Xuan Kong hurriedly agreed, "I've long felt this cultivation technique was off. Over the years, I kept dragging, never reaching its peak. Later, when I learned the full story, it became even more impossible to continue. I've been searching for a suitable technique to slowly transition into."
Yun Jin nodded, "Come find me later. I have something I'd like your help with."
With that, she temporarily left.
Xuan Kong had wanted to say there was no need to wait, that no matter what it was, he could help at any time. But Yun Jin had already vanished hundreds of meters away before he could even speak.
Once she left, it was just Xuan Kong and Hong Ye.
Xuan Kong looked at her, his expression faintly complicated. "Lately… have you been avoiding me?"
Hong Ye raised an eyebrow, "Not exactly avoiding you. It's just… I have a lot of things to take care of."
He took a deep breath and said, "Hong Ye, you know me. If you don't want to, I won't force it. As for being Dao partners, I won't bring it up again. I just hope you can still see me as a friend."
A small smile tugged at the corners of Hong Ye's lips. "Of course."
Xuan Kong finally relaxed.
"Look at our Sect Master," Hong Ye suddenly said, glancing at Yun Jin's distant figure.
Xuan Kong tilted his head, confused.
Yun Jin stood quietly in the distance. She wasn't tall, and her frame looked somewhat slender. Her hair was simply draped down, held in place by just a single hairpin, giving her a casual, effortless air.
But even from behind, there was a sense of Dao flowing off her, slow and steady. She didn't have to do anything, yet she seemed to shine.
"That's our Sect Master," Hong Ye said softly, pride in her voice. "Before I met her… if you'd come to me, and we cleared up our misunderstanding, I would've been willing to become your Dao partner."
Xuan Kong's eyes widened.
Hong Ye's lips curved slightly, "But then I met the Sect Master. Just chasing after her back, I've already used up all my energy. Xuan Kong, the road of cultivation is long. Don't you want to see what lies at the end of that road? Don't you want to always be able to watch that back?
Our Sect Master is so strong. If I slack off even a little, I might never touch her back again.
Our Sect Master… she carries too much. Even though this little world has calmed, she never stops for a single moment. It seems she shoulders far too many responsibilities. Xuan Kong, I don't know if I can help her, but I'll do my best! The Sect Master… she's my light."
Hong Ye's voice was resolute.
Chasing Yun Jin had become a habit for her. She knew she would never catch up, but she still wanted to help in whatever way she could. For her whole life, following that light had become her purpose.
Xuan Kong's eyes shifted slightly. He looked at Yun Jin's slight, lean figure, and suddenly understood Hong Ye. A faint smile appeared on his lips, "I get it."
Suddenly, spiritual energy began leaking from him.
Hong Ye looked at him in surprise, "What are you doing?"
Xuan Kong replied calmly, "For me, Qingxiao Pavilion has always been just a cage. Now that Lin Xiao's remnant soul is gone for good, I want to chase the light you spoke of."
Hong Ye: "???"
Xuan Kong smiled. He was already at the peak of Mahayana, after cultivating spiritual energy for thousands of years, yet he was releasing it all without hesitation.
Lin Xiao had been right—this power, this cultivation, was indeed nurtured by Lin Xiao.
He had said he'd return it. Then he would.
Yun Jin sensed the motion behind her, turning slightly in surprise.
Xuan Kong… was dispersing his cultivation.
She remembered the conversation between Xuan Kong and Lin Xiao and fell silent. As he forcibly dispersed his cultivation, his strength kept falling. After more than an hour, he had been reduced to the first stage of Qi Refining.
Xuan Kong stepped forward toward Yun Jin and bowed respectfully, "Sect Master Yun Jin, Xuan Kong is willing to give up the position of Qingxiao Pavilion Master. May I have the honor of taking the Wushuang Sect entrance test?"
Yun Jin was silent.
Xuan Kong could no longer cultivate the Void Codex. Normally, he could have slowly transitioned into a different technique to convert his spiritual energy. But he chose the most extreme method: dispersing all his cultivation.
Thousands of years of effort gone in an instant. Accumulating such vast spiritual energy again would be nearly impossible.
"Are you sure you want to give up the Qingxiao Pavilion Master position?" Yun Jin said softly. "You should know, though Qingxiao Pavilion has weakened, it's still far stronger than even a super sect. Being Sect Master means supreme authority."
Xuan Kong said calmly, "Qingxiao Pavilion only brings me painful memories. Leaving here is my liberation."
Yun Jin looked at him. His expression was firm, his eyes free of doubt. She sighed, "Fine, I'll give you a chance at the entrance test. If you pass, you'll become an ordinary disciple of Wushuang Sect."
From Pavilion Master to ordinary disciple. Most would find this unbearable, yet Xuan Kong's face lit up with joy. He agreed without hesitation.
Hong Ye raised an eyebrow at him but soon returned to calm. In her view, Xuan Kong had made the right choice.
A Pavilion Master's title? That couldn't compare to even being an ordinary disciple of Wushuang Sect.
"Sect Master Yun Jin, what's the task you want me to help with? I'll officially give up my position after that," Xuan Kong said.
Yun Jin smiled. This boy was clever. He understood he might need the authority of the position for this task.
"I want to see Qingxiao Pavilion's artifact, the Earth Ruler," she said.
Xuan Kong immediately agreed, "Easy. The Pavilion Master's seal will open the basement door. I'll lead you there now."
Yun Jin nodded and asked, "This Earth Ruler has always been under the control of successive Pavilion Masters. Now, you're the one controlling it?"
Xuan Kong shook his head, "I was supposed to claim it as my artifact, but I kept delaying and never completed it."
"Oh?" Yun Jin's curiosity piqued. "Such a powerful artifact, why delay it? Did you… discover something?"
Her expression turned serious.
"Discover something?" Xuan Kong scratched his head, honestly, "Not really. Before I had the Holy Spirit Pill, Lin Xiao's remnant soul kept urging me to claim the artifact. After his remnant was forced to sleep, he couldn't push it anymore. But I always felt that whatever he wanted me to do wasn't good. He wanted me to claim it quickly, so I decided to do the opposite."
Yun Jin: "…."
In a way, Xuan Kong really was a little clever one.