Chapter 39: The Ghost Tomb

Southern Dao Sect, Ling Shou Yuan.

Su Xi sat on the Spirit Stone platform; the white Tribulation Cloud above her head dissipated, and her primordial spirit condensed from a liquid state into a golden core, round and shimmering with lightning.

Rong Shou came over with Da Miao.

Seeing Su Xi's curled eyelashes tremble slightly, Da Miao knew she was about to wake up. "Sect Master, what are your thoughts?"

"What thoughts?" Rong Shou's expression remained calm.

"The Young Sect Master has been wandering around outside, and in just a few days, she reached the Golden Core stage," Da Miao teased.

"That is also because she followed me and built a solid foundation," Rong Shou said, slightly lifting his chin, which was as sharp as if carved.

Da Miao: "..."

Da Jin came over fawningly, carrying a three-colored spirit fish to feed Da Miao.

Da Miao glanced at it. "Slice it."

"Yes." Da Jin happily went to prepare the fish.

Once the fish meat was ready, Da Miao no longer wanted to eat it. "I want to sleep."

"Mm-hmm, I'll keep you company." Da Jin put the fish slices away, waiting for Da Miao to be hungry again.

Watching Da Jin, who was completely wrapped around Da Miao's finger, Rong Shou offered a look of sympathy.

Su Xi opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was Rong Shou's probing gaze.

Su Xi's beautiful, clear eyes flickered, and she instantly leaped up and pounced toward Rong Shou.

Rong Shou was accustomed to her childish behavior. "Did you run into Xie Guanyu again?"

"Yes," Su Xi admitted very straightforwardly. "He wanted to be my Master, I didn't agree, so later I acknowledged him as my brother."

"..." Rong Shou's lips twitched slightly, his expression somewhat subtle. "You acknowledged him as your brother?"

Su Xi keenly sensed Rong Shou's displeasure and hurriedly stood up properly. "Master, your disciple did it for self-preservation at the time. He is a Demon Lord; in front of him, I was like a little ant, easily crushed or molded. But I thought about it, acknowledging him as a brother isn't a loss. That way, when he sees Master, he will still have to respectfully call you an elder."

"I don't care for a Demon Lord as a junior," Rong Shou's tone grew colder.

Su Xi shrank her neck. "Then I'll take back the brother, I won't acknowledge him anymore."

Rong Shou's expression cleared slightly. "That's more like it. Besides, he wouldn't dare touch you."

Su Xi secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking: Sorry, Xie Guanyu, our Master doesn't approve.

"By the way, Master, what about those commoners who were abducted by the Cannibal Demon tribe?"

Rong Shou replied, "I handed them over to Hua Qing to handle."

"Then I'll go find Senior Brother," Su Xi said, about to leave immediately.

【Host, aren't you going to hand over the Miasma Pool water you collected to Master?】

【Oh, I forgot.】 Su Xi gave the jar containing the Miasma Pool water to Rong Shou. "Master, could you see how to handle this thing?"

Rong Shou twisted off the lid and quickly covered it again.

"You went to Guimu?"

"So that place is called Guimu."

"You didn't know anything, yet you dared to venture in," Rong Shou scolded lightly.

"I was just aiming to benefit the local people and trace the source of the miasma. I didn't expect to enter a tomb. Fortunately, I had Master's protection; I reached the bottom of the tomb and collected all the water emitting the miasma. The people there will definitely be able to live better in the future," Su Xi said with a charming, ingratiating look.

Looking at her smiling face, Rong Shou couldn't even bring himself to be angry. "The space within Guimu is an alien space, and it moves. Sometimes it stays in one place for decades, and other times it disappears for hundreds of years.

What is inside is not miasma, but 'Gui' energy. This water is not miasma water, but 'Gui' water. If a demonic cultivator obtains it, it is a great supplement. However, there are not many Storage Treasures that can hold 'Gui' water, and they are top-grade demonic artifacts.

This of yours doesn't look like a demonic artifact, nor is it a spirit artifact. Where did you get it?"

