The moon was high in the sky, its light cascading down like a curtain, illuminating Baishan City below. The streets were bare, with only a few soldiers patrolling in pairs. The city was quiet. Peaceful.
Xuan Tian sat atop the roof of Xuanliu Courtyard. From his perch, he observed both the residence and the city. He intended to remain there until dawn to absorb Purple Qi more efficiently. He had been trapped underground for too long, without sight of the sky.
He began to cultivate. He hadn't finished refining the spirit energy source that had pulled him back from the brink earlier that morning. Now, he intended to blend it with the Purple Qi and his own spirit energy, refining the overall quality by threefold.
Quality. Ling Yu.
His thoughts shifted. He remembered how the quality of Ling Yu's spirit energy had stood out—more refined than any he had encountered. Could this mysterious energy be connected to her? And if so... how?
Impossible. Xuan Tian continued to cultivate.
As dawn began to break, he turned to face the east. The first threads of Purple Qi drifted through the air, and he moved his hands to begin absorbing it. The energy flowed into him—faster and faster. Soon, all colors of spirit energy were being drawn toward him.
Even the morning wind responded. It moved with the flow of spirit energy, circling around him like multiple halos.
As more and more Purple Qi and spirit energies converged, they formed an orb around Xuan Tian—first a swirling mix of colors, then gradually merging into a single radiant gold. The orb circled him, growing brighter and brighter.
Until it shone brighter than the morning sun.
Inside the golden orb, Xuan Tian remained unaware of the spectacle. He was focused entirely on refining the gathered energies, making them his own.
Gu Tianzhu was the first to sense the convergence. He suspected it was Xuan Tian—but when he stepped outside and saw the golden orb glowing on the rooftop, he froze in place.
Shen Qingyu, Chen Zhaoyun, and Li Jianhong came out to investigate the disturbance. They found their Shizun standing still, staring upward in awe. When they followed his gaze, they too were stunned.
"Shizun, what's going on?" Lu Jianhong asked, confused.
"Shengzun is ascending," Gu Tianzhu answered quietly.
"That I know. What I meant was—why is the orb golden?"
"I don't know," Gu Tianzhu said, eyes fixed on the rooftop. "All I know is that we need to protect Shengzun. He's about to ascend to Mid Immortal Three."
"Yes, Shizun!"
All three disciples took flight, forming a protective circle around Xuan Tian. They positioned themselves with their backs to him—not too close, for fear of disturbing his process, but close enough to intervene if anything went wrong.
Not that Gu Tianzhu truly believed anything could go wrong for Xuan Tian.
Still, ascending cultivation levels was one of the most vulnerable moments for any cultivator. It was a moment that demanded vigilance—and reverence.
Gu Tianzhu and his disciples all had the same thought—Shengzun was indeed worthy of the title. He had ascended two cultivation levels in one sitting.
Xuan Tian felt it too. He was ascending. Even he was surprised. Jumping two levels in one cultivation session... that's unheard of. What was that spirit energy source?! I need to confirm if it truly came from Ling Yu.
The sun had risen higher now, and the wisps of Purple Qi had begun to dissipate. Xuan Tian gradually ended his cultivation. Refining the spirit energy source without Purple Qi wouldn't be as efficient—though there was still some of it left. This source is incredibly potent.
He exhaled slowly. The power of Mid Immortal Three hummed beneath his skin, steady and ready at his command. He had never paid much attention to human cultivation power rankings before, but now he could feel it clearly—he was far stronger than the average Mid Immortal Three. And he was certain it wasn't because of his Celestial blood.
It's that spirit energy source.
Xuan Tian slowly opened his eyes. As his vision adjusted to the soft morning light, Gu Tianzhu turned to face him, smiled, and saluted. "Shengzun, good morning."
Xuan Tian looked at Gu Tianzhu. He noticed that for the first time since Gu Tianzhu had begun calling him 'Shengzun,' there was heartfelt affection behind the word. Xuan Tian didn't know what had changed—but he accepted it gratefully.
His three disciples echoed the greeting. "Shengzun, good morning."
Xuan Tian rose to his feet and replied, "Good morning," his voice carrying the same sincerity.
Shen Qingyu grinned. "Shengzun, congratulations!"
Chen Zhaoyun saluted. "Mid Immortal Three, that's impressive, Shengzun!"
Lu Jianhong, grinning and clasping his hands in front of him, added, "Shengzun, we have the same cultivation level now. Maybe we can spar sometime?"
Xuan Tian looked at the three disciples, his eyes widening slightly. Something had changed. They no longer saw him only as 'Shengzun'—they saw him as one of their own. He could feel it in their voices, in their expressions. He could feel the warmth.
He glanced at Gu Tianzhu, who was grinning widely like a fool.
"Sure. You can't complain if you lose," Xuan Tian replied, his tone matching their warmth.
"I won't!" Lu Jianhong grinned broader. "I won't lose!"
The disciples laughed joyfully.
The corner of Xuan Tian's mouth curled up slightly.
"What are you guys laughing like fools for?" a loud voice rang from the garden below.
"And what are you all doing on the rooftop? Miss the cavern?"
Ling Yu stood below, looking fresh in a light yellow dress, smiling as brightly as the sun. None of the previous day's exhaustion lingered on her face.
Xuan Tian couldn't help but feel tension leave his body. He was relieved. For the first time since they escaped the cavern, he was seeing that version of Ling Yu again—unburdened, carefree, and radiant.
He flew down to the garden with quiet grace. "Good morning, Little Chaos. You're up early."
"Good morning, Iron Wall. It's not early. I'm just ready to be a disciple," Ling Yu replied without missing a beat.
"Stop calling me Iron Wall. You should ask Gu Zhenren—maybe he regrets making you his disciple," Xuan Tian teased, clearly in a good mood.
Ling Yu narrowed her eyes. She had noticed Xuan Tian's mood. This was a new version of him—relaxed, light, almost playful. She liked it. But she wouldn't be Ling Yu if she didn't cause a little chaos.
"You keep asking me to stop calling you 'Iron Wall.' Okay. I won't," Ling Yu said sweetly.
Xuan Tian frowned, suspicious. "Really? I never thought you'd agree that easily."
"Of course I'll agree, Tian-Tian. I'm a good girl," she replied in an overly sweet voice.
Xuan Tian, who had just taken a sip of hot tea, choked. "Cough—what—cough—what did you call me?!"
Laughter was heard in the garden of Xuanliu Courtyard.