Kongming Bestows Treasure

Light Condensation Realm, fifth stage! Achieved!

Two beams of light, seemingly substantial, shot from Li Ping'an's eyes. Magic power surged within him like ocean waves, his entire body felt comfortable, his soul warm, and his vision sharpened, his spiritual platform clear and unblemished.

What kind of Master is a Heavenly Immortal?

Although Li Ping'an didn't understand two-thirds of what his Master preached this time, he memorized every word. They would be useful for reference when he reached corresponding realms in the future.

Before, it was like he was walking through a dark path of cultivation, holding only a dim lamp.

Now, the lamp in his hand burned brighter, and a lighthouse guided him forward!

He was about to soar!

Li Ping'an was overjoyed, but then he cautioned himself.

I'm only just now standing at the starting line with other inner disciples. I can't get carried away.

He decided to cook a few dishes to celebrate and show off his culinary skills to his Master.

Li Ping'an stood up, and his gaze was immediately drawn to something new in the stone chamber.

Below the character 'Dao', several wildflowers had been added, their yellow, white, and pink colors quite exquisite.

Li Ping'an chuckled.

He always felt his Master's mindset was even younger than his own.

Is Master not in the cave abode?

Li Ping'an's spiritual sense couldn't detect his Master's presence. He wandered around the cave abode and found that many places had been adorned with new flowers and plants.

These plants were sealed at the roots with immortal energy, allowing them to be stored long-term without wilting.

He changed into a different robe, put on straw sandals, and took out the '18-piece fishing set' he had made a long time ago but hadn't used yet. He planned to catch some spirit fish for the main course.

Li Ping'an left the cave abode and had just ascended using his artifact when he heard a voice transmission.

"Ping'an! Over here, over here!"

Li Ping'an extended his spiritual sense and found his old man hiding in the nearby woods. He descended rapidly on his flying artifact, the sword sheath.

"Dad, what are you hiding out here for? Come sit inside the cave abode!"

"Well, well, young man, you've become quite different after taking a Master, haven't you? Your cultivation is increasing so quickly!"

Li Dazhi chuckled, looked Li Ping'an up and down, clicked his tongue in amazement, and handed Li Ping'an several storage pouches, saying with a smile:

"I came over after seeing your Master return to Colorful Cloud Peak, to avoid any awkwardness if we met.

"These are for you!"

"Dad, I'm not short on resources right now."

Li Ping'an's spiritual sense probed the pouches, and his expression became quite varied.

These...

"Your father gathered these for you at the Cloud Nurturing Hall. Take them to show your respect to your Master!"

Li Dazhi raised an eyebrow:

"There's top-quality immortal silkworm cloth in here, said to be a favorite personal garment of female cultivators, incredibly hard to find. I got you two bolts.

"Those few brand-new immortal dresses haven't been touched; they were directly packed by the female immortals in the sect after they made them. There are also some snacks that the female cultivators of Colorful Cloud Peak usually like, and some small trinkets that female cultivators fiddle with.

"There are stewards in the sect who specialize in researching the purchasing needs of Colorful Cloud Peak. These should be things your Master uses on Colorful Cloud Peak. You two just came out, you can't let your Heavenly Immortal Master be mistreated."

Li Ping'an gave a wry smile, "Dad, you..."

"Ping'an, you don't know this, but your Master is also a rare immortal in the sect. This was also requested by her Master.

Li Dazhi patted Li Ping'an's shoulder and said earnestly:

"I visited Colorful Cloud Peak yesterday and chatted with their Peak Master and a few old Heavenly Immortals.

"Your Master is inherently very pure-hearted. She's an orphan, adopted by the sect when she was still in swaddling clothes. She started studying Daoist scriptures at the age of three. Because of her exceptional talent and comprehension, Colorful Cloud Peak placed great hopes on her, and she began closed-door cultivation around the age of seven or eight.

