Don't Mind Me! Seriously, Don't Mind Me!

The benefits of refining the echo were surprisingly tangible.

Once his Mana had gradually stabilized, Wu Ming carefully sensed the changes before and after, and was astonished to discover that this time, the refinement had increased his Mana by the equivalent of three days of hard cultivation—and that meant the kind of hard cultivation where he refined Red Cloud Essence-Condensing Pills with the Spirit-Melting Qi-Transformation Art at full power.

At first glance, it didn't seem like much. After all, a single Essence-Condensing Pill cost a few hundred Spirit Stones and could fuel a year of refinement. Three days' worth of loss would amount to only five or six Spirit Stones.

But even if he spent five hundred or five thousand Spirit Stones to find Nascent Soul pills or Spirit Transformation pills, then refined them with the finest secret arts, it would still be absolutely impossible to gain three days' worth of cultivation in a mere instant. Such a sudden increase in Mana would only leave Wu Ming sauce splattered all over the ground!

What's more, this increase in Mana was remarkably natural and harmonious. The moment it swelled, it resonated with the Inner Landscape Mysterious Spirit and strengthened it as well. At the same time, it invigorated his blood and qi, shook his bones and tendons, and even slightly benefited his Physique.

In short, Wu Ming now felt as though he'd really spent three days grinding through Gujian Sect's daily tasks—aside from the system's creative incentives, the improvement in every other attribute was more or less the same!

One day's worth of cultivation in the time of three days—such an acceleration was downright unbelievable. Any faster, and he might as well just unlock auto-clear and skip through life! If he could keep this up, day after day, he might even achieve Foundation Establishment in three years and reach the middle stage in five, replacing Si Qinglan of Luohuang Mountain as the number-one immortal maiden in Qiongzhou!

So what exactly were this Li Yao Echo and the Red Book?

"I can't tell you the specifics, and the three of you shouldn't ask. You only need to know that, while we're protecting you, there's a shortcut along the path to immortality—and the risks are minimal. That's enough."

The three fell silent for a moment. Liu Sanlang and Zhang Miao hadn't absorbed the Li Yao Echo, but from the changes in Wu Ming and the text they'd just seen in the Red Book, they could easily understand everything.

A shortcut this unbelievable had to be an inheritance secret of Luohuang Mountain.

So...

Yi Yi clapped his hands again and smiled. "Anyway, we've explored the Immortal Mansion and divided the spoils. That's about all for today's itinerary. What do you plan to do next?"

Liu Sanlang was taken aback. Seeing that Wu Ming didn't seem inclined to speak, he hurriedly said, "We'll naturally follow the envoy's instructions."

Yi Yi shook his head and said solemnly, "Just call me Yi Yi. In fact, I sincerely recommend that Third Young Master use clear forms of address more often in the future, instead of substitutes that might be confused with other people... Also, we'll only demand strict obedience when we're protecting you. At other times, we won't interfere with your freedom, let alone give you orders."

"Whether you put in a little more effort and cultivate harder, or relax and strike a balance between work and rest, it all depends on how you feel. You can even stay at the White Jade Pavilion and lie around sleeping all day. Just let us know when you decide to enter the Immortal Mansion."

"However, we came here with a mission, so we can't slack off for too long... Three days. We have to explore an Immortal Mansion at least once within three days. That's the only time limit. Other than that, we'll stay by your side and protect you until we've used up our three chances to save your lives."

With that, Yi Yi's easygoing smile returned.

"Still, though I have no orders for you, if you want my advice, I can recommend a few decent taverns in town."

"Haha, I was just about to ask you, Big Brother Yi!"

After a lavish feast that left everyone thoroughly satisfied, host and guests went their separate ways.

After gaining firsthand experience in an Immortal Mansion, the cultivators from Luohuang Mountain had clearly developed a fair amount of trust in Wu Ming and the others. Amid the clinking cups and lively conversation at the table, they shared quite a few useful insights.

For example, the reason they insisted on dividing everyone into pairs from the start was a lesson learned from numerous tragic incidents: once too many people in a group started talking, everyone's attention inevitably became unevenly divided. Then the people who attracted less attention would naturally be ignored by everyone... until, at last, they suddenly realized: how had a Li Yao gotten into their group!?

For another example, their show of force at the first meeting had really been a necessary evil. After working as Immortal Guiding Envoys for a long time, they'd seen too many overconfident, stubborn people, as well as too many people with unrealistic expectations of an Immortal Guiding Envoy's abilities... Every time, it inevitably ended in tragedy. So rather than struggle to get along at first, it was better to borrow Luohuang Mountain's reputation and make the other party obey from the outset. That way, everyone could actually feel more comfortable afterward.

And another example...

They also shared some stories about themselves. For example, Yi Yi wasn't actually called Yi Yi, and Han Gang and He Lu were codenames too. But when exploring an Immortal Mansion, concise codenames were more useful than real names.

