Taking Gu Qiushui as a disciple was indeed a sudden impulse of Chen Yuyang’s.
But that didn’t mean he planned to be careless or hadn’t thought it through carefully.
Part of the reason was to make sure Gu Qiushui wouldn’t have any regrets.
On the other hand, it was because Chen Yuyang admired her character and genuinely wanted to guide her.
The problem was, as her junior fellow apprentice, he couldn’t really teach her directly, so he simply took her as a disciple under the identity of this “recluse master.”
As for his own master, according to Chen Yuyang’s understanding, he was confident that Tai Lingxuan would gladly agree to this arrangement.
When that time came, he would just maintain the existence of his clone through divine abilities, play the role of this recluse master, and once Gu Qiushui was taught, he would leave gracefully.
Here, after Gu Qiushui finished her formal bow, she immediately took her leave.
Chen Yuyang took a deep breath, then chanted the incantation of the Dimensional Step technique to cross space and returned to his inn room a thousand miles away.
Opening his eyes, Chen Yuyang secretly exhaled in relief.
These past few days, to avoid distraction from running back and forth between two places, Chen Yuyang had informed Tai Lingxuan that he had reached a crucial moment in his cultivation and needed time to consolidate his realm.
Therefore, during these days, neither Tai Lingxuan nor Junior Sister Lingxi had disturbed him.
Now, he had managed to get through it.
“Finally finished.”
Muttering to himself, Chen Yuyang pushed open the door and stepped out.
“Yuyang, you’re done with your seclusion?”
Immediately, the door to Tai Lingxuan’s room next door was pushed open, and the woman’s face was full of concern and care.
“Yes, Master.”
Chen Yuyang replied with a calm expression, though inwardly he felt conflicted.
He had just stepped out and was already discovered—could it be that his master’s divine sense was constantly hovering over his room?
He had even considered this when setting up the formation, simulating his spiritual fluctuations to deceive divine sense detection; otherwise, he would have been instantly exposed.
“Did everything go smoothly?”
Chen Yuyang nodded again.
“It’s fully stabilized now. By the way, Master, how is the situation in the Ziyang Secret Realm?”
Not wanting to talk more about his cultivation, he deliberately changed the subject.
Tai Lingxuan nodded slightly, invited Chen Yuyang inside, pulled out a chair for him to sit, then answered:
“Very strange.”
“Strange?”
“Yes, very strange.”
“The gathering of those beasts looks like they’re about to storm the exit of the secret realm, yet they haven’t moved until now, and there’s still one day left before the secret realm shuts down completely.”
“Besides that, no leading beast kings have appeared, nor have any from the demonic cult shown themselves.”
“It’s as if those cult fellows just acted on a whim, with no follow-up.”
“Or maybe they think the timing isn’t right yet and will wait for the next secret realm opening.”
“In any case, the disciples the sects can send into the secret realm are limited in strength; perhaps some conspiracy hasn’t been fully uncovered.”
“Regardless, all sects are now on high alert, prepared for a major battle at any moment.”
Tai Lingxuan spoke slowly, and Chen Yuyang’s pupils dilated slightly.
Beast kings…
Speaking of which, the fox demon he had killed—could she have been the very beast king meant to lead those beasts to storm the exit?
As for that demonic cultivator… he had utterly eradicated him.
Looking at it this way, Chen Yuyang was no longer surprised the whole incident had fizzled out without further developments.
Because those who could have triggered a pivotal effect seemed to have all been killed by him.
Thinking this, Chen Yuyang’s eyelid twitched a little.
“What’s wrong, Yuyang? Your expression seems a bit off. Are you feeling unwell? Do you want me to check you over?”
Tai Lingxuan asked with concern, her hand already raised halfway.
Chen Yuyang hurriedly waved his hand.
“N-no, it’s nothing, Master. I just consumed too much spiritual energy during cultivation and feel a bit weak.”
Tai Lingxuan relaxed and nodded.
“That’s good, that’s good.”
“As for the Soul-Chasing Mark, I have some clues these past couple of days. Tell me when you have time, and I’ll help you deal with it,” she continued.
Chen Yuyang nodded.
“Better to strike while the iron’s hot. Master, let’s do it now.”
“All right, all right!”
“In that case, lie down here,” Tai Lingxuan said at once.
Chen Yuyang immediately obeyed.
The next moment, Tai Lingxuan took out a jade bottle from her sleeve and a sprig of willow, dipped a few drops of water from the bottle, and sprinkled it over the boy’s body.
It was Third-Grade Serenity Dew.
Chen Yuyang recognized the substance and knew its effects, so he relaxed his mind completely.
After all, the Soul-Chasing Mark was a scar burned onto the soul, and for a cultivator, the soul was the core of the core.
Tai Lingxuan worried that her actions might damage Chen Yuyang’s soul, especially since her soul power was far stronger than his.
Even the slightest misstep could have fatal consequences.
