The Daily Life of a Couch Potato

Nuwa looked toward Fuxi. Seeing that her brother's expression had not changed, she realized that he might not have heard Qingxuan's inner voice.

So, does that mean I'm the only one who can hear Qingxuan's inner voice?

The last trace of doubt in her heart completely vanished, replaced by a weighty certainty and a faint, indescribable excitement.

Luohu, Hongjun, Zixiao Palace, front-row seats... And the tragic fate of the two siblings!

Fuxi's mind and heart were shaken. His blood and qi churned within him, and even the Dao Charm of the Innate Eight Trigrams deep within his Dao Heart nearly fell into disorder. He forcibly suppressed the exclamation that was almost about to escape his lips, his expression shifting unpredictably.

He used the Innate Eight Trigrams to inspect Qingxuan's origins and future.

The result was only a veil of mist around Qingxuan. There was no past and no future.

The backlash from probing the Heavenly Secrets left him seriously injured.

A vague sensation made him understand that Qingxuan's destiny was not recorded in the Heavenly Dao. He was an anomaly!

Nuwa also held her breath. Though she had already heard part of it, hearing "Dao-Devil War," "Luohu's burial," and "Hongjun reaping the rewards" again still made her heart pound with fear.

Perhaps the siblings had truly seized a chance to surpass destiny!

Seeing that Fuxi remained silent for a long while and merely stared at him with a complicated, unfathomable gaze, Qingxuan muttered inwardly.

[What's wrong? Did I say something wrong? Or does brother-in-law think I'm too weak and unworthy of becoming Master's disciple?]

[That can't be. I was only being modest.]

Qingxuan's strange look brought Fuxi back to reality.

He took a deep breath and tried to make the smile on his face look more natural.

The smile was inevitably a little stiff.

"Martial Nephew, you're too modest. The Great Dao is simple. Sometimes, words that seem shallow can still inspire profound reflection."

He paused, but ultimately could not resist probing him, a hint of testing hidden in his voice.

"You mentioned the conflict among the three races earlier... May I ask how much you know about the Western Land?"

His question was vague, but his heart began beating faster of its own accord. Luohu's headquarters was said to be in the Western Land!

The final battlefield of the Dao-Devil War was very likely to be there as well!

Qingxuan was even more confused.

[The Western Land? Besides Jieyin and Zhunti, those future Sages who'll go around freeloading and have skin as thick as Buzhou Mountain, what else is there?]

[Oh, right. Demon Ancestor Luohu is also causing trouble there right now, nearly blowing all the Spiritual Veins of the Western Land to pieces. What a disaster.]

[Come to think of it, after the Dao-Devil War, the Spiritual Veins of the Western Land will be shattered, leaving behind enormous Karma. That's why, after Jieyin and Zhunti become Sages, they'll desperately repay their Karma by poaching people everywhere, causing the Xuanmen to gradually decline after its great prosperity... Tsk, tsk, every link is connected.]

Boom!

Nuwa felt as if thunder had exploded in her mind!

The Western Land! Luohu! The shattered Spiritual Veins! Jieyin and Zhunti! The rise and fall of the Xuanmen!

The information contained in this inner voice was more terrifying than the last!

It not only confirmed that Luohu was in the Western Land and predicted the reason for its future barrenness, but also revealed the names of two unfamiliar future Sages. It even involved the rise and fall of the Xuanmen's destiny!

This was no longer merely a fragment of the future. It was practically an account of the workings of the Heavenly Dao!

Brilliant light flashed repeatedly in Nuwa's beautiful eyes. Looking at Qingxuan's seemingly respectful yet slightly bewildered face, a powerful urge surged within her: she absolutely had to protect him!

She could not let any other Great Power discover this ability!

For now, it seemed that only she could hear Qingxuan's inner voice. She would have to continue observing him in the future.

He was Nuwa's disciple and the greatest opportunity the siblings had ever encountered!

"The Western Land is said to be rather desolate. This disciple doesn't know much about it."

Qingxuan honestly answered Fuxi's question, though he was still complaining inwardly.

