"Master, I don't want to use the Spirit-Refining Grass; I want to cultivate all paths. I know that cultivating everything is a difficult path, but I still want to try."
"Very well. Since you have already decided, your Master supports you, and I will have people keep an eye out for the Meridian-Restoring Pill. I will certainly find a way for you to start cultivating anew." Li Tianhen ruffled Si Nansheng's head.
Ye Yanqing's epiphany lasted for two days before it ended, and he smoothly broke through to the Golden Core Realm Layer 4.
"Junior Sister, thank you." Awakening from his meditation, Ye Yanqing thanked Si Nansheng very earnestly.
"Eldest Senior Brother, why are you thanking me?" Si Nansheng asked, puzzled.
"For the past few years, I have been lost in confusion. It was your words that brought me to an epiphany, and on top of that, I successfully advanced. Naturally, I must thank you properly."
Ye Yanqing smiled as he looked at Si Nansheng, who tilted her head in thought.
"Then there is even less reason to thank me. You are my Eldest Senior Brother, after all—thanking you would make us seem like strangers."
"Right, no more thanking you from now on." Ye Yanqing gently ruffled Si Nansheng's head.
Si Nansheng sat in Ye Yanqing's courtyard, watching him effortlessly practice talisman-making. She wanted to try it herself.
However, with her cultivation completely destroyed, she mustered all her strength and got nowhere.
As expected, the most important task right now was to repair her Meridians first; otherwise, when the Secret Realm opened in three months, she might miss it entirely.
She clearly remembered that it was during this very Secret Realm expedition that Liu Xuewei obtained numerous fortuitous encounters, acquiring not only a Spirit Beast Egg but even advancing two realms in cultivation.
Now that she had returned, these opportunities naturally belonged to her.
Her Fourth Senior Brother seemed to possess an ultimate Heavenly Spirit Root with dual Ice and Water attributes.
She had to seize this opportunity and gift it to her Fourth Senior Brother.
Along the way, she also needed to go into the Secret Realm and poke a hole in Liu Xuewei's future fishpond first.
There were simply too many fish in that pond, and none of them would bring any benefit to her people.
However, how was she to get this Fourth Senior Brother of hers to obediently accompany her into the Secret Realm?
Never mind, she should go and sort out her Spirit Root issue first.
"Junior Sister, what are you daydreaming about?" Ye Yanqing looked up and saw Yun Fusheng spacing out.
"Eldest Senior Brother, do you think our Four Gods Sect should go to the Secret Realm in three months?"
"We probably should, otherwise Master wouldn't have gone to the Shengtian Sect. Why do you ask? Does Junior Sister want to go along?"
Ye Yanqing put down his talisman brush and looked at Si Nansheng in confusion.
"Me? I certainly want to go, but I don't have a shred of cultivation right now. I definitely can't go, right?" Si Nansheng looked somewhat dejected.
If she couldn't enter the Secret Realm, how was she supposed to deal with Liu Xuewei?
No, she needed to prepare several backup plans!
"Your Meridians aren't healed yet, and you can't cultivate. You definitely won't be able to enter the Secret Realm, so you'd better obediently stay behind in the sect." Ye Yanqing ruffled Si Nansheng's head.
Si Nansheng thought to herself: *Obedient is the last thing I'm going to be. If I don't punch a hole in Liu Xuewei's fishpond, I'll never be at peace!*
"Eldest Senior Brother, carry on with what you're doing. I'm going to go find Master." Si Nansheng sprang to her feet and darted away in a flash. Ye Yanqing could only shake his head with a helpless smile.
"Master, Master, am I your biological disciple?" Si Nansheng slumped over the table, watching Li Tianhen sip his tea.
Li Tianhen glanced at Si Nansheng.
Biological disciple?
A personal disciple should count as a biological disciple, right?
"…Naturally."
"Master, look at your disciple. Even though I have a new Spirit Root now, I still look withered and lacking in spirit. The most important thing is that my entire body's Meridians are practically shattered into dust. Although your disciple could just slack off and let Master and my senior brothers provide for me, I feel like doing that would make me seem completely useless. Besides, now that I am Master's disciple, I naturally want to work hard and bring honor to Master in the future. Therefore, Master..."
