She pitifully used her tail to rub against her master’s calf in an attempt to curry favor. After all, her master liked her tail so much, he was sure to soften, right?
"You little girl, didn’t I just play with you a little while ago?"
Her master sighed helplessly, as this little girl was becoming more and more clingy.
He now wished for Qing Jun to grow up quickly, then she wouldn’t be sticking to her master all the time, and might even call him an asshole then.
The little girl argued confidently, "That was ten days ago!"
Ten days ago...
Chen Ye was taken aback; to him, ten days was just a blink of an eye.
Not to mention ten days, even a year or a few years seemed to pass in the blink of an eye in cultivation.
But to Qing Jun, ten days truly was a very long time.
Yet, Chen Ye really didn’t have time to play around with this girl.
"Later, I’ll play with you properly later."
"How long is later?"
"Not long."
"Then it’s a very long time!"
"Who says? Didn’t I say, not long?"
"You did! If master can’t even give a specific time, it means you don’t know when you’ll be free..."
Sigh.
Sometimes, this girl was unexpectedly smart.
...
Returning to Cangli Courtyard.
As soon as Chen Ye stepped through the courtyard gate, he felt two different waves of spiritual power filling the courtyard.
One was sharp as a sword, reaching straight to the sky; the other was blazing like fire, domineering and long-lasting.
Evidently, today, both Zhiwei and Jin’er had successfully emerged from seclusion.
"Master."
"Master..."
Hearing the commotion, two girls walked out, one after the other.
In front was Zhiwei, dressed neatly in a blue robe.
The childishness in her eyebrows had faded considerably, replaced by a hint of the resolute demeanor of a Sword Cultivator.
Jin’er followed behind her, stealing a quick glance at her master before lowering her head to stare at her toes.
This girl, aside from her increasingly charming and lively appearance, still had the same reserved and easily-shy personality.
Among the three disciples,
it seemed only Zhiwei acted like a proper disciple, while the other two seemed a bit odd.
"Hmm, not bad."
Chen Ye’s gaze swept over them, and although he had mixed emotions in his heart, he nodded in satisfaction.
The two girls hadn’t broken through to a new realm, which was within his expectations.
After all, they had just broken through in the Grotto Heaven not long ago.
However, this period of seclusion had allowed them to thoroughly sort out the mixed spiritual power within them, successfully stabilizing their realm and laying a solid foundation for the next breakthrough.
As of now,
Zhiwei’s cultivation was stably at Foundation Establishment Third Layer, and she had refined that Second Tier Top Grade Sword Pill, elevating her strength further.
Qing Jun’s cultivation remained at Foundation Establishment Second Layer, which didn’t need further explanation.
As for the third disciple, Jin’er...
Chen Ye’s gaze fell on Jin’er, growing more satisfied.
Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer!
And judging by how the aura around her was harmonious, there were faint signs of loosening in her realm, suggesting she might break through again before long!
Such a cultivation speed was even faster than Chen Ye’s back in the day!
But that was no surprise.
Jin’er was inherently endowed with Divine Fire, a rare talent. During this journey in the Grotto Heaven, her gains were also the greatest.
Not only did she obtain the Celestial Burning Treasure Scroll pointing directly to the Great Dao, she also absorbed the essence of a millennium of earth fire in Yunduan Mountain.
All these formidable accumulations allowed her cultivation to advance rapidly, with an exceptionally solid foundation.
"Jin’er, how goes your comprehension of the Celestial Burning Treasure Scroll?" Chen Ye asked with a smile.
"Master, I’ve grasped some key points," Jin’er replied obediently, extending her fair palm.
"Whoosh—"
A flame of bright red suddenly ignited in her palm.
This flame appeared ordinary, yet it emanated a heart-palpitating high temperature, causing the surrounding air to subtly distort.
"This... what is this?"
On the side, Zhiwei’s pupils contracted slightly at the sight.
She could feel that the power of the flame in Jin’er’s palm was far greater than it was in the Grotto Heaven!
"Very good. Not only have you stabilized your realm, your control over the Divine Fire has also increased significantly." Chen Ye praised with satisfaction.
"It’s all thanks to Master’s excellent teaching!"
Jin’er sweetly smiled, joy apparent in her eyes and expression.
Chen Ye strode over to the old pear tree in the courtyard, comfortably lying down in a rocking chair, his fingers gently tapping the armrest:
"Stabilizing your realm is only part of cultivation. You can’t hone true skills behind closed doors. Especially now that you’ve gained so many new insights and techniques in the Grotto Heaven, practical experience is essential to truly integrate them."
His gaze swept over his three disciples one by one, finally resting on Qing Jun, who was attempting to wrap a little white fox around her neck like a scarf, his lips curling into a gentle smile:
"To celebrate your successful emergence from seclusion... In the following days, your Master has decided to personally join you in training, to give you more practical combat experience."
As soon as he said this.
Zhiwei looked eager, instinctively gripping the hilt of the sword at her waist.
She had long been curious about the gap between her and her master.
Jin’er, meanwhile, twisted her fingers nervously but was also somewhat expectant; she wanted to prove to her Master that she was no longer what she used to be!
Only Qing Jun.
The little girl’s movements stilled, and the little white fox took the opportunity to scurry up the tree.
She glanced at her master’s smiling face, and for some reason, felt a chill at the base of her tail.
"M-Master... maybe Qing Jun shouldn’t train? Qing Jun’s medicinal power hasn’t been fully absorbed, what if something goes wrong?"
Qing Jun tried to get away with playing cute.
"No worries, Master will be careful. I’ll make sure to cause only superficial injuries, not harm any bones."