The Cub I Raised Turned Out to Be a Reborn Boss (GL) - Chapter 16

Li Wan soon left the sect with Binniang, and Song Xi, under Jiang Yixue’s guidance, embarked on the right path of cultivation.

Song Xi’s incredibly fast cultivation speed startled even Jiang Yixue. She was indeed the female lead, achieving an $\text{Earthy}$-rank intermediate stage in just one month.

Lin Chen had not appeared before Jiang Yixue this past month, until the assembly for the $\text{Qingyang}$ $\text{Mountain}$ trip.

Perhaps due to the male lead’s aura, he was very conspicuous in the crowd. Dressed in black, just standing there made him stand out from the rest.

Jiang Yixue thought about it. The plot points where Lin Chen and Song Xi might have interacted during this period had probably been $\text{butterfly}$ $\text{effected}$ away.

Lin Chen was busy cultivating diligently under her encouragement, and Song Xi was also busy cultivating… there seemed to be no opportunity for them to get close and develop feelings for each other.

By stopping the male and female leads’ romance, she had also extended her own lifespan. Jiang Yixue was in a great mood.

When Lin Chen felt Jiang Yixue’s gaze, he straightened his back, his hand clutching the corner of his sleeve, feeling an inexplicable tension.

Just as Lin Chen was nervous, he saw a hint of a smile appear on Jiang Yixue’s face.

Jiang Yixue usually had a cold expression. When speaking to anyone, she seemed to carry a slight aloofness, her aura as serene and cold as a banished immortal.

But now, the $\text{Senior}$ $\text{Sister}$ who was like a banished immortal was actually smiling at him…

Was it a smile of appreciation? Was it an encouraging smile? Lin Chen’s mind went completely blank.

$\text{Senior}$ $\text{Sister}$ Jiang must be encouraging him to perform well on this trip… Lin Chen suddenly felt a surge of fighting spirit ignite within him.

The disciples around Lin Chen noticed he seemed somewhat unusual and asked, “Captain, what’s wrong?”

They all couldn’t help but feel nervous. Lin Chen was at $\text{Heaven}$-rank peak strength and a standout among this group of disciples, which was why they were willing to follow him.

If something could make Lin Chen so concerned, had another dark horse appeared?

“Nothing,” Lin Chen slowly shifted his gaze away from Jiang Yixue. He let out a heavy breath and said, “We must strive hard and take first place in this trial.”

If it was something that commanded such attention from Lin Chen, a strong enemy must have appeared: “Yes, $\text{Senior}$ $\text{Brother}$ Lin, don’t worry. We definitely won’t hold you back. We will take first place!”

The fighting spirit here instantly erupted, attracting the attention of other disciples nearby.

The other disciples who had reached this stage were also considered favored by heaven and would not easily yield.

“Even if our team is a bit weaker, as long as we trust each other and unite, we won’t necessarily be the last.”

“If we get outshone, we’ll bring shame to our $\text{Zihe}$ $\text{Mountain}$.”

With Lin Chen’s team at the center, the surge of high spirits spread contagiously. The faces of all the disciples were ignited with fierce fighting spirit.

In the distance, a massive flying boat flew across the sky, bringing with it a gust of strong wind. It finally slowly docked on $\text{Fengyuan}$ $\text{Mountain}$.

A team of disciples, uniformly wearing disciple robes embroidered with sword patterns, walked out of the flying boat. They bowed slightly upon seeing Jiang Yixue.

The cold, imposing middle-aged man at the front, with distinct, sharp facial features, said, “$\text{Young}$ $\text{Sect}$ $\text{Master}$, I am $\text{Zuo}$ Hao, the $\text{Squad}$ $\text{Leader}$ of the $\text{Guard}$ $\text{Team}$. This time’s escort will be carried out by us, in coordination with the $\text{Young}$ $\text{Sect}$ $\text{Master}$. We will follow the $\text{Young}$ $\text{Sect}$ $\text{Master}$‘s command throughout the mission.”

The $\text{Yuqing}$ $\text{Sect}$‘s $\text{Guard}$ $\text{Team}$ was directly under Xue Qiancheng’s jurisdiction. The minimum requirement for joining the $\text{Guard}$ $\text{Team}$ was $\text{Earth}$-rank cultivation. A $\text{Squad}$ $\text{Leader}$ had to reach $\text{Spirit}$-rank cultivation, and a $\text{Major}$ $\text{Leader}$ at least $\text{Heaven}$-rank cultivation. This was the other sharp sword of the $\text{Yuqing}$ $\text{Sect}$, besides the sect’s elders.

