Su Muchan’s eyes immediately narrowed as she glared fiercely at Jing Mingxuan, asking rather angrily, "Disciple! You clearly could have cured me directly, why did you choose to do it a hundred times?"
"Master! I wanted to give you a single treatment as well, but the problem is that it would hurt you terribly. So I asked the Divine Book, and it told me that a hundred sessions would minimize the pain." Jing Mingxuan looked completely innocent, explaining in a gentle tone.
Su Muchan was touched, yet somewhat skeptical, so she asked, "Divine Book, is that true?"
Immediately after, two characters shining with a wondrous golden divine glow materialized, turning out to be 'Yes'.
Jing Mingxuan felt not the slightest bit nervous, because he hadn't lied—he really had asked the Divine Book.
Of course he wanted to take advantage of every chance to get close to his master, but minimizing her pain was far more important than that.
"I'm sorry, disciple!"
Knowing she had been in the wrong, Su Muchan offered a quite sincere apology.
Jing Mingxuan gave a soft smile. "It's fine! But I hope you can trust me more in the future, because I trust you just as much."
In an instant, Su Muchan felt even more ashamed of herself.
Still, she would surely trust her disciple more from now on; that was something she was determined to do.
"Master! Start my treatment and let me see if it hurts as much as you think." Jing Mingxuan looked completely open and honest, even brimming with anticipation.
The more he acted like this, the less Su Muchan wanted him to experience severe pain, so she asked, "Divine Book, how many treatment sessions will minimize the pain for my disciple?"
Soon a line of glossy golden characters popped up.
"30 times!"
Jing Mingxuan seized the moment to speak up, "Master! You really don't have to do this."
"Hmph! Since you considered my feelings so much, naturally I must consider yours as well. Besides, this is the only way to make it an equal test." Su Muchan suddenly turned overbearing, lacking the gentleness she usually showed when alone with Jing Mingxuan.
Jing Mingxuan couldn't help the corners of his lips curling upward; he could feel that his master cared about him even more than before.
The next second, Jing Mingxuan felt Su Muchan's slender, soft, snow-white hands touching his robust body.
His master's movements were gentle, her small hands warm and soft, leaving him endlessly savoring the sensation.
The treatment truly hurt, but all his attention was focused on his master's pair of delicate hands.
Every single touch brought him immense enjoyment and a sense of comfort, as if he were experiencing what was known as ultimate earthly bliss.
Su Muchan blinked, feeling utterly perplexed because there was supposed to be pain!
Why hadn't her disciple grimaced even once?
"Disciple, didn't you feel any pain?"
At this, Jing Mingxuan smiled wryly. "Of course I felt pain, but the moment I thought about how my master was condescending to treat me personally, the pain vanished!"
Su Muchan's delicate, flower-like face instantly turned flushed red, and she grew extremely shy!
At the same time, her eyes grew moist, and she was deeply moved.
Recalling how she had reacted to her disciple's treatments in the past—where she had felt nothing but pain—she felt she had been a complete failure as Jing Mingxuan's master.
"Disciple, do you think I only care about my own feelings?"
Jing Mingxuan hastily shook his head, wearing his usual gentle smile. "Not at all! I think you're very straightforward, quick to correct your mistakes, and you care about me deeply. I like having a master just like you."
Su Muchan raised her gaze in a daze, meeting Jing Mingxuan's bright eyes that shone like sparks of starlight.
After locking eyes for a long moment, she came to understand his heart even more clearly, realizing how she ought to change in the future.
Jing Mingxuan, my disciple, from this day forward I swear you are the one I will protect with my very life.
Seeing the absolute determination in Su Muchan's gaze, Jing Mingxuan realized that his master must have made up her mind about something, and that decision undoubtedly involved him.
Well, well!
Could she be planning to marry me?
Jing Mingxuan broke into a very bright and cheerful smile.
99 days later.
The internal injury on Su Muchan's chest was completely healed.
At that moment, maintaining the hand gesture he had used while treating her, Jing Mingxuan felt a wave of sorrow rise in his heart.
