Chapter 138: Waiting for the One Who Is to Come

Lan Shi awkwardly scratched her forehead, realizing she hadn't been of much help.

"That disciple of yours..."

"Hmm?" You Xiyue looked over, puzzled. "Yan Qingye?"

"Yes, yes, him. He's probably still standing foolishly out on the main street. He wanted to run over to help you, but stopped halfway, saying he was afraid he'd become a burden and decided to wait in place for news."

"At least he has some sense." You Xiyue closed her eyes and activated the master-servant mark.

The wind and snow on the main street had ceased, making it much warmer than before.

Yet Yan Qingye grew even more worried, as this practically meant the battle was over.

People around were whispering and speculating among themselves.

The spectacle they had just witnessed was by no means a normal weather phenomenon.

A voice echoed directly in Yan Qingye's mind.

"Come over."

Yan Qingye's eyes lit up. "It's Little Master's voice."

Happily, he grabbed Yun Jianxin and sprinted toward the immortal realm courtyard.

Three walls of the immortal realm courtyard had collapsed, instantly giving the once luxurious residence a desolate appearance.

Carefully stepping over the shattered courtyard wall, Yan Qingye and Yun Jianxin walked inside.

There, they saw You Xiyue and Lan Shi leisurely sipping tea.

"Little Master, what on earth happened?"

Concern still filled Yan Qingye's face. "You chased us all away—did you guess that some powerful expert would come looking for trouble?"

"A powerful expert?" You Xiyue lowered her gaze to sip her tea. "What expert? I just wanted a couple of days of peace and quiet."

Yan Qingye was far from convinced. "Is that so?"

You Xiyue shrugged. "Do I look like I've suffered even the slightest injury?"

Yan Qingye looked her up and down carefully. "No..."

"Then how can you call that an expert?" A trace of faint disdain laced You Xiyue's tone.

Yan Qingye knew how powerful his Little Master was, but it was clear that her opponents were growing stronger and stronger.

Today's visitor had effortlessly affected the weather of the entire immortal realm—what about the next one?

"What was the reason they came looking for you this time?" Yan Qingye inquired.

Lan Shi also cast a curious look at You Xiyue. Someone able to provoke a bloodline originating from above the sacred realms could not be involved in a trivial matter.

You Xiyue pointed to the aurora creature on the table. "Because of it."

Only then did Lan Shi shift her gaze to the small bug.

She had initially assumed the ice table was simply a quirky preference of You Xiyue's.

It wasn't until she noticed the unceasing chill emanating from the tiny insect that she realized the ice table had formed entirely because of it.

Yan Qingye also glanced at the aurora. "The intruder wanted the aurora?"

"Mm." You Xiyue nodded, then issued a dismissal. "If there's nothing else, go back early and practice your alchemy. Don't come back for the next two days; I want to sleep in peace."

Yan Qingye felt a tightness in his chest, choosing not to expose You Xiyue's glaringly obvious lie.

It simply meant another big shot was arriving in the next couple of days.

After a moment of thought, You Xiyue added, "Or perhaps go back to the lower realm and spend a couple of days with your father."

Yan Qingye furrowed his brow, remaining silent for a long while before finally asking, "So the person coming this time is so powerful that anyone in the immortal realm with low cultivation could get hurt at any moment?"

Weighing Yan Qingye's words, You Xiyue replied, "Hurt is putting it mildly. They might... lose their minds."

"What?"

Not only Yan Qingye and Yun Jianxin, but even Lan Shi was shocked.

The visitor today had already been enough to stun them; just how terrifying must the person arriving in a couple of days be?

"Why would they lose their minds?"

Lan Shi was somewhat puzzled. Being affected by spiritual pressure would certainly cause injuries, but why madness?

"Because of that fellow's peculiar sense of humor."

Familiarity dripped from You Xiyue's voice as she spoke.

Even Yan Qingye could tell their relationship was far from ordinary. "Little Master, do you know them?"