"As a result, she's only good at two things: cultivation and combat. The immortals of Colorful Cloud Peak feel quite indebted to her; they only wanted Qingxu to cultivate back then, and she didn't even have a chance to play when she was young.

"Simply put, Qingxu lacks life skills and doesn't understand social niceties very well.

"When the ancient ruins on the coast of the Eastern Sea appeared this time, she obtained a great treasure from within... I heard from her Master that they couldn't clearly identify what this treasure was, only Qingxu knows.

"Look, they didn't ask, and Qingxu didn't even bother to mention it.

"I boasted that my precious son has above-average talent, excellent comprehension, impeccable character, and is especially good at taking care of people. Anyway, remember to take good care of your Master, don't let her suffer any grievances."

Li Ping'an: ...

He was taking a Master, not getting married. It was only natural for a disciple to serve their Master.

However, judging by his father's words, the immortals of Colorful Cloud Peak were also somewhat uneasy about Qingxu suddenly taking in a disciple.

"Dad, my Master is actually very good. She takes good care of me."

Li Ping'an felt a surge of emotion.

Even though he had taken a Master, his father would still tirelessly fuss over him.

"Dad, don't forget about your own cultivation. It's not that I want to nag you, but your cultivation level is our true reliance within the sect."

"Ah, I know! Why do you nag me about cultivating every day? Don't I need to rest? Don't I need to cultivate my mind and body, and connect with nature?"

Li Dazhi grumbled a few sentences, then chuckled:

"I'll head back to closed-door cultivation after I deliver these things to you.

"Oh, and also, your Ancestor Master... my Ancestor Master, he was quite happy about you becoming Qingxu's disciple. This is a treasure he's bestowed upon you."

Li Dazhi took out two brocade boxes and stuffed them into Li Ping'an's hands.

One brocade box contained the Golden Immortal Life-Saving Pill that Qingxu had used before.

The other brocade box held a piece of cloth, which seemed to be a corner of a painting, emanating profound Dao rhythm.

Li Ping'an asked curiously, "Dad, what treasure is this?"

"I don't know either. It looks like a corner of some clothing," Li Dazhi shrugged. "Your Ancestor Master said to keep it safe and to meditate on the Dao rhythm on it when you have time. Your comprehension is astonishing, you might be able to understand something from it, which will definitely be beneficial for your future."

"Mhm," Li Ping'an nodded solemnly. "Thank you, Ancestor Master."

He chatted with his father for a while longer, talking about his Master's unreserved preaching style and mentioning the furniture that had fallen from the sky.

These past couple of days, Li Dazhi's mood had been quite complex.

That feeling was actually hard to describe.

Now that his son had an additional reliance, his own dependence on him had decreased significantly. It was as if a part of his most prized possession had been taken away, leaving him feeling a little unsettled.

But seeing Li Ping'an's cultivation advance by leaps and bounds overnight finally put Li Dazhi's mind at ease for the most part.

After a brief chat, Li Dazhi quietly slipped away, returning to the back mountain of the main peak to cultivate in peace.

Li Ping'an tidied up the items his father had given him.

He placed the immortal skirt and the cloth in his Master's bedroom wardrobe, then arranged the snacks and preserved fruits on plates in the 'leisure area' of the front hall.

After wasting half an hour, Li Ping'an finally arrived at the pool at the foot of the mountain. He put on a straw hat and began fishing without bait.

This was actually a new cultivation method he had recently devised.

After casting his line, Li Ping'an spread out a bamboo slip in front of him, using his magic power to wrap the slip and make it float on its own, carefully contemplating the obscure passages within the scripture.

Perhaps because the fish in the Myriad Cloud Sect were quite simple, a spirit fish quickly took the bait.

Li Ping'an felt a slight joy in his heart. In an instant, his comprehension increased greatly, and some of the scriptures he couldn't understand suddenly became clear.

He then continued to cast his line, waiting for a bite.

Every time a fish took the bait, a gentle ripple would appear on his spiritual platform, deepening his understanding of the scripture.

