Chapter 73 Return to the Ruins 1 Happy Birthday
"It's so good to have a master!" Xu Xing buried himself in a pile of spirit stones, sighing for the umpteenth time.
After becoming disciples, Fu Shuang gave Xu Xing and Shen Du each a storage ring containing one thousand high-grade spirit stones, ten bottles of commonly used seventh-grade pills, five defensive magic weapons, ten offensive magic weapons, as well as several talismans and magic arrays. In addition, she taught Shen Du a sword technique, and gave Xu Xing a set of Five Elements Spirit Pearls and several rare spirit flames.
Not to mention the dazzling array of magical artifacts, the high-grade spirit stones alone were enough to make Xu Xing grin from ear to ear. A thousand high-grade spirit stones equaled a hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones! He was practically rolling in money!
After Fu Shuang left, Xu Xing took out the spirit stones from his backpack, lay down, and began happily taking stock of the items in his backpack.
She's refined a hundred Detoxifying Pills for Shui Yunxian recently, earning 80,000 mid-grade spirit stones. Adding to her previous savings and what her master gave her, she now has nearly 200,000 mid-grade spirit stones. She used up a lot of defensive magic artifacts in the Exploration Realm, now only having eighteen left. She hasn't refined many offensive magic artifacts, only thirteen including those given by her master. As for pills, she has countless…
After receiving Fu Shuang's apprenticeship gift, Shen Du gave all the items to Xu Xing as usual, without even keeping his storage ring.
"Senior brother, you should keep a few magical artifacts for self-defense."
In fact, having spent so much time with his senior brother, Xu Xing hadn't sensed any bad luck befalling him. In fact, the two of them were quite lucky, escaping danger several times unscathed and acquiring many good things. It seemed that the previous events were just coincidences, and that there were also rumors and exaggerations in the cultivation world.
"I don't need it."
Seeing Xu Xing's greedy, spirit-stone-counting look, Shen Du couldn't help but smile.
Xu Xing ignored her and rummaged through her bag, taking out the highest-grade magical artifacts and stuffing them into Chen Du's arms without a word. "Senior brother! Protecting others starts with protecting yourself!"
"The storage ring Master gave me is much larger and more exquisite and beautiful than mine. Senior Brother, please change into it."
Xu Xing took out his storage ring, intending to replace the one he had crafted, but Shen Du dodged it by putting his hand behind his back.
He gently stroked the black and gold plain ring that Xu Xing had given him, then lowered his eyes and said, "I'll keep a few magical artifacts, but I don't need a storage ring. It's too conspicuous and will only attract more covetous people."
"Okay, senior brother is right."
etc……
Senior brother? Senior brother!
Xu Xing suddenly murmured "Senior Brother" to himself a few times, and then chuckled for no reason. Now that they were all disciples under their master, he felt that calling him "Senior Brother" was more natural and justified!
Overwhelmed with joy, Xu Xing decided to give her senior brother the few robes she had made in her spare time a few days ago. Then, her eyes lit up, and she said mysteriously, "Senior brother, I also have a gift for you. Can you guess?"
"Hmm..." Shen Du pondered for a moment, then guessed in a very cooperative manner, "A newly refined pill?"
"wrong."
"A magical artifact? Or did you make something delicious again?"
"None of them are right!" Xu Xing smiled and took out the few magical robes that had been imbued with spirits. "Look! Does Senior Brother like them?"
"...Vestments?"
"You actually gave him a robe to wear close to his body?" Chen Du was taken aback, his ear tips turning slightly red. Fortunately, he wasn't wearing a hair crown today; his long black hair was loosely tied up at the back, with strands naturally falling to cover his ears. He awkwardly looked away. "Did you make this yourself?"
"Not really. I bought a finished product from the Immortal Garment Pavilion, but I modified it quite a bit. I increased its defense, making it difficult for ordinary weapons to damage. I also added a metal-type spirit enchantment, so my senior brother can absorb spiritual energy better when practicing swordsmanship..."
