Chapter 45

Xiaoqiu studied him with a look that saw through everything, shook his head knowingly, and said, "It's okay, Aotian-ge. I'll protect you."

Chi Yu: "..."

Fine, QAQ. He had been thoroughly underestimated.

The next day.

Chi Yu and Xie Xiyi went to the Dao Di Chan Abode and collected their mission token on the spot.

Missions were assigned by drawing lots. Chi Yu felt he had pretty good luck, so he drew for their team. The number he drew was 300, which meant they would complete the mission once they had killed 300 demons, demonic beasts, or Demon Cultivators.

For Group D, those 300 demons, demonic beasts, or Demon Cultivators had to be at least at the eighth layer of the Qi Refining Stage.

Group A faced the Golden Core Realm, Group B faced the Foundation Establishment Stage through the Golden Core Realm, Group C faced the Foundation Establishment Stage, and Group D faced the eighth layer of Qi Refining.

Clearly, the team members' cultivation levels had been balanced out.

To take first place, both the number and the levels of the demons and other targets killed would be assessed together.

Last time, Xie Xiyi had also brought Xiaoqiu and been assigned to Group B, with a quota of 1,000. He had killed over five thousand, half of them in the Golden Core Realm, and thus taken first place and won the final reward.

The runner-up had only killed a little over three thousand at most, a gap of nearly two thousand. There really was no comparison, but they had still received ten Top-Grade Spirit Stones as a reward. For an ordinary cultivator, that already amounted to reaching heaven in a single bound.

So everyone was quite looking forward to this Hongbao Trial.

Lianchi said enviously to Chi Yu, "With you teamed up with Senior Brother Xuanji, your Group D is sure to take first place this year too. I wonder what this year's reward will be. The Chan Sect has always been generous, so they probably won't give the same reward again."

Chi Yu said, "That's not certain this time. He's brought me along this time, so I might just be Senior Brother Xuanji's weak spot."

Lianchi had never seen his monkey-show swordplay and thought he was joking. "You're too modest, Junior Brother Long. You're already at the Foundation Establishment Stage. How could you be a weak spot?"

"Exactly. Speaking of which, I really wanted to team up with you, Senior Brother. Too bad Senior Brother Xuanji beat me to it."

"Senior Brother Xuanji brought that boy again this year too. He was already at the Qi Refining Second Layer last year, and even now he's only at the Qi Refining Third Layer."

"With such abundant spiritual energy in Luo Po, think how many Spirit Stones he saves. Even if he doesn't make tremendous progress every day, it shouldn't take him this long to advance a single layer."

Chi Yu spoke up for Xiaoqiu. "He's still young, so there's no hurry. Cultivation isn't something you can rush, either. The more you rush, the more it backfires. Let the mind arise without dwelling on anything. It's better to let things take their course."

"That's true. Junior Brother Long, how many two-hour periods do you cultivate each day?"

Having received the Crown Prince's warning, Chi Yu naturally said with a smile, "Eight or nine two-hour periods a day, of course."

No one doubted his answer. His cultivation itself was a guarantee.

After chatting like this for a while, it was almost time, so Chi Yu left the Chan Dormitory with them.

Xie Xiyi sat cross-legged beneath a Pippala Tree by the Mind-Certifying Terrace. When he saw Chi Yu approach, he did not move, merely lifting his chin slightly and telling Chi Yu lazily, "He's in there."

Hearing this, Chi Yu hurried over to the Mind-Certifying Terrace and saw that Xiaoqiu had entered a very ordinary illusion: an ordinary family of four, with Xiaoqiu as the older brother and a younger sister below him, all living happily together.

Later, Xiaoqiu grew up, was conscripted into the army, and became a rank-and-file soldier. A dozen or so years passed, and he became a commander of a thousand men. When the war ended, he was left with a crippled leg and went home with his compensation to marry and have children, the cycle repeating.

The Chan master at the entrance still remembered him and took the initiative to speak. "This young friend has an average disposition. Entering the Bitter Truth Chan Abode will still be somewhat difficult for him."

Chi Yu looked thoughtful. "Is it because he wants everything?"

The Chan master said, "He's too greedy, with strong desires. He wants everything, but once he can't get something, he loses his fighting spirit. His disposition is somewhat weak, and he is easily swayed by others."

Chi Yu said, "That's actually human nature too. There are very few geniuses in this world. Far too many people are merely ordinary. Realizing that they are ordinary is a lifelong question for many people."

The Chan master smiled faintly. "Your disposition is excellent, young friend."

He still remembered Chi Yu's mind-certifying illusion. He had risen to the rank of first-grade prime minister and enjoyed boundless glory, yet had been able to retire at the height of his success. Once he undertook something, he would do his best, and once he needed to let go, he never clung to it.

Being able to take something up and also put it down was such a simple principle, yet far too many people could not manage it.

Xiaoqiu finally came out, still without a Jade Token. He was used to it. Seeing Chi Yu waiting for him, he naturally reached out and took Chi Yu's hand. "Aotian-ge, let's go!"

Chi Yu imitated the Crown Prince's tone. "You're still smiling? You failed again. You need to reflect on yourself."

Even hearing him say this, Xiaoqiu was not afraid. He grinned and said, "It's fine. Even if I can't enter the Chan Dormitory, I can go home once I'm an adult. I'll be a commandery prince back home and live in luxury."

