Volume 1, Chapter 57: Yuchen's Instructions

Upon returning to Xiaoyao Peak, Gu Mingxi was surprised to find that her master, Yuchen, was actually there, which was a rare occurrence.

Gu Mingxi changed direction and headed straight for the main hall of Xiaoyao Peak.

"Master, it is truly rare to see you here at Xiaoyao Peak today!"

Yuchen was lying on a recliner with his eyes closed, soaking up the sun. He did not even open them when he heard his youngest disciple approach.

"Is there something you need, coming to find your master?"

Gu Mingxi chuckled playfully. "Oh, Master, what kind of thing is that to say? Can't your disciple come to see you just because I don't have a favor to ask?"

Yuchen helplessly opened his eyes. His youngest disciple was becoming increasingly sharp-witted with her words.

"You, is there anywhere in the entire Xiaoyao Peak that you aren't allowed to go!"

Yuchen's remark served as an indirect response to Gu Mingxi's teasing.

After sharing a lighthearted banter with her master, Gu Mingxi finally stated the purpose of her visit. "Master, in a few days, I plan to accept a sect mission and leave the sect to undergo practical training in the outside world!"

Yuchen sat up straight, produced a storage ring, and handed it to Gu Mingxi.

"I figured you would be heading out for practical training soon, so I've prepared some things for you. Take them."

Without a trace of hesitation, Gu Mingxi took the storage ring directly and tucked it away into her own.

"By the way, Master, is the Enlightenment Tea I gave you a few days ago still enough? If not, I still have more here!"

Mentioning this only deepened Yuchen's helplessness. Having lived as long as he had, he had never been startled by anything, yet he had been genuinely taken aback by the items his youngest disciple had produced a couple of days prior.

Ten-thousand-year stalactite cream was rare, but Yuchen had seen it before. The real shocker was the Enlightenment Tree.

In the Azure Cloud Continent today, the heritage of the Enlightenment Tree was practically lost; for tens of thousands of years, no one had laid eyes upon an Enlightenment Tree. Yet, upon returning from the Ziyun Secret Realm, his little disciple had casually whipped out a massive bag of tea leaves made from the Enlightenment Tree.

Moreover, she had asked him so nonchalantly at the time whether it was enough, adding that if it wasn't, she had plenty more.

That had left Yuchen completely bewildered. These were tea leaves from the Enlightenment Tree, not some random leaves plucked off a roadside bush. Why did they sound so utterly worthless coming from his little disciple's mouth?

"It's enough, more than enough. I've even started drinking the Enlightenment Tree tea like regular tea."

Gu Mingxi scratched her head and chuckled. "The Enlightenment Tree can help Master better comprehend the Great Dao, allowing your strength to reach new heights. That's putting everything to its best use."

Yuchen sighed. "The Enlightenment Tree is truly worthy of its name. Utilizing it to comprehend the Dao over the past few days has indeed made my cultivation much smoother than usual, and insights into the Great Dao come far more easily."

"I'm glad it can help you, Master!"

"You child..."

Yuchen smiled helplessly. While other masters might expect filial piety and tributes from their disciples as they grew older, Yuchen had never entertained such thoughts.

First, his own cultivation was formidable enough; if he wanted something, he could simply go find it himself. Second, raising a little disciple was just about guiding her well, and he harbored no extravagant expectations of receiving anything in return.

He simply hadn't expected his youngest disciple to give him such a tremendous surprise.

"When you leave the sect, if I am still at Xiaoyao Peak, come and let me know. If I am not here, send me a message to inform me of your sect mission. If anything happens during your training, notify me promptly. Always put your own life above everything else, understand?"

"Alright, Master, I understand!"

Gu Mingxi felt a swell of warmth. She had not expected Yuchen, revered as the foremost figure of the righteous path, to give her such earnest instructions.

Her master truly possessed a free and untethered disposition toward people and matters.

"The continent has not been very peaceful lately, with incidents occurring frequently. The sect is still investigating the root cause, so you must exercise the utmost caution!"

Yuchen added one final caution before Gu Mingxi departed.

Given that things had been rather unsettled lately, it was likely due to the resurgence of evil cultivators!

Gu Mingxi frowned. Evil cultivators were creatures devoid of humanity and morality, scarcely deserving to be called human.

The reason Yuchen and the others had not immediately suspected evil cultivators was that such fiends had been sealed away for tens of thousands of years. Who could have foreseen their reappearance at a time like this?

It truly verified that old saying: these were troubled times indeed!