Chapter 761: The Indifferent Third Discourse

Elder Xing turned back again, his hands clasped behind him. His weathered face looked up at the star-dusted night sky as he murmured, “Work hard. Whether or not you’ll have a place in the future of this Hongmeng will likely be decided this time.”

With that said, without waiting for Xu Weihai to reply, his figure transformed into a sky full of Spiritual Light and dissipated.

After Elder Xing disappeared, Xu Weihai also looked up, gazing into the deep night sky and murmuring, “I will. I won’t let you down, Elder. I’ve had more than enough of being invisible on Little Hui Peak! After you’ve put so much effort into training me, if I still can’t make a name for myself, then there’s truly no point in continuing my Cultivation path!”

The night was cool, the stars twinkled, but no one heard him muttering to himself. He stood like a statue in the courtyard for a very long time, his thoughts drifting to places unknown.

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Zhang Deming returned to the Spirit Nurturing Space. He watched the still figure of Xu Weihai on the screen and mulled things over for a moment before exiting the Space and returning to Flying Spring Waterfall Tower.

He glanced at the sky; it was still early. However, due to his Duality-level Cultivation, his body’s need for sleep had diminished to the point where he only needed to rest about once a month.

Given this minimal requirement, the short nap he had taken earlier was more than enough.

Therefore, Zhang Deming took out the manual, *Special Forging: Puppet’s Heart*, that he had received earlier. He consumed two points of Qi Fortune and, as expected, learned it. Then, he went to his Cultivation Room, set his personal cultivation to run passively, and started crafting Spirit Nurturing Beads.

He worked straight through until dawn. Zhang Deming went out to practice with his sword for a while, then visited the Wu Earth Secret Realm to complete his daily routine. Realizing it had been a long time since he’d visited the Cyan Wood Secret Realm, he decided to stop by there as well.

In the Cyan Wood Secret Realm, Pei Xiaoxiao had been released ahead of schedule after reaching the Duality stage, leaving Yi Huaihai to guard the Flower Sea by himself.

Well, he wasn’t completely alone. After all, Qing Xiaolu was awake for a few hours each day, and he also had the three little ones to look after.

As always, the moment Zhang Deming arrived at the Flower Sea, the three adorable little ones came flying over.

The little one with the Feathered Light Wings perched triumphantly on Zhang Deming’s head, looking as proud and smug as if it had just claimed the Dragon Throne. The other two wrapped themselves around his neck, nuzzling him affectionately.

The three little ones had already reached the level of Advanced Apprentice. This was partly due to their Bloodlines, but more so because they were the Three Treasures of the Flower Sea.

Not only did they frequently get a few sips of potent Spirit Nurturing ‘milk’ from Zhang Deming, but their status also earned them the affection of the Spirit Nurturing Three Elders, who often frequented the Secret Realm. As a result, they frequently received benefits that made the other Children green with envy.

It was worth noting that of the three elders, Guk Liancai was surprisingly the most lavish.

However, wary of his profound influence, Zhang Deming had repeatedly warned the three little ones to keep their distance from him.

The three little ones were crafty, though. Every time they visited Guk Liancai, they would immediately recall Zhang Deming’s words the moment they got some goodies and make a hasty retreat.

Perhaps it was because the three were so adorable, or perhaps Guk Liancai had simply gotten used to it, but he never seemed to mind.

Thanks to all these benefits, the three little ones had developed at an astonishing pace over the past year.

The one with the Feathered Light Wings, in particular, had a Bloodline that had undergone a slight mutation. Recently, when Zhang Deming performed Spirit Nurturing on it, he could clearly perceive a slow, deep-seated transformation occurring within its Bloodline.

Zhang Deming affectionately patted the heads of the three little ones. Yi Huaihai hurried over as well, bowing to Zhang Deming. “Greetings, Martial Uncle!”

“Mm.” Zhang Deming nodded. “Has there been anything unusual in the Flower Sea lately?”

“To answer, Martial Uncle, since the senior brothers led the Flower Demon Elves away, the Flower Sea has been exceptionally calm. Nothing of note has happened.”

“The senior Children who serve the three Peak Masters and I have been diligently caring for the newly born Flower Demon Elves,” Yi Huaihai replied respectfully.

Since the order for the Flower Demon Elves had been fulfilled, there were no new contracts. Now, of any new Flower Demon Elves he created, Zhang Deming could keep half for himself and was required to hand over the other half.

Therefore, Zhang Deming would still cultivate a few whenever he came in. Yuee Mengsheng and the other two Peak Masters did the same, though they expended far more effort than Zhang Deming with little more to show for it.

Zhang Deming nodded and looked at Yi Huaihai. “You must be getting ready for your Foundation Establishment soon, right?”

A smile touched Yi Huaihai’s lips. “Yes, Martial Uncle. However, I plan to wait a few more years. Although I received a complimentary set of Tai Chi Materials when I accepted this post, I want to spend some more time refining my foundations.”

This was one of the perks of being a Child, especially one assigned to stay in the Cyan Wood Secret Realm for many years. The compensation the Sect had originally offered him included a set of Ordinary resources for advancing to the Tai Chi stage.

Zhang Deming paused at his words, asking in surprise, “You really intend to switch to the path of a Word Cultivator?”

Yi Huaihai nodded. “Compared to the path of Perception, I’ve found I have a greater affinity for the Speech Dao.”

Zhang Deming paused for a moment before looking at Yi Huaihai and saying, “The Speech Dao might seem appealing, but it’s not an easy path to follow.”

“I understand, Martial Uncle. But among the countless great Daos, which path is ever easy?” Yi Huaihai replied.

“That’s true. As long as you’ve thought it through, that’s what matters. Since you’ve chosen the Speech Dao, then…” With a flip of his hand, Zhang Deming produced several Basic Spirit Nurturing Beads. “Here are some more Oratory Spirit Nurturing Pearls, like the ones I gave you before. This should be enough for you to reach the level of Control. As for achieving Mastery, that will depend on your own Karma Technique.”

Yi Huaihai froze, stunned for a moment, before saying gratefully, “Thank you for your immense kindness, Martial Uncle.”

Zhang Deming waved his hand. “Just don’t go complaining behind my back that I’m stingy. I’m not around here very often. I imagine it must be hard watching the Children who attend Senior Brother Yuee and the others receive frequent rewards.”