Taking the Prudent Dao Empress as Master, Reward: Longevity Art

"Second Master?"

Xiao Yao stood there frozen, utterly unable to understand why his master wanted him to do this.

Dongfang Xuetong's delicate, pale willow-leaf brows knitted slightly.

Her disciple was usually quite clever—why was he becoming so dull-witted at a time like this?

"Disciple, why haven't you done as I said?"

Faced with his master's urging, Xiao Yao came back to himself and said, "Master, it's because I still don't understand your motive for doing this."

"Motivation..." Dongfang Xuetong murmured.

She actually wanted to say it outright, but if she did, Sister Susu definitely would not take Xiao Yao as her disciple.

Yet in truth, Su Tanmeng, whose Way of Prudence had reached its peak, had already seen through Dongfang Xuetong's intentions.

Using Xiao Yao to bind her down—she had to admit, it was a clever move.

But was making such a sacrifice truly worth it?

At least, Su Tanmeng herself did not think so. In her eyes, how could her Direct Disciple take another person as master?

Thus, Xiao Yao had handled this very well, while the Lotus Sword Emperor had handled it very poorly.

"Disciple, I'll tell you the motivation later. Go now—"

Before Dongfang Xuetong could finish, Su Tanmeng snapped sharply, "Enough!"

Her gaze then turned incomparably sharp as she looked at Dongfang Xuetong, like arrows piercing straight through the heart. Only then did she part her rosy lips again and say, "Dongfang, even your disciple understands this. As his master, why are you forcing your disciple to do such a thing?"

"Dongfang, This Emperor truly misjudged you! You are utterly unworthy of being Xiao Yao's master."

A faint mist of tears rose in Dongfang Xuetong's beautiful eyes, and her heart felt deeply wronged.

She had not wanted to do this either, but Xiao Yao was the only disciple Sister Susu had ever been willing to form a karmic connection with.

Once this village was passed, there might never be another inn ahead.

Back then, Sister Susu had told her that she would likely never have a Direct Disciple in her entire life.

Dongfang Xuetong had remembered those words to this very day.

Of course, if Sister Susu had not taken a liking to Xiao Yao, she would never have entertained such thoughts.

But the issue now was that Sister Susu had taken a liking to Xiao Yao. She was willing to stop adhering to her own Way of Prudence and willing to establish karma with him.

And that was her true motivation for doing this.

Just then, Dongfang Xuetong heard an incomparably familiar voice by her ear—bright and hearty, yet carrying a trace of youthful immaturity.

"Qingshan Gou Di, I won't allow you to speak about my master like that. My master must have her own difficulties in asking me to do this. She just can't tell me for now."

Dongfang Xuetong stared blankly with her beautiful eyes at Xiao Yao, who stood before her with his back to her.

This disciple was far too good to her!

Thinking back to the absurd things she had just said and done, she truly had wronged such a wonderful disciple.

She let out a deep breath, as though casting off every burden. Dongfang Xuetong looked at Su Tanmeng with a radiant smile.

"Sister Susu, you were right just now. The me from before truly was unworthy of being Xiao Yao's master—but wasn't I doing it all for you?"

Su Tanmeng was momentarily stunned. Her beautiful eyes shimmered as she murmured to herself, "For me?"

"Sister Susu, after all these years, Xiao Yao is the only one you've taken a liking to. If he doesn't take you as his master, do you think you'll be able to find such an outstanding disciple in the future?" Dongfang Xuetong questioned.

Su Tanmeng fell silent. She did not dare say that she certainly could; she even felt that, after ascending to immortality and entering the Immortal Domain, she might still be unable to find one.

Because Xiao Yao was simply too exceptional!

At only the peak of the seventh layer of the Sea Opening Realm, he already possessed three top-tier phenomena.

One had to know that, aside from being born with such things, one needed to cultivate to the Dao Integration Realm before gaining them!

"But even so, you still shouldn't force Xiao Yao—"

Before Su Tanmeng could finish, Xiao Yao's bright, ringing voice cut her off. "Qingshan Gou Di, my master didn't force me. I only wanted to know her motive."

"Weren't you absolutely unwilling to take me as your master before?" Su Tanmeng's peerlessly beautiful face was filled with confusion.

Xiao Yao shook his head slightly and praised her, "You're the strongest Great Emperor! Of course I've thought about taking you as my master, but I already have a master. I can't betray her."

"But... but if my master doesn't mind, I'm willing to take you as my master, Second Master!"

The words "Second Master" that Xiao Yao shouted at the end made Su Tanmeng's heart shudder violently.

More than thirty thousand years!

She... she finally had a Direct Disciple!

Although... although this Direct Disciple would not belong to her alone, she felt that sharing him with Dongfang was completely acceptable.

