The night was deep, and the Milky Way was dim.

Heavenly Killing Peak was desolate, only the sound of cicadas and frogs mingled with the sorrowful Heavenly Sword Peak disciples. Others had long gathered around the victorious Jiang Yuebai, leaving noisily.

Dozens of male and female disciples of Heavenly Sword Peak gathered together, watching Fang Yuxing standing with his back to them under the welcoming pine at the edge of the cliff, silently facing the leveled side peak, his head bowed, only his shoulders slightly moving.

Their hearts were bitter, their mouths dry, and for a moment, they didn’t know how to comfort him. They could only watch from afar without disturbing their senior brother.

Xie Jingshan stood alone where Jiang Yuebai had stood during the day, feeling the intensity of the battle. In his Sea of Consciousness, as if replaying a video, the fierce battle replayed, only the opponent with Jiang Yuebai was replaced by him.

Continuously stopping and restarting, searching for ways to break and counter the moves.

"Sword Monarch!"

When everyone saw Ling Guanghan appear, they hurriedly bowed and saluted, secretly glancing at Fang Yuxing.

Fang Yuxing still did not respond.

"Sword Monarch, Jiang Yuebai has damaged our Heavenly Sword Peak, should she compensate for the repairs?"

An older male cultivator who managed internal affairs of Heavenly Sword Peak asked cautiously.

Ling Guanghan, with an aura of coldness, glanced indifferently at the distant flattened mountain peak.

"No need for repairs. That place will be your Cliff of Reflection. If you become negligent in your Sword Dao practice, go there and think about today, think about if Jiang Yuebai was a villain intending to kill you, how would you respond."

A gasp arose, and everyone shivered.

Ling Guanghan glanced at Xie Jingshan, furrowed his brows slightly, then turned to walk towards Fang Yuxing.

The crowd immediately gathered, watching nervously, wondering if the senior brother would break down crying when facing the master.

Ling Guanghan walked to Fang Yuxing’s back, and when Fang Yuxing sensed someone coming, he dissipated the Sword Qi in his palm, turned around, eyes full of excitement and barely concealed smiles.

"Master, I know where the problem with my Sword Intent Transformation is. It’s Long Wei, although my Silver Dragon formed from Sword Intent is detailed enough, I have not comprehended Long Wei."

"Originally, there’s no real dragon in this realm for me to study Long Wei up close. But today in the battle with her, her spear contained true dragon Long Wei, and now I have already..."

Fang Yuxing raised his hand, silver light gathered, Sword Intent transformed into a dragon, and an aura of real dragon power shot straight at Ling Guanghan’s face. This power could intimidate the enemy, as long as the enemy hesitated and retreated for a moment, it would be enough for him to strike the fatal point.

Seeing this, Ling Guanghan said nothing, only raised his hand to pat Fang Yuxing’s shoulder, as a sign of encouragement.

The nature of a Sword Cultivator is to press forward with indomitable spirit, verifying Dao through killing, so it is very easy for a Sword Cultivator to fall in a struggle. Since both his disciples, Miaoyin and the other, fell successively, it’s been hard for Ling Guanghan to get along with other disciples like the relationship between Lii Jiuchuan and Jiang Yuebai.

"Haha, I know how to break the moves, hahaha!"

A voice came from behind, it was Xie Jingshan, and immediately, a powerful Sword Qi burst forth from him, sweeping through the area.

The Heavenly Sword Peak disciples were caught off guard and were blown away, Ling Guanghan’s expression became serious, an explosion of Gang Qi from his body repelled the force.

Xie Jingshan, like a balloon full of holes, had countless Sword Qi leaking from all over his body, whistling sharply, tearing through the air.

He stood there scratching his head in bewilderment, "I seem... I’m going to reach Core Formation!!"

Boom!

The weather suddenly changed, a great wind arose.

Ling Guanghan pursed his lips into a line, waved his sleeve, and whisked Xie Jingshan away towards an uninhabited place in the Ninefold Mountain Range.

"Master, wait, I’m not ready yet ah ah ah～～"

Xie Jingshan’s terrified cries broke the silent night, also lifting the gloom and depression from the Heavenly Sword Peak crowd, bringing a burst of laughter.

*

Jiang Yuebai had just returned to Heavenly Cry Peak, hadn’t even had the chance to drink a sip of water, nor look for the missing Jixiang, when she received two letters of challenge.

One was from Yuu Qiuqi, and another from Luoo Fusheng, now the oldest Golden Core Late-Stage real person in terms of cultivation at the Heavenly Interence Sect, a Magic Cultivator obsessed with various spells.

Jiang Yuebai found excuses to shrug them all off, not interested.

Having just turned down the challenge letters, Qii Ming sent over a thick stack of visiting cards, all wanting to discuss Dao under the moonlight and make friends with her.

In three months, it would be the time for the Heavenly Interence Sect’s Qi Cultivation Disciple small tournament, and it’s said that this year they also invited disciples from the Spirit Controlling Sect and Chixiao Sect to participate.

Jiang Yuebai, thinking about how she’d be paraded around like a monkey for people to scrutinize and critique, got a headache.

She now somewhat understood Yun Shang, why she disliked interacting with people so much. Some social engagements, due to etiquette, can’t be avoided but are truly annoying.

"Looks like I need to slip away quickly, better start packing now!"

The most important thing is, lately, she’s been seeing the Ancient Rong more often during meditation, the skill level of the "Immortal Grass Scripture" is increasing on its own, and if the Lingzhi on her head grows any larger, it’ll turn into an umbrella.

