In Lin Ji’s past life, he didn’t even remember Lu Xiaobai’s face clearly. At this moment, even though he was in darkness, he felt as if he could see Lu Xiaobai’s features incredibly clearly, and even his memories became vivid.

Feeling a bit too close, Lin Ji leaned back a few inches and turned over to press against the bed board.

“…”

The next day, Lin Ji woke up early as usual, while Lu Xiaobai, as usual, couldn’t get up. After getting dressed, Lin Ji noticed that Lu Xiaobai was sleeping so soundly that he hardly moved all night.

Lin Ji returned to the bed, leaned in to look at him for a while, and only left when he saw that Lu Xiaobai’s breathing was steady.

Lin Ji went downstairs, planning to wander around a bit, and just happened to bump into a waiter with a towel draped over his shoulder. 

The waiter saw him and cupped his hands, greeting him warmly, “This guest, your illness is better now?”

Lin Ji was puzzled, “You remember me?”

The waiter waved his hand humbly, “In our line of work, we can’t have poor memories. We need to have a general impression of our guests to serve them according to their preferences and minimize mistakes.”

So he was quite perceptive.

Lin Ji nodded slightly, not wanting to chat too much, but unexpectedly, the waiter, who had just been praised in his mind, became a bit clueless: “That guest in white hasn’t gotten up yet? I wonder how his condition is? Should I call a doctor for him?”

Lin Ji paused, “Illness?”

The waiter scratched his head, “Isn’t it an injury? But I see you two look like young heroes wandering the world; it’s inevitable to get a few minor injuries occasionally.”

Thinking back to how he had fainted for half a day yesterday, Lin Ji didn’t know how long Lu Xiaobai had carried him here, and he felt a bit moved.

Lin Ji said, “… recount what happened yesterday to me.”

The waiter recalled, “Ah, there wasn’t much to it.” 

It was just that Lu Xiaobai had carried Lin Ji to the inn, knocking on the door while struggling to walk with his sword, looking extremely pale and gasping for breath as if he was about to collapse.

The waiter thought that although Lin Ji was tall, he was quite slender and not the kind of burly man who would be too heavy to carry, so he guessed that the young man in white must be ill or too weak.

After a moment of surprise, Lin Ji felt the resentment and gloom that had lingered since last night gradually dissipate, and his mood inexplicably improved a lot.

At that moment, Lu Xiaobai stretched and walked down the stairs, leaning on the railing while yawning, and said to the waiter, “Get me something to eat; I’m hungry again!”

“Sure thing!” The waiter nodded and bowed, his eyes scanning them for a moment before he quickly left.

As the waiter walked away, he was still tangled up in his thoughts, wondering if Lin Ji was too heavy or if Lu Xiaobai was too weak?

He usually liked to gather information while working at the inn, chatting with other waiters about the strange behaviors of various guests and their entanglements, just to pass the time.

If the guests heard his inner thoughts while he was working as a waiter, who knows how many times he would get beaten up?

Lu Xiaobai noticed Lin Ji looking at him, and his brows seemed much more relaxed than yesterday. Indeed, sleeping was the most effective way to block bad emotions.

Lu Xiaobai walked over, “Now that everything is settled, let’s have breakfast and head back to the mountain gate.”

Regardless of whether Lin Ji ate breakfast or not, he definitely would.

He put his hands on his hips, “It’s been almost a month since we left; I wonder how the old man is doing.”

After a pause, he looked at Lin Ji again, “Why do you have dark circles under your eyes? Didn’t you sleep well last night?”

Lu Xiaobai still couldn’t control his habit of being touchy-feely. He raised his hand as if to touch Lin Ji’s lower eyelid, but when his fingers were about to touch Lin Ji’s cheek, he realized and rubbed his hands together, retracting his action.

To his surprise, this time Lin Ji didn’t show obvious resistance and didn’t push his hand away.

Lin Ji seemed to be thinking about something and slightly tilted his head, coughing lightly, “How’s your injury?”