"Alright, your Master has already asked my trusted friends to inquire about the Meridian-Restoring Pill. It's just that I don't know whether this Meridian-Restoring Pill will have any effect on you. If it turns out to be useless, it doesn't matter; Master will continue to think of other ways for you. Rest easy—as long as you don't give up on yourself, Master will never give up on you either."
Li Tianhen listened to Si Nansheng rattle on incessantly. Sensing what she was about to say, he looked at her and spoke earnestly.
Hearing this, Si Nansheng felt a warm prickling sensation behind her eyes.
Leaving aside whether the Meridian-Restoring Pill could even be found, if it were found, it would cost an astronomical price.
Given the Four Gods Sect's financial condition...
Si Nansheng looked around the room, which, though exquisite, could only be described as modest, and let out a sigh.
If they really bought the Meridian-Restoring Pill, wouldn't the Four Gods Sect end up completely destitute?
"Master, actually, I have a way to reshape my Meridians without needing the Meridian-Restoring Pill. However, the items required aren't very easy to find."
Si Nansheng looked at Li Tianhen with a cheeky smile. Li Tianhen set down his teacup and looked back at her.
"Let's hear the details."
"Previously, I saw a forbidden book in the Shengtian Sect's Library Pavilion. The book stated that if a person's Spirit Root and Meridians are damaged simultaneously, as long as one finds supreme Heavenly Treasures matching the attribute of the Spirit Root to instantly activate it, the Meridians will also recover at the same time. I only glanced at it back then and had a vague impression of it, but when I went looking for it later, I couldn't find the book anymore. I don't even know if it's true or false."
Si Nansheng fabricated an excuse for herself.
*Master, please don't blame me,* Si Nansheng thought. *This is truly a last resort for me. Once my Meridians recover and I can start cultivating again, I will definitely make money to compensate you.*
"You want to give it a try?" Li Tianhen watched Si Nansheng, finally understanding her intent.
This little girl wanted him to help search for those spirit flowers and grasses, didn't she?
If this method actually worked, it wasn't out of the question to give it a try.
"Mm-hmm! So, Master, am I allowed to go out and look for those things? Don't worry, even though my Meridians are ruined, my movement techniques are still intact. Besides, I'm very clever. I'll grab the items and run; I'll never let anything happen to me."
Si Nansheng's emaciated little face was written all over with earnestness.
Li Tianhen was slightly taken aback. So this girl hadn't expected him to go search for them at all, but rather wanted to go herself?
"Can you tell Master why you are so obsessed with cultivating?" Li Tianhen looked at Si Nansheng with doubt.
"Master, do you want the honest truth?" Si Nansheng looked at Li Tianhen with hesitation. Li Tianhen raised an eyebrow.
Nonsense!
Since he had asked, naturally he wanted the honest truth. Otherwise, was he supposed to let Si Nansheng sweet-talk him?
"First, I don't want Master to be the target of gossip. Since Master accepted me as a disciple under those circumstances, I naturally must win face for you. Second, I am a cultivator, and I don't want to let myself waste away. Since there is a way, no matter how difficult or perilous it is, I am willing to try. Third... third, I have already paid back what I owed the Shengtian Sect, and next, it's time to make them return what they owe me."
When Si Nansheng spoke of the third point, she clenched her hands tightly into fists.
Everything she said was the truth: for her Master, for herself, and to take back everything the Shengtian Sect owed her.
Li Tianhen looked at Si Nansheng's expression.
A twelve-year-old child who knew what she wanted—he felt deeply gratified.
"You don't need to go looking for them yourself; leave it to Master. I will be away for a few days and will be back soon. If you have nothing to do, go to the Library Pavilion and read carefully; the books inside should be useful to you."
Li Tianhen stood up and left. Si Nansheng stood frozen in place for a moment.
So she didn't have to worry about a thing, and just needed to sit back and reap the rewards?
This was what a real master was like, wasn't it?
She was so moved she almost wanted to cry.