She once tried enduring the pain to cut it once, but as soon as the knife touched, a tearing sensation came from the Golden Core, scaring her into stopping immediately.

To completely resolve this hidden danger, she needed to go to the Demon Clan.

While tidying up in the middle of the night, a sudden clap of thunder made Jiang Yuebai shiver; the heavenly tribulation’s aftereffects hadn’t completely faded.

"Which brave one dares to undergo tribulation in the Sect?"

Jiang Yuebai opened the window to check, and a Message Flying Sword flew to her.

[Wait for me to form my Core, there’s something to discuss—Xie Jingshan]

"So, it’s you, kid, forming your Core, huh? Well, waiting a few days for you isn’t a problem."

Putting down the Refusing Fire Cauldron she hadn’t yet stored, Jiang Yuebai sat cross-legged in her Elixir Room, propping her chin as she checked the four remaining gourds in her Dantian.

The cracks had increased but hadn’t yet broken, she estimated it would happen soon, especially Little Green’s.

Inside the Lotus Platform Cave Heaven, it was still a mess, with all sorts of garbage thrown in over the years, decomposing into Spiritual Energy, haphazardly piled on each Lotus Platform.

It seemed to be missing some rule to organize and integrate, everything was very scattered and not very useful, troubling Jiang Yuebai.

Her head was slightly dizzy, and Jiang Yuebai patted it; this was the aftereffect of her forcibly using the Space Great Forbidden Technique today.

This Restriction was still too strong; with her current Divine Soul strength, performing it once required about a month to rest, so it could only be used as a trump card in emergencies.

"On this trip, I’ll take Niankong to the Vajra Platform on the way."

Last year, her master had sent a message to the Vajra Platform, and Buddha Venerable Wochen, knowing the ins and outs of the matter, expressed willingness to accept Niankong as a disciple and promised that after Niankong forms the Core, the Vajra Platform would step in to rebuild the Prajna Temple in the Quicksand Domain.

The scene of the Prajna Temple’s rebuilding is probably something she won’t see, and although Ruosheng might be dissatisfied with Wochen’s help, this was already the best option to allow the temple to continue existing.

After all, people are selfish, she didn’t deny that she didn’t want to tie herself to this matter, just like her mother taught her in childhood: put oneself first in all things; only after satisfying oneself, help others when able, and only then will one’s intentions be clear and one’s heart be without resentment.

A light flew in from outside the window; it was her master calling her.

Jiang Yuebai stretched and stood up, going to the top of the Heavenly Cry Peak to find her master. Just as she walked outside the hall, she saw Shi Xiaowu holding a stack of papers, sighing heavily as he walked out.

"What’s the matter?"

Shi Xiaowu held up the papers in front of Jiang Yuebai and slapped them twice, "Senior sister, how do you suggest I handle the master? Getting half of a hundred questions wrong makes me want to cry."

Shi Xiaowu had already mastered most of the Great Derivation Calculation Scripture; Jiang Yuebai was slightly behind, and Lii Jiuchuan had just entered the Entry Level.

Jiang Yuebai raised her hand to hit him, "Master is good-tempered, don’t bully him excessively, or I won’t spare you."

Shi Xiaowu backed away, "I haven’t, nor would I dare, senior sister, I know the master is good to me, I’m just troubled I can’t find a good way to teach him."

"That’s more like it, don’t push the master too hard, find an excuse sometimes to cultivate on your own and let the master relax a bit. Take it slow."

"Got it."

"Alright, off you go, now is the time to focus on your Cultivation, make sure to grasp the time and form your Core early, or else the master can only watch helplessly as your lifespan runs out."

Watching Shi Xiaowu walk away, Jiang Yuebai headed towards the back of the main hall.

As soon as she stepped into the master’s study, Jiang Yuebai saw that her master seemed to have discomfort in his eyes, tilting his head and coughing to regain normalcy.

"Are you planning to leave the Sect and travel again?" Lii Jiuchuan asked, having overheard Jiang Yuebai’s conversation with Shi Xiaowu outside, which made his eyes tear up.

Jiang Yuebai smiled, "How did you know, master?"

"I have some understanding of you, and I recently sensed something from the Lotus Platform, so I’m giving you something."

Jiang Yuebai hurriedly summoned her Lotus Platform, and Lii Jiuchuan also released his Glazed Tower.

As soon as the Glazed Tower appeared, it dashed toward the Lotus Platform; Lii Jiuchuan reached out to grab it, but caught only air, awkwardly coughing and frowning to use Divine Sense to pull the Glazed Tower back.

But within his Glazed Tower was a tower spirit, drawn by the Divine Sense, which kept trying to approach the Lotus Platform, shining brightly and not holding back at all.

Jiang Yuebai found it amusing, "Master, your Glazed Tower’s temperament doesn’t quite match yours."

Lii Jiuchuan looked helpless, consecutively casting several spells, extracting a five-colored radiance from the Glazed Tower and infusing it into Jiang Yuebai’s Lotus Platform.

The Lotus Platform trembled violently, in the Pocket World’s space of ten acres, experiencing rapid seasonal changes.

"These are the seasonal rules I’ve comprehended, they can provide a framework for your Pocket Small World, you just need to fill in the differentiated Spiritual Energy according to seasons."

"Once the various Spiritual Energies accumulate to a certain extent, and you achieve a certain understanding of the rules of life through the four seasons, your Pocket World will stabilize and become a Secret Realm where even your body can enter."

Jiang Yuebai was overjoyed, this was exactly what she needed!