Chapter 16: Your Master Shall Give It to You

"You have one month left..." Ye Li said suddenly, "but you have only just reached the Run Shen Stage..."

Luo Xing's movements stiffened upon hearing her words.

'Heh... Thanks for the reminder...'

"Yes..." Luo Xing said with a forced smile, "Master is right to remind me."

Ye Li glanced at him before speaking again. "However... the things inside this might help you reach the Tui Fan Stage within a month."

As she spoke, a storage ring floated in front of Luo Xing.

He looked at the ring before him, his expression slightly surprised. "This..."

Ye Li asked, "Well? Do you want it?"

Luo Xing certainly wanted it, but he did not dare speak up because he could not gauge Ye Li's thoughts.

The original story had a similar situation where Ye Li asked Luo Han if she wanted to leave. Luo Han had been foolish enough to nod, and as a result, her legs were broken and she was imprisoned at Duan Tian Peak with God-Restraining Chains that could bind even the soul.

"Disciple... Disciple will listen to Master," Luo Xing replied respectfully.

Ye Li curled her lips into a faint smile. "Listen to all my orders? What if I choose not to give it to you?"

"Then Master is training her disciple."

"And if I do give it?"

"Then Master is showing care for her disciple."

Hearing Luo Xing's answer, Ye Li smiled with satisfaction. With a wave of her fair hand, she threw the storage ring and the *Phantom Shadow Step* manual into Luo Xing's arms.

Luo Xing was stunned for a moment before saying respectfully, "Thank... Thank you, Master."

Even though these were all things belonging to Bai Li Qin Mo, Luo Xing knew exactly who he needed to thank.

"You can only have what your Master gives you," Ye Li spoke slowly. "If I do not give it to you, you are not allowed to take from others. Remember that."

Luo Xing was her disciple, and she did not want him using things from others to cultivate unless she allowed it. Even if these items had been sent by Bai Li Qin Mo, she was the one who personally handed them to Luo Xing, so they were hers to give.

"Yes..." Luo Xing nodded repeatedly, "I will keep that in mind."

'Endure... I have to endure for now...'

'I'll settle this score eventually...'

'No!'

'I'll settle it later!'

'When I go back to sleep, I'll settle it in my dreams!'

***

Half a month later...

With the assistance of the cultivation resources provided by Bai Li Qin Mo and his own day-and-night practice, Luo Xing finally successfully broke through to the middle stage of the Qi Refining Realm.

Consequently, two new skills were updated in his mind: **[Breathing: 1/10]** and **[Touch of the Dao: 1/10]**.

The skill **[Breathing]** was relatively easy to understand. It was derived from the **[Cultivation]** skill and gathered spiritual energy through ordinary breathing to speed up cultivation. However, perhaps because the level was currently too low, he could not intuitively feel any significant effect.

It was just like that **[Fire Control]**...

To this day, he still could not even control the fire in a kitchen stove.

But it was better than nothing. At least there was something to look forward to in the future.

As for the **[Touch of the Dao]** skill, it was derived from **[Massage]**. Luo Xing still did not know what its specific use was.

"This won't work..." In his room, Luo Xing sat on the bed with a frown. "There is only half a month left... To break through to the Tui Fan Stage in half a month... How is that possible?"

The cultivation resources sent by his sister, Luo Han, were already exhausted, and the ones from Bai Li Qin Mo were gone as well. Using so many resources only managed to get him to the middle stage.

Heh.

This was exactly why disciples with low-grade spirit roots were so unpopular.

With the same resources, others—such as those with Superior, Peak, or Fairy Spirit Roots—would have likely broken through to the late stage or even the Foundation Building Realm long ago. Unlike them, he had only barely reached the middle stage of the Qi Refining Realm.

"Sigh..." Luo Xing lay down on the bed as if resigning himself to fate. "Maybe... I should just forget it..."

