My Master Disconnected Yet Again Chapter 81-90

Chapter 81: System of Another World

"A System?" Lonemoon hesitated. He scanned the person in front of him from head to toe and continued, "Why is there such a System in a world of immortal cultivators? Are you also a transmigrator?" Do people these days transmigrate however and whenever they want?

"Transmigrat—burp… what does that mean?" Feng Ying frowned as he asked. He finally managed to stop crying and burped.

"So you didn't transmigrate?" Lonemoon's curiosity was piqued. "Then what is this System in your body?"

"Hmph! Why  must  I—burp—tell  you—burp—guys?"  Feng Ying had no intention to cooperate at all, tutting furiously. Unfortunately, he did not look very intimidating while he was burping. "This System—burp—has been around  since  I  signed my soul—burp—contract. You might be envious but…"

Before he could finish, however, a sound came from his body.

Only he and Shen Ying could hear what the System said next. [Ding! Serial number: CIEH12 Model System at your service. This System was produced by Heng Youqian[1] Company in Dimension 3584.65 on Planet Number ZC999. Due to a sudden interstellar storm that hit the System's original dimension, it came to this dimension. Heng Youqian Company  was committed to the development of these Systems. CIEH12 is the 12th System of this model. It can correct and guide the host's misconduct and guarantee the health and growth of the host. Current host: Feng Ying!]

Feng Ying: "…" This System is so quick to betray its owner.

(╯‵□′)╯(┻━┻

"What did you hear?" Lonemoon asked Shen Ying. Only Shen Ying and Feng Ying could hear the System. "What is this thing?"

Even Yi Qing curiously waited for Shen Ying's answer.

"Er…" Shen Ying thought for a moment and then explained, "In conclusion, it's a… parenting System!" Lonemoon and Yi Qing's expressions went blank. Together, they responded, "Oh…" And then, they turned to look at the 'child'.

"Who said this is a parenting System?" Feng Ying was infuriated. He was a Perfected Nascent Soul cultivator after all, definitely not a child. "Do you know it-"

[Ding!]

Before he could finish, however, the System sounded once more.

[Serial number: CIEH12. Main capabilities: detection, navigation, persuasion, demonstration and storage of the full set of Planet ZC999's primary rules and regulations. This System was specially designed for sentient beings, from newborns to juveniles.]

Feng Ying: "…" Whose System are you? Why are you making me look bad? Feng Ying felt as if the System no longer recognized him as its host ever since he came to Invincible Sect.

"Good System!" Shen Ying praised.

[Ding! Mission: May the host please thank the badass on this System's behalf? Thank you!]

"…" My heart is so weary!

"Talk…" Shen Ying pushed Feng Ying onto a chair and sat down atop a stage. She picked up a pastry with a casual sweep of her hand. "Why did you suddenly go to the back of  the mountain and trample all over my radish land?" She had spent half a day watering the radishes. Although she did not like to eat vegetables, she did care about the fruits of her labor. Feng Ying had single-handedly ruined the fruits of her labor.

Feng Ying's mouth twitched. Was this the reason she had captured him? Who cares about your radish land! "Hmph, you have the upper hand now and act like you're right, but I won't tell you anything."

[Ding! Exporting host's data…]

"…" Shit!

[Host: Feng Ying! Low-dimensional life-form; age in this dimension: 236; gender: male; mid-stage Nascent Soul. The host possesses three elemental Spirit Roots: Gold, Fire and Earth. Low-quality qualifications (cleansed to high-quality); bound by the System at the age of three; successfully activated at age 39. Techniques: Sword technique, Invisibility technique, Core Mixing technique, etc.]

[Top events in the host's life: 1. At the age of five years and three months, he was beaten by the parents of the four-year-old girl next door that he kissed. His life was not threatened; 2. At the age of ten years and seven months, he wet his bed at 3 a.m., causing a fire to break out. His life was not threatened; 3. At the age of 20 years and three months-] "Shut up!" Feng Ying shouted, his face flushed. All he wanted to do now was to bury himself in a pit.

(╯‵□′)╯(┻━┻

He wanted to flip this table! Why hadn't he found out earlier that the System kept all these things on record? Why were records from a hundred years ago still in there? She called you a parenting System and you really have to act like one?

Shen Ying had been repeating after the System, word for word, so that everyone else who was present could understand what was going on.

The three of them immediately focused their gazes on Feng Ying.

"Don't tell anyone!"

For the first time in his life, he really wanted to die. Five minutes later…

"Er… well." Lonemoon cleared his throat. He finally tore his gaze away from the cultivator who had still wet his bed at age ten. "So he located Invincible Sect using this System?"

Although he did tell his business partner, the Yin Family, about where the Invincible Sect was located at, because they were located in the Demon Realm, he told them that they would meet at Upper Azure Town instead. What's more, the  Yin Family would not have told others about Invincible Sect's location. Given the number of demons that lurked around in the Demon Realm, it would be difficult for anyone to approach the Invincible Sect's abode safely. Feng Ying was only at  the Nascent Soul stage—there was no way he would have made it if not for the System.

"So what if that's the case!" Feng Ying tutted once more and turned away. He was thoroughly indignant.

He glanced at the overjoyed Shen Ying who was standing beside him and gritted his teeth. Just his luck! He had not thought that the System would cause him such problems. Now, not only did he fail to take revenge for his brothers, the System's strange missions made him lose the reputation that he had built up over hundreds of years.

What exactly did the System mean by "badass"?

"You…" He couldn't help but ask, "What exactly did you do to the System? How are you the only one who can hear what it says?" And why does the System answer every single one of your questions?

Shen Ying hesitated, and then shook her head innocently, saying, "I don't know."

"How can you not know!" Feng Ying jumped out of his chair. "Then why is it helping you all the time?" If soul contracts could be terminated, he imagined that the System would want to change its host.

"I really don't know."

"… If you don't want to tell me, then forget it." "She's not lying," Lonemoon said empathetically. "When she says she doesn't know, she really doesn't know. You just have to get used to it." How naive. What use is it to try to reason with a cheat? Just accept things as they are.

Feng Ying couldn't believe his ears. He turned to Shen Ying angrily and said, "I'm unlucky today to have ended up in your hands. Kill me if you want to, otherwise I will not let you off for destroying my Soul Chasing Tower."

"Soul Chasing Tower?" Shen Ying paused. She turned to Lonemoon and Yi Qing and asked, "What's he talking about?"

The two of them stiffened.

Lonemoon: "Well… this person doesn't look like much of a problem. Shen Ying, you handle him. I'll go check out how the disciples are doing."

Yi Qing: "It's almost noon. Master, I'm going to  prepare lunch." The two of them disappeared immediately.

Shen Ying: "…" Son of a b*tch!

"Eh, why did those people call you Shen Ying?" Feng Ying hesitated. "Aren't you Yi Qing, the sect master of Invincible Sect? You have two names?"

Shen Ying's mouth twitched. She turned to him and replied, "Didn't you say the Soul Chasing Tower knows about everything?" Why are you asking me?

"Of course," he replied cockily. "I don't mean to brag, but so long as I'm inclined, I can even find out what undergarments the masters of the four aristocratic families are wearing tonight."

"Oh, go and find out then."

"…" [1] This means Very Rich in Chinese.

Chapter 82: Buying Into Soul Chasing

A phenomenon surfaced in the sky and earth as the level of spiritual power in the atmosphere spiked.

Shen Ying had been in the middle of having lunch. Just when she picked up a piece of meat, the earth suddenly trembled and the mountains swayed, causing her hand to shake and the meat in her hand to drop to the ground.

What a waste…

At the side, Yi Qing picked up another piece of meat and placed it into her bowl calmly.

Great chef!

Just as Shen Ying was about to eat, however, Lonemoon suddenly rushed in with burning impatience.

"Shen Ying, did you guys sense the commotion just now?" "Earthquake?" She tilted her head.

"Earthquake your head!" Lonemoon glared at her.

"Master, the level of Spirit Qi in the east has spiked." Yi Qing raised his head and looked towards the right, explaining in a solemn voice, "A unique treasure is most likely descending into the world."

"That's right, and judging from the disturbance, this  item can't be anything small." Lonemoon continued excitedly, "You guys hurry and pack up. We'll go over to check it out."

"Get ready for what?" Shen Ying raised her head.

"To get ready to go over there, of course!" Lonemoon habitually answered. "A unique treasure has descended into the world. No matter what it is, it's an item with no Master. The sooner we arrive there, the greater our advantage."

"Do we need those?" "Don't we need it?"

"Is there a need?"

"…" Lonemoon hesitated for a moment before he thought of something.

Holy shit! They really didn't need it!

Besides him and Yi Qing, the rest of them in the Invincible Sect were Body Cultivators. Body cultivation focused on pure energy, so Dharma artifact and spirit treasures were not of any use to Body Cultivators. The only things useful to them would be small doses of spirit herbs and elixirs, but even those were only useful for emergencies when they were on the verge of death; moreover, the one thing that the whole Invincible Sect had the most was spirit herbs.

There was a ready treasure right in front of them, but not a single one of them could use it. This feeling was… Lonemoon faintly felt as if his head been doused with a bucket of cold water, all his prior excitement vanishing. After having been in the Blackheaven Sect for so long, he was used to fighting for resources. To suddenly be equipped with a cheat was so lonely!

"I'm also hungry." He immediately took the remaining rice for himself and sat down, his heart full of indignation. He glanced over at a certain foodie and could not help but nag, "In the afternoon, you bring the disciples to the back of the mountain to harvest the radish… spirit herbs." He then took out a note and passed it to her. "This is a checklist. Harvest them according to the numbers on it, not one herb less."

