Peak Master replied, "I'm just saving you. What if your strikes are too heavy and you end up beating that good-for-nothing to death?"
"Crushing Xiaoyao Peak is as easy as crushing an ant."
Only then did the purple-robed deacon snap back to his senses. He was, after all, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, while that good-for-nothing was merely in Qi Condensation and got injured just trying to catch a hill pheasant.
The guy must have wanted to start trouble and extort them!
The purple-robed deacon looked at Yekong, his gaze practically broadcasting that he had seen right through Yekong's despicable plot. He flicked his sleeve and sneered, "Let's go. We're leaving."
With that, he led the disciples of Yushou Peak away.
Yekong's face was full of suspicion. People don't visit without a reason, and these folks showing up definitely meant trouble.
He released a teeny-tiny bit of spiritual power, instantly blanketing the entire Xiaoyao Peak.
Within Xiaoyao Peak, not even an ant crawling could escape his perception.
"Taking a bath? This disciple is getting lazier by the day. Bathing again?" Yekong shook his head helplessly.
Just then, he noticed something abnormal in an anthill.
Yekong reached out and gave a gentle grab, instantly pulling a black, single-horned ant into his palm, where it trembled uncontrollably.
"This... it has gained sentience?" Yekong narrowed his eyes.
He hadn't expected an ancestral, primordial Fierce Beast to actually appear on Xiaoyao Peak.
Yekong took out the Heaven-Opening Hammer and gave the little ant a light tap.
*Bang!*
The little black ant shuddered, its ant face looking utterly bewildered.
"Wrong one, wrong one." The Heaven-Opening Hammer could enlighten someone, but it could also make them even more foolish.
Yekong hammered the little black ant a few more times. Finally, on the last strike, the little black ant's eyes lit up, and it bowed toward Yekong.
"You have a bit of intelligence after all. From now on, you're in charge of guarding the gates of Xiaoyao Peak," Yekong said indifferently.
Living his second life, all he sought was this peace and quiet.
The little black ant gave a mighty kick and sprang out like a flea.
With that single kick, it arrived right in front of several Yushou Peak disciples.
"The scenery on Xiaoyao Peak is really nice. It would make a great beast pen for us," the purple-robed deacon remarked with emotion.
Before anyone else could speak, the purple-robed deacon felt a black dot flash into his field of vision.
*Bang!*
A colossal force struck his face, sending him flying backward as shattered teeth scattered through the air.
"Who's there?!" a Yushou Peak disciple barked furiously.
*Bang, bang, bang!*
All they saw was a streak of black lightning flash before their eyes, and the next moment, they were all beaten black and blue.
"Quick, quick! Report this to Peak Master! We got beaten up by an ant from Xiaoyao Peak!"
***
**Chapter 6: The Good-for-Nothing Master's God-Making Plan**
Yekong was sitting by the water fishing when he saw a streak of black line flash before his eyes. Several Storage Rings and a precious jade pendant materialized in front of him.
"Not bad. At least you know how to harvest the spoils of war," Yekong praised.
He pulled a charred turtle shell from a Storage Ring and tossed it to the little black ant as a reward.
"This is the precious bone of a young Black Tortoise. It contains its innate divine ability. Eat it and see if you can comprehend it."
The little black ant's eyes lit up. It instantly scrambled onto the turtle shell and began to crunch away hungrily.
Before long, its body began to glow, and it actually vanished right in front of Yekong.
Turtle-Breathing Concealment Technique!
Not bad!
Yekong's eyes lit up. This Horned Ant had indeed mutated for some inexplicable reason.
Whatever it ate, it could learn.
"Good grief, it's actually broken through to Nascent Soul already. Run along and play by yourself, but don't leave the boundaries of Xiaoyao Peak. I'm going to check on my disciple's cultivation."
"From now on, I'll call you Xiao Hei."
Yekong put away his fishing rod and walked toward Tao Mountain.
Nowadays, besides fishing, he had gained an extra task—disciplining his disciple.
***
"Peak Master, we really aren't lying! It was just a black ant that beat us up!" The purple-robed deacon was on the verge of tears.
"Useless... trash..." squawked the colorful parrot.
Qin Shou stroked his chin with his left hand while teasing the parrot with his right, muttering to himself, "If that's true, then that little black ant must have awakened its bloodline."