Alas!
From now on I won't be able to keep experiencing my master's magnificence!
Still, the bond between my master and me has heated up rapidly during this time, so I'm sure it won't be long before I can experience my master's broad embrace once again.
Suddenly, Jing Mingxuan's hands were caught and held by Su Muchan.
"Disciple! Aren't treatments finished? Why are you still holding that pose? Is it some kind of aftereffect?"
Looking at Su Muchan, who tilted her head slightly with an expression of pure innocence mixed with puzzlement, Jing Mingxuan quickly squeezed her hands and said, "No! I was just feeling a bit emotional now that the treatment is over! See? I'm back to normal already, aren't I?"
"That's true!" Su Muchan replied with naive cuteness.
Right now, Jing Mingxuan felt utterly miserable; he had thought he could hold that pose just a little longer!
"Master! Your father and the First Elder are here to see you, saying they have something urgent to discuss." Xiaoxian's soft, cute, sweet, and milky voice drifted in from outside the room.
Jing Mingxuan instantly returned to normal, speaking in a stern tone, "Xiaoxian! Have them wait in the courtyard, and my master and I will be right there."
"Okay!" Xiaoxian replied, turning and walking toward the courtyard exit.
At the same time, her previous curiosity returned: what on earth did her master and mistress do inside the room every day?
Why couldn't she be allowed to watch?
A moment later, Jing Mingxuan and Su Muchan walked out of the room with neat clothes, taking their seats opposite Jing Cheng and Jing Zi'ang.
"Father! First Elder! Is there something you wanted to discuss with me today?"
Sitting up straight, Jing Cheng opened his mouth. "The ruler of Cloud Realm, Realm Lord Juanyun, is going to hold the Heavenly Cloud Grand Competition."
The Heavenly Cloud Grand Competition?
Jing Mingxuan was astonished inwardly, purely because this was the plot point that triggered the first major climax of the original book.
Many disciples under the heroine's command would participate, and ultimately one disciple would stand out and become the heroine's personal direct disciple in advance.
That's right, that disciple was none other than Gu Qingyuan, the number one male protagonist of the original novel.
Chapter 25: True Dragon's Legacy Treasure
At the mere thought of that name, Jing Mingxuan's heart accelerated, and a nameless tension gripped him.
It wasn't that he was afraid of Gu Qingyuan, but rather that in the original story, Gu Qingyuan had bewitched the master to the point where she was willing to commit suicide.
Even though the master had promised to treat only him well and have him as her sole disciple, he still couldn't feel entirely at ease.
Meanwhile, Jing Cheng continued with a slight frown, "The quota of participants from Tianyan City for the Heavenly Cloud Grand Competition is 100 people, and the cultivation limit is from the Dao Entry Realm to the Huaxuan Realm. Right now, both the First Elder and I feel that not a single member of our Jing family clan is qualified to be among those 100 cultivators."
"Actually, it doesn't really matter to the First Elder and me, seeing as the current Jing family isn't ranked among the top hundred clans anyway. We just felt this matter needed to be reported to you, since you happen to be at the Dao Entry Realm. Moreover, the rewards of the Heavenly Cloud Grand Competition are extremely bountiful, and it would feel a bit of a pity to miss out, but the final decision is yours."
Su Muchan remained silent; in her view, it didn't matter whether her disciple went or not.
Xiaoxian, however, shook her head slightly. "Master! My advice is that it's best not to go."
"Why?" It wasn't Jing Mingxuan who asked, but Su Muchan.
Xiaoxian looked somewhat surprised, but she didn't hesitate, explaining quite straightforwardly, "For Master, the Heavenly Cloud Grand Competition would only serve to broaden your horizons. Aside from that, it has no meaning whatsoever—not even those extremely lavish rewards. Yet the risks involved are enormous, and you could even lose your life. In any case, I feel the risks outweigh the gains."
These words made a lot of sense, and within moments they won nods of agreement from Jing Cheng, Jing Zi'ang, and Su Muchan.
Only Jing Mingxuan kept a sullen face, seemingly deep in thought.
