China Sea and had no time to receive every message coming to him, so Xia Xiao thought of Uncle Liao.

As the manager of the Zou Shou Church, Liao Sai was no different from the Vice Pope. He must have a way to contact Qing Xunzi. Sure enough, when Xia Xiao and Azhu walked into the palace and found him, a wave of vitality quickly swept over from the east. The speed was so fast that it could be described as chasing the stars and catching up with the moon. Liao Sai saw it and smiled:

"I'm going to be busy now, call me if you need anything."

"Thank you, Uncle Liao."

“You’re welcome.”

Liao Sai could probably guess how happy the Pope was. He would not be as serious as last time in front of Xia Xiao. It was a blessing for every master to have such a disciple. If he had one, he would definitely be happy to think about him day and night. But a disciple like Xia Xiao was rare. Not to mention one in a million, it was hard to find a second one in the world.

After seeing Master Liao leave, Xia Xiao took Ah Zhu and walked to a small courtyard next to the side hall, waiting for the master to arrive. In less than half an hour, Xia Xiao and Ah Zhu immediately greeted him. The honorable Pope was not as serious as the last time they met. After appearing from the torn space, he cursed without saying a word:

"You little brat, you're really giving me a headache! How dare you come up with that plan? Do you know that everyone in the world is crazy now, wishing for a so-called savior to sacrifice himself to save the wilderness? And you, on the other hand, are rushing forward with your sharp head. How can you extinguish the wrath of the Origin Emperor that has lasted for 30,000 years with just a few words?"

"Master, don't be angry. Since you have agreed, I will give it a try. It will be fine. And I am not asking him to let go of his hatred. I really don't have that ability. I am just asking him to transfer his hatred. If he has any problems, go find Yu Shangyan, don't take it out on us. We can't bear it."

Thinking of the history between his master and Yu Shangyan, Xia Xiao felt vaguely that he was being disrespectful. He should probably call Yu Shangyan "Master's Wife", which is a more appropriate title than the Human Emperor and the Ancestor of the Spiritual Contract. But Qing Xunzi didn't seem to care much, just suppressed his past emotions in his heart, and hummed without curiosity:

"I agreed because you set a good example. Since then, many people in the world don't care about your life or death. They just want you to succeed. But the chance of success is too small. If there is any mistake, you can wait for this little girl to cry for you. By then, it will be too late for you to regret it!"

"Senior, I want to go too."

Ah Zhu's serious look made the white-bearded old man blow his beard, but she remained steadfast, making his somewhat aged face no longer as rosy and childlike as before.

"My dear little aunt, please don't embarrass me. I don't have the ability to send the three of you in at the same time. Do you really think that the seal is easy to tear open? Even if there is a natural crack, you will need extremely strong energy to protect yourself when you go in. You can't be too strong or too weak. Besides, the movement in the sea is restricted. Don't make things worse!"

Ah Zhu's face turned black. She didn't care. She was going to go! Xia Xiao agreed. The latter sat on the stone chair and didn't take the master's words to heart, because he believed that the master had the ability, so he changed the subject and focused on another point.

"Three people? The water tank too?"

Ah Zhu mentioned yesterday that the sea beasts from the academy have returned to the East China Sea, probably to prepare for this matter. Qing Xunzi nodded and sighed:

"I asked him to gather a strand of soul from all the sea beasts together, and then he will carry it with him and accompany you. I think when Emperor Qishi sees this fluctuation, he will be moved. That's when you can start a war of words."

"How are they preparing?"

"It's estimated that they will be well soon, because they are all very active. As a primitive race in the sea, many sea beasts find it difficult to get ashore, so we must prevent the Emperor of the Beginning from causing chaos. They must cooperate and do their best, otherwise they will not be the first to get hurt, but humans."

That's good. Xia Xiao slapped his thigh and decided:

"It is better to do it now than to wait for a better day. This afternoon, Ah Zhu and I will pack up and go to the East China Sea."

"You can come, but Ah Zhu can't."

Ah Zhu got anxious when she heard this. Xia Xiao smiled and helped her out:

"Master, if she can help me hide my aura, just agree. Even if something unexpected happens, once the aura of me and the water tank disappears, the Origin Emperor won't be able to find us."

"Do you think the Emperor of the Beginning is a three-year-old child? He has existed for the longest time and his power is unknown. The more people go, the more dangerous it will be. And why would you want to go with someone like this?"

When Qingxunzi couldn't figure out what Xia Xiao was thinking about, he leaned close to Ah Zhu's ear and whispered:

"You go back and pack your things first, I'll take care of the master."

