Chapter 582 510: Qing Yueqiu, Do You Want to Reunite with Pei Yuhang?

Hearing Pei Yuhang's question, Ji Shenyun's red lips curved slightly, and a playful arc formed at the corners of her eyes.

"Hehe, your junior sister wants to break through to Mahayana. I am merely showing her the way."

Pei Yuhang's brow furrowed. "What kind of twisted path did you set her on?"

"I used a Secret Technique to amplify her worldly passions. If she can overcome you, her Red Dust Tribulation, she will be able to achieve complete Forgetfulness. Her Dao Heart will reach true purity, and she will ascend to Mahayana."

With that said, she tilted her head, a wide smile on her face as she sized up Pei Yuhang's reaction.

Pei Yuhang was stunned, and a hint of astonishment appeared on his cold, handsome face.

"You mean I'm now an obstacle to my junior sister's progress?"

"Of course~"

Ji Shenyun drew out the word, her hand reaching out to caress his chiseled abs as her fingertips ambled suggestively.

"Who told you to be born with looks that could topple nations?"

She suddenly leaned in, her warm breath ghosting across the side of his neck. "At first, I only found you pleasing to the eye, but now…"

Ji Shenyun narrowed her phoenix eyes and said, "The more I look at you, the more beautiful you seem. It's truly strange that even a being like me, with an unshakable will, could become so enthralled."

"Back then, the Yin Yang Saint Master was able to bewitch me for a mere moment with a Charm Technique. But you, with all your clothes off…"

"I'm afraid you could bewitch me for days and nights on end~ Hehehe~"

Ji Shenyun was doubled over with laughter.

But when Pei Yuhang heard Ji Shenyun compare him to that kind of Yin Yang Dao Female Cultivator, his body stiffened slightly. It all felt rather strange.

'This lecherous tyrant! You're the one who's hopelessly horny, so how can you blame me?!'

Pei Yuhang cleared his throat, forcing himself to remain calm. "…Let's talk business."

Ji Shenyun's smile faded. Her slender fingers idly toyed with a lock of her dark hair, tickling Pei Yuhang's ear. Her gaze was like that of someone looking at their favorite little puppy.

"How about this? I have a plan that will give us the best of both worlds."

"It will allow your junior sister to break through to Mahayana, and you won't have to bear the guilt of intentionally distancing yourself from her."

"What plan?"

Pei Yuhang was all ears, listening intently.

Ji Shenyun's red lips parted slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.

"How about we announce our relationship right in front of her?"

"Your junior sister's Dao Heart will shatter, and she'll never trust another man again. That also counts as achieving complete Forgetfulness."

Pei Yuhang's expression changed drastically, a vein throbbing on his temple.

'…I have a feeling that rather than hating me, my junior sister would be more likely to draw her sword and fight you to the death.'

Pei Yuhang imagined the scene and couldn't help but press a hand to his forehead and sigh.

'It seems I'll have to find ways to spend less time with Junior Sister Nangong from now on.'

…

…

「Meanwhile, in Broken Wind Mountain.」

The roiling black clouds that had persisted for a full day finally scattered, and the bright moonlight poured down like a flowing river, draping the mountains in a silver veil.

A gentle night breeze swept through, carrying the uniquely crisp mountain air.

A silver-haired young woman, like a fairy of the moon, rode the moonlight and the night wind as she slowly descended from the peaks of the clouds.

"Haaaah—"

Qing Yueqiu slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. When she opened her eyes, it was as if stars swirled within them.

She raised a pale hand, and a Spirit Sword the color of Liuli glass shot through the air. Its blade hummed with a clear, resonant tone before landing obediently in her palm.

"Not bad, Little Yueqiu."

Yuan Tianming stroked his beard with a smile, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothing out. "You've successfully broken through to the Void Refining Realm… Yuhang wasn't as accomplished as you at this age."

Hearing this, Qing Yueqiu shook her head. "It is all thanks to Grandmaster's guidance…"

The silver-haired young woman paused, then couldn't resist adding in a quiet voice:

"Besides, I would never dare to compare myself to Master. In my heart, Master is the greatest Sword Cultivator…"

"If it weren't for what happened with Liyuan, Master would have ascended to the position of the Dao Sect's Saint Son and broken through to the Mahayana Stage long ago."

Yuan Tianming heard the subtle complaint in his grand-disciple's tone and sighed helplessly.

He clasped his hands behind his back and gazed at the moon. His Adam's apple bobbed a few times before he spoke. "As for what happened with Liyuan and Yuhang… I am the one who wronged them…"

"Grandmaster!"

Seeing the old man's sorrowful expression, Qing Yueqiu quickly said:

"Please don't think that way. For Master and the others, your being safe and sound is the greatest blessing."

"Master and the others have always been worried about you, Grandmaster. They try to find any news of you every year."

At this, Qing Yueqiu pressed her lips together.

"It's a pity that you now bear a heavy responsibility, Grandmaster. You must remain hidden and cannot let Master and the others know you're here."

The silver-haired young woman lowered her head, her voice trailing off.

"After I return to the Dao Sect… I won't be able to tell Master about you to put his mind at ease…"

When Yuan Tianming heard her mention returning to the Dao Sect, his expression faltered for a moment, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He mulled it over for a moment before finally speaking, his voice low and slow.

"Yueqiu, when do you plan to head back?"

"I'll stabilize my cultivation tonight and set off tomorrow."

Qing Yueqiu answered without the slightest hesitation, firm in her plan to return home.

In fact, if not for the courtesy of waiting after her Grandmaster had just stood guard for her, she would have left already.

Qing Yueqiu wished she could set off this very instant—back to the Xuanyuan Dao Sect, back to the Cold Palace Sword Mansion, back to… her Master's side.

This was the first time she had been away from her Master for so long…

Every night, as she lay alone in her bed, she would miss her Master's scent, his warmth, his gentle smile, and the feel of his hand stroking her hair.

Right now, Qing Yueqiu was like a fledgling bird, eager to fly home. She wanted nothing more than to immediately return to that little nest where her Master was—the one place she felt safe.

However, Yuan Tianming's next words plunged her into an icy abyss—

"Yueqiu, the truth is… to ensure you could break through smoothly without any external distractions, I've been hiding something from you…"