Hearing Yun Man say she had already broken through to the Nascent Soul stage, Qin Xiao felt a surge of joy.
"Disciple, your master knew you wouldn't disappoint me. Your cultivation has greatly advanced, and I will feel much more at ease on this trip to the secret realm."
Qin Xiao was thoroughly pleased, and he happily patted Yun Man's head.
"Master, could you please stop patting my head? I'm at the Nascent Soul stage now, and why do you always treat me like a child? I'm almost seventeen years old."
Yun Man had endured it for a long time and finally could not hold back. Now that she was in the Nascent Soul stage, she needed to stand up for her own rights.
"What of the Nascent Soul stage? What of being seventeen years old? Although my cultivation is inferior to yours, I am older than you, my seniority is higher than yours, and I'm taller as well. What is wrong with patting your head?"
Naturally, Qin Xiao refused to yield. He had been sixteen when he crossed over, and three years had passed, making him nineteen. If his previous life's age were added, he was even older. A mere teenager wanted to complain about having her head patted?
"Then... then you can only do it in private! Not in front of outsiders. I'm in the Nascent Soul stage now, don't I need some face?"
Yun Man stammered for a moment, finding it hard to refute him directly. In the end, she could only concede that he was allowed to pat her head in private, but strictly forbidden from doing so in public.
"That's more like it. If you had put it that way, would your master have refused? I am someone who responds to soft approaches rather than hard ones. Very well, good disciple, pack up your things and head to the Sect Square for the gathering."
Seeing that Yun Man had backed down, Qin Xiao gave his instructions.
"Master, this disciple has nothing to prepare. Everything is already inside my Storage Bag."
Yun Man patted her Storage Bag and replied.
"Since there's nothing to prepare and we still have some time, you might as well help your master with Body Refinement."
Finding that no preparation was needed, Qin Xiao asked Yun Man to assist him with his physical training.
"Master, I can certainly do that. Since I am now at the Nascent Soul stage, I'll definitely be able to help you cultivate properly."
Hearing this request, Yun Man flashed a mischievous smile, her hands itching with eagerness.
"Let's make one thing clear first: no using Spiritual Qi."
Qin Xiao himself felt that this request was somewhat inappropriate. Who genuinely liked getting beaten up? He was neither a masochist nor a psychopath. Yet this damned Body Refinement technique required taking a beating to fully absorb the medicinal properties and physical strain.
His cultivation had progressed somewhat over the past few days, but he remained stuck just shy of the Body Refinement Third Layer, which meant he simply hadn't taken enough beatings.
"Then, Master, this disciple will strike."
With those words, Yun Man threw a direct punch straight into Qin Xiao's stomach.
Qin Xiao was sent flying backward, crashing to the ground with a grimace as a wave of pain washed over him.
Before he could even get back up, Yun Man stepped forward swiftly and unleashed a furious flurry of strikes upon him.
As she rained down blows, she muttered inwardly: That's for patting my head, that's for being older than me, and that's for using your master status to bully me.
The more she beat him, the better her mood became. Her blows grew increasingly heavy, and she even unconsciously channeled a trace of Spiritual Qi.
Qin Xiao endured the onslaught bitterly, proving himself quite a man by refusing to let out a single groan, though he soon realized something was amiss.
"Why is this disciple getting so enthusiastic? And why is the force behind these punches growing stronger?"
Though he could still manage the pain, Qin Xiao felt that the situation had turned suspicious.
He wanted to open his mouth and ask, but those seemingly delicate fists came crashing down once more. Fearing for his appearance, Qin Xiao could only shield his face; he still needed it to make a living in the future.
They kept up this frantic beating for two full hours, until the time for the gathering drew near.
"Stop, stop, stop!"
Qin Xiao hurriedly shouted.
By this point, he ached all over. If not for his body's continuous self-repair, he would have abandoned this method long ago. Judging that the time was right, he called a halt.
Hearing his command, Yun Man withdrew her hands with a sense of lingering satisfaction and took a deep breath. Those two hours of intense beating had worn even her out.
"Master, how was it? Are you satisfied with your disciple's strength?"
Yun Man asked with a sly grin.
"Satisfied, very satisfied. But why do I feel like you were settling a personal score? Don't think your master didn't notice you secretly channeling Spiritual Qi."
Lying flat on the ground, Qin Xiao was unable to get up just yet while his body frantically mended itself.
