Come with me," Tian Buyi said to Zhang Xiaofan, leading him into the inner hall.
Once they were inside, Tian Buyi asked, "These past two years in the ancestral temple… have you been well?"
"Very well," Zhang Xiaofan replied.
Tian Buyi nodded, then looked him in the eyes. "And… that man. Was it Senior Brother Wan?"
Although he already suspected the truth, Tian Buyi wanted to hear it directly from Zhang Xiaofan's mouth.
Zhang Xiaofan noticed the hopeful look on his master Tian Buyi's face.
"Yes," he answered simply.
Tian Buyi's eyes lit up. He could hardly contain his joy, his cheeks flushing with excitement.
"That's wonderful! Senior Brother Wan is still alive. I'm so relieved."
Zhang Xiaofan understood his master's emotions. To Tian Buyi, Wan Jianyi wasn't just a fellow disciple — he was his savior. Without Wan Jianyi's help, Tian Buyi might have died in the war against the Demon Cult years ago, and there would be no "Head of Dazhu Peak" today.
After a while, Tian Buyi's smile faded into a more thoughtful expression.
"Your Senior Brother Wan is a master at teaching. And you… your talent and comprehension are rare. So, tell me — how much of his skills have you learned in these two years?"
"About eighty percent," Zhang Xiaofan replied. He didn't exaggerate.
Tian Buyi's eyes widened slightly. "Eighty percent… That alone could benefit you for a lifetime. With your aptitude, there's even a chance you could break into the Taiqing Realm in the future."
"I think so too," Zhang Xiaofan said without false modesty. The Taiqing Realm was almost impossible for most people, but for him — with enough time and the five volumes of the Heavenly Book — it was achievable.
In truth, he believed that after collecting all five volumes, he could even uncover the secrets of true immortality, surpassing Taiqing entirely. The Heavenly Book was so miraculous that Zhang Xiaofan suspected even the legendary Qingye Patriarch might have avoided death by old age if he had possessed all five volumes.
A few hundred years might sound long, but for someone actually living them, the years would pass quickly… and no one would want to die when that time came.
That was why Zhang Xiaofan was determined to obtain the Heavenly Book at any cost.
Tian Buyi's gaze swept over him. "Two years have passed… What stage of the Jade Purity Realm have you reached?"
He didn't ask whether Zhang Xiaofan had reached the Upper Purity Realm — that would be absurd in such a short time. Within the Qingyun Sect, those who reached Upper Purity were qualified to be elders or heads of a peak.
Among thousands of disciples, only thirty people had reached that level, and the youngest among them was already over two hundred years old.
"Ninth level," Zhang Xiaofan said calmly. He didn't reveal that he had actually broken into the first level of Upper Purity.
A hidden card should stay hidden — it could be the difference between life and death. In this dangerous world, it was unwise to reveal all of one's strength.
Tian Buyi's face broke into a grin. "Only five years in the sect, and already the ninth level of Jade Purity! Impressive. Give you another twenty years, and you might even reach Upper Purity."
He then thought of his other disciples and sighed. "Old Five and Old Six have been in the sect for almost a hundred years, and they're still at the third level. Completely hopeless."
Zhang Xiaofan simply listened in silence. Whatever their abilities, He Dazhi and Lu Daxin were still his senior brothers ....
it wasn't his place to comment.
Then Tian Buyi gave him a sly look and rubbed his hands together. "Xiaofan… I haven't had a proper meal since I left Dazhu Peak. Lao Wu's cooking is terrible."
Zhang Xiaofan smiled knowingly. "I'll cook, Master."
In truth, he wanted to cook for himself too. Good food was one of life's pleasures, and eating his fifth senior brother's cooking was… unpleasant.
"I'll get started right away."
"Go on, go on. Finally, I can have a feast again," Tian Buyi said, patting his slightly shrunken belly.
Zhang Xiaofan left the secret room and went straight to the kitchen. As he began preparing dinner, a familiar bark rang out.
"Woof! Woof!"
Da Huang, the big yellow dog, bounded in, rubbing his head against Zhang Xiaofan's leg. He didn't lick
Da Huang was a clean, intelligent dog.
Xiao Hui, the little monkey, jumped down from Zhang Xiaofan's shoulder and landed on Da Huang's back.
The sky was already dark when....
Boom!
A loud crash came from outside. Zhang Xiaofan put down his knife and followed the sound to the woodshed. There, he found three enormous dice — each bigger than a water tank — lying on the floor, with his sixth senior brother Du Bishu sprawled across them. Above, a gaping hole in the roof explained the scene perfectly.
Zhang Xiaofan chuckled. "Sixth Brother, you really do love gambling — even your magic weapon is dice."
Du Bishu looked up at him and laughed. "Junior Brother… you've grown taller than me now— Ah! Ow…"
He slipped off the dice and landed on the ground.
Zhang Xiaofan helped brush the dust off him. "Congratulations on reaching the fourth level of Jade Purity, Sixth Brother. You can even fly now. But… why are you in the woodshed?"
Du Bishu grinned. "I missed you, so I came straight here when I returned."
Zhang Xiaofan pointed at the broken roof. "I think you fell from up there."
"Bah!" Du Bishu rolled his eyes. "I finally mastered a magic weapon and came to show off, but you just had to call me out."
He pressed his hands together, golden light flowing between his fingers. The three huge dice shrank rapidly, flying into his palm until they looked like normal dice.
Zhang Xiaofan gave him a thumbs-up. "With these, no one can beat you at gambling."
"Exactly!" Du Bishu said proudly. "I made them from the essence of a thousand-year-old three-pearl tree I found by the Red River in the south. I've named them… Divine Wood Dice. And I'm going to rely on them for the Seven Clans Martial Arts Competition."
Read 100+ more Chapters
https://patreon.com/HeavenlyYinYang
---