Early the next morning, Chen Yin cheerfully made his way to Master’s cave.
Seeing no one in the main hall and noticing the mist rising from the back, he knew she was taking a bath again.
As expected, Master’s small form was subrged in the steaming hot water, her hair piled up on her head, revealing her delicate neck. Her skin, smooth and translucent, glowed with a healthy pink hue, the water droplets clinging to her like glistening pearls.
“Taking a bath so early in the morning again, are you?”
Chen Yin sat down by the edge of the pool without a care. “Careful, you’ll prune your skin.”
“Oh, please.” Master retorted with a disdainful snort. “Just admit you’re envious of my youthful skin.”
“…Why would I envy your skin? I’m a man.”
“If your skin was as smooth and delicate as mine, you’d be quite the little seductress.”
Chen Yin shuddered.
“Don’t be disgusting.”
“You started it.”
Master said grumpily, “You ca here so early in the morning, all cheerful and smug, just to brag about how much fun you had with Xiang’er last night, didn’t you?”
“If you want, I wouldn’t mind joining in.” Chen Yin said seriously. “It might even help Xiang’er relax a bit, so she won’t be so exhausted.”
“Tch, with your little twig, you can’t even last three seconds. I wouldn’t even bother.”
Chen Yin sat up straight. “Is that a challenge? Don’t bla for being ruthless.”
Master splashed him with water.
“Go die, you pervert.”
“If you’re not up for it, don’t talk big.”
After their usual banter, Chen Yin asked, his voice echoing through the mist, “…What’s so important that you had to summon all these senior cultivators?”
Master’s hand paused mid-air, then she resud splashing water, her expression unchanged.
“A demonic orgy, you believe that?”
“Why wasn’t I invited?”
“I might consider it if you were a Grand Clarity Realm expert.”
Chen Yin pouted and propped his head up with his hand. “I don’t understand. Why does it have to be Grand Clarity?”
“I might not have reached that realm, but I can still hold my own against them in a fight.”
Master’s eyes twinkled, then she smiled.
“Boy, don’t be so obsessed with fighting. Not everything in this world can be solved with brute force.”
“There’s a reason why I want you to reach the Grand Clarity Realm.”
“What reason?” Chen Yin blinked curiously.
“…The Grand Clarity Realm is a threshold.”
Master’s voice turned serious. “Only by reaching the Grand Clarity Realm can one glimpse the secrets of the Heavenly Dao and qualify for the next step.”
“The next step? What is it?”
“…The Upper Realm.” She said calmly. “What mortals call ‘ascension’.”
Chen Yin’s expression turned serious.
“What do you an?”
“The Grand Clarity Realm is not the end. Many have ascended to the Upper Realm throughout history.”
Master’s eyes half-closed, her voice slow and deliberate. “The most basic requirent for ascension is to reach the Grand Clarity Realm.”
“Because only then can your dantian fully transform, allowing you to touch the true void and break free from the constraints of this world.”
Chen Yin thought for a mont, then asked, “Why is ascension necessary?”
“Who knows? Humans are curious creatures.”
Her red lips parted slightly. “When you reach the limits of one world, you naturally want to see what lies beyond.”
“Is there any other reason?”
“…So things can only be resolved in the Upper Realm.”
Chen Yin’s eyes narrowed.
“You don’t want to tell ?”
“I told you, it’s pointless to tell you.” Master glanced at him sideways.
“Even if you’re a powerful fighter, you can’t leave this world without reaching the Grand Clarity Realm.”
“Instead of wasting your breath arguing with , go and cultivate.”
“You’ll understand everything once you reach the Grand Clarity Realm.”
Chen Yin nodded slowly.
“One last question.”
“What?”
“Are you afraid?”
Master’s hand paused, but her voice remained unchanged.
“What nonsense are you talking about? I’ve never been afraid of anything in my life.”
“I was afraid.”
Chen Yin said seriously, “When you ca back from the Heavenly Path Perilous Domain, severely injured, I was terrified.”
“Afraid that you and your little girlfriend would die inside?” Master teased.
“I was afraid because you were hurt, and I didn’t know what happened.”
“I was afraid of losing you,” Chen Yin said softly.
Master’s eyes lowered, and after a mont of silence, she chuckled.
“Trying to flirt with your Master now, are you?”
“I’m serious.”
“Seriously flirting with ?”
“Can you please stop thinking about such things?” Chen Yin said, exasperated.
“Whose fault is it that my good disciple is always filling my head with indecent thoughts?”
Master’s smile softened, and her voice beca gentler.
“…I was wrong about last ti. You don’t have to worry about . I know what I’m doing.”
“I’ll always worry if you don’t tell anything.” Chen Yin frowned slightly.
“Go cultivate instead of wasting your ti here.”
“Don’t try to brush off!”
Master sighed softly. “Do you really want to know everything, you brat?”
“I’m more curious why you refuse to tell .”
“Because I don’t know if it’s a good thing for you to know.”
Master’s voice turned serious. “So things are better left unknown. If you knew everything now, I’m afraid you would do sothing reckless.”
Chen Yin said, slightly annoyed, “I’m not stupid. I value my life.”
“Tell , who is this enemy that even you fear? Is it Shen Li?”
“Shen Li?” Master scoffed. “They’re just a bunch of dogs.”
“…The real enemy isn’t those dogs, but their master.”
Shen Li’s master? Chen Yin’s confusion grew.
Master’s eyes narrowed, and after a mont, she pointed a slender finger towards the sky.
The aning was clear.
Chen Yin finally understood.
“…Soone from the Upper Realm?”
“Not just that.” Master’s voice was calm. “What you’re about to face is far more complicated than you think.”
“And the trouble might be coming soon.”
“Without Grand Clarity Realm cultivation, you won’t even be able to protect yourself.”
Chen Yin pondered her words.
No wonder Master had been pushing him and Xiang’er to reach the Grand Clarity Realm quickly.
Not only that, but Luo Luo’s bloodline awakening and Luo Qiaoqiao’s closed-door cultivation all seed to be aid at reaching the Grand Clarity Realm as soon as possible.
Was it true that only by reaching that realm could they face the coming storm?
“So I can’t slack off anymore?”
“Who can stop you if you want to?” Master closed her eyes nonchalantly.
“But if you want to protect those you care about, stop overthinking and focus on reaching the Grand Clarity Realm.”
Chen Yin’s playful expression vanished, replaced by a serious resolve.
“I understand.”
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