Translator: She.Wee

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Chapter 102: Peace In The World And Four Seasons In Harmony

Chi Muyao, accompanied by Xi Huai, successfully passed his tribulation and ascended to the Nascent Soul stage.

The vast heavenly thunder, ferocious in its momentum, seemed intent on swallowing them whole. Every strike of the tribulation lightning was determined to shatter the two individuals below. The aftershocks reverberated through the clouds and mountains, causing them to tremble violently, shaking the very ground.

However, the man enduring the tribulation was immensely powerful, and his body was exceptionally resilient. Not only was he able to withstand the tribulation on behalf of his partner, but he also took meticulous care of him.

This tribulation was passed with relative ease.

Once Chi Muyao’s cultivation was completely stabilized, Qingze Sect even held a small banquet to celebrate his success.

In the cultivation world, after advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage, a master would typically give a gift, usually a magical artifact. When one reaches the Golden Core stage, they gain a voice in their sect or school and receive numerous congratulations. However, for those rare individuals who reach the Nascent Soul stage, a banquet is required in celebration. Chi Muyao was now the 37th Nascent Soul cultivator of Qingze Sect.

All of Qingze Sect’s palace masters were Nascent Soul cultivators. In recent years, four disciples from Xi Lin and the palace master of Zunyue Palace had also advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, and they were assigned roles as sect guardians or similar positions.

On the day of the celebration banquet, all the disciples of the Hehuan Sect came with Si Ruoyu.

Sitting at the banquet, Xu Ranzhu glanced at Chi Muyao and Xi Huai, saying, “I remember when you two got together, both of you were at the Golden Core stage. Back then, A-Jiu had just advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage. Now, I’m still at the Golden Core stage, and A-Jiu has already reached the Nascent Soul stage. Who can I even complain to about this?”

Si Ruoyu chuckled, “As long as you find a good furnace, you can live comfortably relying on it.”

Seeing Si Ruoyu’s smug look, Xu Ranzhu teased, “Indeed, some people have become sect masters thanks to their furnace!”

Some demonic sects had a peculiar rule: whoever had the highest cultivation would become the sect leader.

Xi Lin had become the sect leader because of this rule. If Xi Huai successfully reached the Soul Transformation stage one day, he would take over Xi Lin’s position, making him both the sect leader of Qingze Sect and the demon lord of the demonic sect.

Years ago, when Si Ruoyu left the Hehuan Sect to infiltrate Nuan Yan Pavilion, she was only at the Qi Refinement stage. When she finally managed to secretly hold hands with Guannan Tianzun, she had cultivated to the Foundation Establishment stage through her own efforts.

After tasting Guannan Tianzun’s power for the first time, Si Ruoyu’s cultivation skyrocketed, eventually reaching the Nascent Soul stage, and she became the sect master of the Hehuan Sect.

Si Ruoyu would often leave Nuan Yan Pavilion under the guise of taking her disciples on training journeys, but in reality, she was returning to the demonic sect to manage the Hehuan Sect.

Chi Muyao was a child Si Ruoyu had picked up when she passed through the mortal realm on her way back to the demonic sect.

Si Ruoyu didn’t mind being teased as a sect master and calmly said, “In a few more years, I’ll no longer be the sect leader anyway!”

Hearing this, Xi Huai frowned slightly and reminded her, “A-Jiu is now a palace master of Qingze Sect. He likely won’t return to the Hehuan Sect to become sect leader, so your position is still secure.”

“Exactly!” Chi Muyao quickly added, “I’m just a man. How could I possibly be the sect leader of the Hehuan Sect?”

“Why not? You’re quite suitable for the role,” Si Ruoyu said, clearly keen on the idea of stepping down and enjoying a more relaxed life.

“No way, no way!” Chi Muyao quickly refused. He could manage the accounts of the Administration Hall just fine, at least keeping the books clear and organized.

But the disciples of the Hehuan Sect were notoriously difficult to manage. Especially when they quarreled, just listening to it gave Chi Muyao a headache. How could he possibly handle that?

