Chapter 1770: Say Is Not As Good As Do

Inside the Immortal Shadow Hall, Su Yuqing walked to her seat and sat down. Haitang bowed, "Master." Lu Ye also cupped his fists, "Peak Master Su."

Hearing Lu Ye's address, Haitang's heart was clear, and she became even more certain that her suspicions were correct. Normally, Senior Brother Lu would address her master as 'Senior'! The title "Peak Master Su"... felt wrong.

Su Yuqing softly acknowledged them, her gaze sweeping over both, a hint of curiosity in her voice. "How is it that you've returned together?"

She understood Haitang's return; this time, the western region had passed through Myriad Manifestation Sea, and besides Haitang, other Star Constellations from the eastern region had gone west to participate in the Spiritual Talisman Convention. Once the convention concluded, her clan members from the east would naturally return. However, she couldn't fathom why Lu Ye was here.

Gazing at the young face below, Su Yuqing, who had deliberately tried to forget certain past events over the years, found many deeply buried memories resurfacing.

She had thought that after sending him back to his homeland last time, they would never meet again, and that departure would be their eternal farewell. Who would have thought they would meet again just over a decade later?

"Master, Senior Brother was in Myriad Manifestation Sea, and we met at the Spiritual Talisman Convention," Haitang explained excitedly. The vastness of the starry sky made such an unexpected encounter truly a matter of fate.

"You were in Myriad Manifestation Sea?" Su Yuqing asked Lu Ye, somewhat surprised.

She naturally knew how far the Jade Snail Galaxy was from Myriad Manifestation Sea, and that place was extremely remote, without even a single wormhole. So, Lu Ye being there genuinely surprised her. Furthermore, in just over a decade, Lu Ye's cultivation had actually advanced from the early Star Constellation stage to the Moon Brilliance stage!

Although she wasn't sure what Lu Ye had experienced over the past decade, it seemed he had endured considerable hardship. A cultivator's growth is always linked to the trials they face; the faster they grow, the more trials they are bound to encounter.

In an instant, Su Yuqing seemed to grasp many things, and her previously detached gaze softened.

"Yes, I encountered some incidents back then and unintentionally ended up in Myriad Manifestation Sea," Lu Ye explained casually, not going into too much detail.

"Myriad Manifestation Sea is a good place," Su Yuqing nodded. "It's also a suitable place for cultivators to strive. If you can make a name for yourself there, becoming prominent won't be an issue."

After a few casual remarks, Su Yuqing spoke with the tone of an elder, offering Lu Ye advice. Lu Ye maintained a respectful demeanor, nodding continuously in agreement.

As they spoke, Su Yuqing suddenly looked at Ya Ya with curiosity. "This little girl is..."

Ya Ya, as always, introduced herself clearly and brightly, "I'm Daddy's daughter!"

Su Yuqing froze, and her gaze immediately turned cold.

The temperature throughout the Immortal Shadow Hall seemed to drop significantly.

Killing intent! Lu Ye's eye twitched; he instantly knew something was wrong.

Fortunately, at that critical moment, Haitang quickly transmitted a message to Su Yuqing: "Master, Ya Ya was found and brought back by Senior Brother. She is actually a Sun Glimmer cultivator, but her spirit sea was damaged by a Soul Devouring Aphid, causing her soul to be impaired. Now, her intelligence is only at the level of a few-year-old child."

Upon hearing this, Su Yuqing carefully observed Ya Ya for a moment, seeing no hint of falsehood in her eyes.

It made sense; if she were truly an ordinary child, she couldn't possibly have lived with Lu Ye in Myriad Manifestation Sea.

Just then, Haitang stood up. "Master, my spiritual talismans are almost sold out. Since I'm rarely back, I'll go check with the other senior and junior brothers to see if they have any spare talismans." After speaking, she waved to Ya Ya, "Ya Ya, come with me."

Ya Ya decisively refused, "No, I want to be with Daddy!"

Lu Ye patted Ya Ya's little head. "Sister Haitang has lots of delicious treats that you've never seen or tasted before."

Ya Ya immediately jumped off her chair and enthusiastically rushed towards Haitang. "Sister Haitang!"

Haitang was torn between laughter and tears. She called Lu Ye "Senior Brother," Ya Ya called Lu Ye "Daddy," and now Ya Ya called her "Sister Haitang"... If seniority were traced back from her master, it seemed acceptable, but it was still a bit muddled.

Lost in a flurry of thoughts, Haitang picked up Ya Ya and bowed before excusing herself.

Inside the Immortal Shadow Hall, only Lu Ye and Su Yuqing remained.

Lu Ye looked up, meeting Su Yuqing's gaze directly. Her eyes flickered away, a hint of panic in them.

When Haitang was present, she could maintain her demeanor as an elder, showing some concern for Lu Ye's experiences over the years. But now that Haitang and Ya Ya had left, she suddenly didn't know what stance to take when speaking with Lu Ye.

Lu Ye, too, was unsure what to say...

After Su Yuqing personally escorted him and Nianyuexian back near the Nine Provinces, not only did Su Yuqing believe they would never meet again in this lifetime, but Lu Ye thought the same.

Unless, one day, the Eastern Fangcun Mountain passed through the Jade Snail Galaxy again, and Su Yuqing actively went to visit him.

