"Punishment, what kind of punishment?"

From Bao Guang's expression alone, Yu Ci knew the outcome couldn't be too dire.

A young Taoist rushed over, catching his breath before speaking, "I'm not entirely sure of the exact situation, but the master was in a private conversation with that person for over half an hour. He seemed rather relaxed when he came out. When I tried to probe, he only said that the specifics would be arranged by that person. However, no matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem like a big problem."

The "that person" he referred to was He Qing, and Yu Ci knew that Old Daoist Yu Zhou must have intervened on his behalf, for which he was naturally grateful. However, a private conversation?

This was a bit peculiar. In recent days, Xie Yan, Elder Jie Liang, and Yu Zhou had been discussing and negotiating matters of Cliff City with the representatives of Sect's Mountain Gate, led by He Qing. The three close friends were clearly united in their actions. Under such circumstances, what could be the dealings between Yu Zhou and He Qing?

Yu Ci noticed that Bao Guang's way of addressing He Qing wasn't quite as respectful as a junior to a senior should be.

He furrowed his brows, about to inquire further, when Bao Guang noticed the Fish-Dragon floating beside him. He reached out to touch it, calling out, "Hey, little fellow."

Since the Fish-Dragon had become Yu Ci's, it hadn't been given a name. Instead, it had grown accustomed to being called "little fellow," even showing signs of recognizing the nickname. Yu Ci, too lazy to change it, let it be.

After playing with the Fish-Dragon for a moment, Bao Guang sighed, "Comparing oneself to others will only make one frustrated. The same goes for Fish-Dragons. Look at hers, then look at ours. The difference is just too great!"

The young Taoist's words were tinged with frustration, but he was merely stating the truth. Compared to the enormous serpent shadow slithering in the sky above the Still Heart Temple, their little fellow was pitifully small.

Both were Fish-Dragons, but there was a vast difference in size. If the Fish-Dragon in the sky could be described as a giant python, their little fellow could only be considered a worm, and a shrunken one at that. When Hu Dan first gave it to him, the little fellow was even more pitiful. Its current state was only due to Yu Ci's habitual use of the "Soul Feeding Method," which had restored its vitality and brought a shine to its scales.

However, this was only its outward appearance. The difference within was even more severe.

Ever since the "Spine" core transferred the Fish-Dragon's vital essence into Yu Ci's Inner Void of the Heart, its quality had greatly deteriorated. The horn-like protrusions that had begun to appear on its head had vanished, dropping from the "Squama-Breaking and Horn-Growing" stage straight to the "Skin and Flesh Piercing Scales" level. A single level's difference was like night and day. The gap in between, for a Fish-Dragon, might take thousands or even tens of thousands of years to bridge.

Moreover, without the central "Spine", the Fish-Dragon's instinctual prowess had significantly declined. Yet, it still preferred to linger on Yu Ci, drawing from the Primordial Qi. However, it could no longer be called a "glutton"; it only consumed a little each day, just enough for its normal growth. At this rate, thousands or tens of thousands of years later, it would only be left far behind by its kind, and the little creature might have to be treated as a pet.

Yu Ci glanced at the snake shadow in the sky again. He had been mentally prepared and felt nothing about this. On the other hand, Bao Guang, although sometimes careless, was very polite when facing his elders. But the way he referred to He Qing, either as "her" or "that person", was rather rude. Wasn't this strange?

After a thought, he asked, "Is there any discord between Immortal He Qing and the senior observers?"

The young Taoist couldn't hide his thoughts. His face changed at the question, and he wanted to say something, but in the end, he held his famous big mouth shut. He just coughed and said, "I'm not very clear about this. Anyway, I need to go back to serve my master. I'll leave first, Brother Yu, you carry on!"

Without caring about Yu Ci's thoughts, he turned and ran. Yu Ci watched his retreating figure, dumbfounded.

There was definitely a story, a problem here, and it was the kind that was not good to tell outsiders. From Bao Guang's reaction, Yu Ci could guess a bit. But since Bao Guang was reluctant to speak, and the elders like Yu Zhou didn't mention it to him, it was meaningless for him to ask further.

Shaking his head, he walked a few steps into the forest behind him. Logically, since the observatory had already made a decision, it was a good time for him to return. But now, he felt a strange sense of emotion, so he simply found a clean place and sat down.

Leaning against a big tree, he looked up at the sky. In the sky, the huge snake shadow was still circling. After a long look, the snake shadow seemed like a long rope, which felt odd.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Yu Ci understood that this was a kind of constraint, an inevitable result after joining the Lichen Sect. Here, he received guidance from the Immortal Elder, inherited secret techniques, and could use rich resources that he had never dared to think of before. This had caused his cultivation level to skyrocket, and his path of cultivation suddenly became smooth. However, correspondingly, he had to bear certain responsibilities and follow certain rules.

For Outer Disciples, this constraint was minimal. But in the past ten or more years, he had become accustomed to his freedom, acting according to his heart, often not considering the consequences. The difference was particularly noticeable when compared.

He couldn't help but wonder if there was a model in this world that allowed both freedom and unimpeded cultivation. But thinking again, he felt that this idea was too greedy. How could one monopolize all the benefits in the world?

