In the sky, a massive spirit ship continuously emitted a gentle white glow.
It carried roughly a hundred disciples, radiating faint pressure as it sped forward at an extreme velocity.
Most of the disciples aboard were filled with joy.
In the past two days they had completed their missions, and the next month or so would be their own free time.
A very small number, however, looked rather downcast.
These were the few who had encountered accidents and failed to finish their tasks.
According to Proud Sword Sect rules, after resting for a few days they would receive another mission and keep going until they met the one-month requirement.
Yun Hao rode the spirit ship with the other disciples this time.
Originally, before they set off to return, Wang Yi had wanted to invite him to ride a separate spirit boat with him alone, but Yun Hao had declined.
He felt that since his first sect training mission was now complete, there was no need to adjust his condition further.
The injuries he had suffered while fighting the Nascent Soul evil python had nearly healed under the effects of the Hunyuan Pearls and Wang Yi’s medicinal pills.
As long as he did not overexert his spiritual power in the next two days, there would be no problems.
There was therefore no need to ride alone with Wang Yi.
He chose a relatively empty corner of the ship and stood by the edge by himself.
He gazed at the mountains, rivers, and villages flashing past below, lost in thought.
Back when he lived in the prince’s mansion, he had often envied the little birds flying past the branches.
They could soar freely and enjoy the beauty of all things, unlike himself, who had always been trapped in a narrow space, struggling helplessly.
Now he stood on the spirit ship, letting the fierce wind blow against him and flap his sleeves loudly.
He was in the air once more, yet his heart felt no strong emotion.
He simply felt somewhat listless.
Yun Hao shook his head slightly.
He did not know when he had become so hard to satisfy.
He pushed aside those absurd thoughts and quietly sensed the Clear Mist Flower inside his qi sea.
That was the flower he had seized at the risk of his life.
I hope Senior Sister will like it…
Harboring that hope, he grew more and more eager to return to the sect as soon as possible.
In the two months since he had arrived, he had never once seen Senior Sister smile.
This time, he wanted to make her happy and bring a smile to her face.
……….
“All disciples, proceed to the Mission Reporting Hall on your own to report your mission results.
This seat’s escort duty is now complete.
If there is nothing else, you may leave.”
Wang Yi spoke loudly.
His gaze swept over the hundred disciples below, displaying the dignity expected of a hall master.
The disciples below stirred.
After the first disciple cupped his hands and left, most of the rest bid farewell to their companions with cupped fists and departed from the main mountain gate.
Yun Hao prepared to leave as well.
He wanted to hurry to the Mission Reporting Hall, submit his results to the sect, and then return to Sect Master Peak as quickly as possible.
He hoped to present the Clear Mist Flower to Senior Sister before she retired for the night when it grew dark.
I still need to explain to Elder Lin about using the Hunyuan Pearls afterward.
Yun Hao considered this, his heart filled with respect for Lin Xian.
He felt completely at ease with Elder Lin.
He planned to tell him the full story honestly.
Elder Lin had been so good to him that he could not deceive him.
When Wang Yi saw Yun Hao about to leave, he opened his mouth, wanting to stop him.
Yet he realized he had nothing in particular to say to Yun Hao.
After hesitating a moment, he ultimately gave up.
There was no need to force a connection.
His current position was already very comfortable.
His own immortal aptitude was limited; even if he forced it higher, he could at most reach the late Nascent Soul stage.
Even if Yun Hao grew stronger later and gave him a chance to climb higher, whether he could hold on to it was still uncertain.
Moreover, the key question was whether Yun Hao would even remember him once he rose.
Never mind, never mind. Everything is decided by heaven. What is mine is mine. What is not mine cannot be forced.
Wang Yi abandoned the idea of stopping Yun Hao and let him walk farther away.
………….
Reporting the mission results went smoothly.
The disciples at the Mission Reporting Hall only needed to inspect the mission token and hand over the obtained items.
After checking roughly two quarters of an hour, all one hundred disciples were judged.
Qualified disciples received no extra words and simply left.
Those who had failed had to recount their experiences and leave a record; a few days later the hall would notify them to take the next mission.
After passing the inspection, Yun Hao immediately left the Mission Reporting Hall.
He estimated the time.
They had set out from the Black Beast Mountain Range during the Wei hour.
After two hours of travel and reporting, it was now around the You hour.
Although the sky had already darkened somewhat, Senior Sister probably had not retired yet.
While sensing the flower in his qi sea, he hurried toward the base of Sect Master Peak at full speed.
Without realizing it, he unconsciously activated the Wind Shadow Art.
His figure grew faster and faster.
Even Foundation Establishment cultivators who saw him would be shocked.
This speed was already approaching that of a Core Formation cultivator.
After sprinting at full power for a while, Yun Hao arrived at the base of Sect Master Peak.
He looked at the teleportation array before him, then lowered his head to check his robe, inspecting it for any dirt or stains.
There is a bit of dust, but overall it is still very neat.
He had always cared greatly about his appearance in front of Senior Sister.
He knew she had a slight cleanliness obsession.
If he looked unkempt, it might displease her, which would be terrible.
After confirming his clothes were neat, Yun Hao took a gentle breath and calmed his excited heart.
He suppressed all his unusual feelings and strode into the teleportation array.
Luo Shuiling sat beneath the osmanthus tree.
Her fair, jade-like slender hands toyed with the few remaining osmanthus petals on the stone table.
Two days had passed since Yun Hao first left the sect for his training mission.
By her calculations, he should be returning soon.
