Hidden in the Shadows

Bai Xuanling walked up to Chu Xingchen, looked him up and down, and asked slowly,

"How is your recovery coming along?"

Chu Xingchen chuckled and nodded in response, "Much better than expected."

These were not words of comfort, but the truth.

Although his own cultivation had dropped significantly and he hadn't cultivated at all himself, the cultivation feedback from his disciples during this period hadn't diminished in the slightest.

Especially from Li Yingling and Li Xingtian, who were in the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

Chen Baiqing had been cultivating less recently, so the feedback she provided wasn't substantial.

Setting the rest aside for now, just the spiritual energy and Dao rhythm origin feedback from those two was rapidly repairing his current injuries.

With two late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators fueling a Nascent Soul cultivator's cultivation, if it weren't for the fact that his depleted origin needed replenishing, he estimated he could have swiftly returned to the Soul Formation realm first.

Especially Yun Li, the one who had newly inherited the title of cultivation maniac.

This Golden Core snake cultivator disciple, recognized by the system, was cultivating day and night. Though the quantity of her feedback was small, the quality was exceptionally good.

Injuries that would normally take an unknown amount of time to heal, upon careful calculation, probably wouldn't take much longer.

The fact that his cultivation had fallen was something that couldn't be hidden anyway, given the many Tribulation Transcendence cultivators from major sects present at the time.

It was likely that the various sects were continuously evaluating his condition.

In the past, although the Profound Heaven Sect of Purity hadn't explicitly stated that Chu Xingchen was their recognized Child of Destiny, all their practical actions expressed exactly that.

Every sect had their own judgments; some believed it, while others didn't.

However, regarding the incident in the Western Bull Continent, Chu Xingchen was able to link with the Heavenly Tribulation. No matter how one looked at it, such a cultivator could not be judged by common sense.

At the very least, his status as the Child of Destiny was unassailable.

Chu Xingchen also had his own calculations. His disciples were all favored children of heaven. In terms of cultivation talent, disciples like Li Yingling were in no way inferior to core disciples like Yan Yun and Xu Jin.

At most, what they lacked was an unlimited supply of resources.

But even with an unlimited supply of resources, one would still be limited by the bottlenecks of an individual cultivator's cultivation.

Chu Xingchen, however, had no such limitations.

Not to mention, the resources his disciples currently had weren't lacking by much either.

Once his injuries were completely healed, his depleted origin would be compensated by the system's feedback.

After that, Chu Xingchen's cultivation would increase at an extremely fast pace.

Although it would be slower than his direct cultivation increases of the past, it would still be a rapid improvement at a speed incomprehensible to the world.

This time, it was Chu Xingchen's turn to hide in the dark and step out of the public eye.

When he appeared again, he would surely give the world a pleasant surprise.

Chu Xingchen looked at Bai Xuanling and checked her status using the system's traits.

[Target: Bai Xuanling]

[Cultivation: Pseudo True Immortal Realm]

[Orange Trait: Immortal's Bearing]

[Purple Trait: Decisive in Killing]

[Purple Trait: Combat Instinct]

[Blue Trait: Astute and Quick-Witted]

[White Trait: True Self Allegiance]

Pseudo True Immortal realm?

Chu Xingchen tilted his head slightly in recollection. He had studied the Heavenly Tribulation before, and there was no mention of anything being pseudo or not. Could it be that one had to ascend to the Immortal Realm first to reach the True Immortal realm?

Perhaps she was missing a breath of immortal energy from the upper realm?

In the Heavenly Tribulation he had presided over, he had opened the back door so wide it was practically flying off its hinges; naturally, there was no way she could have failed to ascend.

Chu Xingchen pondered for a moment, then chuckled and asked, "I thought you had ascended in broad daylight."

Bai Xuanling raised an eyebrow and asked in return,

"Are you blaming me for not coming to see you these past few days?"

"Since you haven't ascended, naturally I am a little." Chu Xingchen nodded in strong agreement, then pressed further, "Has the auspicious day not yet arrived?"

Looking at Chu Xingchen's questioning expression, Bai Xuanling said calmly,

"The Heavenly Dao is flawed. Even if one ascends, there is no path forward. I suppose the great tribulation has not yet completely settled, so I need to wait."

