No one visits a temple without a reason, so why would Xia Xiange just come here for a cup of tea and call it a day?
I'm afraid she came here specifically to see Gu Zhong. If she actually sees him, it will definitely cause a lot of trouble.
"Then I thank you very much for your kind gift, Young Master."
Upon hearing this, the woman didn't stand on ceremony and readily agreed.
"I had just come out of seclusion when I heard that the young sect leader had taken on a disciple. I haven't had a chance to congratulate him yet."
Just as she feared, Xia Xiange casually mentioned Gu Zhong's existence.
"I've only accepted one disciple. I don't like extravagance, so I didn't hold a big celebration. Elder Xia, you don't need to worry about it."
Trying her best to hide her worries, Lingyan acted as if it were nothing more than a trivial matter.
"Really? I thought this disciple had something special about him that made the young sect leader so protective, not even letting him see outsiders."
Xia Xiange chuckled twice, and her words made Ling Yan's heart skip a beat.
"Elder Xia is joking."
In the end, all she could say was this vague statement.
"Speaking of which, what was the result of the young sect leader's investigation the other day?"
Unexpectedly, Xia Xiange stopped dwelling on this issue and instead asked about other things.
"The reason for the monsters' massacre of the village is unknown. I have already reported it to the sect leader, and a further investigation is needed."
After only a moment's thought, Lingyan told the truth about the situation.
Xia Xiange always paid extra attention to the strange movements of the monsters for some reason.
"Young Sect Master, do you know what omens I observed when I went into seclusion to observe the stars the other day?"
Upon hearing this, Xia Xiange pondered for a moment before jumping to another topic.
"Elder Xia's expertise in astrology is unparalleled within the sect. Has he made any discoveries?"
Lingyan was quite supportive and appeared very worried. In this life, Xia Xiange's authority in divination and stargazing was recognized by the entire cultivation world.
This means that, in a certain respect, her words can, to a large extent, influence the decisions of the various sects of the immortal realm.
"A terrible omen. The stars are scattered, the Seven Killings meet the Demon, a sign of world destruction. Yet, the Star Piercing falls in the central palace, Young Master, this is a strange sign..."
Xia Xiange gently placed the teacup on the jade tabletop, half-closed her eyes, and stared intently at Ling Yan.
His beautiful peach blossom eyes, devoid of any extraneous emotions, somehow appeared overly solemn and grave.
Xingxuan is Lingyan's real name, Xingchen. Xia Xiange must be referring to her in her words.
For the first time, Lingyan felt a pang of regret towards herself. If only her astrological interpretations could surpass Xia Xiange's by even a fraction, she wouldn't have to rely on Xia Xiange's interpretations for everything.
"This is indeed strange. Xingxuan is an auspicious star, so how could it be associated with such an ominous sign? Elder Xia, please investigate carefully to find out the reason."
Feigning surprise and confusion, Ling Yan threw the question back at him.
“Young Master, if all celestial phenomena could have a definite cause and their origins and consequences known, then there would be no unpleasant things in this world.”
Standing up, Xia Xiange glanced at her cave dwelling. Gu Zhong was lying inside.
"Young Master, please be cautious in all matters and avoid doing anything unnecessary."
After leaving behind a rather meaningful warning, Xia Xiange left directly.
However, before leaving, he didn't forget to ask Lingyan for two packets of fine spiritual tea to take with him.
Xia Xiange's departure did not relieve Ling Yan. The astrologer's abilities were too powerful; even astrological observations alone could arouse her suspicion.
It seems that Gu Zhong is no longer suitable to stay inside the gate in the near future, and should find a reason to temporarily stay away.
Returning to her cave with a myriad of thoughts swirling in her mind, Lingyan completely forgot about settling scores with the Sword Spirit Lord, focusing instead on strategizing and planning for the future.
"Master..."
It was a weak, barely audible call that startled Lingyan from her reverie.
Gu Zhong had actually woken up. Even with the best spiritual medicine, an ordinary Golden Core cultivator would need a day and a night to recover from such a serious injury.
With such a physique, it's no wonder the sword spirit dared to throw him onto the Ten Thousand Swords Platform without any hesitation. Regardless of cultivation level, Gu Zhong's physical strength is almost comparable to that of a Nascent Soul cultivator; he is truly a prodigy.
"Don't move around. Are you thirsty?"
Even though she knew in her heart that Gu Zhong was no longer in serious danger, Ling Yan was still very careful and did not let her move easily.
He casually poured a bowl of spiritual spring water from the side and scooped it to Gu Zhong's lips with a small spoon.
This care was so meticulous that it was hard for outsiders to imagine that Xingxuan-jun was so virtuous.
"Master..."
Gu Zhong called out in a flustered manner, then hurriedly struggled to sit up and snatched the utensils from Ling Yan's hands. It seemed he was determined to uphold the master-disciple etiquette to the very end.
Seeing how dogmatic and rigid she was, Lingyan sighed, feeling truly helpless.
"Ah Chong, there's no need for such formalities."
"How could I trouble my master to take care of his disciple?"
Gu Zhong was particularly insistent on this point, and it was unclear why.
Is it fear of losing protection due to a lack of awareness of the seriousness of the matter? Or is there some other reason?