That morning, an inexplicable restlessness had pulled Luo Shuiling out of meditation.
Afterward she had gone to see her master, Jiang Shu’er, to report her recent cultivation progress and her insights on the dividing line between realms.
Once Jiang Shu’er finished giving guidance, she had remained seated here.
She had not seen Yun Hao for two days, and a faint trace of longing stirred in her heart.
Luo Shuiling’s jade finger gently tapped the stone table.
The few osmanthus petals rose and fell with each tap.
Comprehending heaven and earth was merely an excuse she gave herself.
In truth, she wanted to be the first to see Yun Hao when he returned.
She did not know why she missed Yun Hao so much.
In the past she had already grown used to being alone.
She looked at the rising and falling petals and recalled the osmanthus cakes Yun Hao had made for her two months earlier.
They had been sweet, soft, and glutinous, truly excellent in quality.
Suddenly she felt like eating them again.
A small thread of regret rose in her heart.
If only she had not thrown away that box of osmanthus cakes.
If she had preserved them with spiritual power back then, she could still have taken a small bite now.
It would be awkward to ask Yun Hao to make another box.
She furrowed her beautiful brows, finding it hard to swallow her pride.
She let out a soft inner sigh.
She was still his senior sister, after all.
Until the teleportation array at the peak lit up a moment later.
In the gradually darkening sky it emitted a dazzling glow, and a figure appeared.
Only then did her beautiful eyes regain their luster.
Luo Shuiling gently straightened her posture.
She suppressed the faint joy on her charming face.
She once again became the cold, proud, and inviolable Eldest Senior Sister of Proud Sword Sect.
She had always behaved this way in front of Yun Hao.
Whether her heart was happy or sad, angry or pleased, she would never show it.
She wanted Yun Hao to be unable to guess her thoughts—including that inexplicable possessiveness in her heart—while she could always understand exactly what he was thinking.
That sense of control brought her immersion and pleasure, and most importantly, peace of mind.
Yun Hao adjusted to the dizzying sensation.
No matter how many times he experienced it, he could never get used to the weightless feeling.
Each time the teleportation ended, he needed several breaths to adapt.
After a few breaths, he slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he did was look toward the osmanthus tree.
He could not suppress the joy in his heart and smiled.
Senior Sister was there.
He jogged over and came to a gentle stop in front of Luo Shuiling.
With a trace of joy he tried hard to restrain, he spoke respectfully.
“Senior Sister, I have returned.”
Luo Shuiling was also happy.
She was a cultivator on the verge of breaking through to the Soul Division stage.
She naturally noticed that Yun Hao’s first glance had landed on her and that he could not hide his delight.
After two days apart, Yun Hao still satisfied her.
She felt rather pleased, yet her voice remained calm and cool.
“Sit. It is good that you are back.”
Yun Hao sat down as Luo Shuiling indicated.
Then he began telling her about the events of the past two days.
“That demon beast suddenly ambushed me like that.
After I reacted, I sliced off its head with one strike.
But there was so much blood—it splashed all over me…”
“Then I found a cave and rested inside for the night…”
He spoke like an excited child, unable to hold back his enthusiasm.
As he talked, he gestured with both hands.
Luo Shuiling listened quietly and occasionally asked a few questions.
At the end, she said with satisfaction,
“Not bad. Your first time leaving the sect for training was still considered a pass.”
Hearing this, Yun Hao smiled shyly.
A faint blush colored his handsome face.
Suddenly he spoke to Luo Shuiling in a mysterious tone.
“Senior Sister, I also brought something back this time.”
Yun Hao’s sudden mysteriousness piqued Luo Shuiling’s interest.
She met his eyes with her own beautiful ones, a trace of curiosity in her gaze, and said lightly,
“Oh? What is it?”
Yun Hao felt his heart nearly stop.
He had originally wanted to let Luo Shuiling guess.
But the moment Senior Sister fixed her eyes on him, he inexplicably stuttered.
His face flushed red, losing its previous spirited look.
He lowered his head, avoiding Luo Shuiling’s gaze.
With a gentle motion of his hand, a flower glowing with a faint purple light appeared in his palm.
He placed it on the table as carefully as if it were a treasure.
A strange light flashed in Luo Shuiling’s beautiful eyes.
She stared gently at the now lowered-head Yun Hao and asked, half inquiring and half confirming,
“A Clear Mist Flower?”
Yun Hao kept his head down.
He knew his face must be extremely red right now.
In that instant when he had met Senior Sister’s eyes, her charming face had filled his vision, as if it had also filled his heart.
He spoke softly, yet with a hint of pride.
“I found this Clear Mist Flower by the roadside and picked it.”
Then, as if gathering all his courage, he continued in a stuttering, shy voice,
“I thought it suited Senior Sister perfectly.
It is… beautiful… and noble, just like you.”
After saying this, he wilted like a frostbitten cucumber.
What nonsense am I saying! It sounds like harassment! Senior Sister won’t think I’m strange, will she?
He secretly raised his head and glanced at Luo Shuiling from the corner of his eye.
To his surprise, Senior Sister seemed to be smiling.
He had wanted to make her smile earlier, yet now that she was smiling, he did not dare look.
While he felt at a loss, a gentle, jade-like voice that was soft and tender reached his ear.
“Thank you. I like it very much.”
Yun Hao panicked at once.
He hurriedly stood up, bowed to Luo Shuiling in a fluster, mumbled a few words about good night, and without waiting for her to say anything more, fled back to his small wooden house.
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