Some rejoiced while others worried. Chu Shihan's breakthrough drew congratulations from everyone, and the atmosphere was exceptionally lively. Yet Feng Yue, who had just digested the gains from his training and improved his cultivation, seemed somewhat out of place.
He spoke words of congratulations, but there was little smile in his eyes, and his tone carried a faint sourness. "Eldest Senior Brother truly has extraordinary talent. His cultivation speed is beyond the reach of ordinary people like us."
Feng Yue was exceedingly stubborn by nature. Once he set his mind on something, he was like a bull that refused to turn back, determined to follow that path into the dark. Especially when it came to cultivation, he devoted himself heart and soul, pouring all his energy into it without reservation.
He was proud by nature, with an innate obstinacy in his bones and a heart full of refusal to admit defeat. No matter what, he was unwilling to remain beneath anyone. This was the root of his strength, but also his greatest weakness.
Shen Yuxi had known him for a long time and understood his temperament inside out. With only one look at his expression, he immediately realized that this child had once again begun secretly competing with Eldest Senior Brother.
Even Shen Yuxi, who knew that Eldest Senior Brother was a favored child of the Heavenly Dao and bore the protagonist's halo, could not help feeling a trace of bitterness whenever he saw Chu Shihan's astonishing cultivation speed. Let alone Feng Yue, who had always believed that no one surpassed him in diligence toward cultivation.
Shen Yuxi secretly shook his head. This is considered fast? This is only the beginning. He hasn't even officially started collecting a harem yet. Once he truly begins taking in beautiful confidantes far and wide, that's when his cultivation speed will be advancing a thousand miles in a day.
He can break through just by falling in love. Tell me, doesn't that piss you off?
His tone made it sound like he was recounting some ordinary little anecdote, though it was enough to leave others clicking their tongues in astonishment.
Upon hearing this, Feng Yue felt his throat choke, as though a ball of cotton had been forcibly lodged in his windpipe, neither going up nor down, unbearably uncomfortable.
How could I not be angry! What cultivator with even a shred of self-respect could swallow that?
He thought indignantly that he cultivated day and night, racking his brains over every method of improving his cultivation. Yet someone else could break through with ease merely by falling in love. How could anyone accept that?
Feng Yue had previously been wholly immersed in cultivation and turned a deaf ear to outside affairs. Though he had occasionally heard from his fellow disciples that Second Senior Brother's Heart Voice would inexplicably leak out, he had never expected that the first thing he personally heard would be such earth-shattering news.
The sudden revelation left him unable to react for a moment. He stood there dumbfounded, at a complete loss.
Not to mention Chu Shihan, who had just emerged from seclusion and had still been immersed in the joy of his breakthrough. Hearing Shen Yuxi's inexplicable words out of nowhere, he was instantly left with a blank look on his face, utterly bewildered.
Fortunately, True Person Yu Qing reacted with remarkable speed. Making a prompt decision, he claimed that Chu Shihan had just broken through and urgently needed to stabilize his cultivation, and that he needed to personally stand guard for him. Without drawing attention, he pulled Chu Shihan away in haste.
Meanwhile, the Lightning Tribulation had already ended, and the people who had been tensely watching the Tribulation Clouds gradually came back to their senses. The senior and junior disciples who had long grown accustomed to Second Senior Brother's Heart Voice leaking out now focused all their attention on Shen Yuxi's Heart Voice.
Breaking through just by falling in love? There's such a good thing?
Could Eldest Senior Brother be cultivating some kind of heretical technique?
No, wait. Third Junior Brother, wasn't your cultivation speed pretty fast too? How do you have the nerve to say Eldest Senior Brother cultivates quickly? Shen Yuxi looked at the dazed Feng Yue and suddenly remembered something.
Eldest Senior Brother at least climbed upward one harem member at a time. You, on the other hand, shot straight up! Especially later, when you dual cultivated... Oh, that's a late-stage plot. Never mind, then.
His Heart Voice instantly stirred another wave among the disciples. They looked at one another, their expressions varied.
??? Wait a second? What dual cultivation? Explain yourself, Second Senior Brother!! Feng Yue's heart immediately churned like rivers and seas, raising monstrous waves. His face was filled with disbelief and urgency, and he wished he could rush over at once, seize Shen Yuxi, and get to the bottom of it.
Seeing that Feng Yue, with his strong pride, was about to be unable to resist asking aloud, Zhou Wan reacted swiftly.
She hurriedly used her finger as a brush. Spiritual power flowed rapidly around her fingertips like a stream, and in the blink of an eye, a faintly glowing "Seal" character appeared.
The light was like a supple rope, instantly winding around Feng Yue's already-open lips like a spirit snake. His lips immediately snapped shut and stuck firmly together, unable to make another sound.
Feng Yue was both anxious and furious, struggling desperately like a fierce beast trapped in a cage, trying to break free from the restraints of spiritual power. However, the "Seal" character formed from spiritual power was as firm as a rock and did not budge in the slightest.
At that moment, Eighth Junior Sister Chu Xuan, who stood ahead of him, suddenly turned around as though she had eyes in the back of her head and shot him a fierce glare. Her gaze was like a tangible blade, its naked threat impossible to miss, as if her eyes clearly read: "Don't interrupt this old lady from hearing the gossip."