The modified robes were not only beautiful, but also equivalent to a decent defensive magic weapon. Xu Xing kept talking about the benefits of the robes, and then quickly stuffed them into Shen Du's arms, eagerly anticipating how Shen Du would look in them.
Shen Du gently stroked the robes. They were made of the finest materials, very light and comfortable. His heart warmed slightly. Ignoring the words "Immortal Robe Pavilion," he couldn't help but wonder if his junior sister giving him robes she had made herself meant that she also...
Seeing that he didn't move, Xu Xing couldn't help but urge, "Senior brother, hurry up and change so I can see!"
"good."
Shen Du picked out a sky-blue dress and was about to try it on when she saw Xu Xing staring at her with bright, sparkling eyes, showing no intention of looking away.
Xu Xing stared intently, his mind wandering. His senior brother was tall and lean, and would definitely look good in it. Besides, he must have abs from years of sword practice...
Suddenly, a fog covered her eyes, blurring her vision. Xu Xing was startled. When her vision cleared again, her senior brother had already changed. The effect was indeed several times better than she had expected, and it was simply pleasing to the eye.
These robes don't require measurements; they naturally adjust to the size of the cultivator's body, making each one fit perfectly. This makes Shen Du appear even taller and more slender, with broad shoulders and a slim waist. Coupled with his cold demeanor, he is like a drawn sword, straight and sharp.
Seeing that Xu Xing remained silent for a long time, Chen Du pursed his thin lips and said uncomfortably in a low voice, "Is it inappropriate?"
"No! It's especially suitable for my senior brother!"
Xu Xing finally came to his senses and cleared his mind of the jumbled images. "Senior brother, I just remembered I have something to do, so I'll be going now. See you tomorrow!"
The two of them had already promised Mei Zihan that they would attend Qianqian's birthday ceremony together tomorrow, so wouldn't it be like seeing each other tomorrow?
"division……"
Shen Du was about to speak when Xu Xing suddenly ran away, almost as if he were fleeing in panic.
Her hasty departure prompted Chen Du, who never looked in a mirror, to conjure up a water mirror for the first time in his life, wanting to check if there was anything wrong with his attire...
Seeing Xu Xing hurriedly leave Chen Du's room, his cheeks flushed and fanning himself with his hand, Yun Xi, who was squatting on the tree with Yun Lan, had a tremor in her pupils. She had only been gone for half a day, what exactly had happened?
"Golden Serpent Guard?"
The Golden Serpent Guards are responsible for protecting the Golden Serpent Palace, the royal palace of the Serpent Clan. The lowest cultivation level among them is the Golden Core stage. Yun Lan, who is at the Foundation Establishment stage, was able to enter the Golden Serpent Guards purely because his innate supernatural abilities are very strong and useful in certain aspects, which is why he was an exception.
Hearing the voice without warning, Yunxi was terrified and immediately drew her spear. When she turned around, she saw that it was Fushuang.
Fu Shuang appeared under the tree at some point, her voice clearly reaching their ears, "With such vigilance, can she protect her?"
"..."
Yunxi was both ashamed and annoyed, and said unwillingly, "With your cultivation level, how many cultivators in the world could discover your existence?"
Yunlan warmly invited, "Senior, would you like to return to the Snake Clan with us?"
The Tiger Clan is now defunct. If their Snake Clan had such a powerful figure to assist them, perhaps their king could ascend to the throne of the Demon King!
"No need," Fu Shuang said coldly. "I will take her back to the Eastern Pole. You may leave now."
"Your Highness is a snake princess and will inherit the throne in the future. How can you stay in the human realm forever?" Yunxi was a little scared, but she still mustered her courage and said, "Even if you are Her Highness's master, you cannot control Her Highness's decision to stay or leave!"
