Gu Changyuan's Enlightenment

Luo Qingchen paused, seemingly finding it hard to speak, but under Gu Changyuan's encouraging gaze, she continued:

"Previously in the Outer Realm, when Eldest Senior Sister and the others fell into desperate straits, I... I felt like I couldn't do anything.

I could only watch helplessly as Eldest Senior Sister was besieged and injured, watch as Senior Sister Yue suffered a soul backlash and coughed up blood, watch as they fell into danger...

In the end, even when Eldest Senior Sister wanted to burn her own life force to save us, I could only watch.

I... I felt like I couldn't offer any substantial help at all."

As she spoke, she lowered her head, looking at her dangling, swinging toes.

"And regarding the refinement of the Sacred Bone this time... I was the last one to finish.

My senior brothers and sisters, even the few senior sisters who started refining after me, were all faster than me.

Am I... am I too stupid? Is my talent... actually not as good as I thought? Was it only because you kindly took me in, Master, that I have what I do today..."

Luo Qingchen's voice grew lower and lower, until it was almost inaudible at the end.

She still tried hard to maintain a smile on her face, but that smile revealed a sense of bitterness and loneliness, and the light in her eyes had dimmed significantly.

Gu Changyuan listened quietly, instantly understanding in his heart.

So that was it... This silly girl had fallen into the mental attrition brought about by a typical "post-war psychological gap" and "comparison psychology."

Normally, when facing the threat of external enemies, shouldering responsibilities, or having clear goals, they would push their potential and focus to the limit, rarely having the time for such self-doubt and comparison.

But now, the situation was different.

He had returned.

This greatest goal they had pursued and waited a thousand years for had suddenly been realized.

The strength he displayed made them realize that the greatest external threats no longer seemed to be a problem.

When immense external pressure and clear goals suddenly disappeared or weakened, the inner scales easily lost their balance.

The taut string had loosened, and those suppressed thoughts about their own inadequacies easily reared their heads.

They would unconsciously begin to measure themselves against higher standards, magnify their "sense of powerlessness" during crises, compare their "progress" in cultivation, and thus fall into a vicious cycle of self-doubt.

This kind of mindset was by no means a trivial matter for cultivators.

It might just be a temporary emotional low, from which they could quickly emerge relying on their own willpower.

But it could also take root and sprout like a seed, being continuously reinforced when encountering other setbacks later on, eventually evolving into an inner demon that hindered their Dao path, or even leading to Qi deviation.

This was precisely one of the reasons why Gu Changyuan always paid close attention to his disciples' states, to prevent such situations from occurring.

He did not immediately refute her words, nor did he directly say things like "you are great."

Instead, he slightly raised his head and also looked at the bright moon, as if recalling something.

"Qingchen."

He spoke slowly, his voice peaceful and distant.

"Do you know? Back then, when I first saw you under this tree, you were covered in blood, your wings were broken, and you couldn't even stand steadily."

Luo Qingchen blanked slightly, looking up at her master's profile.

"But your eyes, I remember them very clearly."

Gu Changyuan turned his head, his gaze meeting hers.

"That was not despair, nor was it surrender.

It was unwillingness, it was anger, it was the ruthlessness to bite the enemy even if you only had one last breath left."

"That disposition, that indestructible resilience even in desperate straits, was the most important reason why I favored you and decided to take you as my disciple.

Talent? Bloodline? Those are certainly important, but in your master's eyes, an indomitable, pure, and resolute heart is the true foundation leading to the Great Dao."

A ripple appeared in Luo Qingchen's eyes, seemingly brought back to that distant and blurry memory fragment.

"As for the matter in the Outer Realm,"

Gu Changyuan's tone turned serious.

"Did you think your 'Holy Light Purification' was useless? You're wrong.

If not for your timely healing, Qingxue's injuries would have worsened faster, and Lingxi's soul backlash would have been even more severe.

Did you think that in battle, only swinging a sword and charging forward counts as contributing? Support, healing, crowd control, boosting morale...

Every role is indispensable and crucial.

Without your Holy Light, they might not have held on until I arrived."

"As for the speed of refining the Sacred Bone..."

A smile curled at the corners of Gu Changyuan's mouth.

"Do you think faster is better?

Different Sacred Bones contain different Great Daos, and the digestion time for different Great Daos varies.

Refining a Sacred Bone too quickly leads to an unstable foundation and shallow comprehension, which is actually a disaster.

Therefore, the speed of its refinement is not a standard for judging ability at all. On the contrary, it shows that you took it seriously enough.

Your disposition is steady. You have been carefully polishing yourself, integrating the origin of the Sacred Bone into your bloodline bit by bit, nourishing your demon core without a trace of impatience."

He reached out and gently patted Luo Qingchen's shoulder, his touch gentle yet firm.

"Qingchen, do not compare your shortcomings with others' strengths, and even more so, do not use a momentary 'sense of powerlessness' to deny your thousand years of hard work and growth.

Your path is different from others; there is no need for comparison.

Just be yourself, play to your strengths, and firm your Dao heart. That is enough."

"Remember, you are a disciple personally chosen by your master, the Third Seat of the Sky Demon Pavilion.

Your value does not need to be proven to anyone, nor does it need to be compared with anyone."

Luo Qingchen listened quietly, the confusion and loneliness in her eyes gradually dissipating.

She took a deep breath of the cool night breeze, then slowly exhaled.

The bitter smile on her face finally transformed into a relieved and slightly embarrassed, radiant smile.

"Master..."

She turned her head to look at Gu Changyuan, with a hint of coquettishness and gratitude.

"Have you secretly learned how to coax girls? You spoke so well... I almost believed it."

Gu Changyuan couldn't help but laugh:

"Your master is just telling the truth."

"Thank you, Master."

Luo Qingchen said softly, her tone sincere and gentle.

"I... I think I feel much better."

......

The next day, before the thin morning mist had completely dispersed, the Sky Demon Pavilion erupted with earth-shattering spiritual energy fluctuations.

With the Sky Demon Tower as the absolute center, a massive, super three-dimensional array network that covered nearly half of the Sky Demon Pavilion's core area solidified and unfolded simultaneously on the ground and in the sky above the pavilion.

It was precisely the grand teleportation array set up here by Gu Changyuan.

From then on, Gu Changyuan could freely return to the Sky Demon Pavilion through the teleportation array. The basic principle was similar to that of the Heavenly Human Holy Land.

It met the array's spiritual energy requirements through the spirit veins, replenishing the depletion after teleportation.

The magnificent sight of the grand array being successfully activated naturally attracted the gazes of all the Sky Demon Pavilion disciples.

It also prompted the ten Demon Ancestors, who had just finished their cultivation and consolidated their realms, as well as Ye Qingxue and the other two women, to rush to the Sky Demon Tower at the first opportunity.

Gu Changyuan's figure slowly walked out from the fading light of the array, his aura steady.

"Master!" The disciples gathered around, their faces filled with excitement.

Such a miraculous array, in their eyes, was yet another clear proof of their master's vast magical powers.

Gu Changyuan nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the disciples as he spoke:

"The grand formation is complete. Traveling back and forth will be much more convenient from now on. However, there are still matters to attend to."

"First, we must deal with the Myriad Demon League and resolve that nuisance once and for all. After that, I will head to the Demon Realm to find Mo Yingluo and the others, settling the lingering ties with the Heavenly Demon Sect."

Hearing that their Master would personally take action against the Myriad Demon League, the spirits of all the demon disciples were greatly roused.