Chapter 76: The Old Man

The night was dark and the wind high in the Qingfeng Mountains. A cold wind blew, seeming to carry an unusual chill.

The refined-looking young man climbed toward the mountaintop, facing the cold night wind.

Seeing the young woman standing on the rock, Junior Brother Bai Ming said softly, "Senior Sister, I am here."

Senior Sister Tao Yu leapt down from the rock, "Junior Brother, you are quite clever."

Junior Brother Bai Ming felt uneasy, "I do not know why Senior Sister summoned me."

"What do you think it is?" Senior Sister Tao Yu's expression was calm.

It was over. He had been too excited when he finally managed to get out, and he had forgotten to keep his distance from Senior Brother Wei.

Junior Brother Bai Ming cupped his hands in a salute, "I should not have approached Senior Brother Wei."

"Oh, so you know." Senior Sister Tao Yu's slender eyelashes drooped slightly, and her eyes narrowed, "So you did it on purpose."

Junior Brother Bai Ming blurted out, "I dare not."

"You dare not accept the credit?"

"I dare not do it."

Senior Sister Tao Yu raised an eyebrow, "That is interesting. A person actually doing something they dare not do."

Her eyes were icy, "Do you think that because your spiritual roots have mostly recovered, you have the confidence to challenge me?"

Feeling the threat in Senior Sister Tao Yu's words, a chill ran down Junior Brother Bai Ming's back. It felt as if a layer of ice had formed over his body, and he froze for a moment.

"Then it seems I must place some restrictions on you." Senior Sister Tao Yu slowly raised her right hand.

Junior Brother Bai Ming hurriedly spoke, "Senior Sister, please don't."

"Just because you say no, it doesn't mean it won't happen. Have you truly recognized your position, Junior Brother? Or do you think you can order me around?" Senior Sister Tao Yu's expression was indifferent, and a ball of cyan-green spiritual energy appeared in her hand.

At this moment, thousands of thoughts collided rapidly in Junior Brother Bai Ming's mind.

He really did not want any more restrictions placed on him, but he could not defeat the Senior Sister Tao Yu before him; resistance would be futile.

Damn it, think! There must be a solution, there must be.

The cyan light orb moved closer bit by bit. Senior Sister Tao Yu's right hand was only a foot away from Junior Brother Bai Ming's forehead, and the cyan light shone in his pupils.

"Senior Brother Wei."

The cyan light orb stopped in mid-air, and the green reflection in Junior Brother Bai Ming's eyes also stopped growing.

"Senior Brother Wei will find out. If you place a restriction on me, Senior Sister, we will definitely be exposed." Junior Brother Bai Ming did not dare to hesitate and said it all in one breath.

Senior Sister Tao Yu withdrew her hand and pursed her red lips, "Hmm, indeed. It would be bad if Senior Brother Wei found out."

"Exactly! Senior Brother Wei is so sharp. If he discovers that you placed a restriction on me, Senior Sister, how would I explain that?" Junior Brother Bai Ming chuckled a few times, and the worry between his brows faded slightly.

"But Junior Brother, you are very disobedient. What should be done about that?" Senior Sister Tao Yu furrowed her brows slightly, feeling a bit conflicted.

Junior Brother Bai Ming bowed, "This was truly an accidental situation; I will absolutely never do it again."

Senior Sister Tao Yu pouted, "No, I still feel uncomfortable."

Junior Brother Bai Ming reacted quickly, "Senior Sister, I dare to ask: if Senior Brother Wei is happy, will you be happy?"

"Of course I would be happy. If Senior Brother Wei is happy, I naturally feel happy for him."

Junior Brother Bai Ming continued to guide her, "Then today, since Senior Brother Wei obtained the jade algae of the blue spring, he must be very happy, right?"

Senior Sister Tao Yu nodded.

"That is to say, my actions were actually to make Senior Brother Wei happy, and also to make you happy, Senior Sister." Junior Brother Bai Ming said slowly.

"Senior Sister, I did all of this just to make you and Senior Brother Wei happier."

