Nuwa, the goddess of immortality, said that cultivating immortality does not require spiritual energ

At night, after finishing her evening class and returning to her dormitory, Lu Qingshuang changed into a plain-colored nightgown, sat cross-legged on her bed, and tried to calm her mind and cultivate.

However, less than half an hour later, she opened her eyes with a furrowed brow, her face showing obvious distress and irritation.

After hesitating for a moment, she got up, left the dormitory, and knocked on the door of Luo Qiuyue's room next door.

With a click, the door opened quickly. Luo Qiuyue, dressed in a fluffy doll-like pajama set, looked at Lu Qingshuang in the doorway with some surprise.

"What's wrong with you?" She could tell at a glance that Lu Qingshuang's expression was off.

"Can we go inside and talk?" Lu Qingshuang pursed her lips.

"Alright, come in." Luo Qiuyue stepped aside to let her into the house and closed the door.

The two sat down on the edge of the bed, and Luo Qiuyue asked again, "What happened?"

Lu Qingshuang was silent for a few seconds, then looked up and asked very seriously:

"Akizuki, if... I mean, if in the future, someone very close and important to you is destined to die... what would you do?"

Ever since she learned about Ye Huayin's story three days ago, this question has been haunting her, lingering in her mind.

She understood that what she should do most was focus on cultivation and improving her strength, and she also knew that it was too early to dwell on this.

But she just couldn't stop thinking about it.

During this time, she asked her master, the fairy Chang'e.

Chang'e replied: "We can only accept it slowly; there is no other way."

But Lu Qingshuang was not the weathered Chang'e. She was still young, and her heart instinctively resisted such a cruel reality, unable to convince herself to accept it.

This inner conflict and resistance caused her to be frequently distracted and unable to calm her mind during her three days of cultivation.

"Why... did you suddenly think of this?" Luo Qiuyue was taken aback by the question.

To be honest, she had never thought deeply about this question. Her current goal was clear and definite: to achieve immortality first, and deal with everything else later.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Qingshuang began to recount Ye Huayin's story and her own feelings over the past few days.

Finally, she looked at Luo Qiuyue, her voice soft, yet carrying a heavy premonition:

"This... has a very high probability that it will also be our future."

After listening, Luo Qiuyue fell silent.

It has to be admitted that Lu Qingshuang was right. Ye Huayin's present situation may indeed be the future of many of them.

They all knew in their hearts that although they were called geniuses in the mortal world, they were just an insignificant one among the masses in the vast celestial realm.

They were powerless to change the course of this war that was sweeping across the three realms.

Even if they do reach the level of Quasi-Saint or even Saint in the future, how many people they cherish will they lose along the way?

More likely, they perished halfway through—quasi-saints were already out of reach, and saints were even more like a mirage.

If it were really that simple, those powerful beings in the Heavenly Realm who had been stuck at the Great Luo Golden Immortal or Quasi-Saint realm for countless years would have already broken through.

Thinking of this, Luo Qiuyue couldn't help but roll her eyes at Lu Qingshuang, her tone half-joking and half-helpless:

"I have to say... your question has really made me worried too."

She wouldn't normally think about these things, after all, they had only recently turned eighteen, and the future seemed long. But Lu Qingshuang's bluntness brought up those hidden anxieties uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry," Lu Qingshuang apologized softly, her expression sincere.

She definitely needs someone to share the burden, or to give her an answer that she can convince herself of.

"It's nothing." Luo Qiuyue waved her hand, trying to lighten the mood. "I guess... I'll be fine after a good night's sleep."

Although she was also somewhat troubled by that possible future, she was ultimately not as delicate, sensitive, or prone to overthinking as Lu Qingshuang.

Everyone has a different mindset and way of coping, and that's just how it is.

"But I... can't do what you do." Lu Qingshuang smiled bitterly.

If she were that magnanimous, she wouldn't have come to knock on Luo Qiuyue's door late at night.

