Tonight's Moon... Is So Round

Created a cultivation method?

Lingzhou Yue was slightly startled, ripples stirring in her chest as she remained unable to calm down for a long time.

Comprehending the Art of Resonance in a single day, slaying a Red Spotted Tiger with her sword in two days, achieving Qi Refining mid-battle in three days, creating her own cultivation method in five days...

If they gave you ten years, wouldn't you save the Dharma Ending Era? Could this be the talent of a god? Lingzhou Yue realized that this was the second time in her life she had been ruthlessly crushed in terms of talent.

Compared to that brief moment of matching brilliance last time, the gap this time was far too vast. There was no competing with the light, only looking up in awe.

Fortunately, this divine immortal happened to be her precious disciple, giving her a rare joy in the art of nurturing and toying.

Soothing the sudden ripples rising on her chest, Lingzhou Yue extended her jade arm, lazily propping up her side profile as she asked with a faint hum:

"You've only just reached Qi Refining, yet you can already create cultivation methods?"

Xiao Ran was well-prepared, answering at a leisurely pace:

"The Jade Maiden Heart Sutra was adapted on the foundation of the Art of Resonance created by Master, so I ask Master to offer your guidance."

Lingzhou Yue thought to herself that the Art of Resonance was not created by her, and Xiao Ran's mastery of cultivation methods far surpassed her own. If she offered wrong guidance, things would become deeply embarrassing.

She rebuked him:

"Adaptation is not random alteration. A Heaven Tier cultivation method is nearly an immortal art, leaving no room for modification. Rather than wasting effort adapting a Heaven Tier method, you might as well go create an entirely new cultivation method. There's no need for your master's guidance; I believe in your strength."

Xiao Ran smiled:

"Why does Master seem a bit nervous? Could it be that you can't guide your disciple?"

Lingzhou Yue's body tightened, completely losing her previous feigned laziness as she scolded:

"What do I have to be nervous about? I just want to see what kind of nonsense you're pulling!"

"Please, Mas--"

"What was it called again? The Jade Maiden Heart Sutra?"

"Yes."

"Just hearing the name tells me it's not a proper cultivation method. Are you trying to flirt? This is your master's specialty, exactly what I need to guide you in a bit... Ahem, how should I specifically guide you?"

Suppressing a smile, Xiao Ran extended both palms and reached them into the fog.

"Just press palms."

"Are you that reserved? Far too young, oh."

Lazily raising her jade arm, Lingzhou Yue pressed her palms forward to meet his.

She had a large frame with slender fingers, considered quite large-handed among women, and True Person Yinyue had often been taken advantage of by these very hands back in the day.

Yet Xiao Ran's hands were noticeably a size larger than hers, instantly making her once villainous white hands look delicate and frail.

This evil hand that had once wildly taken advantage of her master now gave her the bewildered sensation of being taken advantage of by her own disciple.

Good and evil ultimately meet their recompense, and the heavenly way runs in cycles. If you don't believe it, just look up—Heaven spares no one.

Suddenly!

Her palms shook, and a warm resonance transmitted across.

A wave of vibrating warmth passed from Xiao Ran's palm into her jade arm, swiftly gathering the medicinal power within her body and infusing it at a bizarre frequency into her Dantian and lower abdomen, nurturing her limbs and skeletal frame while driving away the excruciating pain she had endured for so long.

Before she knew it, a faint, delicate blush quietly crept across her pristine face.

Like a drop of watercolor falling upon pale, thin paper, it soaked through the surface in an instant, dyeing it with gorgeous, succulent colors.

In that very moment, she understood Xiao Ran's intentions.

The withered peach trees in the courtyard suddenly sprouted branches and leaves...

Lingzhou Yue wore a dazed expression, as if she had been transported back to her distant, youthful prime.

Waving her hand to disperse the thick fog, she looked up at the clear, flawless starry sky.

"Tonight's moon... is so round."

Xiao Ran looked up; the moon was waning like a sickle.

Congratulations, Host! Earned 5 Filial Piety Points!

Congratulations, Host! Earned 5 Filial Piety Points!

Congratulations, Host! Earned 5 Filial Piety Points!

Congratulations...

Day broke.

When the two of them successively finished bathing, changed their clothes, and walked out of the hot spring pool, Xiao Ran had miraculously harvested over fifty Filial Piety Points...

This greatly exceeded his expectations!

Turns out gynecologists always had it this good?

At the edge of Hundred Herbs Peak.

True Person Yinyue glanced at the state of the two and felt quite satisfied.

Especially when she saw Lingzhou Yue's warm lower abdomen, her elegant, unrippled, soft face flashed with slight shock, and she stared at Xiao Ran with a strange gaze.

A hundred words, a thousand phrases, and endless curiosity rested on the tip of her tongue, but in the end, she didn't say much more.

