Chapter 171: None of Them Are Reliable

Xuanhe Zhenren walked out of the quiet room, and just then, an Escape Light broke through the air and landed in the small courtyard.

"Master, Little Junior Brother has successfully achieved Foundation Establishment!" Qu Mei put away her Flying Sword and hurriedly bowed to report.

Xuanhe Zhenren held his whisk and nodded slightly, saying, "I am already aware of this matter. Remember, what you have just seen and heard must not be spread."

Qu Mei was stunned for a moment, then lowered her hands and said, "Master, rest assured, this Disciple will certainly not speak out of turn."

"Hmm, you are the Senior Sister; you should take care of him more in your daily life and urge him to cultivate, especially regarding matters in the Danyuan—you must remind him constantly. He is still young and his playful nature has not yet been reined in; remember, you must not indulge him."

Recalling her two previous experiences of eavesdropping, Qu Mei hesitated, then lowered her head with a flushed face and said, "Master, this Disciple has discovered that Little Junior Brother and Thirteenth Senior Sister have a very close relationship. I wonder if you and the Supreme Elder have any other thoughts on this?"

Xuanhe Zhenren was stunned for a moment, and a strange smile slowly appeared on his face as he said, "It is not easy for this old man to interfere in this matter. Both of them are still young; let everything follow its own fate!"

Qu Mei could not help but mutter in her heart, "Young, what do you mean young? Those two little devils are precocious; they have already done everything they should and shouldn't have done. If you all don't manage them, sooner or later they will produce a litter of little grand-disciples for you to raise."

However, she did not dare to say this out loud, so she could only bow and say again, "Master, this Disciple's Foundation Establishment realm is now stable, and Little Junior Brother has also succeeded. There haven't been many matters at the sect recently, so this Disciple would like to go down the mountain to the Yelang Ancient City."

Xuanhe Zhenren sighed and said, "Have you still not let go of that matter? It has already been eight years."

Qu Mei's eyes turned slightly red, and she said, "Fourth Senior Brother went missing while trying to save me. This Disciple must go and investigate clearly. This Disciple always has a premonition that Fourth Senior Brother is not dead and must still be trapped there!"

Xuanhe Zhenren was silent for a long time, then sighed again and said, "Since you have always kept it in your heart, then go for a trip. Otherwise, this will always be a flaw in your Dao heart, preventing it from being complete and keeping you from liberation; in the future, there will not be the slightest chance of reaching the Golden Core."

Qu Mei immediately prostrated herself and choked with sobs, "This Disciple knows her aptitude is limited and never thought of reaching the Golden Core in this life. Even achieving Foundation Establishment was thanks to the Taiyuan Soul-Entering Pill refined by Little Junior Brother. Ever since I entered the Taiyuan Sect, I have received your earnest teachings to have the cultivation I have today. This great kindness is something I cannot repay even with my life. If I do not return from this trip and cannot fulfill my filial duties in the future, I ask that you take care of yourself, Master."

Xuanhe Zhenren stroked his beard and shook his head, "The affection between master and disciple is but like clear water—bland yet true. There is no need for you to repay it. Since your mind is made up, this poor Daoist will no longer stop you. Remember to protect yourself. Regardless of whether there is a result, it is best to return to the mountain as soon as possible. If you encounter danger, you may send a letter to me..."

As he spoke, Xuanhe Zhenren waved his hand, and three Jade Talismans floated in front of Qu Mei.

"This white Jade Talisman contains a Soul imprint of this old man. If you encounter a critical moment, you can activate it to send back a message. If I have time, I may be able to go and rescue you. Additionally, the cyan and yellow Jade Talismans are two Third-grade Spirit Talismans I crafted—one for attack and one for defense. They might save your life in a moment of crisis. As for Spirit Pills and Magic Treasures, go to the Danyuan to find them yourself. This poor Daoist can only help you this much for now!"

Tears rolled down Qu Mei's face. She put away the three Jade Talismans, prostrated three times, and said, "Thank you, Master!"

"Hmm, go now, and be careful on the road!"

"Take care, Master, this Disciple takes her leave!"

Qu Mei stood up and exited the small courtyard, wiped the tears from her face, and then soared into the air, heading toward the Danyuan.

Inside the Danyuan, Jiu Shixiong and the little grand-nephew Su Zhao, whom Xu Chen had picked up on the road, were still tidying up the Spirit Medicine scattered all over the ground.