"Pulling out radishes?" Shen Ying hesitated. "How about I get rabbit to…"

"No!" Lonemoon glared at her coldly, cutting off her intention to slack off. "They are demons, so they are surrounded by demonic aura. This batch of radishes—pu… these spirit herbs are to be given to the Xuan Yuan Family to refine pills, so they can't be polluted with demonic aura. You have to go."

"So troublesome. Can we not harvest them?" "Not harvest?!" He sneered as he scanned her over. "Do you think it's such an easy thing to maintain the normal operations of a sect? If we don't harvest radishes, how are we going to get spirit stones?"

"Uh… Is our expenses very huge?" She didn't like shopping either.

"You have the audacity to say that!" Lonemoon exploded immediately. "Isn't it all your fault? Look at the entire Upper Azure World, no look at the entire Azure World. Which immortal sect spends 80% of their expenditure on food?" If we aren't going to earn money, are we going to sit idle and eat?

"The main point is, I could've turned a blind eye to it if you were the only one eating like that…" He scanned over left and right at the girls who were scooping up rice. "But you freaking brought the whole sect along in eating? As the sect master, don't you know that eating does not help them in cultivation?"

"Uh… they're one of us. It's not nice to just eat by myself right?" She looked up at the bowl of rice in his hand, inwardly thinking: don't you eat everyday too? "Alright, I shall not fight about this with you." He took in a deep breath and turned around to point at Feng Ying who was to the right, asking, "But what happened to this fellow? Why is he still here?" And using the cutlery that he always used!

"Everyone who comes in here is a guest."

"Guest your head!" Wasn't he the Soul Chasing Tower's Tower Master? Get back to your Soul Chasing Tower! Why are  you here to freeload? Doesn't rice cost spirit stones? Why did he have the right to take up his seat and eat his portion of the food?

"Hmph!" Feng Ying sneered, not paying regard to Lonemoon's unhappiness. "You think that I am willing to stay in your lousy sect?"

"Heh heh…" Put down that bowl if you're unwilling then!

"You guys have not given me an explanation for the matters of my Soul Chasing Tower?" Feng Ying immediately struck the table and spoke sternly, "Elder Lonemoon, I have painstakingly spent all my effort to build the Soul Chasing Tower and you guys just destroyed it like that. At this juncture now, you want to let this matter pass simply by saying that you came knocking on the wrong door because you were eager to save a life? Anyway I don't care. Either you guys compensate me for my Soul Chasing Tower, or kill me now. Otherwise, I  will  not leave."

You snatched my bowl yet you're still trying to talk reason!

The blazing anger in Lonemoon's eyes abruptly turned calm, somewhat eerily. Suddenly, the corners of his mouth moved up and he gave a smile that was like spring breeze to Feng Ying…

Shen Ying and Yi Qing both shivered.  Uh-oh…  Father  Niu only smiled in such a frightening manner when he was about to trick people.

(⊙_⊙)

"Tower Master Ying, you're right. This matter was indeed our mistake, so we should give you an explanation." He smiled more amicably as he entered professional-mode. "Hmph, at least you are sensible."

"Rest assured, Tower Master, leave the rebuilding of the Soul Chasing Tower to the Invincible Sect," Lonemoon said with a face of confidence. "My Invincible Sect is a publicly acknowledged hidden great immortal sect. Such an amount of spirit stones is still within our means. Furthermore, we'll compensate your tower with some exquisite spirit stones. What do you think?"

"Really?" Feng Ying's eyes lit up and he scrutinized him with tinge of suspicion in his gaze. "Are you lying to me? You won't regret it?"

"Why would I? I, Niu… I, Lonemoon, am also considered an elder of a sect. I am a man of his word!" He smiled till his eyes became a line. He stepped forward and tapped on Feng Ying's shoulders, and spoke earnestly, "To be honest, I have long heard of the renowned reputation of the Soul Chasing Tower. You managed to build a network larger than the aristocratic families within a hundred years. I really do admire you."

"Indeed!" Talking about his profession, Feng Ying was full of pride. "You don't know how much effort I have invested into this. I am not bragging, but the Soul Chasing Tower does not lose out to those top immortal sects."

"Indeed, indeed." Lonemoon nodded quickly in agreement. "But it's such a pity. Although the Soul Chasing Tower has information about the Upper Azure World, it's still a little lacking in the network with the Middle and Lower Azure World, leaving it imperfect. Tower Master, why not fix this part? And Soul Chasing Tower can surpass even the aristocratic families."

Feng Ying furrowed his brows. "I also had this thought before, but those who are not of Soul Formation cultivation in the Three Realms cannot move around freely. I am in the Upper Azure World, so it is difficult for me to get first hand news of the other two realms…"

"I do have an idea on how to solve this problem."

"Truly?" Stunned, Feng Ying took two steps forward. "Supremacy Lonemoon, are you speaking the truth?"

"Of course. You forgot that although you can't roam freely in the Three Realms, you can do so in the Demon Realm. I have an absolutely foolproof method…" he said earnestly. "If you allow it, it can help to achieve your goals."

"Of course I agree to such a good deal." Feng Ying was excited but looked a little worried. "What do you want in exchange?"

"Everybody that comes in here is a guest. Talking about requests hurts feelings. Since you're a straightforward person, why don't we make use of this opportunity to use the spirit stones for rebuilding as a share investment my Invincible Sect is undertaking?"

"What are shares?"

"This question is a little complicated. How about you come with me to the study and discuss it?"

"Alright, let's go."

"Please, Tower Master." With that said, the two of them exited the hall excitedly…

Yi Qing was one of the confused audience. He asked, "Master, how many percent of the Soul Chasing Tower will he lose?"

Shen Ying: "I guess that depends on how angry Father Niu was?"

"…"

Trying to get money out of Father Niu's pockets… Someone had to tell him that he should never mess with a godfather-like character. Rest in peace!

Chapter 83: Attack from Another Sect

Father Niu had left on a long trip, as the delivery date, agreed upon with the Yin Family, was due. Since he still had to visit the Xuan Yuan Family to refine pills, the entire trip would take at least half a month.

Now that the Invincible Sect was without its housekeeper, Shen Ying was completely free to do as she pleased. She had vehemently requested that the number of dishes per meal be increased from six to eight and had just decided to discuss the issue of staff deployment for the preparation of supper and afternoon tea with the chef.

However, Yu Hong suddenly hurried in and handed her a white paper crane. "Sect Master, I just found this in the front hall."

"What is it?" Shen Ying took it from her, her curiosity piqued, but the paper crane suddenly flew over to Yi Qing and started circling him.

"It's a messenger paper crane! It seems to be for me." Yi Qing reached out, and the paper crane fell into his hand. Looking at it carefully, he said, "From the pattern on this crane, it should be a message from the Bright Heart Sect."

He immediately made a hand seal and the paper crane turned into a stream of white light, forming the character for "Duel" in the air. A faint killing vibe emanated from it.

"It's an invitation to a duel!" Yu Hong exclaimed.

The next moment, a male voice rang out.

"Having heard of the outstanding skills of the Invincible Sect Master Yi Qing, who has defeated the Yu Family Patriarch, I, your admirer, Fei Yeshu of the Bright Heart Sect, respectfully challenges you to a duel. On this chaotic Immortal's Path, only the strongest should reign supreme. Are you up for the challenge?"

After the voice stopped talking, the white light suddenly transformed and grouped into another line of small characters, detailing the duel's time and venue. Shen Ying: "…"

Yi Qing: "…"

Yu Hong: "…"

So… who exactly was the one being challenged, the sect master or Yi Qing?

"Master, let me go!" With a serious expression, Yi Qing stepped forward and said, "This challenge venue is only a day's journey away. I'm confident that I can win."

"Oh, but…"

"It was Master that defeated the Yu family on that day. We can't let this misunderstanding continue among the sects. I'll take this opportunity to clear up the matter."

"… That's not what I meant." "I know that Master is worried about me, but if we do not accept, other sects will look down on our Invincible Sect."

"No, no, no, what I mean is…"

"Please, tell me."

"Could you prepare dinner before you leave?"

"…"

————————

Late into the night.

"Is anybody here? Is anyone here?" Two trembling rabbit demons, walking through the Invincible Sect's mountain entrance, asked in soft yet husky voices. After a moment, two figures, one red and one green, appeared at the entrance.

Looking at the two eighth-level rabbit demons with a puzzled expression, Yu Hong greeted them with cupped fists, "Brother Rabbits, may I know what brings you here this late in the night?"

"Greetings Miss Hong" Scratching its ears, the rabbit on the left said, "It's like this… while we were passing by the entrance to the Demon Realm, we saw a cultivator break in. We wanted to chase him out, but… he said he knew Miss Si Yu, so we brought him here instead."

"Knows me?" Si Yu repeated, turning to look at Yu Hong with a perplexed expression on her face. "Who is it?" she asked the rabbit demons.

The two rabbits quickly moved aside, and Si Yu saw someone lying on the ground behind them. He seemed to have sustained serious injuries, his body was covered in blood and his breathing was almost undetectable. She went forwards to take a look and her eyes widened in surprise at what she saw. "Yin Yuanfei! How did he get such injuries?"

Yu Hong was also shocked. She immediately bent down to examine his meridians. She found that his Golden Core was about to disintegrate, which was why he was in a comatose state.

"That… was not caused by us!" The two rabbits hurriedly explained. "We are all good rabbits. He was like this when we carried him in."

Yu Hong nodded. Naturally, she saw that the injuries on Yin Yuanfei were caused by spiritual power. It must have been a cultivator that had injured him. She quickly instructed Si Yu, "Junior Sister, protect his heart meridians with Spirit Qi. I'm going to the back of the mountain to pick some Weaved Rhizomed Spirit Grass!"

