As Shen Xinzi secretly admired Pan An’s understanding of the human heart, Long Qing couldn’t help but ask, “If you are so powerful, why do you stay in Medicine Valley?”
Shen Xinzi smiled gently and said, “I am not from the Supreme Sect, I just like the atmosphere here and want to stay for a few centuries to clear up the confusion in my heart.”
A few centuries…
Long Qing’s look at Shen Xinzi changed, and he began to believe Shen Xinzi’s words.
“You say you are a Wandering Immortal, how can you prove it? I am not a child!” the thirteen-year-old Long Qing, claiming he was not a child, made Shen Xinzi smile even more broadly.
Shen Xinzi grabbed Long Qing’s shoulders, and without waiting for Long Qing to react, he leaped into the air.
The world blurred before Long Qing’s eyes, he instinctively closed them, and when he opened them again, he was stunned by the sight before him.
He had actually come to the heavens!
Below was an endless sea of clouds, and above, the sky was filled with stars, as though nested in the night, except these stars shone brighter and were more numerous.
Densely packed, more so than the flowers and plants in the valley!
Long Qing opened his mouth wide, his bright eyes sparkling with an unusual gleam.
With a sky full of stars overhead, Long Qing’s view of the world seemed infinitely larger. He twirled around on the spot, not even realizing there was no ground beneath his feet.
Shen Xinzi stood by, smiling.
Suddenly, he understood Master Puti’s feelings.
No wonder Gu An said Master Puti was very fond of Sun Wukong.
Long Qing turned several times, then suddenly realized he was suspended in midair, and quickly grabbed onto Shen Xinzi’s robe sleeve in fright.
“Is this the heavens?” he asked Shen Xinzi, full of anticipation.
Seeing the boy’s fearlessness, Shen Xinzi held him in even higher regard.
Shen Xinzi replied, “Correct, we are extremely far from the ground. With the speed you chased the White Spirit Rat before, it would take at least twenty years to reach here.”
Upon hearing this, Long Qing widened his eyes. He instinctively looked down, seeing only a thick sea of clouds, but when he looked into the distance, he saw a shade of blue, unclear what it precisely was.
He looked up again and pointed at a shooting star, asking, “What is that?”
Shen Xinzi looked up and answered, “That is a Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal returning, very far from us.”
“Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal… can I go to the stars?”
“You cannot, one must reach the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm to cross the invisible sky wall.”
“Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal… I want to cultivate, I want you to be my master, teach me how to reach the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal!”
Long Qing clenched his fists, his voice filled with excitement.
He hadn’t even started Qi Absorption Cultivation yet, Gu An said he would teach him when he turned sixteen, and forbade other disciples from teaching him privately.
That’s why Long Qing hadn’t yet shown his talent.
Shen Xinzi saw his extraordinary physique and felt that even if he wasn’t supremely talented, he would not be mediocre.
He also marveled, how did Gu An always manage to find geniuses?
Like the Nine-Finger Divine Lord, he suspected that Gu An had a powerful backer.
What sort of powerful figure that even he couldn’t detect?
It could be Sword Venerable Fudao or possibly other Great Cultivators, as the current Supreme Sect was full of hidden Great Cultivators, even beyond his understanding.
In any case, hearing Long Qing’s words, Shen Xinzi was very pleased. He smiled kindly and said, “Reaching the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm is very difficult, are you willing to dedicate yourself to cultivation?”
Long Qing immediately nodded, assuring, “I will definitely not disappoint you, Master!”
“Then why don’t you kneel and kowtow to accept me as your master?” Shen Xinzi said with a smile.
He wanted to emulate Master Puti to see if taking a disciple could lead to divine enlightenment.
Long Qing immediately knelt and performed a ceremonial bow, then looking up at Shen Xinzi, he asked, “Master, I heard that Medicine Valley once had a genius named Yang Jian. Can I surpass him?”