"Inherit the throne?" Fu Shuang repeated the question indifferently, a mocking smile playing on her lips. She didn't take Yun Xi's offense to heart. As the white mist dissipated, she vanished instantly beneath the tree.
After watching her leave, Yunlan scratched his head and said, "Boss, I think Senior Fushuang is quite nice, not that scary..."
Yunxi was about to retort when she saw Chen Du come out of the room again, wearing a brand new robe. He looked quite respectable, no wonder His Highness could spend every day with him.
“Huh? He has His Highness’s scent on him,” Yunlan sniffed, “and it’s quite strong.”
"What?!" Yunxi was devastated, her face turning ashen. "He actually!"
Your Highness is still two days away from coming of age! Damn swordsman!
...
"Master."
On the west side of Lanze Island, Fu Shuang was quietly facing the lake when Chen Du stepped forward and greeted her respectfully.
Do you know about the Abyss?
"……Know."
The Abyss of Eclipse is located at the border between the Wildlands and the Demon Realm. It is the birthplace of demonic beasts and consists of forty-nine layers, each occupied by demonic beasts. The demonic energy there can devour everything. Every twenty years, the Abyss of Eclipse gives birth to new demonic beasts. Over time, this accumulation can easily lead to a demonic beast tide. The Immortal Alliance will summon cultivators from various sects to the Demon-Sealing Battlefield at the border of the Abyss of Eclipse to clear out the escaped demonic beasts and maintain the stability of the Spirit Martial Continent.
The Demon Sealing Battlefield is also a good place for cultivators to hone their spiritual power and consolidate their foundation, especially for sword cultivators, as the battlefield is the best place for them to refine their sword intent.
Shen Du originally planned to consolidate his early Golden Core cultivation before going to the Demon Sealing Battlefield, but this trip to the Demon Realm disrupted his plans.
"The next beast tide in the Abyss will break out in five years. I hope you will not go to the Demon Sealing Battlefield."
Shen Du frowned slightly, not answering immediately, but instead asking, "This disciple dares to ask, did you accept me as your disciple for the reason that..."
“Yes, but not entirely.” Fu Shuang understood the unspoken meaning in Shen Du’s words. “I do want you to become a great help to her, but it is also true that your Dao heart is firm, your swordsmanship is quite compatible with mine, and you are suitable to inherit my mantle. Since I have taken you as my disciple, I will naturally treat you equally, so you don’t need to think too much about it.”
"Master, you misunderstand. Regardless of whether we are from the same sect or not, I will always protect her."
Shen Du's voice was calm, "But I am only at the Golden Core stage. Only by constantly improving my strength can I better protect her, and the Demon Sealing Battlefield is the perfect place for training."
"I'm not stopping you from gaining experience, but not after five years. After that, you can go whenever you want."
Shen Du's eyes flickered slightly. He knew that a powerful figure like Fu Shuang could already vaguely see the secrets of heaven. Could it be that the Demon Sealing Battlefield five years later would be detrimental to him?
It was just that he wouldn't go in five years. Shen Du had just become a disciple and didn't want to disobey his master's orders at this time. After hesitating for a moment, he agreed.
"Master, I promise not to go to the Demon Sealing Battlefield after five years, but could you tell me who the woman who appeared with you beside Xu Xing today is?"
When Chen Du ventured into the fog on the deserted island today, he saw more than just Fu Shuang. At that time, Xu Xing lay unconscious in Fu Shuang's arms with his eyes closed. There was also a strange female cultivator with a very strong aura beside them, who was transmitting spiritual power to Xu Xing.
From the slight resemblance between her eyebrows and Xu Xing's, Shen Du had a vague guess.
As expected, Fu Shuang did not hide anything and said directly, "She is the Serpent King Sheng Qing."
It turned out that Xu Xing was indeed the princess of the snake clan. Shen Du knew he shouldn't have taken any chances. Although he didn't think there was any difference between humans and demons, sometimes the difference in status was like an insurmountable chasm, let alone between a snake clan princess who was likely to succeed to the throne and a human cultivator...