Lu Xiaobai was taken aback, and after recalling for a moment, he smiled knowingly, “It’s nothing. I just looked a bit weak because I exhausted all my spiritual power. The waiter exaggerated; he just doesn’t understand.”

The waiter had his own little thoughts; if the guest asked him to run errands or call a doctor, he could earn a little extra reward.

“But you actually care about me; it makes your senior brother feel very gratified.” Lu Xiaobai patted Lin Ji’s shoulder and hummed a little tune as he went downstairs to eat.

Lin Ji stood there stiffly for a moment before turning back. He had actually wanted to ease the somewhat unpleasant atmosphere between them from last night but didn’t know how to start.

He felt that Lu Xiaobai’s enthusiasm had been dampened because of him, yet after waking up, Lu Xiaobai was back to his usual cheerful self, making him feel a bit self-conscious about wanting to say something.

Lin Ji suddenly came to his senses: what was he doing? Was he actually trying to seek reconciliation?

No, no, no, he must have not slept enough last night, which was why his mind was unclear. Lin Ji quickly turned and went upstairs to wash up.

After breakfast, Lin Ji used his sword to carry Lu Xiaobai back to the Peifeng Sect.

Under normal circumstances, a month away from the sect was a short time, and there wouldn’t be any changes inside or outside.

On the way, the disciples they encountered all greeted them and exchanged pleasantries, glancing at them a bit more than usual.

However, when the two returned to Luoxia Peak, looking at the ground covered in fallen leaves and the dusty bridge railings, there was an inexplicable feeling of desolation as if it had been abandoned for a long time.

Lu Xiaobai slapped his forehead, while Lin Ji still hadn’t realized the seriousness of the situation.

They had come back to see their master first, so the two went to the spiritual artifact library, then to Meng Wanqiu’s cave and study, but they didn’t see a single person.

Lin Ji said, “Could it be that they went to another peak to discuss cultivation with the elders?”

In the past, when the people who would pay attention to him were not around, he also liked to go out and find others to pass the time instead of going home.

Lu Xiaobai’s head was already starting to hurt, “If that were the case, I’d rather the old man go bother other peaks. I’m just afraid he’ll suddenly get the urge to do something.”

They arrived at the kitchen, and Lin Ji touched the smoke-blackened walls and the similarly messy stove, questioning life itself. He couldn’t believe that the kitchen, which had been as clean as new before they left, now looked like it had been blown up by a cultivator’s spell.

In the back hall, they finally found Meng Wanqiu, who was currently squatting by the sink, washing dishes and pots.

The pot contained some unknown charred substance stuck to the bottom that couldn’t be cleaned.

Meng Wanqiu wiped his sweat and looked up at his two disciples, chuckling to ease the awkwardness, “You’re back, huh?”

Lin Ji walked over to help Meng Wanqiu up and kicked the pot a bit further away, “If this pot is beyond saving… then just get rid of it. Why doesn’t Master use a cleaning spell?”

Ever since he was exposed for having demonic poison, Meng Wanqiu stopped pretending, “How can I always rely on spells? I still need to learn some basic life skills for emergencies.”

Heaven knows, he and his disciple Xiaobai, one born with talent and the other acquired, would both face the risk of losing their spiritual power in the future.

However, Lu Xiaobai stood there leisurely, arms crossed, ignoring the hints Meng Wanqiu was giving him, and bluntly pointed out, “If you can’t sit still, just say so. Why make excuses to blow up the kitchen? In the end, we’re the ones who have to clean up.”

“I’ve been your disciple for two years, and Master has never cooked a meal.”

Lu Xiaobai raised an eyebrow and complained to Lin Ji, who, after coming to his senses, shot him a disapproving glance, signaling him to stop talking.

As expected, Meng Wanqiu became furious, “Oh, so it’s my fault for taking in two disciples who annoy me every day!”

Lin Ji: “?” What did he do?

Lu Xiaobai made a funny face and continued to tease, “Well, that’s what you get for your own actions, old man, haha!”

