Volume 1 Volume 7 Chapter 40

Volume 7 Chapter 40: Preparation (Part 2)

When Dongfang Qingling saw Bai Qingfu, Zhang Ningmei, and Bai Yu, who were not supposed to be here, she felt very surprised. But when she turned to look, both Xu Qingfan and Tian Zhenxian, as well as Tian Zhenling, all looked like they already knew about it. Dongfang Qingling’s body trembled slightly, understanding that Xu Qingfan must have made some arrangements while completely keeping her out of it.

The bitterness in her eyes flashed but was very deep.

She knew that Xu Qingfan just wanted her to live a simple and pure life, not wanting her to get involved in any schemes or tricks. Just as Xu Qingfan did not want her to suffer, he believed that the carefree and innocent Dongfang Qingling was the real her.

All of this was Xu Qingfan’s way of protecting her, and Dongfang Qingling understood that.

"But, Senior Brother Xu, do you know? By completely shutting me out of your plans and treating me like a person who cannot help you, your attitude hurts me more than any schemes do. The tricks and schemes may tire me, but your complete separation makes me very sad. I just want to be with you, to do the same things, and to help share your burden. Senior Brother Xu, you don’t know that by doing this, you are not protecting me, but hurting me. Time and time again, I find out about your plans at the last moment. Do you really see me as just a burden who can only take care of children?"

Suddenly, Dongfang Qingling felt a deep sadness and grievance in her heart. Her red lips parted slightly, ready to speak the words she had been holding for a long time.

However, when the words were on her lips, they turned into something else.

"Senior Brother Xu, you talk, I’ll take care of Ting’er."

After hearing Dongfang Qingling’s words, Xu Qingfan nodded. When their eyes met for a brief moment, Xu Qingfan saw the sadness in Dongfang Qingling’s eyes, and Dongfang Qingling saw a spark of understanding in Xu Qingfan’s eyes.

"Does Senior Brother Xu know what I am thinking?"

Seeing that spark of understanding, Dongfang Qingling quietly thought.

But in Xu Qingfan’s eyes, besides that spark of understanding, there was more determination.

Xu Qingfan still did not want Dongfang Qingling to be part of his plan, even though he knew that Dongfang Qingling’s heart was in pain.

This determination only made Dongfang Qingling feel more hurt.

From the beginning to the end, did Senior Brother Xu only see himself as an outsider who needed protection? Was the warm and natural feeling when he, Ting’er, and I were together just an illusion of mine?

Dongfang Qingling was not a sentimental person. In fact, before joining Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, Dongfang Qingling had been responsible for managing the female disciples of Jiuhua. She was generous and clever, and over the years, she had fought alongside Xu Qingfan in many battles, brave and decisive. When talking about the female heroes of the Righteous Alliance, Dongfang Qingling was definitely one of them.

Just a moment ago, Dongfang Qingling was very happy about the victory in the great battle at Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, but when she saw Xu Qingfan secretly doing things without telling her, all her happiness disappeared. The grievances she had kept for forty years suddenly surged to her heart.

How many times has Xu Qingfan kept secrets from her? Dongfang Qingling did not know. What she did know was that Xu Qingfan’s attitude made her very sad. She only realized that when she finally gathered the courage to confide in Xu Qingfan, his knowing yet stubborn gaze felt like a sharp sword, piercing through her heart and shattering the courage she had so carefully mustered.

Senior Brother Xu treats me like a stranger, hiding everything from me and telling me nothing…

Dongfang Qingling silently thought this, her expression instinctively remaining normal. After bidding farewell to Xu Qingfan, she nodded to Bai Qingfu and Xu Qingfan’s four disciples one by one, then turned and left, walking towards Ting’er’s room.

Xu Qingfan’s gaze followed Dongfang Qingling until her figure disappeared into Ting’er’s room.

…

Once back in Ting’er’s room, Dongfang Qingling paused for a moment.

