Chapter 658: A Satisfied Peak Master Lingxi

With that, she slowly rose to her feet, her robes fluttering gently in the night breeze. Her gaze fell upon Yang Jing, filled with a touch of relief. “I was worried you might grow despondent after losing the contest for the top prospect. As it turns out, your will is more resilient than I anticipated. I see I was worried for nothing.”

She paused for a moment before continuing, “I can see that unwavering confidence in your eyes. On the path of the Martial Dao, confidence is the sharpest blade for clearing a path through the thorns. Only by believing in yourself without a shred of doubt can you travel far along this perilous road.”

As her voice faded, Bai Bing slowly turned her head to gaze at the hazy, moon-drenched mountains in the distance. Her voice was soft, yet tinged with gravity. “But if you let fear take root in your own heart and lack confidence, what great achievements could you possibly hope for?”

Yang Jing remained bowed, listening with an expression of utmost respect, engraving his master’s every word into his heart.

Bai Bing retracted her gaze and looked back at Yang Jing, her tone growing more solemn. “Chaos is brewing in the Jianghu. The Demon Sect shows signs of a resurgence, stirring restlessly in the shadows, and the world is becoming increasingly unstable. You must break through to the Qi Absorption Realm as soon as possible. Only then will you have enough power to protect yourself when you venture out and avoid being helpless prey for others.”

Upon hearing this, Yang Jing’s expression immediately turned grave. He raised his head, looked at Bai Bing with a determined gaze, and nodded solemnly. “I will remember Master’s teachings. I will cultivate with all my might to break through as soon as possible and will not disappoint your earnest expectations!”

Seeing his resolve, a faint smile finally graced Bai Bing’s exquisitely beautiful and aloof face, like an ice lotus blooming quietly on a snow-capped peak—pure, stunning, and captivating.

She nodded lightly and uttered a single word: “Good.”

As soon as the word left her lips, Bai Bing turned and stepped out of the stone pavilion. Her figure lifted gracefully, as if riding the wind. Clad in robes whiter than snow, she looked like a Banished Immortal gracing the mortal world under the hazy moonlight.

Her figure drifted farther and farther away, crossing the mountain forest in just a few bounds. She became a white afterimage that vanished deep into the moon-drenched woods, leaving only a faint, clean fragrance lingering in the air.

Yang Jing stared in the direction his master had departed, not moving for a long time. His heart felt more at ease than ever, but it was also filled with a profound sense of curiosity and awe for his master’s true power.

‘That Body Technique… a single step covers dozens of yards. It’s almost no different from flying. Even a celestial maiden under the moon would be no more graceful.’

‘My master’s cultivation realm must have reached an unimaginable height long ago.’

…

「The next day, in the afternoon.」

In a courtyard halfway up Celestial Derivation Peak, Chu Yunhai had just finished an exquisite meal delivered by a serving girl. He now stood in the courtyard, eyes closed in concentration, mentally reviewing the techniques for using his War Body that his master, the Celestial Derivation Peak Master, had taught him that morning.

Ever since becoming the Xuanzhen Sect’s top prospect, the sect’s Cultivation Resources had been flooding toward him like a tidal wave.

Grade-A Training Rooms were open to him around the clock, the supply of Exotic Beast Musk Aroma was endless, and high-grade Elixirs and Body Tempering Spirit Liquids were never in short supply.

Even his master, the Celestial Derivation Peak Master, had begun to set aside more time to personally guide his cultivation.

Although the Celestial Derivation Peak Master did not possess a special constitution himself, his cultivation was profound and his knowledge vast. He could always offer a high-level perspective, pointing out bottlenecks and pitfalls in Chu Yunhai’s War Body training and helping him achieve ever-greater mastery over it.

‘Before,’ Chu Yunhai mused, ‘I would have considered it an extravagant hope just to break through to the Qi Absorption Realm before the next Golden Terrace Grand Competition.’

‘But now, with this massive influx of resources and my master’s careful guidance, I can feel myself improving at an incredible rate.’

‘My Inner Qi is growing more condensed, and the potential of my War Body is constantly being unlocked. At this rate, I might break through to the Qi Absorption Realm in less than six months and truly join the ranks of the Xuanzhen Sect’s most elite disciples.’

Just as he was immersed in his cultivation insights, a sudden KNOCK KNOCK from the courtyard gate shattered his train of thought.

Chu Yunhai’s brows furrowed slightly, a flicker of displeasure stirring within him. He strode toward the courtyard gate and pulled the heavy wooden door open from the inside.

The moment the gate opened, he saw none other than Yuwen Mingjue standing outside, a deliberately fawning smile plastered on his face.

Chu Yunhai’s brows knitted even tighter, a flash of impatience in his eyes. “What are you doing here?” he asked coldly.

‘The man is insidious, cunning, and petty,’ he thought, ‘nothing more than a sycophantic opportunist.’

‘The only reason I bothered feigning civility with him before was to get the Divine Flame Fruit from the Yuwen Clan. Now that I have it, I can’t be bothered with an Inner Strength Disciple like him, who hasn’t even condensed his Inner Qi.’

The smile on Yuwen Mingjue’s face didn’t falter. He bowed respectfully and said, “Senior Brother Chu, I have come today at the behest of my clan’s patriarch to report something to you.”

Hearing this, Chu Yunhai’s tightly knitted brow relaxed slightly.

‘In any case, I did owe the Yuwen Clan a favor for helping me get the Divine Flame Fruit. If their patriarch personally sent him with a message, turning him away now would make me look petty.’

After a moment’s consideration, Chu Yunhai stepped aside, clearing the way. “Come in,” he said flatly to Yuwen Mingjue.

Yuwen Mingjue quickly bowed his thanks to Chu Yunhai, a subservient smile on his face, and hurried into the courtyard.

His gaze instinctively swept over the spacious courtyard, which had recently been assigned exclusively to Chu Yunhai on Celestial Derivation Peak.

Paved with stone paths and adorned with elegant pavilions, every detail reflected the exalted treatment afforded to the sect’s top prospect. A flash of envy flickered in his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it, not daring to let it show.