Meng Wanqiu rolled up his sleeves, “I see you’re getting cheeky again?”

Lin Ji watched the two chase each other with mixed feelings; this scene was truly a display of the bond between master and disciples.

Indeed, one only knows a person’s character after spending time together, completely overturning traditional impressions.

It was only later that Lin Ji realized their master was a complete disaster in daily life; not only could he not cook, but he also couldn’t fold blankets properly or wash clothes clean… No matter how he learned from the book or how he and Lu Xiaobai tried to teach him, Meng Wanqiu just couldn’t get it right. No matter what he did, he only ended up making a mess.

He understood Lu Xiaobai’s headache; his only wish for Meng Wanqiu was to not suddenly get inspired and put down whatever he was doing!

Fortunately, Meng Wanqiu wasn’t foolish; he realized that the food he burned wasn’t worth eating and just waited for them to handle it. Perhaps that was the benefit of raising disciples.

With Lu Xiaobai and Lin Ji back, Meng Wanqiu returned to his good days, and the three of them continued to eat and drink as usual.

The two disciples took turns managing Luoxia Peak, whether using spells or doing it themselves, everything was orderly and tidy, which made Meng Wanqiu feel very relieved.

They peeled the wild thorn vines they brought back to extract the juice and stored it in the ice cellar, taking small portions daily for medicinal use.

Some things didn’t need to be made clear; Meng Wanqiu understood his two disciples’ intentions and felt touched for several days, but it didn’t stop him from getting angry when he needed to or worrying when he had to.

As for the branches of the wild thorn vine, they weren’t wasted either; after drying and crushing them, they became another medicinal ingredient.

In the first few days after Lu Xiaobai returned, he fell into a lethargic phase, doing nothing but eating and sleeping, looking like he needed to recuperate.

Lin Ji had already gotten used to Lu Xiaobai’s weak constitution; making him endure a few hits was already a challenge, and it took him so long to recover from exhausting his spiritual power, unlike himself, who was fine the next day.

He could see it, but there were others who couldn’t stand it.

Lu Xiaobai had many friends in the peak, like Feng Funian, Luo Xiang, and some brothers who entered the sect at the same time, and even a few friends in the outer sect.

Not long ago, he had unreservedly guided some outer sect disciples, gaining a wave of goodwill. Even though he charged a fee, the fee was useless to the disciples, and those outer sect junior brothers and sisters admired him quite a bit.

Lin Ji didn’t know what these people had discussed when they went out, but one day, when he returned from Lingxiu Peak, he was called over by Feng Funian, “Junior Brother, come here for a moment.”

“…”

Facing the disciples of the Sect Leader, Lin Ji walked over and greeted them, only to find Shen Che was also there. Upon seeing him, he turned his face away and coughed awkwardly, and Lin Ji felt equally uncomfortable.

Shen Che thought to himself: If it weren’t for my senior brother insisting I come, saying that the relationship between direct disciples shouldn’t be strained, I wouldn’t have come.

Lin Ji looked at the group of disciples with different cultivation levels and “statuses,” gathered together in a way that was completely impossible in the Yunshang Immortal Sect.

They found a relatively secluded spot and sat together under a tree.

Lin Ji didn’t understand why the Peifeng Sect people liked to be so hands-on; at that moment, Feng Funian was tugging at his arm, insisting he sit down with them, “Oh, Junior Brother, don’t be so cold to us. We’re all fellow disciples and friends; wouldn’t it be nice to look out for each other and have fun together in the future?”

Feng Funian was nineteen years old, the oldest among the group, and would reach adulthood next year. He had the awareness of an adult and looked at the generally fourteen or fifteen-year-old junior brothers and sisters with affection, automatically placing himself apart from them.

Even though Lin Ji’s cultivation speed was extraordinarily fast and he looked mature in appearance and temperament, in his eyes, he was no exception, especially since Lin Ji was also not much older than them.

Lin Ji: “…”

Play? It seemed like he had distanced himself from that word since he was around seven or eight years old.