He smirked, feeling his thoughts were somewhat illusory, so he drew his Pure Yang Talisman Sword.

The illusory and entangled thoughts were instantly cut off by the Sword Energy.

After the day of slaying Yin Demons, Yu Ci found himself increasingly drawn to the sensation of being engrossed in his sword. In that state, all chaotic thoughts were reset, allowing him to solve the most complex problems in the simplest and most direct manner.

In comparison, other forms of cultivation, whether it was the "Primordial Root Qi Method", talismanic cultivation practice, Soul Sensing, or ritual refining, although they could all achieve the purpose of focus, and often resulted in a great sense of accomplishment, they did not bring him as much pleasure as sword practice did.

This was very similar to his feelings over the years: he was skilled in talismans, but he loved the sword more!

He toyed with the Pure Yang Talisman Sword, the talismanic patterns on the wooden body of the sword, a foot or so long, were clearly visible. Upon infusing it with "Primordial Qi", a Flame Sword Blade nearly two feet long extended from the sword. With a slight swing, the flaming blade hissed and easily penetrated a tree trunk, leaving behind a deep burn mark.

If Yu Ci wished, he could easily cut down the tree as thick as a hug, which would have been a luxury a year ago.

This change was not only due to the separation of consciousness & thoughts and entering the Nature-Connecting Realm, but more importantly, it was the gift of Half-Mountain Mirage Sword Intent from Ye Bin that led to a qualitative improvement in his Sword Way. Under the drive of the Half-Mountain Mirage Sword Intent, cultivators of the same rank became vulnerable, and he could even pose a threat to the higher-level Golden Elixir cultivator.

That day in the wilderness, Xie Yan taught him the method of Sword Intent to Break Evil Illusions. Although it was just a small trick, it elevated his understanding of Sword aura. These past few days, he had been pondering a certain issue, hoping to make a breakthrough in his Sword Way Cultivation Level.

Perhaps he had been stationary for too long, the Fish-Dragon swam over, wagging its tail, rubbing against him, devouring the increasingly delicious Primordial Qi due to the "Soul Feeding Method". Yu Ci didn't mind it. Without the "Spine" core, the little creature's threat was almost non-existent, and if it ate too much, it might even choke on its own greed.

The little creature had long lost its "ambition", simply circling around him, enjoying itself immensely. But after a few moments, its body suddenly shivered. Yu Ci, connected to it through mind and spirit, sensed something, lifted his head, and found everything before him darkened.

Above the maple forest, a slender serpent shadow circled down. It didn't enter the forest, but lowered its head, as large as a fist, connected to a slender neck. On its head were two short horns like deer antlers, dark in color, but at the forked ends, there was a yellowish hue.

Yu Ci noticed that this creature's facial features were clear, its eyes squinted into a slit, the position was pitch-black and unclear. Evidently, although this creature was huge, it was still in the "Squama-Breaking and Horn-Growing" stage, without Dragon Eye Formation, and had not achieved the Body of the Heavenly Dragon.

Of course, if it were a celestial dragon, how could it accept human care?

This thought flashed through Yu Ci's mind as he stood up and bowed to the figure standing to the side of the Fish-Dragon's head, "Immortal He."

He Qing had just walked in from the maple forest, dressed in a short blouse and long skirt of a very pale color. Her face remained stern, a habitual expression that gave her a slight curve at the cheeks, making her appear perpetually serious, facing everything with a stern demeanor.

In fact, since their first meeting, Yu Ci had never seen her smile.

He Qing's gaze swept over him and she said, "Yu Ci."

Yu Ci thought she was about to discuss punishment and replied, "Yes."

"Do you excel in swordsmanship?"

Yu Ci was taken aback. This had nothing to do with punishment; was it a casual conversation?

He found it somewhat strange, but her question coincided with his thoughts, so he laughed and loudly said, "I report to the Immortal Elder, I prefer the sword."

He Qing stared at his face and nodded slightly, "How do you wield your sword?"

Yu Ci still didn't understand He Qing's intentions, but since the female cultivator's two consecutive questions hit his sweet spot, he laughed again and said, "I fight life and death with my sword, that's it."

"Oh, you don't seem to be speaking casually."

Although her expression didn't change much, He Qing's tone became more casual. She took a step forward, closing the distance between her and Yu Ci, and whispered, "Would you elaborate?"

At this point, Yu Ci had nothing to hide. He stood tall and spoke loudly, "I only hope that with my sword, I can eliminate all disparities with a powerful enemy."

He didn't deliberately choose his words, just expressed his thoughts directly.

The so-called elimination of disparities with a powerful enemy is not about defeating them with one stroke, but about pulling any powerful enemy to the brink of life and death under his sword. It doesn't matter if the enemy can wipe him out with a wave of their hand, as long as he can strike their vital point with his sword first and end their life sooner, that's enough.

He Qing remained silent after hearing this. Her gaze finally moved away from Yu Ci's face and she shook her head slightly, "It's like, and yet not like."

Her voice suddenly stopped, and a genuine look of surprise appeared on the female cultivator's face as she looked at Yu Ci's side. Yu Ci was puzzled and followed her gaze to see the little creature swimming at the end.

The female cultivator's voice suddenly deepened, "Your Fish-Dragon, where is its True Form Qi?"

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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e