She suddenly remembered that her home should be on Tianshu Island, but over the years, she had spent more time here taking care of Ting’er. In forty years, she had hardly visited her residence on Tianshu Island; her familiarity with Yuheng Island and this room was far greater than that with Tianshu Island and her own room.

For forty years, she had cared for Ting’er, living close to Xu Qingfan, quietly observing Xu Qingfan’s practice in seclusion, and a long chat with Xu Qingfan would bring her joy for a long time. She had silently taken care of Ting’er, treating her like family, watching as Ting’er gradually returned to normal, filled only with pride and happiness, with no memory of how much Ting’er had once tormented her.

For all of this, Dongfang Qingling has no regrets, only wishing to be by Xu Qingfan’s side.

However, Xu Qingfan treats Dongfang Qingling like a stranger, keeping her out of his plans.

Even though a golden core cultivator has hundreds of years to live, how many truly live for forty years?

Is all of this really worth it?

Sitting quietly on the bed, Dongfang Qingling opened her arms and held Ting’er close, gazing blankly out of the window at the lights and shadows in Xu Qingfan’s room.

Once upon a time, Dongfang Qingling was adored by elders and admired by elder martial sister and younger sisters, like a precious daughter of the heavens. Back then, before the great calamity, she was headstrong, proud, and carefree.

But the endless calamity taught Dongfang Qingling to be strong, to fight and struggle. When blood splattered on her face, she no longer screamed. After taking lives with her own hands, she no longer felt sick. At that time, she was strong and decisive.

However, in these years on the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, as Xu Qingfan kept her far behind him, protecting her and not letting her participate in anything, as her encounters with Xu Qingfan grew more frequent, both her initial proud and carefree self and her later strong and decisive nature faded away.

Now, she feels fragile and sensitive.

The feeling of being completely kept in the dark by Xu Qingfan, isolated from everything, pierced her heart deeply.

Ting’er had been quietly watching Dongfang Qingling, and there was an unexpected hesitation and confusion in her eyes.

Finally, it seemed that Ting’er had made a huge decision. She rested her head on Dongfang Qingling’s chest, her gaze filled with unprecedented warmth and affection, a look she had only shown before when looking at Xu Qingfan.

"It will get better."

A soft voice whispered in Dongfang Qingling’s ear. In her deep sorrow, Dongfang Qingling was suddenly stunned by this sound; after a moment, she realized what it meant and quickly looked down towards Ting’er.

She saw Ting’er resting on her chest, her eyes slightly closed, as if she had fallen asleep.

"Everything will be okay."

However, in her dream, Ting’er’s little mouth still moved slightly as she murmured softly.

In an instant, Dongfang Qingling threw aside her previous sorrow and her eyes sparkled with joy.

…

After Dongfang Qingling left, Xu Qingfan turned around and slowly walked to his bed, sitting cross-legged.

Bai Qingfu looked at the distant Dongfang Qingling and then at Xu Qingfan, whose expression was as calm as still water. He hesitated for a moment but ultimately said nothing.

However, it was Xu Qingfan who asked him the first question.

"Have you figured it out?"

A serious look flashed in Bai Qingfu’s eyes. He nodded and said, "Yes, I have found out. Besides the three people we know, there are eleven others who were placed here as spies by the various factions of the Human Alliance to guide cultivators onto the island. They have been silently recording every move of my Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands over the years. It remains to be seen whether these people were sent by Zhang Xusheng or by Immortal Zizhen."

As he spoke, Bai Qingfu handed a list to Xu Qingfan, looking ashamed and saying with a bitter smile, "I have been responsible for guiding people all these years, but I never expected to bring in so many spies."

Xu Qingfan shook his head and said, "Senior Brother Bai, you don’t need to blame yourself. Over the years, we have gone deep into the Human Alliance many times to guide cultivators and strengthen our power. It is impossible to hide from those old foxes, Immortal Zizhen and Zhang Xusheng. Although they might find it inconvenient to intervene for various reasons, inserting some spies among us was something I already anticipated. To ease their minds, I pretended not to know and fed them some false information. However, as we move forward with our next plan, we cannot allow these people to remain."

