nycdaug Chapter 154 Senior Brother Emerges from Seclusion
Chapter 154 Senior Brother Emerges from Seclusion
During her time on Chongyang Peak, Xu Xiaoxiao's life was busy and fulfilling. Every morning, as the first rays of sunlight shone on the summit, she would begin her sword practice in the Sword Hut.
"Junior Sister, seeing how hard you work every day, I feel ashamed of myself," Mu Zhusheng said, standing with her hands behind her back.
"Second Senior Brother, I've been wanting to learn more about alchemy from you. Maybe the pills I refine in the future will help my swordsmanship training," Xu Xiaoxiao said excitedly.
The two went to the alchemy room together. Inside, there were all kinds of alchemy furnaces and materials, and the air was filled with a faint medicinal fragrance.
Mu Zhusheng picked up a spiritual herb and said to Xu Xiaoxiao, "Junior Sister, the key to refining this Spirit Gathering Pill today lies in the precise control of the order of adding the spiritual herbs and the temperature. Look, this purple-leaf spiritual herb needs to be added when the temperature of the furnace reaches 300 degrees Celsius. Adding it too early or too late will affect the quality of the pill."
Xu Xiaoxiao listened attentively, her eyes fixed on Mu Zhusheng's every move. She took the purple leaf spirit herb and carefully followed her second senior brother's instructions, putting it into the alchemy furnace at the right moment.
As time went by, the temperature inside the alchemy furnace changed continuously. Xu Xiaoxiao focused intently on controlling her spiritual energy and adjusting the heat.
"Second Senior Brother, how do you think the heat is right now?" Xu Xiaoxiao asked nervously.
Mu Zhusheng carefully observed the alchemy furnace, nodded and said, "Not bad, Junior Sister is comprehending very quickly. Keep this up and continue."
With their joint efforts, a batch of Spirit Gathering Pills was finally successfully refined. The moment the furnace was opened, a rich aroma of pills filled the air, and each round and plump pill emitted a soft glow.
"Success!" Xu Xiaoxiao jumped up excitedly. "Thanks to my second senior brother's careful guidance, I feel that I have gained a new understanding of alchemy."
Mu Zhusheng smiled as she looked at Xu Xiaoxiao, her eyes full of satisfaction: "Junior Sister has extremely high talent. As long as she practices diligently, she will surely achieve great success in alchemy in the future."
After finishing the alchemy, Xu Xiaoxiao and Mu Zhusheng walked out of the alchemy room. Xu Xiaoxiao looked up at the courtyard where her senior brother was in seclusion, a hint of anticipation flashing in her eyes, and asked, "Second senior brother, when do you think senior brother will come out of seclusion? I really want to share my progress with him as soon as possible."
Mu Zhusheng looked up at the courtyard, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Senior Brother is in seclusion this time to suppress his resentment and break through to a higher realm. He should be done soon. When he comes out of seclusion and sees your growth, he will be very happy."
"Yes, I also hope that Senior Brother can break through smoothly. Then, we brothers and sisters can cultivate together and discuss our cultivation experiences together again," Xu Xiaoxiao said with anticipation.
In the days that followed, Xu Xiaoxiao maintained this fulfilling lifestyle. In addition to her daily sword practice, she would also diligently study alchemy with her second senior brother, while keeping a close eye on her eldest senior brother's seclusion.
And so another day passed. Finally, on a bright, sunny morning, the senior brother's courtyard, once filled with spiritual energy, suddenly darkened and became covered with dense clouds. Xu Xiaoxiao looked at the suddenly changed sky and thought, "This is because some powerful figure is about to undergo tribulation. Judging from this, there will be quite a few lightning strikes."
Just when everyone thought a major ordeal was about to unfold, the dark clouds dispersed, revealing a bright and sunny sky.
"Huh, why did it all fall apart? The sky is turning faster than I can turn the pages of a book." Xu Xiaoxiao shook her head as she looked at the sky and continued walking towards her senior brother's courtyard. She had a feeling that her senior brother would soon emerge from seclusion. She hadn't seen him for a long time and couldn't wait to see that senior brother who was even more handsome than a woman.
Upon arriving at the courtyard where the eldest brother was in seclusion, one was struck by the surging spiritual energy, which made the surroundings dazzling and vibrant.
"This is... Senior Brother is about to emerge from seclusion!" Xu Xiaoxiao couldn't hide her excitement and ran towards the room in the courtyard. The wind whistled in her ears, and her heart was filled with the joy of seeing her senior brother soon.
As they ran to the door, they saw the tightly closed door slowly open, and a tall, slender figure walked out. It was Jiang Jingzhi. He was dressed in white, his hair fluttering in the wind. With his sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, he had an extraordinary and refined temperament, like a celestial being who had stepped out of a painting. After his seclusion, his aura had become more calm and restrained, as if he were in harmony with heaven and earth.
