Chapter 67: Liquid Essence? Cao Xuan Is Thrilled!

A soft “pop~” sounded as they separated, prompting an awkward silence among the three present. Cao Xuan hurriedly stood up and draped his blue robe over his legs. Li Yao also adjusted her robe, and seeing Yu Wan’s slightly darkened expression, she stepped forward, clinging to her master’s hand and pleading coyly:

“Master, I know I was wrong, but didn’t you say men and women must keep their distance? Even though junior brother is a man, he’s not an outsider, right? And besides,” she pouted, “we didn’t even kiss, both of us are still innocent.”

Yu Wan swiftly reached out and pinched Li Yao’s chin, pulling her close to examine her carefully. After a moment, Yu Wan nodded, saying, “At least you showed some self-control and didn’t do anything excessive.”

What followed was a gentle admonition—reminding her, as a senior disciple, to lead by example, to always be mindful of the boundaries between men and women. If they were to become Dao companions in the future, she would no longer interfere. Finally, Yu Wan added, “Yao’er, it’s not that I want to scold you, but after your master and I became Dao companions, we never even kissed. In fact, I wanted to test if he was truly sincere toward me.” Her expression dimmed. “But alas, your master eventually ascended to immortality… Sigh.”

Li Yao quickly held Yu Wan’s hand, giving her a pitiful look. She even joked, “Since Master has never tried kissing, why not let junior brother—”

“Nonsense!” Yu Wan scolded, her tone gentle yet firm.

On the other side, Cao Xuan stood frozen in shock. What… what was all this? He had thought he was doomed, caught in the act of seducing an innocent girl, but now he suddenly realized what was really going on with his senior sister.

Cao Xuan muttered to himself, “Immortals on the mountain, untouched by worldly matters—could it be they don’t even have a concept of these things?”

He remembered: exalted maidens and demonesses, the more gifted they were, the earlier they were taken to the mountains, growing up surrounded only by cultivation, the distinction between the orthodox and the demonic, with no real understanding of such affairs. As for the few mortals who managed to enter the path of cultivation, regardless of their achievements, they would never dare overstep their bounds before a powerful immortal. For example, he was only at the fourth stage of Qi Refining; let alone being presumptuous with Li Yao, who was at the middle Foundation Establishment stage, even sensing the spiritual energy on her would make him bow his head in deference, addressing her as “Elder” at best.

Of course, cultivators weren’t entirely ignorant; after spending enough time together, Dao companions would eventually have descendants.

Yet, compared to the terabytes of information Cao Xuan had studied in his past life, the cultivators here seemed much more indifferent to such matters, ultimately focused on their pursuit of the Dao.

Cao Xuan had already risen to his feet, now standing aside, and had used a cleansing technique to wipe away the lingering dampness on his thigh.

“Drip~” The sound was almost imperceptible.

Seeing that Senior Sister Li Yao was busy coaxing Master Yu Wan and hadn’t yet cleaned up, Cao Xuan hurried forward, forming a hand seal and gently patting Li Yao’s backside. When both Master and Senior Sister turned to look at him, his hand hung awkwardly in midair—neither withdrawing nor daring to squeeze further.

But Yu Wan only smiled faintly and nodded at him in approval. “That was considerate.”

Li Yao grinned, sticking out her tongue. “Hehe, junior brother, you’re the best. I almost forgot to clear away the residue of the True Essence Fluid!”

“True Essence Fluid?!” Cao Xuan was momentarily stunned, but didn’t argue.

Yu Wan coughed lightly, hesitating for a moment before speaking. “Cao Xuan, you are my last disciple. I must admit, I have barely taught you anything so far.”

Cao Xuan quickly replied, “It’s nothing, Master.” Inwardly, he thought, “Eighty times, Master—it’s already eighty times, what more could I ask?”

He never forgot his original resolve. If he hadn’t already acknowledged Yu Wan as his master, had he met her in the sect, he would have respectfully called out, “Fairy, please wait!”

Yu Wan continued, “There is no fixed order in cultivation. The Great Dao has many paths, and often, understanding one thing helps in understanding another. Fellow cultivators are companions on the path, always learning from one another. Cao Xuan, when you meet others on the same path, never hesitate to ask questions. Always remember, advancing on the Great Dao is the true purpose.”

Cao Xuan felt a jolt of realization. He replied, “Thank you for your guidance, Master!”

He had broken through continuously—just entering Foundation Establishment, yet advancing rapidly to the late stage—leading to a hint of arrogance, as if the Great Dao were a trivial thing. Now, reminded by his master, he realized this was the aftereffect of advancing too quickly.

Calming himself, he reflected: this late Foundation Establishment cultivation was the result of nearly 450 years of arduous practice across two lifetimes, simulated time and again. How could it be so easily achieved?

Seeing Cao Xuan lost in newfound understanding, Yu Wan paused, deciding not to speak further. She had intended to mention her own curiosity about the True Essence Fluid and her desire to experience it, perhaps to find inspiration for breaking through to the Golden Core stage. But seeing her disciple’s enlightenment, she found herself at a loss for words.

Indeed, her disciple was exceptionally gifted—one word of guidance, and he grasped the truth.

Watching Cao Xuan still immersed in refining his understanding of the Dao, Yu Wan decided not to disturb him further. She turned to Li Yao and said, “Your junior brother possesses extraordinary insight and understanding of the Dao. Don’t look down on him just because you’re the senior; you should learn from him more often.”

Li Yao grumbled, “Master, I’m not stupid. Junior brother is so clever, I’d rather pick up his wisdom than rack my brains on my own!”

Yu Wan pretended to raise her hand to scold her, causing Li Yao to dodge playfully.

“All right, but remember—cultivation ultimately depends on your own efforts. You can’t always seek shortcuts. This time, your junior brother broke through by using the spiritual energy surge from forging his life-seal, along with the second surge when you condensed yours, pushing him to late Foundation Establishment. But his foundation is still a bit unstable.”

“When he wakes, tell him that I said he must solidify his foundation well. In the Azure Cloud Grand Assembly next year, he should strive for a good ranking to help your uncle break through to the Golden Core…”

Yu Wan paused, glancing at Cao Xuan. “The Azure Cloud Grotto assists cultivators in condensing their Golden Core…”

“If your junior brother manages to reach the peak of Foundation Establishment within a year, then the spot for the Azure Cloud Grotto will be his to use.”

Li Yao was stunned, lifting her head. “Master, junior brother… that’s impossible…”

Having just broken through to late Foundation Establishment herself, Li Yao understood how much accumulation this stage required. She believed it would take several years to nurture from initial to peak Foundation Establishment, let alone reaching the pinnacle.

It was unlike a mountain, which grows sharper as it rises; the path of cultivation is like an inverted mountain—broader the higher you climb.

Yu Wan simply replied, “I’m only saying, what if your junior brother succeeds?”

“Of course, if he doesn’t make it, the spot goes to the uncles. There’s no point in entering the Azure Cloud Grotto before the peak of Foundation Establishment.”

…

When Yu Wan finally left, she cast a deep look at Cao Xuan. The method for cultivating together that he had developed, using the True Essence Fluid—she would have to find another opportunity to try it with him in the future.