Chapter 131: An Outsider

The original owner had broken through to the Spirit Transformation stage before the age of sixty. Forty years had passed since then, and she had only just reached the late stage of Spirit Transformation. It was no wonder that Wen Youhe, as the head of the family, was dissatisfied with such progress.

Yan Shu lowered her head and remained silent.

Reaching the late stage of Spirit Transformation was already the limit of her boasting. If she claimed to have reached the Void Refinement stage, her senior brothers would surely insist on examining her cultivation and questioning her about her tribulation.

Seeing her bow her head, Shi Wanqing immediately protested. He turned his eyes to Wen Youhe and said, "Why be so harsh on our little junior sister, Senior Brother? She has barely reached a hundred years of age; to have the cultivation of the late Spirit Transformation stage is already quite remarkable!"

Bing Shi'en nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Eldest Senior Brother, do not be too demanding of her. After all, although our little junior sister was born with a Daoist physique and mutated spiritual roots, she possesses a Pure Yin body. Cultivating too quickly is not necessarily a good thing."

Liu Zhiqing added, "Safety and peace are what matter most. Even if our little junior sister were only at the Golden Core stage, it would be no great matter. Furthermore, since she obtained the Breath-Soil, she has poured her energy into cultivating spiritual plants; it is only natural that her cultivation speed would slow down!"

Hearing them all pleading her case, Wen Youhe felt a headache coming on. Did he really bring this up because he was unhappy with her slow progress? To reach the late Spirit Transformation stage by age one hundred—she was already the foremost talent in the cultivation world!

Wen Youhe rubbed his temples and finished what he had intended to say. "Little Junior Sister, cultivation is like rowing a boat against the current; you must never slacken. You must not let unnecessary worldly affairs distract you. You are still young, and you will have plenty of time in the future to meet all sorts of people."

"Moreover, this is merely the lower realm. Given your aptitude, as long as you focus on your cultivation, ascending to the upper realm in three or five hundred years is inevitable. Only then will you realize that what is considered good in the lower realm is not even worth mentioning in the upper realm."

Yan Shu did not grasp the meaning of his words at all. She blinked, looking completely bewildered.

While Yan Shu did not understand, everyone else present did. Bing Shi'en quickly added, "Little Junior Sister, Eldest Senior Brother is absolutely right. For now, you must focus on your cultivation and not let worldly matters hinder you."

Liu Zhiqing and Shi Wanqing nodded repeatedly.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jihan lowered his gaze without responding, but his hand, hidden within his sleeve, clenched tightly into a fist. These people were becoming increasingly eyesores the more he looked at them!

Though she didn't understand, Yan Shu nodded obediently. "I understand."

"It is good that you understand." Wen Youhe cast a warning glance at Xiao Jihan, and then he, along with Liu Zhiqing and the others, departed from Wushang Peak.

Once they left, only Xiao Jihan and Yan Shu remained on Wushang Peak. Xiao Jihan’s favorability rating appeared above his head:

Favorability: 50 (Like)

It had increased by 25 points—it had doubled!

It was worth going through life and death for! Yan Shu beamed, and just as she was about to speak, she saw Xiao Jihan looking at her with a cold expression. He asked, word by word, "Is being with me merely a 'worldly affair'?"

"Huh?" Yan Shu was stunned. Where did that come from?

"Hmph!" Xiao Jihan gave a cold laugh. "Then I shall not hinder Master’s cultivation with my 'worldly affairs' any longer!"

With that, he flicked his sleeve and turned to walk into the main hall.

Favorability: 45 (Like)

Yan Shu: ...

What was this all about?! Could everyone just act like normal human beings?! She had worked herself to the bone to earn that favorability, only to lose a fifth of it for no reason. Who could she even complain to? The key was, if you’re going to drop it, at least make the reason clear! What kind of nonsense was this?!

Yan Shu felt dejected, crestfallen, and utterly defeated. She stomped her feet in frustration!

When she returned to the room, Xiao Jihan had already entered a meditative state. Having just advanced to the Spirit Transformation stage, he indeed needed to consolidate his cultivation. Yan Shu thought for a moment, sat down on a cushion beside him, and diverted her focus into the Breath-Soil.

Once the Breath-Soil was fully under her control, it became an independent space that she could enter with a mere thought. She channeled all her pent-up frustration into motivation and set to work on the sixteen plots of land. She did not emerge until her Profound Spirit Mirror signaled a notification.

Upon leaving the Breath-Soil, she realized that several days had passed in the outside world, yet Xiao Jihan remained in meditation; he evidently had not woken up once. To avoid disturbing him, Yan Shu stepped out of the room before answering the mirror.

It was a call from her Third Senior Brother, Liu Zhiqing, who said that today was her one-hundredth birthday. They had prepared fine wine and food in the main hall, along with generous gifts, and invited her over to celebrate.

Yan Shu naturally agreed. Liu Zhiqing then added, seemingly casually, "How is Xiao Jihan? If you come alone, won't he be unhappy?"

Yan Shu shook her head. "Not at all. He is still in meditation and hasn't woken up. Besides, this is you brothers celebrating my birthday—a gathering for me and my senior brothers—why would he be unhappy?"

Hearing this, Liu Zhiqing beamed. "That is true. This is a gathering for us; as an outsider, he has no right to be unhappy. Come quickly; Eldest Senior Brother and the others are already waiting for you."

Yan Shu agreed, hung up the mirror, and happily flew off on her sword toward the main hall.

After she left, Xiao Jihan, who had been meditating in the room, slowly opened his eyes. His expression was grim. He parted his thin lips and let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Hmph! An outsider? Then let us see who the real outsider is."

Yan Shu arrived at the main hall to find Wen Youhe and the others already there. The hall had clearly been tidied up; apart from the four of them, there was no one else in the courtyard.

The four sat around a round table filled with a feast. Cultivators were not restricted in their diet; there were meat, vegetables, and wine, which made Yan Shu’s appetite surge immediately. Ever since she had arrived in this world, she hadn't even smelled meat!

Liu Zhiqing gestured for Yan Shu to sit and pointed at the spread. "This and this, I made myself. This one is from Eldest Senior Brother, and the rest are from Second Senior Brother. Although your Fourth Senior Brother didn't cook, all this meat was hunted by him!"

Yan Shu felt a wave of warmth. She looked at the four of them and said hoarsely, "Thank you, Senior Brothers."

Wen Youhe looked at her tenderly. "There is no need to be so formal with us."

"Exactly," Bing Shi'en said with a smile. "No need to be formal."

He produced an exquisite brocade box and handed it to her. "This is a defensive magical treasure I crafted for you. See if you like it."

Yan Shu opened the box to find a shimmering hairpin resting inside. It was not only beautifully crafted but clearly of extraordinary quality. Just as she was about to thank him, Liu Zhiqing presented his gift. "You mentioned last time that you lacked clothing. I sought out the finest Heavenly Silkworm Silk and had an elder skilled in tailoring craft this for you. See if it is to your liking."

The garment was a simple white, but it rippled with a faint, flowing light, indicating that it was not merely clothing, but a magical artifact.

Shi Wanqing gave her a Qilin horn he had obtained during his travels, which possessed the power to protect the heart and ward off demons.

As for Wen Youhe, he gifted her a Substitute Talisman, capable of shielding her from death once.