Chapter 669: Master Teacher
"Oh heavens! I can't accept this, how could Senior Sister Qi fall for this pretty-faced pretty boy?"
"He must have used sweet talk, plus he looks decent enough on the outside, to trick Junior Sister Qi's heart."
"How could Senior Sister Qi like a scumbag like Lin Yue? A goddess like her, how could she stoop so low?"
None of the sacred disciples present could bear the scene unfolding before them. Many were heartbroken, preferring Qi Feiyu to remain alone forever rather than see her throw herself into Lin Yue's arms.
Of course, there were also many sacred disciples who were extremely envious.
"If only I were Lin Yue? Just to hold Senior Sister Qi's hand for a moment, even if I could only live one day, I would be willing."
"How is Lin Yue's luck so good? Qi Feiyu is the heir of a medieval aristocratic clan. Winning her favor is equivalent to gaining the support of a medieval aristocratic clan, with boundless prospects ahead. So envious!"
...
Whether the crowd was jealous or envious, Zhang Ruochen's heart remained unmoved. He glanced at Xun Hualiu and Mu Jiji and said, "I have some important matters to attend to. How about you two escort Senior Sister Qi back to Jade Purity Palace?"
Xun Hualiu and Mu Jiji showed flattered expressions, ecstatic inside, and immediately straightened their backs. Xun Hualiu said without hesitation, "Alright."
"With pleasure." Mu Jiji patted his chest.
As soon as Xun Hualiu and Mu Jiji walked toward Qi Feiyu and Zhang Ruochen, they felt a powerful pressure. They saw that all of Qi Feiyu's suitors were staring at them with warning eyes.
The two of them immediately turned pale and quickly retreated.
"Boss, I still think it's better for you to personally escort Senior Sister Qi back to Jade Purity Palace," Mu Jiji said.
Xun Hualiu coughed dryly and waved his hand, saying, "Senior Sister Qi is a celestial fairy from heaven, not someone us mortals can touch."
Zhang Ruochen naturally knew that Qi Feiyu's suitors were not to be trifled with, so he didn't press them further.
One of the suitors, named Xie Yunfan, carrying a crimson longsword on his back and wearing a snake-scale iron belt around his waist, stepped forward. His gaze was icy as he stared at Zhang Ruochen and said, "I am a disciple of Jade Purity Palace. Hand Junior Sister Qi over to me, and I can escort her back."
"Very well."
Zhang Ruochen appeared quite agreeable, ready to hand Qi Feiyu over to the man opposite him.
"Smart move."
Xie Yunfan extended a finger, pointing directly at Zhang Ruochen's face, and said arrogantly, "Also, I warn you, stay away from Junior Sister Qi from now on. She is not someone you can touch. A toad should never dream of eating swan meat, or else it will die a miserable death."
The surrounding sacred disciples mostly showed mocking expressions.
Lin Yue, this toad, deserved to be taught a lesson.
If Xie Yunfan made a move and beat Lin Yue until his limbs were crippled, that would be even more satisfying. Those present who secretly admired Qi Feiyu all wore gleeful smiles.
Originally, Zhang Ruochen wanted to avoid conflict and hand Qi Feiyu over to someone else to escort, so as not to fall into her trap.
But now, the situation was somewhat different.
Who could still smile and hand over the woman beside them after being pointed at and warned like that?
Even if Qi Feiyu were a venomous scorpion, Zhang Ruochen no longer wanted to hand her over.
Facing Xie Yunfan's warning, Zhang Ruochen showed a faint, ambiguous smile, nodded slightly, and then made a move that shocked everyone.
He stretched out a hand, directly placed it on Qi Feiyu's slender waist, and pulled her close with considerable force, saying, "I've changed my mind. I think it's better for me to personally escort Senior Sister Qi back to Jade Purity Palace."
It had to be said, Qi Feiyu's waist was extremely slender, smooth, and full of elasticity. Zhang Ruochen's large hand could barely cover a small part of it with a firm grip.
Qi Feiyu's delicate body suddenly convulsed. Her jade-like hands resting on Zhang Ruochen's waist tightened slightly. Her teeth clenched, and her eyes flashed with cold, icy light.
Zhang Ruochen completely ignored Qi Feiyu's gaze.
What, only you can scheme against me, and I can't take back some initiative?
Zhang Ruochen continued to hold Qi Feiyu's willow waist like this and walked straight away toward Jade Purity Palace, leaving behind a group of stunned sacred disciples. Throughout it all, Qi Feiyu did not resist or refuse his actions.
Everyone was frozen in place.
Thus, from Ancient God Mountain to Jade Purity Palace, all the disciples could witness the strange sight of "Lin Yue holding Qi Feiyu," and countless hearts were shattered.
In truth, Zhang Ruochen also wanted to take this opportunity to feel Qi Feiyu's back bones and investigate whether she was from the Undying Blood Clan.
But Qi Feiyu's hands, though seemingly resting lightly on his waist, were actually digging into Zhang Ruochen's abdominal vital points.
If Zhang Ruochen moved recklessly, her fingers could pierce through his body in an instant.
Zhang Ruochen's hand was also pressing against her vital points.
What appeared to be a very intimate scene was, in reality, completely different from what everyone imagined.
It wasn't until Zhang Ruochen sent Qi Feiyu back to Jade Purity Palace that the two finally let go.
Qi Feiyu glanced at Zhang Ruochen and said coldly, "One day, I will personally cut off that hand of yours."