"Alright." Si Yu nodded and turned her attention back to Yin Yuanfei, cradling him in her arms. Nodding at the two rabbits, she said, "Thank you both for your help." "Don't mention it. It's our duty!" Shaking their ears, the two rabbits turned around and flew off. It wasn't until they had flown some distance away that they heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness they hadn't met the Great Immortal.

Si Yu immediately sat down, cross-legged, mobilizing her Spirit Qi to protect Yin Yuanfei's heart meridians. After a short while, Yu Hong returned with the Weaved Rhizomed Spirit Grass, which they then fed to Yin Yuanfei. His Golden Core, which had been full of cracks, slowly started to mend.

Moments later, his eyes moved a little and he came to.

"Si Yu…" Yin Yuanfei was glad to see Si Yu. Then, suddenly, as if recalling something, he asked, "Is this the Invincible Sect? Si Yu… take me to Great Immortal! Take me to her quickly!"

"Sect Master?" Si Yu was puzzled. "Why do you want to see Sect Master? How did you get all these injuries on your body?"

"My father, as well as the Yin, Yi and Xuan Yuan Family Patriarchs and all of the Traveling Immortal Uncle-Masters are trapped in the Immortal Ascension Pagoda. Only the Great Immortal… only the Great Immortal can save them!" said Yin Yuanfei, anxiously.

"What Immortal Ascension Pagoda?" Both Yu Hong and Si Yu looked baffled. "Who in the Upper Azure World is capable of trapping the three great aristocratic families' patriarchs and traveling immortals?"

"It's…"

"It's my Yu Family!" Before Yin Yuanfei could finish his sentence, a male voice rang out, and suddenly an array formation lit up brightly in front of them. Within moments, a dozen figures appeared before their eyes.

"Yu Haiheng!" exclaimed Yu Hong in a shocked voice. Backing away, she looked incredulously at the man in the center of the array formation.

Yu Haiheng laughed coldly. "I didn't expect you two despicable human cauldrons to recognize a Supremacy." Yu Hong and Si Yu's hearts sank. Raising their guard, they looked at the people in front of them. "Why are you here?"

"For that I have to thank Young Master Yin." He smiled and turned his head to look at the severely injured Yin Yuan Fei. "Without him leading the way, we couldn't have entered."

Yin Yuanfei's face suddenly turned pale. "You… you put a Soul Binding Spell on me!" He exclaimed, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His Golden Core which had shown signs of mending, cracked once again and he fainted.

Si Yu quickly rushed to him, trying to stabilize his heart meridians.

The Soul Binding Spell was a spell that was cast directly on one's soul. No matter where its castee was, as long as the spell was activated, the spell caster would be able to instantly appear at his side. The only downside was that this spell was greatly detrimental to the castee.

"Hmph! Your Invincible Sect destroyed my Yu Family and my millennium cultivation," Yu Haiheng snarled, his  eyes bloodshot and his expression savage. Then, suddenly recalling something, he took a deep breath and said, "If I had not had the protection of my ancestors, my family's status would have declined. This blood feud is so great that only annihilating your entire sect can ease my hatred."

Upon saying this, his eyes turned cold, as he seemed to have exhausted hs store of patience. With a wave of his hands, two Soul Formation cultivators, their bodies ablaze in flames, rushed out and surrounded the two girls.

Si Yu mobilized the her entire body's Spirit Qi, causing her muscles to enlarge and her body to suddenly grow bigger by an entire girth. She struck her fist out, breaking a path through the sea of fire, then turning toward Yu Hong, she said, "Senior Sister, take him away!"

Yu Hong nodded and, carrying Yin Yuanfei, started to back away.

"None of you can escape." Yu Haiheng said coldly. Turning to the other cultivators behind him, he instructed, "Kill them!" Immediately, a dozen or so Soul Formation cultivators rushed out, and a stream of Sword Qi headed directly towards Si Yu, instantly forcing her to stagger backwards. All kinds of Dharma artifacts were about to rain down on the three of them.

Suddenly, the array formation flashed brightly. In an instant, a defensive barrier array had formed, blocking off all attacks.

"You two little gals, why did you run out…" Feng Ying stopped in mid-speech, stunned by the scene in front of him. "Hey, you… are the Yu Family Patriarch!" Wasn't he missing?

[Ding! Found an intruder! Number of people: fifteen! Soul Formation stage! ]

Feng Ying was shocked; fifteen Soul Formation cultivators, was this Yu Family intending to annihilate the Invincible Sect?

"Soul Chasing Tower Master… I'm sorry, but you can only blame your bad luck." Yu Haiheng looked at the surrounding Soul Formation cultivators and instructed, "No one leaves this place alive!" You asshole!

Cursing silently, Feng Ying quickly contacted his Divine Perception: "System, activate potential!"

[Ding! Successful activation of potential.]

Feng Ying hurriedly conjured seals with both hands, and at once a stream of water flashed past, and a high-level Soul Confundus Array immediately took shape. The Soul Formation cultivators, who were charging towards them, found themselves attacking empty space, their opponents having vanished.

"Let's go. The Soul Confundus Array can't hold them back for long." Feng Ying looked at the group of men who were now striking out chaotically. Turning around, he lifted the three of them and started flying towards the mountain peak.

The commotion below the mountain had awakened the other six sect members, who had come running out to investigate. "Senior Sister, what happened?" They crowded around Yu Hong and the others who had just returned.

"The Yu Family Patriarch and a group of Soul Formation cultivators broke into our sect and started attacking!" Feng Ying explained. He turned and walked in the direction of the palace wing. "I'm going to call Shen Ying."

Just as he said this, the expressions of the  group  of  worried girls changed. All of them suddenly stood in front of him, blocking his way and shouting in unison, "You can't!"

"Why?" Yin Feng was baffled. "There's no way we can defeat those Soul Formation cultivators by ourselves, isn't Shen Ying very powerful?"

"It's now late in the night, she must have fallen asleep,  we cannot disturb Sect Master's sleep."

"This is not the time for niceties!" Feng Ying felt that this group of people had gone insane. "This is a sect rule!" The girls were resolute. "Invincible Sect's first rule: No one can disturb Sect Master's sleep, offenders… do so at their own risk!"

"What kind of retarded rule is this?"

"Elder Yi Qing said that no one should violate this rule under any circumstances, not even if the sky is falling!"

"I'm not a member of your Invincible Sect, get out of my way!" Feng Ying was starting to get agitated.

"No means no!"

"You…"

[Ding! Random mission notification: Host, please defend the Badass' sect by yourself!] Damn!

Chapter 84: The Secret Palace Wing

Ever since Feng Ying arrived at Invincible Sect, the system started acting up 80% of the time. What did it mean when it told Feng Ying to defend the sect by himself? If he had the capabilities, would he have had to set up the Soul Confundus Array earlier?

He could handle one or two Soul Formations, but asking him to defend against fifteen Soul Formations was asking him to court death!

No way!

Who was he to attempt to defend the sect by himself anyway? Shen Ying, the Sect Master, was sleeping while enemies attempted to invade her sect. He was here to take revenge, yet he was expected to defend her sect on her behalf? What kind of logic was that? He refused to take on this mission! Refuse! He had to wake Shen Ying up no matter what.

He was just about to ignore the invaders and barge into the Palace Wing to wake Shen Ying up, but it was too late. A loud sound from something collapsing came from the bottom of the hill. In the next moment, Yu Hai Heng and all the other Soul Formation cultivators appeared on the public square in front of Ying Feng.

"The Master of the Soul Chasing Tower is capable indeed," Yu Hai Heng mocked. "You're just a Nascent Soul, yet you're able to set up a Soul Confundus Array. It's a pity that the array could only hold us back for a while and not forever. You can't escape death after all."

"Yu Hai Heng!" Yu Hong glared at him and said, "You dared to invade our Invincible Sect. Aren't you afraid that our Master would beat you up again?"

"Hahaha…" he suddenly burst into laughter. "You all really think I'm that hopeless."

He calmly fiddled around with the Sword Dao in his hands and said, "That demon Yi Qing has already been lured away with an invitation to a duel that I've asked someone to send earlier. Even that man, Lonemoon, has been locked away with the others in the Immortal Ascension Pagoda. Of course, the fact that we're here shows that we've done ample preparation." Feng Ying's face drained of color. He turned toward the group of people in shock.  Shen Ying isn't really gone, right? Is that why the girls refused to let him go and call her?

"Who says my Sect Master isn't here!" Yu Hong had a shocked expression as well. Elder Yi Qing was the one who was invited to the duel, what does that have to do with the Sect Master?

"Hmph, you don't have to act unafraid," Yu  Hai  Heng patiently replied. He waved toward the people behind him and said, "She's not here now, and even when she finds out about this next time, she will be trapped in the pagoda like the rest if she dares to seek revenge from the Yu Family. All of you can forget about escaping today!"

As soon as he finished speaking, ten of the Soul Formation cultivators floated into the sky. All kinds of sorcery shot toward the ground.

"Retreat!" Feng Ying shouted as he set up a defense array. Gritting his teeth, he rushed forward and tackled seven to eight Soul Formation cultivators. Yu Hong and Si Yu rushed forward behind him. There were too many enemies. Each of the girls handled one Nascent Soul cultivator, yet they still didn't gain any advantage. A few of the Foundation Establishment disciples were swept aside by the enemies. Only Yu Hong and Si Yu managed to put up a fight.

