Returning to the Purple Bamboo Peak

Gu Changge nodded slightly, turning his gaze to Ling Xi, and asked, "The matters here are concluded. Do you have any unfinished business to attend to? If not, we shall set off for Purple Bamboo Peak."

Ling Xi took a deep breath, took one last look at her thrilled father and the familiar courtyard, and shook her head.

The greatest shackle, the Wang family marriage contract, had been casually removed by her master, and her family's safety was guaranteed. She truly had no more lingering attachments.

"I have none, Master," she said softly, her tone noticeably more submissive than before.

"Good, then let us go."

With that, Gu Changge gently waved his sleeve, and a gentle yet irresistible force enveloped the few people present.

The next moment, streams of light flared. Their figures blurred instantly, transforming into streaks of light that swept straight out of the Ling family mansion and sped towards the Qingxuan Sect, leaving only Ling Kun in the courtyard, still overcome with excitement and bowing repeatedly to the sky.

The light faded, and the group appeared on Purple Bamboo Peak. The scenery before them suddenly opened up.

Ling Xi felt her entire body lighten as the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, so dense it was almost tangible, enveloped her like a warm tide.

This spiritual energy was incredibly pure, far exceeding her imagination. Every breath felt like inhaling and exhaling liquid spiritual marrow. Her limbs and bones experienced an indescribable comfort, and even the dormant Emperor Soul within her seemed to let out a soft groan of satisfaction.

Her pupils shrank slightly as she surveyed her surroundings in disbelief.

She saw emerald peaks overlapping and purple bamboo forming a dense forest. Among the rustling bamboo leaves, spiritual mist lingered, turning into wisps of ethereal vapor.

In the distance, the spiritual fields were neatly arranged. Precious herbs were blossoming, radiating various shimmering treasures' lights.

Further away, an ancient black tower stood quietly, its body flowing with a heart-palpitating ancient Dao aura.

The concentration of spiritual energy on the entire Purple Bamboo Peak was actually stronger than the core secret realm of her Imperial Court in her previous life!

Is... is this really just a branch peak of a sect?

Waves of shock surged in Ling Xi's heart. Such a heavenly paradise is actually controlled by a... Cave Heaven Realm Peak Master?

Her previous thoughts of temporarily taking shelter and borrowing resources to recover were severely shaken for the first time.

Cultivating here for a day would probably be comparable to a year in the outside world!

Gu Changge's voice interrupted her shock. He casually pointed to an empty patch of land near the spiritual fields with a decent view, his tone carrying a trace of natural laziness. "Hmm, from now on you will live... uh..."

He suddenly paused, as if just remembering something. He stroked his chin and said to Ling Xi, "Look at your master's memory. I'm used to being lazy, and there are few people on the peak, so I kept forgetting to build a few more houses. That empty space over there is pretty good. Just figure it out and build a bamboo hut yourself. There are plenty of materials in the purple bamboo forest on the back mountain."

Hearing this, Ling Xi froze completely, her breathtakingly beautiful face filled with astonishment.

Build a house herself?

She, the once peerless female emperor who ruled over billions of living beings, whose residences were all jade pavilions and starry shrines, had now joined a sect, and the very first thing she had to do was... chop bamboo and build a house with her own hands?!

This was completely different from the scene she had envisioned, where her master would bestow upon her a spiritual-energy-rich cave dwelling with clouds of servants!

Taking in a disciple meant even living arrangements had to be self-managed?

Gu Changge didn't seem to notice her petrified expression. He turned his head quite naturally and instructed his eldest and second disciples nearby, "Ruobai, Hanyu, lend your junior sister a hand later."

Hearing this, Xiao Ruobai revealed an honest smile that said I knew it, and patted his chest with practiced ease. "Don't worry, Master! Leave it to me!"

"Junior Sister, it's fine. You'll get used to it. When I first came to Purple Bamboo Peak, I also chopped bamboo and built my own house. It's quite sturdy!"

As he spoke, he pointed to a bamboo hut not far away that looked quite rough and solid, even carrying a bit of a war fortress style.

