Ch 137: The Cannon Fodder Won’t Play Along Anymore [QT]

The next day, Mu Xing, as usual, went with the Medicine Peak juniors to Mingyu Hall for lessons.

Perhaps they had all been warned when they returned, because the little ones were obedient this day. Still, the glances exchanged between Medicine Peak and Crescent Moon Peak disciples were far from friendly.

Hmph, children hold grudges the most! Who would want to bother with that bunch of annoying brats!

After finishing their cultural lessons and resting for a stick of incense, they moved on to cultivation class.

Those who studied at Mingyu Hall were children of the sect between the ages of five and ten.

At that age, most had not truly stepped onto the cultivation path. Those so-called prodigies who could draw qi into their bodies at three years old and establish their foundation by ten were extremely rare. The vast majority of children at this age were only just beginning.

Today’s cultivation instructor was Elder Wen Yu of Tai Xu Peak.

This Elder Wen Yu was precisely one of those rare prodigies. He had entered the sect master Jing Wuying’s tutelage at age three, drawn qi into his body three months later, established his foundation by eleven, and formed a golden core at twenty-nine. He was one of the youngest elders in Tai Xu Sect.

Other elders, when teaching basic cultivation, would spend long lectures telling stories and explaining theoretical principles. They would carefully guide the juniors on how to sit, meditate, and why it was done this way.

Elder Wen Yu did not.

Geniuses are always different from others.

“Close your eyes, quiet your mind, and sense the flow of spiritual qi in the air. Once you perceive it, seize it.”

“If you seize it, you succeed.” Elder Wen Yu said with complete seriousness. That was exactly how he had drawn qi into his body back then.

Mu Xing: “…”

This was no different than those top students in the modern world pointing at the hardest problem on an exam and saying they could tell the answer at a glance.

He swept his eyes around, and sure enough, all the little ones looked completely confused.

But they still obediently closed their eyes as told.

Mu Xing also closed his eyes.

He was not like these children.

He had once lived in a world of ancient cultivation. Though the basic methods were different, the essence was the same: to draw spiritual energy from heaven and earth to fill oneself.

He stilled his heart and calmed his breath. Soon, the faint noises around him faded away. In the darkness appeared tiny dots of pale blue and light green light. They were the water and wood spirits drifting between heaven and earth.

Sensing his call, those dots slowly drifted toward him and merged into his body.

He could feel that when the water and wood spirits—so different in nature—entered his body, they did not reject each other. Instead, they fused swiftly and transformed into a stronger spiritual force.

No wonder. With twin spiritual roots, his cultivation speed would not fall behind even the fastest of single-root cultivators.

…

Elder Wen Yu sat at the instructor’s seat, chin propped in boredom, watching the children.

He had no interest in coming. For a cultivation-obsessed person like him, teaching a group of kids to breathe qi was nowhere near as enjoyable as shutting himself in seclusion.

Most importantly, he really didn’t know how to teach.

It wasn’t his fault. Since childhood, he had been a genius. The bottlenecks that plagued ordinary cultivators had always been as easy to him as eating or drinking.

He simply didn’t know how to teach. Wasn’t this just something one was born knowing?

For more than thirty years, since entering Taixu Sect, he had done nothing but cultivate, cultivate, and cultivate.

He didn’t care for social dealings, didn’t enjoy food or pleasures, and would disappear into seclusion for three or five years at a time.

Finally, his master couldn’t stand it anymore, deciding this was not a healthy way to live. With a wave of the hand, he assigned him to Mingyu Hall to instruct the youngest disciples.

“Hmm?” Wen Yu sensed something and turned his gaze toward Mu Xing.

There he was, sitting cross-legged on his mat, posture straight, expression calm, looking rather impressive.

But that wasn’t what caught Wen Yu’s eye. In his perception, this child’s body was already radiating a clear wave of spiritual energy.

That meant, barring accident, he was about to succeed in drawing qi into his body and officially step onto the path of cultivation.

And judging from Mu Xing’s appearance, he was only five or six years old.

Wen Yu immediately straightened up, excitement flashing through him. He couldn’t help feeling proud: just days ago, Senior Sister Yun had scolded him for sloppy teaching. But look—his method clearly worked.

Hadn’t he just taught this child successfully?

Mu Xing suddenly opened his eyes.

At the same time, a refreshing wave of spiritual energy burst out from him, rippling outward.

The other children, startled, hurried to open their eyes.

What they saw was a tiny black dot forming in the air before Mu Xing.

The dot grew to the size of a thumb—pop.

A sprout broke forth, growing quickly into a small, vibrant stalk of spirit grass.

Drip.

A drop of spiritual dew fell onto its leaf. Then another, and another.

Bathed in dew, the grass grew ever more lush, until a small bud bloomed at its tip.

Mu Xing stared wide-eyed at this miracle and reached out curiously.

His fingertip brushed the petal, and he felt only a cool sensation.

Then all at once, the vision shattered. The dew, the leaves, the flower—everything dissolved into a swirl of blue-green mist that sank into the space between his brows.

“Wow!” the children gasped in awe.

“To manifest water and wood spirits into form just by drawing qi into the body…” Wen Yu was astonished, his eyes burning as he fixed on Mu Xing. “Who are you? Which peak are you from? Have you taken a master yet?”

Mu Xing replied, “Disciple Mu Xing of Medicine Peak, under Elder Yao Wushi, the peak master of Medicine Peak.”

