'Crying? Isn't this a bit too much?!' Yun Wuji stood there, stunned. 'Why did she have such an intense reaction to such a small gesture? Did it trigger some memories?' He quickly started to ponder.
Since Yun Wuji knew both her past and future, it wasn't difficult to understand her odd behavior toward him. After observing her behavior, he easily deduced that she was treating him as a replacement for her deceased lover.
When he realized this, he decided to play along.
Naturally, he had no problem with it.
Did being made a replacement for another man make him angry? Well, if it had been a woman he truly cared for, like Chu Yuechan, Xia Qingyue, or his other wives, he would, of course, never be able to accept it. But in this situation, what was there to care about?
To him, Luo Guxie was merely a tool to help him quickly reach greater heights. Since he was treating her as a tool, why should he be angry if she was doing the same?
That would just be hypocrisy.
Although he was confident and arrogant, that didn't mean he was foolish. On the contrary, he was very flexible, able to bend and stretch when necessary, especially in this new environment where most people were stronger than him.
Needlessly provoking others out of pride isn't confidence, it's insecurity and stupidity.
He leaned forward and gently wiped the tear from her cheek, his voice soft as he asked, "Master, are you alright?"
Hearing his voice, Luo Guxie seemed to regain her composure. However, instead of answering him, she raised her hands, gently holding Yun Wuji's hand, which was touching her cheek, and pressed her cheek against it.
She closed her eyes, leaning into his touch as she gently rubbed her cheek against his hand.
After a moment, she stood up, her hands gripping Yun Wuji's shoulders. She stared at him with unfocused eyes, her vision blurring as the face of Ning Danqing began to overlap with Yun Wuji's. Slowly, she leaned in closer.
"Master?" Yun Wuji suddenly called out.
"Ah?!" His shout woke Luo Guxie from her trance. Her eyes regained focus, and as she realized what she was doing, she softly exclaimed.
She quickly let go of him and, after giving him a complicated look, turned to leave. After taking two steps, her figure vanished.
Staring at the empty hall, Yun Wuji breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to be pushed down again; he still remembered clearly what happened with Jasmin.
'Just you wait, once I catch you, I'll spank your butt,' Yun Wuji muttered inwardly, gritting his teeth as he thought of that unreliable portable Star God.
He slumped back into his chair and closed his eyes. Honestly, he never expected her to have such a strong reaction. Even after thoroughly assessing her obsession, he still underestimated Luo Guxie's obsession with Ning Danqing.
'Well, the more she's obsessed with that guy, the better it is for me,' Yun Wuji quickly pushed the thought aside.
...
One day later, the profound ark arrived at the Holy Eaves Realm. Stepping out, Yun Wuji gazed at the vast realm before him.
It was a massive star realm, far larger than the Snow Song Realm, and not only was it bigger, but the concentration of profound energy here was more than ten times denser. Yun Wuji felt refreshed simply from breathing the air.
This was just the ordinary area of the Holy Eaves Realm, and it was already this impressive. What about the cultivation rooms, optimized specifically for cultivation? And if the High-Rank Star Realm was already this extraordinary, what must the King Realm be like?
No wonder all the High-Rank Star Realms had a Divine Master. The Middle Rank and High-Rank Star Realms were on entirely different levels.
'Sooner or later, all of this and more will be mine,' Yun Wuji thought silently as he took a deep breath and gazed at the vast expanse before him.
"Let's go meet Luo Changsheng and the Realm King," Luo Guxie said, holding his hand. She then pulled him along and flew toward the center of the Holy Eaves Realm. After being alone for a while, she had already regained her composure, after all, she was a ten-thousand-year-old monster.
'Wait! Mu Xuanyin, Mu Bingyun, and Chi Wuyao are also ten-thousand-year-old monsters. I'd better not call them that,' Yun Wuji suddenly shuddered and he quickly banished this thought.
If any of them knew what he was thinking, even the usually gentle Mu Bingyun would make him suffer.
With the speed of a Divine Master, it took only a few seconds to reach their destination.
When they arrived, a group of people was already waiting for them.
Leading the group was a middle-aged man, his black beard reaching down to his abdomen. He had a handsome face, though the long beard ruined it. Standing with his hands behind his back, he gave off an imposing aura.
By his side stood a young man in white clothes, appearing to be around 17 or 18 years old, with fresh, clear skin. His feminine features gave him an elegant appearance, adding a touch of delicacy. At first glance, he resembled a scholar.
When the middle-aged man saw Luo Guxie, a smile spread across his face. He stepped forward and said, "Guxie, you're finally back."
Right after he greeted her, the group of people behind him also stepped forward and said, "Greetings, Fairy Guxie."
The young man, Luo Changsheng, smiled and walked to her side. "Master, you've been away for a long time. This disciple was worried about you," he said. He then glanced at Yun Wuji, his eyes narrowing as he frowned. "Master, who is this?"
Why is this boy, with only the cultivation of the Divine Origin Realm, standing beside Luo Guxie?
It's worth mentioning that before leaving the profound ark, Yun Wuji changed his appearance. After all, even if Luo Guxie wasn't afraid of offending anyone to protect him, that didn't mean she had the ability to keep him safe.
Ignoring Qianye Ying'er's own strength, the Brahma Monarch God Realm's power could make anyone in the Eastern Divine Region despair. Their strength alone surpassed the combined might of the three other King Realms.
This was ignoring Gu Zhu and the two Old Ancestors, whose strength was on par with Qianye Fantian.
After changing his appearance, he now looked like a very handsome young man, with pure white hair and gem-like purple eyes.
The middle-aged man, Luo Shangchen, and the other elders also looked at Yun Wuji. They had noticed him before he and Luo Guxie even arrived.