Su Muchan leaned her head in front of Jing Mingxuan, blinking her watery big eyes, and asked in confusion, "Disciple! What are you thinking about so intently?"
Hearing this, Jing Mingxuan snapped back to reality. Seeing Su Muchan's delicate face so close to his, his body gave a violent start in fright.
It took him quite a while to calm down, and when he looked ahead, he found that his master had already pulled her head back at some point.
Sensing the burning gazes of the three people and one beast, he gave a resolute answer.
"I'm going!"
"Why?" The three people and one beast all wore extremely puzzled expressions.
Jing Mingxuan knew that without offering a reasonable explanation, he would never be allowed to go, so he spoke up. "Because I want to gain more experience so I can become stronger. I don't want to be a good-for-nothing who possesses vast cultivation yet is unable to unleash his full strength."
These words deeply shook the hearts of the three people and one beast.
Jing Cheng was the first to speak, a gratified smile on his face. "Xuan'er! Since your mind is made up, your father won't try to dissuade you any further. Do your best!"
"Young Master, I will nominate you right away to participate in the Tianyan City qualifiers." Jing Zi'ang slammed his hand onto the table in excitement.
Not long after Jing Cheng and Jing Zi'ang left, Su Muchan's face turned icy and exceedingly solemn.
Her mesmerizing red pupils stared fixedly at Jing Mingxuan as she said in a cold voice, "Disciple! Now you can tell me the real reason why you want to go."
"Just like before, I dreamt about the Heavenly Cloud Grand Competition."
Jing Mingxuan's words left Su Muchan and Xiaoxian stunned.
Especially Su Muchan, who knew that every scenario Jing Mingxuan dreamed about meant there were great treasures to be acquired.
This time certainly wouldn't be an exception.
"The true reward of the Heavenly Cloud Grand Competition isn't what's advertised on the surface, but rather a Supreme Stage supreme treasure—a Dragon Ball—that has long been buried within the competition world."
Su Muchan and Xiaoxian simultaneously parted their mouths in small gasps, murmuring, "A Dragon Ball?"
"Huh! A Supreme Stage supreme treasure? Doesn't feel all that amazing," Xiaoxian blurted out with a casual jibe.
Su Muchan nodded slightly. "Right! If you risked your life for just a Supreme Stage supreme treasure, I'd feel the loss completely outweighs the gain."
Jing Mingxuan wasn't surprised; after all, Xiaoxian had an extraordinary background, and his master possessed super-strong combat power.
He figured that if it were a Great Emperor Tier supreme treasure, Xiaoxian and his master might actually be awed.
As for a Supreme Stage supreme treasure, it clearly wasn't quite qualified.
However, he wasn't flustered either, because he still had an even more formidable trump card he hadn't mentioned yet.
"Have you ever heard of the True Dragon's Legacy Treasure?"
Xiaoxian frowned slightly, then seemingly recalled something and said, "You mean the treasure left behind for descendants by the True Dragon Heavenly Emperor after his death?"
"Yes! This Dragon Ball is the key to opening the True Dragon's Legacy Treasury." Jing Mingxuan's expression was deadly serious, without the slightest trace of a lie.
Xiaoxian fell silent for a moment before slowly nodding. "Then there is indeed a need to make a trip. Back in the Myriad Beasts Minor World, I learned from those powerful cultivators that the True Dragon's Legacy Treasure most likely contains Immortal Grade items."
Su Muchan remained silent, gently biting her rosy lips.
Jing Mingxuan didn't understand why his master was still so conflicted.
"Master, can you tell me why you don't want me to go?"
A mist of tears clouded Su Muchan's eyes as she said, "I don't want you to die, even if the odds are minuscule."
Jing Mingxuan felt a warmth in his heart. He stopped worrying about whether Gu Qingyuan could seduce his master, because he firmly believed that such a master would never have a change of heart.
"Master! You are a demonic cultivator, which means you can ignore any rules. It means that if I ever face a fatal crisis, you can step in and save me directly."
At these words, Su Muchan's eyes lit up.
