Junior Disciple

Chapter Five

Yu Qingwei snapped back to attention, looking at the jade token respectfully. "Master... there is nothing."

"When you formed your core, you glimpsed a thread of the Heavenly Dao. In the Golden Core stage, you will face a death tribulation that could shatter your spiritual bones. Over the years, I have helped you suppress your cultivation at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, but the spiritual energy within you is so abundant that your dantian has already begun to transform," a voice sighed.

Pale green spiritual energy emerged from the jade token, gradually coalescing into a human form.

Before him appeared a young man in an ink-black robe, with delicate features and faintly brown, glass-like eyes that shimmered with pity. The figure reached out and tapped Yu Qingwei lightly on the forehead. "After the disciple competition, you must go to the secret realm in search of opportunities. Since the suppression cannot hold, you must take a leap of faith."

Yu Qingwei nodded. "I understand. The Yutong Secret Realm opens in seven days. I was planning to win the title in the sect competition before leaving the sect. However..."

He smiled self-deprecatingly. "I probably won't have the chance."

Yun Wu frowned slightly but listened as the young man in black robes continued, "I failed during the preliminaries, so I no longer qualify for the competition."

Hearing this, Yun Wu closed his eyes briefly, sensing the void. A supreme cultivator could perceive glimpses of the past and future, especially trivial matters of little consequence. After a moment, he opened his eyes and gently lifted Yu Qingwei's lowered face. "Do not dwell on it."

These four simple words of comfort lit up Yu Qingwei's gaze with renewed determination.

Yun Wu's expression remained indifferent as he reminded him, "Under no circumstances should you form your core lightly. You must wait for a moment when the world's essence is at its peak, and your dantian is free from the slightest injury. Otherwise, if your spiritual bones remain unstable, the foreseen outcome will come to pass—you will die as your spiritual bones shatter."

After finishing, Yun Wu closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, a rare hint of gentleness flickered across his gaze. He nodded slightly before dissipating abruptly.

Yu Qingwei stood dazed for a long time, his face faintly flushed. It seemed his master cared about him.

Yun Wu—a transcendent void-stage cultivator, the only half-step ascendant in the cultivation world. Even though Yun Wu was his master, Yu Qingwei could hardly recall the last time he had seen him.

Carefully, he hung the personal jade token back on his waist. As long as he had the token, there was still some connection between them. Yet, he dared not disturb his master unnecessarily.

Coming back to his senses, he left the area, satisfied.

Completely unaware, a young man emerged from behind a tree deep in the forest. Xie Wuhán had hidden himself so far away that he narrowly avoided being detected by the spiritual awareness of the void-stage master's projection.

His eyes darkened as he crushed a demon core from a Ling Mushroom Beast into powder, absorbing every trace of demonic energy it contained.

Demonic energy surged within him, intertwining with his spiritual energy and showing faint signs of core formation. After a moment, Xie Wuhán forcibly suppressed the demonic energy, reactivating the seals on his body. Only the faint spiritual energy of a Qi Refinement cultivator remained.

He could be certain that as long as he didn't reveal himself, no one would know this Qi Refinement cultivator could rival Golden Core strength.

The mention of the Yutong Secret Realm echoed in his mind. His pretty eyes narrowed slightly. If given the chance, he wanted to enter and see if there were any opportunities for him.

Considering his demonic bloodline, he knew he must improve himself to establish a foothold in the cultivation world, all while concealing his true nature until he reached great heights.

He closed his eyes, and Yun Wu's figure appeared unbidden in his mind.

Yu Qingwei... could he be trusted?

With heavy steps, Xie Wuhán left.

...

At Shuyun Peak, Yu Qingwei was passing by the Discipline Platform when he saw a familiar figure.

A young man in white robes knelt under the scorching sun, shirtless, holding a cauldron twice his own weight aloft as punishment.

There were a few red whip marks on his back.

It was none other than Fu Zhu.

Yu Qingwei's heart skipped a beat.

Their eyes met briefly, and Fu Zhu's face turned red in an instant. Caught in such a humiliating situation, he wished he could vanish into thin air.

"...Qingwei." The embarrassment of being punished and caught by a familiar face was unbearable.

After returning from the outer disciples' quarters yesterday, Fu Zhu had inexplicably been confronted by his master, who unleashed a torrent of scolding. "You dared to strike your fellow junior brother?!" "You even gambled away spiritual stones?!" "All the lessons I taught you went to waste?!"

His master, Feng Huai, had even jabbed at his forehead repeatedly, demanding to know if this was truly his own disciple. For someone as upright as his master, raising such a troublemaker seemed incomprehensible.

Fu Zhu was near tears as he looked at Yu Qingwei.

Feng Huai's exact words rang in his mind: "If not for your coaxing, would an Immortal Sovereign's disciple have followed you into mischief?! Trying to drag Qingwei down with you—do you think I don't see your schemes? Go accept your punishment!"

Fu Zhu had hoped to use Yu Qingwei as a shield, prolonging his freedom as much as possible. But the strict elders of the Discipline Hall were impartial. They had used a Transcendent Pearl to review the events and determined him solely responsible. He received a few lashes before being sent to kneel here for self-reflection.

Yu Qingwei frowned slightly and crouched to examine his injuries. They weren't severe—two or three days would be enough for a cultivator's body to heal completely.

Recalling Xie Wuhán's injuries, which had left him bedridden, Yu Qingwei's expression darkened.

Fu Zhu, however, wailed pitifully. "Hey! You're not going to abandon me, are you? Did all this sweat make me stink so much you're cutting ties with me?"

Fu Zhu wasn't particularly striking in appearance but was still considered a handsome young man. He got along well with his senior and junior sisters. Seeing Yu Qingwei, who was usually gentle with everyone, wear such a grim expression made him feel aggrieved.

Yu Qingwei lightly tapped his forehead. "What are you talking about? I was just thinking... The Discipline Hall's punishment barely hurt you, yet Xie Wuhán's injuries were so severe he couldn't even get out of bed..." His expression turned thoughtful.

Fu Zhu was momentarily stunned.