Unlike Fourth Senior Sister, this Eighth Junior Sister not only had a temper as explosive as a volcano that could erupt at any moment, but also possessed astonishing decisiveness. Once she became angry, she feared neither Heaven nor Earth and was capable of anything.
Feng Yue did not doubt for a moment that if he insisted on trying to speak again, Eighth Junior Sister would immediately draw out her long whip and bind him up like a rice dumpling.
Besides, it had been his own fault for forgetting the sect leader's order in his excitement. Thinking of that, Feng Yue felt a wave of lingering fear and ultimately suppressed his curiosity and dissatisfaction, calming down and ceasing his struggles.
Mm... Right. Third Junior Brother destroyed his own cultivation for a beauty. By the time he cultivates it back, Eldest Senior Brother will practically have ascended. No comparison, no comparison.
After Shen Yuxi's startling remark, it was as if he had abruptly shut the gate on his Heart Voice. No matter how the disciples scratched their ears and cheeks or ran around in circles like ants on a hot pan, they could no longer hear Shen Yuxi's Heart Voice.
Everyone looked at one another, you looking at me and I looking at you, their gazes filled with helplessness and unwillingness. They had watched an incomparably marvelous drama slip through their fingers. How could that not leave their hearts itching?
Though everyone was filled with regret, they could only let it go and disperse. Yet the shock brought by Shen Yuxi's Heart Voice was like a torrential rain striking a tranquil lake, sending layer upon layer of ripples through their hearts that refused to settle for a long time.
Feng Yue, especially as one of the people involved, no longer struggled outwardly, but he remained deeply troubled by what Shen Yuxi had said. Words such as "dual cultivation" and "destroyed his own cultivation for a beauty" circled repeatedly in his mind like curses, impossible to drive away.
Feng Yue returned to his own courtyard, his heart full of irritation. Normally, the courtyard was tranquil and secluded, like a paradise beyond the world, the perfect place for him to calm his mind.
Several spirit plants in the courtyard gave off wisps of delicate fragrance, like soft gauze that soothed the heart. In the corner, a spirit spring gurgled gently, its crisp sound playing a calming melody.
Yet today, all the things that usually calmed him had completely lost their effect.
He unconsciously gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist. That familiar sensation failed to bring him the reassurance it normally did.
He walked straight through the courtyard to the bare cliff behind it. A violent wind came roaring toward him like a ferocious beast, trying to sweep his entire body into endless emptiness. Yet that harsh environment could not disperse the tangled mess of thoughts in his heart.
With a sharp shing, his sword suddenly left its sheath. Cold light flashed in the wind like a fierce bolt of lightning. Feng Yue took a deep breath, trying to use sword practice to calm the waves in his heart. He assumed his stance, preparing to perform the sword form he was most skilled at.
Yet the moment he thrust out his first strike, he noticed something was wrong. The sword move that should have been sharp, swift, and unstoppable was now weak and limp. Even the blade would not stop trembling, with no accuracy to speak of.
As the sword form unfolded, the situation only worsened. The sword in his hand danced in complete disorder. That set of sword techniques he had once trained to perfection, so familiar that it came at his fingertips, was now clumsier in his hands than in those of a beginner, utterly devoid of its former steadiness and grace.
With every swing, he tried to cut apart those vexing stray thoughts, but they clung to him like parasites in the bone, tightly entangled and impossible to shake off.
Sweat surged uncontrollably from his forehead in fine beads, only to be instantly dried by the raging wind, leaving streaks of salt on his face.
Yet he was entirely unaware of it. He simply kept wildly wielding his sword, as if he were fighting a life-and-death battle against the confusion and unwillingness in his heart. It seemed only this could make him temporarily forget those troubles.
The more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Dual cultivation was not unheard of in the cultivation world. Since ancient times, certain techniques had used the harmony of yin and yang between Dao companions to increase one's cultivation.
However, this method had always been scorned by upright sects and regarded as a crooked path and unorthodox way.
Feng Yue held himself to extremely high standards and principles on his path of cultivation. How could he believe that he would fall to such depths, resorting to a shameful heretical method to improve his cultivation?
From the depths of his heart, Feng Yue firmly refused to believe that he could be someone so lacking in self-respect.
In his view, the advancement of cultivation depended on nothing more than three crucial factors: talent, effort, and luck.
Feng Yue was quite confident in his own talent. Among his fellow disciples, he truly could be considered outstanding. As for the extent of his daily hard work, it far exceeded that of others. While others cultivated for one hour, he wished he could cultivate for two. Every day, he began cultivating before dawn and did not stop to rest until the dead of night, when all sounds had fallen silent.
As for luck, though it was an intangible thing that could not be grasped, Feng Yue carefully recalled how, as a child, he had once faced a great life-and-death calamity. When his life had hung by a thread, he had miraculously escaped death.
Not only that, but afterward he had unexpectedly awakened the exceedingly rare Sword Bone, turning misfortune into fortune. By that measure, his luck was not bad either. Since he lacked nothing in talent, effort, or luck, he had even less reason to walk those crooked paths despised by others.
