“Ah, so I’ve grown taller!” Wen Zixing’s face lit up with joy, “Because I’m almost twenty, I thought I had stopped growing!”
Lu Yaoyao gave him a stink eye, still visibly annoyed.
When Wen Zixing first arrived at Guiyuan Sect three years ago, he was just a thin, lanky boy. Because he didn’t have enough nutrients growing up, he had a short stature, and years of living on the street had given him a darker skin tone. After joining the Guiyuan Sect and becoming a peak master’s personal disciple, his quality of life improved rapidly. After a few years of nurturing, his dark skin gradually lightened, and he gained a well-proportioned physique, shooting up within two years in a late growth spurt.
By now, he had probably grown a bit more, reaching around 1.8 meters.
Lu Yaoyao felt a bit sour. Over these three years, she had focused on studying alchemy and did not rush to cultivate and advance her level. Her aim was to stabilize her current cultivation base, so she had no choice but to continue remaining in this child form.
There was also another worry. Half of her bloodline was from the devil race, and devils reached adulthood at a hundred years — what if she still looked like a child even after reaching the Nascent Soul stage?
Unfortunately, even her father couldn’t provide a definite answer. The growth pattern of mixed-blood children varied and generally leaned towards the dominant bloodline. However, there were some patterns. For example, half-devils whose characteristics leaned more towards humans grew slower than typical humans but much faster than devils, who had a prolonged juvenile phase.
“It’s okay, you’ll grow when your cultivation improves.” Wen Zixing consoled.
Lu Yaoyao didn’t want to dwell on this saddening topic, so she changed the subject, “How did you know I was coming to see you?” And even waited at the mountain gate to greet her?
“Some junior brother ran to tell me while you were still on the road,” Wen Zixing shrugged.
Lu Yaoyao nodded. She didn’t hide where she was going, so words naturally got around.
As they spoke, Wen Zixing led Lu Yaoyao to the peak, stopping their conversation tactfully whenever someone passed by.
They quickly arrived at Wen Zixing’s room. Although he wasn’t provided with a whole building like Lu Yaoyao, his room was not cramped and was divided into an inner and outer chamber. The inner chamber was where Wen Zixing slept, rested, and stored personal items, while the outer chamber was equipped with furniture for hosting guests.
This wasn’t Lu Yaoyao’s first visit; she comfortably settled onto the couch. “What did you want to see me about?”
Wen Zixing straightforwardly said, “I’d like to hear your opinion. Shall we take on a mission and go for a field experience? What do you think?”
Lu Yaoyao was surprised, “You want to go?”
Wen Zixing nodded, scratching the back of his head, “I do, and Muxue feels the same way.” The world outside the sect was fascinating. After three years at Guiyuan Sect, they had grown accustomed to the environment, and while there were still wonders to discover within the sect, they were also eager to experience the real realm of cultivation.
“But you guys have only been cultivating for three years,” Lu Yaoyao hesitated.
Even if Wen Zixing and a few others were exceptionally talented, they couldn’t match Lu Yaoyao’s absurd growth. Three years of diligent cultivation had gotten them to the second level of the Qi Condensation stage, with only Du Qianshan reaching the third level a bit quicker. Disciples of the Guiyuan Sect typically wouldn’t venture out for field experience until their ninth or tenth year.
“Plus, the sect’s assessments are starting soon.” Lu Yaoyao added, concerned. This would be their first time taking part in the sect’s assessments, and it seemed improper to leave at this time. They definitely couldn’t miss it.
“But we have you,” Wen Zixing was confident, “Plus, we won’t go far, just nearby missions that we can complete within a day or two, so it won’t overlap with the assessments.”
Wen Zixing wasn’t foolish; at their current level, they merely had a slight ability to protect themselves, but it was nowhere enough when facing real dangers. With Lu Yaoyao’s identity attracting so much attention, they’d be crazy to venture beyond the protection of their sect. Hence, they decided to take it easy.
“Precisely because the assessments are coming up that we should go out and gain some experience. Having more knowledge is good for our cultivation.” Wen Zixing explained, “I’ve checked the mission hall, and some tasks are quite simple. They are certainly within our capabilities. Plus, it’s also a good opportunity to earn some resources.”
Wen Zixing and the others had no family support and relied solely on the resources provided by the sect and their respective Master, which wasn’t enough for a typical cultivator. While Lu Yaoyao was never stingy with her friends and generously shared any resources with them, it wasn’t good to always depend on others. They needed to earn their own resources.
Hearing this, Lu Yaoyao saw that Xingxing and the others had considered everything thoroughly, so she nodded, “So, when do we go?” She had been engrossed in alchemy for the past half-month, isolating herself in the alchemy room and neglecting everything else. As a result, she was completely unaware of the plan.
Their group of five had been together since the entrance test three years ago, but only four of them planned to eventually venture out for field experience together. The only exclusion was Li Dazhuang, who possessed zero spiritual roots and thus couldn’t cultivate. He had practiced some martial arts as an alternative, but that was nowhere enough to go against real cultivators. Li Dazhuang was content with his current life. Not wanting to hold his friends back, he chose not to join. His purpose in trying for the entrance test was just to find a safe place to call home and live each day peacefully.
Unable to persuade him otherwise, Lu Yaoyao and the others respected Li Dazhuang’s decision.
“The date isn’t set yet. When are you available?” Wen Zixing asked.
Lu Yaoyao thought for a moment, “How about in three days?” She needed to make a thorough preparation, including convincing her master and senior brothers to agree to her going out for field experience.”
“Alright, I’ll let them know,” Wen Zixing was thrilled, “Now that we’ve settled it, let’s get to the main topic. How did you end up in confinement? I heard you blew up the alchemy furnace again, but hasn’t your master ever punished you for that before? It’s not your first time blowing things off.”
“What’s confinement like? Is it scary?” Wen Zixing was full of curiosity.
“…” Lu Yaoyao was fed up with his persistence. Why was he so interested in such a useless topic? “Why don’t you try it yourself?”
Also, what the heck is the main topic!
Wen Zixing promptly shook his head, “I think I’ll pass.” He was curious, but not to the extent he would like to experience it himself.
Lu Yaoyao hopped off the couch and walked away, “Goodbye!”
“Eh?” Wen Zixing followed, “Why are you leaving so soon? Wait for me…”
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I wonder what kind of tasks could be accomplished at their current cultivation levels. They probably would be very simple ones, like medicinal plant collection, but it still would be interesting to see them working as a team when out adventuring.
Thanks for the chapter! 😀