"Xiaoyao Peak really has all the luck."
"Peak Master, what should we do?" asked the purple-robed deacon.
"According to sect rules, that spirit beast is an ownerless creature, and every peak has the right to contend for it."
If the other peaks got wind of the spirit beast, they would definitely step in to fight for it.
Qin Shou shook his head and said, "Don't spread the word yet. We mustn't alert the people from the other peaks. We'll sneak in and catch it ourselves."
*A newly awakened Fierce Beast could at most be at Foundation Establishment. As a Golden Core cultivator, catching it will be a walk in the park!* Qin Shou thought to himself.
***
Inside the peach pond, streams of tiny, illusory dragon shadows swam around Lin Yaoyao's jade-white body.
She was cultivating a supreme imperial technique—the Nine-Dragon Tyrant Body.
"Who would have thought that this Nine-Dragon Tyrant Body would actually complement the humble Xuanhuang Formula? It seems I made the right choice in choosing Xiaoyao Peak." A pure radiance permeated Lin Yaoyao's jade skin as she completed a full cycle of breathing.
At that moment, she heard her master's cough again.
She hurriedly put on a red dress, her hair dancing in the air as crystalline droplets of water slid down her mutton-fat-like skin, her gaze ice-cold.
Was this master of hers coming to peek at her again?
"Disciple, how is your cultivation coming along?" Yekong put on a stern face and asked.
*You know, your enemies have tracked you all the way to Xiaoyao Peak, yet you still refuse to cultivate properly and just soak in the bath all day.*
Lin Yaoyao already disliked being spied on, so her tone carried a hint of chill as she replied, "I have already finished cultivating the first layer, Crescent Moon!"
"The first layer?" Yekong was taken aback.
Lin Yaoyao sneered inwardly upon seeing her good-for-nothing master's surprised expression.
This cheap master of hers had probably been cultivating for ten years without even crossing the threshold.
With a very calm expression on her pretty face, Lin Yaoyao said indifferently, "Your disciple's natural talent is lacking. I ask Master to guide me."
Yekong's face darkened instantly.
*I know your talent is lacking, but why are you still acting so righteous about it?*
*Can't you just lower your head and properly admit your mistake?*
*Maybe act a little spoiled, play cute, and beg your master for forgiveness?*
Looking at her master's darkened face, Lin Yaoyao found it utterly hilarious inside. She had said that on purpose just to deflate her master a little—who told him to always act so inappropriate.
*Hmph, if you weren't so handsome, this Empress would suppress you with one hand...* Lin Yaoyao muttered internally.
"Then how many Sword Intents have you comprehended?" Yekong asked, gritting his teeth against his rising anger.
*Master is using testing me as an excuse to steal my teachings again,* Lin Yaoyao thought to herself.
Complaints aside, since her master had given her such a powerful cultivation technique, she naturally had to repay kindness with kindness and impart some knowledge back to him.
Feigning ignorance, Lin Yaoyao said to Yekong, "Master, the Crescent Moon of the first layer contains a total of nine hundred and ninety-nine Sword Intent variations. Traced back to their origin, every single one manifests as a Crescent Moon, a Rending Moon, and a Chasing Moon..."
The more Lin Yaoyao explained, the tighter Yekong frowned.
She felt a bit helpless. After all, this was a god-tier technique; even with her explanation, her master probably wouldn't understand a word.
*Sigh, my master is just too utterly mediocre.*
Lin Yaoyao sighed inwardly.
"Is that all?" Yekong frowned and asked.
*I'm finished explaining, Master. If you didn't understand, do you want me to explain it again?*
"Yes," Lin Yaoyao nodded.
"What you've comprehended is just this little bit?" Yekong countered.
As the foundation for cultivating the Stellar Samsara Sword, the first layer of Crescent Moon Sword Intent had at least tens of thousands of variations. You've only comprehended nine hundred and ninety-nine, so why are you acting like you're hot stuff?
*A little bit? This is still just a little bit? You don't understand it, so you're implying I'm holding back secrets from you?*
Lin Yaoyao's anger was once again stoked by this good-for-nothing master. She said coldly, "Your disciple has limited aptitude. I wonder how many Sword Intents Master has comprehended?"
