Chapter 89 Two Months Later, Both Break Through
During Qin Xiao's two months of sealing off Seven Stars Peak, some things also occurred.
The Elder continued searching everywhere for evidence. He had practically sent people to inquire among all the forces that had been to the Abyss Secret Realm back then, yet still no one had seen the scene that occurred at the time.
He truly wasn't idle at all, both seeking external assistance and searching for evidence; neither side was neglected.
Lin Tiancheng wanted to visit his daughter the next day, but was refused entry in the end and could only return.
The disciples sent by various peaks to monitor outside the courtyard were all withdrawn as well, because Qin Xiao had truly entered Secluded Cultivation, and no one had come and gone for a long time.
Just like that, two months passed, and Qin Xiao also emerged from Secluded Cultivation and came out into the courtyard.
"The timing is about right. These days, I've eaten quite a few Saint Origin Spirit Fruits, and drank a lot of Spirit Liquid too; finally, I also have what's called Divine Sense."
Qin Xiao was very satisfied with the results of his Secluded Cultivation.
Qin Xiao's Divine Sense now extended a full five hundred meters when released, but only five hundred meters. Perhaps this was the limit of Body Refinement Fourth Layer; no matter how many more Saint Origin Spirit Fruits he ate, the distance no longer increased.
These two months he hadn't used Spirit Stones much, and had already saved over fifteen million, but this amount of Spirit Stones was something Qin Xiao no longer cared about.
He did save over a thousand Saint Origin Spirit Fruits, and that was after Qin Xiao ate over three hundred. Seeing that his Divine Sense didn't grow further, Qin Xiao also stopped.
There was also some Spirit Liquid. Apart from his own and his disciples' consumption, he had saved over ten thousand drops. Even if Yun Man and Lin Shimeng were to use them freely without fully refining and absorbing them, it only increased consumption by several times; the bulk was still consumed by himself.
"Master, are you emerging from Secluded Cultivation today?"
Yun Man had also finished cultivation and came out, and soon after, Lin Shimeng appeared in the courtyard as well.
"Disciples, you've both emerged from Secluded Cultivation too."
Seeing that both disciples had emerged from Secluded Cultivation, Qin Xiao intended to greet them.
"Now report your results. These two months, your master has made some progress; I just don't know if you two with Heavenly Spirit Roots have completed the targets your master set."
Qin Xiao said very happily, seeing as he now also possessed Divine Sense.
"This disciple has not disgraced the master's command and has successfully broken through to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage. If given two more months, this disciple is confident of breaking through to the Nascent Soul Late Stage."
Yun Man was already close to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage and had broken through in less than a month. Along the way, she had asked Qin Xiao for supplies several times; it seemed she had laid a solid foundation in order to charge toward the Nascent Soul Late Stage.
"How are you so fast? I cultivated no less than you, yet I only just broke through to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage yesterday. Did Master favor you and give you other resources?"
Lin Shimeng immediately received quite a blow. She had originally thought that with such hard work, even if she couldn't surpass Yun Man, she could at least close the gap. Instead, the distance had widened even further, and she seriously suspected that Qin Xiao had given Yun Man special treatment.
"That's right, I asked Master for Spirit Liquid several more times midway. If you have the ability, you should consume all your Spirit Liquid too, and then you can ask Master for more. If you're lacking, practice more and waste less breath making excuses."
Yun Man did not deny it, instead directly issuing a challenge to Lin Shimeng.
"Master, I'm not convinced! We both have Heavenly Spirit Roots-did you give her other resources? If you gave her some sort of resource that allows for rapid advancement, give me some too."
Lin Shimeng was furious and demanded an answer directly from Qin Xiao.
"I didn't give her any other resources. I only provided Spirit Liquid; aren't the rest of the things things the two of you swept up at the auction house yourselves? Your master is wealthy, true, but I'm not a treasure chest. How could I possibly have everything?"
Qin Xiao said speechlessly.
There were seven days left until the Spirit Medicine Valley spot competition, and twenty-seven days until Spirit Medicine Valley opened. The spot competition took place twenty days before the opening.
Actually, Qin Xiao could still have secluded for another six days, but since he had said two months, two months it was. If he didn't emerge now, presumably the Sect Leader would have broken the Formation and launched a forcible attack.
Sure enough, not even half a quarter-hour after the Formation around the Seven Stars Peak courtyard was withdrawn, Sect Leader Lin Tiancheng had already arrived at Seven Stars Peak.
