Chapter 48: Red Lotus Departs

Chen Xuan arrived above the martial arts training ground and observed the sparring match between Chu Lingyun and Hongluan.

Neither of their cultivation levels had broken through to the Golden Core stage yet, but both had mastered quite a few cultivation techniques, and their combat experience had become much richer.

"Junior Sister, you'd better go back and practice more."

With a narrow victory over Hongluan, Chu Lingyun proudly lifted her graceful neck and declared, "Tonight's duty is still mine."

"It was just a narrow win," Hongluan huffed.

"Master!"

Suddenly, Chu Lingyun spotted Chen Xuan, clad in white, floating in the air, and immediately called out to him with excitement.

"Mm."

Chen Xuan descended in front of the two, casting an appreciative gaze at them. "Competition is a good thing, but you must never harm your fellow-disciple ties."

"Understood, Master~"

Having spent a long time with Chen Xuan, Chu Lingyun understood his temperament. She stepped forward, linked her arm through his, and replied in a spoiled, coquettish tone.

"Master,"

Watching the two of them, Hongluan spoke up, "This disciple has a request."

"What is it?" Chen Xuan asked.

"This disciple wishes to leave the Xuandan Sect for a period of time," Hongluan said.

"You're leaving?"

Chu Lingyun was immensely surprised. Wasn't it just because she failed to snatch the task of warming Master's bed? To actually want to leave over that—could she be trying to win Master's sympathy?

"Why? Do you feel that your master has treated you unfairly?"

Chen Xuan was also quite puzzled. Hongluan was a golden-tier Child of Fortune, and her filial piety value toward him was close to 100 points, contributing at least ten years of cultivation to him every day. He was certainly reluctant to let her leave.

"Of course not," Hongluan shook her head. "I have benefited immensely within the Xuandan Sect, and Master even bestowed upon me a sacred artifact. You have not treated this disciple unfairly at all."

"Then why?"

"This disciple has been away from the empire for too long and wishes to return and take a look," Hongluan explained.

Her true identity was the Empress of the Great Xia Empire. The reason she had originally come to the Xuandan Sect was because her strength was weak, making it impossible for her to control the actual power of the empire. She needed to secretly cultivate forces to counterbalance other members of the Great Xia royal family and the three major sects under their command.

Now, the three major sects had fallen into decline. Moreover, she now wielded a sacred artifact in her hands. Therefore, she desired to return to the Great Xia Empire and retake the reins of real power.

Hearing Hongluan's explanation, Chen Xuan had a sudden realization.

Although Hongluan was young, her character showed that she was different from Chu Lingyun. Chu Lingyun came from an ordinary background and grew up concerned with the mundane trivialities of daily life, knowing only how to secure her next meal, and thus lacked grand and lofty ambitions. Hongluan, on the other hand, was born into the royal family and shouldered the responsibility of revitalizing the empire.

However, if Hongluan left, he would lose at least ten years of cultivation per day.

Yet, after careful consideration, Chen Xuan nodded in agreement.

From the incidents involving Su Yu and Yun Zhiqui, Chen Xuan had understood one crucial truth: a Child of Fortune was a Child of Fortune not merely because of their extraordinary constitution, spiritual roots, or comprehension, but largely because they were capable of encountering opportunities that others could never reach.

Opportunities were the very reason that forged them into Children of Fortune.

Hongluan possessed golden-tier fortune. But if she remained constantly guarded by his side, she would never be able to encounter her own destined opportunities.

Therefore, rather than forcefully keeping her by his side, it was better to let her go. As long as her filial piety remained steadfast, wouldn't waiting for her to bring her opportunities back to him be far more bountiful than the mere passive increase in cultivation?

"Very well," Chen Xuan nodded. "Since you wish to return, go back together with Li Rou. In addition, go to the Treasure Pavilion and select a few defensive magical treasures suitable for yourselves."

He was letting Hongluan go seek her fortune, but he couldn't let her die out there. After all, she was a golden-tier Child of Fortune. Li Rou was at the Soul Formation stage and possessed a sacred artifact; ordinary people wouldn't be able to harm them.

"Thank you, Master!" Hongluan cheered.