*How many have I comprehended? Naturally, infinite Sword Intents.*
Without a word, Yekong raised a finger and traced the shape of a zero.
Zero represented the closed loop of the Samsara Sword Intent's variations—the embodiment of infinite Sword Intent.
"Understood?" Yekong said indifferently.
Lin Yaoyao was almost tickled into laughter by Yekong.
*Zero Sword Intents?*
*I must say, Master, how can your skin be this thick? You haven't comprehended a single thing, yet here you are putting on airs like a big shot!*
*Anyone who doesn't know better would think you were some peerless expert!*
"Understood," Lin Yaoyao nodded.
"Remember, you must not speak of my secrets to anyone," Yekong instructed.
He only wanted to hide his strength and comfortably live out his life as a salted fish.
"Rest assured, Master. I won't speak of your secrets," Lin Yaoyao nodded.
Her master losing face meant she lost face.
If the other peaks found out that her master hadn't even comprehended a single Sword Intent, it would be an absolute embarrassment.
"Then that's settled. I won't blame you further. Cultivate with a tranquil mind and thoroughly comprehend the Sword Intent as soon as possible."
"Yes, Master."
Watching her master flick his sleeve and walk away, Lin Yaoyao felt a bit aggrieved.
*Clearly, I explained it very clearly, Master. You couldn't comprehend it yourself, yet you blame me?*
"Sigh, there's no helping it. Master has been all alone on Xiaoyao Peak for so long; it's only normal that he's withdrawn and eccentric."
Lin Yaoyao felt that she was still very considerate and could perfectly understand her master's state of mind.
"Don't worry, Master. Once your disciple breaks through to Foundation Establishment, I will definitely help you break through to Foundation Establishment as well."
A brilliant gleam flashed through her beautiful eyes as a plan suddenly formed in her mind—
The Good-for-Nothing Master's God-Making Plan!
***
One day, two days, three days, four days, five days later.
Night fell on Xiaoyao Peak.
Figures clad in black quietly sneaked in.
"Follow the plan. Team One, use my specially concocted numbing incense to knock out the Peak Master of Xiaoyao Peak so he can't activate the formation. Team Two, quickly search for the traces of the spirit beast..." Qin Shou whispered. "Understood?"
"Understood, understood!" squawked the colorful parrot on his shoulder.
***
**Chapter 7: Earth-Grade High-Tier Nine-Stage Peak Swordsmanship**
The night grew heavier.
Xiaoyao Peak was utterly silent.
Led by the purple-robed deacon, the first team successfully sneaked into the Xiaoyao Hall.
Yekong was pondering his second special item when he suddenly looked up, a trace of helpless a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Release the numbing smoke!" the purple-robed deacon ordered.
Several Yushou Peak disciples quickly lit several sticks of numbing incense, using their spiritual arts to drive the smoke through the cracks of the doors and into the entire main hall.
The hall instantly filled with a grayish-white, smoky haze.
Yekong took a few sniffs, and his eyes suddenly lit up.
*It smells like my past-life cigarettes! How did they brew this?*
Feeling quite pleased, Yekong put down his second special item, stood up, and began doing Tai Chi.
In his previous life, he always loved smoking a cigarette while practicing Tai Chi.
It felt as though his whole body was floating among the clouds, transforming him into a peerless grandmaster.
"Eh? How come he's getting more and more energetic?" the purple-robed deacon muttered in shock. "Quick, up the dosage."
"Senior Brother, this dosage could knock out every female gorilla in the ape enclosure!" a disciple protested.
"It's fine, increase the dose. The worst it'll do is make him sleep for half a month," the purple-robed deacon said firmly.
Half an incense stick later...
Yekong was still practicing Tai Chi, and quite vigorously at that.
A disciple asked doubtfully, "Senior Brother, did we grab the wrong incense? Peak Master's numbing smoke is supposed to knock people out at the mere whiff of it!"
The guy was practically standing in there playing with clouds and mist!
"We must have grabbed the wrong one." The purple-robed deacon was on the verge of tears. He picked up a stick of the numbing incense and lit it right in front of the disciples.
He was going to test it out.
The disciples leaned in for a sniff, swayed unsteadily for a second—
*Thud...*
They all passed out cold!
