How Could Secrets Last Forever

By the time Luo Yunji woke, night had already fallen. Seeing the familiar decorations and furniture, Luo Yunji rubbed his eyes and sat up.

With a creak, Zhang Xiaofan carefully opened the door, trying not to make any noise, and walked in.

"Senior Brother!" When Luo Yunji saw Zhang Xiaofan barefoot, he happily threw himself at him.

Zhang Xiaofan hurriedly caught him. "I know what you want! I hid it in your old spot!"

"Senior Brother is the best!" After hearing the answer he wanted, Luo Yunji happily ran to the bed. At the place inside the bed against the wall, he fiddled around for a while and opened a hidden compartment one foot wide and more than a foot high. The bamboo tube holding the wine was sitting safely inside.

Seeing the bamboo tube, Luo Yunji smiled with delight and carefully closed the hidden compartment, restoring it to its original state.

"Senior Brother, did you drink that last half cup?" Luo Yunji asked curiously.

"I did! My cultivation increased a little too!"

"Did it taste good?"

"Mm! It was very good! Sweet, fragrant, and warm in my stomach! It's the first time I've ever drunk something so delicious!" Zhang Xiaofan answered honestly. In fact, this was also his first time drinking something like wine.

"That's good! Drink it slowly! By the time all seventeen tubes are finished, Little Senior Brother should be able to reach the sixth or seventh level of cultivation no matter what!" Even though the more of the secret brew one drank, the lower the effect became toward the end, with the "Taiji Mystic Purity Dao" he had modified, it should still let Zhang Xiaofan catch up no matter what.

Did they really think these delicacies and secret brews only had good flavor and texture?

"I only hope I can reach the fourth level. Then I'll be able to carry you while flying!" Then he would not be scolded every time.

"Little Senior Brother, you really treat me the best!" Luo Yunji praised happily after hearing Zhang Xiaofan's words.

"Hurry and get up for dinner. Don't keep Master and the others waiting too long."

"Mm!" Luo Yunji nimbly got out of bed, put on his shoes, and followed Zhang Xiaofan toward the dining hall.

Ever since the second, third, fifth, and seventh senior brothers had broken through to the fourth level in their cultivation, the atmosphere at the dining table had become much livelier. Even if they leaned close and whispered a few words to each other, Tian Buyi turned a blind eye and did not rebuke them too much.

And so the senior and junior brothers gradually grew bolder, going from whispering a few furtive sentences to now conversing openly and brazenly. Sometimes Tian Buyi would even add a few words, which made them even bolder.

"Xiaofan, what good food is there today?" Before he had even sat down, Sixth Brother Du Bishu was already looking expectantly at the dishes laid out on the table as he asked.

"Four-Season Meatballs, Six-Color Soup, Five-Color Fruit Delight, Three-Fresh Stew, One-Flavor Tofu, Two-Clear Mix," Zhang Xiaofan recited the dish names with practiced ease.

"Waaah! The names sound the same every time, but the flavors are different every time! The ingredients are different every time too! I wonder what kind of taste it'll be this time!" Fifth Brother swallowed, his face full of anticipation.

Tian Buyi looked at the delicious dishes on the table, excellent in color and appearance, and announced with crisp enunciation and extreme brevity, "Eat!"

After a storm of snatching food, the meal was finally swept clean without a single bit left.

Everyone sat by the table for a while. After helping Zhang Xiaofan clear away the bowls and chopsticks, they went together to the central hall. It seemed Tian Buyi had something to say.

"You have all cultivated the 'Taiji Mystic Purity Dao' to the fourth level. By rights, I should have let you go down the mountain long ago to seek your own opportunities and find your own magical treasures." Tian Buyi took a sip of tea and slowly continued, "Because of the new formula your little junior brother created, there was no rush for the moment. Now you have more or less learned the formula as well. As your master sees it, it is also time for you to go down the mountain and seek your own opportunities."

"Yes!" the four senior brothers accepted the order.

"Make your preparations. Set off down the mountain in the next few days!" Tian Buyi instructed decisively.