Feng Ying allowed the system to exert its full potential and forcefully increased his cultivation level to the late stage of Soul Formation. The system activated all the support it could offer, yet it was only just enough to delay seven to eight cultivators - and Feng Ying still had to support Yu Hong and Si Yu. He could not hang on for much longer.

Indeed, after about 30 seconds, one of the cultivators summoned a rain of swords which filled the entire sky. The swords flew down toward Feng Ying and the girls. Feng Ying had no choice but to retreat. As he ran toward the other girls, he turned to shout at Yu Hong and Si Yu, "Go back into the array!"

Unfortunately , it was too late. The two girls could not run back to the array in time. Si Yu had undergone the Golden Core Lightning Tribulation, so this rain of swords were nothing to her. With a sweep of her fist, she shielded body from the swords. Yu Hong, on the other hand, did not have it so easy. The spirit swords cut her body one after another. Blood began to flow out of the wounds.

"Senior Sister!" Thankfully, Si Yu reacted quickly. She turned and ran to Yu Hong's side, shielding her from several swords.

Yu Hai Heng, who had been watching from the side, frowned. His expression became more focused as he suddenly conjured up white wind blades with both hands and threw them toward the two girls. There were far more wind blades than there were spirit swords in the rain of swords.

"Be careful!" Feng Ying threw his sword toward the girls. The sword flew toward them and circled them a few times, successfully deflecting the wind blades.

"You've recovered your cultivation!" Yu Hong stared at Yu Hai Heng in disbelief. His cultivation was destroyed by Sect Master the other day. How could it be!

"That's right," Yu Hai Heng smiled smugly. "The ancestors of the Yu Family are watching over me. Recovering my cultivation is such a small matter, how difficult could it be? You'd do well to surrender, I might still be willing to leave your corpses whole."

"Dream on!" Yu Hong tightened her grip on her sword. People from the Invincible Sect would only die in battle - they would never surrender!

"Hmph, you don't know your own strength," Yu Hai Heng went all out and increased his intensity in battle. He adopted a different strategy from the other Soul Formation cultivators - he continuously shot wind blades at Si Yu and Yu Hong, as if he was determined to kill them.

Feng Ying was both angry and anxious. Not only did he have to tackle the Soul Formation cultivators, he also had to protect the younger ones behind him.  He couldn't afford to protect Si Yu and Yu Hong as well.

"System, help me out! Do I still have any stimulation potential? I can't carry on like this."

[Ding! Potential stimulation countdown: 5 minutes!] Flips table!

(╯‵□′)╯(┻━┻

Why is there still a countdown at such a critical time like this? Did this countdown include the time he took to retreat earlier? That's not fair!

The wind blades were just about to hit the two girls. Si Yu had no choice but to try to defend against them. She deflected the wind blades with her fists, but she could not deflect all of them. Even a body that has endured through the  Lightning Tribulation could not stand against wind blades which were formed with condensed Spirit Qi. Some of the wind blades cut her body.

Yu Hai Heng laughed maniacally as if he was playing a game. Suddenly, he summoned a wind blade as tall as himself and threw it toward the two girls. Si Yu quickly recovered from her shock and summoned all the Spirit Qi in her body, punching it out toward the wind blade. However, the Spirit Qi only managed to slightly change the blade's trajectory. The two girls had no choice but to shun toward the left. The wind blade headed straight for the palace. The color drained from Si Yu's face. She immediately chased after the wind blade and threw another punch toward the wind blade. The wind blade changed its trajectory enough to miss the palace and hit the doorpost in front of the main hall instead.

"Eh?" Yu Hai Heng was just about to summon another wind blade when he realised something. He frowned and scanned the people surrounding him. Then, he smiled deviously, "You're all gathered around the front hall and avoiding the Palace Wing on the left. Are you hiding something important in there?"

When everybody's faces went pale, Yu Hai Heng knew that he had guessed correctly. Before anyone could respond, he twisted his palm. He summoned a gigantic wind blade that made the previous wind blades look like toys. The gigantic wind blade, together with all the smaller wind blades, flew toward the Palace Wing.

"No!" The nine sisters shouted in unison.

It was too late. In a moment, all the grass and plants uprooted. The beautiful Palace Wing flew up together with the earth on which it had stood. The palace wing split right down the middle, making a huge roar that caused the dust to fly from the ground and fill the air.

Yu Hai Heng thought that the other disciples of Invincible Sect were hiding inside, but he discovered that there was no one inside the Palace Wing. Once again, he summoned a few more wind blades and said, "I want to see what exactly you're hiding in this Palace Wing. I'll let you guys…"

"Me." Before he could finish, a low voice sounded out from behind him.

The wind and rain approached…

Chapter 85: Waking Up Blues

Yu Haiheng felt a cold shiver run down his spine.  That familiar voice seemed to have come from the depths of hell. He didn't even dare move and although he was sure he saw nothing, he felt overcome by an overwhelming pressure; for a moment he even forgot to breathe.

After a while, he turned around stiffly. His eyes suddenly widened in consternation.

Shen Ying was dressed only in a white inner tunic that was spotted with some wood shavings and dust. Her face was as black as the bottom of a pot and her eyes had narrowed themselves into slits. Although she was as thin as a stick, her body emanated a kind of menacing aura, like the cold draft from hell that was now worming itself into his heart meridians. A raging fire seemed to be burning behind her.

An eerie silence descended over the palace; everyone was frozen to the spot. Looking at this person who had suddenly emerged, they subconsciously held their breath, their hairs standing on end. Spitting out her words one at a time, Shen Ying  asked, "What's with this commotion… in the middle of the night?!"

Yu Haiheng's eyes grew as big as saucers, an expression of total disbelief on his face. No, it was impossible. How could she be here? Hadn't she accepted the challenge and gone to Northern City[1]? Bright Heart Sect's Fei Yueshu clearly said that he saw her, so how could she be here!

"You… How could you… Ah!"

Before he could finish his sentence, he felt his collar tighten and a familiar feeling of dizziness came over him. The next moment he felt a terrible pain course through his whole body and all the meridians in his body burst. Then a loud boom came from the ground.

Fuming with rage, Shen Ying picked up the man beside her and smashed him into the ground. The ground trembled and the mountain shook. For a time, the sounds of repeated pounding reverberated for miles around, mixed with her infuriated scoldings, "Who told you to be so noisy! Who told you to be so noisy! Who told you to be so noisy!…" Again and again and again…

"Patriarch…" The Soul Formation cultivators, who had recovered from their shock, rushed forward, intending to help, but discovered that they were not only unable to help but were drawn into Shen Ying's inferno of rage. She seemed completely unaware of what she was holding onto. Whoever who came up to her was hurled to the ground.

One by one, as if smashing hamsters, she hammered them deep into the ground. And the hammer in her hand was - the Yu Family Patriarch!

In less than five minutes, the aggressive Soul Formation cultivators, who had come with the intention of destroying the Invincible Sect, were decimated!

Feng Ying: "…"

Yu Hong: "…" Si Yu: "…"

All the disciples: "…"

She's… She's so scary! Yin Feng finally understood why the Invincible Sect's first rule was that she should never be disturbed during her sleep; the consequences… were truly something no one could bear.

Five minutes later…

"Shen… Shen Ying." Seeing that she had finally stopped bashing the hamsters and was standing still, Yin Feng couldn't help saying, "Luckily you appeared in time…"

"Huh?" Before he could finish his sentence, Shen Ying turned her head and suddenly a stream of murderous aura, like water from a flooded bank, rushed toward him.

Feng Ying's heart was in his mouth. "You… Are are you okay?

Hey, wait… what are you doing?" She suddenly started walking towards him, the murderous aura emitted from her body increasing with each step.

"Stop, stop! Hey, hey, hey… I'm Feng Ying!"

Shen Ying kept walking towards him as if she had not heard him.

[Ding! Warning, warning! Badass's hostility towards you is off the charts, extinction imminent. Extinction imminent!]

"You think so? Don't frighten me!" Looking at  Shen  Ying, Feng Ying realized that she showed no signs of recognition, but instead regarded him as part of the gang who had disturbed her sleep. Her waking-up temper was truly terrifying but he could find no place to hide. "Wait… Shen Ying, don't be hasty, take a good look at me! Shen Ying… Sect Master… Badass!"

Shen Ying seemed not to have heard anything he said and continued to advance. Feng Ying kept backing away from her until his back slammed against a wall. The system in his head kept issuing frantic warning beeps. Shen Ying was just about to reach out to grab his collar, just like what she had done to Yu Haiheng earlier.

All at once, Feng Ying lost all hope. This was the end!

"Sect Master!" A female voice suddenly rang out. Yu Hong, holding a plate on which sat a leftover bun, walked over and inserted herself between them. "This is the meal prepared by Yi Qing, would you like to … have it?"

Shen Ying's hands stopped moving. She lowered her head and fixed her gaze at the bun on the plate. The murderous aura vanished completely.

She picked up the bun and swallowed it in a few mouthfuls, then turned and started walking towards the ruins of the palace wing until she reached her bed, whereupon she lifted her blanket and laid down.

Moments later, a familiar sound of snoring could be heard. Everyone: "…"

It seemed as if she had been asleep all the time!

○ | ̄|_

——————

When Shen Ying woke up the next day, she saw a crowd around her bed. The eyes that were fixed on her had expressions ranging from worry, exhilaration to adoration.

"Oh…" she said. After a moment of silence, she raised her hand in greeting, "Good morning! Are you… are all you here to call me down for breakfast?" Did you all have to come?

"…"

Nobody replied, but the expressions in their eyes said it all. What was it with these guys?

A baffled Shen Ying sat up on her bed. It was then that she noticed the wreckage in front of her. "Huh? What happened to the room? Was there an earthquake?"