"The efficiency of this comprehension method is quite good."

Li Ping'an beamed, continuing to read the scripture until his spiritual sense detected a familiar silhouette floating towards him.

"Senior Brother Ping'an~"

It was Mu Ningning who had arrived.

A few ripples appeared around the fishing hook, and a spirit fish flicked its tail and swam away. Li Ping'an reeled in his line, declaring the day's fishing session over.

Perhaps it was because he had received the red string protective amulet, but when he looked up at Mu Ningning, Li Ping'an couldn't help but stare a little longer.

Today, she was wearing a short skirt and low boots, confidently showing off her straight, slender legs. Her delicate figure exuded youthful vitality, and her oval face was adorned with a gentle smile.

Her fair skin glowed, and her dark hair lightly scented the breeze.

"Senior Brother, are you fishing? You actually caught one!"

Mu Ningning picked up the fish basket and exclaimed repeatedly. Then, she frowned, staring at Li Ping'an's eyes:

"Senior Brother, have you broken through again? Why does it feel like your aura is so much more substantial than before?"

"It's because I've taken a Master."

Li Ping'an stood with his hands behind his back, adopting an air of a master, and said calmly:

"I didn't have a Master before, so my cultivation speed wasn't fast. I was only a little faster than you.

"Now that I have a renowned Master, my cultivation speed has increased by about forty to fifty percent. If you don't work harder, you'll truly be left far behind by me."

"It's not that fast!"

Mu Ningning pouted and playfully punched the air at Li Ping'an.

"Let's go," Li Ping'an took out a small flatboat. "I'll take you to see my new cave abode. Did my Master go to find Junior Aunt Qingxu?"

"I came here because of that,"

Mu Ningning suddenly remembered something and jumped to Li Ping'an's side. The two were less than a foot apart.

"Senior Aunt Qingxu went to ask my Master to refine the formation base for the sect's protective array. She asked me to tell you so you wouldn't wonder where she went.

"Senior Aunt Qingxu was quite happy, saying that you can do anything and that you dug a very beautiful cave!

"Senior Brother! Hurry and take me to see the cave you dug!"

Dig!

Li Ping'an's forehead developed a few dark lines.

Fine, if Master said to dig a hole, then I'll dig a hole.

"Haste!"

Li Ping'an brought his sword fingers together, and the small boat rose into the air, carrying Mu Ningning back to the cave abode.

As a result, without paying attention, a small half of the snacks and preserved fruits he had prepared for his Master were devoured by Mu Ningning.

After eating her fill of snacks, Mu Ningning sprawled out in a lounge chair, raising her arms in a cute, lazy stretch, inadvertently showcasing her still-developing, yet already considerable, charms.

Li Ping'an placed those few spiritual fish in the lotus pond, preparing to steam them when his Master returned.

"Senior Brother..."

Mu Ningning sighed, "It's so comfortable here, I don't even want to go back. It's so cool and refreshing everywhere."

"I've set up some simple formations to ensure the spiritual energy flows smoothly."

Having changed into a long robe, Li Ping'an strolled over and sat in the lounge chair next to Mu Ningning. He casually took out a book of anecdotes, but after a moment's thought, put it back.

She had complained a few times before about him always reading and ignoring her.

I need to pay more attention.

"Sigh."

Mu Ningning lay half-propped in the chair, her peach blossom eyes seeming to speak volumes, "Now we're really brother and sister."

"Hm? Were we not real before?"

Li Ping'an turned to look at her, their gazes meeting unintentionally.

Mu Ningning tried to read something into Li Ping'an's eyes, but his were always so clear.

She was already accustomed to this and said happily, "Your Master and my Master are senior and junior sisters, so we're practically siblings too. If anything good happens to you in the future, you have to think of me."

Li Ping'an laughed and chided, "You say that as if you haven't benefited greatly from me over the past two years."

"Oh, come on," Mu Ningning said seriously, "If Senior Brother gives it, can that be considered taking? Senior Brother, you're being too distant!"

