Volume 5 Chapter 25

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Volume 5 Chapter 25: Seclusion

With a creak, as Xu Qingfan watched intently, the door to Ting’er’s room slowly opened.

Then, Ting’er appeared in front of Xu Qingfan.

Gazing at Ting’er’s stunning face, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but pause in surprise.

With a tall and graceful figure, she gave off an impression of elegance. After three months of seclusion, perhaps due to her progress, or maybe because of what Xu Qingfan had said before her retreat, Ting’er’s face was still cold, yet less indifferent than before, with a touch more gentleness. She might have lost some of her distant and icy beauty, but it made her seem more approachable and endearing.

But these were not the reasons for Xu Qingfan’s surprise.

What truly astonished Xu Qingfan was that the black flame marks that once covered Ting’er’s exquisite face had completely vanished, leaving only smooth, fair skin that made her even more stunning.

Furthermore, the strong demonic energy that once surrounded Ting’er seemed almost nonexistent.

Could it be that Ting’er’s issue with the twisted demonic energy inside her was resolved during the Core Formation? Xu Qingfan felt a wave of joyful relief.

After opening the door and seeing Xu Qingfan waiting outside, Ting’er first locked eyes with him silently for a long time, then suddenly seemed to remember something, bowed her head slightly, and said softly, "Uncle, we will keep going forward."

Hearing Ting’er’s words, Xu Qingfan felt a warmth in his heart, not expecting her first words after successfully completing Core Formation would be such.

For Ting’er, the meaning of Core Formation changed from seeking revenge on Xu Qingfan to being able to accompany Xu Qingfan on the path of immortal cultivation. How could Xu Qingfan not be moved by this?

Suddenly, Xu Qingfan gave a slight smile and slowly walked towards Ting’er.

Seeing Xu Qingfan approaching her, Ting’er was momentarily stunned, remembering the embrace Xu Qingfan gave her before her retreat. That warm feeling lingered even after three months, and a fleeting look of anticipation crossed her eyes. She simply stood quietly, waiting patiently. Her body leaned slightly forward, and a rare blush appeared on her face, making her more enchanting against her fair skin.

Yet, Xu Qingfan stopped just a step away from Ting’er and did not embrace her as she had hoped. Instead, he gently patted her head twice, just like he did when Ting’er was a small, thin girl whenever she broke through a stage or mastered a new technique.

The hug Xu Qingfan gave Ting’er before her retreat was not only necessary to clear her internal demons but also showed his genuine affection. However, embracing her again now, despite being alone, was something Xu Qingfan simply couldn’t bring himself to do.

After all, though Ting’er was his junior, it wouldn’t be proper by tradition.

Seeing that Xu Qingfan didn’t give her the embrace she hoped for, Ting’er first felt a tinge of disappointment in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by warmth.

Xu Qingfan’s gentle head-patting gesture was a reflection of their years together, instantly reminding her of all the moments shared with Xu Qingfan over the decades.

"Uncle, just like this patting motion, he’s always been unchanged towards me all these years."

Ting’er thought quietly to herself.

Perhaps it’s better to embrace emotions openly, but the warmth from that gentle head pat, paired with Xu Qingfan’s soft and gentle smile, wasn’t any less comforting than a hug. That familiar feeling made Ting’er feel at ease.

※※※※

When Ting’er was still a frail little girl, Xu Qingfan had the habit of patting her head every time she made progress as a gesture of encouragement. Back then, Ting’er was only as tall as Xu Qingfan’s waist, so it was easy for him to do so.

But as Ting’er grew up, her height was nearly the same as Xu Qingfan’s, just half a head shorter. Xu Qingfan rarely performed the gesture anymore since patting Ting’er’s head required him to awkwardly raise his arm.

However, after seeing Ting’er successfully and safely complete her Core Formation, Xu Qingfan couldn’t resist walking up to her and patting her head. Despite the awkwardness of reaching up high, a sense of warmth filled his heart.

Perhaps in Xu Qingfan’s mind, Ting’er will always be that little girl who only came up to his waist, silently following behind him.

After patting Ting’er’s head, Xu Qingfan took a step back and carefully observed her for a moment before asking, "Ting’er, after this Core Formation, have you noticed any changes within yourself?"

Ting’er slightly shook her head to indicate that there were no changes since her retreat. She softly said, "None of those methods worked. Half of the increased Spirit Qi within me is still tainted."

