PID Chapter 36.2

Chu Jinglan said simply: “Mm, I believe you.”

 

Underneath his mask, Xiao Mo raised an eyebrow.

 

Not moved—not even remotely.

 

Abandoning voice transmission, Xiao Mo spoke aloud with a faintly eerie tone: “Blind trust isn’t your style. Shixiong, were you just silently badmouthing me in your mind to test me?”

 

In some ways, Xiao Mo really could read Chu Jinglan’s thoughts just by glancing at his expression.

 

Even though Chu Jinglan’s face showed little movement.

 

Chu Jinglan admitted with some honesty: “Not exactly badmouthing.”

 

He only denied the “badmouthing” part—which meant he tacitly admitted that he had indeed been silently thinking about something earlier.

 

Xiao Mo snorted lightly but wasn’t angry. After all, someone like Chu Jinglan—meticulous and highly vigilant—was naturally like this. If he suddenly said “I trust you 100%,” Xiao Mo would start wondering if he had come down with a fever again.

 

Switching back to voice transmission seamlessly, Xiao Mo returned to business: “If Chu Jiao somehow survives within these two days, I’ll try again.”

 

After pausing briefly, he asked: “Feels like I’m treating him as a guinea pig for practicing my techniques… wasting time. You don’t mind that, do you?”

 

“I don’t.”

 

Chu Jinglan lowered his gaze to look at his own hands. He could still hold a sword but lacked the ability to kill. Any enemy he faced now had higher cultivation than him. Only when Xiao Mo controlled these hands could he temporarily regain the power to kill.

 

Through voice transmission, Chu Jinglan replied without emotion: “If you use him for practice and become more proficient with your techniques—it’s efficient. If he has to die anyway, why not make full use of him?”

 

Chu Jiao was only the first. Chu Jinglan wouldn’t remain powerless forever. He clenched his fingers slightly—he would reclaim his cultivation and settle scores one by one.

 

Xiao Mo was pleased: “Then I can rest assured.”

 

A moment later, three figures flew across the sky on swords, heading back up the mountain—Chu Jiao and his two companions, having completed their task. The other two Huanjian Sect disciples were clearly keeping their distance from Chu Jiao, suggesting that working together hadn’t been pleasant.

 

Yan Chun happened to put down his book to take a break. Seeing Xiao Mo looking up intently at something, he followed suit, but the sky was filled with flying swords, making it impossible for him to tell what Xiao Mo was focused on.

 

Curious, Yan Chun asked: “Shixiong?”

 

Xiao Mo replied: “Hm? Is there something you don’t understand that you want to ask me?”

 

“Uh, no.”

 

It was true that Yan Chun didn’t understand many things, but he didn’t plan on asking—asking would only make him more confused. Concepts like water, fire, and mist still baffled him.

 

Yan Chun sighed. If he and Chu Xia really didn’t have talent for cultivation, staying by Master and Shixiong’s side to help with chores would still be a good life.

 

—

 

Chu Jiao and his companions returned to the Huanjian Sect group and reported their task to Dai Zisheng. Chu Jiao gave a perfunctory bow before turning and walking away. Dai Zisheng squinted at his retreating figure before turning to the two disciples with sour expressions: “Why do you both look so upset?”

 

The two immediately began venting their frustrations: “It’s all because of Chu Jiao! He’s been getting more irritable lately—today he even took it out on us for no reason. What kind of person is that? We didn’t even provoke him!”

 

Dai Zisheng quipped casually: “Oh, so I’m the one who provoked him then?”

 

The two disciples immediately looked embarrassed: “Young Master…”

 

Dai Zisheng waved them off: “Whatever. Let him stew in his anger.”

 

Even a strong dragon can’t suppress a local snake. In the Lower Realm, having sect affiliations is essential for getting things done. After all, even Divided Spirit cultivators would be suppressed to Nascent Soul level upon entering the Lower Realm. The Chu family had served Huanjian Sect for generations—it wasn’t something Dai Zisheng could change just because he was unhappy with them.

 

What annoyed Dai Zisheng most was that after returning to the sect, he didn’t immediately reveal that Chu Jinglan was his lifesaving benefactor. Instead, he first tested the attitudes of the three Chu family members.