***
By the Bitter Sea.
Qin Shou fished a golden alms bowl out from his crotch and searched the area.
"Have the restrictions been set up?" Qin Shou asked.
"Don't worry, Peak Master. We've set up aura-isolating restrictions all around. Even if that Fierce Beast screams its lungs out, it won't do any good."
They had made thorough preparations this time, coating their bodies in a special beast powder formulated by Yushou Peak, which could effectively block a Demonic Beast's senses.
"This is the anthill. No mistake about it."
Qin Shou lit a stick of numbing incense and dug open the anthill.
He clearly saw a little black ant inside, hugging a queen ant and sleeping soundly.
Drawing upon the hand speed he had honed from years of being single, Qin Shou raised the golden bowl and trapped the little black ant beneath it!
*Hum!*
The golden bowl vibrated, a wave of golden light flashing as it transformed into a solid sphere.
"Haha, this golden bowl is my prized treasure; it can trap a Nascent Soul Fierce Beast!" Qin Shou was overjoyed, picking up the golden bowl and preparing to run.
Xiao Hei was shaken awake by the movement of the golden bowl, while the queen ant in its arms was filled with terror.
Xiao Hei's face turned furious, and its ant claws slammed fiercely against the golden bowl.
*Clang!*
A deafening crash rang out as the golden bowl was knocked loose and sent flying.
"A futile struggle," Qin Shou sneered. "Ain't my prized treasure amazing?"
Xiao Hei's expression grew even more enraged. Blood qi gathered around its body, and it delivered another punch.
*Crack!*
A fissure appeared on the golden bowl!
"This... how is this possible?" Qin Shou was dumbfounded.
This golden bowl was a Nascent Soul magic treasure!
*Crack, crack!*
As Xiao Hei continued to pound on the golden bowl, cracks spread all over it until it finally burst into a wave of golden light and shattered completely.
"M-My prized treasure!" Qin Shou's heart was bleeding; his eggs felt shattered too!
Before he had time for much lamentation, Qin Shou felt several streaks of black lightning flash before his eyes.
*Bang, bang, bang!*
He felt countless heavy blows slam into his body, making him feel as though his bones were about to fall apart.
Cries of agony rang out from the other Yushou Peak disciples as well.
"Help! Save me!"
The Yushou Peak disciples screamed at the top of their lungs.
However, because they had set up restrictions beforehand, not a single sound could get out.
"Peak Master, hurry up and lift the restrictions!"
Qin Shou didn't reply; he was currently being rolled into a ball by Xiao Hei and used as a soccer ball.
"Qin Shou! Qin Shou, hurry up!" A panicked disciple finally blurted out the Peak Master's full name.
"Ah! Ah! Not there, don't kick me there, Ant Brother..."
A chorus of miserable screams echoed until dawn.
Yekong had enjoyed another wonderful night of sleep.
Cultivators generally didn't need sleep, spending all their time on cultivation.
However, cultivation was useless to Yekong; he only needed to maintain his handsomeness and fish to break through.
"Sigh, I originally wanted to be an ordinary cultivator—cultivating day and night, battling Fierce Beasts everywhere in search of a breakthrough opportunity. But this system just refuses to let me experience the joy of being an ordinary cultivator. What kind of mortal suffering is this?" Yekong sighed.
Thanks to the Xuanhuang Formula, he felt that if his cultivation continued to break through, the spiritual Qi of the entire continent wouldn't even amount to ten percent of what was contained within his body.
"Stop sleeping, get up!" Yekong nudged the purple-robed deacon's face with his foot.
The Yushou Peak disciples groggily scrambled to their feet, startled the moment they saw Yekong.
"What are you all doing here?" Yekong asked with ill intent.
"We..." The purple-robed deacon thought to himself that he certainly couldn't tell the truth and let this guy know that Xiaoyao Peak harbored a spirit beast. "We were cultivating last night, saw that the scenery of Xiaoyao Peak was wonderful and that Senior Uncle was so handsome, and accidentally sleepwalked our way here!"
"We'll take our leave now, we'll take our leave now." The purple-robed deacon hurried back in a panic.
Passing by the Bitter Sea, they noticed the restrictions were still active and felt a sinking premonition. Disabling the restrictions, they found Peak Master Qin Shou and all the disciples sprawled on the ground, wailing.
