9: What happened last night?

Mu Qingxue's body involuntarily leaned forward slightly, her nose almost touching his cheek.

However, she stopped at the very last moment.

The spiritual energy at her fingertips slowly dissipated.

It wasn't due to guilt, but a hint of reluctance.

She saw the exhaustion on Su Lin's face.

He had just returned from crossing worlds; his Divine Soul was unstable, and his cultivation had fallen.

If she were to use forceful methods now, it might startle him, or even harm him.

"No rush..."

A smile, both infatuated and obsessive, bloomed on Mu Qingxue's lips.

"Revered Master, we have a lifetime."

She neither retreated nor returned to the bed.

Instead, she carefully sat down on the floor beside the lounge chair.

Then, she extended her hands and, with utmost care, gently cradled Su Lin's hand, which was resting on the armrest.

She remained in that position, her head leaning against the edge of the lounge chair, and fell into a deep sleep.

When the first ray of dawn pierced through the sea of clouds, illuminating the entire Qingyao Sect, Su Lin slowly opened his eyes from his meditation.

A night of recuperation had completely healed his Meridians, which had been damaged by the pressure he endured, and his Golden Core Middle Stage cultivation was now thoroughly stable.

He subconsciously tried to move his arm but felt a slight resistance.

Su Lin paused, lowered his head, and was then stunned by the sight before him.

He saw Mu Qingxue, his disciple who now commanded awe throughout the cultivation world, curled up beside his lounge chair like a docile pet, her hands tightly clutching his arm, sleeping soundly.

On her exquisite face, there was a faint, contented smile, as if she were having a beautiful dream.

"What happened last night...?" Su Lin's face was full of questions.

He sighed inwardly and carefully tried to withdraw his hand.

However, the moment he moved, Mu Qingxue, as if sensing it, abruptly opened her eyes.

"Revered Master, you're awake?"

Her voice carried a slight hoarseness from just waking up.

Their eyes met, and the atmosphere became somewhat subtle for a moment.

"disciple... disciple were afraid Revered Master would catch a cold at night..."

She explained incoherently, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

Su Lin looked at her, amused and helpless. He stood up, stretched his somewhat stiff body, and said gently, "It's fine. Go prepare for your ablutions. It's time for me to go out for a walk."

"Yes!"

Mu Qingxue, as if granted a great pardon, immediately got up and diligently brought spiritual spring water for Su Lin, offering a soft cloud brocade towel.

The morning at Qingyao Sect was tranquil and peaceful.

Countless Outer Sect Disciples practiced Qi circulation and sword techniques on the training grounds in the mountains, while Inner Sect Disciples rode their sword lights, weaving through the sea of clouds, heading to various halls to listen to lectures or carry out Sect missions.

However, today's tranquility was completely shattered by a sudden sight.

The Sect's Forbidden Ground, also the residence of Sect Master Mu Qingxue—Qingxue Hall—whose main gate, crafted from ten-thousand-year profound ice and never opened to anyone for a hundred years, slowly opened.

What made their eyes almost pop out was that it wasn't just their Sect Master, who was as aloof as an Immortal and untainted by mortal dust, who emerged from the gate.

Beside Mu Qingxue, there was actually a man!

The man seemed to have mediocre cultivation, only at the Core Formation Stage, dressed in an ordinary green robe, with a calm expression.

And their Sect Master, who usually wouldn't even give a male cultivator a proper glance and was as majestic as a god, was now... now following beside the man like a small, dependent bird!

She not only personally tidied his slightly wrinkled collar, but her beautiful, glazed eyes were also filled with unprecedented tenderness and dependence, and a faint, almost imperceptible, genuine smile hung on her lips.

For all the disciple who witnessed this scene, it was as if a thunderclap exploded in their minds, instantly leaving them blank.

An Inner Sect Disciple, who was flying on his sword, was so shocked that he lost his footing and nearly plummeted directly from a hundred zhang in the sky.

"Did... did I see wrong? Beside the Sect Master... is that a man?"

"Heavens! Who is that man?! How could he come out of Qingxue Hall?!"

"No! This person is the fake Supreme Being Su whom the Sect Master ordered us to hunt down last night!"

"Could it be! This is the true body?"

"Impossible! That Supreme Being Su has Mahayana Stage cultivation. Look at this person, he's only at the Golden Core Stage!"

Mu Qingxue, however, completely disregarded the opinions of others.

Or rather, she didn't need to care at all.

Everything she had was given by Su Lin.

Just then, several powerful streaks of light swiftly approached from a distance, landing before the two. They were the core Elders of the Qingyao Sect.

They had all been alarmed by the rumors that had exploded within the Sect and came to investigate.

When they clearly saw the unfamiliar man beside Mu Qingxue, and her unprecedentedly docile demeanor, even these Nascent Soul Stage and Soul Transformation Stage mighty figures, who had lived for hundreds of years, were completely dumbfounded.

"Sect... Sect Master..." The Grand Elder, who was in the lead, his voice trembling slightly, "This Fellow Daoist is...?"

Upon hearing this, Mu Qingxue's smile slightly receded, and a trace of the Void Refining mighty figure's pressure unconsciously emanated, as she coldly glanced at the Elders.

"When did my affairs need to be explained to you?"

Her icy words instantly made the Elders shiver, and they quickly lowered their heads, not daring to ask further.

However, no sooner had her words fallen than Su Lin, beside her, gently patted her hand and said warmly, "Qingxue, they are also concerned about the Sect. There's no harm in explaining."

This simple action, a calm sentence, almost made the Elders' hearts leap out of their throats.

Qingxue?

What kind of address is that?!

And the Sect Master... the Sect Master didn't get angry?!

What happened next made their jaws drop even further.

They saw their immensely majestic Sect Master, upon hearing the man's words, her coldness instantly vanished without a trace. She then nodded obediently to him and said softly, "Yes, Revered Master, disciple know their mistake."

Ma... Revered Master?!

These two words, like divine thunder from the Nine Heavens, struck heavily on the Elders' heads!

They abruptly looked up, staring intently at Su Lin with a ghost-seeing expression, their brains completely frozen.

The Sect Master's Revered Master?

That legendary Supreme Being... Su Lin... who perished a hundred years ago to save the world?!

Could this be the true body??

How... how is this possible?!

Countless imposters had already come before, and all were slain by the Sect Master one by one. How could a real one appear now?

"Sect Master, this... this is absolutely no laughing matter!"

Another Elder Zhang, with a more fiery temper, couldn't help but step forward, his face flushed, and said.

"Supreme Being Su is a role model for our generation and a benefactor of our Sect. How can anyone be allowed to impersonate him so casually! This person has low cultivation and an unknown background. You must not be deceived by him!"

"Presumptuous!"