Chapter 266: Elder Biyun

"How is it?"

"Will it work?"

Qiao Xiaoqiao tugged at Qiao Huizhu's arm, shaking it vigorously.

Qiao Huizhu said, "This…"

She hesitated.

Before coming here, she had never even considered this question.

Now that her sister asked, Qiao Huizhu paused for a breath.

"Sis… stop being so vague—just listen to me!"

"I told you to join—just join!"

Qiao Huizhu took a deep breath and said, "Xiaoqiao, things are different now—I can't follow your orders anymore!"

As she spoke, Qiao Huizhu reached out and grabbed He Pingsheng's arm: "I've already formed a Dao partnership with He Pingsheng—he is my husband now!"

"I must listen to him!"

"Huh?" Qiao Xiaoqiao, dense as ever, had momentarily forgotten her invitation to join the Free and Easy Immortal Sect—she stared at He Pingsheng and asked, "You and my sister… you two are together?"

He Pingsheng said, "Yes, we already had a marriage pact!"

"What's strange about that?"

"Uh… not strange at all!" Qiao Xiaoqiao said. "Congratulations! But… Haihai … how far have you two gone?"

"Have you slept together?"

"Kid, have you 'taken possession of my sister's body'?"

"Have you two had children yet?"

"Where are the kids?"

"Hahaha…"

Here, Qiao Xiaoqiao seemed to recall something amusing—before He Pingsheng could answer, she grinned slyly and asked, " Haihai … Brother-in-law… did you use that 'Nineteen Methods of Controlling the Phoenix' I gave you?"

"How was the effect?"

He Pingsheng's face turned black: …

This little auntie!

How could she ask such a question?

Does she have no brains?

Qiao Huizhu's face flushed crimson—she pinched a patch of flesh on Qiao Xiaoqiao's waist with her slender fingers and squeezed hard. "You little brat, ask another question and I'll strangle you!"

"Giggle giggle giggle…" Qiao Xiaoqiao laughed, doubling over and squatting on the ground.

After a long while, she caught her breath and said, "Alright, alright… Brother-in-law, what's your real opinion?"

"Will you allow my sister to join the Immortal Talisman Courtyard of the Free and Easy Immortal Sect?"

"Let me tell you!" Again, before He Pingsheng could speak, she rushed to explain: "My sister has a natural talent for talisman crafting—just let her join. Later, when you want to go at it with me and my sister, just come straight to my cultivation hall—I'll guard the door for you!"

"Will it work?"

Qiao Huizhu's face blazed red: "You little brat, say another word like that and I won't speak to you again!"

Qiao Xiaoqiao stuck out her tongue.

He Pingsheng thought for a moment and said, "It's not impossible… the Free and Easy Immortal Sect isn't far from Red Stone City!"

"If she's truly reliable, letting your sister join is fine!"

"Don't worry!" Qiao Xiaoqiao stood up, hands behind her back, looking up at He Pingsheng. "Brother-in-law, my master is a female cultivator, and most of the Immortal Talisman Courtyard's disciples are women—I'll watch over your wife. Anyone who dares to eye her, I'll cut them down!"

"Hehehe…"

He Pingsheng said, "Sister, if you wish to join, it's a good choice."

"In any case, I support you."

Qiao Huizhu had trained with him—though resources were plentiful, Red Stone City lacked the celestial essence of this sect.

"Then it's settled!" Qiao Huizhu said. "Xiaoqiao, help me—I want to stay in this Immortal Talisman Courtyard!"

"Got it! Wait here—I'll go get my master!"

With that, Qiao Xiaoqiao stepped out the door.

The cultivation hall was now empty except for He Pingsheng and Qiao Huizhu.

"Husband… you really don't mind?" Qiao Huizhu's beautiful eyes gazed at He Pingsheng. "I'd be fine staying with you—I like following you!"

He Pingsheng said, "But Red Stone City is no match for this sect."

"Don't worry—I'll always protect you."

"Oh, by the way…"

As he spoke, He Pingsheng pulled out a jade slip from his storage pouch. "Take a look at this cultivation technique."

Qiao Huizhu didn't understand his intent, but she obediently took the technique and began reading.

After reading only the introduction, her cheeks flushed crimson. "This is a dual-cultivation technique—why are you showing me something so lewd?"

"Sister, you misunderstand!" He Pingsheng said. "The Joyous Union Scripture isn't lewd—it's a Heaven-grade technique. If anyone found out, countless experts would covet it!"

"Moreover, someone once used this technique to break through the eleventh layer of Foundation Establishment!"

"I'm not certain it will definitely break the bottleneck, but since we've both hit ours, I think we should try!"

"After all, we're already Dao partners—there's no taboo."

Hearing this, Qiao Huizhu's expression instantly calmed. She nodded seriously. "Alright, I'll study it later."

"Start practicing on your own first."

"When you've made progress, we'll see if we can break through the bottleneck."

Qiao Huizhu was already at the eleventh layer—if she broke through, she'd face Core Formation.

Once she shattered the Dao barrier, with He Pingsheng's supreme Chaoyuan Elixir, she'd practically be guaranteed a Golden Core.

At that moment, Qiao Xiaoqiao walked in: "Sis, my master says you and your husband must come see her."

The three left Qiao Xiaoqiao's cultivation hall and soon arrived at a grander hall.

In the hall stood a stone lotus platform.

Upon it sat a woman who appeared extraordinarily young.

"Greetings, Elder Biyun!" He Pingsheng and Qiao Huizhu bowed.

Dressed in a green Dao robe, Biyun Xianzi floated lightly as if a celestial fairy, landing before them.

"Good!" Her spiritual sense swept over He Pingsheng and Qiao Huizhu. "What are your elemental roots?"

Elemental roots cannot be discerned by spiritual sense.

He Pingsheng said, "Disciple has a Five-Element root."

Qiao Huizhu said, "Disciple has a Single Ice Element root."

"Oh?" Biyun Xianzi's eyes turned to Qiao Huizhu. "A fine root."

"Have you hit a bottleneck?"

She asked only Qiao Huizhu, not He Pingsheng.

Qiao Huizhu said, "Yes, I've hit a bottleneck."

Biyun said, "There are some heavenly treasures capable of breaking Foundation Establishment bottlenecks. Within our Free and Easy Immortal Sect, there is a Nanqi Tree—its fruit, the Nanqi Fruit, can break such bottlenecks!"

"Unfortunately, this tree takes sixty years to mature."

"It will still be nearly thirty years before the fruit ripens."

"Even without the Nanqi Fruit, other heavenly treasures are not unattainable."

"But they require time to seek out."

"With your talent, reaching Golden Core should pose no great difficulty."

"Would you like to become my personal disciple?"

Biyun Xianzi gazed at Qiao Huizhu with eager anticipation.