Yun Chong really had been ready to explode at the slightest provocation lately. Even if a handsome spirit crane flew past, he had to give it a few extra looks, his expression wary.
Naturally, he found Li Bai, who was always hanging around among them, even more objectionable. He had wanted to bring his daughter back and teach her himself, but he really was extremely busy lately, so he simply escorted her to Spirit Moon Peak instead.
Lan Yue delightedly received the Nü E who had fallen from the sky, along with a huge pile of spirit stones thrown in by the Sect Master.
"Oh, how could I possibly accept all this?" Lan Yue was just about to rub her hands together when a Spatial Ring was pressed into them as well.
"Take it. It's all payment for entrusting her to you. Sorry for the trouble, Lan Yue, but I may need you to look after Yun Xi for a while. Let her study with you for now. Once I get through this busy stretch, I'll bring her back." Yun Chong sighed.
The Demon Abyss Rift that had appeared at the Southern Spirit Sect, and even that demonic hand that had suddenly emerged, were no small matters.
At the very least, the Southern Region's three great sects would have to gather and discuss their next steps. He would therefore be extremely busy for a while, and might even have to leave the sect for some time.
After turning it over in his mind, Lan Yue's place was the safest option. After all, throughout the Southern Spirit Sect, only Lan Yue possessed both an Immortal Artifact and the Silver Snow Ancient Sword. At a critical moment, she could defend herself and flee.
Moreover, his Ninth Junior Brother would do his best to protect Spirit Moon Peak, and could keep an extra eye on the two of them while he was at it.
By that reckoning, sending his daughter to Spirit Moon Peak was the best choice.
"Don't worry, I'll take good care of my dau- ahem, I'll take good care of Yun Xi!" Lan Yue had nearly blurted out "my Nü E," but fortunately stopped herself in time.
Otherwise, the Southern Spirit Sect's Sect Master might have gotten some strange ideas.
"Little Xi, I've already found you a master. When the Grand Elder heard about your situation, he decided to take you as his disciple personally. This is the Storage Ring he had someone deliver." Yun Chong took out a silver Storage Ring and slipped it onto Yun Xi's finger.
"Inside are cultivation methods the Grand Elder prepared for you, as well as cultivation manuals. Choose some to study first. The Grand Elder is still in the ruins, so it may be a while before he returns."
[Lan Yue: So after all those twists and turns, the female lead's master is still the Grand Elder. The plot has just moved forward by a few years. Is this what they call a destined bond?]
Yun Xi froze when she heard that, then smiled.
"All right. I'll wait for Master to return."
After the Sect Master left, Lan Yue immediately brought Yun Xi to the little stream where she often speared fish.
"What's this?" Yun Xi asked curiously.
"This is a very important tradition of our Spirit Moon Peak. Every few days, we come to this stream to harvest the source of life!" Lan Yue spread both arms as if embracing the scenery before her.
Behind her, Yun Xi did not understand, but it sounded impressive. She thought this must be something very, very important.
Yet when she turned her head, she saw Senior Sister Lan Yue roll up the trouser legs beneath her dress, tie up her skirts, and wade into the stream. At some point, she had even produced a large fork, and with quick eyes and quicker hands, speared a lively spirit fish.
"Look! Now this is the source of life!" Lan Yue raised her fishing spear, her face full of emotion.
Behind her, Yun Xi stared, dumbfounded. She stood stunned for a long moment before a fishing spear was pressed into her hands too.
"Today, let us conquer this whole stretch!" Lan Yue declared with soaring spirit.
Yun Xi nodded instinctively, rolled up her own trouser legs, and followed her in to spear fish. Before long, she was a bedraggled mess.
Above the clouds, the Sect Master, who had wanted to give his daughter a few more reminders, was practically coming apart in the wind.
At that moment, he was even beginning to wonder whether letting his daughter spend time with Lan Yue had been the right choice.
But he had already delivered her. He could only swallow his broken teeth along with his regrets.
The two girls speared a pile of fish by the stream, filled an entire wooden bucket, and returned to Spirit Moon Peak.
Although Yun Xi's dress was soaked with stream water, her eyes shone with a light brighter than ever before.
"Didn't I tell you this was fun?" Lan Yue deftly gutted the spirit fish, rinsed them in the running stream water, and set them over the fire to roast, turning them as they cooked.