"…" Everyone exchanged glances. One of them asked warily, "Sect Master, don't you… remember?"

"Remember what?" Shen Ying shook her head, looking even more perplexed.

"Nothing… Nothing!" Everyone shook their heads and gulped.

Words failed them.

Yu Hong stood up and looked at her. "Sect Master, last night, the Yu Family Patriarch led a group of Soul Formation cultivators up the mountain and broke into our sect. We got into a fight so that is why…"

"Oh." Shen  Ying  nodded  her  head  and  asked,  "So  is  it  all settled?"

"Settled… I think!"

"Not bad." Shen Ying added another word of praise, "Well done, everybody."

Everyone:"…" Something was stuck in their throats.

"But this room is quite badly damaged." Shen Ying stood up and looked around. Rebuilding this room would take a couple of days. She was just about to arrange for someone to call for the rabbit.

"Great Immortal!" A man who was standing at the end of the bed walked directly towards her. "Great Immortal, please save my father!"

Only then did Shen Ying notice him. "Who are you?"  she asked in surprise. "Sect Master, this is Yin Yuanfei, the young master of the Yin family," Si Yu stepped forwards to explain. "He was escaping pursuit from the Yu Family, who were trying to kill him. Yesterday, the rabbit demons brought him to in here in the middle of the night."

"Oh…" So it was that asshole. "Is your father alright?"

"My father and the other two aristocratic family patriarchs, as well as many cultivators from the various sects were lured by the Yu family into the Immortal Ascension Pagoda. I don't know whether they are alive or dead!"

"Immortal Ascension Pagoda?" What kind of place was this? Shen Ying was silent for a moment, then she turned her head and looked at the Feng Ying, who was beside her. "You… Baby, you have more information, can you explain?"

Feng Ying: "…"

Who the hell was she calling Baby? Although his was a parenting system, did she really have to treat him like a child? "My name is Feng Ying!" Call me baby again and you'll be sorry, believe me!

[Ding! Host's application for a name change is successful. New name: Baby. Confirmed!]

"…"

[1] An ancient city, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuofang

Chapter 86: Immortal Ascension

"I just received the news as well," Feng Ying pulled a chair out of the wreckage and dusted the surface. "The Immortal Ascension Pagoda suddenly appeared in the Yu Family home in Huayuan City. Apparently, your battle with the Yu Family made them take extra precautions against you by setting up the Immortal Ascension Pagoda. The Heaven and Earth phenomenon we witnessed yesterday was caused by that Immortal Ascension Pagoda. Come, sit down!"

"Oh," Shen Ying sat on the chair that Feng Ying dusted. "What kind of pagoda is that? What is it for?"

[Ding! Congratulations Host baby, you have accomplished your mission and achieved the Well-Mannered Teen reward!]

Feng Ying's mouth twitched. He tried to ignore the system and continued, "According to the Yu Family's ancient texts, the Pagoda is a Dharma artifact created by their ancestors before they achieved Immortal Ascension millions of years ago. There are plenty of training grounds inside the pagoda which links to the Immortal World. If you make it to the third level of the pagoda, you could achieve Immortal Ascension. That's why it's called the Immortal Ascension Pagoda." "Immortal Ascension!" Everybody around was shocked. Achieving Immortal Ascension was such a mean and dangerous feat. Many Soul Formation cultivators in the Upper Azure World, even those who have Perfected Soul Formation, do not dare to trigger the Immortal Ascension Lightning Tribulation for fear of disintegrating under the lightning bolts. The Disintegrating Itinerant Cultivators were prime examples. The Yu Family's pagoda would drive everybody in the Upper Azure World mad.

"According to the information obtained by my Soul Chasing Tower, the Yu Family attracts the most attention out of all the aristocratic families because of this pagoda. Everyone wants to get into their good books so they can learn more about this Immortal Ascension Pagoda," Feng Ying explained. "The Yu Family knows they cannot keep the pagoda to themselves now that their Master is missing. The elders of the Yu Family thus decided to invite the great cultivators from the other three aristocratic families to enter the pagoda and try it out."

"My father and several uncles from my family are some of the people who were invited to enter the pagoda," Yin Yuanfei said in a low voice.

Shen Ying nodded, "Then how do you know they're in trouble?" Could this is a part of the Yu Family plan?

"It's the Life Presenting Token." He retrieved a square token from inside his robe. Only the upper right corner of the square was white - the remaining parts of the token were all black. "My Yin Family does business. We often help cultivators sell some rare treasures that are highly sought after by bad people who in turn may attempt to kill us to obtain said treasures. Everybody in my family carries a life token like that. If it becomes black, it means that someone from the family is in life-threatening danger."

Yin Yuanfei raised the life token up and said, "Shortly after my father entered the Immortal Ascension Pagoda, my token turned into this. Clearly, his life is in danger. He's not alone. My father took precautions before entering the pagoda and handed a similar Life Presenting Token to my other two uncles who followed him. He instructed me to look out for any changes on the token. Last night, everybody's tokens either fell apart or became like this. No matter how dangerous the pagoda is, it can't be that everybody's token…"

In other words, everybody who entered the pagoda were in danger. Shen Ying frowned. This is so troublesome! She turned to address the crowd, "Where's Father Niu?" "Sect Master, you forgot," Yu Hong stepped forward and answered. "Elder Lonemoon went to the Yin Family. According to what Yu Haiheng said yesterday, Elder Lonemoon also… went into the pagoda."

"Father Niu is stuck in the pagoda too?"

"Even the traveling immortals from each of the three aristocratic families have not come out of the pagoda," Feng Ying shook his head. "It looks like Supremacy Lonemoon is in trouble."

"This is really troublesome," Shen Ying scratched her head. Father Niu is such a smart man why did he enter the pagoda? What should I do, should I save them? But I haven't eaten my breakfast. She scanned the crowd once more but did not find

any familiar face. "Where's Chef? Didn't he say he would only be away for a day?"

Yu Hong shook her head, "Elder Yi hasn't returned."

"Are you talking about the other elder in your Sect?" Yin Yuanfei suddenly asked, looking as if he recalled something important. "I saw him on my way here. He told me he had heard there was trouble and was on his way to the Immortal Ascension Pagoda to rescue people. Elder Yi also told me where I could find you and your honorable sect, Great Immortal. I think he's already there. Great Immortal, please… Wait, Great Immortal? Where's Great Immortal?"

He turned around and saw the lazy Shen Ying missing.

The crowd: "…"

A while later…

"Senior Sister Hong, did Sect Master go alone?"

"I think so. This concerns Elder Yi after all." Apart from Shen Ying, everybody else remained.

"But Sect Master would get lost even in the rear hall. Can she… make it to the Immortal Ascension Pagoda?" Yu Hong: "…"

Feng Ying: "…"

The crowd: "…"

Suddenly, they began to worry for the future of their sect.

——————

Yi Qing rushed to the Yu Family the night before. The Immortal Ascension Pagoda was so tall that it reached the skies. Immortal Qi thicker than in the ancient Immortal Pavilion surrounded the pagoda. What felt strange was that the Yu Family sent no one to guard the entrance to such a grand Immortal Ascension Pagoda. Cultivators were free to enter.

As he was rushing to rescue people, Yi Qing could no longer afford to hesitate. Pushing his thoughts aside, he rushed into the pagoda. Yi Qing could see no one else in the pagoda as he entered into a pitch black area. Yin Qi, not Immortal Qi, filled the air inside. The Yin Qi periodically condensed into a material form and attacked the people in the pagoda.

As Yi Qing defended himself against the evil aura, he thought hard about the secret regarding the pagoda. After six hours, he felt low on spiritual power. He began to systematically look for cracks in the pagoda and managed to break out of the darkness. A blinding light suddenly hit his eyes.

Squinting, he found that he had entered a wide stone room. Seated on the floor were all the cultivators who entered the pagoda. Each of them looked as though they were stuck in some imaginary world - they all had pained expressions and were unconscious.

The darkness earlier was part of the Mental Demon Tribulation. As a result of being a sword cultivator who had sworn to defeat all the evil under the sky, all he saw was darkness. He was fortunate to have noticed the trap and broken out of the darkness. The people on the ground were not so fortunate. They were still stuck in their Mental Demon Tribulations. This caused Yi Qing to be unsure exactly what the Immortal Ascension Pagoda was. Why could it invoke mental demons? As he thought about it, he heard a sound above him. It sounded like movement.

He raised his head and saw the neatly arranged bricks from the wall moving out one by one. The bricks automatically stacked themselves atop one another, forming a flight of stairs that led directly into the sky.

Yi Qing frowned. He scanned his surroundings, but saw no one else being conscious. He tightened his grip on his sword and flew up the flight of stairs. He wasn't afraid of what he would find in the pagoda, all he knew was that he would never find out if he refused to move.

He made his way up the stairs steadily until his surroundings changed. He reached a dense forest and heard the sound of insects and birds all around him. The stairs were gone.

"Eh?" Suddenly, he heard a man's voice calling out from  the horizon. The voice echoed throughout the forest.

"Someone actually managed to defeat the mental demons and make it to the first level."

"Who are you?" Yi Qing cautiously looked around but did not detect any unfamiliar aura.

"You have an Innate Sword Embodiment, no wonder…" The other person clearly had no intention to answer his question. The voice continued, "You can defeat your mental demons - you must be a mentally determined person. Let's see if you have what it takes to pass the test in this first level."

As soon as the voice finished speaking, a bright line shone down from the sky. A human silhouette appeared, "If you defeat the person in front of you, you can progress to the third level."