[Why does brother-in-law keep asking such advanced questions? Couldn't he show some concern for a junior's practical cultivation difficulties, like giving me a meeting gift or something...?]

"Cough, cough!"

Choked by this blunt inner voice, Nuwa coughed.

She understood now. She understood completely.

Although this rebellious disciple could see through the Heavenly Secrets, he apparently did not know it himself.

"Elder Brother, this is the first disciple I've taken. As his Martial Uncle, shouldn't you give him a meeting gift?"

Nuwa suddenly spoke up.

"Little Sister is right. I failed to consider it properly and asked about such vague, ethereal matters."

Fuxi smiled warmly, his tone friendly.

"You've just arrived, and cultivation is indeed fundamental. I happen to have something here that should benefit your cultivation."

As he spoke, Fuxi flipped his palm over. A jade pearl the size of a pigeon's egg appeared in his palm, its entire body radiating a gentle white light.

The moment the jade pearl appeared, the surrounding spiritual qi spontaneously gathered around it. Naturally formed cloud patterns slowly flowed across its surface, wonderfully mysterious.

"This is the Spirit Calming Dao Infusion Pearl. It was originally an Innate Spirit Jade embryo I obtained while traveling in my early years. I nurtured and refined it with Eight Trigrams Array Patterns for ten thousand kalpas."

Fuxi handed the jade pearl to Qingxuan and explained.

"Worn on the body, it can calm the mind, ward off the intrusion of external demons, accelerate the gathering of spiritual qi, nourish the Dao foundation, and offer some assistance when comprehending the Heavenly Dao. It is most effective for those in the Heavenly Immortal and True Immortal realms."

What a good thing! It was equivalent to a permanent low-level enlightenment aura, a spiritual-qi gathering device, and a mental-protection talisman all in one! For low-level cultivators, it was practically a dream treasure!

Even Fuxi had spent considerable effort and materials refining one.

A smile flashed through Nuwa's eyes. Her brother was being generous this time. This item was indeed suitable for Qingxuan at present.

Qingxuan hurriedly accepted it with both hands. It felt warm and smooth to the touch, and a clear current instantly surged through his limbs and bones, refreshing even his Primordial Spirit.

[This is a pretty good item. Treasures that assist cultivation aren't easy to come by.]

[Looks like I wrongly blamed you earlier, brother-in-law. You weren't here to test me—you were here to bring warmth!]

Hearing Qingxuan's praise, Nuwa forcibly suppressed her laughter.

Although the way he addressed him as "brother-in-law" still sounded a little strange,

it was countless times better than hearing that she was "about to suffer" or had been "tricked into crippling herself"!

"Thank you for your generous gift, Martial Uncle!"

"It's only a trifling gift. There's no need to mention it."

Fuxi stroked a nonexistent beard, displaying the bearing of a lofty expert.

"Since you've entered Little Sister's tutelage, you're family. If you encounter any difficulties in your cultivation in the future, feel free to ask me or your Master."

"Yes, Martial Uncle!"

[This is going pretty well. I've won over brother-in-law. Once my cultivation catches up, won't this Master of mine be unable to escape?]

Nuwa: This rebellious disciple.

Fuxi: Although... something seems off.

After giving him the gift, Fuxi asked Qingxuan a few more concerned questions about his cultivation. Only then did he use deducing the array formation as an excuse and depart as a streak of light.

After Fuxi left, Nuwa walked over to Qingxuan and pretended to speak indifferently.

"Your Martial Uncle is quite generous. Refine this properly, and don't disappoint his intentions."

"This disciple understands. I'll certainly cultivate diligently."

Qingxuan hurriedly declared his resolve.

[This boost is only slightly better than nothing. After all, I have the Primordial Spirit Gathering Array on me.]

[I only need to find a place to lie flat like a couch potato, and I'll be able to activate it.]

The corner of Nuwa's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. She forcibly restrained the urge to knock him on the head.

"Come with me. I'll arrange a residence for you."

"Yes, Master!"

After settling Qingxuan in, Nuwa went to find Fuxi again.

