Qin Yun recognized the familiar figure as Yi Xiao instantly.
He immediately walked forward and when the woman in a light-blue dress sensed him, she turned to take a look. When she saw Qin Yun, her face naturally effused a look of pleasant delight.
“Qin Yun.” Yi Xiao greeted.
“Yi Xiao, I heard you mention that it’s your birthday today. I happen to have come across an item recently. I think it suits your well, so consider it as a birthday present.” As Qin Yun spoke, he took out a decorated box and handed it to Yi Xiao.
Yi Xiao accepted it with astonished anticipation. When she opened it, there was a water-blue hair clasp with aqueous streams of light. It was beautiful and exquisite with some runic patterns stored within.”
“This is a Dharma treasure made from Aqueous Cloud essence, right? There are Water-elemental Lightning Dharma runic patterns within. This is an eighth-grade Dharma treasure?” Yi Xiao said immediately. “It’s too valuable.”
“It’s your twentieth birthday.” Qin Yun said with a smile. “Accept it.”
Yi Xiao stole a glance at Qin Yun and said with a smile. “Alright then. I’ll accept it. By the way, how did you know I’m twenty this year? I don’t recall telling you my age?”
There was a natural tendency for women to be more sensitive towards their age.
“This…” Qin Yun hesitated before saying, “Back then, your Uncle-Master Mingxiang, who fetched you from Grand Dominance, informed me.”
“He told you my age?” Yi Xiao was astonished. “What did he tell you behind my back?”
“Nothing much. Just some encouragement.” Qin Yun said with a smile. “He said that you will step into the Connate realm at the age of nineteen when you return. He said that I had yet to break through at the age of twenty-one and that I should work hard at cultivation.”
“Oh.”
Yi Xiao nodded but her eyes indicated her disbelief.
Following that, Yi Xiao said, “It’s true that after my return, the sect bestowed me with great gifts because of Water God’s death! His death allowed me to rub off some of your honor. After I entered seclusive cultivation, I did break through to the Connate in one go! I heard of what happened to you when I came out of seclusion. That fiendish demon, Gongye Bing, dealt with you because of Water God?”
“More or less. To be precise, it was because of the heart blood of children…” Qin Yun explained. After finishing the explanation, he said, “Thanks to the Heaven-Inspecting Mirror, I was vindicated. If not, I would only be able to hide on a tiny island in the East Sea. Perhaps, I wouldn’t have been able to come here today.”
Yi Xiao’s heart palpitated as she said apologetically, “Back when I invited you to help me in the fight with Water God, I never expected such repercussions to happen.”
If the Qin family had not been eventually vindicated, there was no doubt that they would be wiped out. Yi Xiao would have definitely blamed herself.
“This has nothing to do with you! Killing Water God was my greatest desire,” said Qin Yun. “I would have risked my life to do it.”
“I see.” Yi Xiao nodded. “Qin Yun, I also know that as a legendary sword immortal that happens only once every few centuries, your name will rapidly be made known throughout the world. Back then, you killed a Connate True Core fiendish demon in a head-on assault in less than half a year after you killed Water God. You became an Azure-token Inspector Heavenly Ambassador as a result! Now, anyone under the heavens with a reliable news source has heard of a twenty-one-year-old sword immortal itinerant cultivator who became an Inspector Heavenly Ambassador. That is the life goal for most cultivators.”
“Life goal?” Qin Yun was stunned.
“Isn’t that so? The Connate Golden Core realm is too distant. And to become an Inspector Heavenly Ambassador, even among Connate True Core realm cultivators… only a portion of them has a chance of succeeding!” Yi Xiao said, “This goal is only slightly lower than reaching the Connate Golden Core realm. The ultimate goal many cultivators from second-rate tier cultivation sects have is to become an Inspector Heavenly Ambassador.”
Qin Yun nodded with a smile and said, “Yi Xiao, as a disciple of the Divine Firmament Chapter, you are probably not that far from becoming an Inspector Heavenly Ambassador.”
Yi Xiao turned to look at Little Cloud Lake’s water and whispered, “But cultivation has never been my goal.”
Qin Yun was slightly startled.
“Qin Yun, tell me. Why did my mother abandon my father and me at an age before my first memories… And why would my father abandon me when I was nine…” Yi Xiao looked at Qin Yun with moistened eyes. “Why did they do that? What wrong did I do?”
“I thought that if I were to work hard at cultivation, my father will definitely think differently of me. I diligently cultivated and even in the Divine Firmament Chapter, a Daoist sacred land, I was the most excellent one. I cultivated in the Five Internal Organs and Five Elements with each step being excruciatingly painful. Finally, I mastered the Five-elemental Lightning Dharma. It is the best foundation in the Lightning Dharma which paves the only way towards cultivating the best Lightning Dharma—Divine Firmament Lightning Dharma.”
“The time I took to master Five-elemental Lightning Dharma was shorter than Eldest Senior Brother.” Yi Xiao shook her head. “Even the Yi family elders think highly of me but my father has never come to see me even once.”
Qin Yun listened quietly by her side. Yi Xiao was confiding in him because she trusted him.
“On my ninth birthday, we came here. He even bought me candied fruit and many delicious foods. But with a turn of his head, he abandoned me and I never managed to find him.” Yi Xiao murmured, “Although I have heard of him appearing elsewhere, I have never seen him. Every year, I would come here to wait but it was useless. My father has never appeared.”
