18: Bonds and Resonance

If I went to your Myriad Demon Palace, it would only make you a target, drawing attacks from the Righteous Path.

Revered Master does not want to cause you trouble.”

These words were reasonable, both stating his position and showing his consideration for her in every way.

The slight displeasure in Luo Ximei’s heart instantly vanished, replaced by a wave of warmth.

Revered Master was still the Revered Master who loved her the most.

Her eyes shifted, and she immediately followed his lead: “Revered Master is right, this Disciple was inconsiderate.”

“However,” she changed the subject, her gaze falling back on Mu Qingxue, “since Revered Master is not going to my place, then staying here makes this Disciple even more uneasy.

What if a more powerful villain comes to disturb Revered Master again? What should be done?”

Before Mu Qingxue could retort, she made a decision, directly linking her arm with Su Lin’s and announcing: “Therefore, this Disciple has decided! Until Revered Master recovers his self-preservation ability, this Disciple will stay in Qingyao Sect, protecting Revered Master without leaving his side!”

What?!

As soon as these words were uttered, Mu Qingxue’s face instantly turned darker than the bottom of a pot.

Inviting a wolf into the house! This was simply inviting a wolf into the house!

“No!” She refused sharply without thinking, “My Qingyao Sect is a Righteous Path Immortal Sect, how can it tolerate you, the Demon Path Supreme Being, living here for long!”

“Alright,” he withdrew his arm from Luo Ximei’s grasp, making the final decision.

“Ximei staying is good; an extra person means an extra bit of strength, but you must restrain your Devilish Qi, lest you make Qingxue uncomfortable.”

At these words, the two said no more.

Luo Ximei, like a fox that had won a battle, cast a triumphant glance at Mu Qingxue, then turned her gaze back to Su Lin, her captivating peach blossom eyes filled with undisguised adoration and possessiveness.

“Revered Master, are you tired? This Disciple will help you rest.”

As she spoke, she naturally linked her arm with Su Lin’s again.

Not to be outdone, she immediately stepped forward and supported Su Lin from the other side, saying coldly.

“No need for Fifth Senior Sister to trouble herself; Revered Master’s daily life has already been properly arranged by me.”

And so, Su Lin, held by his two disciple, one on each side, was escorted out of the Immortal Cave.

“Junior Sister, Revered Master is weak, your cold Qi is too heavy, stay a bit further away, don’t freeze Revered Master.”

“Fifth Senior Sister, your Devilish Qi is leaking, be careful not to disturb Revered Master’s Divine Soul! I think you are the one who should stay further away!”

As the two argued, their voices gradually lowered.

During the argument, Luo Ximei inadvertently caught a glimpse of the hard-to-hide weariness deep in Mu Qingxue’s eyes. Her heart stirred, remembering the residual Qi from the great battle outside the Sect gate that she had just sensed. Fighting one against three, with one of them being a Void Refining Peak Cultivator, even if she won, the consumption for Little Seven would definitely not be small.

And Mu Qingxue also noticed that beneath Luo Ximei’s seemingly relaxed charming smile, there was a trace of unresolvable aloofness and loneliness hidden between her brows. Falling into the Demonic Path, leading all demons, the path she had walked these past hundred years could only have been more perilous and lonelier than her own.

The two almost simultaneously stopped and fell silent at the same time.

The atmosphere was a bit awkward for a moment.

Finally, Luo Ximei spoke first. She took out an exquisite jade bottle from her storage ring and, without explanation, pushed it into Mu Qingxue’s hand, her tone still carrying a hint of arrogance.

“Here, you look as pale as a ghost. This is a Nine-Essence Soul Condensing Pill, it strengthens the foundation and cultivates the origin, it will help you recover your Spiritual Qi, lest you faint later and Revered Master has to help you up.”

Mu Qingxue was startled, holding the still-warm jade bottle in her hand, she was at a loss for words for a moment.

This Medicinal Pill was a treasure for solidifying the Divine Soul, extremely rare and priceless, yet she gave it to her so casually.

She pursed her lips, looked up at Luo Ximei, her voice clear but with less hostility: “…Unnecessary.”

Although she said so, she still silently put away the jade bottle, then took out a shimmering black cloak from her own storage ring and handed it over.

“Your Devilish Qi is too strong, it’s too conspicuous here. Put this on, the Breath Concealing Veil can obscure your Qi, lest it bring gossip to my Sect.”

Luo Ximei looked at the cloak and was also stunned.

This Breath Concealing Veil could effectively prevent Demonic Cultivators from being backlashed by their own Devilish Qi; it was a supreme treasure.

She took the cloak, a subtle curve appearing at the corner of her mouth, and lightly hummed: “Thank you, Junior Sister.”

It was in this subtle atmosphere that the cold, mechanical voice in Su Lin’s mind suddenly rang out again without warning!

“Ding! Detected ‘Fellow Disciple Bond’ between Disciple Mu Qingxue and Disciple Luo Ximei, Bond Value +10!”

“System new function unlocked: Bond Resonance!”

“Bond Resonance: When Bond Value is generated and increased between disciple, a resonance effect will be triggered, greatly feeding back and increasing the Bond Value between the host and associated disciple!”

“Ding! Affected by ‘Bond Resonance,’ host’s Bond Value with Mu Qingxue +20! Bond Value with Luo Ximei +20!”

“Mu Qingxue Bond Value: 120”

“Luo Ximei Bond Value: 80”

Su Lin was completely stunned.

It can be like this?! disciple getting along well can also make him stronger?

After leaving the Immortal Cave, Su Lin finally remembered something he had originally wanted to tell Mu Qingxue, but had been delayed by other matters.

His gaze turned to the mountain-protecting Formation that enveloped the entire Qingyao Sect.

The light blue barrier was wreathed in Immortal Qi, with runes flowing, appearing flawless.

“Qingxue,” Su Lin spoke indifferently, “this mountain-protecting Formation must have taken a lot of your effort, right?”

Mu Qingxue did not know why Revered Master suddenly asked this, but still respectfully replied:

“Yes, Revered Master.

This Disciple based it on the ‘Nine Palace Heavenly Origin Formation’ you taught back then, spending several years, integrating three thousand six hundred variations. This Disciple dares not say it’s perfect, but to completely break the Formation, it would require a Body Integration Late Stage Cultivator.”

“Impregnable? Not necessarily.”

As soon as these words were uttered, Mu Qingxue’s expression instantly changed slightly.

“What does Revered Master mean by that?”

Luo Ximei also became interested. She wanted to see how Revered Master, who was currently only at the Golden Core Stage, would guide a proud Formation laid by a Void Refining grandmaster.

Su Lin did not answer directly, but instead bent down and casually picked up an ordinary fist-sized stone from the ground.

He weighed the pebble in his hand, his gaze once again looking at the seemingly perfect barrier, his eyes becoming focused and sharp, as if calculating some profound trajectory incomprehensible to Mortals.

“The Dao of Formations lies in balance, not absolute defense.”

“Too much pursuit of defense will cause the entire Formation to lose its circulation.”

Luo Ximei spoke with interest from the side, “This Disciple is dull-witted, I wonder if Revered Master could demonstrate for us disciple, how this Formation… loses its circulation?”

Under the vastly different gazes of the two women, Su Lin took a step forward, his wrist gently flicking.

The ordinary stone flew out of his hand.

Its speed was not fast, it could even be said to be somewhat slow, and its trajectory was unremarkable.

However, in Luo Ximei and Mu Qingxue’s Divine Sense perception, the trajectory of this stone seemed to contain some profound truth of heaven and earth, achieving a perfect harmony with every wisp of Spiritual Qi in the surrounding space.