Am I the old man who's always by my apprentices' side?

Chapter 365 The Senior Brother's Infuriating Concern
As soon as Chang Ping'an flew out of the White Stone Mountain range, the tribulation lightning that had been brewing in the sky for a long time suddenly fell down as if it had found a target.

The first bolt of lightning tentatively grazed Chang Ping'an's shoulder, but because it wasn't very powerful, Ye Huajian easily blocked it.

Then came a long silence.

Or rather, it's brewing.

Dark clouds churned overhead, countless blue-purple lightning bolts weaved through them, emitting terrifying roars, but the second bolt of lightning never struck.

As if assessing Chang Ping'an's ability to withstand the onslaught, the majestic power of the heavens enveloped the surrounding wilderness, growing stronger and stronger. Almost all living beings within a hundred miles scattered and fled, driven by the instinct of animals to survive.

"Boom——"

Another muffled rumble of thunder, but it wasn't a thunderclap from the sky; it was just a murmur from the clouds, a warning that made Chang Ping'an stop in his tracks.

coming!

Chang Pingan took a deep breath, his eyes becoming firm and focused.

He recalled the Night Talk Sword and the White Heron Sword, which hovered in front of him, one wide and one narrow, one heavy and one light, their sword lights intertwined, ready for battle, while his eyes were fixed on the terror that was constantly rolling in the clouds.

"Click——"

The second bolt of lightning finally struck.

This bolt of lightning was thick and powerful, like a spear of judgment, tearing through the sky and striking down directly at Chang Ping'an.

Chang Ping'an activated his spiritual power, and Ye Huakuan's sword suddenly shone brightly. Then, he swung the sword and attacked the second bolt of lightning that struck down.

"boom--!"

The sword light unleashed by Night Talk Sword was shattered the instant it touched the heavenly lightning, but the dissipation of the portion of lightning that counteracted it weakened the power of the heavenly lightning by at least half.

Chang Ping'an quickly held his breath and focused his mind, circulating his spiritual power to protect his entire body, thus withstanding this heavenly lightning that was weaker than the first tribulation lightning.

This is a very smart approach.

Normally, when facing the tribulation of lightning, cultivators would use various methods to neutralize or weaken the power of the first few bolts of lightning, in order to prepare themselves to withstand all the lightning and to refine and absorb the energy left after the lightning tempers their bodies.

The third bolt of heavenly lightning arrived much faster and was also much more powerful.

This time, Chang Ping'an did not take the initiative to reduce the attack of the heavenly lightning, but gritted his teeth and withstood it.

After all, the tribulation of lightning is not only a test of the heavens for cultivators to break through, but also an opportunity for cultivators to temper their bodies.

If one uses various means to avoid the heavenly lightning, one can certainly ensure a safe "breakthrough," but the body tempering benefits brought by the heavenly lightning will be lost.

Chang Ping'an had already learned these common sense principles from various cultivation manuals, so after assessing his own abilities, he decided to take the initiative to accept the third heavenly lightning strike.

When the lightning struck Chang Ping'an, his whole body trembled violently. He felt a destructive force drilling into his body, as if it were burning his soul. This was something he had never experienced during the tribulation he went through to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage!

He quickly gritted his teeth, frantically circulating his cultivation technique to guide the violent thunderous power to temper himself, while simultaneously using his own pure spiritual energy to resist and wear it down.

The stray lightning, like a torrential downpour, poured into the mountains and forests, instantly igniting countless trees and setting the earth ablaze.

Seeing this, Zhang Chengdao, who was protecting Chang Ping'an from afar, quickly used his magic to create a crack in the area where Chang Ping'an was undergoing his tribulation. Alright...

Yes, establish firebreaks.

The saying goes, "Arson is a capital offense." This is right next to Baishi Mountain; if it really catches fire, it will destroy the ecological environment of the Baishi Mountain area, which is unacceptable!

Zhang Chengdao now cherishes his disciples very much. Ever since he discovered that Shi Yizhi could actually jump from gold quality to red flash quality, he has had high expectations for his other disciples, especially his eldest disciple Chang Ping'an. So when he discovered that Chang Ping'an was undergoing tribulation, he immediately put down what he was doing and followed him to protect him.

The tribulation of the Foundation Establishment stage was not difficult for Chang Ping'an. It only took about an hour. As the last bolt of heavenly lightning finally fell, Chang Ping'an successfully broke through to the Core Formation stage.

This is the first cultivator Zhang Chengdao has nurtured since establishing his sect to independently break through to the Core Formation stage, and the significance he represents is completely different from that of Tang Xiaoyu.

"Not bad,"

Zhang Chengdao glanced at Chang Ping'an's tattered disciple robes, then casually tossed him a set of clothes made of Shu brocade that he had just spun, and said with a smile, "Now that you have broken through to the Core Formation stage, you can be considered to have made some progress in your cultivation. Therefore, from today onwards, in terms of cultivation, you have 'graduated' from the White Stone Immortal Sect!"

