Chapter 8: The Storm Approaches
Ye Changsheng thought to himself, I don’t have some divine ability where my words instantly come true, so why does everything I say seem to become reality?
Luo Yingying was visibly delighted as she moved closer to Ling Xiaoxing.
“Is this real?” she asked.
As the distance closed, the two of them were face to face. Ling Xiaoxing grew nervous and excited, stammering as she spoke.
“D-Disciple greets the Young Palace Mistress! My rude behavior just now was offensive—p-please punish me, Young Palace Mistress!”
To Ye Changsheng, it was just like a fangirl seeing her idol.
“There’s no need for formality. First, tell me about my sister.”
“Y-Yes, just now, in the Springwell Forest where the Palace Mistress is in seclusion, a strange disturbance suddenly appeared. The elders asked you to come quickly as well… uh, too close, I—I…!”
The more Ling Xiaoxing spoke, the more breathless she became, as though she was suffocating.
“Brother Xiao, then I’ll go meet with the elders first,” Luo Yingying said to Ye Changsheng.
After all, it had been nearly two years since she last saw her sister. She was full of expectation, and after speaking, she departed.
“The Young Palace Mistress spoke several sentences to me just now. I’m so happy,” Ling Xiaoxing murmured to herself as she watched Luo Yingying’s departing figure.
In Ye Changsheng’s heart, her image was crumbling rapidly.
“Senior Sister Xiaoxing,” Ye Changsheng greeted her calmly as he walked over.
“Calamity—?!”
Ling Xiaoxing jumped to her feet, quickly putting some distance between them, even taking up a battle stance.
“Why are you calling me that?” Ye Changsheng asked.
“Why are you here?”
“The Young Palace Mistress summoned me,” Ye Changsheng answered honestly.
“Impossible! You must have seduced her. You’re plotting something vile, aren’t you?!” Ling Xiaoxing didn’t believe him at all. “Someone as perfect as the Young Palace Mistress could never take the initiative to approach a despicable person like you!”
Ye Changsheng shook his head. This girl’s idol filter is too strong.
“You’re too prejudiced against me, Senior Sister Xiaoxing.”
“I am not! The Young Palace Mistress is flawless! Don’t you know? Recently there’s been a rumor spreading through Wuhua Palace about a traitor.”
“Yes, I’ve heard.”
Ling Xiaoxing pointed at Ye Changsheng, but since she lacked the imposing height, she dragged over a chair, jumped on it, and finally managed to glare down at him from above.
“The rumor says that Wuxiao is the traitor! Don’t tell me you didn’t know!”
Ye Changsheng had indeed heard it, but didn’t understand why suspicion was falling on him, especially with no real evidence.
“That’s just slander.”
“I don’t believe you. You must be the traitor. Otherwise, how do you explain it?”
“They’re jealous of how close I am with the Young Palace Mistress.”
“Y-You… you shameless man! Calamity Cauldron!” Ling Xiaoxing was stunned by his brazenness.
“Senior Sister Xiaoxing, you like the Young Palace Mistress, don’t you?”
“H-How did you figure that out?!”
“It’s written all over your face.”
“Really?” Ling Xiaoxing touched her own cheeks, her expression collapsing. “This is bad… could my slip-up just now have left a terrible impression on the Young Palace Mistress?!”
Honestly, she probably didn’t even remember you, Ye Changsheng thought, though he couldn’t bring himself to say it aloud.
“Senior Sister Xiaoxing, will you take me to Springwell Forest?” he asked.
Upon hearing his request, Ling Xiaoxing’s tone changed again. “Hmph, you’re just a Cauldron. Of course you can’t casually enter the Springwell Forest.”
Springwell Forest was where Wuhua Palace Mistress Luo Lihong secluded herself for cultivation. It was the core of the palace’s Spirit-Gathering Array, drawing spiritual energy from all directions and concentrating it into fountain-like points of power—thus its name.
“That’s why I’m asking Senior Sister Xiaoxing to help me.”
As long as it wasn’t about Luo Yingying, Ling Xiaoxing’s attitude returned to normal.
“I, a dignified inner disciple, why should I help a mere cauldron like you? I refuse—it’s beneath my dignity.”
