Chapter 3: The Epic Tale of Dragon Ao Tian (Part 2)

Less than a month after leaving the Infinite Sect, Qin Yanggang happened upon Yun Zhu, who was being pursued by demonic cultivators while gathering spiritual flowers and herbs outside.

Yun Zhu, the top disciple of the Spring Renewal Valley sect leader, had already perfected her Golden Core stage cultivation, nearly stepping into the Nascent Soul realm. However, as a pill cultivator, she was naturally less adept at combat. At that time, she had just fought fiercely with a symbiotic beast of the Grade-One Blazing Lotus and was severely wounded, which led to her being relentlessly chased down by a demonic cultivator barely at the early Golden Core stage.

At that moment, Qin Yang, who was only at the initial Heart Movement stage, astonishingly surpassed a major boundary to single-handedly challenge the demonic cultivator. Their battle was evenly matched, and he fought desperately to save Yun Zhu.

One was a sword cultivator skilled in combat, the other a pill master proficient in alchemy, and both were outstanding talents among humanity. They immediately hit it off and decided to journey together through various secret realms and perilous places for experience.

Two years living together in the wilderness, just the kind of relationship where they could trust each other’s backs, naturally blossomed into affection.

Though Yun Zhu knew Qin Yang had a fiancée, that girl’s strength was insufficient to stand by Qin Yang’s side beyond her family background. Moreover, Qin Yang explained their relationship as purely sibling-like, so Yun Zhu hadn’t taken Su Bai seriously.

Logically, this made sense, but as the date to return to the sect approached, Qin Yang’s guilt grew heavier.

His anxiety peaked when he discovered that Su Bai had set up a formation around her courtyard that barred outsiders, even himself from entering.

For once, Qin Yang reflected on his actions.

Over the past two years, he had chatted daily with Su Bai through a communication jade slip and never deliberately concealed Yun Zhu’s presence. Su Bai never asked about Yun Zhu, and Qin Yang never mentioned it. Su Bai’s gentle and understanding nature, coupled with her brotherly affection for him, meant Qin Yang had always regarded her as a sister. Why trouble himself with unfounded worries?

With the inner sect assessment less than half a month away, Su Bai’s seclusion for cultivation was understandable.

Comforting himself with this logic, Qin Yang gradually relaxed.

Yun Zhu, however, circled the courtyard and said with surprise, “Your sister is quite something. This formation is the Ninefold Linked Lock Formation. Apart from a formation master, only cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage could forcibly break it.”

Qin Yang replied, “Jiao Jiao is the only daughter of the Lord of Loa City. It’s natural she knows some high-level formation masters.”

Yun Zhu sneered, “The only daughter of the Loa City Lord? Do you think she can rely on that forever?”

“You sent her a message last night. Knowing you’d come today, she still gave us the cold shoulder, flaunting her lady’s airs magnificently.”

Qin Yang frowned. “Jiao Jiao isn’t like that. Maybe she’s been busy cultivating lately and hasn’t had time. I’ll message her again.”

Meanwhile, inside the Righteous Hall of the Infinite Sect—

Senior Brother Shen stared wide-eyed as a young woman approached, clutching a pile of yellow-tagged missions just issued that day.

Shen had seen this young lady before—exquisitely beautiful, rumored to be the daughter of a city lord. Many outer sect brothers and even some inner sect disciples whispered about her.

But she always stuck close to that Qin Yang fellow.

Qin Yang, with his Thunder Spirit Root and the Saint Sovereign legacy from the Sect’s Thousand Formations Hall, had quickly become the center of attention. Many inner sect elders had already extended olive branches, eager to recruit him before the exams.

A perfect match of talent and beauty.

Su Bai tossed the yellow tags onto the table with a clatter that made Senior Brother Shen’s heart skip a beat.

Thirty yellow-tagged missions!

Wiping sweat from his brow, Shen said, “Junior Sister Su, each yellow-tag mission lasts ten days. If you can’t complete it within that time, you’ll be penalized.”

The Righteous Hall categorized missions into four levels: Heavenly, Earthly, Mysterious, and Yellow. Typically, yellow-tag missions suited Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators; mysterious tags for Heart Movement cultivators; earth tags for Golden Core; and heavenly tags required at least Nascent Soul.

Su Bai’s expression was calm. “I know.”

Shen chuckled nervously. “You’re already at early Heart Movement stage, so a few yellow missions are no problem. But thirty... that’s quite excessive.”

Especially since many of these yellow missions involved slaying demons and monsters, unlike some that only required gathering herbs for pill masters.

“Senior Brother Shen, do you know about the ‘Sea of Questions’ strategy?”

“Sea of Questions?”

Shen was puzzled. “Never heard of it.”

Su Bai explained earnestly, “I read in some books that before major exams, some candidates use the Sea of Questions strategy—repeatedly practicing many problems to leap ahead and achieve excellent results.”

“These thirty yellow-tag missions are my first application of that strategy.”

Though Shen didn’t understand some terms, he grasped that Su Bai wanted to rapidly improve her cultivation by completing many yellow missions in a short time.

“Junior Sister Su, as the saying goes, the road ahead is long and arduous; one must seek diligently. The path of cultivation is the same—don’t be greedy for quick success. Please reconsider these thirty missions.”

His tone implied he wouldn’t approve the thirty missions.

The 888 system quietly whispered to Su Bai, “Host, Senior Brother Shen is easily swayed and very compassionate. If you tell him that Qin Yang brought back a pill master, and then do this and that…”

Su Bai didn’t fully understand but believed she grasped the essence.

Suddenly, the young lady who had just been discussing the Sea of Questions with Shen changed expression and aura.

Though still a junior sister before him, her eyes now gleamed with murderous intent, her lips curled in disdainful arrogance, instilling a flicker of fear in Shen.