Although Chang Ping'an had long sensed that his master had been protecting him nearby, he still blushed a little when his master saw him in such a disheveled and wretched state. He quickly changed his clothes and then asked in confusion.

"Graduation?"

"Graduation" generally refers to students of the Imperial Academy passing the Imperial Academy's examination (as stated in the "Tang Liudian": "When students graduate, the Chancellor and the Director of Studies lead them to visit the Imperial Academy."). There is no such expression among the common people.

However, from a certain perspective, the White Stone Immortal Sect can also be regarded as an "official school," and even the most authoritative immortal "official school" in the world. Using the term "graduation" doesn't seem inappropriate.

But the most crucial point is...

Master, what do you mean by this?!

Are they trying to get rid of me?!

Chang Ping'an was startled and scrambled to his feet. He bowed deeply in trepidation and said, "This disciple's cultivation is still shallow and my learning is far from sufficient. I really need to continue my studies in the sect. Please, Master, do not abandon me!"

Zhang Chengdao fell silent after being challenged by Chang Ping'an's words.

What he really meant was that you don't need to report to him when you go out anymore...

According to the rules of the White Stone Immortal Sect, disciples must register before leaving the sect. Although this is essentially a form of protection for the disciples, it is ultimately a kind of constraint.

Since Chang Ping'an has already reached the Core Formation stage, as long as he doesn't face a "heavenly demon from beyond the realm" like He Yu, he should be invincible in this martial arts and cultivation world that is still in the stage of spiritual energy revival. There is no need to make it like a minor's access control, with so many rules.

Unfortunately, Chang Ping'an clearly misunderstood. Seeing that Zhang Chengdao remained silent, he became even more apprehensive. He opened his mouth to say something, but then heard his master sigh helplessly.

Chang Ping'an felt even more panicked.

"Alas, Ping An, what I mean is that there's nothing more you need to learn in your future cultivation. Whether it's Nascent Soul, Out-of-Body, Deity Transformation, or even higher, it all depends on your own character and comprehension..."

Zhang Chengdao quoted almost verbatim from many cultivation manuals, and then added, "So, what I mean is, from now on you don't need to call yourself a 'disciple' of the White Stone Immortal Sect anymore. You should change your title and become an elder!" An "elder" at the Core Formation stage would at least make the White Stone Immortal Sect sound less like a makeshift organization!
Chang Ping'an was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then suddenly looked up, his face turning even redder, and he was so excited that he could hardly speak: "Disciple, disciple, disciple... disciple is unworthy of such a gift!"

Zhang Chengdao waved his hand and said, "It's alright, it's alright. Let's just consider it as strengthening the power of our White Stone Immortal Sect. After all, it's really embarrassing for a sect to not even have an elder with high-level combat power!"

Seeing Chang Ping'an's excited and flustered appearance, Zhang Chengdao couldn't help but chuckle. He patted Chang Ping'an on the shoulder and reassured him, "Alright, alright, stop calling me 'disciple.' From now on, you can call me 'Sect Leader' or 'Master,' just don't refer to yourself as 'disciple' anymore, or the other disciples will get confused!"

After saying that, he looked around at the mountains and forests that had been ravaged by the aftershocks of the lightning tribulation, and casually made a hand seal, sending down a spiritual rain to extinguish the mountain fire and nourish the scorched earth.

Chang Ping'an stood obediently to the side, waiting until Zhang Chengdao finished doing all this before asking with some hesitation, "Master, the opportunity for my tribulation is rather strange. It suddenly arose during a competition with my second junior sister..."

"Moreover, although Junior Sister Ruyan used a killing move when she sparred with me, she withdrew it at the last moment and suffered a backlash because of it. Is she... is she alright now?"

As he spoke, Chang Ping'an was filled with guilt.

He was actually quite annoyed when Murong Ruyan inexplicably beat him before.

After all, Murong Ruyan came from a noble family and had a spoiled and willful nature. She was the kind of person who wouldn't let go of others even when she was in the right... no, she wouldn't let go of others even when she was in the wrong.

So he couldn't understand why she attacked him for no reason; maybe it was just a girl's little temper?
But the ruthlessness of the attack angered him.

No matter what, we're all fellow disciples. Playing around is fine, but you can't kill us, can you?

But I was so focused on overcoming my tribulation that I didn't have time to think about it carefully. Now that I've thought about it more closely, Murong Ruyan's behavior seems... to be intentional!?
"Oh, yes, I did tell her to beat you up."