She had previously been somewhat worried that Chen Xuan wouldn't grant her leave, never expecting that not only would he let her go, but he would also gift her defensive magical treasures.

"Sect Master, then I shall take my leave as well."

Li Rou's gaze was filled with reluctance. During this period, she had become completely captivated by Chen Xuan's charm, and she had vowed in her heart to win him over in this lifetime, even if it were only for a single night. But since Hongluan was leaving, she had to protect her.

Watching the two depart, Chu Lingyun felt a surge of great joy.

With this, no one would compete with her for the bed-warming duty anymore.

"Look at your Junior Sister. You should go out and train yourself through practical experience as well," Chen Xuan said, looking at the beaming Chu Lingyun.

"Master," Chu Lingyun whined coquettishly, "this disciple only wants to stay by Master's side..."

Chen Xuan was speechless. He had long since noticed that Chu Lingyun's mindset had become somewhat skewed. She loved nothing more than clinging to him every single day. Previously, with Hongluan and Chu Lingyun competing against each other, Chu Lingyun still remembered to go out and train to improve her cultivation. But now that Hongluan had left, there was no one left to compete with her.

If this continued, given Chu Lingyun's temperament, she would inevitably let her cultivation stagnate. And she possessed golden-tier fortune, too!

"Starting from today, you will only be allowed to enter my dwelling once you have completed a task worth 50,000 contribution points," Chen Xuan said with a sudden, serious tone.

"What? Fifty thousand?"

Chu Lingyun wailed in despair. An ordinary sect task yielded only a few contribution points, while a larger one might grant a few thousand. Fifty thousand contribution points meant she would need at least several months to accumulate them.

That meant she could only warm her master's bed once every few months...

"However," Chen Xuan's tone shifted, "once your cultivation reaches the Nascent Soul stage, Master will grant you any single request of your choosing."

"Any single request!"

Chu Lingyun's eyes lit up, and she asked in pleasant surprise, "Really? As long as my cultivation reaches the Nascent Soul stage, I can make any request I want?"

"Of course," Chen Xuan chuckled.

Reaching the Nascent Soul stage was no easy feat. Even though Chu Lingyun possessed golden-tier fortune and defying aptitude, advancing from the peak of Foundation Establishment to the Nascent Soul stage would still take at least several decades.

"It's a deal!"

Chu Lingyun jumped up with excitement, a fully formed request already taking root in her heart.

"Why aren't you going yet?" Chen Xuan flicked her forehead lightly.

"Yes!" Chu Lingyun skipped away happily.

Chen Xuan could only laugh at himself. What kind of disciple had he ended up with? He merely wanted her to show her filial piety to him, yet she was plotting to...

"I wonder what Luo Hao has been up to lately?"

Chen Xuan took out the Immortal's Tomb key. It was something he had bought from Luo Hao, and it was originally meant to be Luo Hao's opportunity. To actually find the Immortal's Tomb, he still needed Luo Hao to do it himself.

Glancing at the map interface, Chen Xuan noticed that the area of the map had expanded once again, largely charting Luo Hao's recent movements. Ever since joining the sect, Luo Hao had been wholeheartedly devoted to improving his cultivation without any other distractions, and he had completed the highest number of sect tasks among them all.

"This doesn't seem to be within the Great Xia Empire anymore."

Chen Xuan discovered that Luo Hao had already left the borders of the Great Xia Empire. He had no idea what Luo Hao was searching for, but as long as it could eventually bring him miraculous opportunities, that was all that mattered.

Chen Xuan returned to his dwelling.

Host: Chen Xuan
Cultivation: Early Dao Enlightenment Stage
Spiritual Roots: Celestial-grade Fire and Ice Spiritual Roots
Constitution: Dragon-Yang Physique
Techniques: Dragon Origin Universe Art, Prison Flame Staff Technique, Heavenly Cold Ice-Breaking Staff
Divine Powers: Eye of Fortune
Items: Flood Dragon Staff, Spatial Ring...
Filial Piety Points: 120,050
System Quest: Obtain the Qingling Holy Fruit. Reward: Ancestral Dragon Gallbladder.
...