Moreover, something as absurd as "destroying his own cultivation for a beauty" was impossible. Feng Yue had always been wholly engrossed in cultivation and paid no heed to affairs between men and women.
He believed that romantic entanglements were nothing more than stumbling blocks on the path of cultivation, hindering his progress. How could he possibly do something as utterly foolish as destroying his own cultivation for some woman? It was simply impossible!
After thinking it through deeply, Feng Yue finally sorted out these matters completely.
He slowly opened his eyes, and a resolute light flashed within them. Rather than letting such baseless speculation disturb his state of mind, he might as well pour all his energy into cultivation.
Thus, he quickly adjusted himself, calmed his heart and focused his mind, and once again devoted himself wholly to cultivation. With one thrust of his sword, fierce Sword Qi spread in all directions, finally regaining its former sharp edge.
As for the other protagonist of this story, he had just stepped out of Clear Parasol Hall.
He had already learned in detail from the sect leader about Shen Yuxi's Heart Voice leaking out, and how it could even occasionally foresee future events. Human hearts were unfathomable, and in the undercurrents of the cultivation world, the leaking of Heart Voice could very likely bring immeasurable danger upon Shen Yuxi.
Out of deep concern for his junior brother, he did not hesitate. He turned around and decisively headed toward Spirit Pool Peak.
After hurrying all the way to Bamboo Retreat on Spirit Pool Peak, he saw Shen Yuxi standing quietly beneath the familiar pear tree in the courtyard, looking up at its branches with a calm expression.
Chu Shihan approached softly, carefully weighing his words in his heart. He neither wanted his junior brother to realize that the matter of his Heart Voice leaking out had become known, nor did he want to miss the chance to offer a tactful reminder.
After pondering for a long while, he finally spoke slowly, his tone full of concern and faint worry. "Junior Brother, are you all right?"
Shen Yuxi was slightly startled. He raised his eyes toward Eldest Senior Brother and replied simply, "I am fine."
Yet dissatisfaction and confusion arose in his heart. Which time do you mean? Ever since you entered seclusion, it hasn't been once or twice that I've been injured while leading the team. Though most of it can be blamed on Little Junior Sister, do you really bear no responsibility at all?
Upon hearing this, guilt surged through Chu Shihan's heart like a tide.
Thinking back over the years, he truly had been too focused on his own cultivation. All he had wanted was to win honor for the sect in this cultivation world where the strong ruled and the weak were prey to the strong, yet he had inadvertently neglected the countless trivial affairs of the sect and the care he should have given his fellow disciples.
Now that he considered it carefully, it was precisely because of his negligence that Second Junior Brother had been forced to shoulder so many responsibilities that should not have fallen upon him alone, even falling into danger multiple times.
Chu Shihan gazed at Shen Yuxi, his eyes filled with deep apology. He sighed softly, his voice carrying self-reproach and utmost sincerity. "It was my fault. As Eldest Senior Brother, I should have led by example and held up the sky for the sect, yet I neglected these things and let all the burden fall upon you."
Seeing Eldest Senior Brother's sincere expression, the faint grievance in Shen Yuxi's heart instantly dispersed without a trace like thin smoke in a breeze. He gently shook his head and said, "It was within my duty. It is hardly worth mentioning."
Yet he could not help thinking again, It's rare to see Eldest Senior Brother looking this guilty. But then again, I haven't really interfered much in sect affairs. I only lead teams into fights and lend the junior brothers and sisters some support when they go on training expeditions.
As for other complicated matters like arranging the servants, cultivating spirit plants, and distributing resources, either the elders have been painstakingly handling them, or Fourth Junior Sister and Seventh Junior Brother have been helping manage them.
Though Chu Shihan heard Shen Yuxi's Heart Voice, his expression remained unchanged, without revealing the slightest abnormality. Shen Yuxi still did not know that his Heart Voice was leaking out. Mentioning it rashly might instead bring him additional worry and distress.
Therefore, following Shen Yuxi's words, he said gently, "Second Junior Brother is too modest. Leading training expeditions is by no means an easy task. Everyone has seen your efforts and remembers them in their hearts. If there is ever anything you need this senior brother's help with, simply speak."
"You overstate it, Senior Brother." At that moment, Shen Yuxi was still secretly wondering whether Eldest Senior Brother's unusually polite manner meant that his state of mind had changed along with his breakthrough.
The two exchanged a few more pleasantries before going their separate ways.
As Chu Shihan departed, though his figure gradually receded into the distance, his eyes remained filled with concern. The leaking of Heart Voice surely concealed enormous danger. Moreover, Shen Yuxi possessed the ability to foresee the future. Even in the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, renowned for knowing Heaven's secrets and understanding the Heavenly Mandate, such an ability would be considered inconceivable.
Yet he could not directly explain it to Shen Yuxi, much less warn him outright. He could only pray silently in his heart, earnestly hoping that his junior brother would not encounter danger because of it.
Shen Yuxi, however, remained completely unaware. He continued living as usual, with not the slightest ripple disturbing his days.
Before you continue