Chapter 89: Tian Tian's Self-Reflection

Xu Daoyan and his group returned to the cave, and by now, it was already dark. If they had continued to advance, fighting at night would have been very disadvantageous.

When they returned to the cave, they found that the body of the dead True Immortal fierce monkey was gone.

Xu Daoyan laid out dry branches from the Fanlin forest, layer by layer, and lit a bonfire. The light illuminated the cave, casting shadows of everyone.

"It seems that the fierce monkey must have come back. After all, this was the remains of its ancestor. It probably wanted to bury it!" Xu Daoyan sighed.

"Poor thing, it must have been afraid we would guard it, so it came back when we were gone and quietly took the remains!" In fact, Ling'er felt sorry for the fierce monkey.

"Better to avoid trouble. This is for the best!" Bai Shi was always wary of these fierce beasts.

Xu Daoyan didn't want to say more. Since they were together, they needed to adapt to each other.

"I mainly cultivate the lungs and liver. Currently, the liver's technique can only be used for sealing, while the lungs' technique is for killing enemies. Unfortunately, I don't have any high-quality golden spirit stones left. It will take some time to recover. If I use other methods to condense qi arrows, they won't be as powerful!" Xu Daoyan sighed.

"I've already prepared it for you. Take it!" At this moment, Tian Tian took out five hundred pounds of supreme-grade Five Elements Immortal Stones, clearly prepared in advance.

"What, supreme-grade Five Elements Immortal Stones!" Xu Daoyan was surprised. The purity was almost comparable to the supreme-grade Fire Immortal Stones he obtained from the lava island, and they were certainly expensive.

"Train well. You are our main vanguard!" Tian Tian waved her hand, completely unconcerned.

"Alright, I owe you one." Xu Daoyan nodded, his eyes brightening!

Tian Tian glanced at him, indifferent. "Who asked you to pay me back? Consider it your reward for being our laborer. This young master is rewarding you!"

"Master Xu, you cultivate the five organs?" Yun Wu looked at the supreme-grade Five Elements Immortal Stones, slightly surprised. This method of cultivation was very advanced; otherwise, it could easily harm the five organs, with severe consequences.

"Exactly!"

"Then I can give you a suggestion. The arrow technique you practice, the 'Form Arrow' from the Confucian Kong family, is correct, right?" Yun Wu smiled and asked.

"Miss Yun Wu is truly well-informed. Exactly!" Xu Daoyan admired her extensive knowledge and broad experience.

"Why don't you try combining the qi of the spleen and lungs? I think it will significantly enhance the destructive power of your condensed qi arrows!" Yun Wu suggested.

Xu Daoyan was taken aback. He immediately focused his mind, blending the qi with the Golden Spear Immortal Qi. The resulting arrow had both the sharpness to pierce enemies and the weight to crush them. The spleen belongs to earth, and the lungs belong to metal.

Earth generates metal, the five elements support each other. The subtlety lies in the heart.

Inspired by Yun Wu, Xu Daoyan tried it out. Indeed, the power surged, and he was overjoyed. The 'Form Arrow' technique had not been fully utilized, and it complemented the scriptures he practiced.

Who was Su Wei? The techniques he passed to Xu Daoyan were naturally compatible with his scriptures. If they weren't, it would be a burden.

"Great, this is wonderful! I never realized it before. Once I cultivate Immortal Qi in my spleen and combine it with the lungs, the power will be even more terrifying!" Xu Daoyan was filled with excitement. He was determined to cultivate Immortal Qi in his spleen after reaching the Celestial Immortal realm!

"Work hard, Master Xu!" Yun Wu smiled, her face charming and her eyes warm.

Seeing this, Tian Tian pouted, feeling annoyed. "Why wasn't he this happy when I gave him the supreme-grade Five Elements Immortal Stones?"

"Master Tian, you can put away the other four types of supreme-grade Immortal Stones for now. I mainly need to accumulate qi in my lungs!" Xu Daoyan kept the supreme-grade Golden Immortal Stones, his pores opening to absorb them into his lungs, condensing them into Golden Spear Immortal Qi, which was purer and easier to transform than high-quality Golden Immortal Stones.

He kept accumulating. The previous consumption had almost depleted the Golden Spear Immortal Qi in his lungs.

Yun Wu watched Xu Daoyan's focused expression as he cultivated, her lips curling up, completely engrossed and unashamed.

Tian Tian, standing nearby, felt very uncomfortable. After much thought, she finally stood up and approached Yun Wu, whispering, "Miss Yun Wu, do you like this boy, Daoyan?"

