He Transmigrated Into The Body Of A Useless Little Disciple, Whose Innermost Thoughts Were Overheard By Demonic Master! - Chapter 11

Xie Rong grew curious. “Senior Brother, does our sect possess a Sacred Artifact?” The Xuan Tian Sect was one of the top ten super-sects in the cultivation world; surely they would have one.

Lin Mingsi smiled and shook his head. “No. In fact, there are no Sacred Artifacts left in the entire cultivation world. During the ancient war between immortals and demons, the world was shattered. One Sacred Artifact after another self-destructed, damaging the very foundation of the world’s Heavenly Dao. To stop the slaughter, the Heavenly Dao was forced to split the world into two. Since then, the traces of Sacred Artifacts have vanished.”

“Ancient jade slips record that the damaged Heavenly Dao cannot withstand the pressure of a Sacred Artifact, so it forbids them from manifesting in the world.”

Lin Mingsi saw Xie Rong listening with rapt attention—he knew his junior brother loved these bizarre stories—so he smiled and asked, “Little Junior Brother, do you know why so many Great Ascension cultivators are willing to risk death in the lightning tribulation to ascend to the Upper Realm?”

Xie Rong shook his head, then a thought occurred to him. “Is it related to the damaged Heavenly Dao?”

Lin Mingsi nodded, his voice as gentle as ever. “Precisely. Ancient Great Ascension cultivators had lifespans of several hundred thousand years, but today’s cultivators in that realm have lifespans of no more than one hundred thousand. The damaged Heavenly Dao requires origin energy to heal itself, and where does it get that energy? If a Great Ascension cultivator does not ascend while at the peak of their power, they will eventually be devoured by the Heavenly Dao to replenish its source.”

Seeing the shock on Xie Rong’s face, Lin Mingsi continued: “The damage to the Heavenly Dao is no secret, nor is the fact that those who fail to ascend are consumed. Our Master broke through to the Great Ascension stage at only six thousand years old; he will ascend sooner or later. Little Junior Brother, when that time comes, we will have to rely solely on ourselves.”

Xie Rong blurted out without hesitation, “How could that be? I have you to rely on, Senior Brother, and you have me. Although I do not know why Master wants to teach me personally, I will make sure to speak well of you in front of him.”

If Lin Mingsi could also receive Xuan Yue’s personal instruction, his talent would surely lead to a rapid breakthrough. Xie Rong knew his own limitations—his aptitude for cultivation was truly poor. Expecting himself to make a name in cultivation was like expecting a pig to ascend to heaven. He had the best relationship with Lin Mingsi in the sect, and he trusted that Lin Mingsi would protect him. Others might mock him for being foolishly generous with his treasures, but Xie Rong knew better: treasures were only useful while he was alive. If he were dead, they would simply become someone else’s property. His mindset was set; deep down, he did not truly believe humans could become immortals. He trusted in human effort more than destiny, so his path in cultivation was destined to be difficult.

With Master Xuan Yue’s long lifespan, perhaps he would die of old age before Xuan Yue even ascended. Lin Mingsi’s worries were entirely unnecessary. Xie Rong saw his current actions as an investment; he trusted his own judgment.

Xie Rong took out the spiritual fruit Xuan Yue had given him. Seeing Lin Mingsi’s hands were occupied, he fed a piece to him. Lin Mingsi paused, then opened his mouth to take it. He saw the clarity in Xie Rong’s eyes—the boy had no realization of how intimate the act was—and whispered, “Master must have his reasons. Since he is willing to teach you personally, it proves you have talent in the sword path. You must not be so self-deprecating.”

Xie Rong lacked confidence; he seemed carefree, yet he was trapped in an awkward situation. Cultivation was difficult enough; if one did not believe in oneself, how could they walk the path steadily? Xie Rong was also confused as to why Xuan Yue and the other seniors had been so generous. Was it to curry favor with the Immortal Venerable? He could not figure it out, so he decided to stop overthinking.

As Lin Mingsi finished the fruit, Xie Rong fed him another. He stopped worrying about Master’s motives; time would eventually provide an answer, and if not, it did not matter. A master teaching a disciple was, after all, a normal thing.

Lin Mingsi slowly stopped feeling awkward and began to smile as he ate the fruits, thinking that his little junior brother was so pure-hearted, he likely saw him as family.

Xie Rong marveled at Lin Mingsi’s dexterity. Those hands were made for holding swords, yet they had sewn such a beautiful pouch, embroidered with a miniature Snow Cloud Peak. Lin Mingsi then taught Xie Rong how to refine a storage ring to acknowledge a master, smiling as Xie Rong happily hung the pouch from his belt. Xie Rong now wore two pouches: his usual storage bag and the one Lin Mingsi had sewn. He followed Lin Mingsi’s advice to keep all his rare treasures in one ring, which he hung around his neck. He did not recognize the treasures, so he asked Lin Mingsi to help him sort them.

