Chapter 101: The Debt-Ridden Second Senior Brother

When temptation loses its appeal, even demonic beasts can lose control, leading to a final, desperate clash.

The three of them felt deeply unsettled. The demonic altar, the demonic cultivators, the demonic energy—these were signs of a gathering storm, and there was no telling when it might escalate.

Because the demonic beasts had descended into a state of absolute, suicidal madness in their final moments, the cultivators at the heart of the Yunqi Secret Realm had been barely holding on for their lives. Fortunately, this frenzy was contained within the central region and did not engulf the entire realm; otherwise, it would have been hard to say how many would have made it out alive today.

With both secret realms now closed, every sect had suffered losses of varying degrees. Coupled with the eerie occurrences within, the sects had no spare energy for anything else. After the returning disciples rested for a day or two, the sects organized their return journeys.

On the way back, everyone traveled on the sect’s flying ship. This was Ji Yao’s second time aboard. Recalling the sense of wonder she felt the first time, it felt as if it were only yesterday, yet things had changed so much. Of the children who were on that ship back then, how many remained? Even Dongfang Shun, who had once stood by the ship’s railing discussing life and death while he was still a mere mortal, had now surpassed her.

He should be in seclusion for Foundation Establishment by now. By the time she returned to the sect, he might have already succeeded. If not for her change in status, she would have had to address him as "Uncle-Master Dongfang." Thinking of this, Ji Yao shook her head and chuckled. Looking at her fair hands, she realized that everyone had truly changed.

"Junior Sister, what are you thinking about? You seem so lost in thought." A flat, cold aura came to a halt beside her.

Ji Yao couldn't help but shiver, rubbing her arms before turning to look at the person. It was Gu Qiu, still clad in his pale gold robes, but the peace and indifference he once held were replaced by an icy, distant coldness. Now, one could clearly recognize that this was how a cultivator with an Ice Spirit Root should truly feel.

"The effect of your Ice Flame is quite potent. It has completely shattered the facade you deliberately maintained and highlighted the reality of your Ice Spirit Root. You come with your own air conditioning wherever you go," Ji Yao remarked, her tone carrying a playful sense of schadenfreude.

Gu Qiu let out a rare sigh. "I have you to thank for your timely assistance, Junior Sister."

Because his recovery was so rapid, he was now whole, and the Ice Flame had been nourished by his spirit root in time. However, he had not yet had enough time to harmonize with it, making it difficult to control its effects. Consequently, he emitted an involuntary chill wherever he went. This outcome had caught Gu Qiu completely off guard. He needed to return to the sect as soon as possible to see if there was any way to resolve this—even a short-term fix would do—otherwise, it would be too easy to reveal his true identity.

If the problem remained unsolved, he would be unable to leave the sect until he reached the Golden Core stage. Once he formed his core, he would generate core fire; by fusing his own core fire with the Ice Flame, the flame would become a part of him, and he would be able to control it with a single thought.

"Heh heh, not at all!" Ji Yao played it off, neither confirming nor denying. She had known from the start that she couldn't hide this from Gu Qiu, and she was waiting to see if he would help her cover it up. She would not volunteer information about the Myriad-Year Hollow Green; it was too precious. If people knew she possessed so many heaven-defying healing treasures, it would inevitably invite greed. Until she found the Source of Wood, this item was her lifeline. She had only used it because Gu Qiu’s situation was dire and could not be delayed; otherwise, she would have been a fool to reveal it.

Fortunately, Gu Qiu did not press for the truth about what she had given him or how she had obtained it, nor did he tell their Senior Brother, Lu Ming, the reason for his recovery. Gu Qiu knew his own internal condition; that something could restore him to health in such a short time must have been a life-saving treasure. It was someone else’s fortune, and as the beneficiary, he had no right to ask.

However, there were some things he felt he needed to ask, if only for his own peace of mind. A debt, after all, was a debt. "You helped me, but what about you?"

Ji Yao scratched her head. So that was what he was worried about; he still had a conscience. "Uh, I still have some left. Enough to protect myself."

"Oh, is that so?" Gu Qiu let out a soft breath of relief. "That’s good." His tone shifted. "I haven't had a chance to ask—did you gain anything from the Qixian Secret Realm?"

"Ah? Sigh—" Ji Yao shook her head helplessly. She only offered those two words, but they said everything. Could she say she had lost everything? She had been saddled with a divine tree that couldn't do anything useful but required constant pampering. All the talismans she had prepared were spent in the realm, and other than the Qixian grass required for her mission, she really hadn't obtained anything worth showing off.

Because of his preconceived sense of indebtedness, Gu Qiu read too much into her sigh, assuming she had gained nothing at all. "It’s fine. Isn't your Senior Brother here?"

Ji Yao hadn't expected such an unexpected benefit and was almost moved. "Second Senior Brother..."

"I will help you request an additional reward from Master," Gu Qiu said, cutting off her words.

Ji Yao swallowed the words "That's great." She shouldn't have expected anything else from Gu Qiu; he was truly the same old Gu Qiu!

"Second Senior Brother, you really are still the same Second Senior Brother. How regrettable!"

"You flatter me, Junior Sister. But your Second Senior Brother is currently wearing the Senior Brother's clothes! I cannot make promises lightly. If I can't pay them back, it will be troublesome later." Gu Qiu brushed his sleeves with disdain. He didn't know what kind of taste their Senior Brother had; he called this low-key? It didn't suit his temperament at all.

Ji Yao narrowed her eyes and turned away. She didn't want to stay with this stingy refrigerator; she was afraid of getting frostbite and having to pay for her own medicine.

The return journey was unexpectedly peaceful. After seven days, the flying ship landed on the square of Tianmu Peak, the main peak of the sect. Considering that many returning disciples were still nursing injuries and should not be moving about, the Sect Leader ordered everyone to return to rest first. The Hall of Sect Affairs would begin accepting mission reports the next day, and disciples could submit them at any time over the following month.

Ji Yao thought of the various spirit herbs piled up in her storage space that she hadn't had time to sort through, and Qian Xun, who she had kept hidden the entire journey. She needed to carefully consider the little creature's future arrangements.

She first went to pay her respects to Mo Daoyan and returned the mission badge she had been issued, then hurried back to her bamboo house on Tianlü Peak and activated the protective formation.

"Qian Xun, come out. We need to talk."

Ji Yao needed to return to her space, but she was unsure how Situ Jing would treat the little guy, so she needed to prepare for certain things in advance. She hadn't yet decided whether to keep Qian Xun in her space; she needed to consider not only Situ Jing's opinion but also Qian Xun's own.