"I really can't help you with this." Luo Qiuyue spread her hands, indicating that she couldn't help, but then her eyes lit up and she suggested, "However... my personal suggestion is to ask Qin Le."

When encountering problems, turning to Qin Le has become a conditioned reflex for her and many others around her.

And as it turns out, Qin Le often provides unexpected yet effective perspectives or methods, and he himself is never stingy with his help.

Lu Qingshuang was taken aback upon hearing this, then nodded: "Alright... I'll go ask him tomorrow."

The two chatted casually for a few more minutes before Lu Qingshuang got up to say goodbye and returned to her dormitory. She tried to cultivate again, but her mind remained in turmoil.

Early the next morning.

After having breakfast, Lu Qingshuang found Qin Le lounging on a bench along a tree-lined path in the college, scrolling through his phone – he was truly a person who was idle all day long.

Noticing Lu Qingshuang approaching, Qin Le looked up and asked with a smile, "Is something the matter?"

Lu Qingshuang sat down beside him and nodded: "Yes, I've encountered a bit of... inner conflict, and I'd like to hear your thoughts."

"Tell me about it." Qin Le put away his phone, his expression becoming more serious.

Lu Qingshuang took a deep breath and recounted her troubles caused by Ye Huayin, her experience of consulting Chang'e Fairy and Luo Qiuyue, and how this worry affected her cultivation.

Qin Le listened quietly without interrupting, her gaze gentle and understanding.

Finally, Lu Qingshuang sighed softly, her tone helpless: "This worry... is starting to affect my cultivation."

Qin Le looked at her, then suddenly smiled, his tone relaxed yet firm:

"I think... you should learn to suck up to powerful people."

"Holding... a leg?!" Lu Qingshuang was completely dumbfounded.

She had imagined all sorts of possible responses from Qin Le—comfort, practical advice, or even harsh criticism.

The phrase "can cling to a powerful figure" was completely beyond her expectations.

What kind of suggestion is this?

"That's right, it's about sucking up to someone powerful." Qin Le smiled matter-of-factly. "I'd never have the same kind of trouble you have."

"Just because... you know how to suck up to powerful people?" Lu Qingshuang still couldn't follow the train of thought.

"That's right." Qin Le nodded, her tone utterly self-assured: "If I encounter a problem I can't solve, I'll definitely go to Goddess Nuwa for help first. When the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up."

Lu Qingshuang: "..."

She shook her head with a wry smile: "But... I don't have a powerful patron like that to rely on."

She couldn't possibly learn from Qin Le's method. She didn't have a saintly master to rely on.

Hearing her words, Qin Le's smile suddenly became somewhat meaningful. He raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through Lu Qingshuang, looking into the depths of her consciousness, and slowly spoke:

"Chang'e, the Moon Goddess...aren't you angry?"

Lu Qingshuang: "???"

Before she could even realize who Qin Le was talking to, the next instant—

hum.

A palm-sized, illusory image of a full moon, shimmering with a cool, clear moonlight, quietly appeared between Lu Qingshuang's brows.

Immediately afterwards, the little moon trembled slightly, shooting out a soft yet irresistible white halo that struck Lu Qingshuang's smooth forehead with a sharp snap.

"Ouch!"

Lu Qingshuang cried out in pain, clutching her forehead which had instantly turned bright red, looking at the small moon with a bewildered and aggrieved expression:

"Master?! What...what did I do wrong?"

"puff--"

Qin Le, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"In your heart," Chang'e's voice, cold yet clearly displeased, came from the small moon, "Am I... really that unreliable?"

She was genuinely a little angry.

Yes, she may not be as transcendent as the goddess Nuwa, but in the celestial realm, Chang'e is by no means an ordinary person. She is the mistress of the Moon Palace, with a name, power, and status.

Why is she no longer considered a "big shot" when it comes to her own apprentice?

This apprentice deserves a beating.