Lin Mingsi shook his head firmly, refusing to look. He gave Xie Rong several jades explaining precious treasures and left the dwelling despite Xie Rong’s attempts to keep him. He did not covet Xie Rong’s treasures, but he knew the human heart could not stand the test of temptation—not others’ hearts, nor his own.

After Lin Mingsi left, Xie Rong could only sort the items by intuition, putting what he felt were treasures into one ring. The storage rings he received were small—the largest only thirty square meters. He had wanted to store them all together, but the gifts were too numerous, and many came pre-filled with items. He had thought about leaving the rings in his dwelling, but Lin Mingsi warned him it was unsafe. In the cultivation world, people kept all their wealth on their person; they trusted no one but themselves.

Xie Rong took a crane to Xuan Yue’s palace. The moment his feet touched the ground, he saw Xuan Yue standing outside the gate. Xie Rong quickly stood straight, bowed, and muttered inwardly: Why is Master standing outside the hall? Is he waiting for me? Impossible. Master probably just pities me and wants to teach me personally. How could he wait for me specifically? I am nobody. I will ask him later why he wants to teach me. Senior Brother said Master rarely teaches anyone personally, usually only giving occasional pointers.

Xuan Yue tried to adopt a gentle expression to avoid scaring him. But he had been cold for too long and had forgotten what “gentle” looked like. He settled for a cold, “Follow me.”

Xuan Yue discovered that when he came within ten meters of Xie Rong, the demonic energy within him reacted. It did not disappear completely, but it calmed significantly. Xie Rong hurried to follow. Usually, Lin Mingsi mentioned that other peaks were crowded with disciples, but Master’s living quarters were barren. Xie Rong peeked around and, sure enough, saw no serving disciples.

As Xuan Yue led him toward the main hall, Xie Rong slowed his pace, hesitant. The main hall is Master’s quarters. Shouldn’t I be staying in the side hall? Senior Brother told me Master dislikes people being close and that I should not disturb him without reason.

Xuan Yue heard the hesitation and saw Xie Rong frozen in place. He looked back calmly. “Why are you not following?”

Xie Rong did not feel the typical awe and fear ordinary cultivators held for a Great Ascension cultivator. He respected Xuan Yue, but he did not fear him. Hesitating for half a second, he walked to Xuan Yue’s side, asking uncertainly, “Master, that is where you live. Can I go there?”

Cultivators’ quarters were usually cultivation rooms; one would not tolerate others being near even if they were Daoist partners. Xie Rong had been shocked when Lin Mingsi suggested sharing a dwelling.

Xuan Yue knew Xie Rong’s heart was pure and made up an excuse. “Since my breakthrough to the Great Ascension stage, I have gained some insights. I have indeed neglected you disciples over the years. Your Senior Brother and others no longer need my instruction. From now on, you will live here. Do not feel uneasy; I am actually very easy to talk to.”

He was curious about Xie Rong’s constitution and wanted to study why he could suppress the Demonic Bone. As long as he did not uncover the secret, he would tolerate anything Xie Rong did.

Xie Rong looked at Xuan Yue’s handsome face. His eyes filled with firm resolve and excitement. I knew Master was beautiful and kind. His coldness is just a protective shell; maybe he just has social anxiety. Master broke through to the Great Ascension stage; ascending to the Upper Realm probably is not easy. His words just now sounded like he felt guilty for neglecting us all these years. Since Senior Brother and the others have found their own paths, Master wants to teach me to make up for his regrets. Too good! My luck is truly off the charts; I cannot believe such a good thing happened to me.

Xie Rong saw the room Xuan Yue had prepared for him—complete with a meditation room and a study filled with jade slips—and truly believed Xuan Yue was a kind person. After the initial excitement, he looked at Xuan Yue with hesitation, his mood sinking. If Master finds out I am incredibly stupid, he might get impatient and stop teaching me. Should I confess that I am actually very dumb?

Xuan Yue sat down, hearing the frantic muttering, and tapped his fingers on the table. “Mingsi came to see me earlier and said your sea of consciousness was flawed. I checked, but found no damage. Your sudden amnesia was likely caused by a mishap in your cultivation. Problems during practice are common; do not let your memory issues trouble you. Stopping for a moment does not mean you will stagnate forever.”

Xuan Yue said this deliberately, hoping to hear Xie Rong’s inner voice regarding what had truly gone wrong in his past cultivation.