The delicious aroma drifted out, and before long, a flock of spirit tortoises came rushing in from every direction. Some flew through the air, others ran hard across the ground, and those already nearby simply craned their necks and gazed at her longingly.
Once the first fish was done, Lan Yue handed it to Yun Xi. "Try feeding them. These little fellows are so well-behaved."
Yun Xi took it and carefully held it in front of one of the spirit tortoises. Watching the tortoise stretch out its head, she felt a little delighted.
But in the blink of an eye, another, darker-colored spirit tortoise darted past from the side and snatched the grilled fish away.
Yun Xi froze. She stared at the empty stick, at a loss.
The spirit tortoise whose food had been stolen was not about to sit and wait for its fate. It paddled its four short legs and charged after the thief, and the two spirit tortoises began fighting in midair.
Beside those two spirit tortoises, a larger one sat quietly next to Lan Yue.
When the spirit tortoise that had given chase found it could not win the fish back no matter what, it returned to the ground in a huff and huddled against the dark-colored spirit tortoise, looking utterly furious.
The spirit tortoise that had snatched the food in the first place held his little head high, the very picture of smug arrogance.
He even gnawed on the fish right in front of the other two spirit tortoises, making it look especially delicious and tempting.
"Oh, no wonder Er Dan's acting so arrogant today. You think another tortoise stole your mate!" Lan Yue had not understood at first, but after secretly checking the system in her mind, she figured it out.
"But we can't be this unreasonable. Look at them, they're in love. Their tails are practically hooked together. You're a lone, single tortoise, so let's not get involved."
Lan Yue handed the grilled fish in her hand to a spirit tortoise that had come looking for food, still talking as she did. "Stick with your big sister from now on. I'll help you grow big and strong and reach the pinnacle of tortoise life!"
Er Dan, who had been so smug a moment ago, came over to her with his ears drooping, looking heartbroken.
Lan Yue could only give him another grilled fish to comfort him.
"Yun Xi, the spirit fish in this stream are especially delicious. Have a bite too." Lan Yue gave Yun Xi a serving of fragrant grilled fish as well.
Looking at the grilled fish before her, Yun Xi finally remembered why it seemed so familiar.
The Second Elder had apparently made a special trip to see her father before, saying he was raising some unusual spirit fish brought back from the ruins in the Spirit Stream near Silk Orchid Peak. Lately, however, their numbers had been dwindling.
The Second Elder had been terribly worried, and had even thought the spirit fish from the ruins might not be suited to the Southern Spirit Sect's environment.
So they had all been eaten by those spirit tortoises and Senior Sister Lan Yue.
After all, Silk Orchid Peak seemed to be near Spirit Moon Peak.
Yun Xi hardly knew whether to laugh or cry, but she would not tell anyone. After all, she was someone who had "waded into the same muddy waters" herself!
"It's delicious!" Yun Xi's eyes curved into a smile.
"With my cooking, did you even need to ask?" Lan Yue was not modest in the slightest.
"By the way, how about calling me Junior Sister from now on?" Lan Yue asked shamelessly.
"Junior Sister Lan Yue?" Yun Xi looked puzzled.
"Yun Xi, seniority in our Cultivation World is determined by cultivation level. Yours will definitely be higher than mine someday. Whether you start calling me that sooner or later, you'll have to do it anyway, won't you?" Lan Yue gazed at her expectantly, eyes wide.
The truth was that far too many senior sisters had kicked the bucket in Road to Immortality. She was a little afraid to be the protagonist's senior sister!
Sometimes, you just had to put a little faith in superstition!
Opposite her, Yun Xi agreed in a haze of confusion. She even thought Lan Yue's reasoning made perfect sense.
"Then, Junior Sister Lan Yue, what are we doing next?" Yun Chong asked curiously.
"Next, of course, we absorb the essence of heaven and earth and attain the realm of unity between heaven and humanity!" Lan Yue smiled faintly.
Yun Xi immediately felt that Junior Sister Lan Yue was truly amazing. Even her own father did not possess such insight! Unity between heaven and humanity!
Yet a moment later, Lan Yue lay down on the grass, leisurely swinging her legs, and soon closed her eyes.
"Yun Xi, you should sleep too!" she invited warmly.
Yun Xi: "..."
She wanted to say something, then stopped. In the end, she lay down too.
Perhaps this was why Junior Sister Lan Yue had won the Immortal Artifact's favor!
Yun Xi comforted herself with that thought.
Before you continue