After transmigrating into the body of the protagonist's childhood friend, he was targeted by a

Lin Zhixu finally looked up at him: "Master, is there something you need?"

Yu Linzhou felt inexplicably annoyed by his coldness. "I do have something to say."

"The Newcomer Competition is in a month, and all the newly recruited disciples from each peak will participate. This is a great opportunity for you to make a name for yourself. You must focus on your cultivation this month and strive to break through to the seventh level of Qi Refining before the competition begins."

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhixu's lips curled into a mocking smile: "Master really has confidence in me."

To outsiders, his rapid rise from a low-grade, useless spiritual root to the fifth level of Qi Refining in just a few months certainly made him seem like a buried genius.

Only he knows how much it costs to become a genius.

He's not like Luo Yiyan, whose top-grade spiritual root cultivation is as easy as drinking water, allowing him to advance effortlessly without risking his life.

What does he have to compare with others?

Are we comparing whose master is more "tiger parent"?

Yan Lingcang is truly no match for Yu Linzhou.

Lin Zhixu lowered his eyes.

If only I had obediently joined Yan Lingcang's sect back then, even as an outer disciple, it would have been better than what I am now.

At the very least, she can see Luo Yiyan every day, which will also help her progress through the storyline.

But it's too late to regret it now...

Lin Zhixu refocused his attention and continued his cultivation.

……

And so, under Yu Linzhou's strict parenting, another half month passed.

Perhaps he had reached a bottleneck, but Lin Zhixu was unable to break through to the sixth level after entering the fifth level of Qi Refining.

Although Lin Zhixu couldn't leave, Yu Linzhou would often tell him about Luo Yiyan's situation to spur him on.

Lin Zhixu always ignored him completely.

The stalemate lasted for two days. That afternoon, Yu Linzhou was in the courtyard instructing Lin Zhixu on a new set of techniques when his expression suddenly changed, and he abruptly stopped speaking.

"A mouse has broken in," he withdrew his hand, his tone turning colder. "You stay here and I'll go take a look."

After saying that, he vanished from the spot in a flash.

Lin Zhixu's heart stirred, and he stood up, looking solemnly outside.

This statement definitely doesn't refer to Jiang Che. Besides Yan Lingcang, the only other person who can make Yu Linzhou feel disgusted is Luo Yiyan.

Lin Zhixu was startled.

Could it be that Luo Yiyan came looking for him?

It's a pity he can't get out now.

Lin Zhixu turned his gaze to the little black dog that was sunbathing and rolling around beside him, and an idea came to him.

……

On the mountain path of Qiyue Peak, Luo Yiyan was filled with confusion.

He thought that even if Qiyue Peak was deserted, there should be a few servant disciples sweeping and cleaning, but after walking for almost a quarter of an hour, he didn't see a single person.

A fork in the road lay before him, the two paths identical, and he had absolutely no idea which way to go.

He stopped abruptly and called out, "Excuse me, is anyone there? I am Luo Yiyan, a disciple of Wucang Peak, here to pay my respects to Immortal Venerable Fengheng. I seem to be lost; is there any immortal who could help me find my way?"

The wind blew by, but no one answered.

Luo Yiyan felt a chill run down her neck. Just as she was hesitating whether to choose any path, a voice suddenly came from all directions.

"Isn't this Yan Lingcang's apprentice? What are you doing here?"

Luo Yiyan looked up and around, but there was no one in the air, so he knew that the other party had locked onto him with their divine sense.

He quickly and respectfully cupped his hands towards the air: "May I ask how this senior is addressed? I have a friend who is a disciple of Qiyue Peak. I made an appointment to meet him, but he has been late. Therefore, I have no choice but to take the liberty of coming to disturb him."

Yu Linzhou snorted coldly: "Qiyue Peak does not welcome people from Wucang Peak. My disciple will not be your friend either. I advise you to leave quickly, lest I personally see you off."