Though curious, none of them spoke.
"This is my new disciple, Fei Yang," Luo Guxie said, placing her hand on Yun Wuji's shoulder as she introduced him. She turned to Yun Wuji and added, "Fei Yang, this is your senior brother, Luo Changsheng."
Yun Wuji clasped his hands and bowed slightly. "Greetings, Senior Brother," he said, before turning to the others. "Greetings, Seniors."
"A disciple?!" Everyone present was taken aback, but Luo Changsheng, in particular, stared at Yun Wuji in disbelief. How could someone like his master take in another disciple?!
However, even though he had many questions and complaints, he was smart enough not to voice them right now.
After all, there were other fools who could do that for him.
"Fairy Guxie isn't... isn't this inappropriate?! This boy's cultivation is only at the 2nd level of the Divine Origin Realm. Why would you..." At this moment, an elder couldn't help but speak up.
"What do you mean, only at the Divine Origin Realm? Do you expect me to take in a Divine Sovereign or a Divine Master as a disciple?!" Luo Guxie glared at the elder who had spoken. "If that were the case, what would be the point of taking him as a disciple in the first place?!"
"..." The elder's words froze in his throat as he met her glare. His legs began to tremble, and he quickly retreated behind Luo Shangchen.
"Sister, don't be angry. Elder Hei is just concerned about your reputation," Luo Shangchen quickly stepped forward, trying to calm her.
"My reputation? Heh! Isn't it your Holy Eaves Realm's reputation you're worried about?" Luo Guxie narrowed her eyes and scoffed. "But it seems you've forgotten something...I'm...not a member of this realm. So what does your reputation have to do with me?! I've already given you face by informing you, and now you're telling me what to do?"
"The gall!"
She knew it was her brother who had pushed that elder to speak. She understood all too well how much this so-called good brother of hers valued his reputation and that of the Holy Eaves Realm. He was just like that dog of a father of theirs. It was precisely because of this obsession with reputation that they had killed Ning Danqing!
"Master!" At that moment, Luo Changsheng's voice rang out. He quickly stepped between her and Luo Shangchen and said, "Father and Elder Hei are just surprised and concerned. Please don't misunderstand them."
"Right, Father?" he said, turning around to look at Luo Shangchen.
"Hmm, Guxie, we were just surprised by your decision. Since you personally took this boy as your disciple, he must have something extraordinary about him," Luo Shangchen said, giving Yun Wuji a deep, scrutinizing look before nodding.
"..." Luo Guxie ignored him and turned to Luo Changsheng. "Changsheng, take your junior brother to look around," she said.
"Yes, Master," Luo Changsheng replied respectfully. He then smiled at Yun Wuji and said, "Junior Brother Fei, please come with me."
'Your skills are not bad; you can be qualified to be half a hypocrite,' Yun Wuji thought as he looked at the man's smile. He returned a similar smile and said, "Then I'll trouble you, Senior Brother."
While leading Yun Wuji, Luo Changsheng played the role of a host, showing him around.
While talking, he also introduced the structure of the Holy Eaves Realm. Unlike the Snow Song Realm, which had many subsidiary sects, the Holy Eaves Realm had only one sect, the Holy Eaves Sect. However, there were many kingdoms that served under it.
Usually, the kingdoms had to pay tribute every 100 years.
They were also where the sect recruited new disciples.
"Junior Brother Fei, I'm somewhat curious. Can you tell me how you met Master?" After walking for a long while, Luo Changsheng suddenly asked, his expression filled with curiosity.
Although he had maintained a gentle and refined appearance the whole time, deep down he was boiling with anxiety and anger. He couldn't accept that his aunt, who had raised him and poured all her attention and effort into him since he was young, would actually take on another disciple!
All along, he had felt special, the way Luo Guxie treated him made him believe he was the center of her world, her raison d'être!
So when Fei Yang suddenly appeared, he exerted an untold effort to maintain a neutral expression; he couldn't accept it! It was as if a child, used to having his toy all to himself, was suddenly forced to share it with another.
'Oh, so you're asking how I met your master, my dear stepson?' Yun Wuji glanced sideways at Luo Changsheng's feminine appearance and sneered. 'Nah, I wouldn't want a son like you.'
He smiled and replied, "Hmm, the way I met Master was a very fortunate coincidence. How should I put it... Master saved my life, and then took me as her disciple. She said that I am very talented."
"So to me, she is not only my master but also my lifesaver."
"...Master saved your life?" Luo Changsheng was surprised. He suddenly laughed and said, "Junior Brother Fei, it must've been fate that we became brothers then, haha."
"Hahaha, it is my honor to be your junior brother, Brother Luo," Yun Wuji also laughed and patted him on the shoulder.
They resumed their walk, laughing and talking amiably. Along the way, Luo Changsheng continued to probe Yun Wuji's background, but of course, Yun Wuji only fed him some random nonsense. If even Luo Guxie didn't know his true background, how could he reveal anything to this sissy?!
After half a day, Luo Changsheng brought Yun Wuji to a small palace and handed him an exquisitely made bronze token. "This is your authority token. With it, you can go anywhere in the Holy Eaves Realm, except for a few forbidden areas. Please keep it safe."
He then looked around and added, "This will be your new residence. Master lives in that place over there," he pointed to a palace a few kilometers west, which was Luo Guxie's. "And I usually live in that palace. If you need me, you can always come to my place, Junior Brother." He pointed to another palace in the southern direction.
"I'll keep that in mind, thank you, Senior Brother," Yun Wuji took the token from him and thanked him with a smile.
After saying a few more words, Luo Changsheng left.
'I hope you take good care of me, dear senior brother, hehehe,' Yun Wuji stood in front of the palace gate, watching Luo Changsheng recede into the distance.
----
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