"That makes some sense." Senior Sister Tao Yu glanced at him sharply, "But why is it you who makes Senior Brother Wei happy?"

Junior Brother Bai Ming stepped back, "This…"

Looking at the small puddle behind Junior Brother Bai Ming, Senior Sister Tao Yu returned to a calm state, "Forget it, you may go back today."

Junior Brother Bai Ming was a bit surprised, but hurriedly bowed and left.

Walking under the bright moonlight, Junior Brother Bai Ming let out a breath of stale air, "That was truly thrilling. However, it seems I am beginning to understand how to deal with Senior Sister."

…

The warm sunlight spilled casually over the earth, gentle and soft, dispelling the lingering sleepiness of the night.

An old man dressed in simple clothing strolled through the mountains, passing through the overlapping shadows of trees, searching for something.

The old man stroked his gray beard, "I have been searching here for several months, yet I still haven't found it. It seems this item is not destined for me."

"It is a pity for my medicinal pills; it seems it will have to be delayed for some time."

Thump. Large swaths of trees were knocked to the ground row after row as a massive, mountain-like beast shadow rushed over.

The old man looked over, "Heh, it seems I have intruded into someone else's territory. A Flame Sky Thunder Tiger; it is worth killing."

The tiger-shaped spirit beast opened its large mouth, and a fireball with a five-meter radius shot straight toward him. The path the fireball passed through crackled and popped, carrying bursts of residual thunder.

The trees along the way could not even act as an obstruction; they were carbonized and turned into waste before they were even touched.

"It is a bit of a waste of these fine spirit trees." The old man looked at the fallen spirit trees, his tone filled with some regret.

The Flame Sky Thunder Tiger seemed to be enraged by the old man's dismissive actions. With a flash of thunder, it arrived in front of the old man.

A giant tiger claw swiped toward the old man, the sharp claws containing violent lightning.

Facing the dual attack of the fireball and the tiger claw, the old man simply looked at the spirit trees in the distance, as if he had not reacted in time.

The huge tiger eyes stared at this frail old man; the Flame Sky Thunder Tiger vowed to slap him into nothingness with one paw, leaving not even ashes behind.

But gradually, it sensed something wrong. Its powerful right paw never landed, and even the fireball it had spat out had dissipated at some unknown time.

The old man turned his head, looking at the ferocious tiger before him with his old but sharp eyes, "Quite fierce. You are still an overlord in this area."

The Flame Sky Thunder Tiger could no longer hear the rest of his words. An inconspicuous small sapling grew from its right paw, as if parasitic on its body.

It spread rapidly, using its body to wrap around its entire form.

When the last leaf obscured the last glimmer of light in its eyes, its consciousness also vanished.

It could never have imagined that it would ultimately be killed by an inconspicuous leaf.

The old man deftly plucked out the Flame Sky Thunder Tiger's eyes and then turned to leave.

The branches wrapped around the tiger's body slowly receded. The giant tiger's massive body fell onto the muddy ground and quickly turned into a pool of pus and blood, flowing into the crevices of the soil.

The old man stroked his beard and walked toward the direction of leaving the forest, "In that case, it should grow back in a few days."

"I have been away for quite some time. I wonder if my disciples have been practicing diligently."

A cool breeze blew through the forest, making a rustling sound.

Whoosh—the window creaked, and the warm morning breeze slipped in.

The young man sat with his eyes closed, resting, his hair floating gently.

Streams of spiritual energy flowed toward his lower abdomen. Junior Brother Bai Ming carefully mobilized every last bit of spiritual energy in his body.

Carefully, meticulously. Not wasting a single bit.

When the last wisp of spiritual energy was infused into his spiritual roots, Junior Brother Bai Ming let out a long sigh.

"After so many days, my spiritual roots have finally recovered to sixty percent," Junior Brother Bai Ming sighed with emotion.

"If I eat the jade algae of the blue spring one more time, my spiritual roots should be fully recovered. However, I am truly hesitant about having to go see that big guy."