12dz Chapter 30 The Grand Elder of the Hidden Moon Sect
Chapter 30 The Grand Elder of the Hidden Moon Sect
"Senior Sister Qin, you..."
Yao Guang loosened his arms from Qin Xue's embrace. He wasn't feeling inferior because of the difference in their social status; he just felt lost and powerless.
If Qin Xue were a Qi Refining cultivator, she could use the Devouring Heaven Demon Art to quickly break through the Foundation Establishment stage and extend her lifespan. However, the Grand Elder of the Hidden Moon Sect is a Nascent Soul cultivator who is nearly a thousand years old. Even if he has practiced the Devouring Heaven Demon Art, it would be impossible for him to break through to the Divine Transformation stage and extend his lifespan in such a short time.
Yao Guang's affection for her did not diminish because of her change in status, so his first thought was about her lifespan.
Qin Xue chuckled, her eyes sparkling, and said to the Core Formation elders with a smile, "Alright, alright, all of you calm down. I haven't even said anything yet, and you're already getting impatient in front of the juniors?"
The elders then calmed their anger and respectfully welcomed Qin Xue into the hall. When Qiong Laoguai and Ni Chang passed by Yao Guang, one secretly gave him a thumbs up, and the other showed him an exaggerated expression of extreme admiration.
As for the other juniors, they stood respectfully on both sides, feeling that this Junior Brother Yao was simply extremely audacious.
Seeing that Qin Xue was not offended by his earlier offense, Yao Guang felt somewhat relieved and followed her into the hall.
"Senior sister, you've returned from your travels?"
Ancestor Ningyue bowed slightly to Qin Xue, putting aside her usual coldness and arrogance in front of the Grand Elder.
Qin Xue nodded gently, flicked her worn white robe, and sat in the central seat, displaying the aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator.
After everyone was seated, Qin Xue stared at Yao Guang standing to the side and smiled sweetly, "Yao Guang, I'm taking you as my last disciple. You don't think I don't have many years left to live, do you?"
These words were like a thunderclap in spring, stunning all the elders. They never expected that the first thing the Grand Elder did after returning to the sect was to announce that she would take this offending boy into the sect.
Ancestor Ningyue frowned slightly, a strange light flashing in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.
Yao Guang was stunned for a long time after hearing this, while Old Monster Qiong hurriedly urged, "Boy, why don't you kowtow and become my disciple?"
Yao Guang then came to his senses, his heart filled with mixed emotions, and bowed down, saying, "Disciple greets Master."
From a Daoist partner in her fifties to a master nearly a thousand years old, the changes in just one day were something even Qin Xue herself couldn't help but sigh at. Youth fades, and one should not be too happy about it.
A year ago, while traveling, she was surprised to hear that the sect had recruited a disciple with a light spiritual root. She then had the idea of taking him as a disciple. So she sealed her cultivation, disguised herself as a Qi Refining cultivator, and quietly returned to the sect to test his character.
But upon their first meeting and after exchanging a few words, she felt an inexplicable sense of closeness with this stranger, as if they had known each other for a long time.
Upon learning that he had confidently guaranteed that he could remove the hidden ailment left from his battle with the Nascent Soul cultivator of the Demonic Path, he decided to take him to the Cuiyang Cave for cultivation through a secret passage known only to the Grand Elder.
Unexpectedly, he was able to persist in Cuiyang Cave for three hours and even cultivated a kind of supremely yang and holy technique that she had never seen before, which fascinated and captivated her, and she greatly admired him.
During the year she spent with him, she felt as if she had returned to the carefree days of her youth. In addition, he cured her of a hidden ailment that had troubled her for many years. Even she, who had experienced nearly a thousand years of human relationships, could not help but develop feelings for this young man.
That passionate kiss just now caused her feelings to explode, and in that instant, she felt a deep regret and reluctance that her lifespan was coming to an end and she would not be able to stay with Yao Guang for a long time.
Watching the man who captivated her perform the apprenticeship ceremony, Qin Xue's cheeks flushed slightly, and she giggled, "Get up."
He then added, "I have some sect matters to discuss with the elders. Take my token and wait for me at Sunset Hall."