After listening for a while, Lin Ji realized that Feng Funian had taken the lead in formulating a “spiritual root cleansing” plan for Lu Xiaobai along with the junior brothers and sisters.

But they hadn’t even asked him and just assumed he would join? Just because he was Lu Xiaobai’s direct junior brother?

Lin Ji was speechless, “… what do you plan to do?”

Feng Funian sighed, “Since ancient times, people have different talents, and the purity of their spiritual roots generally determines their upper limits in cultivation. Even we find it difficult to advance levels, let alone reverse spiritual roots. Junior Brother Xiaobai’s future cultivation path will be incredibly difficult; cleansing his spiritual roots is akin to defying fate.”

He unfolded an ancient book he had taken from the Lingdian Building, which was specifically used to store books in the Peifeng Sect, and said, “It is said that hundreds of years ago, there was a reclusive cultivator named Meng Li Xian. He also had a low-grade three spiritual roots, two of which were conflicting attributes, yet he still managed to reverse his talent and became a half-immortal.”

Cultivators who reached the transformation stage were recognized as powerful beings in the cultivation world. Meng Li Xian had reached the great ascension stage, just one step away from transcending and ascending, and the entire cultivation world respectfully referred to him as a half-immortal.

Unfortunately, he ultimately couldn’t ascend and was struck dead by the tribulation lightning. If Meng Li Xian were still around, Mo Shangxian would not be his match, and the cultivation world wouldn’t have been beaten to the point of having no power to fight back a hundred years ago.

These two, without the “half” title, were both called immortals, regardless of their righteousness or evilness, which was a recognition of their strength in the cultivation world.

Shen Che was horrified, “Wait, how did they all get struck dead… then if I reach the great ascension and don’t ascend, wouldn’t I be the strongest in the mortal realm?”

At that time, he would have an unlimited lifespan, roaming freely across the seas, and others would treat him with respect and not dare to neglect him, becoming a legendary figure in the world, avoiding being struck dead by the tribulation during ascension. Shen Che imagined this and was already feeling elated in his mind.

Lin Ji shot him a glance, timely pouring cold water on his enthusiasm, “Let’s talk about it when you actually reach that level.”

Shen Che: “…”

How could one reach such a level without ambition? It was even more bizarre for someone to reach the great ascension stage and not want to ascend. The reason everyone in the cultivation world was so apprehensive about a great ascension cultivator was that if that person couldn’t ascend, they would cause trouble.

Those with a sense of public duty, like Meng Li Xian, silently worked hard until they perished, while more people would likely become Mo Shangxian, resorting to any means necessary to ascend, even at the expense of others. They hadn’t acted yet simply because they hadn’t had the opportunity.

In both of Lin Ji’s lifetimes, he had never heard of anyone cultivating to the great ascension stage just to run rampant in the mortal realm. If there were, it would truly be a case of heaven being blind.

“Hey, hey, you guys are getting off-topic.” Feng Funian, fearing that the two would fall into conflict again, said, “The point of what I’m saying is that predecessors have left behind successful experiences and fragments of pill formulas, which indicates that spiritual root cultivation is not impossible to reverse.”

“We’re gathered here to help Junior Brother Xiaobai, and regardless of whether it succeeds or not, we have to give it a try.”

After he finished speaking, he looked at Lin Ji, puzzled, wondering if the other had just shot him a glare?

Luo Xiang, who had been a silent listener, also sighed helplessly, “Since Junior Brother Xiaobai entered the sect, I’ve known him. I’ve seen him try several times, all of which ended in failure, and it’s hard not to feel heartbroken.” After a pause, she raised her beautiful face, filled with determination, and said, “So no matter the outcome, I want to do my part.”

An unfamiliar junior brother also said, “Yeah, at least we should let Junior Brother Xiaobai see what attributes his spiritual roots have!”

Lin Ji: “…”

They didn’t expect to let Lu Xiaobai suddenly jump from a mixed spiritual root to a three or four-grade spiritual root; they just wanted to help him clear out the mixed energy so that he wouldn’t have such difficulty absorbing spiritual energy in the future.