Their voices were hoarse.
They really had screamed their throats out, but no one had come to save them.
"Peak Master, let's go!" The purple-robed deacon hurriedly hoisted up the Peak Master and headed outside Xiaoyao Peak.
They never wanted to come back here again!
"Eh? Isn't this the Peak Master of Yushou Peak? Why are all of you bruised and battered? Did you run into bandits?" As it happened, Chen Changqing was on his way to Xiaoyao Peak to "visit" Lin Yaoyao.
Just as Qin Shou was about to speak, the colorful parrot squawked, "Qin Shou steals ants! Qin Shou's big treasure got blown up by someone!"
The colorful parrot had also been beaten up, and its pronunciation was off. To Chen Changqing's ears, it sounded like—*Qin Shou steals men! Qin Shou's big treasure got blown up by someone!*
Little Sword God Chen Changqing froze in astonishment. *This Yushou Peak Peak Master went out to steal men last night?*
*And his big treasure got blown up by someone?!*
"Qin Shou steals men! Qin Shou's big treasure got blown up by someone!" the colorful parrot yelled at the top of its lungs.
Many passing disciples heard this and cast strange looks his way.
"Go to hell!" Qin Shou cursed furiously.
This time, he had completely lost all face!
***
Bidding farewell to the man-stealing Qin Shou, Chen Changqing walked with his left hand behind his back, holding a long scroll in his right hand while gently swaying a folding fan as he strolled leisurely toward Xiaoyao Peak.
"I wonder how Yaoyao's cultivation is going? What kind of cultivation resources could that Xiaoyao Peak possibly give her?"
Chen Changqing was utterly disdainful. The long scroll in his left hand was a top-tier swordsmanship manual.
Like magical techniques, sword techniques were ranked according to Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow—Yellow-grade being the lowest and Heaven-grade being the highest.
Of course, there were also legends of a God-grade.
And the Long River Swordsmanship he had brought today was—an Earth-Grade High-Tier Nine-Stage Peak Sword Technique!
"Hmph, she's just a woman who has never seen the world."
"When she realizes that Xiaoyao Peak can't give her any cultivation resources, while I can easily hand her an Earth-Grade High-Tier Nine-Stage Peak Sword Technique, won't she willingly strip and throw herself into my arms?"
***
**Chapter 8: Master is Here to Discipline You!**
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the fourth special item—the Whip of Supreme Bliss!"
"Whip of Supreme Bliss: Can reshape bones, shatter bottlenecks, and has the miraculous effect of turning decay into magic!"
Feeling the small whip that had materialized in his hand, Yekong furrowed his handsome brows once more.
Over the past few days, he had acquired as many special items as he had obtained during ten whole years of fishing prior to that.
"System, why have I been fishing up special items so often lately?"
"Ding! Special note: The probability of obtaining special items lies in: breaking the tranquility."
*Breaking the tranquility?*
Yekong frowned in deep thought—*Who is this 'Breaking the tranquility'? Is their skin fair? Is their cultivation high?*
"It's been a few days since I last checked on my disciple. Just in time to test out this Whip of Supreme Bliss on her!"
***
Chen Changqing strolled by the edge of the Bitter Sea, swaying his folding fan with a faint smile plastered on his face.
Walking up to the peach-wood cabin, he saw Lin Yaoyao practicing her swordsmanship, and his eyes lit up.
*Just in time to give me an opportunity to show off before others!*
*So what if it's swordsmanship? In this Stellar River Sect, who can compare to me, the Little Sword God?*
"Peach blossoms grow on Tao Mountain, how many flowers bloom in spring?" Chen Changqing improvised a poem. "A beauty stands by my side, how carefree is life!"
Lin Yaoyao had heard someone howling ghost-like noises from afar; such a poem was simply an insult to her ears.
"Junior Sister, how has your cultivation been progressing lately?" Chen Changqing asked warmly.
With an ice-cold expression on her pretty face, Lin Yaoyao didn't say a word.
The smile on Chen Changqing's face stiffened for a moment before he quickly said, "I see Junior Sister practicing swordsmanship. Would you like Senior Brother to give you a few pointers?"
Lin Yaoyao continued practicing her sword, completely unfazed.