Xu Chen had already returned to the mountain and completed his Foundation Establishment, yet they still hadn't finished organizing the treasures Xu Chen had plundered.

Zhao Xuan sat in a corner, holding a Jade Slip and a Storage Bag, helping to tidy up while continuously recording the names and quantities of the Spirit Medicine into the Jade Slip for inventory registration and inquiry.

When Qu Mei entered, the three of them were each busy to the point of exhaustion.

"Seventh Senior Sister, you've come at the right time, hurry and help... Eh, why are you crying?" Jiu Shixiong saw Qu Mei while busy and was both surprised and delighted, yet also full of astonishment.

Qu Mei glared at Jiu Shixiong and said, "Which eye saw me crying? I am just too happy; Little Junior Brother just succeeded in Foundation Establishment."

"What?" Zhao Xuan, who was sitting in the corner, suddenly exclaimed and jumped up.

The Spirit Medicine in Jiu Shixiong's hands also scattered all over the floor. He was stunned for a long time before he came to his senses, shaking his head vigorously and saying, "Impossible, absolutely impossible. Little Junior Brother hasn't even been back on the mountain for two hours; how could he have achieved Foundation Establishment so quickly? I used a full three days back then!"

"I'm going to see Little Junior Brother!" Zhao Xuan hurriedly dropped the Jade Slip and Storage Bag, rushed out of the room, and soon left on her sword.

Jiu Shixiong wanted to follow, but was grabbed by Qu Mei, who said, "Little Junior Sister has gone, so naturally the two of them have intimate words to share. What are you rushing over there for?"

Jiu Shixiong was stunned for a moment and nodded, "That is indeed true. But Senior Sister, I find you very abnormal today?"

Qu Mei was furious and gave Jiu Shixiong a flick on the forehead, saying, "Which eye saw me being abnormal? By the way, I am going out for a trip; hurry and get me some Spirit Pills."

Jiu Shixiong suddenly realized and pointed at Qu Mei, saying, "I know, you just want to take advantage of the fact that the Third Elder and Little Junior Brother are both away to come and plunder. But I am only the temporary manager of the Danyuan right now, so it's no use looking for me, unless you grab them yourself..."

As soon as Qu Mei heard this, she headed toward the warehouse in the back. Jiu Shixiong glared at the bewildered little grand-nephew Su Zhao beside him and said, "You saw it too, I can't beat Seventh Senior Sister; she went in to grab them herself."

Su Zhao hurriedly nodded his head like a chick pecking at rice and whispered, "Seventh Senior Aunt's cultivation is profound and truly very powerful; just looking at her makes my legs tremble."

Jiu Shixiong immediately patted Su Zhao on the shoulder with a solemn face and said, "Hmm, the child is teachable. You have the inherited style of our Taiyuan Sect; your future path will surely be bright. You stay here and continue tidying up the Spirit Medicine; I'm going to go see your Little Uncle-Master Xu Chen."

Having said that, Jiu Shixiong slipped out of the room in a flash and whistled away on his sword.

After a full two quarters of an hour, Qu Mei finally came out of the storeroom. Seeing only Su Zhao, she frowned and tossed him a Jade Slip, saying, "This is the record of the Spirit Pills I took. You keep it for the files. If the Third Elder asks, just say you don't know."

"Yes, yes, Seventh Senior Aunt, walk slowly. This Disciple will definitely pass it on to Ninth Uncle-Master!" Su Zhao hurriedly bowed respectfully and agreed. Qu Mei puffed out her chest and walked proudly out of the Danyuan, leaving soon after.

Su Zhao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and muttered, "I originally thought Master was already unreliable enough, but I didn't expect these Uncle-Masters and Senior Aunts on the mountain to be even more unreliable. Not a single one is normal. I wonder how many Spirit Pills Seventh Senior Aunt actually took?"

As he spoke, he looked at the Jade Slip, but because he hadn't yet entered the Qi Refining stage, he had no way of knowing. He could only shrug, put it away first, and then bury his head in continuing to organize the Spirit Medicine.

In the pool of the Medicine Garden waterfall, Xu Chen was stark naked, scrubbing himself.

The bloody filth and scabs had dyed half of the pool red.

Today's Foundation Establishment process had been full of twists and turns, but fortunately, relying on his quick-witted ideas in the face of danger, it was ultimately a success without any mishaps.

The only thing he regretted was wasting one extra Foundation Establishment Spirit Pill.

At the moment, while feeling refreshed and invigorated throughout his body, he could not help but feel a bit worried.