She raised her pair of trembling front paws and looked at them. Then Su Tanmeng abruptly realized that she was still in her Nine-tailed Celestial Fox form.

This would not do!

At once, dazzling white light brimming with divine wonder erupted from Su Tanmeng's entire body.

Judging by the outline, she had transformed from a beast form into a human one, and her figure was absolutely stunning.

Even though Xiao Yao had previously seen Su Tanmeng wearing that black string bikini, her form concealed beneath white light still set his heart surging and filled him with excitement.

But then Xiao Yao froze. Could it be that Second Master was still wearing a swimsuit?

Then Pagoda Master Sun and Pavilion Master Li would get quite an eyeful.

No, I have to stop this!

Just as he opened his mouth, Xiao Yao saw the glow around Su Tanmeng abruptly vanish.

It's over! Too late!

Second Master's graceful figure and exquisite curves were about to be seen in full by two men other than himself.

Yet as he thought that, Xiao Yao realized that Su Tanmeng was not wearing the black string bikini from before at all.

Instead, she wore a dazzling red ancient-style dress paired with a white robe of long sleeves.

There was also a white gauze sash draped over her shoulder and winding around the back of her hand, fluttering as though in a clear breeze—or perhaps under the influence of Su Tanmeng's power.

She looked ethereal and extraordinary. Xiao Yao felt that even a true fairy might not compare to Second Master.

Those ruby-like, resplendent eyes beneath her long lashes seemed to gaze at him with a hint of laughter.

Whoosh!

Her slender jade feet touched the ground, unstained by even the slightest speck of dust, so fair and exquisite!

The image of his Master, the Lotus Sword Emperor, surfaced in Xiao Yao's mind. He realized that if Qingshan Gou Di did not have those nine golden-orange tails swaying lightly behind her, she truly would be evenly matched with the Lotus Sword Emperor.

But it was not the Lotus Sword Emperor's fault for lacking big tails. It was simply because he loved fluffy, soft, big tails far too much!

"Xiao Yao! If you are willing to take me as your Master, then call me Second Master once more."

Seeing that Su Tanmeng's expression was solemn and her tone grave, with none of her earlier playfulness remaining, Xiao Yao respectfully raised his hands. With an equally solemn expression and grave tone, he cupped his hands and said, "Your disciple Xiao Yao pays respects to Second Master!"

Su Tanmeng's face was no longer solemn. An incomparably gratified smile bloomed across it, bewitching and overflowing with seductive charm.

[ Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing the mission: Take the female emperor of The Way of Prudence as Master. Received Great Emperor cultivation technique · Longevity Art! ]

At that moment, Xiao Yao was incomparably delighted!

Not only had he completed the mission and obtained the Longevity Art he had wanted earlier, more importantly, he now had another peerlessly elegant female emperor as his Master.

Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, everyone present appeared in Qingshan Gou Di's Great Emperor's Dao Field—the place Xiao Yao had previously arrived at and fled from.

Sun Weihao, Pavilion Master Li, and Society Mistress Song were instantly dumbfounded.

"Lord Qingshan Gou Di, we will not reveal that you have appeared, so why have you brought us here?"

Su Tanmeng's gaze as she swept it over the three was exceedingly cold. Her tone lacked the gentleness she showed Xiao Yao; instead, it was stern and icy. "Xiao Yao's duel more than a month from now is extremely important. The matter of This Emperor being his Second Master absolutely cannot be leaked, so all of you will quietly remain here for This Emperor."

"Otherwise, This Emperor will deal with you right now."

The three trembled all over and could only nod. Their voices shook as they replied in unison, "We understand!"

Zhuo Dongxuan and Dai Tianwei were naturally frightened as well, but seeing Xiao Yao here, they were not quite so afraid.

With a wave of Su Tanmeng's delicate hand, the five appeared in a secluded courtyard within the Great Emperor's Dao Field.

"For the next month or so, you will live here. Do not go out, and do not disturb This Emperor, the Lotus Sword Emperor, or This Emperor's Direct Disciple Xiao Yao."

The five could only agree. To them, being able to stay alive was already more than good enough; they could not ask for anything more!

After arranging those five, Su Tanmeng immediately changed her expression and looked at Xiao Yao with a smile like blooming flowers.

"Disciple, next I will pass on to you the quasi-immortal cultivation technique, Immortal Heavenly Merit. This is the highest-grade cultivation technique in this world at present."

"If we can find the Great Emperor cultivation technique, Longevity Art, it can even advance into an immortal-tier cultivation technique!"

Great Emperor cultivation technique, Longevity Art?

Wasn't that the reward for completing the system mission just now?

Why had my luck suddenly become so outrageously good?

An immortal-tier cultivation technique right from the start—taking this Master was definitely not a loss!