Li Ping'an ignored her and took out the brocade box his father had given him, retrieved the piece of silk, and brought it close to examine it carefully.

Mu Ningning leaned over curiously. After watching for a while without understanding anything, she sat back in the lounge chair and continued to stare blankly at Li Ping'an.

"Senior Brother..."

"Hm?"

"When are you planning to find a Dao companion?"

"After I become an Immortal."

Mu Ningning was a little confused, "Why do you have to become an Immortal first?"

"First, you need to understand what a Dao companion is."

Li Ping'an put away the silk and said earnestly, "Broadly speaking, a Dao companion is a being who cultivates together. Nowadays, it often refers to Qi cultivators who have formed a marital bond.

"Regarding the latter, firstly, I need to maintain my Dao body's integrity before I become an Immortal. My own starting point is already difficult, and now that I've just gained momentum, I cannot afford any interruptions.

"Secondly, a Dao companion would distract me from my cultivation insights, affecting my comprehension of the Great Dao.

"The relationship between Dao companions is like a very delicate immortal herb; you need to constantly tend to it. With the long days of cultivation, it's easy for both parties to grow tired of each other, so... being unable to look away from each other is the most important thing."

Mu Ningning's pretty face flushed slightly, and she asked in a small voice, "How can one be unable to look away from another?"

Li Ping'an frowned, "Why do you have so many questions at such a young age?"

"I'm already seventeen this year! In the mortal world, I could already be married!"

"The mortal world is the mortal world, and the Immortal Sect is the Immortal Sect."

Li Ping'an fumbled in his embrace for a moment, took out a book, and handed it to Mu Ningning.

"Here, this is some of the cultivation insights from a True Immortal within the sect. Perhaps you can gain something from it."

"Alright, thank you, Senior Brother."

Mu Ningning raised her hand to adjust her hair, took the book, and flipped through it casually, knowing that Senior Brother Ping'an was deliberately changing the subject.

Li Ping'an didn't know if she was actually reading it or not, and continued to focus on comprehending the residual Dao rhythm on the silk.

He wondered what kind of powerful being this Dao rhythm belonged to. Its rhythm was both complex and simple, containing infinite mysteries.

Why would Ancestor Master Kongming bestow this item upon me?

Li Ping'an truly couldn't figure it out.

Mu Ningning played there for most of the day. When Qingxu the Immortal returned, she left, holding the book of insights that Li Ping'an had given her.

Li Ping'an stood up and performed a Dao salute, "Master, you've returned."

"Mm," Qingxu stared at Li Ping'an for a while, a hint of contemplation in her eyes.

Li Ping'an was a bit confused, "Master, what's wrong?"

"The disciple competition is coming up soon, and you're only in the Light Condensation Realm."

Qingxu put her hands behind her back, walked around Li Ping'an twice, a hint of hesitation in her eyes, and asked again, "Do you want to go?"

Li Ping'an smiled, "If Master wants me to go, I'll try. If Master doesn't want me to go, I'll stay and cultivate."

"Then go," Qingxu said, "After the competition, there will be a lot, a lot of spirit stones."

Li Ping'an blinked and asked softly, "Master, may I ask what rank you achieved back then?"

"First on the Heavenly Rankings."

"I've only been cultivating for three years..."

"I was thirteen years old then."

Li Ping'an immediately shut his mouth.

Qingxu thought carefully for a moment, then patted Li Ping'an's shoulder in a proper manner, and said seriously, "Your realm is too low, so reaching the top fifty on the Heavenly Rankings this time is fine; it's okay if you can't make it, I'll teach you combat well later."

"Your disciple obeys."

Li Ping'an answered listlessly, temporarily losing the desire to cook and show filial piety to his Master.

Qingxu put her hands behind her back, remembering the instructions from her senior sisters, puffed out her chest, lifted her head, and strode with firm and powerful steps towards her bedroom.

[Master's Dignity].