Fang Hanyu also nodded along and added a sentence, his tone revealing the calm of someone who had been there: "Me too."

Ling Xi was speechless.

She looked at her two senior brothers' accustomed, and even slightly nostalgic expressions, and then looked at her master's relaxed face that said it's settled then. For a moment, she was completely at a loss for words.

She took a deep breath of this overly dense spiritual energy, then looked at her future residence that needed to be built with her own hands, feeling a complex mix of emotions in her heart.

So, the configuration of this Purple Bamboo Peak was: top-tier cultivation environment, paired with... a self-built thatched cottage from a beginner's village?

This master's style of doing things was truly... unique.

While Ling Xi was still secretly grieving over her wildly styled bamboo hut fully crafted by her two senior brothers, trying hard to adapt to the huge contrast of top-tier environment plus self-built housing, Gu Changge had already strolled leisurely to the edge of the spiritual fields.

The Azure Sky Bull, Lao Huang, was lying next to a patch of exceptionally well-growing spiritual rice. Its huge bovine eyes were half-squinted, looking like it was enjoying a leisurely retirement.

But upon closer inspection, one could find that the muscles all over its body were actually slightly tense. The corner of its eye constantly and vigilantly glanced at Gu Changge's movements. This was a conditioned reflex cultivated from years of having its meat sliced off.

Gu Changge stood still in front of it, stroking his chin, his gaze sweeping over its sturdy brisket and tenderloin.

Lao Huang immediately shuddered. It let out a low moo from its throat, tinged with a bit of grievance and wariness. Its tail flicked uneasily, as if saying: A-again? Which piece are you cutting today? Can you be gentle?

However, Gu Changge suddenly laughed. He reached out and patted its broad back, his tone carrying a bit of teasing and a rare magnanimity.

"Alright, Lao Huang, don't put on that cowardly look. Don't worry, I won't eat your meat today."

Lao Huang's huge eyes widened abruptly, doubting if it had heard wrong. It even forgot to chew the spiritual grass in its mouth.

Gu Changge slowly added, "Recently, some readers have felt sorry for you. They say you diligently farm the fields, yet constantly get your meat sliced off, which is too tragic. So, we'll change our taste today."

Lao Huang froze for a moment. A trace of disbelief flashed through its huge eyes, followed immediately by an explosion of ecstatic light!

It jerked its head up, almost knocking over the nearby spiritual rice seedlings. It let out cheerful and loud moos from its throat, its tail spinning like a windmill. It wished it could roll around on the spot a few times to express its inner excitement.

Readers! Which kind-hearted readers! I, Lao Huang, thank you all! I will remember your great kindness and virtue! I finally don't have to suffer the knife!

After the ecstasy passed, Lao Huang's gaze subconsciously turned to the new face not far away—Ling Xi.

Its huge eyes blinked, carrying a hint of curiosity and scrutiny.

This newly arrived little girl looked to have delicate skin and tender meat, and her cultivation was also very weak... Could the change of taste Gu Changge mentioned refer to this?

It couldn't help but lick its nose, its eyes unexpectedly revealing an apologetic look.

Stared at by this Azure Sky Bull with a profound aura and eyes that suddenly turned a bit greedy, Ling Xi felt a chill in her heart and subconsciously took half a step back.

Why is this bull's look so strange?

Gu Changge took one look at Lao Huang's expression and immediately knew that the old ox had gotten the wrong idea. Exasperated, he flicked his finger, shooting out a wisp of energy that lightly struck Lao Huang on the nose.

"What are you thinking about! This is my new disciple, Lingxi."

Lao Huang let out a pained moo and shook his head in grievance. The greedy look in his eyes instantly morphed into sudden realization, followed by a trace of embarrassment.

So it was a new little disciple. He had almost completely misunderstood!

He quickly blinked his bell-sized eyes at Lingxi in what he assumed was a friendly manner to welcome her. However, no matter how one looked at it, his smile was somewhat terrifying.