This time, the reason Xu Qingfan arranged for this great battle was not only to collect a large amount of precious materials needed for the next step but also to strengthen morale. Another aim was to uncover the spies that Immortal Zizhen and Zhang Xusheng had secretly placed in Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands over the years.

Bai Qingfu did not leave the island this time. Before, when he had the chance to meet with the Human Alliance cultivators brought to the island, he carefully investigated those who might be spies and prepared a lot of information. Zhang Ningmei and Bai Yu also did not close themselves off; they spent the day secretly hiding in various places on the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, quietly observing all the cultivators on the islands.

As the battle came to an end, the spies would quickly report to their master about the battle and the hidden strength of the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands. Over the years, under Xu Qingfan’s indulgence, these spies had lowered their guard, believing that Xu Qingfan did not know about their existence. Under Xu Qingfan’s careful planning, it turned out to be an easy catch, and the information they reported was intercepted by Bai Qingfu and others, never reaching their master.

While speaking, Xu Qingfan opened the list that Bai Qingfu had given him. Upon seeing the name at the top, he was startled and turned to Bai Qingfu to ask, "Is this person also a spy? Whose person is he?"

"He belongs to Zhang Xusheng," Bai Qingfu replied with a bitter smile. "According to my information, he was already Zhang Xusheng’s person when you first recruited him."

Xu Qingfan sighed at first, a hint of sadness crossed his eyes, but then he smiled slightly and said, "He has hidden quite well."

"Yes, no one expected he was also Zhang Xusheng’s person. Fortunately, he only learned about Chou and Dark Crow’s matters recently. The information he was supposed to report to Zhang Xusheng was intercepted by us, preventing a disaster."

Bai Qingfu sighed in agreement.

Xu Qingfan nodded but did not say anything more. He turned to look at the brothers, Tian Zhenxian and Tian Zhenling.

Although Tian Zhenxian and Tian Zhenling were twins, their slight differences made them appear very different. Tian Zhenxian always looked cheerful and easygoing, but he was very thoughtful and never spoke empty words. On the other hand, Tian Zhenling always wore a stern expression but was extremely careless, making excuses when nervous. However, his imaginative thinking and sharp intuition far exceeded Tian Zhenxian’s.

Seeing Xu Qingfan looking at him, Tian Zhenxian quickly said, "According to the master’s instructions, during the war, I pretended to be confused and kept an eye on Liu Ziqing and Junior Martial Brother Shen Gang. Just as you said, Master, Junior Martial Brother Shen Gang is calm and collected, and we can completely trust him with the safety of Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands in the future. As for Liu Ziqing, he did not show any malice after coming to the center of the array. Instead, he worked together with Junior Martial Brother Shen Gang and others to control the various formations outside Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands for defense, without showing any ill intentions. It seems he truly won’t betray me for a short time. The master’s tests for them should be considered passed."

After hesitating for a moment, Tian Zhenling added, "However, although Zhang Xusheng had a great opportunity this time and did not cause trouble, it does make me relieved, but I still do not understand whether he genuinely wants to join Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands or if he has seen through the master’s arrangements."

Xu Qingfan shook his head and smiled, "As long as he can hold back this time and not act on any bad thoughts, even if he only sees through my plan and does not cause trouble, as long as he can restrain himself this time, in the future, he will be less likely to create trouble. Because he will doubt whether this is another test from me, and in that worry, he will just watch opportunities slip away."

Tian Zhenling was slightly taken aback, showing admiration as he said to Xu Qingfan, "Master is truly wise."

Xu Qingfan smiled and nodded, but then turned his gaze to Zhang Ningmei.

