This time, Ling Xue did not conceal anything from her.
“Actually, this isn’t happening only in Taihua Prefecture.”
Her expression was grave as she spoke slowly. “There are demonic cultivators digging out the Golden Cores of righteous cultivators.”
“What?!” Nangong Yu exclaimed. “Is it really that serious?”
“Very serious.” Ling Xue nodded solemnly. “Little Yu, you haven’t begun cultivating yet, so you don’t understand what a Golden Core means to a cultivator.”
But Ling Xue understood.
She had yet to form her core, but precisely because of that, she understood even more clearly how precious a Golden Core was.
She was currently in the late Foundation Establishment stage, still two minor realms away from the Golden Core stage. If all went well, she would form her core within fifty years.
Decades of cultivation—drawing spiritual energy into her body, tempering her flesh and bones, gaining experience within the sect, venturing down the mountain, entering secret realms in search of opportunities, meditating countless times, and guiding spiritual energy through her body again and again as it circulated and transformed into cultivation.
She had killed demonic cultivators and fought desperately against cultivators with ulterior motives. She had battled guardian beasts to gather spirit herbs…
She had shed more blood than she could remember, honing herself time and time again, waiting for the right opportunity to finally arrive and allow her to form a Golden Core made from all her blood, sweat, and determination.
That was a cultivator’s Dao heart, as well as their Dao fruit. It was the foundation, support, and future of a Golden Core cultivator.
“Digging out someone’s Golden Core is utterly evil!” By the time Ling Xue reached this point, undisguised disgust and hatred filled her face.
If the Golden Core she had worked so hard to form were dug out by someone else, she would certainly be furious, hateful, and driven mad.
Just imagining such a situation made Ling Xue’s insides churn. She even felt that she might fall into demonic cultivation!
“But I heard that someone in one of the Five Great Sects dug out a disciple’s Golden Core. It was even the disciple’s own master who did it?” Nangong Yu asked, still rather confused.
She had forgotten which sect it was. She had heard far too many sensational stories and bits of gossip at the teahouse back then.
Hearing this, Ling Xue froze. Then she gave a somewhat bitter smile, her expression complicated.
“You mean the Lingxiao Sect?”
“Yes, yes!” Nangong Yu hurriedly said. “Isn’t the Lingxiao Sect the foremost of the Five Great Sects? Didn’t they do the same thing?”
Ling Xue’s expression grew even more complicated. She did not know how to explain it to her. Her lips moved, but in the end, she said softly, “It was Ren Xueheng who dug out someone else’s Golden Core first.”
Since digging out someone else’s Golden Core was evil, her master had simply repaid evil with evil and let Ren Xueheng experience what it felt like to have her own Golden Core dug out.
“Well…” Nangong Yu rubbed her chin. “You can’t blame people for learning by example, then.”
The foremost sect among the Five Great Sects—a prestigious and righteous sect—had done such a thing too.
Right?
“There were circumstances behind it.” Ling Xue spoke vaguely. “In any case, this is extremely evil. The sect is worried that its disciples might be harmed, so they summoned us back ahead of schedule.”
Senior Brother Chen Zhi and Senior Sister Bai Xuan were both Golden Core disciples, so of course they had to be summoned back.
As for her, Xie Jinyue, Wang Hezheng, and the others, they were all Foundation Establishment disciples. Apparently, the enemy possessed a method of forcibly catalyzing false cores, and even Foundation Establishment disciples had their cores dug out.
“They’re that powerful?” Nangong Yu was startled. No matter how she looked at it, this seemed like a major boss and a major side quest.
She could not help asking, “Who did it? There has to be a leader, right? What’s their name?”
Ling Xue shook her head gravely. “I haven’t heard. But cultivators have been disappearing in all nine provinces of the Canglan Realm. Their Golden Cores are being dug out, and there have been quite a number of cases.”
This made Nangong Yu even more certain that it was a major side quest.
The boss had not even appeared yet, and the force behind it had concealed itself well, with its claws spread throughout all nine provinces.
“You don’t need to worry.” Seeing that Nangong Yu had fallen silent, Ling Xue assumed she had been frightened and coaxed her gently. “You haven’t even drawn spiritual energy into your body yet. Even after you begin cultivating, you’ll only be an Qi Refinement cultivator for quite some time.”
By the time she approached the Golden Core stage, perhaps all those demonic cultivators would already have been caught in one sweep.
“What are you two chatting about? You sound so lively!”
A bright, cheerful voice came from outside the cave abode.
Nangong Yu looked toward the entrance. The newcomer was walking in against the light, and at first Nangong Yu could not see her clearly. But the woman was tall and slender, with a sword in hand. Nangong Yu soon recognized her.
“Senior Sister Xie!” Nangong Yu cried out in delight.
It was Xie Jinyue, the first friendly NPC Nangong Yu had met outside Luoxia City.
Nangong Yu rose to her feet and waved. “Come on in!”
Xie Jinyue entered and first gave her a formal salute. “I haven’t congratulated you yet on being accepted as Elder Ling Heng’s disciple. From now on, we’ll all have to address you as Little Grand Martial Aunt.”
