"That junior brother is strong as hell. You sure you don't want to give him my spot? Never mind, you've just made him a named elder. I guess from now on I must call him Elder Xinzi—or 128th Elder…nah, Elder Xinzi is fine." Lying groggily in his Spiritual Cave, Zi Zuixian told Zi Yao, who stood just three steps away—staring at her nephew with cold, inexpressive eyes.
"That's all you have to say? Zuixian, I know that you play the drunken waste to not alarm Hanxing. But if you don't get a grip, I will not be able to maintain your position," Zi Yao said.
"Eeeeesh! Dear aunt, please don't scare me like that. Play the waste for what? Am I trying to rebel? If the old freak hears you, you will be burying me before my prime, and it will all be your fault." Zuixian shuddered at Zi Yao's words and rolled towards the wall at his back. Undisturbed, the matriarch went on.
"Your good-for-nothing slut of a mom can't accept that she isn't my match, and so decided to plot with other vassals. She thinks that I can't see through her petty thoughts, just like you think that I can't see through yours. Zuixian, that's fine. You don't have to be a good-for-nothing. Aunt will protect you."
"Rubbish. My Pulse is based on drunkenness. I am cultivating, not playing a role." Though his eyelids trembled at the "mom" part, Zi Zuixian closed his eyes, ignoring the statement.
"Xinzi's foundation is terrifying. I refuse to believe that he achieved it on his own. And if he did…" Zi Yao's words trailed off—her mind struggling to accept the implications that such a feat brought forth. "Perhaps we've been looking at this from the wrong angle, but regardless, it's you that I want leading the White Immortal sect. Zuixian, I am the Zi clan's present. You are its future. Together, we will return our illustrious house to the summit of this land."
…
Free. From the moment that Qingxin tore his ordinance into shreds, Xinzi was free. Those that knew of our monk's various misdeeds would be hard-pressed to think that—so far—he restrained himself. And yet, be it in the White Immortal sect or Ice-Fire cave, Xinzi showed restraint. It was only after he started practicing demonism that Xinzi slowly strayed from Qingxin's three core principles: "Do not eat meat, harm innocents, or consume alcohol."
As men couldn't miss the things that they'd never tried, complying with the first and third rule had never been a problem. The second one, however, drained Xinzi's soul—pitting his divine pragmatism against his mortal body's loyalties. Xinzi often wondered why the mortal version of him grew so attached, when the Divine Form that should have been better predisposed towards Qingxin, never lost its stoic poise.
Regardless, he wouldn't have to consider the Clear Heart monastery's stance any longer. Little did Xinzi know that, soon after Qingxin had him expelled, the Clear Heart monastery's monks swarmed their abbot—demanding immediate explanations.
Our monk reached the Liberation Temple's doors. Inside, the initiates sat in seclusion, cultivating all the Yang Qi that they'd received from Xinzi in the comfort of their Qi Gathering rooms. Spiritual Drops succeeded one another, and at this pace, Xinzi estimated that with one month of seclusion, his 18 initiates could cultivate about 720 Spiritual Drops.
Xinzi's Spiritual Sense spread out, sweeping through all initiates. Forced out of their trance, all initiates left their rooms to gather by Xinzi's side.
"Welcome back, Abbot! Your disciples greet you!" With Yan Le, A'Zhi and A'Zhu to lead them, all initiates said and bowed in perfect synch. Satisfied by their stance and progression speed, our monk nodded in approval.
"I have an announcement to make. Soon, I will be leaving the White Immortal sect. I say soon because I can't tell exactly when. But first, you all need to vacate the monastery and hide in the Ice-Fire cave for a bit. Don't worry, the beasts won't touch you. In the meantime, I will upgrade all cultivation facilities to the third layer. After I leave the sect, you can return.
Each of you will receive 100 g of Marrow-Cleansing Paste to spread over your bodies plus 100 ml of Fetal Spirit Fluid to nurture your souls. You will also receive one profound-grade Treasure each. As usual, A'Zhi and A'Zhu will administrate the temple and allocate the resources," Xinzi said, making all 18 initiates' eyes stretch impossibly.
Throughout Yanzhou, Marrow-Cleansing Paste and Fetal Spirit Fluid were commodities that put Nascent Soul experts on their toes. The former enhanced physique, root quality and overall potential, while the latter boosted Soul Force and Comprehension Skills by a substantial margin. Pair these two together, and you could turn wastes into worthwhile talents—and talents into prodigies. Add to that profound-grade treasures, and the initiates no longer knew where to put themselves.
"Abbot, isn't this…too much?" The twins spoke first, and even Yan Le, who craved cultivation breakthroughs and benefits, dared not to welcome such lavish gifts.
"I'm afraid it's not enough. My only regret is that I will not be able to apply the paste personally." A gentle smile curved our monk's lips, and his tone dropped into a more sensual rhythm. The 18 initiates blushed, except for Yan Le who felt that not having her abbot's hands all over her was indeed a pity.
Xinzi tapped his storage ring, making 18 teacups appear and hover in the air. He then lifted the wine gourd he'd received from Qingxin, opened the lid, and poured the 18 initiates a drink.
"You might not have heard due to being in seclusion. But I've been kicked out of the Clear Heart monastery. From now on, we can add wine to the list of things that we can willfully enjoy. Here's a brew that I've received from my master. Enjoy, but tread carefully. The tiniest drop can set your body ablaze. Now go. The sooner the better. After I return, we will move to Xihai," Xinzi said, and while a flurry of questions passed through the initiates' minds, they sensed the urgency in his tone and dared not to delay further.
"Thank you, abbot, for your love and care!" Again they bowed, and in tandem, vanished from the Liberation Temple. Subsequently, Xinzi got to work, and for the better part of the next hour, used his transmutative abilities to tweak and improve all the formations—from Qi Gathering to Copulation Arrays. He also added more safety nets.
For the current him, this wasn't significant work, and by the time he'd completed it all, the White Immortal sect elders had yet to finish their ongoing meeting.
Setting the wine gourd to the side, Xinzi sat crossed-legged in his greeting hall. 'Tusha, take Xue Yuanshao and track down the Blood Yang Gorilla general. He will lead you to the Green Leaf village. Afterward, capture the beast. On the way to Xihai, we will stop there. I will use the Devil Tome and my transmutative abilities to establish a hidden laboratory and cultivate new troops.'
'As you command, Master-Abbot!' Following this mental exchange, Tusha took Xue Yuanshao and left to track down the Blood Yang Gorilla. Thanks to Xiao Hu, Xinzi had learned about that hidden place and planned to use it as a temporary base for his future operations.
In the meantime, he'd wait for the night's envoys to arrive. There were other places that our monks wanted to visit before leaving the sect, but he had to make sure that he chose where the envoys met him first. Otherwise, things could get awkward.
Hours flew by, and as Xinzi cultivated in silence, a bone-chilling breeze swept through the temple. Five shadowy figures appeared before our monk, each cloaked from head to toe. But all the clothing in the world couldn't restrain the divine light leaking from their skins. Strands of Immortal Qi flowed out, and the five Immortal Realm powerhouses kneeled, prostrating themselves at Xinzi's feet:
"Oh, Greatest One, your humble servants greet you!"