AT TIANNING PALACE in Wotian Sanctum, Tianlang-zhenren, the sect leader, sat in the principal seat, exuding an ethereal, extraordinary aura. All the disciples in the hall looked at him with reverent eyes.
Tianlang-zhenren smiled affably. “You’ve all worked hard. Here’s a Soul-Soothing Elixir for each of you.”
The disciples said their thanks, took a bottle each, and left contented.
“Was your trip fruitful this time?” Xuanji-zhenren entered just as the disciples left with their elixir bottles. The Soul-Soothing Elixir was suitable for disciples below the core formation stage, when their divine souls had yet to fully form.
The presence of demonic energy in spiritual energies meant that cultivators, whether they were orthodox or demonic, would be occasionally troubled by the accumulated demonic energy, leading to inner turmoil. Those without soul beasts to soothe them would have to consume elixirs in order to suppress it. To cultivators, these elixirs were as indispensable as spiritual stones.
Tianlang-zhenren stroked his beard. “Not too bad. Qingyun Sect took over a small sect of elixirists and had to bleed a little to smooth things over.”
Once all the disciples in the hall had left, Tianlang-zhenren glanced around and removed several dark-colored jade bottles from his inventory ring. “These—”
A white silhouette flashed past, sweeping the table clean. Qingtong sat elegantly on the only soft couch in the room, with the bottles of elixir neatly arranged on the small table before him.
“Hey, don’t take them all. Leave one for me.” Tianlang-zhenren jumped to his feet and rushed over to Qingtong, but a fair, slender finger pressed against his forehead before he could grab one of the bottles.
Qingtong scanned the bottles before him, but he didn’t find what he wanted, so he disinterestedly swept the bottles onto the floor.
“Nooo—!” Tianlang-zhenren cried out, lunging to catch all the jade bottles with his wide sleeves, then crouching on the ground, holding them tightly in his arms. He looked up, planning to give Qingtong a piece of his mind, but when he met that pair of beautiful eyes, he instantly wilted. He tossed the bottle meant for Xuanji over and quickly stored the remainder in his inventory ring.
“Take it out.” Qingtong kicked the sect leader crouching by the soft couch.
“You do know I’m the sect leader, right?!” Tianlang-zhenren sprang up, unable to bear it anymore. The sect leader’s power was unfathomable, and this leap, propelled by rage, was an incredible force to behold. Golden spiritual energy instantly flooded the grand hall, making their skin prickle painfully. The disciples standing guard outside quickly retreated when they felt the intimidating power of the sect leader’s outburst.
“So rowdy.” Qingtong slapped Tianlang on the back of the head, the force of it sending the sect leader face-planting into the cushion. The golden aura in the hall instantly vanished.
In the distance, Xuanji-zhenren shrank back, wisely choosing to remain silent.
The sect leader squatted with his head in his hands for a moment before taking out a white-jade bottle. “Heaven-grade soul-condensing pills.”
Qingtong took it and kept staring at him.
The sect leader gritted his teeth and fished out two red jade bottles. “Heaven-grade fire-attribute pills.”
Qingtong took them and rotated them in his hand.
“That’s it!” the sect leader insisted.
The gorgeous man leaned against the pillow on the couch and propped up his head with a hand. He flicked out a finger, turning the rounded, neat nail into a sharp, glinting, translucent claw.
“Awooo…” A mournful howl rang out from the grand hall. A dark barrier activated immediately, blocking the sound from escaping. A weird silence fell over Tianning Palace.
The disciples outside moved even further away from Tianning Palace’s main hall when the barrier showed up. “The sect leader and the two sanctum-masters must be discussing some important matters.”
Moments later, calm returned to the hall.
The white cat sat on the couch, gracefully licking his paw, while the gray-and-white wolf lay prone on the ground with his two front paws hugging his head and his hind legs splayed out, feigning death.
The gorgeous man rematerialized in a flash of white light and put away the row of jade bottles from the small table. “I’m going out for a few days. Don’t bother me even if something crops up,” he said flatly. Then he transformed into a ray of light, streaking toward Woqing Sanctum.
Xuanji-zhenren walked out slowly from the corner he had been in and squatted by the wolf’s side. “Uh, I’ll take my leave, then.” Without waiting for his senior’s response, he fled.
✦ ✦ ✦
BACK IN HIS COURTYARD, Mo Tianliao woke up feeling refreshed and stretched. Just then, the cat busted through the window and crashed into his arms.
“Pawpaw…” Mo Tianliao caught the little furball and looked at the torn window paper in resignation. He’d have to repair it again.
“Meow!” The cat was in a good mood. He greeted him with a swat.
Mo Tianliao chuckled and took him into his arms. “Let’s go down the mountain and get ourselves some good food.”
✦ ✦ ✦
MINI EXTRA
Sect Leader: Even I’m scared of myself when I get angry.
Pawpaw: Uh-huh.
Sect Leader: Keep disrespecting your elder like this and I won’t play nice anymore!
Pawpaw: Uh-huh.
Sect Leader: I’m really going to lose my temper!
Pawpaw: Go on.
Sect Leader: *unable to bear it anymore* Arf arf arf arf!