Chapter 29: The Three-Day Promise

At the gates of the Qingyun Sect.

A streak of moon-white light tore through the clouds, moving at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, it descended before the mountain gate.

The light receded, revealing the figure of an exquisitely beautiful young woman.

She wore a moon-white dress, her raven-black hair cascading like a waterfall. Her features were stunning, yet so pale they seemed almost translucent.

It was the Saintess of Tianyue Palace, Yue Qingshuang.

The gate-guarding disciple froze at the sight of this breathtaking scene.

He opened his mouth to speak, but his throat was dry and his tongue was tied.

She was too beautiful.

She did not seem like a mortal at all, but rather a fairy stepping out of a painting, a goddess descending from the moon palace.

“Y-You… who are you…”

The gate-guarding disciple finally managed to squeeze out a sentence, his voice stammering.

Yue Qingshuang glanced at him and spoke calmly:

“Yue Qingshuang of Tianyue Palace. I have come to pay my respects to Peak Master Chen.”

“The S-Saintess of Tianyue Palace?!”

The gate-guarding disciple’s eyes went wide.

Tianyue Palace!

That was an overlord-level power in the Southern Region, far superior to the Qingyun Sect.

And the Saintess of Tianyue Palace was not only a prodigy of exceptional talent, but also widely acknowledged as the number one beauty in the Southern Region.

Legend said that anyone who saw her true face would be utterly captivated.

The gate-guarding disciple had assumed that was just a rumor. Seeing her with his own eyes now, he realized the rumors had not been exaggerated in the slightest.

“I-I will inform the Sect Master right away!”

He spun around in a panic, about to run into the sect.

“No need.”

Yue Qingshuang stopped him.

“I already notified your Sect Master before coming. Just take me directly to Peak Master Chen.”

The disciple’s steps halted, a look of hesitation on his face.

“But…”

“What is it?”

“This disciple does not know… which Peak Master Chen?”

He asked cautiously.

There were several Peak Masters surnamed Chen in the Qingyun Sect.

Yue Qingshuang’s brow furrowed slightly.

“How many Peak Masters surnamed Chen are there in the Qingyun Sect?”

“Replying to the Saintess, there are three,” the gate-guarding disciple hastily answered.

“Peak Master Chen Yuanqi of Solitary Cloud Peak, Peak Master Chen Danqing of Xuantian Peak, and…”

He paused, a strange look flickering across his face.

“And who else?”

“And… the Peak Master of Luoxia Peak, Chen Ping.”

Yue Qingshuang noticed the odd expression on his face, and her heart stirred slightly.

“Is there something special about this Chen Ping?”

The disciple hesitated for a moment, then honestly replied:

“Replying to the Saintess, Chen Ping… is our Qingyun Sect’s famously useless Peak Master.

He has been cultivating for twenty years and is still only at the half-layer of Qi Refining.

He was almost stripped of his position as Peak Master before, and only barely managed to keep it after accepting a disciple.”

He paused, then added:

“However, that disciple of his is truly formidable. A few days ago in the Cultivation Tower, she fought five Golden Core puppets all by herself with only a Qi Refining cultivation. It shocked the entire sect.”

Yue Qingshuang listened, her brow furrowing even deeper.

A useless Peak Master?

A half-layer of Qi Refining?

In her mind surfaced the image of that figure in blue robes.

Destroying the Blood Sea Grand Array with a casual wave of his hand, slaying four Nascent Soul cultivators in three breaths, and finally crushing the Divine Ability Realm Blood Shadow Hall Master as easily as an ant.

A person like that… was useless?

“Take me to Luoxia Peak.”

“Ah?” The disciple was stunned.

“Is the Saintess certain? Chen Ping, he…”

“Certain.”

Yue Qingshuang’s tone brooked no argument.

The disciple dared not ask further and hurriedly led the way.

—

Luoxia Peak.

Yue Qingshuang landed at the summit. Looking at the humble little courtyard before her, a complex expression flickered in her eyes.

A few dilapidated wooden huts, a modest courtyard, an old locust tree in the yard, and a stone table with stone stools beneath it.

This was Senior Chen’s dwelling?

That mysterious powerhouse who could slay a Divine Ability Realm cultivator as easily as slaughtering a chicken actually lived on such a run-down peak?

She took a deep breath, walked to the courtyard gate, and knocked lightly.

“Yue Qingshuang of Tianyue Palace requests an audience with Senior Chen.”

A moment later, the gate opened.

A delicate young girl’s face peeked out, sizing her up with curiosity.

The girl looked about fifteen or sixteen, dressed in simple coarse clothes and an apron, still holding a spatula in her hand.