She told him about the inner voice she had just heard from Qingxuan, along with some of her own guesses.

Fuxi also told her that he had suffered a backlash from the Heavenly Dao when probing Qingxuan.

"An anomaly. What an anomaly."

Fuxi sighed. He now believed that Qingxuan truly possessed the ability to see through the future.

In the days that followed, Qingxuan settled down in the picturesque Dao Field of Fengqi Mountain.

Nuwa placed him in an elegant pavilion near a warm spring. Opening the windows offered a view of flying waterfalls and flowing springs, the fragrance of exotic flowers, and the clear chime of wind bells. The surroundings were simply perfect.

Qingxuan finally began living the life of a couch potato.

Nuwa and Fuxi would occasionally come to preach the Dao, explaining some cultivation fundamentals and insights.

Whenever that happened, Qingxuan always listened... Well, sometimes seriously, and sometimes absentmindedly.

[Master's voice is so pleasant, like heavenly music...]

[Master looks so beautiful when she's serious—sacred and inviolable, yet carrying a hint of gentleness...]

Every time Nuwa heard these inner voices, she felt both angry and amused. She was angry at her disciple's laziness, but amused by his strange thoughts and... occasional praise.

She found herself growing increasingly accustomed to listening to Qingxuan's inner voice. She even looked forward to what astonishing "predictions" or laughable complaints he would blurt out next.

Sometimes, she would deliberately guide him, mentioning certain regions or spiritual items of the Primordial World during her preaching and observing Qingxuan's reaction.

Qingxuan's inner voice never disappointed her.

[The Blood Sea? That old shut-in Ancestor Minghe's territory. Tsk, tsk, he's taking the path of killing the heavens, the earth, and all living beings throughout the Primordial World. How could the Heavenly Dao possibly let him become a Sage? What a waste of two excellent swords, Yuantu and Abi, and the Twelve-Petaled Karmic Fire Red Lotus.]

[Wuzhuang Temple? Another Innate Spiritual Root. There's nothing wrong with wanting to taste Zhenyuanzi's Ginseng Fruit, right? What a pity I don't know him yet. Ancestor of Earth Immortals, Equal to Heaven and Earth—too bad he's also an unlucky man. His friend Hong Yun was tricked to death...]

[The North Sea? Demon Master Palace's Kunpeng? The coward who lost his seat at Zixiao Palace and later betrayed the Demon Race? He has ability, but his character isn't great.]

Each of these fragmented inner voices brought Nuwa enormous gains.

Her understanding of the Primordial World and its secrets grew deeper and deeper. Some of them were mysteries even her brother Fuxi could not deduce!

She became increasingly certain that the disciple she had taken on a whim possessed immeasurable value.

As for Qingxuan, he was extremely satisfied with his couch-potato life, and his favorable impression of this beautiful and generous Master soared.

He would only occasionally mutter a few complaints.

[Life is so comfortable... It's just a little bland around here—I'm craving something. When can I finally have a proper feast?]

[When will the young ladies of the Phoenix Race come seeking refuge? It would be nice to have a little more liveliness around here...]

One day, while Qingxuan was lying drowsily on a bluestone beside the spring, Nuwa's figure appeared before him once more.

Her expression was slightly solemn.

"Qingxuan."

"Master?"

Qingxuan hurriedly sat up.

Nuwa looked at him and slowly spoke.

"I've recently had a feeling and wish to enter seclusion for some time to try refining an item. During this period, cultivate properly and do not slack off. If anything urgent happens, you may seek your Martial Uncle."

Qingxuan's heart stirred.

[Entering seclusion to refine an item? At this point in time... Could it be that the Innate Breathing Soil and Innate Gourd Vine used to create humanity are about to appear?]

[That's not right. The Innate Gourd Vine should emerge around the time of Hongjun's second lecture.]

[Those two treasures seem to have been obtained at Buzhou Mountain, right? Is Master going out?]

Nuwa's heart shook violently, and her pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

Innate Breathing Soil! Innate Gourd Vine! Buzhou Mountain!