"Your master and I still have matters to discuss. You head back first."

Xiao Ran said respectfully:

"Yes, Senior Uncle."

At that moment, Chunwa and Qiuchan rubbed their sleepy eyes, walked out of the bamboo house, and seeing that Xiao Ran was about to leave, eagerly volunteered:

"Junior Brother Xiao Ran just finished the body dissection and hasn't fully recovered. His sword flight will definitely be unstable, so why don't we send him back to Sword-Wielding Mountain?"

"Very well."

True Person Yinyue nodded slightly.

The two girls giggled as they summoned their twin swords, placing them parallel to each other with a foot of space in between, stepping on the swords one behind the other like they were skiing.

Xiao Ran shook his head helplessly and stepped onto the pirate ship.

After the three of them headed south.

"Let's go to the Main Peak."

True Person Yinyue and Lingzhou Yue likewise stepped onto their swords in succession and flew west.

Along the way, gentle gale winds swept through the green silk hair and thin gauze robes of this pair of beautiful master and disciple.

True Person Yinyue felt gratified, yet could not hide a trace of envy as she said, "You've grown younger..."

"As if."

Lingzhou Yue gave a soft, reproachful huff, then casually retrieved the bamboo tube from her waist and gently took a sip of clear wine.

"Would Master like a drink?"

"Since when are you willing to share with me?"

"..."

Arriving at the Main Peak, True Person Yinyue handed Xiao Ran's constitution data over to the sect.

Master Boyun immediately presided over a brief internal meeting.

The five of them voted and decided to treat Xiao Ran's constitutional talent as a top-secret of Zongzhi Mountain, known only by the four elders and Master Boyun.

Chen Gongxing's evaluation report on Xiao Ran's loyalty and Dao heart was also delivered to the conference room.

After much deliberation, the five unanimously agreed—

Xiao Ran was entirely worthy of his status as the Direct Disciple of Sword-Wielding Mountain. In the future, he would become Zongzhi Mountain's new generation of strategic weaponry following Lingzhou Yue, and the sect ought to step up his cultivation resources.

As for Lingzhou Yue, because she momentarily channeled Bole and possessed the discerning eye to pick out Xiao Ran—this thousand-li horse—from the masses, while teaching according to his aptitude and finding him a suitable cultivation method that made his combat prowess fiercely formidable with three days of Qi Refining, she was likewise awarded top-tier Heaven Tier credit by the sect.

There were three rewards.

First, the total of ninety thousand spirit stones that Lingzhou Yue had owed the sect's crystal vault for the past five hundred years was completely written off.

Second, Sword-Wielding Mountain's monthly stipend was doubled.

Third, Lingzhou Yue was permitted to stop taking in disciples, allowing her to focus entirely on teaching Xiao Ran and helping him solidify his lifebound sword technique as quickly as possible, thereby increasing the success rate of the Sword Inheritance Assembly and securing a better lifebound sword.

Unburdened of debt, Lingzhou Yue slumped over the long desk and let out a long, luxurious stretch.

Ninety thousand spirit stones...

This precious disciple, I'm utterly smitten!

At that moment.

Still high in the air, sandwiched between the two girls while practicing sword flight, Xiao Ran felt a sudden jolt in his heart.

Congratulations, Host! Earned 30 Filial Piety Points!

"What's the situation? Could it be that Master has started brainwashing herself?"

Xiao Ran was baffled.

It wasn't just the upper echelons; the outer and inner sect disciples of Zongzhi Mountain were also in an uproar.

The disciple census had concluded, confirming that all handymen, disciples, and instructors within the Mountain-Guarding Grand Array possessed completely safe constitutions.

At the same time, Word Spirit Rings were implanted into the outer walls of everyone's Dantian, forbidding them from leaking matters regarding the Wraith and Xiao Ran to outsiders for the next ten years.

Disciples within the sect could not broadcast it outside, but they were free to discuss it internally, and legends of Xiao Ran began circulating everywhere in an instant.

Everyone had a different version of the story.

Some said he possessed true Great Emperor Potential, distinguishing him from Ye Fan's fake Great Emperor Potential.

Some said he was the Wraith Angler, attempting to summon the Wraith merely to slay it once more.

Some said he was the Savior of the Doomsday, holding back the collapsing tides and propping up a failing empire.

Some said that once talent reaches its absolute limit, it manifests as ordinary—that was the Dao being simple and returning to truth.

Some said that talent dropping to the absolute limit makes one a god, which somehow seemed to carry the meaning of "those who can answer every question wrong will inevitably answer every question right."

Aside from that.

Upon witnessing Xiao Ran's terrifying talent, everyone finally realized why the Sword-Wielding Elder hadn't taken in any disciples all these years. It wasn't because she was lazy, but rather—

This generation of disciples simply wouldn't do.