Chapter 67 - Eldest Senior Brother

Chapter 67: Chapter 65: Eldest Senior BrotherA month later, Ye Qiu returned to the sect and heard that Qingling had once again defied the sect’s recall order and refused to sever ties with Xue Yang, leading the Sect Leader to expel her from the Inner Sect in a fit of rage.

Upon hearing this news, Qingling felt in her heart that the Sect Leader was indeed showing favoritism towards his biological daughter and despised Sword Pavilion’s actions even more, boldly severing her relationship with Sword Pavilion.

When the news spread back to the sect, the fellow disciples who had once adored Fairy Qingling felt greatly disappointed. Was it really worth it to betray their sect for a man?

Some disciples even felt that they had been blind before. The sect devoted so much effort to cultivate them, how could Fairy Qingling steal her direct senior sister’s fiancé and betray the master who raised her?

Of course, there were also some die-hard fans of hers who thought that it wasn’t her fault for encountering true love and that the Sect Leader’s punishment was a bit too severe.

When Ye Qiu heard these rumors, he wondered if these disciples were too idle. They would be better off spending their time on cultivating rather than gossiping about such matters.

For a time, the entire Sword Pavilion was filled with complaints and grievances, each person muttering in their heart that the eldest senior brother was indeed too harsh.

Ye Qiu had achieved Divinity Transformation, and by all rights, he should have been promoted to an elder level. The title of eldest senior brother should have passed to the highest cultivator of the next generation of disciples, but due to his remarkable talent and rapid increase in cultivation at a young age, he remained the object of admiration for all low-level disciples in the sect. Since no standout figures had emerged among the next generation, and Ye Qiu had not assumed any official position within the sect, the internal consensus was to maintain his status as the eldest senior brother and use his talent to inspire all low-level disciples.

"Recently, demon beasts have been causing trouble in Little Qing Mountain, bringing disaster to many mortals. Ye Qiu, you shall lead some low-level disciples to handle this matter," the Sect Leader instructed solemnly. Despite some recent worrisome issues, he felt a lot more at ease looking at his promising nephew.

"Yes, Ye Qiu obeys," he understood why the Sect Leader had assigned him this task. Little Qing Mountain was once his home, and he couldn’t stand by and watch trouble befall the place where he had lived for over a year.

Moreover, the turmoil caused by the demon beasts could very likely be due to Qingling taking the Eight-tailed Spirit Fox. Since the breach of the boundary between the Human World and the Demon World by various demons in the Demon World several months ago, the Cultivation World has been plagued with continuous troubles, and Little Qing Mountain was not the first.

"Demoness, release our Young Master at once," inside Daqing Mountain, a woman and two men desperately drove their Flying Treasure forward. The woman held a snow-white fox in her arms, and behind them chased a Red Fox as large as a small mountain, which had attained cultivation of Body Integration Realm and grew six tails.

The woman was none other than Qingling, with Xue Yang and Fanxing, who had always been by her side.

"What bad luck, why is it that every time the little fox leaves the Immortal Mansion, they manage to track us down?" Qingling frantically pumped Spiritual Energy into the Flying Treasure, while Xue Yang and Fanxing were not idle either, directing spell after spell at the frenzied Red Fox.

Although the three of them were of lower cultivation than the Red Fox, their Flying Treasure was evidently a very powerful Treasure Artifact. The Red Fox could not catch up for the moment and continuously took attacks upon itself, quickly becoming covered in wounds.

The little fox squeaked anxiously, growing restless.

"Have they placed a Prohibition on the little fox? How is it that every time we get close, we are detected by the Fox Clan?"

That seemed to be the only explanation. Qingling once again tossed the little fox into her own space. The Red Fox behind them sensed the disappearance of their Young Master’s presence and became even wilder.

Qingling steered the Spirit Boat swiftly forward, passing through a black bear’s territory on the way. The Red Fox was delayed and lost track of the little fox’s scent, allowing Qingling and her companions to quickly escape pursuit.