For a moment, Lingyan was unsure whether it was right or wrong for her to recognize Gu Zhong as her disciple.
The person was by his side, but they still seemed as distant as ever, with a chasm between them as master and disciple.
Looking at Ling Yan, who seemed somewhat displeased, Gu Zhong was a little confused, wondering what he had done to upset her.
She only dared to lower her eyes, quietly sipping the spiritual spring water in her bowl, hiding the burning passion and obsession in her eyes.
Having finally gotten a chance to get a little closer to her, Gu Zhongwan didn't want to be rejected for overstepping his bounds.
She thought to herself, "As long as I can be by my master's side, that will be enough."
Since Gu Zhong was unwilling to accept her care, Ling Yan couldn't force him and could only let him have his way.
However, to prevent her from continuing to push herself despite her health, her cultivation was strictly prohibited.
During Gu Zhong's recovery, Ling Yan stayed by her side to keep her entertained, explaining to her common knowledge about the cultivation world that she had never known before, as well as some interesting anecdotes.
Before we knew it, several months had passed.
As Gu Zhong's injuries gradually healed, just as Ling Yan was pondering how to find a reason to take her away from Xingluo Sect temporarily, a message happened to arrive.
This is wonderful news that perfectly suits Lingyan's wishes, and it is also a major turning point in Gu Zhong's life.
Chapter 78 Astrologers and Defiant Ones (Part 7)
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Recently, there have been frequent unusual movements of lightning within the Shangyin Sect. After dozens of days of thunder and lightning and wind and rain, a crack appeared on the horizon, with an extremely bright light shining through it, which is suspected to be the appearance of an ancient secret realm.
Given the significant commotion caused by the appearance of this secret realm, and considering that the Shangyin Sect is not the strongest, it was impossible to keep it a secret. Therefore, they had no choice but to spread the news widely, hoping to gain favor.
Upon hearing this news, all the immortal sects flocked to the scene to observe and investigate. However, due to their lack of understanding of the situation, no one dared to act rashly and venture inside to investigate.
After all, the path to immortality is difficult to traverse these days, and every member of the immortal sect is one less to be used. No one wants to use their own disciples and core members as pawns to explore the way.
But with the opportunity to find the treasure right before their eyes, they couldn't just stand by and watch. The various immortal sects discussed it and, for the sake of fairness, decided that each sect would send an equal number of people to enter the secret realm together, while the rest would stay outside to act as protectors in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
Upon first hearing this, Ling Yan instantly recalled the immense opportunity Gu Zhong obtained, mentioned in the original world's trajectory, which was within this Heavenly Thunder Realm.
She immediately went to find the sect leader to ask for the opportunity to explore the realm.
At first, the sect leader was worried about her safety and did not agree. However, after Lingyan's persistent efforts, he finally could not resist her insistence and had no choice but to agree.
Having received permission, Lingyan immediately took Gu Zhong and a group of trusted disciples and quickly left Xingluo Sect, heading towards Tianlei Realm.
"Master, is it inappropriate to take me with you to this secret realm?"
Sitting atop the soaring flying boat, surrounded by cultivators at least at the Nascent Soul stage, Gu Zhong felt utterly out of place.
Especially when faced with the surprised, questioning, or jealous expressions of her fellow disciples who were unaware of the situation, Gu Zhong couldn't help but appear somewhat reserved, which made Ling Yan feel even more sorry for her.
Even with her resilient spirit, years of hardship and cold treatment have left indelible scars on her.
They are overly cautious in everything they do and care too much about what others think.
"There's nothing wrong with it. Your opportunity in this secret realm may lie within it."
To dispel her doubts, Lingyan said this to Gu Zhong.
"Who does Master refer to?"
Gu Zhong suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with disbelief.
Perhaps...
Ling Yan didn't dare to speak too definitively about this. In this small world, since she and Xia Xiange arrived, any changes or accidents could happen.
A look of understanding appeared on Gu Zhong's face. He clearly knew that if reshaping one's spiritual root were truly such a simple matter, then there wouldn't have been so few successful attempts over the past ten thousand years.
We are fortunate to have received any promising news; we cannot expect things to go smoothly overnight.
However, after this conversation, Gu Zhong no longer seemed worried or fearful.
However, she still didn't talk to her fellow disciples, but quietly followed Lingyan's side, never leaving her side, just like a clingy cat.
The journey was initially smooth, but after entering the territory of Shangyinmen, they encountered a minor but significant problem.
Although the prolonged thunderbolts have dissipated, the overflowing lightning power floats in the clouds, wandering aimlessly and randomly forming thunderstorms nearby. Any flying object that collides with it is likely to be pulverized.
Unfortunately, the Star Gate happened to encounter this thunderstorm.
Why is there lightning and thunder up ahead?
The disciples, witnessing such a spectacle for the first time, initially whispered among themselves and remained on the sidelines.
When the first bolt of lightning, imbued with the power of heavenly thunder, struck the gunwale of the flying boat and blasted a large hole in it, everyone panicked.
Some people tried to maneuver the airship away from the thunderstorm area, but the lightning was too frequent, and the airship would probably be reduced to ashes before they could turn around.
"Abandon the boat and use the method of escape."