Si Ruoyu laughed heartily and said, “No rush. At least wait a few more years. After all, your partner needs to come out of seclusion to continue nourishing you.”

Embarrassed by this public remark, Chi Muyao blushed furiously and quickly tried to stop her from saying more.

Si Ruoyu didn’t continue her teasing, but raised her cup towards Xi Huai, “Our sect’s disciple could not have reached this level without the help of the demon lord. This toast is for you.”

Xi Huai hesitated as he held his cup. Chi Muyao wanted to help block the drink for him, but Si Ruoyu wouldn’t allow it.

Xi Huai had no choice but to down the cup of wine. The moment he finished, his body slumped forward as he passed out, completely drunk.

Si Ruoyu was stunned, immediately checking Xi Huai’s cup to see if it had been poisoned.

The others, unaware of the situation, stood up in alarm, drawing their swords in defense.

Chi Muyao awkwardly explained, “He… can’t handle even one cup.”

“So quickly?!” Si Ruoyu was shocked, “Even the girls of my Hehuan Sect can drink more than that.”

The other cultivators sheathed their swords. The palace master of Zunyue Palace even came over to check and confirmed that Xi Huai was indeed just drunk.

Seeing his son’s incompetence, Xi Lin, frustrated and exasperated, raised his cup, “Sect Master Si, allow me to toast you.”

“Very well!” Si Ruoyu smiled and accepted another drink with Xi Lin.

Immediately afterward, Xi Lin collapsed in a straight line, though luckily his disciple caught him before he hit the ground.

Si Ruoyu stared at the father and son for a long moment before bursting into laughter, “These two really can’t do anything mischievous when drunk.”

Chi Muyao, supporting Xi Huai, proudly replied, “I think it’s rather cute.”

After the banquet ended, Chi Muyao arranged for the Hehuan Sect members to be escorted back. He then helped Xi Huai return to his cave dwelling.

Once Xi Huai was settled in bed, Chi Muyao finally let out a sigh of relief.

Every time he helped Xi Huai, he couldn’t help but think that people should only grow as tall as necessary. Someone as large as Xi Huai really did create extra burdens for his partner.

After catching his breath, Chi Muyao began bustling around the cave.

Xi Huai would be entering seclusion in his own mountain, and his cave had a special room for that purpose. Chi Muyao needed to set up an array that would help Xi Huai absorb spiritual energy more quickly.

He also needed to establish a healing barrier. If Xi Huai accidentally went berserk, the barrier could provide some treatment.

Once everything was arranged and carefully checked several times, he finally returned to the bedroom, took off his shoes, and lay down beside Xi Huai.

Chi Muyao turned on his side, gazing at Xi Huai’s sleeping face, which appeared softer and more serene without its usual fierceness.

Unable to resist, he leaned over and gently kissed the corner of Xi Huai’s lips, then stroked his hair. His eyes drifted uncontrollably toward Xi Huai’s collar…

Usually, if he touched Xi Huai even a little, Xi Huai would immediately pounce, leaving him no chance to explore carefully.

Now that Xi Huai was drunk, could he take this opportunity to be a little mischievous?

Thinking of this, he reached out with mischievous hands to undo Xi Huai’s clothes, busying himself until he was completely satisfied, before falling asleep beside him.

When he woke up, Xi Huai was no longer next to him.

Sitting up, Chi Muyao looked around and saw Xi Huai standing in front of a copper mirror, examining his body. Turning, Xi Huai pointed to a few hickeys and asked, “Did you do this?”

“Mm…” Chi Muyao replied weakly. There was no reason not to admit to being naughty with his partner!

Xi Huai sighed, walked over, and leaned down, “Help heal me a bit. You’ve made it all swollen. It hurts.”

As Chi Muyao healed Xi Huai, he couldn’t help but chuckle, even as he brought up old grievances, “You’re much worse than me, like a dog sometimes.”

“And my back is always scratched with lines—are you a cat?”

“…”

Before Xi Huai entered seclusion, Chi Muyao received a message from Yi Qianxi’s transmission talisman, summoning him to the Yuchong Sect.

Chi Muyao brought gifts with him, intending to share his joy of advancing in cultivation by gifting something to others.