Xiaoxian even gasped in exclamation, "Why didn't I think of operating that way?"
"With Master's formidable strength, absolutely no one would dare step forward to stop you. And if anyone dared, Master could simply slaughter them all on the spot," Jing Mingxuan said forcefully, his handsome face filled with killing intent.
Su Muchan nodded lightly, uttering a heavy "Mn."
Tianyan City, the Heavenly Cloud Grand Competition selection grounds.
Jing Mingxuan arrived here clad in a moon-white brocade robe.
Everyone present was dumbfounded—not because Jing Mingxuan's aura was too overpowering, but because none of them had ever expected him to come.
"Jing Mingxuan? Why is he here?"
"As the young master of the Jing family, he must be here to cheer on the Jing clan members participating in the qualifiers!"
"Do you guys think there's any possibility that Jing Mingxuan is here to take part in the qualifiers himself?"
"No way! Breaking through from the Peak Ninth Layer of Qi Ocean Realm to the Dao Entry Realm in just over three months?"
"I feel like it's still possible. After all, in the previous two months, Jing Mingxuan managed to boost his Qi Ocean Realm cultivation by eight whole stages plus a peak minor realm."
"Even if it's true, with such rapid breakthroughs, his cultivation foundation must be absolute trash!"
...
The crowd chattered and debated. Jing Mingxuan merely wore a faint smile, ignoring them as he walked straight to the registration desk.
"I, Jing Mingxuan, am registering!"
At this, the onlookers were thoroughly shocked!
After rummaging through some records, the staff member processing the registrations made a checkmark next to Jing Mingxuan's name on the paper and said, "You can challenge any cultivator on the one hundred fighting rings. As long as you can securely hold your ring until You hour (5:00 PM), you will earn the qualification to participate in the Heavenly Cloud Grand Competition."
"Understood!" Jing Mingxuan nodded lightly.
The crowd stood around in a daze, failing to comprehend what was happening.
Soon, someone shouted indignantly, "Jing Mingxuan is only at the Qi Ocean Realm! What qualification does he have to participate in the selection? Rigged! This is rigged!"
The staff member was slightly startled, but after repeatedly verifying the information provided by the Jing family, spoke up.
"The materials provided by the First Elder of the Jing family prove that Jing Mingxuan possesses Dao Entry Realm cultivation."
The crowd fell silent!
At the same time, they became even more convinced that the match was rigged.
After all, Jing Mingxuan's master was no weaker than a Female Emperor; deceiving Realm Lord Juanyun should be a piece of cake, so the Jing family could do this with zero risk.
Normally, Jing Mingxuan wouldn't bother paying attention to these people.
But if he didn't flex a little right now, when would he?
"Since everyone feels I don't have Dao Entry Realm cultivation, I have no choice but to prove it." With that, Jing Mingxuan looked at the staff member and asked, "Where is the cultivation testing formation?"
In truth, the balance in everyone's hearts had already tipped toward believing Jing Mingxuan possessed Dao Entry Realm cultivation, but wanting to see it with their own eyes, they all maintained their silence.
The staff member flashed an apologetic smile. "Please follow me!"
A moment later, Jing Mingxuan stepped into the cultivation testing array.
In an instant, wondrous white light erupted, dazzlingly bright.
The white light quickly dissipated, followed immediately by a cold, ethereal, and distant voice.
"Cultivation: Eighth Layer of Dao Entry Realm!"
The crowd grew even quieter than before; the entire entrance to the selection grounds was wrapped in absolute stillness.
In just over three months, he had not only broken through to the Dao Entry Realm, but also cultivated all the way to the Eighth Layer of Dao Entry Realm—was this a cultivation speed humans were capable of?
The staff member swept his gaze across the crowd, disgust rising in his eyes.
Clearly incapable of doing such things themselves, they assumed others couldn't do them either, even questioning him like a bunch of clowns—they had truly lost all their shame!
"Young Master Jing, please go inside and challenge the rings quickly, don't waste any more unnecessary time."
Facing the staff member's concern, Jing Mingxuan responded with a warm smile and a slight nod, then strode quickly out of the testing array and straight into the selection grounds.
