"You're laughing one moment and crying the next—are you going berserk?"

Wang Zhan looked embarrassed.

"I wasn't crying—"

"HAHAHA…"

To his surprise, Xu Yuyu was just messing with him; she couldn't help but burst into sincere laughter.

"Hmm, I believe you're not going berserk. You're just a bit abnormal!"

Wang Zhan observed Xu Yuyu hopping around like a little girl, a bitter smile tugged at his lips, and he shook his head.

The shield conversation from earlier was quite heavy; he needed to change his train of thought.

"...Dual Cultivators, cultivating the form to nourish the body, using energy to replenish energy, advancing hand in hand, into the blissful realm of clouds... Pose one, the drunken summer cicada..."

PFFT, what the hell is all this about?

Caught off guard, Wang Zhan almost got bamboozled into the 'Little Black Room'.

He hurriedly caught up with Xu Yuyu, who was walking ahead, laughing as he spoke.

"By the way, Miss Xu, have you heard of the Nine States Divine Treasures List?"

"Oh, I think I have! If I remember correctly, my grandmother used to make me memorize it when I was a child."

Wang Zhan felt mentally exhausted; comparing oneself to another is truly frustrating. As a kid, he was rolling around in the poorest and dirtiest Safe Zone in Chu State.

"Do you remember it? I just saw a description that said something called a 'spirit aura' is a Divine Object on the Divine Treasures List…"

"Oh! You're talking about the spirit aura, right? The kind of thing that can be used to craft divine weapons? If I remember correctly, it should be related to the Wuzi Bird, shouldn't it? Actually, that's not the case. The Wuzi Bird itself cannot produce a spirit aura, but it is quite greedy, especially for the appealing look of the spirit aura, and it has a fragrant scent. After digesting everything else, the spirit aura cannot be digested, which ended up benefiting our Ancestors…"

Wang Zhan was actually breaking out in a sweat.

Compared to Xu Yuyu, even though he was a bit stronger, had a more useful brain, and had a robust body, the problem was that not only was his chest smaller than Xu Yuyu's, but his foundation was also a lot shallower.

So, Wang Zhan quickly withdrew a small part of his mental energy.

It wouldn't affect his memorization, and he would still understand what Xu Yuyu meant, without getting caught up in the details and becoming a laughingstock.

However, after truly realizing the breadth of Xu Yuyu's knowledge and depth of her memory…

For Wang Zhan, the dual cultivation method, the Nine States Divine Treasures List, and all the tools and weapons were no longer important.

As long as he could shear the wool from this little lamb, he wouldn't have to run around or memorize things the hard way, would he?

So, after Xu Yuyu patiently and tirelessly explained a great deal to Wang Zhan, he looked at her with a serious and solemn expression and said.

"Miss Xu, I sincerely don't want to work hard anymore!"

"Huh, what do you mean?"

Xu Yuyu let out a startled cry, not understanding what Wang Zhan meant at all; she found it quite bizarre.

"Well, I was wondering, is your family looking for a son-in-law? If you don't mind, I..."

"Shameless!"

Xu Yuyu's face turned bright red, and she threw a book at Wang Zhan. But due to his tall stature, the book only managed to hit his shoulder.

Then, she was surprised to see Wang Zhan actually sway a bit, his face turning slightly pale. Her heart immediately skipped a beat, and she dropped the book in her hand, asking with concern.

"Are you okay?"

Wang Zhan looked at her gently, a hint of guilt in his eyes.

"I'm fine. I shouldn't have made that kind of joke, I'm sorry..."

Xu Yuyu's face was crimson with embarrassment.

Just what is wrong with this guy? How can he be so incredibly shameless when he decides to be?

Wang Zhan was also roaring in his heart.

Damn it! System, get out here! I can't stand it anymore! What the hell is this 'Transforming Illusion into Reality'? It's clearly some martial art created by a lecher!

In fact, Wang Zhan's intuition was not wrong.

The 'Volume on Transforming Illusion into Reality' appeared precisely because a notorious playboy, wanting to make his sneaky activities unnoticeable, had altered it from another mental energy cultivation method.

That mental energy refining method was called 'Five Ghosts Transport'.

「」

While Wang Zhan was, with mixed feelings, enjoying this budding romance, the disciples who had been unceremoniously ejected because of him were far from ready to let it go.

"Who does that guy think he is? Does he think the Sect is his property?"

"We are also disciples of the Sect! It's outrageous for that old man to favor him. Why can others enter the Book Collection Pavilion, but we, who rarely get a chance, don't even get an explanation?"

One should know that opportunities to enter the Book Collection Pavilion weren't always available. Typically, one must have made substantial contributions to the Sect.

Making a significant contribution was one thing; they also needed the approval of three Elders to enter. Yet, they were thrown out by the old man guarding the Book Collection Pavilion like garbage. How could they not be furious?

Someone immediately spoke with a gloomy expression.

