The Mysterious Grandfather and Grandson

A powerful mountain gale blew, causing the youth to shiver violently as a chill seeped into his very bones.

This place was no place to linger!

The beast tide was currently at its most ferocious; a powerful demonic beast could appear at any moment. With his Senior Sister unconscious and unable to fight, and his own cultivation still shallow, he lacked the strength to contend with high-level beasts.

Chen Changming adjusted his clothes, strapped his Senior Sister onto his back, and secured her tightly with two vines before sprinting toward the edge of the mountain.

He unleashed the Dragon Glide Step, moving with the speed of a shooting star.

This was the first time Chen Changming had pushed the Dragon Glide Step to its absolute limit within Cloud Mist Mountain. With terrifying speed, he wove through battlefield after battlefield, bypassing one demonic beast after another.

"Hmm? Is Luo Lan injured? How is this brat moving so fast?"

Qin Changtian, currently locked in combat with two demonic beasts, caught a fleeting glimpse of a figure streaking past in the distance, and his heart skipped a beat.

He recognized the figure.

It was the outer sect disciple Chen Changming, carrying Luo Lan on his back, fleeing for his life.

"This brat... he really was hiding his true strength..."

Qin Changtian offered a cold, thin smile. His gaze darkened, and a flash of killing intent flickered in his eyes.

Had he not been so tightly entangled by the two beasts, leaving him unable to spare any effort, he would likely have taken this opportunity to eliminate a potential threat to his future prospects.

"I must prioritize my own survival for now. I will deal with this after returning to the sect..."

In that moment, the top prodigy of the Lingxiao Sect made his choice.

Relying on the Dragon Glide Step at full throttle, the full might of the Lingxiao Sword Technique, and the occasional use of his hidden trump card, the Spirit Finger Flick, the youth escaped the Cloud Mist Mountain beast tide without further incident.

Once he reached the plains, he dared not stop. He ran wildly for a thousand miles until the dead of night. When his internal spirit energy had dwindled to less than a fifth, he finally found a dilapidated Mountain God Temple on a small hill and ducked inside.

Haa... haa...

The youth panted heavily, drenched in sweat, his chest heaving. A thousand-mile sprint was a massive burden on his body, and coupled with his minor injuries, he felt as though he were reaching his limit, even with a sliver of spirit energy remaining.

After spreading out some weeds to make a bed, Chen Changming laid his Senior Sister down and quickly built a fire for warmth.

As the flames roared to life, the color began to return to his Senior Sister's pale face.

Seeing this, the youth let out a sigh of relief.

As long as Senior Sister is alright...

He sat cross-legged and began to circulate the Evergreen Art to replenish his spirit energy.

Whoosh... The spirit energy surrounding the ruined temple seemed to be guided by some unseen force, rushing toward him in a frenzy, pouring into his body like a hundred rivers returning to the sea.

The sight was somewhat alarming.

Chen Changming sensed that something was amiss. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the vast majority of the spirit energy was being absorbed by the small silver insect on his chest.

"What kind of spirit insect is this? It only has the strength of the first level of Qi Refining, yet its ability to absorb spirit energy is this terrifying..."

His expression shifted, but he could not fathom the mystery behind it.

Since he couldn't figure it out, he simply stopped trying and continued practicing the Evergreen Art.

Two hours later.

Chen Changming opened his eyes, feeling refreshed, and stood up.

His dantian's spirit energy had fully recovered. Feeling hungry, he decided to cook some spirit rice porridge.

He took a pot from his Storage Bag, fetched some water from a nearby stream, added the spirit rice, and set it over the fire. Before long, the fragrance of rice filled the small temple.

Most of the spirit rice Chen Changming had harvested last time was Mid-grade Spirit Rice. He had kept the hundreds of thousands of catties in his Storage Bag rather than selling them.

This was his final strategic reserve.

He would not easily part with it unless he was at death's door; having a surplus of rice always brought him peace of mind.

The sky remained dark. Without warning, black clouds gathered and a fierce wind began to howl. A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the wilderness and startling the birds in the surrounding forests, which scattered in a flurry of wings.