The voice mocked him. The light slowly faded and a man in a white robe stood in front of Yi Qing, holding a jade  flute Dharma artifact in his hands. He felt the man's Soul Formation suppression.

Yi Qing started. This man is Lonemoon!

Is he real?

"He's not an illusion. This is the first level test of  this Immortal Ascension Pagoda. If you defeat him, you will be one step closer to achieving Immortal Ascension," the mocking voice sounded once more. "The road is ruthless. What remains to be seen is whether your heart can be equally ruthless to… Eh?"

Before the voice could finish, Yi Qing flew toward Lonemoon like an arrow being shot out from a bow. He rained punches and blows onto Lonemoon without hesitation, leaving him unable to retaliate.

He always wanted to beat this little guy for stealing his master!

It's great that it's really Lonemoon! ┗|`O′|┛

Chapter 87: Awakening Mental Demons

Yi Qing did not hold back his sword techniques. From the way he fought, one would think that his opponent was his nemesis and not his companion. He hit Lonemoon everywhere, yet Lonemoon did not seem to feel any pain. He did not try to defend himself and instead went all out to attack Yi Qing.

Lonemoon's body was covered in wounds after a few moments and looked like it was in a critical state, yet his eyes still did not focus and his expression remained the same. Yi Qing suddenly summoned his sword intent and drew a familiar Great Golden Sword, thrusting it in Lonemoon's direction.

The overwhelming sword intent caused the plants and trees around them to crack and fall to the ground. The Great Golden Sword continued to head straight for Lonemoon's body.

Lonemoon's eyes suddenly widened. The mist in his eyes cleared. Then, Lonemoon exclaimed, "Holy shit!"

Yi Qing twisted his hand and the sword intent deflected with a sharp noise, crashing into the mountain beside Lonemoon. The Great Golden Sword shaved off the top of the mountain and caused rocks to roll down.

Lonemoon felt drips of cold sweat drip down his body. Thank goodness I regained consciousness. This sword was clearly headed straight for my body. It would have gone right through me!

"Yi Qing! You… you're f*cking ruthless!" You were clearly out to kill me with that move.

Yi Qing turned away, a look of pity flashing across his face. He walked toward Lonemoon slowly and said, "If I didn't do that, you wouldn't have regained consciousness."

"Who are you lying to!" Lonemoon furiously retorted. Don't think I didn't realise. The expression on your face was the expression Shen Ying, that cheat, usually has. "You were taking the chance to beat me up, weren't you?"

"You're thinking too much," Yi Qing avoided eye contact with Lonemoon. He changed the topic swiftly, "You're a sword cultivator yourself, why were you trapped with your mental demons for so long?" And manipulated without realising. If Lonemoon had been trapped for a second longer, he would never have made it out alive. "What did you see?"

Lonemoon hesitated. His expression changed and he cleared his throat, "Nothing. I just remembered something that happened a long time ago." The scary thing about mental demons was that they made use of a person's weaknesses. Once they had a hold on the person's weakness, they would conjure up the perfect imaginary world to trap the person in. People who were trapped with their mental demons would not realise it even after they come face-to-face with their biggest weakness. Lonemoon had… gone back to modern times.

Yi Qing stopped pushing him further. He raised his head to look at the sky and said, "There, the flight of stairs again."

Lonemoon followed his gaze and realised that the surroundings were changing. It looked as though everything was being taken apart and re-organized.. After a few seconds, a flight of stone steps appeared before the two people, leading straight into the sky.

The two of them glanced at each other, then flew up the stairs at the same time. As they stepped up the last step, their surroundings changed once again. They were now in an extremely vast wasteland. Even with their Divine Perception, they couldn't perceive the boundaries of this wasteland, as if they stepped out of another dimension.

They could not help but sigh in amazement at the Immortal Ascension Pagoda. No wonder the Yu Family said that whoever made it to the third level would be able to achieve Immortal Ascension. It was not easy at all to achieve Immortal Ascension. Each stage in this pagoda was extremely challenging. The moment they entered the pagoda, they had to defeat their mental demons. The first level already tested their Dao Heart. Things were bound to get more difficult from here.

From the looks of it, the pagoda was not going to be any easier than going through the Immortal Ascension Lightning Tribulation. Lonemoon and Yi Qing were probably only in the second level of the pagoda.

The bright light from before suddenly appeared again after a moment. Except, when Lonemoon appeared earlier there was only one flash of bright light. Now, there were ten. However, the voice that sounded out before did not say a word this time. The light slowly faded and over ten figures appeared before them. When they recognised the three figures in the middle, the two of them exclaimed in shock.

"Family Master Yin, Family Muster Yi and Family  Master Xuan Yuan!" Lonemoon scanned the other people and realised that they were all Traveling Immortals. "Aren't… aren't they the first people who entered the pagoda? Why are they…"

Have they lost their consciousness like he did before? Are they now being controlled? What exactly is this pagoda doing to people?

"I'll take the left, you take the right!" Yi Qing shouted. He tightened his grip on the sword in his hands and charged forward. They had no choice but to fight now. Lonemoon followed suit and charged toward the group.

Sorcery filled the air in seconds. Yi Qing and Lonemoon were sword cultivators and could handle one or two Traveling Immortals, but there was simply too many of them. When the three masters of the aristocratic families entered the pagoda, they brought along all the Traveling Immortals from their families. Only the master of the Xuan Yuan Family did not do so due to the Traveling Immortals from his family all being seriously wounded.

Apart from the family masters, there were eight other Traveling Immortals. Lonemoon and Yi Qing each had to take on four of them - merely thinking about it tired him out. The fact that he sustained injuries in the previous level made matters worse. While not seriously injured, it did affect his performance.

They had no time to look for the exit. The only solution was to fight their hardest and wake these people up.

It did not take long for Lonemoon to realise that these people's situations differed from his. Their blank looks revealed that they were not merely missing their consciousness - even their primordial spirits were…

Lonemoon's eyes widened. He shouted at Yi Qing beside him, "Yi Qing, most of them are completely enchanted by their mental demons. We can't wake them up!" He gritted his teeth. Traveling Immortals were, by definition, cultivators who failed to achieve Immortal Ascension. Their mental demons were bound to be greater than most people. It would not be so easy for them to defeat their mental demons.

Yi Qing's expression fell as he suddenly realised this as well. He scanned the group of manipulated bodies as he defended against their attacks. Then, he replied, "Focus! Wake the three family masters up first!"

Lonemoon nodded as he dodged the Traveling Immortal's side attack. He turned around and focused his attention on Yin Feng.

This battle lasted over twenty hours. As Lonemoon's spiritual power drained, he made a final effort to thrust his sword toward Yin Feng, generating an aggressive killing intent. Just before the sword cut through Yin Feng's body, his distracted face regained some sort of focus. His eyes filled with horror as he suddenly registered the sword intent. He dodged but the sword still sliced his right arm. Blood began to flow out of the wound.

"This… this is…" Yin Feng still looked terrified, but the fear was now mixed with a tinge of confusion. "Supremacy Lonemoon?" Lonemoon had no time to explain. Yi Qing was  already helping the two other family masters - now conscious - fly over to meet them. Compared to Yin Feng, the two other family masters were far more seriously injured. Clearly, Yi Qing did not hold back.

Yi Qing turned around and thrust his sword toward the Traveling Immortals who were chasing him. The sky filled with Sword Qi. "They're awake! Go!" Yi Qing instructed. Then, he changed directions and flew toward the horizon.

Lonemoon wasted no time. He helped the injured Yin Feng up and followed Yi Qing.

They needed time to rest.

——————

At this time, 50 kilometers away.

Shen Ying  studied  her  strange  surroundings  and  suddenly recalled an important question.

Where's… Huayuan City?

If she had known she would get lost, she would have brought Radish out with her. She had already walked such a distance… Should I turn back?

Just when she decided to turn back, she paused.

Which direction is… home?

It's so troublesome to leave the house.

Chapter 88: Overcoming The Two Levels of Tribulations

Yi Qing and Lonemoon, with the three patriarchs in tow, fought off their attackers as they retreated. Time passed. They did not know how long they had been in the pagoda. Finally, they found a chance to regulate their meridians. However, the three family patriarchs were in a bad shape, partly due to the injuries they received when they were awakened, but mainly because they had been trapped for too long within the Mental Demon Tribulations spell, causing their foundations to be damaged. The Spirit Qi in their entire body had almost all dissipated. The strange thing was they could not even draw Qi into their bodies.

The surrounding Qi was so dense that it was almost palpable, but it seemed to be a fake Qi that could not be guided into their bodies. Therefore, recovering from their injuries was not possible. Lonemoon guessed that some kind of restriction had been placed on the Qi.

"What should we do?" Lonemoon was annoyed. "If this carries on, they will waste away even if they don't get trapped by their mental demons." "It depends on what these patriarchs think?" Yi Qing pointed to the men sitting on the ground who were regulating their meridians.

The three men looked at him in surprise, "What do you mean, Supremacy?"

"They are all your family's traveling immortals. Some of them may still be trapped in their mental demons and lost their sense of self…" Yi Qing let his sentence trail off.

Turning pale, the three men immediately understood his meaning. Trapped by their mental demons, the traveling immortals had lost their self-identity. In their current situation, there was no time to lose, if they are not awakened, then they were as good as dead.

For a time everyone was silent and the three patriarchs exchanged looks. After a while, they seemed to come to a decision and nodded.

Xuan Yuanyu took a deep breath and gritting his teeth, said, "Yi Qing Supremacy, I understand what you mean. If there's no way… our three families will always be grateful to you for saving us, no matter the outcome." It would be good if their men could wake up, but if their self-identities were eroded by the mental demons, even if they left the pagoda, they would only become useless killing machines.

