Reunion with Qin Shuang

Though several years had passed, the young woman had not changed in the slightest. She had only grown more mature and alluring. Her features were as lovely as a painting, her skin as smooth and lustrous as jade, and her slender waist seemed small enough to encircle with one hand. Her eyes, like pools of spring water, sparkled with lively charm and carried an enticing, mature allure.

The man seated beside her was handsome and elegant, with a refined air about him. He wore a white robe, and his clear, bright eyes were gazing tenderly at the wife beside him.

Yaoyao immediately cheered when she saw the two of them and threw herself into the young woman's arms. Giggling, she said, "Mother, look who I ran into!" As she spoke, she raised a hand and pointed at Xu Yang.

Xu Yang hurried forward and bowed. "This junior, Xu Yang, pays his respects to both seniors." He turned to the young woman and continued, "It delights this junior to see you again after several years apart. I must also thank you for the gift you gave me back then."

Su Ru studied Xu Yang carefully for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise, "So it's you, little Xu! I never expected that after we parted all those years ago, you'd become a cultivator at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining Realm. Your cultivation has advanced at a truly astonishing pace."

Then Su Ru turned to the man beside her and said, "Dear, he was the one who brought Yaoyao back to our residence all those years ago. He hadn't even reached the First Layer of Qi Refining Realm then, and now he's already at the Eighth Layer. It's truly astonishing." After speaking, Su Ru introduced herself and her husband to Xu Yang.

Qin Shuang had noticed Xu Yang as soon as he entered the hall. He had been wondering who Xu Yang was, but Su Ru's words now made the situation clear. He, too, was greatly surprised by how quickly Xu Yang had cultivated.

With a smile, he beckoned Xu Yang over. "There's no need for so much formality, Fellow Daoist Xu. Please, have a seat! I should be thanking you for bringing Yaoyao back to our home. As for the gift I gave you, it was only a token of my gratitude."

After Su Ru introduced them, Xu Yang bowed to the couple once more, then sat in the chair opposite them. Smiling, he said, "I didn't expect Yaoyao to still recognize me when I ran into her this time. I later went to Senior Qin's residence, but found that you were no longer there. By chance, I then joined Bailian Pavilion and began cultivating. That's how I came to have the cultivation I do today."

"I see. You're indeed fortunate, Fellow Daoist Xu, to have joined one of the three great orthodox powers in Yue Province. May I ask who your master is? He must have taught you well for you to cultivate so quickly," Su Ru asked curiously.

"My master's name is Qing Yuanzi. I believe the two seniors have heard of him," Xu Yang replied with a smile.

"Oh! So you're Senior Qing Yuanzi's disciple. I never would have guessed, Fellow Daoist Xu. No wonder your cultivation has advanced so quickly." Su Ru and Qin Shuang were both astonished.

The group chatted in the hall. Since they already had a connection from years before, their conversation flowed pleasantly. With Yaoyao beside them, playfully acting spoiled and making a fuss, the atmosphere was warm and cheerful.

Just as they were enjoying their conversation, Old Liu and a young man entered the hall and walked over. Everyone fell silent and turned to look at them. When Xu Yang saw Old Liu, he immediately stood and bowed. "Xu Yang pays his respects to Old Liu. It's been several years, but you're still hale and hearty."

Old Liu froze and looked Xu Yang up and down. Then his face filled with astonishment. "You're little Xu! You've become a cultivator?" As he spoke, Old Liu looked at Xu Yang with envy. He had no spirit root and could not embark on the path of cultivation. Seeing Xu Yang become a cultivator left him feeling intensely envious, as well as a little forlorn.

Seeing the envy and sadness on Old Liu's face, Xu Yang felt helpless. A spirit root was innate; there was no way to create one after birth. No one could do anything about Old Liu's situation. His remaining years were numbered, and perhaps this would be the last time they ever met.

Old Liu's circumstances also put Xu Yang on his guard. If he couldn't go farther along the path of cultivation, he too would one day become a heap of yellow earth, slain by time. At that thought, Xu Yang's resolve to cultivate in seclusion strengthened once more. The turmoil in his heart caused by Li Qingqing settled at once, and nothing could shake him anymore.

Xu Yang nodded to Old Liu, answering his question without a word. Seeing that Xu Yang truly had become a cultivator, Old Liu said enviously, "Little Xu, you're really lucky to have a spirit root. Unlike this old man, who was born without a fate for cultivation. You must treasure this hard-won opportunity!"

Xu Yang replied solemnly, "This junior understands. I'll always remember your words, Old Liu." Old Liu patted him on the shoulder and smiled broadly. Xu Yang's words had clearly made him very happy.

Just then, the young man went over to Qin Shuang and whispered something to him. Qin Shuang's long eyebrows drew together, and his expression darkened. Seeing this, Su Ru, seated beside him, grew solemn as well. Xu Yang was curious. What could have happened to leave two Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators so troubled?

Qin Shuang considered the matter, but could find no good way to solve Ling Feng's predicament. His expression immediately turned grim. Seeing her husband's face, Su Ru realized he had no solution and grew anxious.

Su Ru lowered her gaze to Yaoyao in her arms, her face full of tenderness, with a hint of pain in her eyes. Xu Yang could no longer contain his curiosity, so he asked Su Ru, "Senior Su, have you run into some difficulty? Is there anything this junior can do to help?"