Zhang Ningmei nodded and said, "Taking advantage of Liu Ziqing’s help at the center of the array, I awakened Zhang Yi from her seclusion. Just as you predicted, Master, these years, Liu Ziqing has been unable to help her take revenge on Zhang Xusheng, which has made her very unhappy, especially since she has nearly died several times because of this. Furthermore, she does not care who she allies with to seek revenge on Zhang Xusheng. After receiving your assurance and seeing the strength of Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands grow over the years, she has given up on Liu Ziqing and agreed to help us watch Liu Ziqing and awaits your instructions, Master."

Xu Qingfan nodded and said lightly, "This Zhang Yi is too obsessed; she is willing to give up everything for revenge. Fortunately, the grudge hasn’t come looking for her, or it would be quite troublesome. In fact, when I asked you to find her, I wasn’t sure myself. After all, Liu Ziqing has used her over the years, but he has also treated her well. I didn’t expect she would really abandon Liu Ziqing."

Zhang Ningmei hesitated and said, "Could it be a delayed tactic, to report back to Liu Ziqing afterward?"

Xu Qingfan shook his head and said, "Zhang Yi is not that calculating, and Liu Ziqing has made no achievements over the years, which has indeed left her feeling discouraged. She has also seen the strength we have built up over the years. To seek revenge, we are her only choice, after all, the Human Alliance has Zhang Xusheng, while the Zhong family… only trusts their own kind. She is not foolish and knows how to choose."

Zhang Ningmei nodded, as if recalling something, and frowned as she said, "Also, according to Master and Zhang Yi’s agreement, Zhang Yi’s ‘Puppet Mastery’ was also passed to the disciples. However, the methods in ‘Puppet Mastery’ often involve completely destroying a cultivator’s mind before controlling them, which is too cruel, I…"

Xu Qingfan shook his head and said, "I understand your thoughts, but you should still practice a bit. In the past, my teacher did not fully consider that no one has been able to reach the Mahayana Stage through the ‘Great Method of Extinguishing Gods’ since its creation, but he still passed it on to you. The ‘Puppet Mastery’ is the latter part of the ‘Great Method of Extinguishing Gods.’ While your own level may not increase much after practicing it, your combat power will significantly improve. I know you think this cultivation method is too cruel, but you must understand that once you can control an opposing cultivator, our strength will increase, while theirs will decrease. Why not practice? Besides, the people you will use ‘Puppet Mastery’ against are merely those evil individuals and the Shura Clan, acting on behalf of justice, so there is no need to feel guilty."

A hint of sadness crossed Zhang Ningmei’s eyes, and she nodded in agreement.

After a moment of frowning in thought, Xu Qingfan said, "As for how you will break through to the Mahayana Stage in the future, you do not need to worry. I will find a way for you, and I will make sure you will not fall behind the other disciples. Also, you are currently only at the Real Golden Core Stage, which is still far from that time, so it is best for you to focus on your practice now."

"Yes," Zhang Ningmei replied.

At this moment, Bai Qingfu interjected, "I have heard of that ‘Great Method of Extinguishing Gods.’ This cultivation method has incredible attacking power, but because of this, it consumes too much mental energy. If one neglects the nurturing of their mind, they will ultimately lack strength, making it hard to reach great success. However, the ‘Heavenly Spirit Nurturing Technique’ of the Qingxu lineage is just the opposite. In the early stages, it is mild, but as one progresses, their Spiritual Sense becomes incredibly strong, building up power and then unleashing it with great force. It complements the ‘Great Method of Extinguishing Gods’ perfectly. Junior Brother Xu, why don’t you let Liu Ziqing teach this to Ting’er?"

