Chapter 75 First Stirring of Affection

Qin Yue, who had already memorized the layout of the sect’s small world, arrived at an exceedingly remote spot. The nearest inhabited place lay more than a hundred miles away. He took out the Spirit Testing Stone and secured it to the face of a cliff.

“Everyone says the rocks here are unusually hard—should be able to withstand it,” Qin Yue mused inwardly.

He regulated his breathing, summoned all his inner energy, and struck the Spirit Testing Stone with a heavy punch.

Bang!

The stone, with its special material and intricate inner structure, emitted a muffled thud. Its color instantly shifted to the black-red that signified the fifteenth level of Void-Seeking.

But it seemed not to be the limit.

Fine cracks began to spiderweb across the surface of the stone… and then, with a resounding snap, it shattered!

The terrifying force pulverized part of the fragments to dust.

A Spirit Testing Stone of extraordinary cost and precision, reinforced with countless protective inscriptions, was destroyed in one punch…

Yet this was not the end.

In the next moment, a crunching sound echoed from the cliff.

Damn!

Qin Yue activated his Nether Escape technique and fled in an instant.

He stared in disbelief at the crumbling cliff. Wasn’t this supposed to be uncommonly solid rock? Why did it collapse so easily?

Before his eyes, the cliff let out a thunderous roar, and the entire mountainside collapsed in an instant!

What the hell… Qin Yue’s gaze was dazed, unable to believe this was the result of his punch.

Though the noise traveled only a few miles, Qin Yue was badly startled. He had no desire to be discovered.

Just as he was about to pretend nothing had happened and quietly slip away, a furious shout suddenly echoed from deep within the mountain.

“Who dares cause trouble here?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Qin Yue burrowed into the earth and bolted.

This was not a matter of courage—it simply couldn’t be fought! If anyone found out he was here, possessing such power, the entire sect would be thrown into chaos.

As he escaped, a towering figure suddenly soared out from the depths of the mountain, where the cliff had stood.

It was an elderly man, his hair and beard as white as snow, standing over seven feet tall, clad in a deep purple robe covered in inscriptions. He hovered high above, his eyes like lightning, scanning the surroundings with a furious expression.

But aside from the collapsed cliff, he saw nothing.

“Which damned brat is causing mischief here? The younger generation of the sect is getting more unruly by the day!” The old man, hair bristling with rage, grumbled and cursed, then released his powerful divine sense to probe in all directions.

Finding nothing, he could only leave in a huff.

...

The next afternoon.

Qin Yue was watching the expansion work on his cave residence when Chu Wanqing arrived, riding a flying boat.

The gifted young woman’s brows curved in a bright smile as she called from afar, “Brother Qin!”

Qin Yue waved to her. “Little Master Wanqing, you’re here?”

Whether teaching him the North Sea Breathing Technique, the Falling Leaves Sword Scripture, or other sect arts, the girl was always earnest—sometimes stern in her demeanor—so Qin Yue called her his little master.

Chu Wanqing walked over. “You’re slacking off, aren’t you, neglecting your Falling Leaves Sword Scripture practice?”

Qin Yue looked aggrieved. “I just arrived. If you don’t believe me, ask them!”

Chu Wanqing glanced at the others. She still wasn’t used to interacting with sect disciples and put on a stern face. “Don’t worry, they’re professionals!”

Qin Yue nodded. “Let’s go, let’s talk over there.”

Disciples skilled in construction, both inner and outer sect, watched the two depart, envy written across their faces.

“Elder Qin has such great connections!”

“He’s not even older than me, yet he’s already an Elder…”

“Look at how the future Saintess treats him… Tsk, truly enviable!”

“I heard he had unpleasant run-ins with Elder Xue, Elder Pang, and the Second Young Master when he first arrived, but even the Sect Master is courteous to him now!”

“Courteous? I’d say more than that! The Sect Master often sends people here with all sorts of treasures!”

“Right. Ice Abyss exiles used to have no status in our sect. Now? All because of his words!”

Qin Yue and Chu Wanqing walked side by side. As soon as the girl left the crowd, her shyness faded, and she revealed her lively, innocent side, telling Qin Yue amusing anecdotes.

“Something funny happened last night!”

“Oh?”

“One of the elders who’d been in seclusion for years had a huge chunk of his mountain cliff smashed last night! He was so furious that he berated Master via the communication stone…”

Qin Yue asked, speechless, “Do you know who did it?”

Chu Wanqing shook her head. “No idea. Maybe some powerful Dao cultivator testing their strength—place isn’t marked on the map, and the rocks are really hard. Probably went there to test their attack.”

“To collapse a whole cliff with one punch, that must be formidable!” Qin Yue remarked.

“Master said the same. Many went to see it today—the cliff was extremely solid. They think it was a supernatural power, not just brute force.”

“Could it have been… that infiltrating traitor?” Qin Yue asked.

“I don’t think so. Master said the infiltrator wouldn’t dare linger in the sect—likely escaped long ago.” The girl was straightforward and answered Qin Yue’s questions without reservation.

Qin Yue nodded. “Makes sense. The sect is full of hidden talents.”

He had never imagined that places without any markings could be used by elders for secluded cultivation. This incident served as a warning—not to test his power recklessly in the future.

He then practiced the Falling Leaves Sword Scripture with the young woman, earning repeated praise for his insight.

“If Brother Qin had trained in the sect since childhood, you’d surely be even stronger than me!”