That was because his own Foundation Establishment process had been so difficult, and he had ultimately relied on the white Qi refined by the Grand Void Demon Refining Art to forcibly break through his Apertures and flesh, only then seizing the opportunity to break open the acupoints and successfully achieve Foundation Establishment.

But Thirteenth Senior Sister Zhao Xuan did not have the Blue Light Treasure Bottle or the Grand Void Demon Refining Art, nor did she have his powerful and stable Soul and Yuan Qi. I fear that when the time comes, her Foundation Establishment will be fraught with trouble.

Although he could help by channeling white Qi while acting as her protector, it was not his own body after all, and he could not see the Meridians and acupoints on her, so he absolutely could not help her open the Apertures; she could only rely on her own efforts.

Because of this, whether Thirteenth Senior Sister could successfully achieve Foundation Establishment was truly an unknown.

Just as he was thinking this, a green Escape Light broke through the air. Soon, Zhao Xuan retracted her sword and stood by the waterfall pool, her face full of surprise while her expression was also incomparably strange.

"Senior Sister, why are you here?" Xu Chen hurriedly squatted in the water and asked awkwardly.

Zhao Xuan curled her lips and said, "What is there to hide? I heard from Seventh Senior Sister that you succeeded in Foundation Establishment. You were fast enough; I came specifically to take a look!"

Xu Chen laughed dryly, "I thought Senior Sister was here to bring me something to eat."

Zhao Xuan glared, "Eat, eat, eat, all you know is eating. Such a big matter as Foundation Establishment and you didn't even call me to help you protect the Dharma. If Seventh Senior Sister hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't even have known."

Xu Chen could only smile bitterly, "Senior Sister was angry and left just a moment ago. I thought Foundation Establishment might take several days, so I asked Seventh Senior Sister to help keep an eye on things. I didn't expect it to be so fast. Senior Sister, please turn around; I need to get up and put on my clothes."

Zhao Xuan's cheeks flushed red. She snorted coldly, turned around, and said, "I was just going to the Danyuan to help organize those Spirit Medicines you brought back. I was thinking you had just returned and were busy, yet you don't appreciate it at all."

Xu Chen climbed onto the bank, released his Yuan Qi to steam the water off his body, fished out a set of clothes from his Profound Gold bracelet, and while putting them on, apologized with a smile, "So that's how it is. I definitely won't let Senior Sister help in vain; I'll give you a bottle of Spirit Flower Dew in a moment..."

Just as the two were talking, a faint white light suddenly broke through the air, and a Jade Slip hovered in front of Xu Chen.

Xu Chen grabbed the Jade Slip in surprise, and when he probed his Divine Sense inside to take a look, his face immediately turned strange as he said, "It's a message from Seventh Senior Sister. She says she is going to the Yelang Ancient City and wants me to take good care of Master. Where exactly is this Yelang Ancient City? She's being so mysterious, acting as if she's never coming back..."

"What? Seventh Senior Sister said she is going to the Yelang Ancient City?" Zhao Xuan exclaimed, turning her head back abruptly.

"That is what Seventh Senior Sister said, see for yourself!" Xu Chen tossed the Jade Slip to Zhao Xuan, then hurriedly put on his clothes and grabbed a blade of grass to tie up his disheveled hair in a mess.

Zhao Xuan finished reading the Jade Slip quickly, and after being stunned for a long time, she said, "It seems Seventh Senior Sister still hasn't let go of the matter regarding Fourth Senior Brother. I fear it is very unsafe for her to go alone."

Xu Chen was stunned for a moment and said, "Could it be that Fourth Senior Brother went missing in the Yelang Ancient City?"

Zhao Xuan nodded and said, "Yes, but eight years have already passed. Back then, Fourth Senior Brother was only in the mid-stage of the Kaiyuan Realm; how could he possibly still be alive? What Seventh Senior Sister is doing is meaningless, and she might even get herself killed in the process."

Xu Chen became a bit anxious now, released his Flying Sword, stepped onto it, and said, "I'm going to ask her!"

"Chen'er, come to my Dao Courtyard!"

A Divine Sense Transmission suddenly rang in Xu Chen's ears; it was his Master, Xuanhe Zhenren.

Xu Chen could only hurriedly give a reply and flew his sword straight toward the southwest side of Zhaoyang Peak.

This chapter is an extra update for alliance leader Book Friend 20230425132056842.

(End of this chapter)