Xu Qingfan smiled wryly and said, "The ‘Heavenly Spirit Nurturing Technique’ is one of the top two cultivation methods of the Qingxu lineage. Though Liu Ziqing seems willing to sacrifice everything for revenge, he actually values the inheritance of the Qingxu lineage greatly. Unless Ningmei comes under his guidance, he will not teach it. Otherwise, he would have taught the ‘Heavenly Spirit Nurturing Technique’ to Zhang Yi years ago. Why would Zhang Yi have to come to us out of desperation now? Furthermore, Liu Ziqing once created a cultivation method that destroyed half of the Qingxu cultivators. Even if he taught Ningmei the ‘Heavenly Spirit Nurturing Technique,’ I wouldn’t dare let her practice it; who knows if it’s a trap? While I certainly want to find a way for Ningmei to cultivate the ‘Heavenly Spirit Nurturing Technique,’ I plan to seek help from Immortal Zizhen when I return to the Shenzhou Continent…"

As he spoke, Xu Qingfan suddenly remembered the battle in the Blood Valley, when a cultivator named "Ri" used their mental energy in an astonishing way. During their secret technique, their eyes appeared like the sun and moon, and wherever they looked, all living beings were forced to be controlled and influenced by their thoughts and emotions.

Thinking of this, Xu Qingfan softly said, "However, as far as I know, there is another person practicing a specialized cultivation method for mental energy that is on par with the ‘Great Method of Extinguishing Gods’ and ‘Puppet Mastery,’ which would indeed be suitable for Ningmei to practice. This time, when I go to the Shenzhou Continent, I may have to seek him out."

After hearing Xu Qingfan say this, Bai Qingfu and Zhang Ningmei did not say anything more.

Xu Qingfan’s gaze, however, turned to Bai Yu.

Bai Yu understood and handed Xu Qingfan two lists, saying, "The first list has the names of those who were particularly anxious and tense during this battle. Their minds are unstable, and they may not be very useful. But the second list has the names of those who remained calm and even had the strength to comfort others. Their determination is strong, and they can be of great use in the future."

Xu Qingfan nodded and silently looked at the names on the two lists in his hands.

Bai Yu’s task was different from others. After the battle began, Bai Yu was responsible for secretly observing all the cultivators on the island, including those from the Seven Star Camp and other cultivators, especially the lower-level cultivators who had just started their journey.

Whether a person is brave or cowardly cannot be seen in everyday life; it can only be revealed in times of danger. Some people may seem very brave at ordinary times, but when it matters most, they may run away. Others may appear weak, but in critical moments, they can show extraordinary courage.

After reviewing the two lists, Xu Qingfan gave them to Bai Qingfu and said, "Taoist Friend Wang Zegang has gone into seclusion again. For this period, Senior Brother Bai, you will be in charge of the Seven Star Camp. Those who are weak and not originally in the Seven Star Camp can be ignored, but for those in the Seven Star Camp who did not perform well this time, find a reason to transfer them to do some idle work. Focus on those who did well but are not in the Seven Star Camp; do not hesitate to give them spiritual pills and resources. We have gathered so many corpses of the East Sea Demon Monsters; we can create another batch of Condensed Core Stage cultivators. Once they are strong enough, move them to the Seven Star Camp."

Bai Qingfu nodded and quietly tucked the two lists into his sleeve.

Once everything was arranged, Xu Qingfan let out a sigh. At this point, all his goals in this battle had finally been accomplished.

In this great battle, it was not just one achievement but ten, or even more. If Xu Qingfan wants to return to the Shenzhou Continent without worry in the future, he must have this battle.

"Everyone, there have been so many events over the years, and you must be very tired. Please return to your studies now."

Xu Qingfan said.

Upon hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, everyone stood up to say goodbye.

"By the way," Xu Qingfan remembered something and said to Tian Zhenxian Tian Zhenling, "After you leave, bring Liu Ziqing and Chou to me. Tell them I need to speak with them."

Tian Zhenxian and Tian Zhenling bowed in response.

As all four disciples left, Xu Qingfan looked up and saw Bai Qingfu still sitting there, unmoving.

"Does Senior Brother Bai have something else?"

Xu Qingfan asked.