Central Plains, Ten Thousand Flowers Ridge.
Cui Hao raised his cup slightly, gently clinking it with San Dong, who sat at the same table.
What he drank with San Dong naturally wasn't wine, but tea brewed by Chen Baiqing.
Whether it was because a plant spirit had certain requirements for water, San Dong, though frail despite having cultivation, should theoretically have been able to handle alcohol.
But the reality was that San Dong had zero tolerance for alcohol.
One cup and she was drunk. Two cups and she went mad.
Three cups and she lost her memory. Four cups and she passed out, drooling.
Even when San Dong was drunk, she only swayed her head wanting to dance. She had no aggressive tendencies, and it was actually rather amusing to watch.
The flower spirit danced gracefully under the moonlight, performing nothing like ordinary mortal dances. It was quite a pleasing sight.
Though it was amusing, taking advantage of someone's obvious inability to hold their liquor for entertainment was rather tasteless.
Unless San Dong insisted on drinking herself, even Qing He, who normally loved watching spectacles, wouldn't offer San Dong a single cup of wine.
Cui Hao glanced at San Dong, who had taken a sip of Third Senior Sister's tea and was now comfortably squinting her eyes, then shifted his gaze to Chen Baiqing:
"Third Senior Sister, do you think Master went sightseeing with Uncle Xie, or does he actually have business to attend to?"
The fact that Chen Baiqing had fully grown into her appearance was a source of comfort for Chen Xingchen. For Cui Hao, it meant he could address her as Third Senior Sister much more naturally.
Looking back, Cui Hao used to have to call Chen Baiqing—who was only waist-high—Third Senior Sister.
Though he accepted it in his heart, saying it always felt a bit awkward.
Now that Third Senior Sister had grown into her looks, with a face as beautiful as flowers and the moon, and a tall, elegant figure, the title rolled off the tongue much more smoothly.
Chen Baiqing didn't turn to look at Cui Hao. Instead, she gazed at the fish swimming gently in the deep pool, answering:
"Whether it's sightseeing or business, those are Master's choices. Why pry so much?"
"Well, Fourth Senior Sister is about to break through to the Golden Core realm."
"If even you know about it, would Master not know? Given Master's nature, even if he were sightseeing, he'd wait until Fourth Junior Sister broke through."
Chen Baiqing turned her gaze back. "Your cultivation has been somewhat slack, hasn't it? You've only just entered the late Foundation Establishment stage."
Cui Hao's expression crumpled slightly. "My talent is just a bit inferior to my senior brothers and sisters, but I really have been working hard."
Chen Baiqing picked up the teapot beside her and poured Cui Hao another cup of tea, offering words of encouragement:
"I'm just giving you a reminder. Your talent isn't bad either. Once you go out into the world, you'll see that those worse than you are everywhere."
Cui Hao sighed softly at her words, his tone somewhat deflated:
"Training... I don't know when I'll ever get to go train... The Golden Core stage is so far away, and Fourth Senior Sister is taking so long to break through too."
Chen Baiqing ignored that remark and turned her gaze toward the courtyard entrance.
She saw Lin Luoyu walking in from outside, a barely containable excited smile on her face.
A gentle smile also appeared on Chen Baiqing's face. She picked up the upside-down teacup beside her, poured a fresh cup of tea, and placed it on the table:
"Congratulations to Junior Sister on also becoming a Golden Core powerhouse."
Cui Hao quickly turned to look at Lin Luoyu upon hearing this.
Ever since the peerless celestial phenomenon caused by Li Xingtian's breakthrough to the Nascent Soul realm last time, Chen Xingchen had hastily created a formation that could isolate breakthrough aura detection.
After all, following the celestial phenomenon from Li Xingtian's breakthrough, if the Tian Yan Sect hadn't vouched that the evil cultivator had been eliminated, who knows how many households around Ten Thousand Flowers Ridge would have fled.
Besides Li Xingtian, other disciples' breakthroughs might not necessarily be free of additional celestial phenomena. Even if they were good omens, they could still attract unwanted attention from those with ulterior motives.
Though people without sense were rare, there were always eccentrics in the world. Less trouble was better than more.
Lin Luoyu was the first to test the completed grand formation, and so far the results were excellent.
At the very least, when Chen Baiqing sat by the pool, she truly hadn't sensed any spiritual energy fluctuations from Lin Luoyu's breakthrough.
"Third Senior Sister, you're teasing me."
Lin Luoyu took her seat, picking up her teacup. "I've only just entered the Golden Core stage. How can I be called a powerhouse?"
Chen Baiqing laughed softly. "Why can't a Golden Core cultivator be considered a powerhouse?"
