Fan Nansong wore an expression of deep disappointment, but then he scratched his head. A thought seemed to strike him, and his eyes narrowed as he looked at his disciple with sudden, ill intent.
"Right."
"Xiaoyuzi, didn’t you say a couple of days ago that your old man got you a..."
Qin Yu was still dizzy from the slap his ’good Master’ had given him. He had just come to his senses when he heard this and froze for a moment, instinctively clutching his pocket.
"But Master..."
But before he could finish, the Flying Immortal Temple Master smacked him on the back of the head. He pointed at Ji Xiu, whose expression was starting to crack, and his own face flushed with anger.
"How dare you!"
"You have such a treasure and you don’t offer it to your Ancestral Master first?"
"You are beyond teaching!"
"Give it here!"
With that, he reached out with an air of righteous indignation and ’borrowed’ a pill from Qin Yu’s pocket. It was a Sixth-Grade Foundation Establishment Treasure Pill, refined from the fragments of an Earth Treasure. He didn’t stop talking.
"Earning your Ancestral Master’s praise will be of immense benefit to your future..."
Then, quick as lightning, he stuffed it into Ji Xiu’s mouth, even using his Divine Thought to help Ji Xiu digest it, his voice dripping with eagerness.
"Ancestral Master, I can see that your Bone Tempering Technique is extraordinary! This Pill is Spirit Grade, a Sixth-Grade Foundation Establishment Treasure Pill refined from fragments of the ’Jade Sea Tree’ Earth Treasure!"
"Its medicinal properties might be a bit potent... but with my Divine Soul helping you absorb them, it will allow your skeleton to undergo another transformation! You should at least reach the Second Great Limit, ’Mercury Blood Silver Marrow’!"
"Let’s go, let’s go! I’ll head to your residence right now to help you absorb its power!"
Watching Ji Xiu swallow the Pill as his Qi and Blood began to surge, the Flying Immortal Temple Master couldn’t help but feel smug.
’I’m treating the Ancestral Master so well. How could he not remember this good deed in the future?’
’When he soars to prominence and wins the title of ’Ten Thousand Laws Traveler’ in the sect, then I, Lord Tao, will have the Merit of Following the Dragon! Won’t I be able to snag a position like Chief Seat or Palace Master?’
’Excellent!’
Thinking of this, Fan Nansong looked at Ji Xiu expectantly.
"Ancestral Master, where in the county is your residence?"
"I’ll take you there!"
Beads of sweat formed on Ji Xiu’s forehead as he felt the overwhelming medicinal power surge into his spine.
At that moment, he felt as if the twenty-four sections of his True Flood Dragon Spine were truly connecting, like a Flood Dragon emerging from the sea, about to take flight—
With great difficulty, he pointed a finger at Bai Shuo and Qingtuan’s master-and-servant pair.
"It’s the Ji Residence on West Street..."
"Please invite these two to the residence as well..."
Before he could finish, he heard Fan Nansong nodding repeatedly. Then, with a wave of his hand, Fan Nansong commanded:
"Xiaoyuzi, you will entertain the Ancestral Master’s honored guests. Remember to bring them to the West Street Ji Residence. If you fail, I’ll hold you responsible!"
Then, Fan Nansong impatiently grabbed Ji Xiu’s arm. With a flicker of his Divine Thought, his body shot forward, moving even faster than the Jade Deer as he raced straight for the Ji Residence.
"Ancestral Master, this meeting gift..."
"I wonder if you like it?!"
As Ji Xiu was whisked away by the Flying Immortal Temple Master, Fan Nansong, he watched Qin Zhuo and Ye Ningzhi, who hadn’t even had a chance to speak, and his own deer shrink into the distance, gradually becoming black dots in the twilight...
He really wanted to say it.
’I’m not your Ancestral Master.’
’This fawning of yours...’
’Aren’t you being a little too eager?!’
But.
[The Tutor has consumed a Sixth-Grade Spirit Pill. The True Flood Dragon Spine is transforming. The Twenty-four Section Flood Dragon Bone are being tempered by medicinal power... Progress advance has greatly increased!]
[Mortal Transformation: Soaring Dragon Gate Volume 3, progress of the Tempered Golden Bone’s ’True Flood Dragon Transformation’ +2!]
[Mortal Transformation: Soaring Dragon Gate Volume 3, progress of the Tempered Golden Bone’s ’True Flood Dragon Transformation’ +2!]
[True Flood Dragon Transformation...]
[The Tutor has tempered the Twenty-four True Flood Dragon Bones. Force flows through his entire body. Mortal Weapons can no longer harm him. His whole body gleams with a golden light... Golden Bone has been tempered!]
[Mortal Transformation: Soaring Dragon Gate Volume 3—’True Flood Dragon Transformation’ complete!]
As the scorching sensation washed over Ji Xiu’s entire body,
he felt as if all two hundred and six of his bones had connected into one. It was like a Flood Dragon taking form, roaring and howling atop the taut bow of his Spinal Dragon!
He couldn’t help but grit his teeth.
"Golden Bone throughout! The True Flood Dragon Transformation is complete!"
Originally...
he had been pinning his hopes on that Demon Pill, which had lost some of its Qi Essence. But in this moment!
The Flying Immortal Temple Master had shown him the meaning of "searching high and low for something, only to find it when you least expect it."
Although the process had been a winding one,
this tangible, immense benefit...
...left Ji Xiu feeling incredibly gratified. Even the bumpy journey no longer seemed to matter.
...
Meanwhile, the Flying Immortal Temple Master, who was carrying Ji Xiu and could feel his transformation, also had a joyful look on his face.
’This is it, this is it!’
’How could someone chosen by the True Venerable of Ten Thousand Laws be anything less than a peerless genius?’
’He’s digesting and absorbing the medicinal properties all on his own, tempering his entire spine, even without my help...’
’This Ancestral Master’s aptitude for the Human Immortal Martial Dao is every bit as good as his aptitude for Dao Skills!’
’In the future, perhaps...’
’...he could become one of the Great Xuan’s so-called Human Immortals, and perhaps even surpass *him*...’
As his thoughts wandered, he had already located the Ji Residence with his Divine Soul.
But when the Flying Immortal Temple Master, Fan Nansong, saw a young girl, as exquisite as carved jade and suffused with the aura of Dao Seals and Dao Skills, anxiously watching him carry Ji Xiu inside at twilight...
...the joyful expression on his face suddenly froze for a long moment, and he stood there, stunned.
’Wait a minute.’
’Two... Two inheritors of the Ten Thousand Laws Dao Seal Visualization Map?!’
’How could such a Secret Inheritance be passed on so easily? This... This is impossible!’
And when he noticed the faint, almost imperceptible ’Ten Thousand Laws Protection’ on Ji Wei,
a sudden chill shot up his spine and straight to the crown of his head.
Wait.
No.
’The description of when the True Venerable manifested...’
’...this girl seems to be a much better fit.’
And when he heard Ji Wei look at Ji Xiu and call out "Brother,"
his entire expression froze solid.
’Crap.’
’I, Lord Tao... seem to have mistaken the person.’
’This kid isn’t the Ancestral Master!’
’He’s a kindred spirit, just like I, Lord Tao—someone who wants to glorify the Secret Techniques of the Ten Thousand Laws Sect!’