"Mm, somewhat familiar."

Being somewhat familiar meant they probably wouldn't start a fight, right? Besides, judging by You Xiyue's tone, there was no resentment at all; their relationship should be decent.

Thinking this over, Yan Qingye suggested, "I... I think I'll go to Starfall Island."

"Mm, that's not a bad idea," You Xiyue agreed.

Going to Starfall Island would allow him to evade the crisis while conveniently continuing his cultivation.

Reassured, Yan Qingye nodded.

Remembering something else, You Xiyue commanded, "You are not to mention this matter to Jun Yang and Fan Lihua."

It was an order, not a reminder.

With no room to refuse, Yan Qingye could only comply. "Understood."

Having received his instructions, Yan Qingye took Yun Jianxin back to the Alchemist Association, requested a few days' leave, and headed to Starfall Island.

After much deliberation, Yun Jianxin ultimately decided to return to the sacred realm as well, purely for the sake of caution.

Jun Yang was quite surprised to see Yan Qingye suddenly arrive on the island.

"Why are you here?"

"To cultivate."

Yan Qingye's concise reply reeked of suspicion.

"Cultivate? Aren't you going to make pills?"

"I am, but my cultivation needs to keep pace, or how else am I going to pass the examination for the divine realm?"

Yan Qingye offered a perfunctory explanation, choking back the words dying on the tip of his tongue in agonizing discomfort.

Though perfunctory, it sounded entirely reasonable.

Surprisingly, Jun Yang harbored no suspicions.

"Then focus well on your cultivation."

Jun Yang retreated into his small wooden hut.

With a strange look, Yan Qingye glanced toward the room, decided not to dwell on it, and headed to his former wooden hut, which housed an alchemy furnace.

The familiar alchemy furnace made his hands itch.

He hadn't used this furnace to refine pills in a long time.

Rubbing his hands together, Yan Qingye rummaged through his cosmos sack for herbs and pill formulas, and began studying them intently.

Fan Lihua, meanwhile, remained the most diligent cultivator of them all.

The mere thought that she might soon reach the same level of cultivation as her ancestor filled her with uncontrollable excitement.

Though she still had a long way to go, staying on Starfall Island compressed that timeline to an unimaginable degree.

Lan Shi glanced at the collapsed courtyard wall. "Are you... going to get someone to fix this?"

You Xiyue shook her head. "No point. It's going to get wrecked again in a couple of days anyway. I'll fix it after I get my spirit stones."

Amused, Lan Shi looked at her. "You certainly don't look like someone lacking in spirit stones."

"I'm not, but I won't let others off easy either. It just feels like a loss."

"Fair enough." Lan Shi finished the last drop of her tea and set the cup down. "Since you're fine, I'll continue searching for Lan Xing. I'm afraid I won't be of much help when your visitor arrives in a couple of days."

You Xiyue gave a slight nod.

Lan Shi stood up and departed.

Lowering her head, You Xiyue poked the aurora creature once more. "Such a troublesome fellow."

The aurora didn't care in the least; it simply rolled over, exposing its belly in a thoroughly shameless display.

With a helpless sigh, You Xiyue scooped up the aurora and carried it into her room.

The chaotic, ruined walls left behind continually drew curious gazes from passersby.

The two days passed in a flash, yet no visitor arrived.

The immortal realm remained entirely peaceful and serene.

It was as if everyone had forgotten the unusual snowstorm from a few days prior.

Unsurprised, You Xiyue looked up at the moon and chuckled softly, "He certainly knows how to pick a date."

Half past the midnight hour marked the fifteenth day of the first lunar month—the exact day You Xiyue's ancient curse flared up.

Even the aurora, which usually only knew how to sleep, seemed to sense the unease, shifting its body restlessly.

Clouds gradually covered the moon, then slowly drifted away, revealing its dazzling white light.

Suddenly, violent winds rose, dark clouds gathered, and the ground began to tremble violently.