Xu Qingfan nodded silently, his eyes showing a hint of disappointment. He had high hopes for Ting’er during this retreat. Apart from Ting’er being able to significantly enhance her skills and lifespan, Xu Qingfan hoped to use Ting’er’s Core Formation to enter the realm of "Heavenly Connection," where the gathering of Heaven and Earth Spirit Qi would expel the threads of demonic energy from Ting’er’s body. He had thought of many ways to achieve this. However, it seemed that the demonic energy in Ting’er was deeply rooted, and removing it would be a slow process.

Previously, when Xu Qingfan saw the black flame pattern on Ting’er’s face disappear and her demonic energy greatly reduced, he once thought Ting’er had succeeded.

After pondering for a moment, Xu Qingfan reached out and held Ting’er’s wrist, disregarding the risk of being corroded by the demonic energy inside her. He infused a thread of Spirit Qi into Ting’er. Before it was completely eroded by the demonic energy, the Spirit Qi circulated through her body, giving Xu Qingfan a clearer understanding of Ting’er’s condition.

As Ting’er had mentioned, even though she entered the Condensed Core Stage, there was no change in her internal condition. Threads of demonic energy remained entwined within her meridians, with her body still containing an equal presence of fire Spirit Qi and demonic energy. Apart from improving her realm and skills, Ting’er’s successful Core Formation did not fundamentally change her condition. Instead, as her realm advanced, the demonic energy within her grew stronger.

But what about the black flame patterns on Ting’er’s face? What’s their story?

At this thought, Xu Qingfan’s heart stirred slightly, and he said to Ting’er, "Ting’er, try using your ‘Magic Fire Technique.’"

Ting’er was momentarily surprised by Xu Qingfan’s request, but she obediently extended her hand. In an instant, a black flame began to dance continuously on her fair hand.

Meanwhile, the black flame pattern that had disappeared from Ting’er’s face began to faintly appear again.

Xu Qingfan slightly furrowed his brow and said, "Increase the input of Spirit Qi."

As Xu Qingfan finished speaking, the black flames in Ting’er’s hand suddenly grew several times larger, and at the same time, the black flame pattern on Ting’er’s face became very clear, almost as it was before the Core Formation.

With a slight sigh, it seemed that Ting’er’s physical condition was still the same as before, only now, after the Core Formation, the demonic energy had become more restrained. Although it was a pity, Xu Qingfan didn’t dwell on it. Ting’er’s situation wasn’t something that could be resolved in a short time.

After giving Ting’er a reassuring smile, Xu Qingfan said to her, "Let’s go outside. All the elders of Jiuhua have been waiting for a whole day to congratulate you on your successful Core Formation."

With that, Xu Qingfan pointed in the direction outside the cave dwelling.

Ting’er nodded slightly, following Xu Qingfan out of the cave dwelling, her expression remaining calm. She showed no joy at the gathering of Jiuhua elders. To her, even if they waited outside the cave dwelling for a year, it wouldn’t be as important as one simple word from Xu Qingfan.

Moreover, Ting’er knew that most of the Jiuhua elders didn’t actually like her. They came to congratulate her on her Core Formation mainly because of Xu Qingfan. She didn’t care much about the elders’ feelings. The only reason she agreed to meet them was because Xu Qingfan asked her to.

When Xu Qingfan opened the array formations outside the cave dwelling, he saw the elders standing quietly outside. Upon seeing Xu Qingfan and Ting’er, they bowed in unison and first said to Ting’er, "Congratulations on your successful Core Formation, Taoist Friend Xu."

Then, they bowed again to Xu Qingfan, saying, "Congratulations to Deacon Xu on having a disciple with such achievements, bringing hope for the future."

Even though they offered these congratulations, many elders wore reluctant expressions.

Xu Qingfan didn’t care whether the elders’ congratulations were sincere or not; he simply smiled and bowed with Ting’er in return.

After finally dealing with the elders, two hours had passed, during which Xu Qingfan spent a lot of time calming Jin Qinghan.

When Xu Qingfan finally returned to his place with Ting’er, he felt a sense of relief as he looked at the serene courtyard.

Politeness, endless politeness, was indeed a tiring matter.

After Ting’er successfully reached Core Formation and understood Xu Qingfan’s concerns over the years, Xu Qingfan felt it was time for him to go into seclusion.