"Do I really have to keep the little fox inside the space?" Qingling frowned, thoroughly annoyed by these relentless pursuits by the Demon Clan.

"Once it undergoes divinity transformation, all these prohibitions will naturally disappear." The residual soul from the Immortal Realm, which had been dormant for a long time, watched the little fox with amazement, never expecting that a Spiritual Fox with such potential could be found in the Lower Realm, one that could possibly cultivate into a nine-tailed fox.

"However, the little fox has already awakened its ancestral bloodline, and it has to undergo a Tribulation to transform." Qingling’s mood turned even more despondent, her stunningly beautiful face filled with light sorrow.

"Typically, that is the case, but if you can find the Transformation Grass that’s ten thousand years old, there won’t be a problem," said the residual soul.

But speaking of it is easy, acquiring it is hard, isn’t it? The Transformation Grass on the market is mostly only a thousand years old. A ten-thousand-year-old variety is almost unattainable. Even the Fanxing Family’s business network, which spans the entire Cultivation World, has only ever collected Transformation Grass that’s three thousand years old. However, he had heard of a rumor.

"Western Buddhism once subdued a ten-thousand-year-old Spiritual Monkey, and its companion Spirit Plant was said to be the Transformation Grass." Fanxing said as such, and Qingling’s eyes lit up instantly, almost ready to set out right away.

Despite the unreliability of this piece of news and the fact that the Spiritual Monkey wasn’t dead, meaning the probability of the Transformation Grass still existing in the world was slim to none, they decided to give it a try.

At this moment, Ye Qiu had already arrived at Little Qing Mountain, and upon learning that the troublemaker was a Red Fox as big as a small mountain, his heart understood; leaving behind a few disciples to guard the place, he set out alone towards Western Buddhism.

He remembered that in his previous life, Western Putuo Temple had subdued a Spiritual Monkey and had a ten-thousand-year-old Transformation Grass. Back then, the little fox had transformed by relying on this grass, and somehow Qingling had managed to abduct Putuo Temple’s Buddha’s son, severely damaging the reputation of Buddhism.

However, they hadn’t anticipated the severe side effects that the ten-thousand-year-old Transformation Grass would bring to the little fox’s transformation process.

Originally, with the little fox’s ancestral bloodline, being born as an Eight-tailed Spiritual Fox with such aptitude, given time, it might have been possible for it to grow a ninth tail. But once it used the Transformation Grass, relying on an external force, it would forever lose the potential to grow its ninth tail.

Whether the little fox could grow the ninth tail or not was not of concern to Ye Qiu. What he cared about was preventing any further conflicts between the Human World and the Demon World, and he also hoped that Qingling wouldn’t have a high-level Demon Cultivator by her side.

Putuo Temple is a holy site for Buddhism, but there has not been a monk ascending to Western Heaven for thousands of years. However, that had changed since the abbot took a disciple twenty years ago.

Nearly every monk knew that the abbot’s young disciple, Ming Jing, was born with the bone of Buddha, blessed with the descent of Buddha’s chant at birth, and he was likely to be the reincarnation of Buddha.

At this time, Ming Jing was sitting cross-legged in front of a Majestic Buddha statue, performing his morning prayers serenely. Dressed in a snow-white Monk Robe, holding a string of Sandalwood Buddha Beads, his youthful and handsome face exuded compassion.

After a long while, he opened his eyes, and upon close scrutiny, it was as if one could see all living beings within his gaze.

Ming Jing was born with a bright red mole between his eyebrows, vividly blood-like against his snow-white face, extraordinarily handsome. Were it not for his Monk Robe and shaved head, he would be mistaken for a graceful young master.

Qingling stealthily entered the temple, inadvertently stumbling upon this place. She was momentarily stunned by the transcendental Ming Jing, accidentally revealing her presence.