Nangong Yu smiled brightly. “Why be so formal? In private, I’ll still call you all Senior Sisters.”
Xie Jinyue clearly did not care much for empty formalities. Besides, the Purple Sun Sect was a vast sect with countless cultivators. If one truly traced everyone’s seniority, many relationships would be impossible to sort out.
Unless they came from the same lineage and shared the same grandmaster, there was nothing improper about addressing one another as Senior Brothers, Senior Sisters, Junior Brothers, or Junior Sisters.
“Then I’ll shamelessly call you Junior Sister Little Yu,” Xie Jinyue said with a smile as she sat down beside the table.
“Senior Sister Xie, it’s been so long since I last saw you. Did your breakthrough go smoothly?” Nangong Yu asked.
Xie Jinyue gave a faint smile and was about to answer when Ling Xue suddenly cried out, “You—you’ve formed your Golden Core?!”
Huh?
Nangong Yu looked at Xie Jinyue in surprise.
“I have.” Xie Jinyue nodded. She looked at Nangong Yu with deep affection. “I have you to thank for that, Junior Sister Little Yu.”
She had drunk a bowl of wild-vegetable and egg soup and eaten a great deal of ordinary mortal food. Her heart felt full, and her bloodline had surged restlessly ever since.
After returning to the inn, she had shut herself away to cultivate.
She had already broken through one minor realm outside Luoxia City. After returning to the inn, she gained further insights. At that time, the sect happened to summon everyone back, so Elder Lu had taken her ahead of the others and found a place for her to undergo her Golden Core tribulation.
“Originally, I was thinking that if Junior Sister Little Yu hadn’t found a suitable master, I would have shamelessly recommended myself and taken you as my disciple,” Xie Jinyue said with a smile. “I didn’t expect you to be so impressive and become Elder Ling Heng’s disciple.”
There was no contempt for Nangong Yu in her words.
Given Nangong Yu’s spiritual root aptitude, becoming an outer disciple would already have been a stroke of luck.
Now that Xie Jinyue had advanced to the Golden Core stage, she was qualified to accept disciples. She could have taken Nangong Yu under her wing, which would at least have made her an inner disciple.
“I’m very impressive!” Nangong Yu declared proudly, lifting her chin and patting her chest.
Her clever, spirited appearance amused both Ling Xue and Xie Jinyue.
“Since you’ve become Elder Ling Heng’s disciple, you probably aren’t lacking in magical treasures.” Xie Jinyue spoke softly. “I didn’t know what to give you, so I’ll present you with this Moonwatch Sword as a congratulatory gift.”
As she spoke, she gently placed the long sword she had been holding on the table.
“The Moonwatch Sword?!” Ling Xue exclaimed. “Isn’t that your personal sword?”
Nangong Yu was just about to pick it up, but she paused when she heard this.
“Consider it a gift to celebrate Junior Sister Little Yu becoming an inner disciple.” Xie Jinyue pushed the sword toward her with a hearty smile. “It’s just right for you to use during the Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment stages.”
Nangong Yu was Elder Ling Heng’s disciple, so she certainly would not lack magical treasures.
However, as a minor cultivator, openly carrying a heavenly-grade magical treasure while traveling outside was clearly inappropriate. It might even provoke others’ greed.
“What about you?” Nangong Yu asked.
Xie Jinyue raised her chin slightly. “I’ve already formed my Golden Core, so I’m qualified to enter the Sword Mound and choose a sword.”
The Purple Sun Sect possessed a Sword Mound. The personal swords of cultivators who had fallen throughout the sect’s history, along with the treasured swords the sect had collected, were all kept there.
Every inner disciple had one chance to visit the Sword Mound and seek out their destined sword. Xie Jinyue had been eligible before, but she had lacked confidence and had continued using the Wangyue Sword she had forged herself.
“Thank you, Senior Sister.” After hearing this, Nangong Yu took the Wangyue Sword into her hands. “I really like it!”
She never disliked items given to her by NPCs.
Seeing her hug the long sword that had accompanied her for many years, looking utterly enamored with it, Xie Jinyue couldn’t help showing a genuine smile.
“By the way, you went to class yesterday, right?” she asked. “Were you placed in Class A?”
Ling Xue also looked over with concern.
Nangong Yu paused in stroking the sword. “Was it always like this in previous years? Were there two classes?”
Xie Jinyue nodded and explained, “Disciples with good talent, strong perseverance, and a diligent attitude receive focused training. But the class assignments aren’t permanent. If a Class A disciple isn’t hardworking enough, they’ll be demoted to Class B. Likewise, Class B disciples who perform well have a chance to be promoted to Class A.”
Ling Xue added, “Junior Sister Little Yu is so clever. You must have made it into Class A. But even if you were placed in Class B, it’s nothing to worry about. You still have a chance.”
“What’s the difference between Class A and Class B?” Nangong Yu laid the sword across her lap and ran her fingers over the jewel on its sheath, asking curiously, “Do they teach different things?”
Xie Jinyue and Ling Xue fell silent at the same time.
After a moment, Xie Jinyue said softly, “Class A has lessons every day, while Class B has lessons once every three days.”