"Good!" At this, Yi Qing heaved a sigh of relief. Looking at Lonemoon, he said, "When the four Supremacies catch up with us, divert them away first. You don't have to fight with them, just delay them, but don't let them catch up with you."

After giving his instructions to Lonemoon, he looked again at the other three men and asked, "Patriarch Yi, can you think of a way to delay the traveling immortals?"

Yi Feng thought for a moment and then nodded, "Yes! But we can't hold them off for long with only Dharma artifacts."

"We need to hold them off for half an hour." Yi Qing turned to two other men. "Patriarch Yin and Patriarch Xuan Yuan please back him up. Just hold off any one of the traveling immortals, as for the others, leave them to me." Turning to Lonemoon he said, "After an hour, divert another four over here."

"You plan to divide and conquer!" exclaimed Lonemoon, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"That's right!" he nodded. "There's no other way now." Let's hope those men don't see through our plan.

"Alright! I'll do as you say," Lonemoon nodded and took a deep breath.

Yi Qing walked through the plan with the others. A short while later, he faintly detected the menacing aura of the traveling immortals heading straight towards them.

"They're here!" Lonemoon and Yi Qing looked at each and then both flew off together.

—————— Huayuan City.

"Wow, what a tall pagoda." Shen Ying looked up at the gigantic white pagoda before her. It occupied almost half of Huayuan City and can be seen from miles away.

"That goes without saying, they say that this pagoda leads directly to the Immortal Realm, so of course it's unique." The person next to her explained excitedly. "There are only three levels in the pagoda, but it's said that there are many mysteries within, and it's a world unto itself. Miss, I can only bring you so far, you have to go ahead by yourself."

The man pointed to the Huayuan City gate which was ahead and descended to the ground on his sword.

"Thank you, little brother!" Shen Ying smiled at him. After leaving the Demon Realm, she had wandered around for half a month but still could not locate the Immortal Ascension Pagoda. Fortunately, she met a man who was kind enough to take her there. The world was still filled with many good people. "You're welcome, anyway, Yin Skycity, where I'm heading, is not far from here, so it's along the way." The man returned her smile and flew off again. "I'll take my leave now, goodbye!"

Shen Ying waved in return and after seeing him off, entered the city.

Close up, the Immortal Ascension Pagoda looked even bigger, with Immortal Qi constantly swirling around it. A number of cultivators of various cultivation levels were gathered around its base. No one was guarding the pagoda gate, which was open. But hardly any of the cultivators went in, most were merely curious onlookers.

"What a huge crowd," Shen Ying muttered to herself.

"This is nothing!" said a man next to her. "When this pagoda appeared more than half a month ago, there was an even bigger crowd. All the Soul Formation cultivators and Traveling Immortals from the major sects and aristocratic families came here as well - it was a gathering of almost all of Upper Azure World's experts. Whereas these people outside the pagoda now are no higher than Nascent Soul." "Oh," Nodding her head, Shen Ying asked. "Then why don't they enter?"

"This is the Immortal Ascension Pagoda you are talking about. Cultivators below Soul Formation do not dare to enter it," The man continued. "It's said that there are three levels in the pagoda, every level is filled with danger, and only those who can make it pass the third level can ascend to become an immortal. So far, only the experts of the aristocratic families and sects have entered."

"Is it really so terrifying inside?"

"Of course."

"Oh." With an earnest expression, Shen Ying pointed to the pagoda and asked, "Then why don't they fly directly up to the pagoda from outside?"

Huh? (⊙o⊙)

The man was made speechless by her logic. He had never thought of this alternative!

"I thought you said that reaching the top level was the goal?"

"Er… from what I heard, that is indeed… the case." The man was silent, thinking over the feasibility of this method. Then he shook his head and said, "This is an immortal pagoda, there will definitely be a defensive array formation around it, how can anyone just fly up…?"

Before he could finish his sentence, he felt the figure beside him crouch down. The next moment he heard a loud boom and the ground subsided a few inches. The woman beside him a moment ago had sprung up into the air like an arrow.

"Holy cow… She really… really flew straight up!"

Σ(°△°|||) ————————

Inside the pagoda.

They had almost exhausted all their energy before they finally managed to subdue the traveling immortals who were trapped in their trance. Despite following the plan Yi Qing suggested, they had hit a snag along the way. Not long after Lonemoon had lured them away, the traveling immortals seemed to have discovered something amiss. They had abandoned their pursuit of Lonemoon and turned back.

Their divide and conquer plan would have failed if Yi Qing had not used all his reserves and held on. Fortunately, four of the traveling immortals had awakened, but as they had been in the demonic trance for a long time, they were in far worse shape than their three family patriarchs and could barely walk.

Lonemoon was so exhausted that he flopped himself down onto the ground. He looked at Yi Qing, who was the only one still standing and at the flight of staircase leading to the next level, which had reappeared. After panting for a while, he said to Yi Qing, "I'm bushed. What's our next move? Do we go up?" Yi Qing seated himself down in a lotus position. After taking a moment to regulate his meridians, he gritted his teeth and said, "Wait here. I'm going up!"

"What!"

Chapter 89: The Demon Cultivating Pagoda

"You're crazy!" Lonemoon glared at Yi Qing. "You saw for yourself what the second level was like. Who knows what you'll find up there?"

"That's why… I'm going alone," Yi Qing scanned the group and looked around the fast disappearing wasteland. He lowered his voice, "This level is beginning to disappear. This proves that the pagoda would not let us remain at this level. There's no turning back. I'll go up to check if there's another way out. If it's not a dangerous place, I will inform you and you can come up. If…" Yi Qing paused. "You will wait until you can  wait  no longer, then come up. We've been away for so long. Master will surely come for us."

"…" Lonemoon did not respond. This really is the only way.

Yi Qing closed his eyes. Dealing with eight  traveling immortals at once had worn him down. After an hour, he re- opened his eyes. He picked up the blood-covered sword next to him and ascended to the third level. As he ascended the final step, the view in front of him changed. The vast space he saw in the first and second levels was now replaced with a confined space - the inside of what looked like a temple hall. Spirit fires surrounded him and a transportation array lay under his feet. Five people were seated atop a stage in the middle of the hall.

"I was wondering who I'd see at the third level. Isn't this the Sword Cultivator who follows that demoness around?" the person in the center asked in a weird tone.

"That's right, I recognize him," another person replied. "I saw him that day at the competition amongst the sects. He was seated next to the demoness."

"Hmph, we haven't gone to settle scores with her. I didn't think that her subordinates would voluntarily turn up at our doorstep."

Yi Qing raised his eyebrows and tightened his grip around his sword. He stared at the five people, "You… are the traveling immortals who disappeared together with Yu Haiheng!" "Traveling immortals?" the person in the center asked and tutted. The air pressure suddenly rose and Yi Qing felt a strong suppressive force weighing on him.

He lost focus for a moment and before he realised, he was on one knee and spitting blood as his weight became too much for him to bear. He had no energy to defend himself at all. This suppressive force isn't characteristic of traveling immortals, these people…

"Who says I'm a traveling immortal?" the person continued. "Our ancestors blessed us with this Immortal Ascension Pagoda which allowed us to restore our cultivation. Even our immortal bones have been repaired. Traveling immortals can only dream of having our bodies - we are now Perfected Immortals!"

After he finished speaking, he increased the air pressure, fully intending to kill. The suppressive force flew toward Yi Qing.

"Hmph, we might not get to deal with that demoness, but killing you will allow us to let off some steam!" Yi Qing gritted his teeth. He used all the Spirit Qi he had left in his body to stand back up on his feet  and  wave  his  sword. Ding! He deflected the suppressive force that was  heading towards him.

He knew the third level would not be simple, but he had not expected the five traveling immortals to have restored their immortal bones. Yi Qing held onto his sword for dear life. Given his circumstances, he had no choice but to fight!

——————

At the top of the pagoda.

Eh?

A figure completely covered by a black fog exclaimed in surprise.

"He can hold on up till now. He has the potential to become a Perfected Immortal. What a pity…" he sighed, but his tone was anything but sympathetic. Instead, it was frighteningly cold.

"If this carries on, those five useless bums will die in his hands," his smile widened as the black Qi around him got thicker and thicker. "Heh heh… I wonder how he will react when he achieves a narrow escape from death, arrives here, and finds out the truth behind Immortal Ascension."

"An Innate Sword Embodiment… a fighter of such calibre rightfully belongs to me, the Supremacy. There were so many Daos he could have chosen, yet he chose one committed to annihilating fiends. He even rushed into this pagoda to save a few idiots. Now, he can't fend for himself. Who can save…"

Bam!

Before he could finish speaking to himself, he was hit in the head. A figure fell to the ground. After a moment, the figure crawled back up. The figure dusted itself and waved in his direction.

"Hey, how are you!" Shen Ying walked toward him. "May I ask if you've seen my sect's chef? He's called… Something… Qing. He looks quite handsome!"

I haven't eaten properly in half a month. I really miss his food!

There was silence for two seconds.

"Who are you?" the fog surrounding the black figure surged as a pair of red eyes scanned Shen Ying. "How exactly did you come in here?"

"I jumped in here," she pointed toward the hole above her head.

Jumped in here! Did she come in straight from the outside? How's that possible! How is there someone on this earth who could break through his Immortal Ascension Pagoda!

"So, you've seen my chef? He's about this tall…" she gestured slightly above her head and continued describing Yi Qing, "he has double eyelids and long hair. He's wearing a white robe, and- Oh yes! He's a Sword Cultivator."

