124: Chapter 124 The Master is the Dao!

Outside Diancang City, on the peak.

Qin Zhaoxue stood on the peak, overlooking the devastation of Diancang City below, and sighed softly.

After reporting the situation in various places to the Sect, she took Lu Changning and Lin Xiwei through the tower of laws to several cities.

The situation was slightly better than expected.

The six erosion suppression monuments on the edge of the Moonshadow Sect's three-thousand-mile radius were completely destroyed, but most of the other erosion suppression monuments, though covered in cracks, had held firm.

In addition, according to the reports from the guarding Disciples, those tree roots that broke through the erosion suppression monuments only rampaged for a moment before retreating underground, so they did not suffer too much damage.

Qin Zhaoxue turned around and cast her gaze toward the northwest of Qing State.

Even separated by ten thousand miles, the massive scarlet tree shadow that obscured the northwest sky was still clearly visible, its huge shadow cast like a solidified bloodstain, sticking to the horizon.

Lin Xiwei walked behind her.

"Second Senior Sister."

"Hmm?" Qin Zhaoxue did not look back.

"Where is Little Changning?"

"She is with Fourth Senior Sister and Junior Sister Chu."

"That's good."

Qin Zhaoxue nodded slightly, "Little Changning has a soft personality; it's good for her to spend more time with the other Junior Sisters."

Lin Xiwei said "Hmm," her gaze also involuntarily cast toward the huge tree shadow in the distance.

Even though she was in the Soul Transformation Stage in her previous life, she had never seen such a huge tree shadow, and the power it contained was beyond anything she could imagine.

"Second Senior Sister, this must be Revered Master taking action, right..."

Qin Zhaoxue nodded.

She had the same thought; these strange tree roots only rampaged for a moment before shrinking back; it was likely that something had gone wrong on its side.

In the Qing State, the only one capable of doing this was likely their Revered Master.

Lin Xiwei withdrew her gaze and landed on Qin Zhaoxue's cold back, took a deep breath, and threw out the question that had been lingering in her heart for a long time:

"Second Senior Sister, I want to know, why are you, First Senior Sister, and Junior Sister Chu... all able to invoke the power of Revered Master's Heaven-Earth Domain?"

She asked straightforwardly.

She chose to ask Qin Zhaoxue because she had once asked the other party about the reason for her rapid cultivation progress, and although Second Senior Sister did not answer at the time, she told her to ask Revered Master.

But combined with the answer of Yin and Yang Dual Cultivation she got from Revered Master, Second Senior Sister had already given half an answer.

And she already had a vague guess about the answer to the question of invoking the power of the domain, and this answer was probably the same as before, it was...

Qin Zhaoxue turned around, her gentle eyes clearly reflecting the cold Lin Xiwei.

The corners of her lips curled up, and she smiled beautifully:

"Fifth Junior Sister, don't you... already have the answer in your heart?"

So it was true... it really was... Dual Cultivation with Revered Master!

A blush instantly appeared on Lin Xiwei's fair face. Doing this kind of thing between Revered Master and Disciple, don't First Senior Sister and the others feel... wrong?

Is this Revered Master and Disciple, or Dao Companions?!

And... how exactly is this done?! Invoking someone else's domain power to improve one's own Realm completely violates the iron laws of cultivation she knew as a Soul Transformation Cultivator in her previous life!

Looking at the blush and a hint of confusion on Lin Xiwei's face, Qin Zhaoxue chuckled.

She knew this Fifth Junior Sister, who was meticulous and obsessed with the Dao, too well.

"Silly Junior Sister,"

Qin Zhaoxue's voice was firm, with a sense of inevitability,

"He is your Revered Master after all. It's not strange for him to do anything..."

"Can't you just understand that your Revered Master is the Dao itself?"

She silently added in her heart: After all, his existence itself is probably "cheating" in some sense.

As a person who underwent Transmigration and was also a novel writer, she knew about the "System" that might exist on Ling Hao.

But... Lin Xiwei opened her mouth but found she couldn't find any reason to refute.

Because this was happening right beside her.

All common knowledge of cultivation seemed so pale and weak at this moment. She even absurdly doubted whether she had practiced fake cultivation in her previous life? Was everything she heard and learned wrong?

Qin Zhaoxue walked two steps closer, came to Lin Xiwei's side, looked at the entanglement hidden under her cold face, and a hint of slyness seeped into her gentle tone:

"Fifth Junior Sister, thinking too much is not as good as trying it yourself?"

She raised her hand and lightly tapped the stiff and tense heart position of Lin Xiwei:

"Ask your own heart, if you don't have... no feelings for Revered Master, why not give it a try?"

"I..."

Lin Xiwei subconsciously wanted to deny it, because when she lived her second life, she had already sworn to decide not to be tainted by love and only be obsessed with the Great Dao.

But now Qin Zhaoxue's words were like stones thrown into a deep pool, instantly stirring up the memory fragments she had deliberately sealed.

Scenes flashed by:

By the Twin Lakes, Revered Master Ling Hao sat on a blue stone, his clear voice explaining the principles of the Great Dao, the breeze blowing across the lake and also blowing his black robe. At that time, she only felt that he was high and unreachable.

When she first learned Talismans, her fingertips trembled, making it difficult to outline the perfect spiritual power circuit. Revered Master walked silently behind her, his palm covering the back of her hand, his steady breath lingering in her ears, guiding the flow of her spiritual power.

"Calm down, focus."

That low voice seemed to have magic, dispelling her panic. Hand in hand, her back against his warm chest.