"I hate women like you the most. You scheme against others, yet pretend to be the victim."
Zhang Ruochen clasped his hands behind his back, too lazy to bother with Qi Feiyu any longer, and walked straight out of Jade Purity Palace.
Returning to the small courtyard on Purple Cloud Spirit Mountain, Zhang Ruochen greeted Xiao Hei and told him to continue supervising Xun Hualiu and Mu Jiji's training. Then, he entered the Scroll World.
On Ancient God Mountain, his fight with Qi Feiyu made Zhang Ruochen realize the gap between himself and top-tier cultivators at the Fish-Dragon Eighth Transformation.
If he participated in the sword dao competition with his current Fish-Dragon Fourth Transformation cultivation, it would be impossible to enter the top ten.
No matter what, he had to break through to the Fish-Dragon Fifth Transformation.
But before training, he had to do one more thing.
Zhang Ruochen used his movement technique to arrive outside a cave dwelling.
The owner of the cave seemed to sense his arrival. After a moment, the round stone door opened, and a young girl with a delicate appearance walked out.
She was about one meter thirty tall, dressed in pure white clothes as clean as snow, with her hair tied up in a bun. Her figure was slender, and her eyes were clear and free of any impurities.
"Greetings, Master Teacher!"
Han Xue immediately knelt to pay respects to Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen quickly reached out a hand to help her up, looked her over carefully, and said, "You've grown so tall already."
Although only a few months had passed outside, several years had gone by inside the Scroll World.
By now, Han Xue was about ten years old. Her facial features were already quite exquisite, as if carved from ice and snow, without a single flaw. She was clearly a beauty in the making.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Your cultivation has reached the Fish-Dragon First Transformation, hasn't it?"
"Mm!"
Han Xue nodded lightly.
She was cultivating Qiangu Nüdi's "Fallen God Scripture" and possessed the thousand-bone physique that surpassed a sacred body. Her cultivation speed naturally advanced by leaps and bounds, far surpassing everyone, including Zhang Ruochen.
"Follow me."
Zhang Ruochen led Han Xue down the mountain.
Master and disciple walked all the way to an open area at the foot of the mountain before stopping.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You have reached the Supreme Extreme Realm three times in the four martial stages, and you have the thousand-bone physique. Although you are at the Fish-Dragon First Transformation, you are still capable of fighting against cultivators at the Fish-Dragon Ninth Transformation. Now, try sparring with me."
Zhang Ruochen suppressed his cultivation to the Fish-Dragon First Transformation, placed his left hand behind his back, and extended only his right hand forward, assuming a battle stance.
Han Xue held a bamboo sword, infused it with true qi, and rotated her arm, forming thirty-six sword energies that turned into a circular sword aura, enveloping Zhang Ruochen.
"Slap!"
Zhang Ruochen pointed forward, shattering the circular sword aura. Then, he quickly struck out with a palm, hitting Han Xue's chest and sending her flying dozens of zhang away.
Han Xue did not give up. She rolled on the ground and once again executed her sword technique, attacking Zhang Ruochen's legs.
On the ground, grass and mud flew up, forming a dark, sandy storm.
Taking a step forward, Zhang Ruochen passed through the sandstorm, using his hand as a sword, and struck Han Xue's shoulder and neck, burying half her body into the ground, leaving her unable to move.
"Master Teacher's sword technique is superb. Xue'er cannot compare to you."
Han Xue's eyes dimmed. She felt that her proud cultivation was utterly useless in front of her master, and a sense of loss filled her heart.
Zhang Ruochen withdrew his hand, pulled Han Xue out of the dirt, and flicked a fallen leaf off her cheek, saying, "Logically speaking, with your physique, you should be stronger than me at the same cultivation level."
"But now, with my cultivation suppressed to the Fish-Dragon First Transformation, you can't even block one of my moves. Do you know why?"
"Please enlighten me, Master Teacher," Han Xue said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You lack experience, lack combat experience, and lack understanding of the seven emotions, six desires, and the ways of the world."
"Are the seven emotions, six desires, and the ways of the world also related to cultivation?" Han Xue asked, puzzled.
Zhang Ruochen stared into her eyes and said, "A person without the seven emotions and six desires, who doesn't understand the ways of the world, what difference is there from a stone? Do you think a stone can become a saint?"
"No."
Han Xue shook her head and asked, "What does Master Teacher want Xue'er to do?"
"It's time for you to enter the world and gain experience."
Zhang Ruochen clasped his hands behind his back, gazing at the sky, and said, "The mortal world is a big dye vat. When you jump in, some people come out white, and some come out black. But I hope you can always maintain a devout heart toward the ancient saints, eventually cultivate to become a saint, and even reach the heights of Qiangu Nüdi from the past."
Han Xue's eyes turned red. She finally understood that her master wanted her to leave and explore her own path of cultivation.
Tears streamed from Han Xue's eyes. She dropped the bamboo sword and tightly hugged Zhang Ruochen's waist with her small hands, pitifully saying, "Xue'er doesn't want to leave Master Teacher, and Xiao Hei..."
Zhang Ruochen gently stroked Han Xue's head, his expression complex, and said, "Going out for experience is not a permanent separation. This time, when you go out, I want you to deliver two letters to Evil Emperor City."
Although Han Xue was very reluctant to leave, she pursed her lips, tears streaming down her face, and finally agreed.
(It's the beginning of the month! Without further ado, Little Fish is ready to ask for monthly votes! Thank you! For more information, please follow Sina Weibo: Feitian Fish's Weibo)