"Master Tian is truly observant. I can't say I like him, but I do have a good impression. In Suzhou, there are many spoiled young men who, relying on their backgrounds, often act condescendingly and arrogantly, expecting others to cater to them. I don't like that. I prefer someone like Master Xu. This trip has been worthwhile." Although Yun Wu was sent by Xiao Yan to seduce Xu Daoyan, she was being honest, though her words were also meant to provoke Tian Tian.

"What's so good about Daoyan? He has no background, and compared to the princes and nobles in Suzhou, he's far behind. He's so poor. What do you like about him? I really don't understand!" Tian Tian, unaware of Yun Wu's verbal attack, lowered her voice and leaned close to Yun Wu's ear, afraid Xu Daoyan would hear.

Yun Wu frowned, slightly moved away, and said calmly, "Some people can't explain why they like someone, but they just do. External things and fame and power are just passing clouds to me. Even you, Master Tian, are included in those spoiled young men. Stay away from me!"

"You..." Tian Tian realized that, as a man, leaning so close was indeed inappropriate. Yun Wu's words stung her. She recalled that when she gave Xu Daoyan the supreme-grade Five Elements Immortal Stones, her attitude was like giving alms, not a genuine gift.

This was a habit formed from a young age, unintentionally revealed. Although she meant to help Xu Daoyan, her actions often seemed like giving alms.

Tian Tian was very smart and insightful. She immediately recognized her problem. She recalled that Xu Daoyan could quickly become close friends with Shi Yun because Shi Yun genuinely treated him as a brother and gave sincerely.

She was good to Xu Daoyan, but it was more like the relationship between a superior and an inferior, which is why he always called her "Master Tian," maintaining a certain distance.

Her feelings were complex. Yun Wu's words made Tian Tian realize some of her issues, which were partly due to her male identity in front of Xu Daoyan.

Shi Yun saw Tian Tian return from Yun Wu, looking dejected. He pretended not to notice.

"Shi Yun!" Tian Tian could only turn to him.

Shi Yun closed his eyes, sighing inwardly. He knew what was coming. He opened his eyes and said softly, "Master Tian, what is it?"

"Stop pretending. Answer me seriously. Do I come across as arrogant and condescending, making people dislike me?" Tian Tian stared into Shi Yun's eyes, clearly very concerned about the answer.

"Uh, for someone like Miss Yun Wu, who is detached from worldly affairs, it's natural she wouldn't like your behavior. However, in our environment, it's inevitable, not intentional. I'm used to it and can understand. It's not a big deal!" Shi Yun answered skillfully, pointing out the problem but also reassuring Tian Tian that it wasn't entirely her fault.

"What about Daoyan? What does he think?" Tian Tian's voice was as soft as a mosquito's, whispering.

"Uh, first, you are very good to Brother Daoyan, and he knows it. However, you are a man, which is the biggest obstacle. If you really like someone, you can let go of many things. Sometimes, putting on an act isn't necessary. Look at how I like Ling'er..." Mentioning Ling'er, Shi Yun's face lit up with a silly, happy smile, losing his usual demeanor as a general's son.

Suddenly, Tian Tian understood the key issue.

"Should I revert to my female appearance?" After much thought, she asked.

"If you revert to your female appearance now, it will be too obvious, and Miss Yun Wu will mock you. This needs a good opportunity. Once everyone breaks through to the Celestial Immortal realm, Miss Yun Wu will naturally part ways with Brother Daoyan. She can't follow him to the Fulong Academy, and even if she tries to maintain contact, she can't be with him every day. We can, and there will be plenty of time!" Shi Yun thought for a moment and answered.

"Right, you're right." Tian Tian agreed wholeheartedly.

Xu Daoyan was completely unaware of the secret interactions in the cave.

He was fully focused on transforming the power of the supreme-grade Golden Immortal Stones into Golden Spear Immortal Qi.

Although his lungs had reached the vortex-like qi circulation stage, their capacity was still very limited.

The Immortal Qi contained in the five hundred pounds of supreme-grade Golden Immortal Stones was extremely dense, not only giving Xu Daoyan a significant boost but also extending his lifespan by eight hundred years.

At 36,800 years old, he was one step closer to breaking through to the Celestial Immortal realm.

After a night, the five hundred pounds of supreme-grade Golden Immortal Stones were completely consumed. Xu Daoyan exhaled, condensing a qi arrow that carved a crack in the cave floor, scattering rocks and drawing surprised and admiring glances from everyone.

"These supreme-grade Golden Immortal Stones are truly invigorating!" Xu Daoyan felt his strength had increased significantly.

His skin became tighter, and although he had condensed Golden Spear Immortal Qi, he had not yet mastered a new technique.

He knew this required a stroke of luck and a moment of inspiration. The old beggar had laid a solid foundation for him to walk his own path.

"It's time to set out!"