Zhang Chengdao laughed and said, "Your cultivation is sufficient, but you can't break through. It's simply because you lack an opportunity. And this life-or-death situation is the easiest place to stimulate a person's potential and the easiest place to find the opportunity for a breakthrough. Look, haven't you found it?"
"As for your junior sister..."

As Zhang Chengdao spoke, he secretly flipped through the character list and glanced at it. His expression became somewhat complicated for a moment, but he quickly returned to normal and added in a flat tone, "Yes, Ruyan did suffer some injuries due to the backlash, and her cultivation level dropped a lot. Now she has returned to the sixth level of Foundation Establishment."

"What!?"

Chang Ping'an was shocked and his guilt grew stronger. Even his voice was filled with self-reproach: "Sixth level of Foundation Establishment?! This... how could this be?! To help me break through, you actually let your junior sister's cultivation level drop to this point! I... I..."

He paced around in a panic, seemingly at a complete loss for what to do.

Zhang Chengdao found it quite amusing to see his eldest disciple so anxious and flustered.

He waved his hand, signaling Chang Pingan to calm down, before saying, "Alright, although Ruyan is a bit spoiled on weekdays, she is quite loyal and righteous to her fellow disciples. Just remember this loyalty silently. What's done is done, there's no use in rushing it. Let her rest for a few days."

"Besides, if one's cultivation level drops a few levels in the Foundation Establishment stage, one can simply cultivate back up; it just takes a little more time."

"It just so happens that Ruyan is impatient. Taking this opportunity to give her more time to work things out might not be a bad thing."

Hearing this, Chang Ping'an calmed down a bit. He quickly bowed to his master again, then took his leave, intending to visit Murong Ruyan, who had helped him so much.

Zhang Chengdao's words were not at the expense of others.

For example, taking Chang Ping'an as an example, from the time he successfully established his foundation to his current breakthrough to the Core Formation stage, it has been less than a year.

Of course, his exceptional talent is one reason, since many cultivators who are not very enthusiastic about cultivation may spend their entire lives lingering at the Foundation Establishment stage.

More importantly, dropping a minor realm is not like dropping a major realm. It only causes a decline in cultivation level and does not damage the foundation. Therefore, for cultivators, it just means wasting some more cultivation time, which is not a big deal.

However, even so, Zhang Chengdao never expected that Murong Ruyan, who usually acted independently and always looked down on everyone, would go to such lengths for Chang Ping'an...

broken!

Alarm bells rang in Zhang Chengdao's mind. He carefully examined Chang Ping'an as he hurriedly left, and a terrible thought arose in his heart—

Could it be that Ruyan is inevitably going to "fall in love" with the male lead?
Oh dear, Emperor Ruyan, you absolutely must cultivate the Path of Ruthlessness!

……

Just as Zhang Chengdao was filled with dread that his precious disciple might inevitably be destroyed by "fatalism," Chang Ping'an quickly returned to the sect's disciples' quarters and knocked on Murong Ruyan's door.

"roll!"

Murong Ruyan didn't even ask who it was. Her impatient voice came from inside the house, sounding like she was in a bad mood. Chang Ping'an felt even worse.

"Junior sister, I know it's my fault. I'm useless. I've caused you worry by keeping your cultivation level stuck, and I've also caused your cultivation to regress to this point..."

“I have some ‘Fairy Dew Grass’ that I’ve saved up before. Eat this to tide you over. I’ll go see if I can get anything else and bring it over to you later…”

Before Chang Ping'an could finish speaking, Murong Ruyan's voice rang out again, still with a single word, but sounding even angrier:

"roll!!!"

Chang Ping'an unconsciously took two steps back, somewhat at a loss for what to do.

Murong Ruyan was sitting on the bed in the room, her face changing color from pale to red to purple...

She was absolutely furious!

Although initially, it was indeed his master Zhang Chengdao who muttered that Chang Ping'an's cultivation level was stuck somewhat abnormally, and that he might need a life-or-death crisis to find a breakthrough opportunity, that prompted him to volunteer to try and help Chang Ping'an find that opportunity...

But she originally just wanted to beat up this stupid and dull senior brother to vent her anger, and also to see how big the gap was between herself and her senior brother!

Unexpectedly, this wretched thing actually found a breakthrough opportunity and actually broke through!
The gap between a Core Formation stage cultivator and someone like me, a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator, is not something that can be bridged by hard work alone!

Although I deliberately provoked him with that "Destroy" strike, I wanted to see if my usually simple-minded senior brother would show any fear... Who knew that this fool would actually try to withstand it, causing me to suffer a backlash in order to reclaim my spiritual power!

Thinking of this, Murong Ruyan became even angrier. Her chest heaved, and she wished she could go out immediately and kick Chang Ping'an twice to vent her anger.

especially--

Who cares if you're stuck on a certain level or not!
Who's worried about you?!

Murong Ruyan in the room was grinding her teeth to powder.

(End of this chapter)