What You're About to Break Through to the Saint Realm

The next morning, the mist in the sect's forbidden area at the back mountain had not yet fully dispersed. The five stone peaks, shaped like a hand, gleamed with a cold, pale-grey light in the morning sun.

The five patriarchs maintained their cross-legged meditative postures, their snow-white hair and beards draped over their shoulders, their breathing as faint as candles in the wind.

But if one looked closely, they could see the eyeballs beneath their eyelids quietly moving. Five imperceptible streams of divine sense collided in mid-air, striking soundless sparks.

"How many days has it been? Why hasn't Xiao Xuanzi come yet?"

The Third Patriarch's withered fingers tapped lightly on his knee, his divine sense brimming with irrepressible impatience.

"Last time he said he'd bring good things, but he got blocked by the barrier and vanished. Don't tell me he forgot?"

A very light cough escaped the Fifth Patriarch's throat, a trace of expectation flashing in his seemingly drowsy eyes.

"Yeah, what do you think the good things he mentioned are? If he dares to forget, I'll definitely give him a few knocks on the head when he comes in."

The Second Patriarch slowly shook his head, his divine sense carrying a bit of complaint.

"It's all your fault. Last time you insisted on reinforcing the barrier, and ended up blocking him out. Now look, we didn't get the stuff, and we have to wait here for nothing."

"How was I supposed to know he'd come at such a coincidental time!"

The First Patriarch's divine sense carried a bit of awkwardness.

The Fourth Patriarch suddenly let out a "Huh?" and looked toward the restriction light screen at the foot of the stone peaks.

A faint ripple was spreading there, and a familiar spiritual energy fluctuation was cautiously approaching, carrying a hint of probing.

At this moment, Xuanyangzi and Gu Changge were at the entrance of the forbidden area.

Xuanyangzi, with an earnest tone, told Gu Changge, "The patriarchs fought continuous fierce battles back then to protect the sect, damaging their foundations. They are very weak now."

"I sent them some spiritual tea last time; I don't know if it had any effect on them."

As Xuanyangzi spoke to Gu Changge, he gently released his spiritual energy to sense the movements of the patriarchs inside the forbidden area, afraid of disturbing their cultivation again.

Gu Changge felt the vigorous vitality within the patriarchs in the forbidden area and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

What a bunch of old foxes, completely fooling the sect master.

He wondered what the sect master's reaction would be when he found out their true condition. Thinking of this, Gu Changge couldn't help but feel somewhat expectant.

"He's coming, he's coming!"

The Third Patriarch instantly perked up. His previously hunched back quietly straightened half an inch, and even the beard hanging on his chest curled up slightly.

"I told you this kid wouldn't dare forget!"

The Fifth Patriarch quickly restrained his aura, reassuming that oil-exhausted, lamp-dry appearance, except for the uncontrollable smile hidden in the wrinkles at the corners of his mouth.

"Keep it down, don't let him see any flaws."

Outside the light screen, Xuanyangzi held a heavy jade box, standing on tiptoe and peering up at the stone peaks.

Seeing that the barrier didn't pop up a shield like last time, he breathed a sigh of relief and tiptoed through the light screen.

The five patriarchs on the stone peaks suddenly opened their eyes. Their muddy eyes instantly burst with sharp light, their gazes sticking to Gu Changge like searchlights.

"Is... isn't this that kid from Purple Bamboo Peak?"

The Third Patriarch's divine sense crashed like stormy waves in mid-air. They had secretly watched him countless times, but had never examined him at such close range.

Gu Changge's spiritual energy was as restrained as a deep pool, but when his eyes swept over the stone peaks, even the flow of spiritual veins within the rock layers seemed to be seen through, making the patriarchs' hearts inexplicably tighten.

The First Patriarch was the first to steady his mind. He coughed dryly twice and closed his eyes again, though the fingers stroking his beard trembled slightly.

When they were entrusted by Daoist Zizhu to look after the Azure Profound Sect, they never expected this junior to hide so deeply. The spiritual tea, spiritual marrow, and various other treasures Xuanyangzi had delivered before all came from his hands.

Gu Changge walked up the stone steps to the stone peak, cupped his hands in greeting to the five patriarchs, his voice as clear as clashing jade: "Changge greets the patriarchs."

"You... why did you come personally?"

The Fifth Patriarch suddenly sat up straight, his previously hunched body standing as tall as a pine.