“Are you looking for my master?”

Yue Qingshuang paused in surprise.

Master?

She lifted her gaze. Through the half-open gate, she saw a figure in blue robes reclining in a rocking chair beneath the old locust tree.

He held a fishing rod in his hand, his expression relaxed, as if he were fishing.

But the pond was in the corner of the yard, barely a few meters across, and the fish in it had long since been caught.

Yue Qingshuang: “…”

This scene was far too different from what she had imagined.

Lin Xiaoyu studied her, a flash of admiration in her eyes.

What a beautiful sister.

“Please come in.”

She stepped aside to make way.

Yue Qingshuang nodded and entered the courtyard.

She came before Chen Ping and bowed respectfully.

“Yue Qingshuang of Tianyue Palace pays respects to Senior Chen. I have come to fulfill our three-day promise.”

Chen Ping sat up in the rocking chair, set down his fishing rod, and looked at her.

“Did you bring the resources?”

Yue Qingshuang nodded. She took out a storage ring from her robes and offered it with both hands.

“Senior, please take a look.”

Chen Ping took the storage ring and swept his divine sense inside.

Even though he was prepared, he still could not help raising an eyebrow.

Inside the storage ring, stacked neatly, was ten times the amount of resources he had requested.

There were a full ten million top-grade spirit stones, along with mountains of various pills, spiritual ingredients, and magical tools. There were even several treasures clearly meant for those at or above the Divine Ability Realm.

Tianyue Palace was indeed incredibly wealthy.

“Why is there an extra thirty percent?”

Chen Ping raised his eyes to look at Yue Qingshuang.

Yue Qingshuang said softly, “Senior seems to be in urgent need of resources, so this junior took the liberty of adding a bit more.”

She paused, then added, “The debt of gratitude for Senior saving my life cannot be repaid with just these resources. This junior is merely offering a small token of appreciation.”

Chen Ping looked at her, a flash of appreciation in his eyes.

This girl was indeed grateful and quick-witted.

“You are quite thoughtful.”

He tucked the storage ring into his robes.

“Alright, this matter is settled.”

Yet Yue Qingshuang did not leave immediately.

She stood where she was, looking at him, hesitating as if she wanted to say something.

Chen Ping glanced at her. “Is there something else?”

Yue Qingshuang bit her lip and finally spoke:

“Senior’s life-saving grace cannot possibly be repaid with these resources alone.

If there is ever a day when Tianyue Palace can be of use to you, Senior need only speak.”

Chen Ping looked at her and suddenly smiled.

“You certainly know how to return a favor.”

Yue Qingshuang said seriously, “Disciples of Tianyue Palace never owe favors.”

Chen Ping nodded and said no more.

Yue Qingshuang bowed once more and turned to leave.

Just as she was about to step out of the courtyard gate, Chen Ping suddenly spoke:

“Wait.”

Yue Qingshuang halted and turned back, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

“Does Senior have further instructions?”

Chen Ping looked at her, his gaze pausing for a moment on her pale face.

“The Taiyin Origin within your body, how well are you suppressing it?”

Yue Qingshuang froze slightly, then smiled wryly and shook her head.

“To be honest with Senior, this junior originally ventured out to find a Profound Yin Bead to harmonize my Origin.

However, the Origin’s cold poison has already erupted. It will take some effort to resolve.”

She paused, then added, “But Senior can rest assured. With the Profound Yin Bead, this junior can still suppress it for now.

Once I return to Tianyue Palace, there will be a way to resolve it completely.”

Chen Ping said nothing.

He quietly observed the young woman before him.

Her pale face, her unsteady aura, and the stubbornness faintly showing between her brows.

She was so much like Lin Xiaoyu.

“Stretch out your hand.”

Yue Qingshuang was taken aback. “Senior?”

“Your hand.”

Chen Ping’s tone was flat, yet it carried an unquestionable authority.

Yue Qingshuang hesitated, but still extended her right hand.

Chen Ping raised his hand and placed two fingers on her wrist.

A wisp of purple-gold Grand Dao Source Power silently flowed into her body.

Yue Qingshuang trembled!

In that instant, she could clearly feel a vast yet gentle power slowly moving along her meridians.

Wherever that power passed, the backlash of the Taiyin Origin subsided like a pacified beast, gradually calming down.

Even more wondrously, the meridians within her that had been damaged by the Origin’s rampage were healing at a visible rate.

“S-Senior…”

Yue Qingshuang’s voice trembled.

She was no stranger to powerful experts.

The Palace Master of Tianyue Palace, a Saint Realm Great Perfection cultivator, was her master.

But even her master could not so effortlessly pacify the backlash of the Taiyin Origin.