The Kunlun Mountain Range, Jinling Cave Mansion.
Senior Brother Qiu Changtian seemed to be in a very good mood lately.
Even Guan Zhan, who had always been cold and aloof, had run into Qiu Changtian at the cave mansion entrance that morning. To everyone's surprise, Qiu Changtian had pulled him aside and offered a few extra words of encouragement about cultivation.
Chen Zhen and Zhong Tianhuai, those two sworn brothers, had once again whispered to each other below while he lectured on the scriptures.
He hadn't berated them as he usually did. He had merely smiled, leaving the two junior brothers feeling a chill creep up their spines.
"Could it be that Senior Brother has fallen into the snares of love?" Chen Zhen speculated in private.
"Who knows?" Zhong Tianhuai said suggestively. "Haven't there been rumors that Senior Brother likes Second Senior Sister?"
"The snares of love?" Guan Zhan said coldly from the side. "Senior Brother has a Clear Dao Heart. How could he be ensnared by love?"
The two could only smile sheepishly.
Still, rumors that Qiu Changtian and Xu Yinglian had recently grown "close" were indeed widespread among this generation of Kunlun disciples.
After all, to most Kunlun disciples, Qiu Changtian's image was simply too perfect.
He was handsome, talented, good-tempered, powerful, and held a lofty position. You could hardly find a single flaw in him.
They said that although he was the foremost disciple, he still went out to gain experience from time to time, helping other Kunlun disciples with their sect missions.
Whenever people asked why he helped, he would simply say, "We all hail from Kunlun. It's only right to lend a hand." His words moved everyone to no end.
He was so damn noble and upright.
With such an exalted reputation, among this generation of disciples, perhaps only Xu Yinglian could just barely compare to him.
This Phoenix Fairy was also exceptionally beautiful, gifted, possessed a peerless temperament, and had no shortage of strength. She also came from a great cultivation clan, the Xu Family of Tiannan, with a background so powerful it was downright frightening.
Even so, she still couldn't surpass Senior Brother Qiu.
But if anyone in Kunlun was worthy of Senior Brother, it was probably only Xu Yinglian.
And if Xu Yinglian could like anyone, it could only be Senior Brother.
That settled it, didn't it?
By the standards of Kunlun's gossip-loving crowd, Qiu Changtian and Xu Yinglian were simply a match made in heaven.
There were even rumors that the two had secretly been engaged long ago and become Dao Companions... though no one had ever produced any hard evidence.
Thinking of this, Chen Zhen and Zhong Tianhuai let their gazes drift toward Xu Yinglian.
She had just finished meditating on the scriptures and stood up, saying coolly:
"It wasn't me."
Huh? We hadn't even said it was you. Why did you assume we were talking about you?
The two exchanged glances, sensing something odd. They reached out to stop Jian Qingnan, who was about to leave with Xu Yinglian, and waggled their eyebrows at her.
"Little Junior Sister~ You've seen how Senior Brother's been unusually cheerful lately. Do you think something happened, huh? With your Second Senior Sister, get it?"
"With Yinglian-jie? I don't know anything about that."
Jian Qingnan looked confused at first, but then she caught on and said:
"I'm not the sort to gossip behind people's backs. Don't ask me. Go ask Senior Brother."
"I'm just worried Senior Brother and your Second Senior Sister might feel awkward," Chen Zhen said anxiously. "People caught in the snares of love are always a little muddleheaded, half close and half distant."
"Maybe they both feel something for each other, but if we ask and bring it out into the open, wouldn't that be awful?"
"Heh, how do you know so much?" Jian Qingnan stared at him with a sneer.
A moment later, she rested her chin in her hands and said:
"I can't say I've noticed anything ambiguous between them."
"But they often play the qin and xiao together in front of the cave mansion. They seem to have a certain rapport."
"Play the qin and xiao together?" Zhong Tianhuai and Chen Zhen exclaimed in surprise.