However, Chen Yuyang himself had no such worries.
Having undergone hundreds of cycles of refinement, how could he not understand the soul’s fragility and importance?
How could he not have specially cultivated his soul?
Moreover, even if Tai Lingxuan accidentally harmed his soul, he had at least a dozen methods to repair it.
Lying down on the bed, Chen Yuyang silently chanted a self-created meditation method to enter a completely ethereal state.
This state blocked all five senses and six consciousnesses of the body, which was very helpful for comprehending the laws of heaven and earth.
Of course, this required a sufficiently safe environment, as it also lowered one’s perception of danger to the minimum.
But with his master guarding nearby, what danger could there be?
Perfect for him to grasp some laws and at the same time study how to guide Gu Qiushui smoothly to comprehend a divine ability.
Seeing the boy enter this calm state, Tai Lingxuan breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
For some reason, during these days, though Chen Yuyang had returned, she still felt a strong longing for him.
It was as if something inside her heart was always hollow, craving to be filled.
Even though Tai Lingxuan kept telling herself it was wrong—after all, she was Yuyang’s master—
That fluttering feeling inside…
She couldn’t bear it.
That kiss that night startled her when she went back.
She even felt some regret and fear.
What was wrong with her?
Why, why did she feel this way about Yuyang…
Was it because years of living together had made her heart stir?
Or because of his selfless acts for her that moved her?
Or had this body already been imprinted with his shape?
Or was it the suppressed desire accumulated over countless years seeking an outlet?
There were many reasons—perhaps more than she realized.
Even knowing it was wrong, she couldn’t help but want to be close to him, making mistake after mistake.
Forget it, no need to overthink.
Let it be.
Sighing quietly, Tai Lingxuan collected her thoughts, knowing she had to be absolutely focused and meticulous in what came next.
A single slip could destroy his future, or even endanger his life.
Yuyang trusted her so deeply—she couldn’t disappoint him.
Taking a deep breath, Tai Lingxuan’s gaze settled on the boy’s body, looking at that peaceful, unguarded handsome face.
“Yuyang, I’m coming in.”
Whispering, she extended a delicate finger and gently pressed it against the boy’s temple.
Her divine sense unfolded, entering Chen Yuyang’s brain and reaching his sea of consciousness.
The soul resided within the sea of consciousness.
Souls were intangible, but if one had to describe them, they would be like stars.
The stronger the soul power, the more brilliant the starlight.
As a Houtian Realm cultivator, Tai Lingxuan’s soul had naturally grown to shine like the North Star.
That light was bright and magnificent, the most dazzling existence in the vast, desolate sea of consciousness.
At the next stage, the Da Cheng Realm, Tai Lingxuan would be able to further expand her sea of consciousness into what was called the Sumeru Consciousness Sea.
The starry soul would then merge into the Sumeru Consciousness Sea and evolve further.
At that realm, even if the physical body suffered a fatal blow, the soul would not dissipate but could attach to objects and seek opportunities to reconstruct the body.
Later still, based on the Sumeru Consciousness Sea, one could evolve a miniature world and cultivate their own laws.
However…
When Tai Lingxuan’s divine sense entered Chen Yuyang’s brain and reached his sea of consciousness, she was stunned.
Because the surrounding space was completely void.
There was nothing—nothing visible.
Where was the star representing his soul?
Why couldn’t she find it?
But soon Tai Lingxuan came to understand.
The soul-as-stars was a feature of her Houtian Realm level soul.
This boy’s soul power must be too weak; his soul had not yet condensed, but was scattered like dust throughout the sea of consciousness, making it impossible to locate a core.
Sure enough, within this sea of consciousness, Tai Lingxuan found the three unique traces of the Soul-Chasing Marks.
Erasing them was not difficult; her divine sense transformed into a giant hand and gently wiped them away, making the three marks vanish completely.
The damage she feared to Chen Yuyang’s soul did not occur.
Tai Lingxuan thought this might be thanks to Yuyang’s soul not yet being condensed.
Otherwise, if his soul were condensed into a small star like hers, she would never dare to directly erase the marks with her divine sense.
In this sense, Chen Yuyang had taken advantage of his weaker soul strength.
Smiling slightly, Tai Lingxuan retracted her divine sense and exited Chen Yuyang’s consciousness sea.
Unaware that Tai Lingxuan had resolved things so easily, Chen Yuyang was immersed in the laws of heaven and earth, composing a set of beginner’s heart method to help others comprehend divine abilities.
“Huh, still not awake?”
Tai Lingxuan was surprised.
“Is the Serenity Dew really this effective?”
Just as she was wondering, Tai Lingxuan suddenly sensed something…
That profound, mysterious sensation…
The laws of heaven and earth!
What was going on? Why did she suddenly feel this?
Without thinking further, Tai Lingxuan ignored that this was Chen Yuyang’s room, sat cross-legged beside the boy, and closed her eyes to start circulating her cultivation method.