Luo Yiyan's eyes lit up. He called himself "the original venerable one" and guessed that he had come to find Zhixu, so he must be Feng Heng Immortal Venerable.

"Junior Luo Yiyan greets Immortal Venerable Feng Heng. May I ask, Immortal Venerable, where does Lin Zhixu reside? Could you please show me the way?"

Yu Linzhou remained silent for a moment.

This person can't understand good or bad words; he's like a stubborn plaster.

"Didn't you hear me? I don't welcome you."

"Why?" Luo Yiyan looked puzzled. "I have no connection with the Immortal Venerable, and I am not here to disturb him today. I am just worried that something might have happened to Zhixu. We made an appointment to meet, but he has not come yet."

Yu Linzhou: "He wasn't surprised. He's just been focusing on his cultivation and hasn't seen any outsiders lately. You can go back now, and you don't need to come again."

Luo Yiyan said firmly, "Now that I'm here, I'm determined to see him. I won't leave unless he rejects me outright. Not even if you, Immortal Venerable, say so."

Yu Linzhou clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Sure enough, everyone on Wucang Peak is so annoying.

He raised his hand, about to send this ungrateful brat straight out of Qiyue Peak, when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a dark figure darting out from around the corner of the mountain path.

Xiao Hei ran up to Luo Yiyan, looked up at him, and barked twice.

Luo Yiyan was stunned at first, then realized what was happening and ran after Xiao Hei.

The man and the beast vanished in the blink of an eye.

Yu Linzhou: "..."

His good disciple really likes to go against him.

……

Lin Zhixu sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, resting his chin on his hand, waiting for Luo Yiyan to arrive.

He asked the system in his mind: "Why do you insist on having Luo Yiyan come to find me? I don't really want to see him right now; I feel a little embarrassed."

System: [Precisely because you are currently weak and imprisoned by Yu Linzhou, it is even more important for Luo Yiyan to see this with his own eyes. The host's role is to motivate him to grow. Seeing you in such a predicament will inspire him to fight even harder to protect you.]

Lin Zhixu: [Didn't we already complete the mission back at Wucang Peak?]

System: [Your performance at Wucang Peak last time wasn't good enough. Luo Yiyan hasn't seen your helpless and vulnerable side yet, and his fighting spirit isn't as strong as it was in the original story.]

[Furthermore, with you not by his side, his cultivation progress has been significantly slower than in the original story. Only by witnessing your pitiful and helpless state after being imprisoned will he desperately strive to become stronger in order to help you.]

Lin Zhixu: "..."

Pitiful and helpless?

He looked down at himself.

Well, his current state does fit that description quite well.

.........

Luo Yiyan had already arrived outside the courtyard.

He saw Xiao Hei stop, bark at the inside, and ask, "Xiao Hei, do you mean Zhixu is inside?"

Little Black nodded.

Luo Yiyan stepped forward to push the door open, but the moment his fingertips touched the door panel, an invisible force suddenly pushed him away.

He staggered back two steps, steadied himself, and stared solemnly at the pale purple halo flowing above the door.

Such a powerful restriction.

With his current cultivation level, it's impossible for him to break through it.

A lazy voice slowly came from behind: "Don't waste your energy. Even Yan Lingcang would have to put in some effort to set up this restriction himself, let alone you."

Luo Yiyan suddenly turned around.

Yu Linzhou had already appeared not far behind him, watching him leisurely with a relaxed expression.

The previous respect in Luo Yiyan's eyes was gone. She stared straight at him and asked, "Why did you lock Zhixu up? What did he do wrong?"

Yu Linzhou actually tilted his head and thought about it for a moment, then nodded: "I did make a mistake."

Luo Yiyan said, "Even if he made a mistake, he should be given a chance to correct it. What kind of behavior is it to lock someone up for no reason?"

Yu Linzhou smiled nonchalantly, completely ignoring the anger in the boy's eyes.

"His biggest mistake was that he secretly went to see you behind my back, his master's back."