“If you take me along, you’ll have another chance to speak with the Young Palace Mistress.”
“Eh?”
Ye Changsheng had struck her weakness. Fangirls were just too easy to deal with.
“I can even tell you a little about what Luo Yingying li—likes.”
Ye Changsheng almost said her XP, but thought better of it—he didn’t want to shatter her illusions.
“What should I do? This man is a traitor… and a calamity. But otherwise, I’d never get another chance to talk to the Young Palace Mistress…”
After much inner struggle, Ling Xiaoxing finally gave in.
“F-Fine then, I’ll reluctantly agree to your request, Calamity Cauldron. But don’t get full of yourself! This is for the Young Palace Mistress’s sake, not yours!”
“Yes, yes.”
…
With Ling Xiaoxing leading the way, Ye Changsheng arrived at the outskirts of Springwell Forest. A crowd of disciples had already gathered, pointing at the strange phenomena in the sky and chattering noisily.
Ye Changsheng noticed that the ambient spiritual energy was far thinner than usual. In the sky, countless streams of qi were being dragged toward the forest’s center like a ravenous beast devouring its feast. Even an ordinary mortal would be able to sense the sheer spectacle.
From within the forest came bursts of spiritual power, stirring up fierce winds that set the trees rustling. Inner disciples with shallow cultivation were forced back repeatedly. Outer disciples, ignorant of their own limits, were knocked unconscious outright—paying the price for crowding in.
This was the sight of a cultivator attempting a breakthrough. After reaching a bottleneck, one must not only circulate one’s own spiritual power but also draw upon the energy of heaven and earth to shatter one’s limits and ascend to a higher realm.
“What an overwhelming aura! The Palace Mistress must be on the verge of breaking through!” Ling Xiaoxing braced herself against the pressure.
Ye Changsheng remembered his own “cultivation setting” and realized he couldn’t act too relaxed. He quickly hid behind Ling Xiaoxing.
“Calamity Cauldron! What are you doing using me as a shield?!” she complained.
“Because Senior Sister Xiaoxing is amazing,” Ye Changsheng deflected. “The Palace Mistress should be breaking through in the coming days, right? Do you think she’ll succeed?”
“Of course! The Palace Mistress is the Young Palace Mistress’s elder sister. There’s no reason she wouldn’t succeed!” Ling Xiaoxing was proud. “When she breaks through, Wuhua Palace will gain a Nascent Soul Great Expert of the Integration Stage!”
Currently, Palace Mistress Luo Lihong was at the 9th layer of the Nascent Soul Stage. If she succeeded, she would ascend into the Integration Stage.
That meant Wuhua Palace would once again have the strength to contend against cultivators of the Void Refining Realm.
The significance was immense—the sect’s position in the demonic path would surely rise further.
After another outburst, the forest briefly fell silent. That was normal. Breaking through a bottleneck often took many attempts. If it were easy, the world would be full of experts.
Just then, Luo Yingying stepped out from the forest. Spotting Ye Changsheng, she approached, while Ling Xiaoxing nearly fainted from excitement, unable to string her words together.
“Y-Young Palace Mistress, I—I… my name, could you remem… remem…”
She had withstood the shockwaves of spiritual power, but Luo Yingying’s beauty was too much for her.
“How is it going, Young Palace Mistress?” Ye Changsheng asked directly.
Luo Yingying ignored Ling Xiaoxing. “Elder Sister is at a critical point in her breakthrough. The elders have resolved to lend their full support.”
“Meaning…?”
Luo Yingying nodded. “For the next few days, the elders will form an array to safeguard my sister’s breakthrough. They won’t have time to manage anything else in the sect. All responsibilities will fall to me.”
“That makes sense—this concerns the sect’s very strength. Still, it means your burden will be much heavier these few days.”
“I only hope my sister’s breakthrough goes smoothly. Without the elders, I worry that Wuhua Palace might suffer some incident,” Luo Yingying admitted. “I don’t know if I can handle it alone.”
That’s impossible, Ye Changsheng thought to himself.
With Luo Lihong’s breakthrough imminent, the elders’ protection would leave the sect’s defenses weakened. Coupled with the rumors of traitors spreading chaos…
Something was about to happen in Wuhua Palace.
—
