Luoyun Temple, Yin Yang Peak.
Zhou Fan followed Nangong Wan into the Peak Master's Immortal Cave and found that the furnishings inside were very simple, like those of an ordinary wealthy family in the Fan Realm, unexpectedly having a touch of warmth.
"Xiao Li, stop Cultivating. Mother has brought a new family member back for you. Come out quickly and greet your Zhou Dage."
Not long after Nangong Wan's words fell, Zhou Fan saw a handsome young man with firmly pressed lips and a resolute expression walk up to him.
The young man first sized up Zhou Fan, confirming that the Personal Disciple his mother had taken was outwardly masculine and gentle in temperament, not some rough fellow from the countryside. For some reason, Qin Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He cupped his fists and bowed to Zhou Fan, politely greeting him, "Hello, Zhou Dage. My name is Qin Li. Since Mother has decided to take you as a Personal Disciple, you can call me Xiao Li, just like Mother does."
"That doesn't seem right."
Zhou Fan hadn't expected the first Son of Destiny he met in the Cultivation World to be so polite, making him somewhat hesitant to act against this Son of Destiny.
"Brother Qin, you are Master's son, and I am Master's Disciple. Logically, we are of the same generation, so how about we address each other as brothers?"
Qin Li's expression was a bit strange seeing Zhou Fan being so honest.
He turned to look at his mother, the meaning in his eyes very clear.
"Mother, haven't you told Zhou Dage the true purpose of taking him as a Personal Disciple?"
Nangong Wan's youthful face flushed, and she directly replied via Divine Sense transmission, "This is the first time Mother has done something like this. How can I possibly bring it up right after taking a Disciple?"
"Mother, you already gave birth to me with Father and have been a widow for so many years. What's there to be embarrassed about?"
"Oh, what do you know, you little child? Your father and I were proper husband and wife, having prayed to heaven and earth and with matchmakers' words. How can that be compared to the current situation?"
"If it weren't for you to be able to Cultivate, do you really think your Mother is the kind of woman found in the pleasure quarters of the Fan Realm?"
Listening to his mother's words, which adhered to the virtues of a wife, Qin Li's heart was instantly filled with deep shame.
He thought that his mother, as a Luan Feng Immortal, was chaste and resolute. After his father's death, there had never been any gossip about her.
Now, if it weren't for him, why would she be so eagerly taking a Personal Disciple with a Pure Yang Body?
Had Father been gone too long, and Mother wanted to make friends?
That certainly couldn't be it. His mother, being a Fairy, how could she be troubled by the desires of the Fan Realm?
There was only one truth: his mother was willing to sacrifice something she valued more than life itself, all so he could successfully Cultivate the Qing Ni Jue.
The more Qin Li thought about it, the more ashamed he felt. He decided to immediately go copy "Women's Virtues" from his mother's study 10 times to reflect on himself properly.
"Zhou Dage, I apologize, but I suddenly feel a bit unwell. I'm afraid I can't join you and Mother for dinner tonight."
Zhou Fan heard this and, though he found it strange, still politely replied, given Qin Li's politeness, "Brother Qin, if you're not feeling well, go rest. When you're feeling better another day, we can meet up alone."
"Alright, then Zhou Dage, we'll meet another day."
Qin Li turned to look at his beautiful mother, said nothing more, and quickly left.
"Xiao Fan, please be more understanding. Xiao Li has been like that since he was little; he's too sensitive and a bit shy around strangers."
Zhou Fan saw that his newly acknowledged Master actually walked up to him to apologize for her son and quickly waved his hand, saying, "Fairy Master, what are you saying? In our Fan Realm, there's no Master who actively apologizes to a Disciple."
"Moreover, Brother Qin is polite and modest. He can be so courteous to a stranger he's just met, which shows how well Fairy Master usually teaches him."
"Xiao Fan, you only know how to say nice things to make me happy."
Nangong Wan's willow-like eyebrows curved. Ever since her husband died, her entire heart had been devoted to her son's education.
Now that her son was praised, Nangong Wan's heart instantly felt as sweet as if she had drunk honey.
In her joyful mood, the Luan Feng Immortal's exaggeratedly beautiful Immortal body moved even closer to Zhou Fan.
Zhou Fan subtly took a small step back. He was already feeling that something was amiss.
Just now, in front of Qin Li, this Luan Feng Immortal could maintain her persona as a Master and a good mother, standing there with a cool expression, as if she were truly just a proper elder.
But now, not long after Qin Li left, this Fairy Master's gaze towards Zhou Fan gradually became more shimmering, and the distance between them was also being progressively shortened by her.
Zhou Fan didn't want this. When he first came, he genuinely intended to become a Disciple and learn Cultivation.
Therefore, Zhou Fan retreated while changing the subject, "Master, when do you think we should perform the Master-Disciple ceremony? My two friends from the Fan Realm and I have already agreed to have dinner at their Immortal Cave tonight. If the ceremony takes too long, then Master, how about we do it tomorrow?"
Nangong Wan saw Zhou Fan's flustered and evasive demeanor and instantly realized that her behavior was still too obvious and too eager.
This was not good. What if she scared away this Personal Disciple, whom she was very fond of in all aspects?
At this thought, Nangong Wan quickly suppressed the Qi of her Azure Phoenix Yin Body that she had just emitted, and at the same time, she chanted a secret method in her Sea of Consciousness, sealing away all the restless distracting thoughts of her Mysterious Yin Spiritual Root.
She quickly returned to her usual sacred and aloof appearance, as she was when she was with Qin Li.
After the pure-hearted Azure Phoenix Fairy came back online, Zhou Fan instantly felt that the atmosphere between them had returned to normal, and the few disrespectful thoughts that had just been stirred within him were quickly discarded.
The two quickly completed the Master-Disciple ceremony. As dusk fell, the Azure Phoenix Fairy cleared out an empty room for Zhou Fan in her special Immortal Cave.
The room was located between her and Qin Li's rooms.
Zhou Fan, seeing his Master treating him so well, naturally expressed his gratitude to the Fairy Master once again.
However, tonight was the first night his good friends from the Fan Realm entered the Cultivation World, so Zhou Fan still chose to spend it with Shen Yufu and Jiang Mei.
As for the Fairy Master's dinner invitation, Zhou Fan could only politely decline.
Nangong Wan was a bit unhappy, but as someone who had once been a wife, she knew that some things couldn't be rushed; haste would only backfire.
There would be plenty of time. Her Disciple had now officially acknowledged her as Master, so even if he wanted to run, he couldn't.
She had endured for over twenty years, so waiting a little longer was nothing.
At night, after casually eating some nourishing ingredients alone, Nangong Wan, draped in light gauze, sat cross-legged on the empty large bed. She didn't know what she was thinking, but her Azure Phoenix Yin Body began to operate on its own again.
Nangong Wan knew that the stagnation of her Cultivation over the years had led to a very profound accumulation in her Extreme Yin Physique and Yin-attributed Spiritual Root.
Breaking the core to form a nascent soul, condensing qi into primordial essence, it was very likely that it only required that one moment of enlightenment.