However, when he arrived at Yuchong Sect, he found Yu Yanshu also seated in the main hall, which made him start to think deeply.

After the Nuan Yan Pavilion led an attack on Qingze Sect, enmity had been established between the two realms.

The “Three Lodges” led by Guannan Tianzun were one of the rare neutral factions. The demonic sects didn’t trouble them, and the righteous sects didn’t dare offend them.

However, over the past years, the conflicts between the two realms had intensified, and the other lodges of Nuan Yan Pavilion had not been able to find peace.

First, Xi Huai led people to destroy the “Mountain Dragon Vein” of Nuan Yan Pavilion, damaging the Feng Shui Dragon Vein’s surface. The ground erupted, spewing lava, the land was ruined, and the Feng Shui was broken. It was as if the entire Nuan Yan Pavilion had been struck by a catastrophe.

After that, during various training missions for the disciples of Nuan Yan Pavilion, the demonic sects repeatedly attacked, causing the disciples not only to fail their trials but also to suffer heavy casualties. As a result, the disciples of Nuan Yan Pavilion didn’t dare leave their sect for a long time, fearing they would be ambushed and killed.

Ironically, if they falsely claimed to be disciples of the Three Lodges, they might be spared by demonic cultivators if they were in a good mood.

In addition to this, Qingze Sect had been gradually expanding its territory over the years, starting by invading smaller sects from the righteous path.

After surrounding these sects, they didn’t kill or cause trouble; they only asked that the sects plant the demonic sect’s flag in their territory and recognize Xi Huai as the Demon Lord. If they agreed, they would be spared.

However, once the flag was planted, the sect would be considered part of the demonic faction and could no longer be regarded as a righteous sect.

This was a matter of altering the core beliefs of a sect!

No sect leader would want such a drastic change to happen during their tenure.

Initially, some sects resisted, but after struggling for a long time without seeing any aid from the Nuan Yan Pavilion, they gradually became disillusioned.

The ones who remained defiant were annihilated, while those who yielded became part of the demonic sect.

This gradually plunged both realms into chaos. The influence of the Nuan Yan Pavilion waned, and the righteous sects, filled with resentment toward the demonic sect, were powerless to act.

If… they hadn’t followed Xianyue Tianzun to attack the demonic sects back then, would they have avoided all of this?

Yet, even after they followed Xianyue Tianzun, she abandoned them, which was truly disheartening.

During these years, Yu Yanshu and Chi Muyao had not been in contact.

Chi Muyao refrained from getting involved in the affairs between the two realms, focusing only on minor sect matters, preferring to stay out of the turmoil.

Chi Muyao had heard from others that Yu Yanshu was also quite talented and had successfully reached the Nascent Soul stage four years ago.

He didn’t offer congratulations but quietly acknowledged that Yu Yanshu was indeed exceptionally gifted. His cultivation progress was astonishing, having reached the Nascent Soul stage at such a young age.

At the same time, the male protagonist of this novel, Xi Zihe, had finally embarked on his golden journey. After obtaining the purification pearl, he acquired two more rare treasures through continuous adventures. He had evolved from pretending to be weak while secretly being strong into becoming a powerful figure, and his cultivation had reached the late-stage Golden Core realm.

Today, Chi Muyao and Yu Yanshu were meeting for the first time since Chi Muyao’s Dao companion ceremony.

It had been nearly 24 years since they last met.

It felt like a lifetime ago.

Chi Muyao looked at Yu Yanshu, who no longer had the youthful innocence from when they first met. The Yu Shixiong who had once sat alone in the pavilion eating watermelon was gone, replaced by a mature man with a calm demeanor and deep gaze.

Chi Muyao knew that Yu Yanshu was destined to be a renowned figure in history.

It seems that after experiencing so much, a person can change, even someone as pure as a blank sheet of paper can become weathered.

The paper was still white, but it had become incredibly strong and impossible to tear easily.

Staying true to oneself, while compensating for one’s weaknesses—that is true growth.

It seemed Yu Yanshu had achieved that.