"A Sword Cultivator!" the black figure exclaimed. The black fog slowed down, and he studied her. Then, he suppressed the surprise he felt earlier on. He smiled even more coldly than before, "So you're on the same side as the Sword Cultivator below."

"You've seen him?" Shen Ying walked forward excitedly.

"Hmph, who would have thought after waiting for millions of years, the world would give me two people who are capable enough to reach the top of this pagoda. The Heavens are on my side! Hahaha…" he suddenly laughed maniacally. The black fog around him thickened and began to fill the entire space. The well-lit room quickly fell into darkness.

Shen Ying subconsciously rubbed her arms. This figure in the black fog made her uncomfortable. "This smoke…" Is he creating special effects?

"You really have the capability to make it to the top of the pagoda. You're still so calm and peaceful despite being surrounded by such thick demonic Qi," the black figure exclaimed. He sounded even more satisfied than before.

"Well…" The only thing that was affected was her sight.

"You know that Sword Cultivator. You must be the so-called Sect Master of the Invincible Sect. Yu Haiheng was really putty in your hands!"

"Eh?" Shen Ying hesitated.

"Wondering how I know this?" the black figure grinned, "Awhile ago, the descendants of my Yu Family were taken care of by you."

"Er…"

"That's right, I belong to the Yu Family too. I am the real owner of this Immortal Ascension Pagoda, and the first- generation Master of the Yu Family, Yu Haotian." His tone became more and more hostile and the black fog around him thickened with each sentence. "Are you surprised? Everybody in this world knows I have already achieved Immortal Ascension, but they don't know I abandoned the Dao and become a demon. I remained in this tower, waiting for the chance to become a Perfected Demon! Even the people of my Yu Family have forgotten my existence."

"But- "

"Speaking of which, if you hadn't forced this generation of family masters into such desperate straits, the curse I planted on my own descendants would not have triggered. That's the reason my resurgence came early."

"I didn't…"

"Don't be nervous. The Yu Family… may be my descendants, but their life and death has nothing to do with me." He sounded relaxed, not at all like he had any intention to take revenge for his descendants. "I restored their cultivation because they were the reason I was awakened in the first place." "No, I mean…"

"I let them spread the word about the Immortal Ascension Pagoda because I wanted to attract all the cultivators into it," he proudly declared. "As soon as they enter the pagoda, they will have to face their mental demons. As time goes by, their physical body, primordial spirit and cultivation will be absorbed by this pagoda. This way, they will provide the nutrients I need to become a Perfected Demon. That's why this pagoda has another name - the Demon Cultivating Pagoda."

"…"

Chapter 90: Death from Overtalk

"But… You and that sword cultivator amaze me." Yu Haotian swept a glance at Shen Ying, his demonic Qi increasing in intensity. "One is not affected by mental demons, while the other can break into the pagoda directly. Such levels of cultivation are rare, and both are good materials for my demonic practice!"

Just as he finished speaking, the black Qi in his whole body erupted again, and the surroundings suddenly turned dark, leaving only two red eyes floating in the air.

"Once I have your cultivation, I can transform from an immortal into a true member of the demon tribe!" His voice was full of excitement, and the whole pagoda shook violently in response. "When that happens, even an upper world immortal will not be my match." His laughter became even more menacing, the red light in his eyes flashing. Then he launched his whole body, covered in a spine chilling aura, towards Shen Ying.

"Become part of this pagoda!" The blob of black Qi was just about to pounce on Shen Ying. "I say…" Shen Ying narrowed her eyes. Suddenly she leaned forward, walked nonchalantly over to the blob of black Qi and reached her hand inside.

Huh?

"How can this be?" How could anyone be immune to a demonic Qi that can swallow up every living thing!

Before Yu Haotian could react, he felt something flash before his eyes and there was a loud bang as his head hit the ground.

Shen Ying didn't stop there, but kept slamming his head down against the ground like smashing a watermelon. Bang! Bang! Bang! The whole pagoda shook with the force of each impact.

"I was merely asking for directions, why are you giving me all this bullshit!" scolded Shen Ying as she continued her bashing. "Don't you know I haven't eaten yet? This will teach you to waste my time, teach you to waste my time…" Why were all baddies she met as long-winded as students doing their thesis!

Shen Ying had not had a good meal for two weeks, and her pent up frustration suddenly exploded. Every bash was heavier than the last, and with each bash a layer of black Qi on Yu's body dissipated. In no time at all, light was restored to the pitch dark pagoda. Even Yu Haotian reverted to his original form; a skeletal figure clad in black robes who showed no signs of life after losing all his demonic aura.

A minute later, Yu Haotian kicked the bucket!

Without the support of demonic aura, the entire Immortal Ascension Pagoda returned to its original form. The snow white color of the pagoda faded and slowly turned black. Even the swirling Immortal Qi vanished, only a fog of dense Yin Qi remained.

Shen Ying had no time to bother about these changes. She looked around the pagoda but found no signs of anyone. However, after looking carefully, she saw, not far from where she stood, a black staircase which was not there before. The winding steps seemed to lead down to the level below. She immediately walked down the stairs. She heard rumbling sounds ahead. Then she saw a beam of sorcerous light, from which she detected a familiar sword intent.

Chef!

Shen Ying spirits lifted immediately. Ignoring the stairs, she jumped straight down. She found herself in a room similar to the one above. A familiar figure stood stiffly erect in the center, his entire body seemingly covered with something.

"Hey…" She stepped forward and prepared to call him.

Yi Qing whipped around. With a wave of his sword, he turned his sword intent into a dragon which charged towards her with great ferocity.

Holy shit!

Shocked, Shen Ying quickly struck her fist out, redirecting the dragon's trajectory upwards, causing it to crash through the ceiling, leaving the pagoda roofless.

"Master?" Yi Qing called out softly.

It was at that moment that Shen Ying saw that Yi Qing's body covered in blood to the point where it trickled down the tip of the sword he held. The killing intent could still be see in his eyes.

"Chef, what's wrong with you?" asked Shen Ying anxiously.

At first Yi Qing seemed stunned, then as if reassured, his mouth curved into a pitiful imitation of a smile. Looking as if he had used up his last reserves of energy, his tensed hands relaxed and he toppled forward.

"Chef!" cried out Shen Ying as she rushed over to him. Supporting him with her hands, she helped him sit up, "Hey, hey, hey… Don't scare me, wake up, will you?"

She patted him on the face, trying to rouse him but to no avail. Looking around, she saw five lifeless men lying on the ground. Their faces looked familiar. Then she realized that they were the five immortals from the Yu Family. She suddenly understood how he came to be in this condition.

One against five! Impressive!

Just that in his condition… Can he still cook?

┑( ̄Д̄)┍

o()〈))o

————————

Yi Qing did not know how long he had been unconscious, but when he woke up, he had almost recovered from his injuries, his severed meridians were completely mended, and even his damaged primordial spirit was restored. Recalling what happened before he fainted, his heart leapt with joy and his gaze immediately lit on a certain someone on the right who sat on a chair munching fruit.

"Master…" He was about to sit up when he felt a tearing pain in his body.

"Slowly, slowly!" Shen Ying hurriedly pushed him back down, saying, "Your injuries are not fully healed yet."

Yi Qing lay back down, but his eyes kept looking at her. "I'm all right. Thank you, Master for nursing my injuries."

"Er…" Shen Ying did not know what to say.

"The person who nursed you is here!" exclaimed Lonemoon, who sat on the edge of the bed taking Yi Qing's pulse. He was obviously the one sitting closest to Yi Qing, yet Yi Qing's gaze had uncannily locked on Shen Ying first.

Turning his head to look at Lonemoon, Yi Qing frowned and immediately turned back again, as if he had not heard anything, continuing to look at Shen Ying with a star-gazed expression in his eyes.

Did he just give me a disgusted look? I'm sure he did!

w(゚Д゚)w

"Master, it's my fault I have caused you to worry."

"… I was not really worried." The grunt work was done by Father Niu; all she did was sit on the chair.

"I don't know what you were thinking. You knew well that Shen Ying would come, so why did you go all out?" Lonemoon could not help nagging. "A little longer and it would not be as simple as being comatose for two weeks; you would have lost your entire cultivation."

"I was unconscious for two weeks?" "That's right! Almost sixteen days."

"It must be Master who brought me back?" asked Yi Qing.

"What makes you think it's her?" said Lonemoon, annoyed. "She's too lazy to even carry spirit stones with her when she goes out. I am obviously the one who carried…"

"Thank you, Master!" Without waiting for him to finish, Yi Qing turned to Shen Ying and said,

"You have saved my life once again and you even nursed me for so long?"

Lonemoon's mouth twitched. "Hey, hey, hey, make sure you know who saved who! And besides, she has done nothing these few days except munch on fruit!"

"It's good you woke up," said Shen Ying. "I made an error in judgement this time. I came too late and caused you to suffer these injuries." Lonemoon called her bluff, "Error in judgement, my foot. You obviously lost your way."

"No, my skills are not up to par hence my serious injuries.. It has nothing to do with Master." Yi Qing said with a look of determination, "From now on I'll work doubly hard on my practice so I won't be a disgrace to Master."

"You've already defeated five men at one go, what else do you want?" said Lonemoon. How could he say his skills were not up to par?

"Well, I believe in you, you can do it!" said Shen Ying giving him an encouraging thump on the shoulder. "Have a good rest so you will recover faster and resume your… practice!"

"That word you meant to say was 'cooking', right?" Lonemoon muttered from the side.

"Yes Master! No problem, Master!" Pulling back the covers, Yi Qing lay down obediently. "Were you two even listening to what I said!"

"Father Niu, can you pass me that plate of fruit?"

"Get lost!"

To hell with this master disciple duo!