So, he never imagined that Myriad Manifestation Sea would become another point of intersection for them.

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward and agonizing.

Su Yuqing's hands, tucked into her sleeves, were sweating. This situation was more difficult than refining a red talisman for her...

Finally, Lu Ye broke the silence. "Haitang... probably knows."

"What?" Su Yuqing was startled, then her expression turned extremely flustered as she asked, "She... what does she know? What did she tell you?"

"Ah," Lu Ye sighed, stood up, and took a step toward Su Yuqing.

As he approached, Su Yuqing's expression grew increasingly flustered. One hand involuntarily gripped the armrest of the chair, her face tense. "What are you doing?"

Gone was the dignity and composure a Sun Glimmer cultivator should possess. Her appearance was precisely like that of an innocent young girl encountering something that terrified and flustered her, her first reaction being to evade rather than confront the difficulty.

Lu Ye remained silent, his gaze fixed on her delicate and beautiful face.

In this situation, he didn't know what to do, but whatever he did was better than their awkward silence.

Su Yuqing was a Sun Glimmer cultivator, much stronger than him, but ultimately she was a woman, and some barriers needed to be broken by him.

In a dozen or so steps, Lu Ye quickly stood before Su Yuqing, looking down at her.

The woman before him had beautiful eyes that were almost unfocused with tension. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and her pale cheeks began to flush. Her mind involuntarily replayed memories from over a decade ago, and she became as rigid as if under a paralysis spell.

It wasn't until Lu Ye's large hand cupped her smooth chin that Su Yuqing trembled as if struck by lightning.

"H-hand... take your hand away!" Su Yuqing's gaze darted past Lu Ye towards the outside of the hall, terrified that disciples from Immortal Spirit Peak might pass by.

If anyone were to pass by and witness this scene now, her dignity would be completely shattered.

Lu Ye found her childish words amusing. In terms of cultivation, Su Yuqing was far superior to him; she could easily blast him away with a casual surge of her power.

Yet, there was no sign of her spiritual power circulating. Instead, she pretended to be fierce while uttering such powerless words.

Lu Ye felt something awaken within him, and the sight of the woman before him made his blood boil even more.

His large hand moved to her cheek, gently caressing it. Lu Ye said in a low voice, "Haitang didn't say much, but her words implied I was a bad person who enjoyed the benefits and then disavowed them. She said that ever since I left back then, you've changed. So, she probably brought me here this time to counsel and comfort you."

Su Yuqing was trembling, not only her cheeks but also her pale neck had begun to flush. Looking up at Lu Ye, her instinct told her the wisest course of action was to activate her spiritual power and push him away, to make him understand the cost of such disrespect. Yet, each time she made that decision, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Her pure spiritual power seemed to be congealed within her body, unable to circulate.

She suddenly recalled a time in her youth when she ventured deep into an ancient forest and was pounced upon by a snarling demonic beast.

The situation then seemed very similar to now.

In her vision, Lu Ye also seemed to transform into that snarling demonic beast, intent on chewing her up, flesh and bone.

She didn't know why this distant memory had surfaced, but she couldn't control it.

Lu Ye's voice broke through her distant thoughts again, pulling her back. "I don't know how to counsel or comfort you. After all, you are a Sun Glimmer cultivator, with more knowledge and experience than me, and a stronger temperament. If you can't understand something yourself, no amount of counseling or comforting from others will help. So sometimes... action speaks louder than words!"

"What?" Su Yuqing was completely bewildered. Lu Ye's words went in one ear and out the other; she was utterly incapable of thought. She only heard him say "action speaks louder than words," and then saw his figure lean in.

The long-absent fervent breath enveloped her...

Su Yuqing suddenly awoke, finally knowing what she should do. She gritted her teeth and exerted great force.

Lu Ye's movement paused slightly; he knew his lip was broken, but he showed no intention of retreating.

Her half-hearted resistance became meaningless at this moment. A moment later, Su Yuqing's pure Sun Glimmer spiritual power finally surged forth, not to push Lu Ye away, but to form a protective barrier that enveloped the entire Immortal Shadow Hall.

With a thud, the hall's great doors swung shut.

At the same time, Haitang, who was on another spiritual peak with Ya Ya, looking for delicious treats, suddenly sensed something and turned her head towards Immortal Shadow Hall.

A worried expression crossed her face.

The spiritual power fluctuations of a Sun Glimmer cultivator were very obvious. She didn't know what was happening at Immortal Shadow Hall, but she knew her master had definitely made a move.

Senior Brother wouldn't get beaten, would he? Or would he be badly beaten?

However, once her master vented her frustration, everything should be fine. She believed that even if her master truly acted against Lu Ye, she would know her limits and wouldn't actually harm him.

Comforting herself this way, Haitang suppressed the urge to go to Immortal Shadow Hall and check on the situation. She decided to let nature take its course and not interfere. She had already done the only thing she could: bring Lu Ye back.

"Sister Haitang, where are the treats?" Ya Ya's voice chirped beside her.

"Ah," Haitang snapped back to attention. "Come with me, little glutton. I'll take you to find them. There are so many delicious things here at Fangcun Mountain, I guarantee you haven't tasted them outside."

(End of chapter)