“Are you complimenting me?” Qin Yue asked, laughing.

“Of course! I mean it sincerely!” she replied earnestly.

“To be praised by a genius at the fourteenth level of Void-Seeking—what an honor!” Qin Yue said.

Her delicate face flushed, slightly embarrassed. In a low voice, she said, “Innate talent is born, but I believe effort matters even more.”

Qin Yue asked, “Are you aiming for the fifteenth level?”

Chu Wanqing nodded. “My inner pill has shown no signs of transformation. Master says there’s hope for me to break through to the fifteenth level…”

Seeing her lack of joy, Qin Yue asked, “Isn’t that a good thing?”

Chu Wanqing sat on a nearby chair and spoke softly. “People from the Immortal Gate will arrive soon. Master says I’m very likely to be selected and taken away.”

“Isn’t it said you can’t enter the Immortal Realm unless you reach the Human Immortal stage?”

“It’s just that the threshold is high. There are plenty of low-level cultivators there. The Immortal Gate has many ways to bring people in, but I don’t want to go.”

A faint sadness appeared on her face. “I grew up here. Everyone and everything I know is here. I don’t want to leave for the Immortal Realm so soon.”

“If you don’t want to go, then don’t. Will they really force you?” Qin Yue said, secretly hoping to take her away himself rather than let her fall into others’ hands.

“I don’t know. Master says the big shots from the Immortal Gate are very domineering and brook no refusal.” The beauty sighed, cheeks puffing slightly as she kicked a small stone.

“Why not leave the mountain for training? Don’t go anywhere dangerous—travel the mortal world, don’t respond to transmissions, let them be unable to find you!” Qin Yue suggested.

The girl, always obedient since childhood, brightened, excitement in her eyes. “Why didn’t I ever think of that? You’re right, I could go train…”

Just then, a somewhat exasperated voice came from nearby. “You’ve always lived in a sheltered environment. If you go out alone, won’t you be sold off?”

Tang Qingxuan, tall and slender, walked over and glanced at Qin Yue with mild reproach. “Don’t mislead her. What’s wrong with going to the Immortal Gate? I wish I could have such an opportunity!”

“I don’t want to go!” Chu Wanqing, clearly more relaxed with Tang Qingxuan, who was like an elder sister, replied seriously, “I’m not that naive. I’m very clever!”

“Do you realize crossing the Immortal Gate is the greatest dream for so many cultivators?” Tang Qingxuan sat beside her.

“But it’s not mine!” Chu Wanqing glanced around, then spoke softly, “I grew up too sheltered—even unaware of the Ice Abyss exiles’ plight in the sect. If I don’t gain more experience, I’ll be deceived in the Immortal Realm with no one to help me!”

Tang Qingxuan was speechless. “Isn’t it possible, with your talent destined for the fifteenth level, that you’ll be pampered like a princess there?”

“I wouldn’t like that either!” Chu Wanqing insisted. “I don’t like the sect’s current style—why bully people? I want to leave for training, broaden my horizons, witness the hardships of the mortal world, and then find a way to change things!”

She’s gone mad, Tang Qingxuan thought, lines of worry creasing her brow. Yet she couldn’t blame Qin Yue. When she was sixteen or seventeen and first learned of the Ice Abyss exiles’ suffering, hadn’t she also felt sympathy for them?

The sect’s teachings had always been: the Ice Abyss exiles are not people; their suffering is deserved.

If not for Qin Yue’s arrival, the fate of those from Ice Abyss in the Zhao Yang Sect would never have changed. The trio of human furnace, sparring partner, and cannon fodder would have continued, and after learning of Qiao Cheng’s situation, it had even broken the taboo against Ice Abyss women—adding the “furnace” role.

Truthfully, when she learned of it, Tang Qingxuan had been deeply shaken.

The home she grew up in, a model of righteous sects—when had it become like this?

She knew, too, that even now, to most sect disciples, Qin Yue was still a meddlesome saint.

Education based on hatred had planted seeds deep in every generation’s heart, which grew into towering trees—unyielding.

Changing that was not something ordinary people could do.

If Qin Yue hadn’t had their support and the backing of the Sect Master, he might have been impeached by countless people, his position as Guest Elder precarious.

Fortunately, there were few Ice Abyss people left in the sect, all handed over to Qin Yue, so the impact was limited.

Most crucially, the relationship between Ice Abyss and Zhao Yang Sect was not one of national or familial enmity. Everyone “knew” the exiles deserved their suffering, but no one knew what their crime actually was.

Most ignored Qin Yue’s efforts to protect them, treating it as irrelevant.

Yet Tang Qingxuan hadn’t expected Chu Wanqing to be so deeply affected.

Could it be… she was falling for Qin Yue?

Tang Qingxuan eyed both of them suspiciously. One was tall and handsome, the other beautiful and radiant, with little age difference.

Both were at that youthful, tender age when feelings first blossom.

She pondered, then couldn’t help but probe, “I wouldn’t feel comfortable letting you train alone. If Qin Yue went with you…”

Before she finished, Chu Wanqing replied happily, “Yes!”

She then realized her eagerness, cheeks flushing as she explained, “Brother Qin is experienced. I feel very safe with him!”

It would have been better left unsaid… Tang Qingxuan nearly fainted.

The youngest Guest Elder in sect history, paired with a once-in-centuries prodigy Saintess… was that even possible?