Su Bai stepped forward.

Shen instinctively took a step back, but she didn’t allow it. Before he could retreat, she grabbed his collar and slammed her sword onto the table, narrowing her eyes with a harsh tone:

“Recently, Qin Yang brought back a female disciple from Spring Renewal Valley.”

The fear in Shen’s eyes instantly turned to shock.

What explosive gossip was this!

“Officially, she came from Spring Renewal Valley to exchange with Infinite Sect, but they have spent two full years together outside.”

Shen thought, “Holy hell, that’s a lot of information.”

Su Bai continued, “That makes me very upset.”

Shen nodded rapidly.

Caught between shock and sympathy, he forgot to resist and instead solemnly comforted her:

“Qin Yang’s actions are indeed inappropriate!”

“Junior Sister, from now on, just consider him dead! Mourn and move on, don’t be too sad.”

“My father owes his family a favor, and I don’t know how many spirit stones and medicines I’ve given him. Out of loyalty, I’ve always acted as his fiancée, never fooling around.”

Su Bai’s tone turned cold and sharp: “He accepted so many favors from me and thinks he can dismiss all these years of kindness with a mere ‘brother-sister relationship’?”

Shen’s eyes shone with righteous anger. “Bullshit sibling love!”

“If it were really sibling affection, why wouldn’t he recommend some promising young man to you instead of warning sect brothers not to disturb your cultivation?”

“That boy is cunning indeed!”

Su Bai nodded, her sharp phoenix eyes locking onto Shen like a hawk’s:

“So, I use these thirty yellow missions fueled by resentment to defeat Qin Yang in the inner sect exam. What’s wrong with that?”

“If you trust me, I’ll give you half the spirit stones earned from these missions. How about it?”

Shen was deeply impressed, clapping his hands: “Junior Sister, such character suits a sword cultivator!”

“Take all these thirty yellow missions!”

Su Bai smiled and accepted them, striding away.

[Is it just me, or do these words from the 888 system sound like a lovesick, heartbroken girl? But hearing them from this narrator…]

[It really carries the sharp edge of someone sharpening a blade to strike a scoundrel.]

[Hahaha, her tone reminds me of the CEO male leads in old novels—three parts mockery, three parts coldness, four parts nonchalance.]

[Don’t say it, don’t say it, but that cool and flashy tone really fits!]

Shen, savoring this monumental gossip in silence, suddenly realized—

He was mid-Golden Core stage, yet felt no urge to resist the early Heart Movement junior sister before him.

That intense murderous aura, the disdainful presence, the arrogant tone—it was as if she was not the inexperienced junior sister but a sword cultivator who had carved her own path through mountains of corpses and rivers of blood.

***

Qin Yang waited five whole days just to see Su Bai.

He messaged her every day; though her replies were slow, the tone was always pleasant—never angry.

For example:

Qin Yang: “Jiao Jiao, I’ve returned from outside the sect and brought you many gifts.”

Su Bai: “Thank you, Brother Qin! ヾ(≧▽≦*)o”

Qin Yang: “It’s been too long since I saw you; I miss you terribly. If you’re free tomorrow, may I come to your courtyard? Yun Zhu is also eager to meet you.”

Su Bai: “Okay, sure.”

Qin Yang: “What time tomorrow?”

Su Bai: “Not sure, I’m busy now. I’ll tell you later.”

The next day Qin Yang messaged again; she verbally agreed, but when he asked about meeting time or how to enter the locked formation, she replied:

“I’m still cultivating, very busy, I’ll tell you when I’m free.”

This loop repeated endlessly.

In truth, Su Bai had linked her spiritual sense to the communication jade slip and the 888 system’s backend, letting the 888 system handle all replies.

She was currently engrossed in the subtleties of the Sea of Questions strategy.

Though these were simple yellow-tag missions, from initially clumsy control over body and spirit energy to finally defeating monsters with a single sword strike, Su Bai gradually grasped the essence of this strategy.

Within two days, under Shen’s watchful gaze, Su Bai completed all thirty yellow-tag missions and accepted a batch of yellow and mysterious missions from the Righteous Hall.

Shen swallowed hard, watching her genuinely share half the spirit stones with him. Seeing the pile of yellow and mysterious missions in her arms, he asked in disbelief:

“Junior Sister, can heartbreak really unleash such potential?”

Such tireless dedication, relentless spirit, and terrifying combat power...

Shen was honestly envious.

Su Bai replied, “The most important thing is a heart that wants to become stronger!”

Shen was startled and quickly asked, “The spirit energy consumed by these thirty yellow missions, can you really replenish it in under two days?”

Su Bai answered, “That’s the point of the Sea of Questions strategy. You must carefully manage every drop of spirit energy, never using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Such massive practice means every rest and meditation increases your understanding of spirit energy, helping you absorb it more efficiently.”

Shen’s body trembled with respect and was moved by her unyielding spirit. He immediately decided, “Junior Sister, may I join your Sea of Questions strategy? If we team up, I, a Golden Core cultivator, can lead you. You can quickly finish mysterious missions and even take on earth-tag missions!”

Being able to accept earth-tag missions was a great advantage.

Su Bai nodded. “Agreed!”

[6, so soon you’ve gained a follower.]

[Forget the path of heartlessness. You’d be wasting your talent not becoming a motivational guru!]

[Shen must be thinking: Damn, I want a scorned woman to hurt me deeply, so I can become a ruthless grinder too!]

[How can they be so serious about such absurd things? Help!]

Meanwhile, as Su Bai immersed herself in the Sea of Questions strategy, Qin Yang grew increasingly restless.

He resolved to stake out near Su Bai’s courtyard, determined to get a clear answer from her!