"Ah? Did Master find out? This disciple was just worried my strength wouldn't be enough to satisfy you."
Caught in the act, Yun Man offered an awkward explanation.
"Never mind, I won't hold it against you. It's just that this beating was a bit too severe, and the healing is taking longer. Help your master head over to the Sect Square."
Qin Xiao wanted nothing more than to stand, but his aching limbs refused to cooperate while the healing process was underway, leaving him no choice but to have Yun Man carry him via Sword Flight.
"But, Master, flying within the sect is forbidden."
Seeing that Qin Xiao truly could not stand on his own, Yun Man hesitated.
"These are special circumstances requiring special measures. If you don't dare to fly us, you can carry your master on your back instead. Take your pick."
Since he was temporarily immobile and needed to reach the gathering, these were the only two options. Who told her to enjoy the beating so much? She could bear the consequences.
"Then this disciple will use Sword Flight."
Faced with those choices, Yun Man promptly opted for her flying sword.
She summoned her weapon and channeled Spiritual Qi into it, causing the blade to expand rapidly. With no small effort, she helped Qin Xiao onto the surface of the flying sword.
Once aboard, Qin Xiao immediately lay flat once more, finding that posture the most conducive to comfort and rapid recovery.
Moments later, the two soared through the air and landed directly in the Sect Square.
"Audacious! Who dares to practice Sword Flight within the sect grounds?"
Their arrival naturally drew the attention of the assembled elders, with the Great Elder taking the lead to interrogate them.
"Great Elder, please forgive this. This disciple-nephew sustained injuries and has difficulty moving, so I had to resort to this measure to avoid missing the assembly."
Facing the reprimand, Qin Xiao quickly offered his excuse.
"If everyone used such an excuse, where would the sect's rules go? Would anyone be permitted to fly wherever they please within the grounds?"
Always displeased with Qin Xiao, Yao Tiansheng seized the opportunity and refused to let it go easily.
"Great Elder, that reasoning is flawed. I heard from the disciples that you and the others flew all the way to Seven Stars Peak just recently. What is this? You are permitted to fly, but I am not?"
Realizing Yao Tiansheng had no intention of dropping the matter, Qin Xiao cast aside any pretense of politeness and fired back.
"We were dealing with an urgent matter, and we hold the status of elders. What status do you possess?"
Seeing Qin Xiao dare to talk back, Yao Tiansheng sneered with open disdain.
"If everyone used your excuse, where would the sect's rules go? Since you wish to discuss status, let us talk about it properly. You claim to be an elder, but I am the Peak Master of Seven Stars Peak. According to sect regulations, a Peak Master holds status equivalent to an elder. Since you were free to fly, why shouldn't I be?"
Not only did Qin Xiao throw Yao Tiansheng's words right back at him, but he also asserted his standing.
"insolent brat, spare your glib tongue!"
Stumped for a retort, the Great Elder could only bark in anger.
"Enough, let this matter rest. We are all members of the same sect; there is no need to wrangle over trivialities. I can see that Qin Xiao's condition is indeed inconvenient, so his actions are understandable. Do not pursue this further."
Seeing that the Great Elder still intended to argue, Sect Leader Lin Tiancheng promptly intervened.
"Hmph."
Faced with the Sect Leader's decision, Yao Tiansheng could only swallow his anger.
"Very well. With the opening of the Abyss Secret Realm upon us, you are all elite disciples of the Tianyuan Sect. Do your utmost, but do not be overly greedy, and avoid unnecessary bloodshed. Returning safely matters more than anything else."
With the bickering ended, Lin Tiancheng addressed the group regarding the secret realm.
Every year, the Abyss Secret Realm claimed the lives of several disciples, so his primary concern remained their survival.
"I will spare you any further words. The sixth elder, Elder Wen, will lead this expedition and provide the specific details. If there are no further matters, we set off."
Having given his brief instructions, Lin Tiancheng stepped back while the disciples stirred with anticipation.
"Disciples, board the vessel."
Wen Yuanying flicked his sleeve, producing a flying artifact. As Spiritual Qi poured into it, the artifact swelled in size until it transformed into a massive, ship-shaped vessel.
"Rest for now. We will reach our destination by tomorrow."
Once all the disciples had boarded, Wen Yuanying offered no further remarks, steering the Flying Ship into the distance until it vanished from sight.