Shen Xinzi helped him to his feet and said, “Yang Jian’s talent is indeed exceptional, but your master is more formidable than his. In the future, you will surely surpass him.”
Upon hearing this, Long Qing’s face lit up with an enthusiastic smile.
Meanwhile.
In the loft, Gu An, who had been reading, smirked.
“Surpass Yang Jian? It’s certainly not impossible, but in the coming century…”
Gu An thought to himself, looking forward to the expression on Shen Xinzi’s face after he starts teaching Long Qing cultivation.
With Shen Xinzi’s Dao level, how could he help Long Qing unlock the Path of Returning Primordial Spirit?
An hour later.
The door opened, Long Qing walked in, approaching the table and looking at Gu An with a complex expression.
Gu An looked up at him and asked with a smile, “What’s wrong? Bullied by the Bull Demon King again?”
Long Qing shook his head, then said, “Master, you are the most important to me in my heart, do you believe that?”
This statement amused Gu An; was the boy feeling guilty?
“Really? We’ll see how you honor me in the future,” Gu An said leisurely, his eyes returning to the book in his hands.
Long Qing earnestly responded, “I will definitely honor you in the future!”
Once I become an immortal, I will make the Supreme Sect respect you!
Long Qing’s fighting spirit grew even stronger.
Seeing that Gu An did not continue the conversation, he curiously asked, “Master, what are you reading? May I take a look?”
Gu An closed the Green Hero Travelogue, glared at him, and said, “If you have nothing else to do, go chop some wood.”
Upon hearing this, Long Qing immediately scooted away.
“Immortals don’t have time to chop wood!”
He left with that spirited remark, and Gu An, smiling, continued reading.
Two days later.
In an uninhabited part of Medicine Valley, within a bamboo grove, Shen Xinzi and Long Qing sat side by side in meditation.
“Master, why haven’t I cultivated any Spiritual Power yet?” Long Qing couldn’t help opening his eyes and asking.
Shen Xinzi, with his eyes closed, replied, “It’s rare for someone to develop Spiritual Power within two days; don’t be impatient.”
He also wondered internally why it was taking so long. However, considering Yang Jian’s early experiences with slow Qi Absorption, perhaps Long Qing had a unique physique.
He decided not to dwell on it. He was very patient and would not become agitated over this.
A figure swept across the bamboo grove from above, causing Shen Xinzi to look up.
“It’s him…” Shen Xinzi murmured to himself.
“Who?”
Long Qing asked curiously, having caught a glimpse of the figure as well.
Shen Xinzi shook his head and didn’t continue.
Long Qing quickly stood and ran towards the edge of the bamboo grove.
Shen Xinzi got up as well, not angry at Long Qing’s actions. After all, the boy was only thirteen.
In the loft.
Gu An replaced the book he had been reading with Investiture of the Gods and studied it carefully.
Clang—
The window was suddenly pushed open, startling Gu An as he turned his head, his face then breaking into a delighted smile.
“Li Ya! How did you come back?” Gu An asked excitedly.
Li Ya landed, adjusting his clothes while grumbling, “What? Aren’t you happy to see me?”
“How could that be, please sit! Sit down!”
Gu An put down Investiture of the Gods, then stood up to brew tea for Li Ya.
Li Ya took a seat at the table, noticing the book he had been holding, and laughed, “After all these years, you’re still reading Investiture of the Gods? You don’t think to discover some Dao in it like others, do you?”
Gu An brewed the tea and replied, “Just browsing, the stories in this book surely can’t compare to your experiences. Tell me, how have you been these years? Have you been injured?”
Li Ya’s expression turned serious as he said, “With my current skills, how could I be injured? Besides, I have Divine Exotic City. Since you want to hear, I’ll tell you all about it, and later you can take notes.”
Gu An brought over hot tea, placed the cup in front of him, sat down, and said with a laugh, “Indeed, owning Divine Exotic City, even my disciple Long Qing couldn’t possibly get injured.”