At night, a layer of autumn mist rose over Gufeng Mountain.

It wouldn’t be long before winter arrived.

In the Duzhou continent’s cultivation world, the seasons were not clearly defined. Cultivation focused on refining the Dao heart, and the four seasons’ prosperity and decay, the coming of cold and summer, were but fleeting moments. However, the founding patriarch of Taiyan Sect, Yushan Shengren, had an old child’s temperament and was unwilling to live a dull and dreary life. He therefore lifted the four-season restrictions on Gufeng Mountain, making the year’s four seasons no different from the mortal world. Spring flowers and autumn moon, summer rain and winter snow—there was always scenery everywhere.

The young man sat by the window, hands pillowed behind his head, gazing at the distant mountain peaks. The night wind blew his hair ribbon flying and made his gaze somewhat indistinct.

Someone knocked on the door outside. After knocking several times, Gu Baiying didn’t turn around and said, “Come in.”

The person outside walked in.

The visitor was a child with clear eyebrows and delicate features, carved like powder and jade, appearing to be about eight or nine years old, born adorably fair as jade and snow. He wore a pink gauze robe with a pink-purple rose embroidered on the chest, his hair tied with a matching colored ribbon. Though a boy, he looked even more delicate than girls.

This was Mendong, the direct disciple of Yueguang Daoren.

“Master Uncle,” Mendong walked to the window and looked up at the young man sitting on the windowsill, “We just came back like this, your spiritual meridians…”

Gu Baiying, son of Qinghua Xianzi, was exceptionally talented, forming his Golden Core at fourteen and now having reached the late stage of Spirit Transformation. Though at Spirit Transformation, his true strength was more than just that. Everyone said he had not only inherited Qinghua Xianzi’s beauty but also inherited the fairy’s spiritual roots. Perhaps in the future, he would be the second genius to successfully ascend to the Duzhou continent.

Moreover, he was still so young.

However, ordinary people didn’t know that Gu Baiying was born with damaged spiritual meridians. If he didn’t cultivate, his spiritual meridians would backlash and he would surely die, but if he continued cultivating, his spiritual meridians would become congested, and one day he would be devoured by his cultivation method.

Not cultivating meant death; continuing to cultivate was just dying a bit slower.

So over these years, Gu Baiying rarely appeared in the sect. It wasn’t because he was arrogant and conceited, but because most of the time, Zhao Mayi and Mendong accompanied him to various places searching for spiritual herbs and medicines to repair his spiritual meridians.

Mendong was Yueguang Daoren’s direct disciple. Though his cultivation wasn’t very high, he was born with “Spiritual Immortal Apertures” and could identify and detect various spiritual herbs and pills. Whenever sect disciples had difficult or incurable diseases, having Mendong prepare a few doses of spiritual medicine for them to take usually resulted in immediate recovery.

Last year, Zhao Mayi and Mendong went with Gu Baiying to the Western Continent but gained nothing, wasting a whole year. Even though Gu Baiying didn’t want it, Yuanli would still accumulate in his body. Before long, he would probably break through again. But now, each breakthrough for Gu Baiying only brought him closer to death.

“Fifth Uncle is something,” Mendong said irritably. “Talking about some demon star appearing in the world, frantically insisting we rush back, and what happened? Nothing at all. Every divination is unreliable. Why doesn’t Master still expel him from the sect? What a family misfortune!”

“Say that to the sect master’s face,” the young man snorted. “What’s the use of complaining to me?”

“I’m just thinking of you,” Mendong thought for a moment, then looked at him again. “But Master Uncle, don’t be discouraged. The ‘Qin Chong’ we’re raising at the bottom of the black swamp pool should mature in a few days. We came back at just the right time. Once we implant the ‘Qin Chong’ into your body, your spiritual meridians will be partially repaired. Then you’ll feel much more comfortable.”

“I hope so,” Gu Baiying answered absentmindedly, picking up the teacup on the table and bringing it to his lips for a sip.

“Master Uncle!” The little child grabbed Gu Baiying’s sleeve, nearly pulling him down from the window. “Why have you been so distracted these past few days? They say you’ve taken a fancy to a new female disciple named Yang Zanxing. Is it true?”

“Pfft—” Gu Baiying spat out a mouthful of tea with a sound, looking at Mendong with eyes full of anger. “Who told you that?”

“Sixth Uncle did,” Mendong said. “Sixth Uncle said you keep sneaking looks at that female disciple. Master Uncle, is she very beautiful?”

“That bastard Xuan Lingzi.” Gu Baiying slammed the teacup heavily on the table, then angrily shouted at Mendong, “If you’re curious, go see for yourself!” He stormed out, slamming the door.

The little child stood behind, watching his departing figure, murmuring, “If you don’t want to say, then don’t say. Why get so angry?”

…

At the same time, Zanxing stood in Li Danshu’s alchemy room. The little child came out holding a box and handed it to Zanxing. “Senior Sister, the Smooth Skin Jade Complexion Pills are ready.”

Zanxing took the box, her gaze falling on the pills inside.

The pills looked like chocolate beans and smelled of the clear fragrance of herbal medicine. She asked Li Danshu, who was sitting in front of the alchemy furnace refining pills, “Master Uncle, should I chew this pill or take it with water? Should I eat it all at once or in several doses?”

“Whatever you want,” Li Danshu waved his hand. “There aren’t that many rules. Eat it however you want.”

“Then,” Zanxing asked again, “after I take this pill, when will the scars on my face disappear?”

Li Danshu glanced at her. “Not long—at least one year, at most two years.”

“Two years?” Zanxing was surprised. “Why does it take so long?”

Li Danshu adjusted his hat, which was about to slide down, very dissatisfied with her surprise. “Of course. What did you think this was, some miraculous divine pill?”

Zanxing: “Isn’t it?”

“Cough,” Li Danshu shook his palm fan. “The scars on your face were caused by demon beast demon qi. For ordinary people, such wounds could never fully heal. This pill is slow to take effect, but being able to restore your original appearance is already very good. Furthermore, for women, inner beauty is sufficient—appearances don’t need too much attention.”

Looking at Li Danshu’s face full of soot and his scorched gauze robe, Zanxing felt these words lacked persuasive power.

But right now, she had no other options. Inner disciples could receive thirty Spirit Stones per month, and thirty Spirit Stones couldn’t even buy intermediate-grade spiritual medicine, let alone anything else.

Zanxing could only bow to Li Danshu: “Thank you, Master Uncle. This disciple will return now.”

“Go, go.” Li Danshu waved his hand.

Leaving the alchemy room, Zanxing walked toward the small wooden building. She had recovered quite well these past few days. Starting tomorrow, all inner disciples will study and cultivate together. In a sense, she had finally entered Taiyan Sect’s advanced class and become a key cultivation prospect.

But… Zanxing looked at the red mark on her hand. Setting aside everything else, ever since Mimi emerged from the egg, the red mark on her palm had deepened again, vaguely outlining the shape of a flower.

She felt somewhat uneasy in her heart.

Just as she was thinking about this, she suddenly felt a strong wind approaching from behind. Zanxing instinctively dodged, drew the iron staff from her waist, and struck back with her reverse hand, meeting a silver flowing light head-on.