With twice as many classes, what exactly were the disciples in Class A learning? They certainly weren’t just sitting around doing nothing.
The difference was actually this enormous! Nangong Yu understood at once and repeatedly patted her chest in relief. “Good thing I’m in Class B.”
Xie Jinyue hadn’t heard her clearly. “What did you say?”
Ling Xue also stared at her in astonishment. “Junior Sister Little Yu, you’re in Class B?”
Why did she consider Class B a good thing?
“That mountain is really tall!” Nangong Yu still looked shaken. “I don’t want to climb it every day.”
She simply couldn’t endure that kind of hardship.
Class B was perfect. She could openly avoid attending classes. If she had unfortunately been placed in Class A, she would have had to find a way to skip them.
“Little Yu!” Xie Jinyue grew stern. “If you’re afraid of hardship, how can you ever hope to cultivate?”
Ling Xue stood to the side, her expression equally disapproving.
Did it seem as though they were trying to push her into Class A? What exactly did they teach there that made the players’ participation so important?
“I understand.” Nangong Yu did not argue. Instead, she obediently said, “I’ll work hard.”
She had a proper master of her own and originally had no need for anyone else’s guidance. The two of them only offered her those extra words because they treated her with genuine affection.
Only after receiving her promise did the two of them relax. “We won’t disturb your cultivation any longer. Little Yu, apply yourself.”
With that, they left together.
Nangong Yu watched the two of them fly away, shrugged, and returned to her cave abode.
The cave abode she had inherited from her Eldest Senior Sister was protected by restrictions. No one else could enter unless the owner permitted it.
That day, Xu Wanzhong had extracted a wisp of her aura and incorporated it into the restriction. Nangong Yu didn’t quite understand it, but she supposed it was similar to registering a fingerprint.
Even so, she had scattered a layer of Squealing Bone Powder at the entrance of the cave abode.
Anyone who stepped onto it would trigger a shriek to alert her, ensuring that no one could suddenly break in without her knowing.
Only after finishing all this did Nangong Yu enter the cave abode and take out a small white jade flute.
She raised it to her lips and blew.
But the white jade flute produced no sound at all. She blew three times in a row, yet all she heard was the whooshing of air.
“…”
Nangong Yu scratched her head, then lifted the white jade flute before her eyes and examined it.
“What is it?” A voice suddenly came from inside the white jade flute.
It was clear and indifferent, completely businesslike, yet somehow faintly familiar.
“I’m looking for Zhegu,” Nangong Yu said to the flute.
A moment later, the other side replied in surprise, “It’s you? Nangong Kun?”
Nangong Kun?
“That’s right.” Nangong Yu answered with a beaming smile. “I’m Nangong Kun.”
“Why have you contacted me?” Zhegu, the steward of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, asked from the other side.
Nangong Yu said, “I want to sell some things. How can I find you?”
There was a moment of silence before the other party asked tentatively, “Do you have another storage bag that needs dealing with?”
Every time Nangong Yu visited the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, she asked him to open a storage bag or storage ring, and then sold whatever she found inside.
“This time it’s my master.” Nangong Yu put on a solemn expression. “He wants to get rid of some old items he no longer needs, but it isn’t convenient for him to go down the mountain, so he entrusted them to me.”
Zhegu asked in surprise, “You successfully took a master? Congratulations.”
“Hehe.” Nangong Yu giggled shyly. “How do I find you?”
After thinking for a moment, the other party said, “Show me what you have first.”
“Mm.” Nangong Yu asked, “How do I show you?”
“If you agree, I can manifest a strand of illusory projection,” Zhegu said.
Nangong Yu was surprised. After thinking it over, she said, “All right. Come out.”
As soon as she spoke, a flash of light passed over the white jade flute, and a hazy phantom appeared in the air. It had Zhegu’s exact appearance.
Nangong Yu looked him up and down, her expression filled with wonder. “How did you do that?”
“This is merely a wisp of aura I entrusted to the jade flute.” The hazy phantom explained, “It consumes a great deal of energy. After this is used up, I’ll need to give you a new flute the next time we meet.”
So it was disposable? Nangong Yu’s heart eased slightly. She nodded. “Everything is here.”
She waved her hand, and in an instant the cave abode was filled with all sorts of miscellaneous items.
There were meditation cushions, folding screens, incense burners, potted greenery, ornamental fruits, jade purification vases, and all manner of other things…
The hazy phantom bent over. Its mist-formed body was not bound by the laws of the physical world, and its head nearly touched each item in turn.
“Your master… must be quite extraordinary, huh?” The mist surrounding the phantom began to disperse.
Nangong Yu replied modestly, “He’s only a Nascent Soul cultivator.”
Only?
The city lord of Luoxia City, a powerful cultivator who presided over an entire region, was also merely a Nascent Soul cultivator!
As his disciple—his daughter, in all but name—her status was no lower than that of the daughter of Luoxia City’s lord. If anything, it was higher.
After all, any Nascent Soul elder from the Ziyang Sect could establish a city if sent out into the world. But not every city lord could make it into the Ziyang Sect and become an elder.