Music was beyond the two of them.
"What tune do they play? 'The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate'?"
"What? Do you want to join them too?" Qiu Changtian's voice came from behind them.
The two were instantly thrown into disarray. They turned around and stammered:
"S-Senior Brother, we were just..."
"Spend less time worrying about romantic entanglements and more time improving yourselves and bringing glory to the sect." Qiu Changtian spoke sternly, his tone grave. "If you've finished cultivating and have nothing to do, come out and gain experience with me!"
"Ah, well!" The two hurriedly came up with an excuse and fled.
As if! Who wanted to go out and gain experience?
What could you even get from going out to gain experience? Spirit stones?
They were all second-generation immortals. Even without support from their families, just the identity of "personal disciple of the Sect Master" meant they had never lacked spirit stones for cultivation.
As Chen Zhen and Zhong Tianhuai fled in a panic, Qiu Changtian turned to the others.
"I still have to practice the Sword Control Technique," Guan Zhan said tersely, then quickly left.
"I still have a volume of scriptures to read as well." Yan Zhitui smiled and rose to his feet.
"I..." Jian Qingnan was reluctant to leave Yinglian-jie, but in the end, she answered honestly, "Senior Brother Qiu, Qi Refining Stage disciples like us can only take on low-level missions when we go out to gain experience."
"And those low-level missions only reward us with a few spirit stones. They're no use to any of us."
"Qingnan, you're being short-sighted." Qiu Changtian spoke earnestly. "Don't always focus on the rewards!"
"Gaining experience means washing away the dust of the world and tempering your Dao Heart. You broaden your horizons and accumulate experience, while also helping fellow disciples and building connections. What's not to like?"
"Well..." Jian Qingnan couldn't refute that grand reasoning, but of course, it didn't convince her either. She could only stammer, "Senior Brother is absolutely right, but I still have homework to do. Next time, definitely. Next time."
She hurriedly ran off.
Qiu Changtian sighed, silently lamenting:
Truly, the world had declined and people's hearts had grown old.
Were the young disciples of today really so calculating? Why couldn't they have loftier ideals...
The Kunlun Mirror suddenly spoke up out of nowhere:
"If you weren't trying to use all those outer sect disciples who worship you to raise the synchronization value of your Invincible Persona, would you be so eager to go out and gain experience?"
"Of course!" Qiu Changtian declared righteously. "Don't forget, Senior Sister An over in Shu Mountain still needs spirit stones!"
The Kunlun Mirror: ...
"Junior Sister Xu, would you be willing to come with me this time?" Qiu Changtian invited Xu Yinglian.
"What exactly is the point of going out to gain experience?" Xu Yinglian lowered the scripture in her hands and asked coolly.
"That's something you'll have to figure out for yourself, Junior Sister." Qiu Changtian smiled. "If you think you can't grasp its deeper meaning, you can choose not to go."
"Heh." Xu Yinglian immediately sneered. "Is that supposed to be a provocation, Senior Brother? What a clumsy trick."
"A provocation?" Disappointment crossed Qiu Changtian's face. He sighed. "Junior Sister, you haven't even figured out why I want to take you along, yet you've blindly decided I'm provoking you. Don't you think that assumption is like a castle in the air, with no power to convince?"
"If your insight is only at this level, I'd rather you stayed here..."
A loud smack rang out as Xu Yinglian slammed the scripture down on the table, cutting off Qiu Changtian's pitying words.
"Senior Brother Qiu." Xu Yinglian maintained her icy, courteous smile and spoke one word at a time. "I heard you've recently practiced a Lightning Magic. I'd very much like to see it for myself. Would that be convenient?"
"I was just looking for a chance to demonstrate it to you." Seeing that she had agreed, Qiu Changtian immediately replied warmly.
The two said no more, simply smiling at each other.
Their eyes spoke volumes; they understood each other without a word.
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