He was about to reach out to pull Gu Changge when he suddenly remembered his "persona," hurriedly pulling his hand back and rubbing his fingertips on his knee, though the fiery look in his eyes couldn't be hidden.

The other four patriarchs also "awakened" one after another, their eyes circling the food box in Gu Changge's hand, the sound of their rolling Adam's apples exceptionally clear on the silent stone peak.

Watching them clearly craving it yet insisting on putting on the airs of seniors, Gu Changge found it secretly amusing: "Just keep pretending; do you really think I can't tell?"

He placed the food box on the stone table, lifted the lid, and smiled: "I heard the patriarchs have been working hard at comprehending the Dao lately. Changge doesn't have anything great, just brought some ordinary meat and weak wine."

As soon as the contents of the food box were revealed, the five patriarchs' eyes instantly widened—

On the left plate was neatly sliced beef brisket, glowing with a faint golden light, with chaos-colored airflow lingering between the muscle textures. It was exactly from the Azure Heaven Bull.

On the right plate was flood dragon meat, each piece layered with fat and lean, carrying a faint trace of dragon might.

Pressed at the very bottom was a black pottery wine jar, the talisman paper sealing the mouth glowing faintly. It was the "Drunken Immortal Dew" Gu Changge obtained from signing in, containing boundless energy.

"This... this is..." The Second Patriarch's fingers were trembling. Having lived for so many years, when had he ever seen such pure beast meat?

Just smelling it made the spiritual energy in his dantian start to riot madly.

Gu Changge acted as if he didn't see their loss of composure. He took the beef brisket and placed it on the iron plate over the stone stove. With a "sizzle," golden grease splattered, and the meaty aroma mixed with spiritual energy instantly filled the air.

He then took out a jade knife, sliced the flood dragon meat thinly, and arranged it on a saucer with spiritual pepper paste.

Finally, with a "smack," he broke the sealing talisman of the wine jar. The moment the amber liquid poured into the jade bowl, it turned into specks of starlight swirling in the bowl, the rich wine aroma carrying energy fluctuations that would make even a King Realm expert palpitate.

"Have a taste?"

Gu Changge pushed a bowl of wine in front of the First Patriarch.

The First Patriarch's Adam's apple bobbed up and down. No longer caring about putting on airs, he picked up the bowl and poured it down his throat.

The moment the wine hit his throat, brilliant golden light suddenly erupted from his body.

"Good wine!"

The First Patriarch snatched the wine jar, poured himself another full bowl, his eyes frighteningly bright. His peak Quasi-Saint aura actually faintly advanced due to the power of this wine.

How could the other four patriarchs still hold back?

The Third Patriarch grabbed a piece of beef brisket and stuffed it into his mouth, blowing air from the heat but refusing to let go. As it slid down his throat, his peak King Realm spiritual energy actually loosened at this moment.

The Fifth Patriarch hugged the saucer of flood dragon meat, eating until his mouth was covered in oil. His previously greying hair actually gained black strands, his vigorous vitality looking nothing like someone nearing the end of their lifespan.

The Second Patriarch and Fourth Patriarch fought over the wine jar, the crisp sound of the jar's mouth colliding mixing with laughter. With such strong grips, where was there any trace of the frailty of the "dying of old age"?

Xuanyangzi stood to the side, dumbfounded, the jade box in his hands dropping to the ground with a "clack."

He finally realized—no wonder they still looked like they were at death's door despite being sent so many good things.

At first, Xuanyangzi thought it was because the patriarchs' foundations were too severely damaged back then.

Only now did he discover that these old guys weren't at the end of their ropes at all! They were clearly playing the fool here, waiting for him to deliver treasures to their door!

"You... you..."

Xuanyangzi pointed at the ravenously eating patriarchs, so furious he was speechless. His face was plastered with the shock of someone realizing, I cannot believe I was kept in the dark for so long!

Gu Changge added another piece of beef brisket to the iron griddle. Looking at Xuanyangzi's flushed face, he chuckled, "This is what you get for being so secretive all the time. You even hid the fact from the sect that you were just one step away from breaking through to the Saint Realm. Now you finally know what it feels like to be kept in the dark, don't you?"

Xuanyangzi whipped his head around to stare at Gu Changge. His eyes were as wide as saucers. Pointing at his own nose, his voice rose an entire octave.

"What? You actually knew I was about to break through to the Saint Realm!"

"What? You are about to break through to the Saint Realm?"

The five patriarchs blurted out in unison. The shock in their voices was even more intense than Xuanyangzi's when he had caught them fighting over the food just moments ago.