Immediately, Ah Zhu in Qingxunzi's eyes suddenly stood up, bowed, and hurried out of the courtyard, excitedly heading out of the palace. Ah Zhu has always been easy to deceive. Seeing her leaving, Xia Xiao raised the corner of his mouth and said to Qingxunzi with a smile:

"Master, just agree! It's okay to take her with you. We're not going in. When the time comes, you just need to tell her that three people can't go. For safety reasons, Shui Tan and I will go. I'll also tell her when I go back that it depends on the situation and she can't make a rash decision. But if we can go to the East China Sea together, I'm sure Ah Zhu won't say much. She's still very obedient and won't make unreasonable troubles."

"Why bother?"

Xia Xiao smiled, his face full of doting.

"If Ah Zhu wants to follow me, then let her follow me. I just can't leave her, but I can't let her take risks with me."

"Okay then! I promise you."

"Thank you, Master."

"After the King of Ginseng absorbed it, how much strength did he improve?"

"There are already eighteen rings of the curved wheel."

Compared with seven days ago, Xia Xiao has added three more annual rings. This speed is incredibly fast, but Xia Xiao needs to consolidate it in the next period of time, otherwise the tree that grows too fast will be as difficult to mature as the pulled seedlings.

"That's right, then you go back and consolidate your strength. I'll withdraw first."

"Master, wait a moment!"

Xia Xiao deliberately sent Ah Zhu away, not just to tell his master his intentions, otherwise he could achieve his goal through the silent world. But there are some things that can only be asked to the master when Ah Zhu is not present. Only foolish men tell women everything, and some things are better avoided.

"Master, you said something at the meeting that I'm a little confused about."

Qing Xunzi gestured to Xia Xiao to speak. In fact, he knew it very well in his heart, but was reluctant to answer.

"You said that you have only had two disciples in the past 30,000 years. One is me, and the other died to get me on the right path."

"One for you and one for Shu Shuang, there's nothing wrong with that!"

Qing Xunzi had a smile on his face, but Xia Xiao had a serious expression. He looked at the former with a puzzled look in his eyes.

"I know it was Shu Shuang, but what does it mean to die in order to make me walk on the right path?"

Qing Xunzi should have thought that with Xia Xiao's meticulous nature, he would definitely ask about everything that happened at the meeting. But he didn't want Xia Xiao to go at the time, so he was in a hurry and said such words. But he didn't expect to be questioned again after telling the truth, which was really troublesome.

There was no other way. Qing Xunzi didn't like to hide anything, so since he had been discovered, he had to answer truthfully:

"Initially, Shu Shuang's purpose was to lead you onto the right path and protect you. This is the responsibility of a guardian. But because I had a private relationship with her and treated her like a daughter, so many things happened."

"What's the meaning?"

"Aren't you curious? Why does Shu Shuang look so much like an ordinary human? There's not even any difference?"

"Isn't this because she absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and thus possessed spiritual intelligence?"

Qingxunzi shook his head and said:

"Of course not. If I just wanted her to complete the mission, there would be no need to make her so human. At that time, I had not made any further plans. I just wanted her to protect you. But I treated her as my daughter, taught her to read and write, and to meditate and practice. In this way, her intelligence became the same as that of a human, and she had real emotions. When her bright and clear eyes were filled with a smile, I thought of this."

"You deliberately let Shu Shuang get close to me, and then let her die at the hands of the devil?"

Xia Xiao's heart trembled, and the question he asked was a bit bold. Qing Xunzi did not nod at this question, but just asked again:

"Do you know that Shangshan and Shushuang are both forces in the talisman formation, why is one strong and the other weak?"

"Didn't you say that the power of protection is easier to leave the talisman formation, and that the part of Shangshan is more violent and therefore less likely to have intelligence and cannot transform into a human form?"

“That’s just part of it.”

Looking at the master he was most familiar with, Xia Xiao felt strange again. He asked almost pleadingly:

"Master, how many things have you hidden from me? Answer me, did you know about Shu Shuang's death from the beginning? Did you do it on purpose?"

Xia Xiao hoped that his master would not admit it. It didn't matter if he shook his head or remained stubbornly silent, as long as he didn't nod. But when the master and the disciple looked at each other, Qing Xunzi still showed some reluctance in his eyes, and then nodded.

Gudong——

Xia Xiao fell into the freezing cold lake, feeling extremely lost. He looked at his master, not knowing why. Should he grab his clothes and make him pay for his life? Or should he just end the conversation like this? Xia Xiao couldn't do any of them. It was hard to repay his master's kindness in this life. He even brought Shu Shuang to his side, but why?

"Why?"

Xia Xiao's eyes were full of urgency. He wanted to know the answer! Shu Shuang had been gone for three years, but he didn't know the truth. How could he be worthy of her risking her life to protect him? Qing Xunzi was in great sorrow and silent, feeling helpless even when he was breathing.