At Xu Yang's question, Su Ru gave him a meaningful look and shook her head. Xu Yang was momentarily taken aback, then promptly fell silent. Qin Shuang then asked Old Liu to take Yaoyao away to rest. Though Yaoyao was reluctant, she didn't dare disobey Qin Shuang. Pouting, she followed Old Liu into the inner room of the cave residence.

After Yaoyao left, Qin Shuang's expression turned completely grim. He slammed a palm onto the stone table before him, shattering it into pieces. The atmosphere in the hall grew unbearably tense.

Xu Yang and Ling Feng stood to one side, too intimidated by the force Qin Shuang exuded to even breathe deeply. They stood frozen, not daring to make a sound. Seeing this, Su Ru immediately rose and tried to comfort Qin Shuang. At last, his expression began to soften.

Coming back to himself, Qin Shuang apologized to Xu Yang. "I lost control for a moment. Please forgive me, Fellow Daoist Xu. I'm truly sorry." As he spoke, he took Su Ru's hand and returned to his chair. He completely quelled his anger and regained his composure.

Hearing this, Xu Yang quickly replied, "I don't mind, Senior. There's no need to apologize. But may I be so bold as to ask what happened to make you so angry? Even Senior Su looks worried."

At Xu Yang's question, Qin Shuang glanced at him and considered for a moment before speaking. "This matter concerns Yaoyao. It happened like this..." Qin Shuang then explained the whole story to Xu Yang in detail. After hearing it, Xu Yang looked enlightened, and then a hint of delight appeared on his face.

It turned out that Yaoyao had extraordinary talent and was born with a Yin Spirit Root. Like Xu Yang's Void Spirit Root, it was exceptionally rare. The Yin Spirit Root had not appeared in the cultivation world of Yue Province for several hundred years.

Unlike the Void Spirit Root, which was scorned, the Yin Spirit Root was coveted. Once people learned of it, cultivators would often seize its owner and use her as a Cauldron. A cultivator with a Yin Spirit Root was born with a Nine Yin Body, making her the ideal Cauldron for cultivation and greatly increasing the speed of a cultivator's progress.

Several years ago, Qin Shuang had taken Yaoyao out to play when an enemy came looking for him and accidentally discovered Yaoyao's Yin Spirit Root. Driven by greed, the man tried to abduct her. Qin Shuang fought him for three months before finally killing him. He made sure no word of Yaoyao's secret got out, then immediately left Mountain City with his family and erased their tracks.

To protect Yaoyao, the couple had investigated the matter from every angle. At last, they discovered that several hundred years ago, a female Nascent Soul Realm cultivator in Yue Province had also possessed a Yin Spirit Root. Her strength had been unmatched, and no one in Yue Province could stand against her. By great fortune, they had even found the location of her cave residence.

Their inquiries revealed that the female Nascent Soul Realm cultivator had long since passed away. That cave residence was probably where she had died in meditation. It might contain her legacy. If Yaoyao could obtain it, she would be able to cultivate a technique that suited her perfectly. It would certainly include a secret method for concealing her Yin Spirit Root as well.

That would greatly increase Yaoyao's safety, and her parents would no longer have to live in constant fear. However, a Restriction had been placed outside the cave residence. Only cultivators in the Qi Refining Realm could enter. Any cultivator at Foundation Establishment Realm or higher who tried to force their way in would die without a complete corpse.

The young man was named Ling Feng. He was at the peak of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining Realm and had been Qin Shuang's childhood companion and personal attendant in the secular world. He had followed Qin Shuang ever since and remained utterly loyal. Earlier, he had entered the female cultivator's cave residence, only to be blocked by an enormous stone door. A Restriction was set upon it. All attacks—Gang Qi, Dharma Artifacts, Talismans, and the like—were useless. Only the purest physical strength could open the door.

But Ling Feng was a pure spell cultivator. His body had only been tempered passively by Gang Qi, leaving him far too weak to open the stone door. With no other choice, Ling Feng had returned here to report the situation to Qin Shuang.

After learning the whole story, Xu Yang lowered his head and pondered for a moment. When he looked up at Qin Shuang, he saw the three of them staring intently at him, ready to strike at any moment. Xu Yang was first taken aback, then immediately understood. He raised his hand and swore, "I, Xu Yang, swear to the heavens: if I reveal even a single word of this matter, may Heaven strike me down, and may I never be reborn!"

After Xu Yang made his solemn oath, the three of them visibly relaxed. A cultivator's oath could not be made lightly. Heaven watched their every move, and anyone who broke an oath would immediately suffer its consequences. Su Ru nodded to Xu Yang. "Please don't take offense, Fellow Daoist Xu. This matter is far too serious, so we had no choice."

Xu Yang replied with a smile, "Senior Su, there's no need to explain. I understand. The two seniors trusted me enough to tell me something so important. Of course I had to swear to keep it secret. Otherwise, I'd be betraying that trust."

With that, Xu Yang stopped discussing the matter and turned to Ling Feng. "Fellow Daoist Ling, have you tried using a Great Strength Talisman, a Mountain Opening Talisman, or other Talismans on yourself before pushing the stone door?"

Ling Feng shook his head with a sigh. "I tried, but it didn't work. As soon as a Talisman's power gets near the stone door, it's dispelled immediately. It has no effect at all."

Xu Yang immediately asked Ling Feng, "Then how do you know that pure physical strength can open the stone door?" Ling Feng replied, "There's an inscription beside the stone door. It explains everything clearly."

Xu Yang looked delighted as he said to Qin Shuang and the others, "If that's really the case, then this junior can give it a try."