For another example, although they weren't official Immortal Guiding Envoys, they were only a hair's breadth away from being the real thing. But in a first-rank immortal sect like Luohuang Mountain, a hair's breadth was the difference between heaven and earth. Outsiders only knew that the immortal mountains rose so high they could reach the heavens, but they didn't know that every person who reached the heavens had climbed over countless defeated foes' skulls to get there.

And another example...

As the three of them returned to the White Jade Pavilion under the cover of night, Liu Sanlang couldn't help but sing a lilting Immortal Wandering Tune. Zhang Miao hummed along beside him, providing the melody, and seemed just as delighted.

Wu Ming nodded. "Then I won't interrupt you two while you start a band for the rest of your lives."

With that, he went to find a quiet room to prepare for his evening study session.

He hadn't read today's Human Emperor Scroll study guide yet. With his Mana surging right now, he ought to be able to memorize a few more characters... Then he could brew up a new theory of human principles that Zheng Lingxi could understand, and find a chance to send it back for his Eldest Senior Sister to review.

Seeing Wu Ming about to leave, Liu Sanlang hurriedly stopped singing and said with a bitter smile, "We've had such a happy occasion today, Brother Wu. You still don't plan to take a break?"

Wu Ming looked at him strangely. "When something happy happens, shouldn't I celebrate by doing an extra update?"

"..." Liu Sanlang was struck speechless. In the end, he could only sigh. "Brother Wu, with your temperament and diligence, you deserve any Immortal Fate! Compared with you, the rest of us have truly been far too lax."

"Not at all. You didn't gain a Li Yao Echo today, so there's no need for you to celebrate the way I do."

"..."

"So next time we run into something like this, use my Dharma Sword to finish it off."

Liu Sanlang was startled. "But..."

Wu Ming smiled. "I'll go to my evening study session, then. See you in the morning."

As he watched Wu Ming's calm figure gradually disappear into the distance, Liu Sanlang remained silent for a long time. At last, he bowed deeply, his hands nearly touching the ground.

Then he heard Zhang Miao muttering softly beside him, "Don't mind me. You two being happy together is all that matters..."

Liu Sanlang nearly fell to his knees.

While the three youngsters then entered the courtyard and returned to their rooms, each lost in thought, brimming with excitement, or settling down for a peaceful study session...

Not far behind them, several cultivators from Luohuang Mountain clicked their tongues in amazement at what they'd just witnessed.

Han Gang praised him in a low voice. "What a kid. He even dared to lend out the Taiyi Dharma Sword! No wonder he became the Zhuoquan Dao Seed with a heart like that!"

Yi Yi laughed. "The sword has already recognized its master. Lending it temporarily is no big deal."

Han Gang turned and asked, "Would you have lent it out?"

Yi Yi pondered for a moment, then shook his head with a rueful smile. "Even if Liu Qi offered me his fiancée as collateral, I'd never do it! After all, even a sentient object could be stolen through oath-breaking... I don't want to take even a one-percent risk."

He Lu said, "Maybe he thinks that with us around, we'd never let the Liu Family take it by foul means?"

Han Gang asked, "But why would he trust us?"

He Lu replied, "Even if he doesn't trust Luohuang Mountain, he came into the Immortal Mansion with us. He's put his life and fortune in our hands already. What difference does trust make?"

Han Gang asked again, "If it were you, would you trust someone enough to hand them your Dharma Sword?"

He Lu pondered for a long time, then admitted dejectedly, "Absolutely not!"

Han Gang said, "So in the end, it's because this kid has an extraordinary character. And the trust between those three is exceptionally precious, too. By all rights, the three of them should be sworn enemies, yet now they seem ready to live and die together."

He Lu smiled. "Heh, children are always simple in the way they do things."

Han Gang asked, "And do you prefer a world that's more simple, or more complicated?"

He Lu fell silent.

Yi Yi suddenly clapped his hands in realization. "I get it. You mean that it's rare to meet three such admirable youngsters in this remote corner of the world, and we adults should show them a little appreciation?"

Han Gang nodded. "Tomorrow, I plan to take them to Qingjing Lake."

Yi Yi was stunned. "...?"

He Lu was also astonished. "That lake is one of the most dangerous places in the outer region! Even if it were just us, it'd still be risky. And you want to take three kids there?"

Han Gang said, "We'll just form the Five Extremes Mysterious Steel Array."

Yi Yi looked shocked. "Do we really need to go that far?"

Han Gang said coldly, "Otherwise, are you really planning to spend ten years in this backwater, playing bodyguard for a bunch of stupid sons from wealthy local families?"

With that, Han Gang took out a blood-red jade token. "I'm willing to stake this one."

The other two fell silent.

Yi Yi clapped his hands and shook his head. "...Since you put it that way, do we even have a choice? Fine. Qingjing Lake it is. After all, we don't have much time left with those three youngsters."