"I am going to see the deputy sect leader! I refuse to believe that as disciples of the Sect, we are treated worse than a newcomer who popped out of nowhere. This is utterly absurd!"

Just as they were about to make a move, some of the more astute ones had already sought out one of those who had previously confronted Wang Zhan, asking about the cause and effect.

"Quiet down, let's hear what he has to say."

At that, these senior brothers, all looking a bit older, turned their attention to the fair-skinned young man, whose face had gone slightly pale, resembling someone from a wealthy family.

"His name is Wang Zhan. He was saved by Xu Yuyu and her useless father a few days ago. It seems he suffered some complications and then found Elder He. We don't know what Elder He is thinking, but if the Elders aren't mistaken, he should be a relative of Elder He. Because of this, Elder He specially applied for a spot for him... Also, don't be fooled by his harmless appearance. In reality, he's a wolf in sheep's clothing—arrogant, overbearing, and dismissive of everyone else. One of our fellow sect members died at his hands; his body was sliced in two. He died a horrible death..."

"Wait, you mean that loser Xu Yuyu brought him back?"

"Uh, yes."

"Where is Xu Yuyu now?"

"I don't know. But she went to the Book Collection Pavilion with Wang Zhan. Wang Zhan even gave our wager to her for safekeeping. Looking at the situation, I suspect she might have gotten involved with Wang Zhan..."

As he said this, the inquirer's face grew even darker.

"Gotten involved? What kind of involvement, and how far has it gone?"

The young man lifted his head, hesitating to speak.

"In any case... in any case, it's not an innocent relationship. That shameless girl even blushed in front of us. There's definitely something going on between them..."

"Alright, get lost!"

Having heard this much was enough; the cause and effect were clear.

While the younger disciples might not have grasped the full implications, those who were a few years older understood it all at a glance.

"Since this Wang Zhan is an outsider, he's done for this time! Does he really think Elder He alone can protect him when he has no other backing?"

"HEHE, it's true that heaven may forgive sins of nature, but sins of one's own making are unforgivable! Since he dared to touch that mad man's forbidden fruit, we can just sit back and enjoy the show!"

"HMPH!"

The one in charge shot a cold look at the surrounding sect members, his tone icy.

"What mad man? That's my junior brother! Although I don't mind him teaching that guy a lesson, you'd better remember this: if my junior brother hears you calling him that, even I can't save you!"

His solemn, dark, yet earnest expression made him look quite serious, as if he truly meant it.

So, to save his face, no one contradicted him. Instead, they all voiced their gratitude and acknowledged him in unison.

"Yes, senior brother!"

As for whether anyone was grumbling in their hearts, that was obvious.

He's just scared of his own junior brother! Why does he have to get so defensive when we talk about him? Tch! If we weren't worried he'd beat us up, we'd teach him a lesson!

But everyone knew that was impossible.

That person was a mad man. Despite his young age, he had already reached the Grandmaster Realm; even demons were no match for him.

Also, he was inherently insane and had a strong possessiveness towards Xu Yuyu, who had been like a childhood playmate and under his care since they were young.

In fact, it was because Elder He had recently dealt a severe blow to an Elder from a certain lineage—an act that even alarmed the madman's master—that the master had quickly put him under house arrest, thereby preventing any potential incidents.

But this caution also led many to look down on the master. They figured that even with a high chance of trouble, it might have been an opportunity to force Xu Yuyu and the madman's relationship into an irreversible state. In the end, if their relationship were confirmed, could Elder He, that old woman, really bear to refuse?

But now that Wang Zhan was courting death, not only snatching their opportunity and wasting their chance, but also getting involved with Xu Yuyu...

Well, they couldn't blame these onlookers for adding fuel to the fire.

Anyway, no matter who died, it would be a good thing.

「」

Inside the Book Collection Pavilion, the two walked side by side.

Their casual conversation and laughter added a bit of warmth to the cold, solitary mountain building.

Xu Yuyu occasionally answered Wang Zhan's questions, lively and adorable; Wang Zhan sometimes chuckled. They were like a golden couple.

Wang Zhan had almost forgotten that even though he had advanced from a Martial Student to a Martial Master, it had only been a year. Yet, it felt like an eternity, numbing him to the point where he had nearly forgotten the warmth of human connection and the vibrant, dazzling prime of youth.

"What are you thinking?" Xu Yuyu asked casually, flipping through a book.

Wang Zhan smiled. "I just suddenly feel like I'm really old. If it weren't for you, I might have forgotten that I'm only seventeen this year."

Almost eighteen!

Xu Yuyu rolled her eyes. Wang Zhan had already used countless cheesy lines today.

Whether intentional or not, Xu Yuyu had developed a thicker skin by now.

"Are you going to die if you don't say these things?"

Wang Zhan looked wronged.

I'm being completely serious, so why does everything I say now sound so infuriatingly punchable?

Whoever came up with the 'Volume on Transforming Illusion into Reality', just you come out! I swear I'll beat the crap out of you!

"HUH?"

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