Chen Changming added more firewood, and the flames grew brighter.

In the dancing firelight, Luo Lan's complexion looked increasingly rosy. Her wounds had scabbed over, and her breathing was steady and rhythmic.

"Senior Sister, you'll likely wake up before long."

Chen Changming felt a weight lift from his heart. He glanced at the porridge in the pot and a smile touched his lips.

The porridge was ready.

Whoosh...

At that moment, a torrential downpour began.

"Cough, cough... what fragrant porridge..."

Amidst the sound of the rain, an old man's voice rang out clearly. There were no footsteps, yet Chen Changming watched as an old man and a young child slowly walked into the ruined temple.

The old man wore simple, plain cloth robes, much like a peasant from the mortal world. Despite the torrential rain outside, he was completely dry, not a single drop of water touching him, not even on the soles of his shoes.

His expression was gentle, and he exuded no aura whatsoever, appearing entirely like an ordinary person.

"This is an expert."

Chen Changming's pupils constricted, and his heart tightened with tension.

The old man in plain clothes gazed at the iron pot over the campfire, his nose twitching as a look of intoxication spread across his face. He muttered, "To think that one could eat Mid-grade Spirit Rice in a place like this..."

"Grandpa, I'm already sick of eating High-grade Spirit Rice."

The little girl, whose hand was held by her grandfather, wrinkled her delicate nose and looked to the side in annoyance.

This little girl looked to be only six or seven years old. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also incredibly adorable; her pair of eyes, brimming with spirit, matched with those small red lips, gave her a stunning appearance.

To be this beautiful at such a young age—if she grew up, she would likely become a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms.

Surprisingly, this little girl was also at the third level of Qi Refining, the same cultivation level as Chen Changming.

High-grade Spirit Rice?

Hearing the girl's words, a chill instinctively ran down Chen Changming's spine. Just what kind of big shots were these people, to be sick of even High-grade Spirit Rice?

"Xiu'er, we are traveling the world to endure some hardships and temper our Dao hearts. You've been out for so long and haven't changed in the slightest; Grandpa is truly heartbroken..."

The old man in plain clothes sighed.

The little girl panicked upon hearing this, waving her hands and saying pitifully, "Grandpa, I'll listen to you. I can eat this Mid-grade Spirit Rice too."

"Good."

The old man in plain clothes smiled, led his granddaughter by the hand to the campfire, and looked at the youth, asking, "Young man, could you spare us a bite to eat?"

"Senior, how could I refuse?"

Chen Changming gave a wry smile and hurriedly took a few porcelain bowls from his Storage Bag, filled two, and handed them over with both hands.

The old man before him was unfathomable, and he couldn't afford to offend him in the slightest; fortunately, the other party didn't seem like a bad person.

"Many thanks, young man."

The old man in plain clothes took the bowl, sipped it gently, and smacked his lips, savoring the fragrance and sweetness of the spirit rice.

The little girl also began to drink the porridge, though her expression remained blank.

Chen Changming also filled a bowl of porridge and drank it in silence with his head lowered. Facing such an unfathomable big shot, he dared not speak casually, lest he bring trouble upon himself.

After drinking half a bowl of porridge, the old man in plain clothes smiled and said, "Young man, you are a disciple of the Lingxiao Sect in the Yue Kingdom, aren't you?"

"Yes, Senior."

Chen Changming replied honestly.

"Along the way, I have also heard that your sect's Lingxiao Sword Technique is quite formidable..."

The old man in plain clothes said while slurping his porridge with his head bowed.

Seeing the old man praise the Lingxiao Sword Technique, Chen Changming became even more vigilant. He gave a simple, honest smile, lowered his head to continue drinking his porridge, and said vaguely, "Senior is too kind."

The old man in plain clothes set down his empty bowl, rubbed his belly in satisfaction, and said with a chuckle, "My granddaughter also studies sword techniques. How about she has a spar with you, young man? Rest assured, I am a man who values his reputation; I won't drink your porridge for nothing, nor will I let you spar in vain."