Everyone in the $\text{Guard}$ $\text{Team}$ was a martial arts fanatic. The fact that $\text{Zuo}$ Hao could become a $\text{Squad}$ $\text{Leader}$ in the $\text{Guard}$ $\text{Team}$ was enough to prove his strength.

Jiang Yixue admired such people: “$\text{Squad}$ $\text{Leader}$ $\text{Zuo}$, you flatter me. My experience is far inferior to yours. How can I speak of ‘command’? We will simply coordinate with each other to complete the mission, and I will rely heavily on $\text{Squad}$ $\text{Leader}$ $\text{Zuo}$‘s efforts.”

Hearing Jiang Yixue say this, the tense expression on $\text{Zuo}$ Hao’s face softened slightly.

The thing $\text{Zuo}$ Hao feared most before coming was this inexperienced $\text{Young}$ $\text{Sect}$ $\text{Master}$ giving random orders. He was very satisfied with Jiang Yixue’s attitude: “$\text{Young}$ $\text{Sect}$ $\text{Master}$, if everyone is present, then I will arrange to depart.”

He waved his hand, and all three hatches of the flying boat opened. He announced loudly, “Next, we will take the flying boat to $\text{Qingyang}$ $\text{Mountain}$. The first floor of the flying boat is the public activity area for everyone. The second floor is where everyone will reside. The $\text{Guard}$ $\text{Team}$ and the $\text{Young}$ $\text{Sect}$ $\text{Master}$ will reside on the third floor. You may now board the flying boat and find your living quarters.”

“Go for it!”

“Strive for the best results.”

“We are not the worst.”

“We will definitely take first place!”

The disciples smiled at each other, mutually encouraging and boosting their spirits, and then began to board the flying boat in their respective teams.

The boiling fighting spirit of this group of young people shot straight into the sky, even making $\text{Zuo}$ Hao pause in surprise.

He lowered his voice and said to Jiang Yixue, “$\text{Young}$ $\text{Sect}$ $\text{Master}$, I have been in charge of escorting disciple trials many times, and I’ve never seen a batch of disciples so full of fighting spirit. Did the $\text{Young}$ $\text{Sect}$ $\text{Master}$ say something to them just now? Please let me learn so I can use it to boost morale in the future.”

Jiang Yixue shook her head: “No, I didn’t say anything.”

She couldn’t figure it out either. She truly hadn’t said anything. This group of people suddenly got hyped up on their own… Who knew what happened.

After ensuring all the disciples had boarded the flying boat, Jiang Yixue and $\text{Zuo}$ Hao nodded slightly to each other, then leaped onto the third floor of the flying boat.

As the flying boat flew away, Jiang Yixue looked back at the increasingly distant $\text{Yuqing}$ $\text{Sect}$ and felt a moment of faint melancholy. She wondered how Song Xi would manage life for the next two or three months. Although Song Xi was used to being alone, she had been taking care of her recently.

She wondered if Song Xi would feel a little unaccustomed to her sudden departure…

While Jiang Yixue was immersed in a slight sorrow of separation, Song Xi was very happy. When she learned that Jiang Yixue would be gone for two or three months, she was ecstatic.

The first step in cultivating the $\text{Youming}$ $\text{Secret}$ $\text{Canon}$ was to condense the seed of $\text{Youming}$ power within the body. This process required careful and focused concentration. Otherwise, there was a high risk of backlash. More importantly, it couldn’t be abandoned halfway.

This step required extreme caution. Even Song Xi, who had cultivated it once, couldn’t guarantee success on the first try.

With Jiang Yixue inside the sect, Song Xi never had the opportunity to take this step.

Now that she finally had the chance, she wished Jiang Yixue would never return, and that she would stay outside for as long as possible.

Song Xi planned to start condensing the seed of $\text{Youming}$ power immediately after morning practice. As long as she successfully condensed it, she had all the experience needed for the later stages of the $\text{Youming}$ $\text{Secret}$ $\text{Canon}$. Her cultivation progress would advance at an incredibly fast pace, and she wouldn’t be as passive as she was now.

“Did you hear? The sect posted a mission in the $\text{Chiwu}$ $\text{Pavilion}$ yesterday for all disciples. Everyone can participate, regardless of cultivation level or status. But registration closes today. Should we sign up together after morning practice?”

