He Transmigrated Into The Body Of A Useless Little Disciple, Whose Innermost Thoughts Were Overheard By Demonic Master! - Chapter 14

Lin Mingsi was most concerned about Xie Rong. He had watched Xie Rong consume countless spiritual fruits, enough to have broken through to the Golden Core stage long ago. Yet, even after a decade, Xie Rong remained unchanged. No matter how many fruits he ate, the spiritual energy in his dantian never increased. Lin Mingsi wanted to complete his trial mission, but he also hoped to find a miraculous opportunity abroad to help Xie Rong break through. Xie Rong only had two hundred years of lifespan remaining; time was running out.

Although Xie Rong had long known this day would come, he felt a deep sense of sorrow when it finally arrived. Seeing the undisguised sadness in Xie Rong’s eyes, Lin Mingsi took out a blood-red jade token and placed it in Xie Rong’s palm, whispering, “This is my life-bound jade token, infused with a wisp of my soul. If I am in danger, this token will sound an alarm. Little Junior Brother, stay on Snow Cloud Peak and wait for my return.”

Recognizing the weight of the life-bound token, Xie Rong clutched it tightly, nodding with determination. “I will wait for you at the sect. If anything happens to you, I will beg Master to save you.”

Lin Mingsi only smiled. Based on his understanding of their Master, if he were to fall into danger during his trials, Xuan Yue would likely not intervene. He had made this token specifically to ease Xie Rong’s anxiety. Should the alarm sound, it would mean his soul was dissipating, and if he were to fall, he wanted Xie Rong to know, rather than waiting endlessly on the peak. Lin Mingsi asked Xie Rong not to see him off, smiling as he said he disliked goodbyes.

Xie Rong thought for a moment, then took a storage ring from his pouch and pressed it into Lin Mingsi’s hand. The ring was filled with treasures—medicines, herbs, and cultivation manuals—all suitable for the Nascent Soul stage. Over the years, Xie Rong had spent his spare time studying the Master’s collection, and he was no longer the ignorant junior brother he once was.

Lin Mingsi checked the ring with his divine sense and gasped, attempting to return it. He could not accept something so precious.

“I know your spiritual fruits are running low, and you have spent most of your spirit stones,” Xie Rong said, stepping back with a persistent, relaxed tone. “I live with Master; do you really think I will go hungry? These items are only useful at the Nascent Soul stage, and they are wasted just sitting in my storage ring. Treasures are only treasures when they are used. The world outside is not as safe as the Xuan Tian Sect; having these things will give me peace of mind. If you truly see me as your junior brother, take this ring. If you do not, then throw it away. I have no use for it.”

Lin Mingsi looked at Xie Rong with helpless amusement. “How many years has it been? Why are you still so temperamental? People would kill for treasures like these, yet you talk of throwing them away.”

While Xie Rong usually appeared soft and pure, he was stubborn when he set his mind to something. Knowing Xie Rong might truly throw the ring away if refused, Lin Mingsi accepted it, binding it to his soul. “Are you satisfied now?”

Xie Rong’s eyes curved into crescents. He tugged gently on Lin Mingsi’s sleeve. “A little bit. Senior Brother, please be careful out there. If you cannot complete the trial mission, that is fine; the worst that happens is a punishment.”

Lin Mingsi patted Xie Rong’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I know what to do. I will return to the sect within two hundred years.” I will find the opportunity for you to break through to the Golden Core stage; I will not let you stop here.

After Lin Mingsi left, Xie Rong stood motionless for a long time. In that moment, he truly desired to reach the Golden Core stage, as it would grant him eight hundred more years of life. He was terrified that if Lin Mingsi returned too late, he would no longer be there.

The sect kept the contents and destinations of missions confidential. Lin Mingsi had intended to tell Xie Rong where he was going, but Xie Rong had stopped him. Trusting that Xie Rong would be comforted by the jade token, Lin Mingsi did not disclose his destination.

Half a month later, Gu Xingchen also left the sect. Xie Rong assumed he was searching for opportunities, as he had already completed his Nascent Soul trials. With his senior siblings having left one by one, Xie Rong was now the only inner disciple remaining on Snow Cloud Peak. He knew this was the typical life of a cultivator; most only returned for major events. He felt like an oddity for disliking travel.

With the others gone, the peak became silent and devoid of life. Used to seeking out Lin Mingsi, Xie Rong felt a deep melancholy. He often sat outside Lin Mingsi’s cave for days on end before finally deciding to move back to his original dwelling. His Master rarely appeared, so he figured he wouldn’t even notice.

A month later, feeling the demonic energy in his body becoming increasingly unruly, Xuan Yue frowned. He checked the Ice Moon Lake, but could not find Xie Rong. Usually, when Xie Rong went for body refinement, he might be gone for a few days, but never a month. Without the boy’s presence, the demonic energy had fully awakened, causing Xuan Yue great agitation.

His brows knit tightly. The extent to which I rely on Xie Rong is greater than I anticipated. He has only been gone for a month, and my life is already disrupted. Why can I no longer tolerate the pain I once lived with?

Xuan Yue scanned the peak and discovered Xie Rong back in his old cave. He appeared before him in a flash.

The cave was small and lacked spiritual energy. Xuan Yue could not understand why Xie Rong would choose to live here instead of the main hall, which was equipped with a Spirit Gathering Array capable of supporting a Mahayana cultivator. If he cared about spiritual energy, he wouldn’t waste so much time sleeping, Xuan Yue thought with a sigh.

Xie Rong was startled to see his Master. He stood up and bowed, “Greetings, Master.” He panicked internally: Why is Master here? I haven’t seen him in four years. He is still wearing the same clothes; does he never get tired of them?

Xuan Yue heard the strange monologue and felt a twinge of self-consciousness about his own attire. He used his spiritual energy to lift Xie Rong up. “Why did you move back here?”

Xie Rong hesitated. Should I tell him the truth? That I miss the lively atmosphere and my Senior Brother? Or that the main hall feels too burdensome—that every time I see the Spirit Gathering Array, I feel guilty for wasting spirit stones because I am not cultivating?

“Move back,” Xuan Yue stated coldly, before teleporting away.

When Xie Rong returned to the main hall, he found Xuan Yue sipping tea with fruit and pastries laid out. He bowed, but his reserved demeanor displeased Xuan Yue. He had seen how intimate Xie Rong was with Lin Mingsi; he was never this formal with him. He had been incredibly indulgent, giving Xie Rong free access to the peak and his own identity token. He had expected Xie Rong to abuse this power, but for ten years, the boy had not even left the peak.

“Come, sit,” Xuan Yue said. Xie Rong sat opposite him, looking stiff. “Master, is there something you need?”

Master rarely leaves his room, so he must have a task for me. I am terrible with directions; I only just learned the paths on this peak. If I leave, I will never find my way back.

Xuan Yue sipped his tea, realizing why the boy never left: he was directionally challenged. What a useless disciple.

“Eat,” Xuan Yue said, pushing the fruits toward him. “After you finish, I want to see your sword technique.”

Xie Rong felt as though he were a student being quizzed on homework he had not done. He knew his progress: his swordsmanship had improved, but his cultivation was stagnant. No matter how hard he practiced, his dantian remained unchanged. By his calculations, living in the main hall would take him over three thousand years to accumulate enough energy for the Golden Core stage. Since he only had two hundred years, he had simply given up.

After eating, Xie Rong went to the center of the hall and began his practice. Xuan Yue watched; he knew Xie Rong never slacked on his daily sword practice, even if the sessions were short. He had once heard Xie Rong compare sword practice to “recess exercise,” whatever that was.