Chapter 326: Yuan Batian

Xue Jin said: "No matter what, one must never lack vigilance against others. You all shouldn't trust them too much."

"Okay." Yuan Yao agreed.

Cang Li poured several cups of tea in succession, all of which they took away, except the Eldest Senior Brother.

"You don't respect the elderly or love the young at all." Cang Li said speechlessly, then he also poured a cup of tea for the Eldest Senior Brother.

Yuan Yao poked Cang Li's arm with her elbow, curiously asking: "By the way, Third Senior Brother, when did you study Buddhist Dharma?"

As soon as he said that, they all stared at him.

Cang Li immediately sat up straight, clasped his hands together, and said solemnly: "I've said it before, I am the third disciple beneath the Holy Buddha, Cangaotian is my name! How could I not know Buddhist Dharma?"

Xiao Lingwei reached out and twisted his ear, "Be serious!"

"Xiao patron, you… it hurts it hurts it hurts…" Cang Li's ear was twisted red, he hurriedly submitted, saying: "I say, Second Senior Sister, I say!"

Xiao Lingwei then let go.

Cang Li was stared at by their five pairs of eyes, he deeply sighed: "I learned this before taking my master as teacher, but I didn't learn much."

Xue Jin frowned and said: "Could it be that you entered the Buddhist sect before joining the Carefree Sect?"

"More or less."

Cang Li said vaguely.

"Regarding past events, I don't really want to talk about them; if you keep probing, you'll only uncover my painful matters. Even so, do you still want to investigate deeply? What I was like before age six is not important to you..."

Yuan Yao interrupted him, her expression solemn, saying: "Important."

Cang Li was stunned.

Yuan Yao earnestly said: "Third Senior Brother, if you don't want to talk, we won't ask again. But your past, to us, is not something that can be optional."

"Yao Yao is right." Xiao Lingwei nodded.

"Third Senior Brother..." Ying Wuji was about to speak when Cang Li interrupted him.

"Alright, alright, I know. What you're saying is overly sentimental, it almost makes me want to cry. About the experience before taking my master, I'll tell you later."

"Fine." Yuan Yao laughed.

…

Half an hour later, the spirit boat entered the Eighth Province.

After entering the Eighth Province, Yuan Yao could faintly feel that the spiritual energy concentration in the air seemed a bit higher.

Yuan Yao had previously heard from her fellow sect brothers and sisters that the spiritual energy content varied among each province, and that the Ninth Province's spiritual energy was the most scarce and barren.

In stark contrast, the First Province, regarded as a holy land, has a spiritual energy concentration unparalleled under heaven!

For this reason, countless cultivators yearn for the First Province and regard setting foot on this land as one of their lifelong pursuits.

But truly entering the First Province is no easy task.

Yuan Yao took advantage of this period to cultivate inside the cabin.

At this moment, Ying Wuji sought out Hua Chengyan.

Hua Chengyan was somewhat surprised: "Fellow Daoist Ying, what brings you to seek me?"

Ying Wuji said: "Fellow Daoist Hua, I want to inquire about a person."

"Who?"

"Wu Liuyun."

Upon hearing that name, Hua Chengyan's expression froze slightly, then he smiled and asked: "I know little about Wu Liuyun. I only know that at this stage he should be hunted by a mysterious force, and he… should still be alive, right? Fellow Daoist Ying, do you know Wu Liuyun?"

"I know him."

"Are you close?"

Ying Wuji did not answer that question, but instead said: "That mysterious force will not let Wu Liuyun go; if Fellow Daoist Hua encounters him in the future, please tell him to return to where he belongs."

Hua Chengyan's smile faded.

"I'm not well acquainted with Wu Liuyun either, so I'm afraid I can't relay a message for you."

Ying Wuji said nothing, merely giving Hua Chengyan a faint glance.

"Okay." He replied, then turned and returned to the cabin.

At this moment, Hua Chengyan had not yet recovered from Ying Wuji's icy gaze; he pressed his lips together.

Ying Wuji surely knows something.

…

Two days later.

The spirit boat drew ever closer to the Heaven Snow Mountain Range, and the temperature gradually dropped.

Inside the cabin.

"Thank you, Third Senior Brother!" Yuan Yao received the faceless wooden doll that Cang Li had just purified with Buddhist Dharma.

Cang Li said irritably: "You really want to form a contract with this wooden doll?"

Yuan Yao blinked: "Third Senior Brother, do you think there's something wrong with that?"

At that moment, the wooden doll reached out and clung to Yuan Yao's finger, rubbing its smooth face against her fingertip.

It seemed to want to break her fingertip and then form a contract with her.

But it had no mouth, let alone teeth.

It kept rubbing, rubbing.

Cang Li said: "There's no real problem, but are you sure you can control this wooden puppet?"

"Yes." Yuan Yao nodded and smiled.

"Then do as you wish."

As soon as Cang Li finished speaking, Yuan Yao immediately used her spiritual power to cut her finger, drip blood onto the wooden doll's body, and quickly completed the contract seal.

In an instant, her mental power invaded the puppet's consciousness.

She entered into a master‑servant contract with it.

Yuan Yao placed the puppet on the table, flicked its body with a finger, and said, "From now on you'll be called Little Wood."

"Are you serious about that name?" On the other side of the cabin, the pink‑haired youth who had been reading the sword manual frowned and looked up.

Yuan Yao asked puzzledly, "Does it sound bad?"

The pink‑haired youth snorted, "Does its transformed form have any connection to 'Little Wood' at all?"

Yuan Yao leaned on the table, teasing the puppet with her hand, and said, "Then what name should we give it?"

"Give it a name yourself," Xue Jin said, continuing to read the sword manual.

Cang Li laughed, "It's your possession, so you should name it yourself. But you can't name it perfunctorily."

Yuan Yao suddenly thought of something, sat upright, and stared intently at Cang Li.

Cang Li, being stared at like that, frowned slightly, a bad premonition rising in his mind.

"Its name shall be—"

"Yuan, Ba, Tian!"

Cang Li: "……"

"I, Cangaotian, disagree!"

"Won't listen, won't listen, won't listen!"

"Yuan Yao, you're looking for a beating, right?"

"Then it shall be called Yuan Ba Tian."

"Yuan Yao, if you have the ability, don't dodge; I'll poison you to death!"

"Blah blah blah."

Cang Li grew even more irritated watching.

He chased, she dodged.

The two circled around each other.

Noisy footsteps echoed from within the cabin.

At that moment, the three on the deck, Hua Chengyan and his companions, naturally heard the sound.

Uncle Jiu couldn't help but say, "They're being far too unruly!"

"Uncle Jiu, this isn't a sect, and they're not our Hua Sect disciples; we have no authority to discipline them. Moreover, we're cooperating with them now," Hua Chengyan said while pulling out a bronze mirror and looking into it.

The Elder and Uncle Jiu were already accustomed to this.

Before Uncle Jiu could complain, Hua Chengyan said, "Have I gotten a bit older lately?"

The Elder replied seriously, "Young Master, you're not old at all; you're still very youthful."

Hua Chengyan let out a deep sigh and said, "But looking at the faces of those few, I feel my own face is old and ugly."

Uncle Jiu quickly said, "Young Master, they're all not as good looking as you; in appearance, figure, and temperament, none can compare to you."

Hua Chengyan, hearing that, finally showed a faint smile.

"How much longer until we reach Snow City near the Heavenly Snow Mountains?"

"It should be less than half an hour."