Volume Two – The Map of the Nine Provinces Appears, Entering the Spiritual Ruins Chapter 66 – Xiao Gu’s Night Visit

Chen Yu finished his cultivation and hurriedly stepped forward to pay his respects. “Greetings, Senior Brother Xiao Gu.”

Xiao Gu nodded with a smile. “Junior Brother is in good spirits today.”

“It’s merely a pastime during leisure hours, nothing for Senior Brother to mind,” Chen Yu replied with a laugh. “Has Senior Brother come to collect the spiritual grain?”

Xiao Gu gave a soft hum, and under Chen Yu’s guidance, walked to a storeroom where the season’s harvest of spiritual grain was kept.

Xiao Gu swept his gaze over the room and, with a brief gesture, seemed to have gauged the quantity.

“Not bad, Junior Brother. This season’s yield meets the requirements.”

Chen Yu nodded slightly and turned to another junior brother nearby. “Please, Junior Brother Xue Yi.”

“You... you remember me?” Xue Yi looked at him in surprise, not expecting Chen Yu to recognize him. Although they had entered the Spirit Ruins at the same time, there had been no real conversation between them.

Xiao Gu also glanced over curiously, then quickly understood. “Oh, you met during the assessment.”

Chen Yu smiled calmly. “Not exactly; I only know Xue Yi’s elder brother, Xue Ren.”

“You know my second brother?” Xue Yi asked in astonishment as he produced a cloth bag and absorbed all twenty stones of spiritual grain.

Chen Yu replied, “We met once.”

Though Xue Xin and Xue Ren had only recently become outer sect disciples, Xiao Gu was familiar with them. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have brought Xue Yi along.

Before leaving, Xiao Gu gave Chen Yu a meaningful glance.

Chen Yu noticed but did not dwell on it.

He rested as usual, but as night fell, a faint sound came from outside his room. He frowned, thinking, “Who would come so late? Who could it be?”

Knock, knock, knock... The tapping echoed, followed by Xiao Gu’s voice. “Is Junior Brother Chen Yu inside?”

Chen Yu’s brows rose in surprise. “It’s him?”

He quickly rose, opened the door, and saw only Xiao Gu. “Senior Brother Xiao Gu, what brings you here at this hour? Is there something urgent?”

Xiao Gu smiled. “Will Junior Brother not invite me in for a seat?”

Chen Yu smiled awkwardly and hastily welcomed him. “Please, Senior Brother!”

Xiao Gu took a sip of tea, glanced around, and remarked, “Junior Brother’s place is rather unique.”

“You jest, Senior Brother. This humble dwelling is quite simple,” Chen Yu replied, all the while pondering Xiao Gu’s reason for visiting.

Was it suspicion aroused by his cultivation earlier? Yet Xiao Gu didn’t seem to bear any malice. Still, caution was necessary.

They exchanged a few casual words before Xiao Gu spoke openly. “Truth be told, I have a favor to ask of you tonight.”

Chen Yu was startled, then smiled wryly. “Senior Brother, you jest—how could I be worthy of such a request?”

Xiao Gu coughed lightly and spoke solemnly. “I believe you’ve heard of the task announced in the great hall?”

Chen Yu froze in surprise. “You mean—?”

“Indeed, Junior Brother Chen Yu. You are perceptive. I am the one who posted that task,” Xiao Gu said.

Chen Yu stared at him in shock for a long moment before asking, “So your purpose tonight is to ask me...”

“Exactly! I hope you’ll lend me your aid,” Xiao Gu replied. “Frankly, the idea came to me after seeing your sword technique earlier today.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Yu understood the gist but put on a somber expression. “But with my current cultivation, I fear I’m not much help to you.”

Chen Yu’s sole focus was to break through to the eighth breath of his dantian, pass the outer sect disciple trial, and not risk his life for a few Spirit Gathering Pills. Thus, he decisively declined.

Xiao Gu seemed to discern Chen Yu’s thoughts and spoke plainly. “Junior Brother, I recall when you first became a menial disciple, you possessed only six breaths in your dantian. Now, in less than a year, you’ve reached the eighth. Surely your ambition exceeds the rank of a menial disciple?”

Chen Yu raised his brows, thinking that since he’d been seen through, there was no need to hide. “Senior Brother, you’re right—I do have some aspirations.”

“Haha... In that case, you should agree to help me,” Xiao Gu said with a laugh.

Chen Yu regarded him with meaningful eyes.

“The outer sect disciple trial is no easy matter,” Xiao Gu said candidly. “Perhaps you truly have the ability to pass, but do you have the qualification to participate?”

“What do you mean?” Chen Yu’s heart tightened.

“To join the outer sect trial, you must have the steward’s approval,” Xiao Gu explained. “And with your talent, after only a year in the Spirit Ruins, questions about your origins are inevitable.”

Chen Yu understood, and did not doubt Xiao Gu’s words. In fact, it was only logical. This was also what worried him.

Moreover, he had no desire to linger among menial disciples for several more years.

“Does Senior Brother Xiao Gu have a solution?” Since Xiao Gu raised the issue, he must have a way to help.

“If you help me obtain the spiritual herb, I will take care of this matter for you,” Xiao Gu continued. “Besides the five Spirit Gathering Pills from the task, if you slay the serpent demon, all its blood and flesh will be yours.”

Chen Yu pondered for a moment, then straightened. “Very well—since Senior Brother places such trust in me, I shall accept.”

“Excellent! My thanks, Junior Brother,” Xiao Gu exclaimed, rising with delight and clasping his hands. “Three days from now, I’ll return to meet you.”

After Xiao Gu departed, Chen Yu’s mood grew heavy. With his current strength, caution was essential.

It seemed that mastering only the Dragon-Taming and Tiger-Subduing techniques was insufficient for facing enemies. He needed a method of self-protection.

Before long, Chen Yu selected the Instant Bloom technique from the Thirty-Six Heavenly Fiends methods. Once deployed, it would appear as a thousand golden blossoms above his head, shielding him.

Yet Chen Yu was unsure if he could master it in just three days.

Given the circumstances, hesitation was not an option—he had to do his utmost.

The Instant Bloom method surged through Chen Yu’s mind, evolving continuously. Unconsciously, he began to practice it, channeling spiritual energy into a dim radiance that wove a golden robe around him. The robe’s glow grew ever brighter, finally transforming into a thousand golden flowers that draped about him.

Chen Yu was stunned, then cried out in joy, “I’ve succeeded?”

“Hmm... is it already daylight?” Only then did Chen Yu realize it was midday.

“So I gained enlightenment overnight.” He smiled contentedly.