One couldn't really blame Lin Tiancheng for being anxious. He had already investigated everything that happened in Tianyi City and guessed that the destruction of the Tian Family must be related to Qin Xiao. He also guessed that the person pulling the strings behind the scenes was Chen Lou, and that the matter even implicated Chen Shunyi.
He had even found the location where Qin Xiao and the Tian Family had fought. But why hadn't his daughter told him about these things? This made him start to worry, yet Qin Xiao had been in Secluded Cultivation, leaving him with far too many questions that needed answers.
"The Sect Leader is here."
Qin Xiao's Divine Sense had already spread outward; the moment Lin Tiancheng entered the five-hundred-meter range, Qin Xiao was already aware of it.
"My father is here? I'll go receive him. I haven't seen him in two months."
Hearing that her father had arrived, Lin Shimeng hurried out to welcome him. It wasn't as if she had never undergone Secluded Cultivation before, but the longest had previously been a month; this time, going straight into Secluded Cultivation for two months, she naturally missed her father a little.
"Qin Xiao, this Secluded Cultivation of yours really caught me off guard."
Moments later, Lin Tiancheng's figure appeared at the entrance of the courtyard.
"Greetings, Sect Leader. This was simply to elevate my strength; after all, the Spirit Medicine Valley spot competition is about to begin."
Qin Xiao found a reasonable excuse. Besides, we used our own Secluded Cultivation time without touching the Sect's supplies, so you can hardly blame me, can you?
"I'm not here to question your Secluded Cultivation. I'm here to ask about what happened in Tianyi City. Was the destruction of the Tian Family your doing? And was the person behind it Chen Lou?"
Lin Tiancheng was both worried and furious. That Tian Family truly had incredible audacity; they actually dared to act against disciples of the Tianyuan Sect-and Core Disciples at that, nearly placing his daughter in grave danger.
As for Chen Lou, Lin Tiancheng felt utterly helpless. Without substantive evidence, the Sect could do nothing. Officials of the Tian Dynasty could only be judged and convicted by the Tian Dynasty; the Tianyuan Sect had no way to exact revenge other than reporting the matter through official, proper procedures.
"Ah? Didn't Shimeng tell you?"
Qin Xiao was somewhat surprised. Did Lin Shimeng not mention any of this? Then what on earth had the father and daughter talked about earlier?
"Not mentioning Shimeng is one thing, but you brat-what benefits did you give her? Now she actually knows how to siding with outsiders! I asked her about it, but she said nothing at all. Did you use resources to threaten her?"
If Lin Shimeng hadn't been involved, Lin Tiancheng wouldn't have been this angry, but after only a few days, his own daughter was already siding with outsiders.
"Father, it's not that I wouldn't tell you. At the time, I was simply too exhausted and wanted to rest properly before telling you, but because I suddenly entered Secluded Cultivation right after, I didn't have the time to say anything."
To avoid awkwardness, Lin Shimeng hurriedly offered an explanation.
In truth, she wasn't even entirely clear on why she hadn't mentioned it, but now that her father had tracked her down to her doorstep, this was the only explanation she could give.
"This is rather beyond my expectations. I didn't expect her to say nothing at all. Could it be that I misjudged her?"
Hearing Lin Shimeng's explanation, Qin Xiao felt a trace of doubt in his heart.
After all, in his estimation, Lin Shimeng would surely have recounted every single detail to Lin Tiancheng, after which Lin Tiancheng would have figured out a way to extract some resources from him to supplement the Sect. But right now, things didn't seem to be playing out that way at all.
"Forget it, forget it. Do you think that by keeping quiet, I wouldn't be able to find out? It's just a pity that we were a step too slow-the Tian Family has already been annexed by the Ye Family. As for that Chen Lou, he is not easy to deal with, seeing as he is an official of the Tian Dynasty. Furthermore, I've received news that the representative sent by Tianyi City this time is none other than Chen Shunyi's youngest disciple, who holds the post of Acting Deputy City Lord."
Lin Tiancheng glanced speechlessly at Lin Shimeng, then began to worry once more.
"Sect Leader, what is there to worry about? The Spirit Medicine Valley spot competition has an age limit of thirty-five, doesn't it? Even if Chen Shunyi's disciple is under thirty-five, he's at most at the Nascent Soul Stage. What is there to fret over? Both Yun Man and Shimeng have already reached the Nascent Soul Middle Stage."
Qin Xiao said with total indifference. The restrictions for Spirit Medicine Valley were even more lenient than those of the Abyss Secret Realm; while the Abyss Secret Realm permitted entry to those under fifty years of age, Spirit Medicine Valley strictly capped the limit at thirty-five.