"Yes, Master!" the disciples accepted the order again.

"Senior Brothers, when you come back from going down the mountain, you have to bring fun things and tasty things for me!" As soon as Tian Buyi finished speaking, the little fatty Luo Yunji looked excitedly at the four senior brothers who were about to descend the mountain and shouted.

"That's right! Take this brat along too! Originally, I saw that he was young and didn't feel at ease letting him go down the mountain alone. This time, since the four of you are going down the mountain together, take your little junior brother with you. Let him go seek his own opportunity too!" Hearing his young disciple's sudden words, Tian Buyi seemed only then to remember that this oddball little disciple of his had long since reached the sixth level in cultivation and still did not have a single magical treasure. It would be embarrassing just to say it aloud. With a wave of his hand, he decisively had the four disciples forming a team to descend the mountain bring along this precious treasure of Big Bamboo Peak.

"I have to go too? That's not good, right? It's so tiring!" Luo Yunji looked at Tian Buyi in distaste.

"Tiring! Why don't you just turn into a pig and be done with it! The way I see it, even pigs are more hardworking than you. When you eat, the bowls and chopsticks are already set out for you, and the rice is served ready-made. Every time you get up, isn't it your seventh senior brother who helps you put on your clothes!" Tian Buyi was provoked by his little disciple's look, and his face flushed with anger.

"E-Even Little Senior Brother helping me get dressed—you know about that too, Big Fatty!" Luo Yunji stared at Tian Buyi in surprise.

"How many times have I told you! Call me Master! Try calling me Big Fatty again!" Tian Buyi was so angry the flesh on his face trembled, his eyes going round and wide.

"I know, Big Fatty!" Luo Yunji replied dejectedly.

"You stinking brat! Asking for a beating, are you!" As he spoke, he swept out a palm. He merely wanted to give him a small punishment. The same scene played out almost every day, so no one was particularly worried. Instead, they all watched Master and little junior brother bicker with great interest; this had become one of everyone's main after-dinner amusements.

Originally, it was only a stream of force, at most enough to make the little fatty Luo Yunji retreat a few steps.

But...

Everyone's eyes lit up. A "Taiji Diagram Seal" rapidly appeared in front of Luo Yunji, blocking Tian Buyi's force. After watching the force dissipate, the Taiji Diagram Seal still remained in front of Luo Yunji, slowly rotating clockwise.

"What is this?!" Everyone's eyes dimmed slightly.

Everyone cultivated the "Taiji Mystic Purity Dao" and was very familiar with it. The Taiji Diagram Seal before them looked like a technique of the "Taiji Mystic Purity Dao," but what were those two Taiji fish, one azure and one gold? Shouldn't Azure Clouds' Taiji Diagram Seal be one azure and one white?

"Bastard!" Tian Buyi seemed to have connected it to something. His expression turned as awful as could be, and with an angry shout, he circulated his power and struck out with another palm. This time, however, the target was Zhang Xiaofan.

"Master!"

"Dad!"

"Buyi!"

Everyone cried out in alarm.

"Senior Brother!" The earlier shouts from the others had not made Zhang Xiaofan react, but Luo Yunji's call made Zhang Xiaofan almost instinctively overlap his hands in a seal, then thrust them forward fiercely. An even clearer azure-and-gold "Taiji Diagram Seal" blocked in front of him. Even so, it only hindered Tian Buyi's palm strike for a moment. In the end, the force broke through the "Taiji Diagram Seal" and struck him in the chest, knocking him back seven or eight steps before he fell onto the ground on his backside, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Buyi! What are you doing! If there's a problem, it's not too late to ask clearly first!" Su Ru nervously stepped forward and grabbed Tian Buyi's arm, afraid he would strike again.

Song Daren and Wu Dayi also stepped forward and more or less blocked the space between Tian Buyi and Zhang Xiaofan, while the others hurried to Zhang Xiaofan's side to check his injuries.

"Big Fatty! You hurt Little Senior Brother! Then who's going to make tasty food for me tomorrow?" Luo Yunji puffed out his cheeks angrily and glared at Tian Buyi!