“Oh.” Disappointment showed clearly on Elder Wen Yu’s face. “So you’ve already acknowledged a master. I was thinking if I could take you in first. But even if I tried, I couldn’t win against Uncle Yao.”

Mu Xing found himself liking this young elder very much. His thoughts were so transparent, and when dealing with a group of little children, he had none of the aloofness of a Golden Core elder—he was more like an easygoing big brother from next door.

Ling Xiuxiu blinked curiously and asked, “Elder Wen Yu, is Mu Xing really amazing?”

Without hesitation, Wen Yu nodded. “Of course! To manifest spiritual power at the very moment of drawing it in—this level of talent is one in ten thousand.”

Ling Xiuxiu’s eyes sparkled as she turned happily to Mu Xing. “Junior Brother Xingxing, you’re incredible!”

Medicine Peak’s honor had been raised high!

But as soon as she thought of that, she remembered earlier events.

Turning her head, she looked toward Crescent Moon Peak. Sure enough, their disciples were all staring this way—at this moment, who wouldn’t be jealous of Mu Xing?

Ling Xiuxiu immediately shivered with delight, smugly pulled a face, and stuck her tongue out at the Crescent Moon Peak disciples.

The Crescent Moon Peak disciples: “…”

So infuriating.

But they were jealous too—and they couldn’t say anything back. None of them had managed to succeed in drawing qi into their bodies yet.

*

At the same time, in the Demon Realm.

Under a broad silver-leafed tree stood a beautiful boy in ornate robes, a cinnabar mark between his brows. Suddenly, he frowned.

That feeling again.

He had felt it once not long ago. And just now, it had returned.

As if… something that belonged to him had been taken away.

“Young Master Yu, Young Master Yu, are you here?” A voice called from afar.

This boy was none other than the missing young master of Crescent Moon Peak, Xue Zhongyu.

Hearing the voice, Xue Zhongyu showed a flicker of annoyance far beyond his age, but quickly smoothed it over.

A sweet, obedient smile spread across his face as he rose from beneath the tree. “Sister Jinling, I’m here!”

The maid, seeing him, let out a sigh of relief. Her eyes softened with affection. “So here you are. The princess is waking soon—if she doesn’t see you, she’ll be upset again.”

Xue Zhongyu’s voice was gentle. “Alright, I’ll go now.”

He followed the maid forward. No one noticed that at the cinnabar mark between his brows, a red flame-like sigil flickered briefly and vanished.

*

Back in the sect, news of Mu Xing’s success at drawing qi into his body in Mingyu Hall—along with the phenomenon of manifesting spiritual energy—spread rapidly throughout the entire Tai Xu Sect.

Even more shocking was the background that soon followed: he had just turned six, had been brought back from the mortal realm by Crescent Moon Peak’s master, and had only formally started training less than a month ago.

In less than a month, he had succeeded in drawing qi into his body.

Such speed—he was undoubtedly a genius.

When Crescent Moon Peak received this news, the disciples’ feelings were complicated. Water–wood dual spiritual roots were rare and highly valued in Tai Xu Sect.

But when Junior Brother Mu Xing had first arrived at Crescent Moon Peak, they had clearly tested his aptitude, yet somehow overlooked it, never giving it much thought.

What were they thinking back then?

They had only thought of dressing him up like Junior Brother Yu, turning him into a second version of Xue Zhongyu.

Never had they considered that Mu Xing himself possessed such remarkable potential. If he were properly cultivated, another powerhouse might rise within Tai Xu Sect.

From that day, Medicine Peak’s Mu Xing—the six-year-old prodigy who had succeeded in drawing qi and even triggered a phenomenon—became a name known by all.

Even Crescent Moon Peak no longer called him by the old name Xiao Yu.

Medicine Peak’s reaction, however, was far more straightforward.

The very day Mu Xing returned, he was showered with unabashed praise from his senior brother and stuffed full of spirit fruit.

Then he went to meet Yao Wushi.

Yao Wushi was overjoyed. He gave Mu Xing a jade slip and two spirit fields.

The jade slip contained Medicine Peak’s cultivation methods.

The spirit fields were something every Medicine Peak disciple had. After all, what kind of Medicine Peak disciple wouldn’t know how to farm?

Li Xuanyao whispered to him, “Junior Brother, don’t think Master didn’t give you any rewards this time. He’s saving it for the disciple ceremony. When Master gives a gift, it’s bound to be something big.”

In fact, Yao Wushi’s own words had been more blunt: “When all the other peaks gather for the disciple ceremony, I won’t have my first personal disciple treated lightly. If I, as his master, give a generous gift first, how could the others dare bring out paltry offerings to shame my little disciple?”

Soon, the month passed.

One day, after his lessons at Mingyu Hall, Mu Xing was met outside by Li Xuanyao, who escorted him back.

At Medicine Peak, he changed into his disciple’s robes again. Li Xuanyao held his hand and led him into the grand hall of the main peak.

There sat Xue Wuya, with his second disciple Qi Xiubai and third disciple Shi Zhizhu standing behind him.

They stared blankly as Mu Xing, led in by Li Xuanyao, entered the hall.

A little boy in white robes embroidered with blue patterns, hair tied into a topknot with a blue ribbon.

Though only six years old, facing a hall full of senior experts, he remained calm and composed, showing no sign of fear or nervousness.

Like a young bamboo shoot—tender yet unyielding.

Qi Xiubai suddenly realized: their little junior brother, so sweet and obedient since the beginning, somehow didn’t seem so much like Xue Zhongyu anymore.

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