And even if Xu Xing doesn't feel a sense of belonging to the snake clan for the time being, what about in the future?
"So she really is the daughter of the Snake King? And you sent us to the Demon Realm not for the Guixu Secret Realm, but to let Xu Xing discover his true identity."
“She is about to come of age, and if she continues to stay in the Jade Cloud Sect, she will inevitably be unable to hide her identity. That’s why I sent her to the Demon Realm to spend this period and take back what belongs to her.”
"What?"
Shen Du's attention was drawn to the question, and he didn't notice that Fu Shuang hadn't answered the first part of his sentence.
"After her birthday, we will go to the Ruins of Return, and you will know then."
Fu Shuang said no more and her figure disappeared like smoke, leaving Chen Du alone.
After a moment of silence, Shen Du grasped the Xuan Yue Sword and swung it out. Ripples spread across the lake, and his chaotic thoughts were carried away by the sword's wind.
There's no need to worry about things that haven't happened yet. He only needs to hold his three-foot-long sword tightly, and even if she ultimately chooses to return to the snake clan, he will have enough strength to stand behind her.
...
The next day was Qianqian's birthday. Everyone on Lanze Island put aside their affairs and gathered together to celebrate her birthday. Minghua also came with the disciples of Mingzhen Island. Unexpectedly, Qingya Zi also sent his disciples to present a generous birthday gift.
The revelry lasted all day, from day to night. At night, Xu Xing sat by the lake, enjoying the evening breeze. His eyes, which had become hazy from drinking fruit wine, were smiling as he looked toward the bonfire in the center.
He Yue and several disciples were busy grilling meat, and the smell of burning meat wafted through the air from time to time.
Mei Ze and Ming Hua sat by the lake, vying to catch the biggest fish to celebrate their disciple's/nephew's birthday.
Xiang Di was dancing around the campfire with several puppet figures, his stiff and comical movements, even more so than the puppets themselves, drew bursts of laughter from everyone...
Watching all this, Xu Xing's lips never left her mouth in a smile. Chen Du, who was standing next to her, gave her some crisp and refreshing fruit, and they quietly watched the commotion together.
Midnight arrived quickly, past midnight. Suddenly, countless fireworks rose into the sky not far from Lanze Island, their brilliant colors exploding in the air. The smoke-filled flames fell onto the lake, blooming into golden lotuses on its surface.
Happy birthday, Xu Xing!
May peace and tranquility prevail year after year! May all your wishes come true!
The people who had been barbecuing or dancing by the lake suddenly stopped what they were doing and looked at Xu Xing, who was still in shock, with smiles.
Amidst the explosions of fireworks and the cheers of the crowd, Qianqian jumped up from the campfire, rushed to Xu Xing's side, and gave her a big hug. "Celebrating my birthday with you is the happiest day I've had in years!"
Several magical artifacts shaped like dandelions fell from the sky, each with a gift prepared by the crowd hanging from its end. The "dandelions," glowing with a faint light, floated in the air for a while before hovering precisely beside Xu Xing.
Qianqian whispered in Xu Xing's ear, "My gift is that green storage bag!"
Even the usually restrained Mei Zihan had a few drinks, his handsome face flushed. He smiled and said, "Xu Xing, why don't you guess who made these gifts?"
Minghua, who was "disrespectful to his elders," joined in the commotion, saying, "If you guess wrong, you'll have to drink a cup of wine as punishment!"
Xu Xing looked around, knowing that everyone hadn't forgotten her share while preparing for Qianqian's birthday, but she never expected it to turn out like this...
Blinking away the tears in her eyes, she thanked everyone and began to unpack the gifts brought by the "dandelion" around her.
The elixir, needless to say, must belong to Master Qingya Zi.
The wooden doll must have been given to Xiang Di, who loves making puppets.