……
Sunset Hall, the residence of the Grand Elders of the Hidden Moon Sect throughout the ages, is not only always built at the location of the Spirit Eye, but also heavily guarded. No one can approach this hall without the permission of the Grand Elder.
Deep within the palace, a spiritual spring, about ten feet in diameter, sits in the center of a quiet room, its spiritual energy soothing and comforting. The ground around the pool is paved with warm, lustrous jade, and the surrounding walls are inlaid with moonstone, casting a soft and bright light into the room.
"How is it? This is my cultivation cave. You'll be living here from now on."
At this moment, Qin Xue had changed into a deep pink floor-length palace dress, her snow-white hair was styled into a high bun, and a phoenix jade hairpin was inserted diagonally. She looked elegant and noble, like a queen who ruled over a powerful force.
Qin Xue's beautiful, blue eyes stared unblinkingly at Yao Guang, as if asking for his opinion, her smile indescribably captivating.
Yao Guang did not refuse her kindness, even though the Spirit Eye Spring was of little use to his cultivation.
After thinking for a moment, he finally spoke up about what he needed for his cultivation: "Master Qin, I... your disciple wants some spiritual herbs that contain a large amount of life essence for my cultivation."
"A large amount of life essence?" Qin Xue nodded knowingly. "I know that the cultivation technique you practiced in Cuiyang Cave is very unusual, but don't worry, I'm not interested in the secrets of that technique, so you don't need to tell me."
Then, with a solemn expression, she took out a jade box from her storage bag. A golden sealing talisman was affixed to the surface of the box. With a flick of her jade finger, the talisman fell off, and the moment the box lid opened, a pure white Ganoderma lucidum containing a vast life essence was revealed.
This Ganoderma lucidum is nearly ten inches in size, its entire body is icy cold, its surface is smooth and crystal clear, and wisps of white mist swirl around it, as if it were a rare treasure surrounded by celestial energy.
"This is the White Essence Mushroom, a famous variety of Ice and Fire Essence Mushroom in the cultivation world. It has been cultivated for five thousand years. It is not only an excellent spiritual medicine for cultivating ice-attribute techniques, but also contains a vast amount of life essence. Today, your master is giving it to you."
"However, remember to use it as soon as possible and never reveal it. Even Nascent Soul cultivators would be tempted to kill and plunder this treasure if they saw it."
Qin Xue showed no regret in her tone. After resealing it, she handed it to Yao Guang.
"The Ice and Fire Essence? And it's five thousand years old!"
Yao Guang was amazed. This was a priceless spiritual herb. In the original story, when Han Li participated in the Nascent Soul Trading Fair held by True Person Tianjing in Tiancheng, someone brought out a Crimson Essence Herb, which belonged to the Ice and Fire Essence Herb family and had only three thousand years of cultivation. It was auctioned off for a sky-high price of 100,000 spirit stones.
He understood that this must be one of Qin Xue's most treasured possessions.
Yao Guang looked at Qin Xue and saw that she was also smiling at him, full of concern and love. His heart was immediately filled with warmth: "Thank you, Master."
Qin Xue smiled and took out another storage bag, stuffing it into Yao Guang's hand: "There are 100,000 spirit stones in here, take it."
"Master... this is too much."
One hundred thousand spirit stones is no small sum even for a Nascent Soul cultivator. Yao Guang wanted to refuse, but before he could finish speaking, Qin Xue raised her eyebrows and scolded, "Just take it! If I don't leave it for you, do you expect me to take it to my grave?"
Yao Guang silently accepted it, deeply moved.
Then Qin Xue continued, "Our Hidden Moon Sect has two most profound inheritances. One is the 'Plain Maiden Reincarnation Technique,' but this technique is limited to women, and only a very few lucky people can cultivate it. The other is the 'Yin Yang Essence Refining Technique,' which is an unparalleled secret technique for dual cultivation that can greatly purify the true essence of both men and women."
She looked at Yao Guang with a mischievous smile and said, "So, you need to choose a cultivation partner. Any female cultivator in the entire sect, no matter who it is, as long as you take a fancy to her, Master will arrange the match for you."