The sun sets in the Golden Crow, and the moon rises in the east.
Before anyone knew it, Chen Shuangbai had been back in the clan for more than half a year.
This day.
Outside the Verdant Hills Stream, a cyan flying boat slowly descended and came to a stop in front of the array outside the cave abode.
In no time, the formation cracked open, letting He Qi and Fu Qianlan inside.
"The master has arrived."
Wenxiu greeted the two with a smile and led them inside, escorting them to the thatched hut. She served them two cups of hot spiritual tea and several plates of fruit before saying, " Zhiqi has already gone to inform the Lord of the Manor. Please wait a moment, gentlemen."
He Qi waved her hand and smiled, "It's alright, it's alright, I'll just wait here for a while."
As he spoke, he seemed a little thirsty and couldn't help but pick up the hot tea in front of him and take a big gulp, but he burned himself and looked a bit embarrassed.
Fu Qianlan rolled her eyes at him and teased, "You're not an ordinary outer disciple anymore, so why are you still so impatient?"
"You like this tea? Just ask when you leave, A-Bai won't give you some."
He Qi chuckled and stuck out her tongue, saying, "Hehe..."
Not long after.
Chen Shuangbai emerged from behind the waterfall, her feet treading on the rolling blue water, a gentle breeze wafting around her, looking serene and radiant.
He leaned closer, looked at the two of them, and chuckled, "What brings you here to kill time?"
Before Fu Qianlan could finish speaking, He Qi said with a hint of complaint, "You still say that... You've been promoted to the inner sect for almost two years now, how come you haven't come to see me even once?"
Could it be that you've forgotten me?
Chen Shuangbai was taken aback at first, then slapped her forehead and apologized repeatedly, which finally made He Qi's expression better.
It wasn't that he forgot; it was simply because he had too many things to do, plus the sect had summoned him earlier, so he had forgotten for a while.
Fortunately He Qi was not a petty person and did not hold it against her; she was just joking.
After Chen Shuangbai repeatedly apologized, he smiled.
Chen Shuangbai asked, "Did Qianlan bring you in?"
Chen Shuangbai looked at Fu Qianlan.
This friend has now become a disciple of True Person Mei, and is also an inner disciple. Although he did not participate in the Battle of Azure Light Mountain like I did before, and did not fight against the demon beast of Heart-Eroding Stronghold, it was only said that True Person instructed him to go into seclusion.
Now that I've crossed the border, at first glance, it really is quite different from before.
Fu Qianlan was dressed in a light purple monastic robe, her hair was styled in a high bun and adorned with a white jade plum blossom hairpin. Her temperament was aloof and otherworldly, and she appeared more serene and composed than ever before.
Although it's not as sharp as before... well, it's more like a sword sheathed.
Fu Qianlan laughed and said, "This guy kept asking to see you, but when you didn't reply to his messages, he came to me and asked me to bring him here to find you."
"I see."
Chen Shuangbai was often in seclusion and rarely looked at the messages on the jade tablet.
The three chatted for a while, sharing their recent experiences and changes.
Chen Shuangbai and Fu Qianlan are both doing well. They have both received spiritual materials and treasures from their masters, and their cultivation levels are both at the Late Qi Refining Stage. They are just following the established path of cultivation until they reach perfection, and then try to find a time to break through to Foundation Establishment.
He Qi is a bit less successful, but he's doing quite well these days.
He said, "Although I haven't been promoted to the inner sect yet, I'm doing quite well in the outer sect."
Chen Shuangbai was very interested and asked, "Is there a Foundation Establishment willing to take you in?"
He Qi shook his head, feigning profundity, but Fu Qianlan saw through him immediately, saying, "He has now joined the Jade Guarding Hall, and the hall master is your senior uncle. Everyone is willing to give him some preferential treatment."
"A few months ago, he was noticed by a master brewer within the sect who was skilled at making spirit wine, and he has now become his disciple, thus having a formal apprenticeship."
Wine Master?
Chen Shuangbai was immediately curious, but then she remembered that He Qi was indeed the one who liked drinking the most among the three, so it wasn't so surprising.
Congratulations!
He Qi was quite pleased with the congratulations from his two friends who had already been promoted to the inner sect.
He simply said, "Congratulations, congratulations... My talent for cultivation isn't as good as yours, so I can only keep practicing on this path and earn some spiritual materials to pave the way for my cultivation."
That's absolutely right.
Practicing various arts and skills is ultimately paving the way for spiritual cultivation.
He Qi added, "I'm brewing wine now too. Once it's ready, I'll personally deliver it to you."
"Good!"
Chen Shuangbai and Fu Qianlan both agreed with smiles on their faces.
He Qi then realized that his two friends had not underestimated him.
Before leaving.
Chen Shuangbai took out two heavy wooden boxes and handed them to his two friends. The latter opened them slightly, and a fresh scent of herbs and trees wafted out, making them feel refreshed and relieving much of their stress.
"This is?"
Fu Qianlan dragged the wooden box, looking at the plump, round, jade-colored pills inside, and asked curiously.
This item is called Five-Incense Pill.
Chen Shuangbai said, "This is a practice piece I made. Light it and put it in the incense burner. It has the effect of calming the mind, stabilizing the spirit, and regulating breathing to enter a meditative state. You can take it and use it."
Upon hearing this, the two men's eyes lit up, and they exclaimed, "This really is a good thing!"
He Qi picked one up, sniffed it carefully, and indeed it had a very pleasant fragrance. He smiled and said, "Good stuff, then I won't be polite."
After seeing off his two friends, Chen Shuangbai probed his disciple's jade token with his spiritual sense and found that it contained many messages, mostly from people he had made friends with in the outer sect.
He received greetings from all sides, and Chen Shuangbai replied to each one.
Unless it's something extremely important that requires his personal attention, Chen Shuangbai doesn't plan to leave his cave abode.
But less than two days later, He Qi came to visit again.
Chen Shuangbai looked at him with some curiosity and asked, "Have you encountered some difficulties?"
He Qi was an outer disciple, and although he had the help of the Jade Guarding Hall, he still inevitably encountered some difficulties.
But he shook his head and said, "It's nothing difficult, it's just... do you still have any of those incense pills? Or do you have any other incense pills?"
"Give it to me... no, how about you sell me some?"
Chen Shuangbai frowned slightly and asked, "Did you use it all up?"
"If you want them, I can give you some more. Don't worry about selling them..."
As he spoke, he reached for some more, but He Qi shook his head and said, "You must sell them!"
Why?
"You wouldn't believe it, but your fragrant pills are now considered incredibly valuable treasures within the outer sect."
Upon hearing this, Chen Shuangbai was somewhat taken aback. "An extraordinary treasure?"
What makes you say that?
While those Five-Incense Pill did have some calming and soothing effects, they weren't of high quality, and their production wasn't particularly difficult. How could this be...?
"Oh, A-Bai, you're inner disciple and Elder Yi student, so naturally your standards are high."
He Qi interrupted him, her face beaming with excitement, and said, "For us outer disciples, your Five-Incense Pill is simply a powerful tool for meditation and comprehending Cultivation Method!"