【Host, Master is as meticulous as a hair!】

【I was careless, I forgot this little jar isn't a treasure from Yunze Dalu.】

Su Xi replied, "I just found it inside the tomb. By the way, there is also this dagger."

Er Miao had mentioned to her that this dagger had the same components as the 'Gui' water remaining on it; it should be something Xue Fuyi found in Guimu.

Rong Shou held the dagger and examined it, then said after a moment, "Is this a filial offering from my good disciple to Master?"

"Ah?" Su Xi nodded hurriedly. "Yes! Disciple knows Master likes these strange things."

"My disciple understands her Master well," Rong Shou's eyes revealed a hint of gratification. "Go to Hua Qing. Since you have advanced to the Golden Core stage, you can refine a Life-bound Dharma Treasure and a flight treasure. Let Hua Qing take you to the Cangbaoge to pick a few items, and I will help you refine them later."

"Thank you, Master," Su Xi said, and ran off until she was out of sight.

Leaving Ling Shou Yuan, Su Xi saw many people gathering in groups, looking at the Southern Dao Sect and whispering.

Judging by their clothing and attire, they were ordinary people, and there were many Daoist acolytes accompanying them, sending them toward the direction of the teleportation array.

Su Xi directly used Teleportation to go to Yuntian Langhuan Gong.

She happened to see Sheng Hong coming out of the Zongmen Dadian and called out, "Senior Brother—"

Sheng Hong: "... Congratulations to Junior Uncle for coming out of seclusion and successfully forming a Golden Core."

"Thank you," Su Xi asked, "I just saw many commoners heading to the teleportation array. Are they being sent back to their homes via the teleportation array?"

Sheng Hong nodded. "Yes. After leaving Da E Mo Dao, I was anxious about Junior Uncle's cultivation, so I returned first. I originally intended to send the scrolls back to Huang He Nan Yu, but after Master found out, he let me release all the commoners."

"Why?" Su Xi was puzzled.

Sheng Hong smiled slightly. "We are going to recruit disciples again soon."

Su Xi suddenly realized, and seeing Hua Qing also come out, she cupped her hands in admiration, "It has to be Senior Brother!"

These commoners numbered in the tens of thousands, which meant tens of thousands of mouths. Once they all returned home, word would spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred... eventually, the entire continent would know that it was the Southern Dao Sect that saved them. The good reputation and praise would all fall upon the Southern Dao Sect.

The imperial court would also owe them a favor, providing more convenience when the Southern Dao Sect recruited disciples.

"It's nothing. There is one thing that requires Junior Sister's help. Feng Yan Di sent someone to deliver an invitation, inviting the Sect Master to attend the Longevity Banquet. You should give the invitation to the Sect Master. Also, helping the imperial court find the missing commoners this time is your responsibility; see it through to the end, and go one more time to resolve this karma."

"Okay." Su Xi took the invitation. "Master told me to find Senior Brother to go to the Cangbaoge to choose a few Dharma treasures that can be used at the Golden Core stage."

"Right, right, right, look at me forgetting about this. Sheng Hong, you take your Junior Martial Uncle to the Cangbaoge; she can take whatever she wants."

"Master." Sheng Hong's face revealed his dilemma, "My wife has been waiting for me at the Waishiyuan for two days, and I just promised her I would head over there now."

He was not intentionally making excuses; he was afraid that Ji Fu would cause trouble at the Waishiyuan, as he understood her temper best.

"That is your fault then; how could you keep A-Fu waiting? Hurry and go," Su Xi said with a grin, "Senior Brother, doesn't the Cangbaoge have a steward? I'll just have him accompany me to pick out a few things."

"Mm, I will prepare a Golden Core formation gift for you later," Hua Qing said with a chuckle, stroking his beard.

"Senior Brother, you must remember that," Su Xi said, trotting toward the Cangbaoge.

And just after Su Xi left, Hua Qing's expression darkened slightly, and he said to Sheng Hong, "What happened to the Young Sect Master of the Heavenly Sword Sect at Da E Mo Dao?"