Ye Lingxi asked curiously, "Brother, what's so fun about fishing? I see you fishing all the time, but when you catch a fish, you don't eat it. You let it go instead. Why?"
Su Chen looked at her and smiled. "Fishing isn't just a pastime; it's a form of cultivation. We don't have to eat the fish we catch. While fishing, we can train our patience, focus, and composure, and experience the tranquility of nature. After a while, you'll find that your State of Mind has improved. You won't get restless anymore, and whatever happens, you'll be able to face it calmly."
After listening, Ye Lingxi nodded with only a vague understanding. "Oh, I see."
Su Chen smiled faintly and said no more, returning his attention to fishing.
Just then, Du Yuan suddenly appeared behind Su Chen and said respectfully, "Peak Master Su, the Holy Land is recruiting disciples today. Would you like to go take a look?"
Ye Lingxi blinked and looked at Su Chen. "Brother, let's go! I want to see."
Su Chen had been about to refuse, but after hearing Ye Lingxi, he couldn't help smiling. He put away his fishing rod and slowly rose to his feet. "Since you want to see, let's go take a look."
Ye Lingxi took Su Chen's hand and swung it, saying happily, "You're the best, Brother!"
Su Chen gently pinched Ye Lingxi's cheek, then looked at a bamboo hut that had appeared beside the pavilion at some unknown time.
He called softly, "Old Devil."
The next moment.
A figure appeared before Su Chen. He looked at Su Chen with eyes full of respect. "Young Master."
Over the past year, the Demon Venerable had successfully advanced to the Saint King Realm. By now, Su Chen was like a god in his eyes.
Su Chen said, "From now on, no matter where Lingxi goes, you must stay by her side and protect her. Understood?"
The Demon Venerable nodded at once. "Understood!"
Ye Lingxi looked at the Demon Venerable and called out, "Grandpa Devil."
The Demon Venerable looked at Ye Lingxi, his eyes full of affection. After spending a year with her, he had grown genuinely fond of the girl. He now treated Ye Lingxi just like his own granddaughter.
Su Chen said no more and led Ye Lingxi down the mountain, while the Demon Venerable followed quietly behind them.
Having witnessed everything, Du Yuan watched Su Chen's receding figure and wondered aloud, "Just who is Peak Master Su?"
The Holy Land's plaza.
High in the sky, An Lan was still releasing his pressure. Below, several thousand people had already been eliminated because they couldn't withstand it, leaving fewer than a hundred in the plaza. Those who had been eliminated had all been sent out of the Star Holy Land.
At that moment, Xia Meng, Murong Xue, and several other Peak Masters appeared beside An Lan.
An Lan greeted her respectfully. "Holy Lord."
Xia Meng nodded and looked down.
Murong Xue said, "There seem to be a few little ones with decent talent this time."
Xia Meng nodded. "Indeed."
Lu Pingchuan said, "It's just a pity that fewer than a hundred managed to hold out through the first trial this time."
Chen Hong said, "There's nothing to pity. What matters is the quality of the disciples, not the quantity."
An Lan nodded. "That's right. No number of disciples can compare to a single heaven's chosen with monstrous talent."
With that, he suddenly withdrew his pressure.
When they felt the pressure disappear, everyone except the two young men and the young woman began gasping for breath, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.
Just then, a young man shouted excitedly, "Hahaha! I passed! I passed! Father, Mother, I've made something of myself!"
The other young men and women were also brimming with excitement.
An Lan suddenly spoke. "Silence!"
Everyone hurriedly calmed their excitement and fell silent, then looked up at the sky. When they saw Xia Meng and the others, puzzlement appeared in their eyes.
An Lan said, "Allow me to introduce them. This is Holy Lord Xia Meng, and this is Peak Master Murong Xue of Mortal Dust Peak..."
An Lan went on to introduce Lu Pingchuan and Chen Hong in turn, and finally introduced himself as well.
At his words, an uproar broke out below. Everyone's eyes widened as they looked Xia Meng and the others over.
Before coming to the Star Holy Land, Xia Meng and the others had been like figures from legend to them, people they would have had virtually no chance of meeting in their entire lives.
Now that they were seeing them in person, how could they not be curious and excited?
Xia Meng looked at the people below and smiled. "The Peak Masters and I will be watching your second trial. I hope you'll all do your best to pass."
With that, Xia Meng and the Peak Masters went to a raised platform where several seats had been arranged. Xia Meng sat in the middle, and Xia Meng and the others sat on either side in turn.
After hearing Xia Meng's words, the blood of the young men and women below began to boil, and an unprecedented fighting spirit welled up in their eyes.
If they could catch the eye of the Peak Master and the other Peak Masters...
At the thought, they grew even more excited.
An Lan said sternly, "I'll explain the second trial to you. The second trial is also the final one: an illusion formation!"
An illusion formation?
Everyone frowned.
An Lan continued, "As long as you can break the illusion formation yourselves, you'll pass."
As soon as he finished, once again giving them no time to react, a golden light instantly enveloped the entire plaza. Everything went black before their eyes, and they all fell to the ground.
Xia Meng looked at Lu Pingchuan. "Are you sure they can break this illusion formation?"
Lu Pingchuan smiled. "Of course. This illusion formation is already the lowest grade. If they can't even break this, they might as well hurry home."
Xia Meng nodded and said nothing more.
"It's lively today."
Just then, a voice rang out.
Everyone turned toward the voice and saw Su Chen and his two companions walking over.
Xia Meng smiled. "To be honest, we really didn't expect you to come."
Su Chen smiled faintly. "It's nice to come out for a stroll once in a while."
Xia Meng nodded, then noticed the Demon Venerable behind Su Chen. Her heart tightened.
Is this the Demon Venerable? His Qi really is terrifying!
Murong Xue looked at Ye Lingxi and beckoned to her. "Lingxi, come over here to Big Sister!"
Big Sister?
Everyone glanced at Murong Xue but said nothing.
Good grief, an old woman who's lived for thousands of years wants a little girl to call her Big Sister. She really has no shame!
But they would never dare say that aloud. If they did, they certainly wouldn't live to see the next day.
"Okay!"
Ye Lingxi ran over to Murong Xue, who picked her up and said, "I'll hold you so you can watch."
Ever since returning from the Devil Venerable Secret Realm, Murong Xue had visited Su Chen at Ancient Moon Peak every so often, and she had grown acquainted with Ye Lingxi during those visits.
Ye Lingxi nodded obediently. "Okay, thank you, Sister Murong."
Su Chen smiled and shook his head. Without saying anything, he found a seat at random and sat down, while the Demon Venerable stood quietly behind him.
[Name: Nangong Guyue] [Identity: Young lady of the Nangong Clan, a forbidden force in the Immortal Realm] [Age: Eighteen] [Talent: Emperor grade] [Physique: Ice Phoenix Divine Physique] [Cultivation: Peak of the ninth level of the Half-Saint Realm] [Mission issued: Take Nangong Guyue as a disciple.]