The Real Zhu Yu

"Ah?"

Tong Xuan paused mid-step, turned around in surprise, looked at the figure already entering the doorway, pursed her lips, and called out loudly:

"Alright... Senior Brother Zhu!"

She put heavy emphasis on the words "Senior Brother."

When she turned back again, for some reason, the girl's suppressed mood suddenly improved greatly. Humming, she murmured, "This time, I'll definitely condense another Soul Particle."

The door slowly closed.

Perhaps it was the original owner's memories, perhaps it was the sorrow of one rabbit's death stirring grief in another, or perhaps it was simply pity. Zhu Yu did not know. He had merely seen Tong Xuan's near-death state after her meditation failure and invited her in.

Though the stone house was not large, there was room for one more person.

Without dwelling on it further.

Zhu Yu mixed the minced fresh meat delivered by the servant with Firefly Petals and Snake-Thread Grass Leaves in a bowl. Seeing Little Black eat with relish, he stopped paying attention to it, closed his eyes, gathered his mind, and sank into meditation.

The next day.

Six full moons rose beneath the dome, and the door was knocked upon as promised.

"Hoo..."

Zhu Yu let out a soft breath and opened his eyes. Feeling the three additional Soul Particles in his Divine Sea, he gently shook his head and secretly warned himself that, from now on, no matter what happened, everything had to come after Qi Refining. He rose from the bed, brushed his dustless black robe, and opened the door with a beaming smile.

"Brother Zhu."

"You are too polite, junior brothers. Please come in."

"Junior Brother Zhu, Senior Brother Xiang had something to do today. He said he would not be coming."

"..."

When seven full moons appeared beneath the dome.

The door to the neighboring stone house slowly opened.

Tong Xuan stepped out in a pale rice-yellow ruqun dress. It was clear she had carefully washed and dressed herself. Her black hair was pinned up with a gilded hairpin, and she had applied powder over her heavy dark circles, making her look much more spirited, like a girl next door.

She looked around, humming an unfamiliar little tune as she walked toward the neighboring stone house. Upon hearing voices coming from within, she paused in confusion, then raised her hand and knocked on the door.

The door opened.

Zhu Yu looked at Tong Xuan, who had clearly dressed up with care, and was briefly surprised. Yet he did not think much of it. With a gesture of invitation, he said:

"Junior Sister Tong, you're here. Please come in."

"Mhm."

Tong Xuan smiled and nodded as she stepped inside. There, she saw five young men and women seated cross-legged on prayer mats, along with a huge, fat man standing nearby and grinning foolishly. The confusion in her eyes deepened.

"What is Zhu Yu doing?"

She did have some discernment.

These people before her were clearly more than just Zhu Yu's friends...

"Junior Sister Tong, please sit. I still have something to do. We can talk later."

After settling Tong Xuan into a chair, Zhu Yu said no more. He picked up the booklet from the table, turned toward Xun Su, Ni Ying, and the other mountain-opening apprentices, and continued the previous topic.

"Drawing the Three-Ring Pattern produces an inexplicable resistance?"

"From what I have comprehended, rather than resistance, it would be more accurate to say that it naturally possesses a peculiar rhythm..."

As he explained at an unhurried pace, everyone's attention quickly focused.

Tong Xuan, standing to one side, wore a puzzled expression. But as Zhu Yu spoke sentence by sentence, while Xun Su, Ni Ying, and the others occasionally asked questions, shock gradually emerged on her face.

"He's teaching others the Basic Visualization Diagram!"

"He... how could that be possible..."

Tong Xuan's expression turned dazed. A face surfaced uncontrollably in her mind—a face that had grown ever more irritable and gloomy after failing for so long to open the Divine Sea.

Then she looked at the clear-eyed youth before her, speaking with ease and confidence. If not for the fact that his appearance was exactly the same, they could have been entirely different people.

Zhu Yu caught sight of her complicated expression, but paid it no mind. Nor did he alter the way he taught because of her.

He had only given Tong Xuan an opportunity to listen. Whether she could gain anything from it depended on herself.

Time slowly passed.

