The next day, just as Qin Jue had climbed out of bed and before he could even wash up, a series of delighted laughs echoed from outside.
Immediately after, the old man named Bai Ye pushed the door open and hurried in.
“Hahaha, Junior Brother, Junior Brother, something major has happened!”
The old man still carried that celestial demeanor, imposing and authoritative even without a show of anger, yet the expression on his face gave off a somewhat mischievous vibe.
“Hey, could you knock before you barge in next time?”
Qin Jue rolled his eyes in exasperation.
If this old man weren’t his senior brother, he would have definitely tossed him out on the spot.
“Guess what happened last night.”
As if he hadn’t heard Qin Jue’s words, Bai Ye spoke mysteriously.
“What is it?”
Qin Jue asked absently.
“Last night, the Sect Master of the Star Gate was cultivating using the Grand Stellar Attraction Art when suddenly a meteorite struck him!”
“The entire main hall was destroyed, and the Star Gate Sect Master was severely injured, nearly perishing on the spot!”
“Hahaha, what a ‘Grand Stellar Attraction Art’—he actually managed to attract a real star! Hahahaha!”
Bai Ye was so happy he couldn’t close his mouth, wishing he could announce this news to the whole world.
The Star Gate was the nearest sect to the Mystic Unity Mountain.
The two factions were often at odds, competing for cultivation resources, so the old man held no goodwill whatsoever towards the Star Gate.
Hearing such news naturally filled him with joy.
“What a pity. It would have been so much better if that old fool, the Star Gate Sect Master, had died outright.”
“Then no one would fight with us for cultivation resources anymore.”
Bai Ye couldn’t help but sigh.
“……”
At that moment, Qin Jue was wondering: Could the meteorite that hit the Star Gate Sect Master be the one he casually swatted away last night?
If it really was, that would be rather awkward.
“What’s wrong?”
Noticing the change in Qin Jue’s expression, the old man looked at him and inquired.
“It’s nothing.”
Qin Jue quickly shook his head, pretending to know nothing.
“Hahaha, how amusing. Senior Brother, may you leave now?”
Bai Ye: “……”
If he weren’t no match for him, Bai Ye really wanted to punch Qin Jue.
“Hmph, I can’t be bothered with you. I’ll go tell someone else.”
With that, Bai Ye turned and left directly, taking this news to find his next target.
It was hard to imagine that such a comical old man was actually the sect master of the Mystic Unity Mountain.
Sometimes, Qin Jue even wondered how Bai Ye had become their master’s disciple.
“It seems I need to be more careful next time.”
After sending Bai Ye away, Qin Jue fell into thought.
He hadn’t paid the meteorite any mind last night, just casually batting it aside.
He never expected it would actually hit the Star Gate Sect Master.
Fortunately, it struck the Sect Master and didn’t cause any civilian casualties.
If it had hit somewhere else, it probably could have flattened an entire village.
This incident served as a reminder to Qin Jue.
Sometimes, things he considered trivial could potentially cause unforeseeable harm to others.
So, it was better to be more careful.
After washing up, Qin Jue ate a light breakfast, fetched a jug of wine, and stepped out of his courtyard into the sunlight.
Truth be told, with Qin Jue’s current level of cultivation, he had no need to eat or rest.
However, he preferred the feeling of it, so he ate and slept like an ordinary person every day, enjoying a relaxed and comfortable life.
“Good morning, Little Cyan.”
Qin Jue greeted the Cyan Rock, then sat cross-legged on the grassy lawn beside it.
The scenery of Mystic Unity Mountain was most beautiful in the early morning, especially from this cliff where Qin Jue resided.
It faced the sun directly, offering a clear view of the entire sunrise.
Below the cliff stretched a forest.
When bored, Qin Jue would occasionally jump down to take a look, but there was nothing particularly unusual about it.
“The weather is nice today, perfect for drinking.”
Qin Jue tilted his head back and took a large swig of wine, proclaiming with satisfaction.
In his previous life, Qin Jue had been a thoroughgoing drunkard, and now was no exception.
Compared to Earth, the wine in this world was undoubtedly more refined and potent, often aged for decades or even centuries, fragrant and delicious.
Most importantly, nearly all the wine in this world is brewed from rare herbs and spiritual ingredients, imbued with dense spiritual energy that greatly aids in cultivation. This is why there are quite a few people like Qin Jue who are utterly devoted to wine.
However, spiritual energy of this level is practically negligible to Qin Jue; he simply enjoys drinking for its own sake.
“Hmm? What’s this…”
Qin Jue raised an eyebrow, suddenly noticing a weed growing beside him.
“How interesting. It has actually developed sentience.”
Qin Jue observed it for a moment, his expression one of amused curiosity. “Could it be because I often sing here?”
“…”
For a mere weed to suddenly develop sentience was truly incredible. Even Qin Jue couldn’t help feeling a twinge of curiosity.
“Never mind. Since you’ve gained awareness, I suppose I’ll give you a hand.”
With that, Qin Jue extended a finger and lightly tapped the tip of the blade of grass.
Whoosh.
Accompanied by a flash of golden light, the weed trembled slightly and then visibly grew taller in an instant.
“This is the Mystic Unity Sect’s cultivation manual, the ‘Clear Void Scripture.’ If you diligently practice it, you should be able to successfully take human form within a few decades, or perhaps a few centuries.”
Qin Jue instructed earnestly.
As if understanding his words, the weed actually bent slightly toward Qin Jue, as if expressing thanks.
Seeing this, Qin Jue was momentarily taken aback. He had never encountered a situation like this before, and a flicker of curiosity naturally arose within him. He wondered, what if this weed one day truly transformed and grew into a peerless powerhouse?
With this thought, Qin Jue’s interest grew. He lifted his wine gourd and let a few drops fall onto the weed.
Having absorbed the spiritual energy within the wine, the weed shot up once more. Its leaves also became denser and more resilient, less likely to be trampled to death easily.
“Hahaha, it seems you truly have remarkable talent.”
Qin Jue laughed.
To grasp the ‘Clear Void Scripture’ so quickly and use it to absorb spiritual energy—this weed’s cultivation aptitude far surpassed that of the vast majority of humans.
“Alright. Starting today, you can consider yourself my little bro.”
After a moment’s thought, Qin Jue corrected himself. “No, my disciple.”
As the saying goes, one’s core cultivation arts are not to be shared lightly. By passing on the Mystic Unity Sect’s cultivation method to this weed, Qin Jue had essentially become its master. One must understand that in the Lingyang Realm, cultivation techniques are of paramount importance. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be countless people scrambling to join martial sects and schools, all desperate to learn more advanced secret manuals.
He never imagined that in his usual life of idle leisure, he could actually take on a disciple—and moreover, a disciple that required absolutely no worry on his part.
Qin Jue felt rather emotional.
“You’re still too weak right now and cannot absorb too much spiritual energy, or it could easily affect your foundation. But don’t worry. From today onward, I will give you a few drops of spirit wine every day to aid your cultivation.”
Patting the weed, Qin Jue offered words of comfort.
At this, the weed once again bent toward Qin Jue, as if bowing in formal acknowledgment of its master, swaying three times in succession. It was hard to believe a simple weed could possess such intelligence.
In the days that followed, Qin Jue kept his promise, giving the weed a few drops of spirit wine each day. Having absorbed a large amount of spiritual energy, the weed grew increasingly resilient, even showing faint signs of advancing into a true spirit plant.
That day, after finishing his breakfast and just about to head out to give the weed its wine, Qin Jue suddenly noticed a figure sitting cross-legged on the large bluestone before him.
