NOVEL NEXT Chapter 37 - Bearing the Dignity of a Chief Consort, Don't Look Down on Youth
“The quality of this Dragon Blood Grass is quite good. Since it’s a token of respect from Beifeng, I’ll accept it as your offering,” Xu Yang said as he placed the Dragon Blood Grass into his storage ring. Then, he turned to Yuan Kouxuan with a light smile and asked, “Xuan’er, how many spiritual herbs over a thousand years old remain in the treasure vault?”
“In response to Master, there are over fifty of such spiritual herbs,” Yuan Kouxuan replied, returning from her initial surprise at his question.
“Then, when Beifeng reaches the Core Formation stage, select a suitable one for her. Also, take her to the Divine Armament Pavilion to choose a weapon that fits her. It doesn’t need to be too high-grade; an Earth-level, lower grade will do. As for her monthly cultivation resources, let her take what she needs without worry,” Xu Yang said in an offhand manner, as if it were a trivial matter.
“And one more thing: once she has her resources, help her find a cultivation cave with abundant spiritual energy.”
Xu Yang’s words sounded ordinary, but in Li Beifeng’s ears, it was as if the heavens themselves were whispering divine blessings.
Spiritual herbs… over fifty of them…
Earth-level weapons… and that’s not even high-grade…
Cultivation resources… without restriction…
These were things cultivators in the world could only dream of! In the cultivation world, everyone fought for resources. Most sect disciples could only obtain basic resources, with any additional needs requiring them to take on dangerous tasks or venture out in search of fortuitous encounters. To freely offer resources like Purple Cloud Peak did was practically unheard of.
Li Beifeng blinked, momentarily speechless. She felt like a country girl suddenly thrown into a world of unimaginable wealth. For a moment, she even wondered if this was all just a wonderful dream.
Seeing her dazed look, Xue Jinli covered her mouth, chuckling, “Beifeng, there’s no need to be so shocked. That’s just how things are on Purple Cloud Peak.”
A slight flush crept onto Li Beifeng’s face.
She had been naive, thinking that offering the Dragon Blood Grass would aid her Master in reaching the Core Formation stage. But Purple Cloud Peak was clearly rich in spiritual resources.
With over fifty spiritual herbs each a thousand years old, no wonder her senior sisters looked so surprised when she offered that small Dragon Blood Grass earlier. She felt a mix of shame and embarrassment.
Seeing this, Situ Qingqing decided to chime in. “Koi, even the new little junior sister gave a gift to Master. You’ve been traveling for days now—surely you must have found something valuable to bring back, no?”
!?
‘Situ Qingqing, you traitor!’ Xue Jinli thought, casting her a reproachful look. Fortunately, Xue Jinli was quick-witted. “Of course I brought something back. In fact, I consider Beifeng herself to be the best gift I could give to Master!” She shot back.
“And as for you, Qing’er, you’ve been here all this time, so why didn’t you take good care of Master?”
Situ Qingqing, cheeks puffed in indignation, muttered, “I took care of him! I tended to Master personally for two full hours… You can ask him if you don’t believe me!”
Xu Yang: “…”
Two full hours… and almost broke his back in the process! But as their Master, Xu Yang knew better than to take sides, lest their bickering intensify. His best move was to keep silent and let them sort it out among themselves.
“Master’s not saying anything, so it seems your words are nothing but exaggerations, Qing’er!” Xue Jinli seized her chance to press forward.
“Master, won’t you say something…?” Situ Qingqing’s voice held a trace of grievance.
Xu Yang raised an eyebrow. This quarrel was aimed at him now? As he contemplated a response, Yuan Kouxuan stepped in just in time to quell the situation.
“Enough, Jinli found a new disciple for Purple Cloud Peak, and Qingqing took care of Master diligently. You both have contributed in your own ways,” Yuan Kouxuan’s calm voice settled the dispute immediately, and both Jinli and Qingqing quieted down.
Only Xuan’er could rein these two in, Xu Yang thought with relief, feeling a surge of appreciation for his eldest disciple.
“Xuan’er, take Beifeng to choose her weapon. As for Qing’er and Jinli, you two can help Beifeng select a suitable cave for her cultivation. I’ll be retreating to cultivate,” Xu Yang said, tactfully shooing them off to avoid further conflicts.
“Understood, Master!” Yuan Kouxuan replied formally.
“Rest well, Master,” Xue Jinli added with a soft smile.
“Master, please remember to take care of yourself,” Situ Qingqing added with a touch of affection.
“Thank you, Master,” Li Beifeng said with a deep bow.
Watching his four disciples—each beautiful in her own way—depart, Xu Yang returned to the inner hall, taking out the True Dragon Dao Fruit.
Instantly, the chamber filled with the resonance of a dragon’s roar. The fruit seemed almost alive, shimmering like dragon scales, its majestic life force surging forth in waves like a vast ocean of vitality.
“Indeed, this True Dragon Dao Fruit is remarkable,” Xu Yang murmured with satisfaction, settling himself to focus and begin refining its power.
Meanwhile, over at Heavenly Thunder Peak in a humble disciple’s cave…
“Those bastards! How dare they treat me like this?” Xiao Ye lay battered and bruised on his stone bed, fists clenched, his eyes ablaze with rage.
Since joining Heavenly Thunder Peak, Xiao Ye had gone to claim the resources due to him, only to be told that they’d already been taken by a senior disciple on his behalf.
Incensed, he demanded to know where to find this disciple and marched over, only to be ambushed and beaten. Despite his strength, he wasn’t able to fight off the combined assault, especially with several Core Formation disciples overseeing the brawl.
He had no choice but to retreat and settle for a lesser cave originally designated for ordinary disciples.
“This is unacceptable!”
“Am I, the Heaven’s Chosen One, to be humiliated this way? I’ll have my revenge!”
His fists trembling, Xiao Ye vowed through gritted teeth, “Just wait until I reach the Core Formation realm. All those who wronged me will pay a hundredfold!”
The spirit within his jade pendant, Elder Li, watched in silence before finally sighing deeply.
“Alas… child, can’t you see that Qingming Sect is a place of tribulation for you?”
Elder Li’s voice echoed in Xiao Ye’s mind, a note of regret evident in his tone. “When I insisted that you come here, I didn’t anticipate that someone would be obstructing your fate from the shadows. This is on me…”
Now, Elder Li continued, “The only way to counter this is to leave Qingming Sect. Believe in me—once you’re out of here, fortune will return to you, and opportunities will come your way. Your strength will grow rapidly, and when you’ve attained the power of a sovereign, you can come back and flatten this puny sect…”