 

Their attitude had been: He’s crippled and discarded—what’s there to talk about?

 

Well then, they couldn’t blame Dai Zisheng for being displeased with them.

 

If Dai Zisheng knew more details about what Chu Jinglan had suffered at the hands of the Chu family, he wouldn’t have limited himself to petty provocations.

 

After finishing his errand, Chu Jiao sat down with a face full of resentment. The others instinctively distanced themselves from him.

 

The Chu family had recently offended the young master, prompting many people to start avoiding them. Even the two disciples who had tried to be kind earlier were now complaining about Chu Jiao to others—leaving him completely isolated.

 

Chu Jiao sneered inwardly: Fine by me—peace and quiet.

 

He closed his eyes to meditate but found himself unable to suppress the agitation in his heart. Fearing he might disrupt his qi flow if he forced it, he angrily opened his eyes again.

 

Annoying. Lin’an Academy’s allocated space was calculated per person—even practicing a sword technique left no room. The other Huanjian Sect disciples were gathered in groups of three or five while he sat alone… And yet they kept glancing in his direction! Did they think Chu Jiao didn’t know they were gossiping about him?

 

Unable to meditate or practice martial arts, Chu Jiao sat idly in his spot, his restless mood growing deeper and darker with time instead of easing.

 

It reached the point where he felt that anyone who glanced his way was looking down on him.

 

Chu Jiao had an impulsive urge to gouge out their eyes.

 

What are you staring at? What are you talking about?!

 

Clenching his fists tightly, his gaze turned increasingly sinister. However, when his eyes landed on several Nascent Soul cultivators from Huanjian Sect nearby, he bit his tongue and restrained himself. He could think about it all he wanted, but he didn’t dare act recklessly.

 

He began silently reciting the Clear Heart Sutra.

 

The night passed uneventfully.

 

—

 

The next day marked the final day before the lectures began. It was said that the top-tier sects from the Twenty-Four Provinces would come to offer their congratulations. Many people rose early, eagerly awaiting the spectacle.

 

Xiao Mo was also looking forward to the so-called grand occasion—he believed that seeing it firsthand would be far more impactful than hearing about it.

 

As he lowered his head to correct Mo Zhi’s writing errors, a flower petal that had no business being in the forest gently landed on the paper.

 

It was merely a delicate harbinger. When Xiao Mo and many others raised their heads, they saw a massive flying boat descending slowly through the clouds. It resembled a great roc soaring and breaking through the sea of clouds, traveling tens of thousands of miles, its sheer size blotting out the sky. Around the boat, cranes sang, phoenix-like birds danced, flowers rained down in cascades, and radiant light illuminated the heavens. Immortals stood atop the clouds.

 

Rather than calling it a flying boat, it was more like a small city in motion.

 

This was what true prestige looked like—the glory of the Twenty-Four Provinces’ elite sects!

 

And it wasn’t just one boat. From all directions came more massive flying boats. Some were adorned with jade railings and white jade pavilions; others were fortified with steel and black stone. There were boats rooted in giant trees that spread across their entire structure and others constructed from pure gold and gemstones into magnificent towers.

 

One by one, these celestial boats broke through layers of clouds at a steady pace, each competing for splendor in the heavens. They blocked out sunlight entirely, leaving people below in awe and trembling under their immense shadows.

 

It felt as though life, death, and even breath were controlled by these colossal entities.

 

The three children couldn’t help but move closer to Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan, lightly clutching their sleeves for comfort.

 

Xiao Mo understood—this was “megalophobia,” a fear of massive objects. Fortunately, he didn’t have it. Chu Jinglan didn’t seem affected either.

 

The celestial boats stopped at a certain height and remained stationary. From above came voices transmitted through spiritual energy—some clear and resonant, others loud and commanding:

 

“Xuanyuan Sect congratulates Lin’an Academy on opening its lectures—”

 

“Sword Sect congratulates Lin’an Academy on opening its lectures—”

 

“All-Spirit Island congratulates Lin’an Academy on opening its lectures—”

 

One announcement after another echoed across the skies as if competing for dominance. Invisible spiritual energy ripples collided mid-air but were carefully controlled to avoid affecting those below. This was their standard of etiquette—to overpower others without causing harm. If any sect’s spiritual energy injured rogue cultivators below, they would be ridiculed: If you can’t handle this much power, don’t embarrass yourself here—just go home.