The breast protector, shouldn't it be Mei Zihan? Ah! Wrong guess, it's Heyue!
Stardust Sand...
Sitting in the tree, Yunxi and Yunlan gazed at this place from afar.
Yunlan, who had long been envious and wanted to join in the fun, glanced at her eldest brother, whose expression was unreadable, and then, for once, had a sudden inspiration and said fiercely, "How pathetic! If we were back in the Snake Clan, His Highness's eighteenth birthday celebration would be a thousand times, ten thousand times more lively than this!"
"By the way, boss, what about the gifts we prepared? When are we going to present them to His Highness? Hmph! How can these other people's gifts compare to something so precious?"
Yunxi glanced at Yunlan lightly and said quietly, "They're also among the pile of gifts floating around Your Highness."
"..."
Yunlan gasped, his eyes darting around. He'd finally been "smart" for once, but he hadn't expected his boss to not be angry this time...
"Go if you want!" Yunxi kicked him off the tree, then followed him with light steps. "These Lanze Island disciples can't even grill meat properly, what a waste of ingredients. Let's go! Let them see the skills of our snake clan!"
Xu Xing, who had summoned several of her pet beasts to join in the fun, lay on Tuanzi's back. Her face flushed red from guessing the wrong gift, she turned to Chen Du, her words slurred, "Senior...Brother...Senior brother, drink it for me..."
"No, no! You can't go back on your word!"
Qing remained reserved by the campfire, accepting food from several disciples of Mingzhen Island who loved wild beasts. When no one was paying attention, he casually replaced the campfire with his own green flame, thinking everyone would like it. Little did he know that the eerie green flame that suddenly appeared in the night startled several timid disciples.
Yin Xue is quiet and gentle, silently accompanying Xu Xing. Her noble and beautiful appearance drew praise from Qian Qian.
Xu Xing laughed as she hid behind Shen Du to avoid being punished with a drink. As her gaze inadvertently swept around, she suddenly remembered, "Huh? Where is Master?"
Suddenly, a huge ice crystal fell from the sky, exploding into millions of pieces over Lanze Island. Silvery snowflakes fell one after another, leaving the Shuiyun Immortal Capital disciples, who rarely saw snow, in awe.
A disciple curiously caught a snowflake in his palm and was surprised to find that it was not a "snowflake" but an extremely rich spiritual energy. As the "snowflake" melted, a very strong spiritual energy also entered his body.
Xu Xing stretched out her hands and felt the cool touch of the "snowflakes" falling on her arms. Although she couldn't see her master, she knew that he was right beside her and had given her a beautiful snow scene.
After this "snow" passed, the spiritual power within everyone present, including Minghua and Meize, increased significantly.
After the two-day and one-night celebration ended, the drunken disciples were dragged back to their rooms by their still-sane fellow disciples, while the more thoughtful disciples stayed behind to clean up the area. Soon, the lakeside returned to silence, with only the two remaining in place, their long shadows cast on the moonlit lake surface.
Xu Xing's head was resting on Shen Du's lap, and he was sleeping soundly.
Shen Du looked down at Xu Xing, gently smoothed the stray hairs on her cheek, and slipped a pale gold bracelet onto her right wrist.
After gazing at her sleeping face for a long time, Chen Du whispered, "Happy birthday."
"...May you be as joyful every day from now on as you are today."
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Author's Note: This is Xu Xu's first birthday in both her lives [hugs]
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Thank you to He Xiaotu, Zai Shui Yi Hui, Xiao Yuan oo, Xue Zhu, Yu Qiu De Dao, 0822, Tu Yao Gui Hua Gao, Zhao Zhao, Yi Qier, Ling Shao Ning, Bai Yin Ling Zhu, Lan Ling Zhi Lei, wm Jin, Dan Mo Wen Zhu, Anonymous, and Ai Chi Pao Fu De for their nutrient solution! [Sprinkling flowers]
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