“What kind of mission? Such a large-scale mission must be very difficult.”

“The mission is called $\text{Exploring}$ $\text{the}$ $\text{Secret}$ $\text{Realm}$. It’s a low-level ancient battlefield secret realm, said to be newly discovered by the sect. I have some connections, and I heard that although this secret realm is newly discovered, there is no significant danger. Even $\text{Earthy}$-rank cultivators can participate. The area is quite large, and the elders couldn’t completely map out all the terrain inside, which is why it was handed over to ordinary disciples.”

Song Xi slowed her steps slightly upon hearing the two disciples beside her mention a new secret realm, listening carefully to their conversation.

“Ancient battlefield…” Song Xi quietly repeated.

Legend had it that there was a great war in antiquity. To protect the continent from being engulfed by the war, a great power tore apart space and opened up various spatial battlefields.

Later, when the great war ended, most of the connections between these spatial battlefields and the continent collapsed and could no longer be found.

Occasionally, ancient battlefields were discovered later, becoming what were known as ancient battlefield secret realms.

Ancient battlefields were mostly desolate and lifeless, but they often contained treasures of the cultivators who died there during the great war. Thus, many people went there to search for treasures.

Song Xi couldn’t recall any news of this secret realm in her previous life, but thinking about it, it made sense. Although she was Han Yansu’s direct disciple at this time in her previous life, $\text{Yanshan}$ $\text{Mountain}$ had a sparse network of contacts, and Han Yansu was absent, so it was normal for her to miss out.

What attracted others to the ancient battlefield was the treasure, but what attracted Song Xi was the death text{qi} of the battlefield.

If she could absorb that death text{qi} for her own use, she would be confident in successfully condensing the seed of $\text{Youming}$ power on the first try.

It seemed that cultivation would have to be put on hold for now. She needed to take a trip to this ancient battlefield secret realm first.

Song Xi’s gaze looked towards the distant east. She slightly curved her lips, a faint killing intent brewing in her eyes: “$\text{Shendaozi}$, I’m back.”

However, just then, Song Xi looked back and saw Yan Zi about to step through the main entrance of the $\text{Azure}$ $\text{Lotus}$ $\text{Residence}$.

One of her feet was raised, not yet crossing the threshold.

Their eyes met. Yan Zi sheepishly withdrew her foot, snorting lightly and glaring at Song Xi. She looked somewhat displeased, but still stood properly outside the door: “$\text{Senior}$ $\text{Sister}$ Song, $\text{Master}$ commands you to go to the $\text{Wansnow}$ $\text{Palace}$ now.”

This behavior of wanting to enter yet withdrawing was truly strange. Song Xi frowned slightly as she stared at Yan Zi.

The coldness in Song Xi’s eyes made Yan Zi shiver.

In that instant of eye contact, Yan Zi felt as if the person opposite her was a vengeful viper, her eyes carrying an icy, bone-chilling desire for revenge.

She shook her head to clear her mind. She was just a ten-year-old child, only at $\text{Earthy}$-rank strength. There was nothing to fear.

Yan Zi raised her chin, her tone devoid of emotion, saying coldly and indifferently, “$\text{Senior}$ $\text{Sister}$ Jiang said that if you are in the $\text{Azure}$ $\text{Lotus}$ $\text{Residence}$ in the future, I am not permitted to step even one pace inside. I have delivered $\text{Master}$‘s command. I won’t stay.”

Yan Zi’s figure gradually faded into the distance, but Song Xi’s hand, hanging by her side, couldn’t help but clutch the corner of her sleeve. The coldness in her eyes slowly dissipated.

A clear breeze blew, rustling the few green bamboo stalks in the courtyard. The rose planted by Jiang Yixue herself in the corner of the courtyard swayed slightly in the wind. Even after leaving, she didn’t forget to instruct Yan Zi about this…

Song Xi kicked a loose stone on the ground in frustration. How annoying. She disliked owing favors and having unclear relationships with others, yet Jiang Yixue insisted on doing these things.

Especially after knowing that Jiang Yixue had no ulterior motives, Song Xi felt somewhat at a loss. She really didn’t know how to deal with such a relationship.

Leaving aside everything else, at the very least, with this kindness and care, she would always find it difficult to refuse Jiang Yixue’s strange food…