On the practice field, she was stuck in a Bottleneck when merging Talisman arrays and Spells. Revered Master stood by, and with just a few words, it was like clearing the clouds to see the sun, pointing out the key stagnation in her spiritual path. The slightly furrowed brows when he focused on explaining, and the light of wisdom flashing in his eyes, made her heart surrender.

At the corner of the corridor, she inadvertently glimpsed First Senior Sister Chi Wanhe stuffing a freshly baked pastry into Revered Master's mouth without any scruples. Revered Master shook his head helplessly and indulgently, his eyes filled with a gentle smile she had never seen before. At that moment, a trace of indescribable... envy passed through her heart?

On the day of the Hundred Flowers Ceremony, pushing open the door, a pure and flawless ice heart epiphyllum floated quietly in front of her. No words were needed; she knew who had placed it there. Her fingertips touched the cold petals, but her heart felt like it had been scorched by something.

These mixed scenes, with warmth, heartbeat, dependence, admiration... flooded Lin Xiwei like a tide in an instant.

She had always attributed these to gratitude for Revered Master's teaching and worship of the strong.

But at this moment, Qin Zhaoxue's words "not without feelings" were like a thunderbolt, splitting the fog she had deliberately ignored.

Qin Zhaoxue walked past Lin Xiwei and patted her shoulder,

"Practice is the only criterion for testing truth. If your heart is moved, just act!"

Truth? Dao?

Lin Xiwei's mind suddenly flashed with what Second Senior Sister said again, Revered Master... is the Dao itself? Everything he does and says is a manifestation of the Dao?

Then... this indescribable feeling she had, this urge to get close, to want... also has an explanation, right?

Dual Cultivation with Revered Master... this seemingly contrary thing... should... should also be part of pursuing the Great Dao... right?

On Lin Xiwei's cold face, the confusion was no longer just bewilderment, but added a bit of helplessness at having her mind read and a kind of... strange sense of Epiphany where the Dao and emotion intertwined.

...

On the west bank of the Qing River, the shouting finally subsided.

The earth was soaked with dark red and dirty black, and broken limbs and arms were mixed with the broken shells of Erosion Beasts, covering the charred land.

Sticky blood pools accumulated in the low-lying areas, gathering into small streams of blood, flowing silently. The air was filled with a thick, fishy, sweet smell of blood.

Most of the allied Cultivators were injured and exhausted. Jing Hong's Daoist robe was damaged, several wounds were still oozing dark red blood, and his face was pale due to blood loss and spiritual power exhaustion.

The Sect Master of Yongyue and the Leader of Golden Sword Gate were also lethargic and barely supporting themselves.

The Moonshadow Sect Disciples were in much better condition. Chi Wanhe, Du Yuqing, Huang Yutong, and Qu Qingzhu were all intact, though their dresses had mottled blood stains and were slightly dirty, and their auras were still strong.

Two hundred Golden Core Disciples stood in formation. Although they had experienced a great battle and their armor was stained with blood, none of them had torn clothes, their spiritual light was steady, but there was exhaustion from the fierce battle between their brows.

This was the embodiment of the Moonshadow Sect's foundation. Even in a bloody battle, it did not lose its brilliance.

Although everyone was exhausted, their eyes were all cast in the same place — the northwest horizon!

The shadow of the scarlet giant tree covering the northwest territory of Qing State was clearly visible even from ten thousand miles away.

Jing Hong, the Sect Master of Yongyue, and all other Cultivators felt a cold tremor from the deepest part of their Souls, as if ants were looking up at an ancient sacred mountain, and the absolute suppression of life level made them almost unable to breathe.

Immediately after, everyone's face changed drastically. The concentration of erosion qi in the air, which had already begun to dissipate, skyrocketed again with the appearance of the tree shadow! Every breath carried a bone-chilling coldness and erosion!

Chi Wanhe, Du Yuqing, and other Moonshadow Sect Disciples also felt the strong palpitation at the Soul level and the abnormal rise in the concentration of erosion qi.

They looked solemn, and there was also fear in their eyes, but the foundation of the Moonshadow Sect and the existence of Ling Hao made their fear far less than the desperate allied Cultivators.

Everyone's eyes turned to the black-robed figure in mid-air.

Ling Hao looked down at the exhausted battlefield below calmly.

"The Erosion Tide has temporarily retreated, and new mutations have arisen. Cultivators of all Sects, rest and heal on the spot, and consolidate the defense line. Moonshadow Sect Disciples, assist in defense and vigilance."

The order calmed the panicked allied Cultivators slightly.

Ling Hao's figure moved slightly, and he had teleported in front of Chi Shuying.

"Shuying," his voice was gentle, "I leave the defense line here to you."

Chi Shuying met Ling Hao's eyes and nodded, "Don't worry, Sect Master!"

Ling Hao nodded, his eyes cast toward the scarlet shadow in the northwest, and took a step out, ready to leave.

"Revered Master!"

Chi Wanhe couldn't help but speak out, her clear voice carrying a trace of worry. That tree shadow made one's Soul tremble just by looking at it from afar, and Revered Master was going alone...

Ling Hao's figure paused slightly, raised his hand, and gently rubbed the top of Chi Wanhe's head, his movements naturally carrying comfort.

"It's fine."

"Rest assured and recover, wait for Revered Master to return."

As the words fell, the black-robed figure had turned into a stream of light, shooting straight to the Golden Sands Land in the northwest!

The foreshadowing is still not enough.