After her initial shock, Tong Xuan was drawn in by Zhu Yu's explanation of the Basic Visualization Diagram. She immediately understood why he had invited her over to chat. She gave him a grateful look, did not dare interrupt, and listened attentively.

Some of his words she could understand. Others, she could not.

Yet she forced herself to remember them all, intending to ponder them after returning home. But for some reason, as she listened, her vision gradually began to blur...

After an unknown amount of time.

"Brother Zhu, farewell." The words startled Tong Xuan awake from her dream. She raised her head and groggily watched as everyone had already left. Only Zhu Yu's figure grew clearer and clearer.

"Awake?"

A flush immediately drifted across Tong Xuan's cheeks. She stood up and hurriedly explained, "Sorry, I was just too tired, I..."

Zhu Yu understood what she meant. He gently shook his head and interrupted, "Junior Sister Tong, there's no need for this." After a pause, he smiled and teased, "We're fellow townspeople. Saying more would make things rather distant."

"Mhm, thank you, Senior Brother."

Seeing that he was not angry, Tong Xuan's tense emotions immediately eased, and a smile appeared on her face again. After hesitating for a moment, she cautiously asked, "Senior Brother, can I come again tomorrow?"

"Of course."

Zhu Yu smiled and nodded. After thinking for a moment, he advised, "The more tightly your mind is wound, the worse your meditation will be. Go back and get a good night's sleep."

"Mhm."

Hearing this, Tong Xuan nodded earnestly.

Senior Brother Zhu's level was beyond hers by who knew how much. What he said had to be right.

"Then I'll head back first, Senior Brother."

At the door, Tong Xuan turned back to look at the youth inside teasing insects. She bowed to him, her face brimming with delight, then hummed a little tune as she headed toward her own residence.

[Unranked: 12%]

Zhu Yu summoned Little Black's information panel. Looking at its cultivation progress, he was somewhat surprised.

After one night, its cultivation had nearly doubled.

At this rate, Little Black would only need half a month to draw spirit into its body, shed its old shell, and advance into a lower-grade first-tier insect beast.

"I'm afraid it won't be that simple..."

Zhu Yu had not forgotten the argument between the little-mustached stall owner and the others. Little Black was merely an ordinary Bucktooth Insect. If the source Insect Mother had been slain, that would be fine—it could at least break through and become an insect beast. But if the source Insect Mother had not been slain...

Well... then it would depend on whether the True Sight Eye was powerful enough.

As for what he had said earlier about making Little Black an Insect Cultivator, that had merely been a teasing joke. If becoming an Insect Cultivator were really so easy, every disciple of the Yin-Underworld Grotto would have one already.

After feeding Little Black, Zhu Yu sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes, and meditated as he waited for the afternoon lesson.

Time slowly flowed by.

Before he knew it, eight days had passed in the blink of an eye.

Six full moons rose beneath the dome, casting a cold radiance.

Inside the stone house.

Xiang Sui asked with a smile, "Junior Brother, have you made your preparations?"

"With Junior Brother Zhu's foundation, breaking through to Qi Refining will be as easy as turning one's hand over." Liang Kuan grinned, then said mysteriously, "Once you advance to Qi Refining, I'll give you a great gift."

"Speaking of gifts, I happen to have one here." Xiang Sui gave Liang Kuan a surprised glance, took a thin booklet from his robes, and placed it on the table. Seeing Zhu Yu's puzzled look, he explained, "It contains some experience from the elders in my family regarding the construction of the Three-Ring Pattern. You'll understand once you read it."

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

Zhu Yu's eyes brightened slightly. He clasped his hands solemnly in thanks.

Though he had Divine Sense and was certain of breaking through to Qi Refining, having a little more assurance was naturally better.

"It's nothing. Just focus on your breakthrough, Junior Brother. We'll stand guard outside for you."

Xiang Sui waved it off without concern. He was counting on Zhu Yu to break through to Qi Refining and open large classes to earn Spirit Stones, so naturally he did not want Zhu Yu's breakthrough to fail. Then he left the room with Liang Kuan.

After the two departed.

Zhu Yu picked up the booklet on the table and slowly opened it.