Back at the entrance of the selection grounds, the First Elder of the Ye family had only just recovered from his state of shock.
Eighth Layer of Dao Entry Realm cultivation...
The speed at which the Jing family brat's cultivation was improving was simply too terrifying!
Originally, he hadn't planned to inform the Female Emperor, but this situation was so absurd that not telling her was out of the question.
He pinched his fingers, channeled his divine energy, and executed a secret technique to contact the Female Emperor.
Chapter 26: The Heroine Panics
Hey!
Ha!
One loud, resonant shout after another echoed across the Female Emperor's Dao arena.
The more than five thousand disciples accepted by the Female Emperor were practicing their fist techniques and footwork in neat unison.
At that moment, dressed in formal attire, the Female Emperor scanned the scene with a stern expression.
Over nearly half a year, through her preliminary teachings, all five thousand disciples had made significant progress.
Among them, a good number of disciples had stood out, leaving even her quite astounded.
In her mind, she couldn't help recalling the scene when she and Su Muchan had chosen their respective cities. Back then, she had played a dirty trick by using a fortune-seeking spell to select a city.
That's right, Tianyan City was the city with the highest concentration of fortune.
And looking at it now, she hadn't been wrong; it possessed Jing Mingxuan, who had initially seemed entirely ordinary yet suddenly grew rapidly in strength.
Among her own disciples, there were similar cases, and the progression speed of one disciple in particular was not a whit slower than Jing Mingxuan's.
Hmph hmph!
Jing Mingxuan, however smug you felt when you killed my disciples Jingsong and You Feng, two and a half years from now is when you will feel utter despair.
The Female Emperor felt her mood grow even more pleasant.
Just then, however, a secret transmission technique reached her.
Without hesitation, the Female Emperor directly chose to answer.
"Lord Female Emperor! Jing Mingxuan's current cultivation is the Eighth Layer of Dao Entry Realm."
In a flash, the Female Emperor's smile froze, her gaze turned blank, and panic gripped her heart.
She had anticipated that Jing Mingxuan might have reached the Dao Entry Realm by now, but the Eighth Layer of Dao Entry Realm still surpassed her imagination.
Fortunately, she had received this news; otherwise, she would still be a self-satisfied frog at the bottom of a well.
Seen in this light, the fastest-improving disciple under her command was still being left far, far behind by Jing Mingxuan.
Her only advantage was that some of her disciples already possessed quite high cultivation bases to begin with.
Even so, it wasn't ridiculously high—merely at the Divine Wandering Realm.
Two and a half years—as long as Jing Mingxuan's cultivation speed didn't slow down too much, it was entirely possible for him to reach the Divine Wandering Realm.
Conversely, for her disciples at the Divine Wandering Realm to advance to the King Realm was a near-impossible feat.
If things continued this way, she would likely lose her disciple-recruiting contest with the Demonic Female Emperor, and lose it miserably.
As a Female Emperor, her urge to win swelled continuously at this moment; she refused to lose, she had to win.
Furthermore, she couldn't imagine what the entire Xuan Tian Realm would become if the Demonic Female Emperor won.
It would undoubtedly be a devastation of living beings, plunging the entire world into turmoil.
At that moment, the humble voice of the Ye family's First Elder piped up.
"Lord Female Emperor! Did you hear what I just said?"
With overbearing coldness, the Female Emperor said in a chilly voice, "I heard it! Keep talking about his current condition."
"Right now he is participating in the Tianyan City qualifiers for the Heavenly Cloud Grand Competition. He has already easily defeated the cultivator of Ring Number 66, and it looks like he will securely secure his qualification to participate in the Heavenly Cloud Grand Competition."
The Ye family's First Elder gazed into the distance at Jing Mingxuan, who was already sitting cross-legged by Ring Number 66. His posture could only be described as supremely arrogant.
After all, challengers didn't need to apply in advance or give warning to the cultivator occupying the ring.
Thus, there was always the possibility of launching a sneak attack when someone let their guard down.