After a short chat, Yi Xiao’s eyes drifted toward Little Cloud Lake in silence. Qin Yun stayed by her side and maintained the silence.
…
An Elder from the First Great Sect, Tu Chen, was walking toward the lake on a tiny path from afar. When he suddenly saw Qin Yun and Yi Xiao, his expression changed slightly.
“Oh?” Tu Chen looked carefully and noticed the duo sitting on a boulder beside the lake. They appeared intimate.
“Who is that sitting so close to Fairy Yi Xiao?” Tu Chen’s expression turned ugly. After a moment’s thought, he walked over immediately.
And on the other side.
Although Yi Xiao was constantly peering at the lake, Qin Yun was focused on his surroundings. He saw the middle-aged man, Tu Chen, walking over.
Tu Chen smiled at Qin Yun and beckoned his hand over slightly.
“Is there something?” Qin Yun was a little puzzled and stood up to walk over.
“Friend,” Tu Chen said with a smile, “You look extraordinary in bearing and you are also a cultivator. Do you know our fairy?”
Qin Yun was slightly taken aback and nodded. “Yes, who are you? A disciple of the Divine Firmament Chapter?”
“Not really,” said Tu Chen immediately. “I’m only a servant. I receive orders from the Divine Firmament Chapter’s Eldest Senior Brother to serve our fairy. Do you know who our Divine Firmament Chapter’s Eldest Senior Brother is?”
Qin Yun looked at him.
“My Divine Firmament Chapter’s Eldest Senior Brother is named Xue Yong. He had long entered the Connate True Core realm and have been imparted the number one Lightning Dharma in the world, the Divine Firmament Lightning Dharma.” Tu Chen said proudly. “In the future, he has a high chance of reaching the Connate Golden Core realm.”
“What are you getting at?” Qin Yun looked at him.
Tu Chen said with a smile, “Everyone in Divine Firmament Chapter knows that Eldest Senior Brother with our fairy is a perfect match made in heaven. If you continue pestering our fairy, I’m afraid Eldest Senior Brother will be unhappy.”
“Tu Chen!” A cold voice rang.
Yi Xiao walked over and stared at him coldly. “Eldest Senior Brother and I are only fellow disciples and nothing more. Besides, no matter what, it’s not your place as a First Great Sect disciple to wag your tongue!”
“I, I’m only…” Tu Chen flinched with an ugly expression.
“From now on, I do not want to see you again. It’s best you return to the First Great Sect. I do not need your service any longer.” Yi Xiao said coldly.
“My First Great Sect is a local sect of the Jiang Prefecture. Fairy, serving you is only necessary.” Tu Chen said hurriedly. After entering the Connate realm, Yi Xiao’s status was naturally elevated. Even the First Great Sect’s sect master did not dare slight her.
Qin Yun spoke. “First Great Sect? Since you are a cultivator from a local sect, you should have heard of my name.”
Tu Chen was taken aback.
“My name is Qin Yun, an itinerant cultivator of Grand Dominance.” Qin Yun looked at him.
Tu Chen’s expression changed.
Qin Yun?
In the entire Jiang Prefecture’s cultivation world, other than a few Connate Golden Core realm cultivators, the remaining powerful ones were the Azure-token Inspector Heavenly Ambassadors.
The First Great Sect was only a second-tier sect and the entire sect only had one cultivator at the Connate True Core realm—First Great Sect’s sect master! In his advanced age, if he were to die and without the rising of a new Connate True Core realm cultivator, the First Great Sect would likely deteriorate even further. How could they be compared to a young sword immortal that had killed a Connate True Core fiendish demon at the age of twenty-one?
“How impressive of a First Great Sect disciple to actually come minding my business.” Qin Yun said casually. “Your First Great Sect’s sect master had visited Grand Dominance a few days ago and had quite an enjoyable conversation with me! Perhaps I need to ask him how he disciplines his disciples?”
“Senior… Senior Qin…” Tu Chen was at a loss for words.
“Also, don’t use whatever eldest senior brother’s name to repress me. It’s useless.” Qin Yun said, “You may leave.”
“Yes, I’ll make my move right now.” Tu Chen did not dare continue blabbering and turned to leave.
Tu Chen heaved a sigh of relief when he was a distance away.
“Mortals suffer when gods fight. Is that man actually Qin Yun? Sect Master said that Qin Yun is an existence that has the highest chance of reaching the Connate Golden Core realm in all of Jiang Prefecture.” Tu Chen thought to himself. “However, Eldest Senior Brother had also instructed others to command me. What do I do? Forget it, forget it. I’ll just send all the information to Eldest Senior Brother! I’ll ignore everything else. I’ll forget about taking sides for benefits or it might rob me of my life!”
…
Yi Xiao smiled as she glanced at Qin Yun. “You were pretty aggressive.”
Qin Yun shook his head. “The First Great Sect’s sect master has pretty good relations with me. So it’s not good if I bullied him. I just reprimanded him a little.”
“Elder Sister! Sister!” Suddenly a voice sounded from afar.
Qin Yun turned to look and far away, a woman disguised in men’s attire was rushing towards Yi Xiao. An elder followed beside her.
“Oh?” Qin Yun sensed something and immediately activated his Dharma Eyes.
He looked over.
The woman rushing over was filled with surging demonic aura and it seemed to manifest as a flood dragon.
“Flood dragon?” Qin Yun was astonished.
“Sister Long.” Yi Xiao smiled as she welcomed the younger girl.