The Little Secret of the Master

Before leaving, Xu Yi was secretly given many valuable items by the five elders, all of which she hastily stuffed into her storage ring.

Now, on the road, she rummaged through the storage ring for a moment and finally found a palm-sized boat hidden beneath a pile of spiritual stones.

Infusing it with spiritual energy and tossing it into the air, the boat swiftly grew in size, transforming into a wooden vessel capable of accommodating dozens of people.

Xu Yi leaped aboard and beckoned to Lu Zaiye, who was still standing below. “Hurry up and come aboard.”

Lu Zaiye glanced at the familiar boat and silently followed suit, joining Xu Yi in thoroughly inspecting the vessel from inside out.

At first glance, the wooden boat appeared plain, but its interior was magnificent.

The rooms within were exquisitely furnished, and intricate and profound formations were engraved on the hull, granting the boat both speed and defense comparable to that of an ordinary cultivator.

It was a sixth-grade flying treasure that combined defensive capabilities and escape functions.

Lu Zaiye shook his head inwardly, impressed by the generosity of the elder who gifted them this boat.

The senior disciples of Xuanji Sect truly spared no expense.

Within Xuanji Sect, Elder Liu couldn’t help but tremble with regret as he thought about the divine boat he impulsively gave away earlier.

His lips quivered, and he was mocked by Elder Qingfeng and others for being sentimental.

With the divine boat in hand, it took less than a day for Xu Yi and Lu Zaiye to reach Meng city.

Upon entering the city, Xu Yi enthusiastically strolled from one stall to another, feeling incredibly content.

Free from the title of ancestral master, she regained her freedom, sensing the restlessness of her storage ring.

A few days ago, she had retrieved all her accumulated rewards from the affairs hall.

The rewards she hadn’t claimed in two thousand years were enough to significantly increase her wealth.

Catching sight of the reserved Lu Zaiye beside her, she generously said, “If there’s anything you fancy, feel free to let me know. Don’t hesitate, consider it a gift from me.”

“Disciple…” Lu Zaiye hesitated under Xu Yilin’s raised eyebrow, then changed his words. “I don’t need anything.”

Currently caught up in her excitement and aware of Lu Zaiye’s cautious nature, Xu Yi didn’t mind his refusal. She bought two of everything she found interesting and forcefully handed him the extra one.

Unable to decline, Lu Zaiye reluctantly accepted the gift, holding it in his hands as he watched Xu Yi’s joyful figure, his lips slightly pursed.

At noon, Xu Yi, in high spirits, led Lu Zaiye into the most luxurious restaurant in Meng city, generously ordering their signature dishes.

While waiting for the food, she asked Lu Zaiye to take out his voice transmission disc. They imprinted their marks on each other’s disks, and only then did she shift her attention to the storyteller in the middle of the first-floor hall.

“…Look, Fairy Jinghong descended like a goddess, stepping on a rainbow of seven colors, appearing before the Demon King. With a tender shout, ‘Stop!’ the Demon King was so awestruck by Fairy Jinghong’s entrance that he actually stopped.”

Xu Yi focused her attention, sitting up straight as she listened to the tale of Fairy Jinghong.

The storyteller was clearly skilled, narrating the story with ups and downs, captivating the audience.

Even when the dishes arrived, the storyteller took a break, but Xu Yi still felt a bit unsatisfied.

As Lu Zaiye picked up food with his chopsticks, he casually asked, “You seem quite interested in the story of Fairy Jinghong.”

Xu Yi didn’t deny it at all, nodding decisively. “Yes, I heard she is my junior sister. She is truly remarkable.”

Her praise for Fairy Jinghong came from the bottom of her heart, making her appear particularly sincere.

After receiving Xu Yi’s response, Lu Zaiye remained silent.

Meanwhile, Xu Yi, having finished listening to the storyteller’s tale, suddenly remembered the unfinished book she had read while trapped in the secret realm.

Feeling an itch to know the ending, she couldn’t help but feel impatient.

However, considering Lu Zaiye’s presence and to maintain the face of ancestral master, Xu Yi suppressed her desire and decided to visit the bookstore when they had some free time.

Little did she know that the opportunity would come so soon.

After finishing their lunch, they headed towards the Teleportation Formation that would take them to Li city only to be informed that there was a slight issue on the Li city side, and the Teleportation Formation would only open in three days.

The two individuals could only stay in the city of Meng for a few days.

They found an inn and booked two rooms.

Xu Yi pretended to return to her room to rest, but as soon as she turned around, she slipped out of the inn unnoticed.

Little did she know that a strand of Lan Zaiye’s divine consciousness had already attached itself to the hem of her clothes.

Sitting in his room, Lan Zaiye could clearly see Xu Yi cautiously sneaking along the wall corner through his divine consciousness.

In an instant, various speculations arose in his mind.

Was Xu Yi’s identity genuine?

Did she have ulterior motives for coming to Xuanji Sect?

Was there someone else behind her?

However, when he saw Xu Yi stepping into a bookstore and quietly inquiring about a publication from two thousand years ago, he was stunned.

So Xu Yi had secretly gone to buy books?

Lan Zaiye remained silent.

Unaware that her carefully guarded secret had been exposed, Xu Yi continued to engage the bookstore owner in search of the desired publication, while also pondering its outcome.

Fortunately, this particular bookstore had extensive kinds of books and jade scrolls.

Although they didn’t have the desired publication, they had preserved jade scrolls containing the content, which were even cheaper than the books themselves.

Xu Yi immediately purchased the jade scroll and also acquired some new items from the shopkeeper before sneaking back discreetly.

Lan Zaiye’s divine consciousness followed Xu Yi back to the room, witnessing her holding the jade scroll with a peculiar smile appearing on her face, occasionally clenching her fist nervously, her heart following the ups and downs of the story.

Lan Zaiye retracted his divine consciousness, let out a soft sigh, and slowly closed his eyes.

Three days later, at the break of dawn, they arrived at the Teleportation Formation as scheduled, only to be informed that the Teleportation Formation to Li city was still closed.

As they puzzled over this, a person suddenly emerged from the roadside, stealthily approaching them.

“Esteemed immortals,” the person who intercepted them was a young man, only at the Qi Refining stage, with a youthful and nervous expression.

“Li city is currently not very peaceful, so all Teleportation Formations leading there have been shut down. However, I have a way to send you there, but the price will be higher. Are you interested?”

Lan Zaiye’s eyes flickered as he asked, “Do you know what exactly has happened in Li city?”

The young cultivator looked hesitant, unable to resist glancing behind him, coincidentally meeting the urging gaze of a burly male cultivator. He shrunk his neck and immediately averted his gaze back.

“I can’t tell you that, but if you wish to go, I have a method. It will cost twenty middle-grade spirit stones per person. Moreover, there might be unexpected incidents during the teleportation, and you may end up in a different location. You bear the consequences. If you both agree, then pay up.”

Listening to his words, Xu Yi frowned and looked at Lan Zaiye, seeking his opinion.

She had never traveled through a Teleportation Formation before, so she had no idea how ridiculous the young man’s conditions were.

However, Lan Zaiye knew.

Normally, the cost of Teleportation Formation did not exceed ten low-grade spirit stones. Now, the price of ten middle-grade spirit stones per person had multiplied by a hundred.

What caught his attention was the latter half of the young man’s statement.

Teleportation relied on stable spatial laws, but if there were any errors during the process, they could potentially be trapped in spatial turbulence, unable to escape even with their divine souls.

How to bear such a consequence!