"Senior Brother!" Xu Xiaoxiao's eyes reddened, her voice trembled slightly, and she rushed forward.
Jiang Jingzhi looked up at the sound, and the moment he saw Xu Xiaoxiao, a gentle smile appeared on his cold face: "Junior Sister, it's been a long time."
"Senior Brother, you're finally out! I missed you so much." Xu Xiaoxiao ran up to Jiang Jingzhi, looked him up and down, and only felt relieved after confirming that he was alright. "You've been in seclusion for so long, I was so worried about you, and Second Senior Brother was worried about you too."
Jiang Jingzhi raised his hand and gently patted Xu Xiaoxiao's head, as dotingly as before: "Silly girl, I'm fine, look at you, you've grown up, has your swordsmanship improved?"
"Of course!" Xu Xiaoxiao nodded quickly, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Senior Brother, my swordsmanship has improved a lot, and I've even learned alchemy from Second Senior Brother. I'll tell you about my experiences during this time later."
At this moment, Mu Zhusheng also rushed over. When she saw Jiang Jingzhi, she smiled with relief: "Senior Brother, congratulations on your successful completion of seclusion. You must have gained a lot from this seclusion."
Jiang Jingzhi looked at Mu Zhusheng and nodded slightly: "Thank you, Second Junior Brother. You and Junior Sister have worked hard these past few days."
Mu Zhusheng smiled and waved his hand: "It's my duty. Junior Sister is intelligent and diligent, with extremely high talent in alchemy and is making rapid progress."
Xu Xiaoxiao scratched her head a little embarrassedly: "It's all thanks to Second Senior Brother's excellent teaching. By the way, Eldest Senior Brother, many interesting things happened outside while you were in seclusion. I went to the Ruins Wasteland Secret Realm and brought you a gift too."
Xu Xiaoxiao's eyes sparkled as she eagerly took out all the refining materials she had collected in the Ruins Wasteland Secret Realm from her storage bag.
All sorts of rare ores, spirit crystals radiating strange light, and a few strands of silk shimmering with mysterious runes were piled up in front of Jiang Jingzhi.
"Senior Brother, take a look! I finally found these in the secret realm, and I wanted to bring them back for you. They'll definitely help you forge some incredibly powerful magic weapons!"
Xu Xiaoxiao stood with her hands on her hips, looking smug, her eyes full of expectation for praise.
Jiang Jingzhi stared at the pile of precious refining materials in front of him, then frowned slightly, a hint of heartache flashing in his eyes.
He slowly squatted down, picked up a piece of ore that emitted a faint blue light, and gently rubbed it with his fingers, feeling the powerful energy contained within.
"Junior Sister, do you know how rare these materials are?" Jiang Jingzhi's voice was gentle, yet carried an undeniable seriousness. "Especially this Ice Soul Mystic Crystal, which is extremely rare in the entire cultivation world. How did you obtain it?"
Xu Xiaoxiao waved her hand dismissively and said with a grin, "Oh, Senior Brother, don't worry about it! I'm back safe and sound, and although the secret realm was a bit dangerous, it was also incredibly exciting! I even met Lan Xing, who is now my spirit pet, and he's super powerful!"
Jiang Jingzhi stood up, put his hands on Xu Xiaoxiao's shoulders, locked his gaze on her eyes, and said earnestly, "Junior Sister, I'm so glad you've returned safely, but you must know that danger lurks everywhere on the path of cultivation. What would I do if something happened to you while you were searching for these materials for me?"
Xu Xiaoxiao felt a warmth in her heart when she saw the worried look on her senior brother's face, but she also felt a little guilty. She lowered her head and said softly, "Senior brother, I know I was wrong. I will be careful next time and won't make you worry again. But I just wanted to give you a surprise."
At this moment, Mu Zhusheng stepped forward, looking at the materials on the ground with an expression of amazement no less than that for the spiritual plants he had received before: "Junior Sister, Senior Brother is right. You must be more careful in the future. Your safety is the most important thing."
Jiang Jingzhi sighed, his expression gradually softening, and he revealed his doting smile again: "Fine, since you've already brought it back, I'll accept it. But this is a one-time exception. Junior Sister, your safety is more important than anything else."
Upon hearing this, Xu Xiaoxiao immediately raised her head, her eyes regaining their sparkle, and said with a smile, "Alright, Senior Brother! I promise! Then quickly take a look, what kind of magic weapon can these materials be forged into?"
Jiang Jingzhi shook his head helplessly, but his eyes were full of tenderness. He squatted down again and began to explain to Xu Xiaoxiao the uses of these materials and the magical treasures they could be forged. "When I've finished forging them, I'll give you a surprise too."