Chapter 12: Is My Disciple Perfect?

Shenlie Valley was located to the west of Ye Ming City.

Before the Phantom Sea dried up, Shenlie Valley was a fissure on the seabed. Submerged for countless ages in the quiet, dark depths of the ocean, it had existed since the Primal Era, or perhaps even the Primordial Era.

Although the valley was now dry, it remained incredibly humid. This resulted in a rich and diverse array of flora and fauna. Nearly every year during the height of summer, many herbalists would venture there to seek treasures. However, the environment of Shenlie Valley was complex and dangerous. Consequently, most of these herbalists were actually disciples or cultivators from various sects; mortals did not dare to enter.

There was no sunlight inside Shenlie Valley. Once one ventured deep inside, they were met with nothing but pitch-black darkness.

Su Tao’er was still brooding over yesterday’s events, feeling a lingering sense of guilt. The incident that had displeased her master had started because of her. Even though Si Yan had said nothing in the end and had even comforted her, telling her not to worry, Su Tao’er had still been so bothered that she couldn’t fall asleep for most of the night.

However, once she entered Shenlie Valley, she no longer had the mental energy to think about those things.

The sights here were simply too bizarre.

She had originally expected a lifeless place, but the interior of the valley was like an entirely different world.

Lush vegetation grew everywhere, and everything was massive. Some flowers had leaves so large that a person could stand directly on them.

Furthermore, there were creatures in this valley unlike those in the outside world.

Even on this dry land, there were fish with long legs crawling around eating grass. Upon hearing human footsteps, they would scurry away quickly, diving into the tall grass or plunging into ponds with a loud splash before vanishing.

Si Yan was in an excellent mood.

Ever since he told Su Tao’er it was dangerous inside, the girl had been clutching the hem of his robe, never letting go for a single moment. This gave Si Yan a massive boost in confidence, making him feel as though he had gained an unexpected benefit.

‘As long as we encounter more situations like this, my little disciple will become even more dependent on me.’

‘In the future, even if she catches me doing something slightly out of line, she’ll probably just accept it silently!’

‘She might even give her tacit consent!’

‘For example, when I go back to my room to sleep at night and slide my legs under the covers, I might suddenly find the bed is already warm. To repay the favor of my teachings, my dear disciple might decide the only way to show her gratitude is to offer herself and warm her master’s bed. Is that a possibility? But… but even if that happens, I would definitely have to scold her for such outrageous behavior! That is absolutely forbidden! Since we are master and disciple, it would not only violate social ethics, but the world would look down on us! Sigh, but if she’s already inside and the weather outside is freezing, I would have no choice but to let her stay.’

“Master… Master!”

Si Yan was snapped out of his fantasies after being pushed two times by Su Tao’er.

“Ah… what is it?”

“Master, it’s so big in here,” Su Tao’er said uneasily. “Where are we going to gather herbs?”

Since they were cultivators, they could still discern their surroundings. Furthermore, Bai Lan had lit several lamps and used a spell to make them float around the group.

“There are medicinal ingredients everywhere,” Si Yan explained. “Look at Lan’er; he’s already gathering them.”

Su Tao’er looked back and saw Bai Lan tossing various plants she had never seen before—still covered in dirt—into the basket on his back.

Si Yan continued, “However, you don’t need to learn the art of alchemy. Learning too many different things is inconvenient for your cultivation. If you want to learn, I will teach you once you reach the Spirit Emperor realm. For now, just focus on mastering your Sword Dao. Besides, I only taught alchemy to Lan’er. He learns everything quickly, so I had no choice but to pass everything on to him.”

“Spirit Emperor… that’s so far away.”

Hearing this, Su Tao’er paused. She realized that she still didn’t know what Si Yan’s actual realm was. Based on her previous estimates, he was likely at the Spirit Emperor level.

However, Su Tao’er knew it was very impolite to ask directly. It was common knowledge in the cultivation world that a disciple must never probe their master’s cultivation level. It was considered both a great sign of disrespect and a major taboo.

Yet her master could talk about the Spirit Emperor realm so nonchalantly.

In reality, the interior of Shenlie Valley was a continuous slope, tilting deeper into the earth.

The further in they went, the lower the temperature dropped. Combined with the heavy humidity, it felt exceptionally oppressive.

Seeing that Su Tao’er was already feeling the chill, Si Yan helped her circulate her Stellar Qi for protection.

By late afternoon, after Bai Lan had placed his second basket into his Qiankun Bag, they stopped to build a fire and cook a meal.

Si Yan maintained his lazy personality, finding a rock to sit on while he watched Bai Lan do all the work.

Bai Lan’s Qiankun Bag contained all sorts of cooking utensils. Not only was there frozen raw meat and dried cowpeas, but there were also plenty of seasonings like oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. Bai Lan’s culinary skills were quite good. After washing the meat, he used various techniques to stir-fry and slow-stew it, even adding some wild vegetables he had picked nearby.

Before long, a delicious aroma filled the air.

Bai Lan even steamed several buns in the pot, serving everything at once. Eating the buns with the braised meat tasted wonderful.

Su Tao’er felt very satisfied, believing she had been incredibly lucky to find a master who taught her seriously and a senior brother who took care of her every need. On top of that, even Si Yan felt that his second disciple was indeed a great talent. If Bai Lan didn’t reveal his true nature, he would certainly be one of the most perfect cultivators.

Indeed, who could imagine that this well-behaved person in front of them had committed so many major crimes in the past? Many sects would turn pale with horror just hearing his name!

If Si Yan hadn’t been afraid that his old habits would resurface and scare away the junior sister—prompting him to cruelly give Bai Lan a harsh lesson before Su Tao’er arrived, beating his pale backside until the skin was raw—he probably still wouldn’t know how to restrain himself!

At that moment, while Si Yan was happily eating the braised meat and sautéed wild vegetables, Bai Lan began organizing his Qiankun Bag off to the side. He seemed to want to pull out his bundle of clothes separately, fearing that the jars and bottles inside might tip over and get his garments wet and sticky.

But just then, as Bai Lan pulled out the bundle of clothes, Si Yan suddenly spotted something within it!

In an instant, the shock made Si Yan’s scalp prickle!

“Lan’er!”

Upon hearing Si Yan’s sharp reprimand, Bai Lan moved quickly. He hid the bundle behind his back with lightning speed, then turned around with an innocent, fawning expression. “Master, I’m just… I’m just carrying them. I definitely won’t wear them. I definitely won’t.”