Lin Luoyu took a sip, suppressing her slightly excited heart, and smiled as she said:
"Then Third Senior Sister must be a powerhouse among powerhouses?"
Chen Baiqing's expression was calm. She nodded quite decisively:
"Of course. What, do I not look like one?"
Lin Luoyu could only fall slightly speechless at that. She wasn't very good at banter to begin with—only capable of occasional small jokes, barely more lively than Second Senior Brother.
But before she could speak, Cui Hao standing to the side clicked his tongue and said with an expression of admiration:
"Third Senior Sister truly deserves to have been by Master's side all these years. Such thick skin has clearly inherited Master's true teachings. One trip out traveling and it's been fully awakened."
Chen Baiqing glanced at him sidelong without speaking, though her calm eyes subtly conveyed what she wanted to say.
Cui Hao quickly coughed and defended himself. "What I mean is, Third Senior Sister has always been close to Master, and as a junior brother, I'm simply envious. If only I could have the same kind of master-disciple bond with Master as Third Senior Sister, that would be wonderful."
San Dong sat beside the teacup, tilting her head slightly as she watched these people talk—she couldn't quite understand them. Whenever these people conversed, they always liked to speak in convoluted circles.
After listening for a while and gaining nothing, San Dong buried her head back in the grand endeavor of tea-drinking.
Chen Baiqing didn't pursue it. She knew perfectly well what kind of person Cui Hao was, and this remark hardly counted as an offense. She reminded them:
"Alright, you can give Fourth Junior Sister the letter Master sent back last time."
Lin Luoyu looked slightly confused at this. A letter from Master?
Cui Hao took out a letter from his spatial ring and handed it to Lin Luoyu, saying with a sigh:
"This time, it's all thanks to Fourth Senior Sister's glory."
Lin Luoyu took it without hesitation, opened the envelope, and scanned the contents. Then she looked up at the expectant Cui Hao.
The letter's contents were brief and straightforward.
It simply said that if Lin Luoyu broke through to the Golden Core realm before Chen Xingchen returned, there would be a task for her to handle as training. And she could bring along the thoroughly bored Cui Hao to handle it together.
If Lin Luoyu really didn't want to bring Cui Hao, she didn't have to.
Cui Hao looked at Lin Luoyu's slightly hesitant gaze and quickly spoke up:
"Fourth Senior Sister surely wouldn't abandon her pitiful Fifth Junior Brother, right?"
Lin Luoyu sighed softly. She was well aware that Cui Hao had been wanting to go on a training journey for a long time. Refusing now would be too cold and unfeeling.
But she still needed to set some ground rules, lest she end up following Cui Hao's lead instead. She instructed:
"You can come along, but you need to inform me before taking any actions. Don't just do whatever you please."
Cui Hao stood up straight, patting his chest as he guaranteed:
"Fourth Senior Sister's goals are my goals!"
Lin Luoyu looked at Cui Hao's sincere eyes and could only chuckle and shake her head:
"Fine, let's go together."
"When does Fourth Senior Sister plan to set off? Today or tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow. We need to pack some things and make preparations."
"Fourth Senior Sister is right as always. I'll go prepare too."
"I've gathered quite a few good things for training, guaranteed to make Fourth Senior Sister's eyes light up." Cui Hao seemed to remember something and headed out the door as he spoke, going to prepare his things.
Lin Luoyu watched Cui Hao's rapidly retreating figure and shook her head slightly, hoping he wouldn't pull any stunts along the way.
She shifted her gaze back to Third Senior Sister.
She saw Chen Baiqing calmly take out another letter from her spatial ring and, without hesitation, directly set it ablaze. Within moments, not even ash remained.
Chen Baiqing noticed Lin Luoyu's slightly puzzled look and explained:
"The letter contained Fifth Junior Brother's exclusive mission. If you don't bring him along, he'll have to handle this task alone. Master just feels that with you looking after Cui Hao, things will be much safer."
Lin Luoyu simply picked up the teacup in front of her and took another sip, then smiled:
"Rest assured, Third Senior Sister. I'll bring Cui Hao back in one piece."
Chen Baiqing nodded earnestly:
"Mm. Be careful in all things."
[
Dear Readers,
I post 3–4 high-quality chapters daily across multiple fictions, with free chapters unlocking every week.
Patreon Tiers:
$6 — 10 chapters in advance
$8 — 20 chapters in advance + bonus chapters
$10 — 30 chapters in advance + character images + bonus chapters
Note: Avoid the Apple App. It adds a 30% fee and delays payments by 2–3 months. Subscribe through your browser instead.
Your support keeps the daily releases going. If you cannot subscribe, reading and sharing is also appreciated.
Thank you.
Patreon: patreon.com/Alex_Cruise
]