When I woke up, the entire cultivation world was talking about my master.

Five days later, in the imperial city, the center of the Southern Cang Continent.

Countless demon ships and spirit ships converged from all directions.

The imperial city is located at the heart of the Southern Cang Continent, where spiritual veins converge. Its geographical location is unique, and its terrain is also peculiar, consisting of two levels.

The upper level is "Cloud Sky City," the residence of royal relatives, aristocratic families, and high-level cultivators, with continuous buildings and a strong spiritual atmosphere; the lower level is "Floating Life City," where ordinary people live and thrive, and ordinary cultivators, merchants, and artisans mingle among them, creating a vibrant and bustling atmosphere.

A huge teleportation stone was built between the upper and lower levels, and a giant elevator was also connected to it by a unified palace system.

The once-a-decade Tianyuan Gathering is not only an alliance between the demon race and the human race, but also a grand spectacle rarely seen in the cultivation world. Cultivators from all over the world gather together to get to know each other, chat, and get what they need.

At this very moment, aircraft of all sizes are lining up to enter Cloud Sky City.

The spirit boat of the Taiyi Sect was also in the queue.

Chu Xianlan leaned against the railing, with a flowing sea of ​​clouds behind her. She tilted her head and glanced ahead, where the outline of Yuntian City was already visible at the end.

It looks like we won't be able to land anytime soon.

He gathered the excited Taiyi Sect disciples around him and gave them a heads-up about the precautions for entering the imperial city.

The list, handwritten by the disciplinary elders, was fully unfolded, spread out on the ground, and stretched indefinitely.

The disciples' excitement vanished instantly, their eyes becoming clear and foolish.

Even Chu Xianlan, who was mentally prepared, couldn't help but twitch her lips.

The dense text was making my head spin—dress codes, dining etiquette, rules of conduct… Never mind.

Chu Xianlan glanced at the last part of the list: the guide to the demon race.

"Ahem, let's skip the earlier parts and focus on the part about dealing with the demon race."

In the cultivation world, the relationship between humans and demons has always been awkward. They are not exactly friendly, as they have fought each other before; they are not exactly hostile, as they have been forced to join forces to fight against enemies.

In short, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

After the chaos caused by the half-demon, the two sides made peace.

Of course, this only appears harmonious on the surface. Over the years, the two tribes have probably sent far more spies to each other in secret, each trying to outmaneuver the other, but they all keep it hidden, so both sides can only turn a blind eye.

Chu Xianlan cleared her throat.

"First, keep your eyes closed. Try not to make eye contact with demons."

"Senior brother, why?" a disciple immediately asked curiously.

The wanderers who came to Taiyi Sect before were quite easy to get along with.

Chu Xianlan sighed, "Some demons are violent and wild; they'll start a fight the moment their eyes meet."

"Oh..." This is so inexplicable.

"Secondly, keep your hands off the demons. Don't touch or rub them when you see them, no matter how cute their fluffy ears and tails are. Remember, just look at them."

The disciples nodded in agreement.

"Thirdly, calm your restless heart. Don't randomly pick up demons and bring them back to your sect. Don't easily trust those demons who look pitiful—don't accept their quests, don't eat their food, don't accept anything they offer, and definitely don't lend them money. Also, don't pay attention to those who approach you and start talking to you..."

After giving these detailed instructions, Chu Xianlan waved her hand to dismiss her disciples, then walked alone to a door, took a deep breath, and hesitated whether to push it open.

...It's strange, really.

He's now a little unsure how to be alone with his master.

Ever since the poison flared up, the memory of that night has been resurfacing from time to time. Chu Xianlan tried to forcefully brainwash herself to forget it, just like before, but it was all in vain; the impression was simply too vivid.

I couldn't understand it before.

Why did Master refuse the more conservative method of dual cultivation of spiritual consciousness and instead choose that... awkward method?

Don't ask, don't know, I'm startled when I ask.

Chu Xianlan's knowledge in this area was really lacking. Only after Zhu Ling explained the basics to her with a blank expression did she realize that spiritual cultivation was far more intimate than physical contact.

"You just said that dual cultivation of spiritual consciousness usually only occurs between Daoist partners with extremely close and intimate feelings?"

The blow to the head caused Chu Xianlan's skull to crack open.

Zhu Ling: "Yes, since we've cultivated our spiritual consciousness together, it's just like being husband and wife."

"Cough!" Chu Xianlan choked.

It's one thing if you don't know, but your master is so knowledgeable, he probably already knows this kind of common knowledge.

So.

In his master's eyes, his initiative to suggest dual cultivation of spiritual consciousness was tantamount to proposing marriage on the spot!

Ah... I really want to leave this beautiful world.

As Chu Xianlan was lost in thought, staring at the ground, the door in front of her suddenly opened gently.

"What are you doing standing at the door?" A deep voice came from above.

"Uh, I was just thinking about something," Chu Xianlan said, raising her head.

The two looked at each other, but Yi Chen did not look away as usual. Instead, Chu Xianlan couldn't hold back and looked away unnaturally.

……well.

He won't keep acting like a guilty cop forever, will he?

Feeling awkward, Chu Xianlan couldn't help but ramble on, "Master, we'll be arriving at Yuntian City soon. After we moor the boat, I'll arrange for the Imperial City Guard to report to them. Uncle-Master Pei might have other instructions..."

Are you tired?

After a slight pause in his speech, Yi Chen asked.

Chu Xianlan was taken aback when a piece of malt candy was stuffed into her hand.

He lowered his head, unwrapped the candy, and put it in his mouth to chew, thinking to himself, "Why does Master always carry sweet food with him? This is clearly not Master's favorite flavor."

Yi Chen looked at his disciple's puffed-out cheeks for a while, his expression softening slightly, but his voice remained calm. "You don't need to handle the remaining miscellaneous tasks anymore. I have already instructed Senior Brother Pei to find someone else to take over. Come in and rest for a while."

Chu Xianlan: ... "Huh?"

He was suddenly told to leave work on the spot and didn't react for a moment, but Yi Chen had already walked forward, so he could only follow his master into the cabin.

The cabins inside the spirit boat were equipped with a spatial array, making them many times more spacious than they appeared from the outside. Sunlight streamed into the room through the carved window frames, while outside lay the vast sky. The interior was dry and warm.

Hua Ling and Xue Ling were sleeping soundly by the window, basking in the sun.

Each room on the spirit boat can be customized to suit the cultivator's preferences. Upon closer inspection, one can see that the layout here is somewhat similar to that of the Jade Capital Pavilion. Chu Xianlan pulled up a stool and sat down. Once she had some free time, she didn't know what to do.

Moreover... I always feel that Master is not quite the same as before.

He couldn't quite put his finger on what was different. His master was still a man of few words, but there was a subtle... change in him.

Chu Xianlan's gaze gradually drifted to Yi Chen, who was sitting opposite her, his hand resting on his forehead, casually flipping through a book.

The hand bones resting on the book page were long and beautiful, but unfortunately the scars on them were so grotesque and conspicuous that they looked like a flawless piece of jade had been cracked.

According to the constitution of cultivators, ordinary superficial injuries will not leave scars, and even if a scar is accidentally left, it can be removed by a physician.

"Master, how did you get those scars on your hands?"