Chi Muyao smiled at Yu Yanshu and said, “Yu Shixiong, long time no see. I didn’t expect to meet you today.”

“Mm, this isn’t a coincidence. I actually asked Yi Shimei to invite you.”

“Oh?” Chi Muyao didn’t seem surprised. “What’s the reason?”

“Xi Huai is about to go into seclusion to attempt breaking through to the Divine Transformation stage, isn’t he?” Yu Yanshu got straight to the point.

“Mm.” It was no surprise that this had reached the higher-ups of Nuan Yan Pavilion. Qingze Sect also had spies in Nuan Yan Pavilion, so it was impossible to keep it secret.

Yu Yanshu continued, “Xianyue Tianzun is getting restless. She will probably make a move when he goes into seclusion.”

Chi Muyao smiled instead of getting angry. Xianyue Tianzun had never changed.

Last time, when Qingze Sect was weakened from setting up the teleportation array, she took advantage of it.

This time, with Xi Huai attempting to break through to the Divine Transformation stage, the other Nascent Soul-stage seniors would be busy protecting him and wouldn’t be able to leave seclusion for a long time. Once they began channeling their energy, they couldn’t stop midway, as doing so would cause them to suffer from Qi deviation, which would be especially harmful to Xi Huai during his breakthrough.

Any disturbance could delay Xi Huai’s progress, and it would take him years to recover and try again.

Xianyue Tianzun intended to exploit this. Even if she couldn’t prevent Xi Huai from reaching the Divine Transformation stage, she could at least delay him for a few years.

In the cultivation world, the emergence of a Divine Transformation-stage cultivator would change the power dynamics.

Xianyue Tianzun couldn’t afford to sit idly by.

“I’m not surprised,” Chi Muyao replied calmly, without fear or emotional fluctuation.

Yu Yanshu looked at him for a while, then asked, “In that case, will Xi Huai still go into seclusion?”

“He will. This is something that must happen eventually. Xianyue coming for her demise is also inevitable. It’s something that has to be faced.”

“I want to collaborate with you.”

“I know. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be telling me all this.”

Both of them were smart. From the moment they made eye contact, they had already guessed the subsequent events without the need for further explanation.

Yu Yanshu had stayed in Nuan Yan Pavilion and had ambitions to become its leader.

His presence here today, meeting Chi Muyao and sharing this information, showed that he had also planted spies by Xianyue Tianzun’s side. Xianyue Tianzun had always been suspicious of others, so it was unlikely that she would trust newcomers. It seemed Yu Yanshu had found a way to win over one of her trusted aides.

After getting the information, Yu Yanshu sought out Chi Muyao for collaboration.

Both of them had connections with the Yuchong Sect, and Yu Yanshu probably knew that Chi Muyao frequently visited the Yuchong Sect in disguise. Meeting there was the safest option.

After not seeing each other for over 20 years, anyone would assume they no longer had any ties, so who would expect the two to hit it off so quickly?

Yu Yanshu directly revealed his goal: “I want to kill Xianyue. Nuan Yan Pavilion can only truly prosper after a purge. We need to get rid of this rotten crowd for good.”

Chi Muyao didn’t hesitate: “Alright, I’ll help you.”

“How will you manage? Can Qingze Sect be protected if the number of protectors in the sect is reduced?”

“No need. Does everyone think Qingze Sect is so easily bullied?” Chi Muyao smiled. “Who do you have on your side?”

“Me and the Three Lodges.”

“Is Xi Zihe included?”

“Mm.”

“Then it’ll be easier.”

Naturally, they would make use of Xi Zihe’s protagonist aura.

Yu Yanshu looked at Chi Muyao, a little confused but not asking further. “If you need anything from me, just let me know.”

“Alright.” Chi Muyao lowered his gaze and suddenly asked in a quieter tone, “Yu Shixiong, after I help you achieve this, if you become the leader, will you still remain true to yourself?” People change. If Yu Yanshu really became the leader, would he still hold on to his original beliefs?

This was indeed a valid question.

Yu Yanshu wasn’t surprised by it and answered softly, “I’ll try.”

Chi Muyao looked at him.