Lin Ji looked at the rare spiritual plants each of them was holding and realized they had been gathering them for a long time.

Lu Xiaobai had such a group of friends; even if he was bullied by another group, it wouldn’t be too hard for him to have a decent time in the Peifeng Sect.

The fragments of the pill formula left by predecessors for cleansing spiritual roots were right there; it all depended on whether the later generations could achieve it.

The Marrow Cleansing Pill was a masterpiece, and the materials needed for its refinement were extremely complex, all compiled into a book. The original manuscript written by Meng Li Xian was lost, and the current version was organized by others, containing many errors and omissions, and even missing certain processes. The rarer the materials needed in the later stages, the more difficult they became to find, and even a slight error in the proportions could lead to disastrous results. Otherwise, why would Meng Wanqiu study it until dawn every night?

Fortunately, alchemy emphasizes starting from easy to difficult, and the first stage of purifying and absorbing spiritual energy still had some operational space.

Lu Xiaobai’s spiritual roots were so mixed that perhaps there was a lot of room for improvement!

Alchemy was Meng Wanqiu’s forte, and Lin Ji took the spiritual herbs they had collected back to the table and explained the situation.

“Really thoughtful of you. I casually mentioned last time that I was short a few herbs, and they actually went to find them quietly.”

Meng Wanqiu put down the heavily annotated fragments and looked at Lin Ji with warmth in his eyes, his eyes turning red again, “You’re all good kids. In that case, let’s let Xiaobai give it a try.”

Lin Ji couldn’t help but say, “… Master, you’re too easily moved.”

Meng Wanqiu wiped the corners of his eyes; he couldn’t help it; he was just emotionally rich.

Lin Ji hadn’t expected that one day he would have to worry about Lu Xiaobai’s spiritual cultivation and act as a messenger.

Well, if Lu Xiaobai became stronger and defeated him, his own strength would be recognized.

After discussing for a long time, when Lin Ji found Lu Xiaobai, he was still sleeping under the tree. Instantly, he felt unbalanced again, raised his hand to throw away the branch shading his face, and said angrily, “Why are you sleeping again? Get up!”

Why did Lu Xiaobai always look like he hadn’t slept enough in this life?

Lu Xiaobai propped himself up, sitting up with his eyes hazy as he looked at Lin Ji for a moment, forcing himself to perk up, “A Ji, is there something you need?”

After listening to Lin Ji’s words, Lu Xiaobai searched his mind for a while and finally recalled some fragments.

Yes, there had indeed been such an incident in his past life. Led by Senior Brother Feng, his friends couldn’t stand his talent and pooled together some spiritual herbs to help him refine the first stage of the Marrow Cleansing Pill.

Unfortunately, it backfired; there was a mistake in the proportions, and not only did it fail to remove the impurities from his spiritual roots, but it almost cost him half his life.

Lu Xiaobai couldn’t help but laugh at the memory; he had known there was a high probability of failure back then, yet he still accepted their goodwill.

Now that the answer was in his mind, could he really repeat the same mistake?

He just didn’t know if Lin Ji was among those who hoped for him to become stronger.

Lu Xiaobai rubbed his messy hair, and the way he looked at Lin Ji made him feel a bit scared.

Lin Ji felt a chill run down his spine, and an inexplicable thought flashed through his mind.

He didn’t know what he was thinking, and suddenly said, “Xiao Bai.”

Lu Xiaobai’s heart skipped a beat. Instead of complaining about Lin Ji’s lack of formality as usual, he asked expectantly, “Why are you calling me that all of a sudden?”

Could it be that A Ji thought they had become closer?

Lin Ji came back to his senses and quickly added, “I just remembered that there used to be some cats and dogs wandering around my house, and when I had time, I would take some pastries to feed them. Among them, some were called Xiao Bai.”

Lu Xiaobai: “…”

Well, you really have a kind heart! If you can’t speak, just keep your mouth shut!