Chi Yu laughed too. "That works. That's quite a life too. Not everyone has to cultivate. I support people having a hundred different ways to live."

As they spoke, they reached Xie Xiyi. Chi Yu said, "Senior Brother Xuanji, let's head down the mountain!"

Xie Xiyi rose and looked at Xiaoqiu. "Failed again?"

Xiaoqiu: "Yes."

Xie Xiyi had not held out any hope to begin with. He said indifferently, "Try again after the trial."

Chi Yu asked him, "How many times have you tried?"

Xiaoqiu answered, "Six times."

"Uh, that's quite a lot," Chi Yu said, but he quickly offered reassurance. "It's fine. You're only ten. You still have a chance."

Beside them, Xie Xiyi corrected him indifferently. "In Luo Po, anyone who fails the mind certification once is asked to leave."

Chi Yu: "..."

Got it. Connections.

After spending so much time around Chi Yu, Xiaoqiu had picked up some of his shamelessness. He declared with perfect confidence, "I'm a late bloomer."

Chi Yu nodded in agreement. "Right, right. A late bloomer."

Xie Xiyi: "..."

He offered no comment.

The weather in the cultivation world was consistently excellent. The four seasons were not distinct, and most of the time it was as warm and mild as spring, with rain, snow, and the like also rare.

Because of Zizai Continent's abundant spiritual energy, spiritual plants and Spirit Fruits grew everywhere at the foot of the mountain. With so few people around, hardly anyone picked them.

This worked out well for Chi Yu, who picked things all along the way. Of course, many of the spiritual plants were not worth much, but whenever Chi Yu saw them, he would gather some and put them in his Sumeru Ring, just in case.

Naturally, the Spirit Fruits were ordinary varieties too, and not worth much.

Xiaoqiu thought little of them either, but that did not stop him from picking them with Chi Yu.

Xie Xiyi did not wait for them, walking off alone until he vanished from sight.

Seeing this, Xiaoqiu grew anxious and told Chi Yu, "Aotian-ge, stop picking. His Highness is out of sight!"

Chi Yu glanced at the Crown Prince's coordinates on the system panel and said with a smile, "It's fine. I can find him."

He had marked not only the Crown Prince but everyone he knew, so the map was covered in points of light, and he could see everyone's location.

Quite a few people had already traveled far from Luo Po and were approaching the border of Zizai Continent.

They were among the last to set out.

Xiaoqiu muttered, "His Highness is a little mean. He'll deliberately disappear and wait for you to find him."

Chi Yu: "Hmm? He does that?"

He had not expected Senior Brother Xuanji, with his refined, handsome looks, to have this side to him in private.

His curiosity was piqued. "Your Highness plays games like that too?"

Xiaoqiu said, "Yes!"

He lowered his voice and told Chi Yu, "He plays this game with me sometimes. He watches me look everywhere for him, then suddenly appears and gives me a fright. For all we know, he's nearby right now, waiting for us to run around like headless chickens looking for him."

Chi Yu imagined the scene and found it rather funny. He felt that although Xuanji was already a powerful Golden Core Realm cultivator, he still had a childish streak.

A bit like a cat, Chi Yu thought, with a hint of mischief.

Some cats would deliberately hide and watch their owners search everywhere for them, then hop out nonchalantly and give their owners a fright.

"It's fine. I'll take you to find him in a bit." Chi Yu glanced at Senior Brother Xuanji's coordinates again. He was already very far away.

He unhurriedly gathered some more spiritual plants and saw Senior Brother Xuanji's coordinates move much closer to them. Before long, he was nearby.

He had merely concealed his presence so they would not notice him.

Didn't expect me to have cheats, did you.jpg

Chi Yu laughed to himself, stretched, and told Xiaoqiu, "We need to go find Senior Brother Xuanji now."

Xiaoqiu said worriedly, "He's probably gone really far by now. How are we going to find him?"

Chi Yu said, "You have to trust me. I'm telling you, Senior Brother Xuanji is definitely waiting for us somewhere nearby."

As soon as he said this, he saw the coordinates on the map drift far away again.

Chi Yu: "Hahahahaha."

Xiaoqiu asked in puzzlement, "What are you laughing at?"

Chi Yu slapped his thigh in delight. "Your Highness... he's killing me."

Xiaoqiu: "??"

Chi Yu barely managed to stop laughing and took Xiaoqiu's hand. "Come on, come on. I'll take you to find him."

He headed straight for Xuanji's coordinates. Whenever he was about to get close, Xuanji's coordinates would shift extremely quickly. He really had started playing hide-and-seek with him.

Chi Yu was not about to let him get away with that. He sent Xie Xiyi a message directly through his Jade Token. "Senior Brother Xuanji, stop hiding. I know you're at West Hua Market. Since you're already there, help me buy some ingredients. Get spirit rice from Red Mountain. That kind tastes good."

When Xie Xiyi saw Chi Yu's message on his Jade Token, his brows furrowed slightly. He wanted to ask how he knew, but swallowed the words before they left his mouth.

He examined himself and found no sign that a tracking talisman had been placed on him.

Long Aotian had secrets.

But on second thought, did Long Aotian have any shortage of secrets? So he did not take it to heart.

He bought the ingredients Chi Yu wanted and appeared behind him without a sound.