Chu Xingchen nodded gently. Since the Heavenly Dao had even halted ascensions, leaving so many Tribulation Transcendence cultivators in this world, then it was highly likely that it wouldn't easily permit the existence of True Immortals, who represented the strongest combat power.

To truly and completely ascend, one would probably really have to wait until the great tribulation had passed.

It would be another long period of time.

Bai Xuanling stood in place for a moment. Seeing that Chu Xingchen didn't press the matter any further, her expression relaxed as she said,

"In this world, I suppose I am truly invincible now."

"I'll still need a big shot like you to cover me."

A relaxed smile appeared on Bai Xuanling's face, and she replied very quickly,

"Naturally. Who in the outside world doesn't know that you are under the protection of this banished immortal?"

Since Chu Xingchen was willing to pay such a huge price, how could she be someone stingy and ungrateful?

This could be considered exchanging true sincerity for true sincerity.

Holding a cup of juice in her hands, Qinghe couldn't quite understand what the two of them were talking about for a moment.

What ascending in broad daylight, and what did this banished immortal mean?

It couldn't possibly be that Grandma Bai had become a True Immortal and survived the Heavenly Tribulation, could it?

The idea that Grandma Bai had flown through the Heavenly Tribulation in the time it took her to undergo a secluded bitter cultivation to reach the Soul Formation realm was simply too absurd.

Not to mention, after ascending, one was supposed to go to the Immortal Realm.

Qinghe sipped her juice, looking at Chu Xingchen and Grandma Bai with clear eyes.

She decided to just treat it as the two of them blowing their own trumpets, or perhaps they were speaking in some kind of code.

Or maybe she would secretly ask someone later about what exactly happened during her secluded cultivation.

In any case, asking here probably wouldn't do her any good, and she would just end up being called stupid by the two of them.

The more Qinghe thought about it, the more she felt her brain was getting smarter.

Chu Xingchen propped himself up and chuckled,

"When I passed out, I thought I wouldn't see you when I opened my eyes. Since we meet again..."

As Chu Xingchen spoke, he took out a small flask of Spring Warmth wine from his spatial ring, poured two shallow cups, handed one to Bai Xuanling, and then laughed heartily,

"Everything is said in the wine."

Holding the cup in her hand, the corners of Bai Xuanling's mouth curled into a smile, and they lightly clinked their cups.

Xie Lingyu could only watch with a helpless expression as Chu Xingchen downed it all in one gulp.

Fortunately, Chu Xingchen still knew his limits. He only had this one shallow little cup and didn't pour another.

One was his master, the other his Dao companion.

Neither of them was the sort to give one peace of mind.

Bai Xuanling used her spiritual energy to set the wine cup back down and said softly,

"Just rest and recuperate well here. Now that I am free of burdens, you can leave the extra matters to me."

"As if I would be polite about it," Chu Xingchen lazily lay back down. "I've been worked to the bone recently. A lazy person like me has long been exhausted beyond belief. Even if you asked me to manage things, I wouldn't."

Bai Xuanling didn't say much more, merely offering a smile.

Things being like this was quite good, actually.

The situation outside was unusually chaotic, with every faction probing for intelligence.

After confirming that Chu Xingchen was fine, the Profound Heaven Sect of Purity didn't even send anyone over, but instead waited quietly.

At this moment, only by doing absolutely nothing could they ensure that those trying to make guesses wouldn't obtain any information.

Xu Jin was also wrapping up the aftermath, while Daoist Yuyang had long since returned to the Supreme Dao Sect to break through his realm.

It would probably be after Daoist Yuyang successfully broke through his realm that Xu Jin would come to the Heavenly Evolution Sect together with Daoist Yuyang.

Matters could be considered to have temporarily come to a close.

Naturally, it was Bai Xuanling's turn to shoulder a portion of the remaining pressure.

To the side.

Chen Baiqing saw Qinghe staring eagerly at the nourishing soup she had brewed, estimating that if she dawdled any longer, Qinghe would start drooling.

She wasn't stingy, so she scooped a bowl for Qinghe as well.

This action also earned her a praise from Qinghe—"Little Baiqing is the best."

Chen Baiqing's gaze then calmly shifted toward Bai Xuanling.

Sensing the gaze, Bai Xuanling looked back.

Immediately after.

Both of them revealed a smile.