Chapter Four Hundred and Fifty-Two, Thus I Heard
Three days later.
Outside the Demon Cultivation Mountain Gate, in a serene mountain pavilion ten miles away.
Master Yu Xia sat cross-legged, a hint of nervousness flickering in her lowered gaze.
Before her lay a dark red pill.
“The formation is set up.”
Young Master Sang slowly sat by the pavilion, poured himself a cup of tea, and began to sip leisurely: “We can start anytime.”
“Do we need to prepare a bit more?”
Yu Xia hesitated for a moment and shook her head slowly.
“Okay then.”
In one gulp, Young Master Sang finished his tea and slowly raised his hand.
That dark red pill was instantly crushed, and a vast amount of spiritual power surged forth without warning.
Just that raging spiritual energy could level everything within dozens of miles to the ground.
Yet at that moment, in front of Young Master Sang, this spiritual energy became as docile as a tamed beast, gradually transitioning from chaos to tranquility.
Finally, it slowly transformed into a stream, flowing into Yu Xia’s dantian.
Yu Xia closed her beautiful eyes, adjusted her breathing, and began her ascension.
Young Master Sang returned to the pavilion and poured himself another cup of tea.
Yu Xia’s ascension to the Great Inauguration Realm shouldn’t be too difficult.
At least, in Young Master Sang’s memory, the last time he saw someone ascend to the Great Inauguration Realm was Sect Leader Hua Jianglian.
Nothing happened at that time; she just closed her eyes and opened them, and she had stepped into the Great Inauguration.
So, he wasn’t too worried about Yu Xia’s ascension. After all, compared to his and Hua Jianglian’s shortcut methods, Yu Xia had genuinely worked her way up through her own cultivation.
With a solid foundation, her ascension should go smoothly.
…That’s what Young Master Sang thought.
Half an hour later, as Sang casually sipped his tea…
Suddenly, he frowned, unable to put down his cup as he leapt to his feet.
Yu Xia’s fair face turned slightly pale, beads of sweat forming on her forehead as her delicate body seemed to tremble slightly.
Before her, the once calm stream of spiritual energy began to stir restlessly.
The aura spilling from Yu Xia grew increasingly unstable, now faintly violent; even the slightest hint seemed to obliterate the surrounding rocks.
Until Young Master Sang reached her side and coldly raised his hand.
“…Quiet.”
The surrounding restless spiritual energy instantly inhaled back into a whirl, rushing madly toward Sang’s palm.
Finally, it coalesced back into a dark red pill.
At that moment, Yu Xia slumped to the ground, utterly drained, her complexion as pale as paper, drenched in cold sweat.
Her eyes were filled with defeat and frustration.
“Mas—Master, I’m sorry…”
“Don’t worry, Aunt Yu,” Young Master Sang said gently, “It’s just a small failure.”
“Calm your breath, and let’s continue when you’re ready.”
Yu Xia bit her lip tightly, slowly nodding as she began to regulate her breathing once more.
Young Master Sang gazed at the pill in his hand, looking a bit puzzled.
…The Ten Thousand Year Blood Demon Dan was fine.
This was a verified pill by Shi Qingyan; it was indeed a legitimate item meant solely for cultivation enhancement.
So… the problem must be here… Sang’s gaze turned to Yu Xia.
Yu Xia’s aura gradually stabilized, and soon she settled in once again, starting her second attempt at ascension.
This time, Young Master Sang personally guided the spiritual energy for her.
Just over an hour later, he saw sweat beads forming on Yu Xia’s forehead once more.
“Umm…”
Her complexion began to flush, her body temperature inexplicably rising, and her aura became increasingly chaotic, making the energy he guided unstable.
Sang noticed Yu Xia biting her lip tightly, nearly drawing blood, as it seemed she was desperately holding on.
“Don’t get distracted.”
Sang whispered, “Focus your mind and spirit, connect with the heavens.”
Yu Xia couldn’t hear Sang at all; the sweat was pouring down her robes.
As the increasingly agitated spiritual energy grew uncontrollable, Sang sighed silently, gently placing his hand on Yu Xia’s shoulder.
“…That’s enough.”
“Let’s stop here.”
The moment he spoke, the surrounding chaotic spiritual energy fell silent, leaving behind Yu Xia’s dazed, blank stare.
“I—”
Gradually coming back to her senses, a flicker of tension crossed Yu Xia’s eyes. She knelt on the ground, banging her forehead:
“Master, I’m sorry… I—I’m useless… Please give me another chance, I’ll definitely—”
Young Master Sang watched her for a long moment before suddenly saying:
“Aunt Yu, stand up.”
Yu Xia trembled as she remained bowed, unwilling to lift her head.
“It was just an attempt at ascending to the Great Inauguration Realm; failure is failure.”
Young Master Sang smiled: “Why apologize? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I wasted the precious Blood Demon Dan, Master…” Yu Xia’s voice trembled, almost afraid to meet his gaze, just daring to look down: “I deserve to die…”
“It’s fine. After all, it’s just an external object.”
Young Master Sang slowly raised his hand, revealing the slightly shrunk pill: “Besides, I managed to gather back the spiritual energy you couldn’t use, so it’s not really a waste.”
Yu Xia then lifted her head slightly, a flicker of relief crossing her eyes, as if she had let out a breath.
Yet the weariness, bitterness, and loneliness on her face were still painfully clear.
Young Master Sang stared at Yu Xia for a while before suddenly saying:
“Let’s call it a day.”
“…Yes.”
Yu Xia bit her red lip, slowly rising to follow Young Master Sang with her head lowered.
Even though Sang hadn’t reprimanded her.
In Yu Xia’s heart, feelings were mixed.
In the moment of her second failed ascension, an overwhelming despair arose within her.
…Even the Ten Thousand Year Blood Demon Dan couldn’t help me enter the Great Inauguration Realm.
Is it possible?
Am I destined to never reach that step in this life?
——
——
After descending the mountain, passing through the market, Yu Xia softly asked Sang: “Master, what do you want to eat tonight? I’ll prepare the ingredients first—”
“No hurry.”
Sang replied without looking back: “We’re not going home.”
“Huh? Not going home? Then where—”
“Speaking of which, Aunt Yu hasn’t visited the Water Moon Sect in a long time, right?”
Yu Xia looked slightly absent-minded.
Since the Water Moon Sect had merged into the Demon Cult, she hadn’t heard that name in ages.
The people around her not only avoided it but also intentionally catered to her feelings, rarely mentioning this sect she had once established.
“Coincidentally, I have some matters to handle at the Water Moon branch today. Aunt Yu, come with me.”
“Ah? I…”
Yu Xia wanted to say something but saw Young Master Sang turn his head, smiling lightly at her.
“Don’t overthink it. Just follow me.”
“Who knows…”
“You might find the reason why you couldn’t step into the Great Inauguration Realm here.”
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