Yu Yanshu smiled self-deprecatingly. “My hands are already stained with blood. I’m in no position to talk about a bright path. All I can do is try to change Nuan Yan Pavilion into the place I want it to be.”

It was like mixing white paint into a mess of various colors. Naturally, it would become tainted.

What Yu Yanshu was trying to do was add as much white paint as possible, to lighten the murky color.

Make it a little lighter.

And lighter still…

He knew it was impossible for the paint to ever become white again, but at least he could try to make it less dark, less dirty.

After Yu Yanshu left, Yi Qianxi entered the room and sat down, chatting with Chi Muyao. “Lately, Yu Shixiong has become quite intimidating. I don’t even dare to talk to him much anymore.”

“If Yu Shixiong becomes the sect leader someday, and Nuan Yan Pavilion’s shady dealings become less frequent, perhaps the warm Yu Shixiong we knew will return. People tend to become repressed under heavy burdens.”

“That’s true. At our age, only those of us in the Yuchong Sect can remain carefree.”

Yi Qianxi had also reached the Golden Core stage, though only at the initial stage.

She had been diligently cultivating, occasionally receiving Chi Muyao’s help with elixirs and treasures, but her talent limited her progress. The spiritual energy in the Yuchong Sect wasn’t enough for rapid advancement, so she had to cultivate slowly.

Fortunately, Yi Qianxi had a good attitude and wasn’t under much pressure, nor did she have any inner demons.

At this moment, she brought up something: “Shidi, I think there’s a stranger living in our Puhe Mountain Range.”

“Oh?”

“One night by the river, I saw a naked man sneaking around in the woods, basking in the moonlight!”

A naked man…

Chi Muyao had a suspicion about who it might be.

Yi Qianxi continued, “His hair was all green. I wonder if his partner cheated on him, leaving him with nothing but a glowing green head.”

*Cough cough…* Chi Muyao awkwardly cleared his throat and clumsily reached for his tea cup, taking a sip.

Yi Qianxi didn’t care and went on, “I took out a hammer from the Hundred Treasures Pouch and was going to smash that intruder, but when I got closer, he disappeared! I couldn’t see his face or gauge his cultivation level, just a glimpse of his bare, white butt.”

Chi Muyao’s gaze quickly darted to the Azure Fox Ancestor lying nearby, and then he calmly replied, “Maybe he was just a lost cultivator. He probably didn’t expect to be seen in the woods and felt embarrassed, so he ran away.”

Yi Qianxi scoffed disdainfully, “Uninvited people are thieves. Running around naked in my Puhe Mountain Range, how shameless! Don’t let me catch him.”

“Then… I’ll patrol the area and chase him away.”

“No need. You don’t have to go out of your way for something this trivial. Just give me a sharp knife. Next time I catch him, I’ll castrate him!”

“…” Chi Muyao nervously held onto his Thousand Myriad Treasure Bell, too scared to hand it over.

The Azure Fox Ancestor behind him exuded a cold aura, making his back shiver, and he became increasingly tense.

He could only communicate through spiritual voice transmission with the Azure Fox Ancestor, “Ancestor, it’s really inconvenient for you to keep hiding your identity like this.”

“What can I do? She’s just not interested in humans; she only likes animals.”

“But keeping this up isn’t a long-term solution…”

“If she finds out the truth now, it’ll be even more troublesome. I’m afraid…”

Both Chi Muyao and the Azure Fox Ancestor knew that if Yi Qianxi discovered the Azure Fox Ancestor was actually a shapeshifting spirit beast and had been staying by her side for so long, she would definitely kick him out of the Yuchong Sect, and Chi Muyao would also suffer her wrath.

Author’s note: Yuchong Sect’s castration expert: Yi Qianxi.

Xi Huai: “They said my head looks like a tree branch, wifey, help me deal with them!”

Chi Muyao nodded seriously and, with all his might, scattered a bunch of peach blossoms.

Xi Huai: “Are you giving them romantic luck?”

Chi Muyao: “Not exactly… If they all end up with someone like you, wouldn’t that just be cursing them?”

Xi Huai: “…”

【Xi Huai angrily searching for a bed】