 

Finally, two voices rang out simultaneously from afar:

 

“Cloud Peak Six Sects congratulate Lin’an Academy on opening its lectures—”

 

“Immortal Alliance congratulates Lin’an Academy on opening its lectures—”

 

These two announcements were reserved for last—belonging to the two largest forces spanning both Upper and Middle Realms.

 

Most people thought this marked the end of the ceremony—but unexpectedly, after the announcements concluded, beams of spiritual light began descending from each celestial boat.

 

Those witnessing this for the first time stood dumbfounded, while those with prior experience leapt into action without hesitation, rushing toward the beams of light.

 

“Immortal gifts! Grab them quickly!”

 

Upon hearing the commotion, Xiao Mo immediately flew into the air. Each beam of spiritual light transformed into a storage pouch upon contact, with the pouches bearing the insignias of various celestial sects. In the blink of an eye, Xiao Mo had grabbed five or six pouches and returned to their protective barrier.

 

When they opened the pouches, they found that some contained spirit stones—some even mid-grade. Others held pills, mostly second-tier and above, while some contained various magical artifacts.

 

For them, these were all treasures!

 

Xiao Mo’s eyes lit up instantly. He shoved the pouches into Chu Jinglan’s arms and said: “Hold these—I’m going back for more!”

 

No wonder so many people traveled far and wide to attend Lin’an Academy’s lectures. Beyond the cultivation gains from listening to the lectures, these storage pouches alone were worth the journey!

 

It had to be said—the leading sects of the Twenty-Four Provinces were truly generous.

 

Xiao Mo happily continued catching light beams outside. To conceal his true cultivation level, he pretended to use Chu Jinglan’s sword for flight. Several times, his sword failed to keep up with the freely floating beams of light, but fortunately, most people around him had low cultivation levels and were too busy grabbing treasures to notice.

 

Most beams were intercepted mid-air, while a small number managed to slip through and fall to the ground—picked up by those who couldn’t even fly on swords.

 

One such stray beam floated gently down and landed right in Chu Jinglan’s hands.

 

Chu Jinglan caught it. As the light dispersed, he saw that the pouch bore the insignia of the Cloud Peak Six Sects—a six-petaled iris.

 

Opening the pouch, Chu Jinglan found only two items inside: a piece of white spiritual jade capable of crafting profound-grade magical artifacts and a Heart-Guard Mirror capable of deflecting a fatal blow from a Nascent Soul early-stage cultivator.

 

Though there were only two items, they were undoubtedly top-tier treasures.

 

Chu Jinglan calmly put away the pouch as if he hadn’t just drawn a jackpot but had merely picked up two low-grade spirit stones—completely composed.

 

His expression didn’t change, but his mind was already planning how to use the white jade. Its length was enough to craft a flute. Magical artifacts were divided into four tiers: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. Xiao Mo’s bamboo flute was currently at Yellow tier—this jade would allow him to upgrade it to Profound tier.

 

The leftover material could be used to craft a few protective talismans as well.

 

The rain of spiritual treasures lasted for half a cup of tea before ending. Xiao Mo returned fully loaded with over a hundred storage pouches. Some were tossed into his storage device while he carried an armful—though he couldn’t actually hold them all and was secretly using invisible black mist to keep them from falling.

 

“Alright, alright,” Xiao Mo said as he placed down the pouches. “Time to open blind bags!”

 

Chu Jinglan and the three children looked at him blankly: “Blind bags?”

 

Xiao Mo explained cheerfully: “Ah, it means you don’t know what’s inside—it could be something ordinary or it could be treasure. Because it’s unknown, it’s called ‘blind.’ Blind boxes, blind bags—it fits perfectly, doesn’t it?”

 

It truly was fitting. Chu Jinglan had grown accustomed to the concise yet apt new terms that Xiao Mo occasionally came up with. The children, on the other hand, learned something new and looked at Xiao Mo with expressions of admiration, thinking him incredibly knowledgeable.

 

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1 Kofi = 1 Extra Chapter