The resources were gone, his spirit root could not be changed, and with only half a month left, reaching the Tui Fan Stage was a complete fantasy.

As the saying goes, nothing is impossible as long as you are willing to give up.

It was just a bit of dark history! Let her see it if she wants...

'Of course, your Master is not an unreasonable person. You can do what the handyman disciples do and make some contributions to exchange for cultivation resources.'

Just as Luo Xing was about to give up, Ye Li's words from that day suddenly echoed in his mind.

He knew that the "contributions" Ye Li spoke of were definitely not the tasks issued by the sect's Deacon Hall.

She wanted him to beg her.

"Tch... That woman..."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Luo Xing quickly covered his lips and looked around warily.

'Better not say it, or a wild "Ye Li" might randomly spawn...'

'What exactly does this woman want?' Luo Xing muttered to himself.

Initially, he thought Ye Li was interested in Luo Han just like in the original book, so she wanted to control him to get to her sister. However, he later dismissed that hypothesis.

Then, he thought Ye Li might be a transmigrator or a regressor, but that guess did not seem right either.

By now...

Luo Xing no longer knew what this woman wanted. If there had to be a reason, it was probably that Ye Li was a very vengeful woman.

Take the incident from half a month ago, for example.

He heard from an Elder passing by Duan Tian Peak that something had gone wrong with Bai Li Qin Mo's cultivation and that he needed to go into closed-door meditation to recover.

Only a fool would believe that story; he certainly didn't.

"Duan Tian Peak has visitors!"

Luo Xing immediately sat up from the bed. "Visitors?"

By "visitors," it meant people from outside the sect had come to visit. But the problem was that there was no one on Duan Tian Peak besides him and Ye Li. These visitors definitely were not here for him; he did not know anyone on the outside.

So, they were here for Ye Li?

Did she actually have friends?

Could they be here for revenge?

***

Luo Xing eventually walked outside to greet them.

As soon as he stepped out, he saw two women with distinct appearances following behind the sect's guide disciple. One was elegant and distant, with her dark hair half-tied, looking somewhat mature. The other had a fresh, beautiful face and looked quiet and graceful.

The moment Luo Xing appeared, the two women's eyes began to scan him continuously, though Luo Xing himself did not notice.

***

"Ahem... Ladies..." The disciple responsible for leading the way bowed to the two women. "I will take my leave here. Farewell."

Ji Chuying nodded slightly. "Thank you for your trouble."

After the guide disciple left, Lin Zhiwei, who was standing nearby, whispered, "Hey! What do you think?"

Was it the possibility they were thinking of?

"What do I think?" Ji Chuying rolled her eyes at her. "I'll go down and see for myself. What else would I think?"

***

"Seniors..." After the two women landed, Luo Xing bowed to them out of politeness. "I am a disciple of Duan Tian Peak, Luo Xing. May I ask who you two are?"

Ji Chuying smiled and said, "I am the Third Elder of the Fengling Sect, Ji Chuying."

Lin Zhiwei added, "Second Elder of the Fengling Sect, Lin Zhiwei."

(Internal Transmission)

Ji Chuying: 'What do you think?'

Lin Zhiwei: 'He is somewhat handsome, but not exceptionally so. It shouldn't be because of his looks.'

Ji Chuying: 'If even you don't find him impressive, then he really must not be that good-looking.'

Lin Zhiwei: 'That's a bit offensive...'

***

"So it is two Seniors from the Fengling Sect." After confirming that these two names had never appeared in the original story, Luo Xing's guard lowered slightly. "May I ask what brings you here today?"

Ji Chuying asked, "Little guy, is your Master Ye Li?"

Luo Xing replied, "She is."

"Then we're at the right place." Ji Chuying raised an eyebrow and smiled. "We are... good friends of your Master. We're just here today to have a chat and catch up."

Luo Xing was speechless.

'Friends? Does that woman even have such things as friends?'

'Tch...'

'The character setting is crumbling more and more.'