Chapter 72

Not long after, Tanggu returned to the peak of Moonblade Peak once again.

Upon returning to the broken cliff face, Tanggu was surprised to find that the thatched cottage, which had been reduced to a pile of rubble after his battle with "Silver Sword" Du Zhong, had somehow been rebuilt.

Moreover, it seemed more exquisite and delicate, a stark contrast to the crude thatched cottage he had hastily built for shelter.

"This is...?"

A thought flashed through his mind, and Tanggu immediately guessed that the only person who would come to this cliff and rebuild the thatched cottage for him could be none other than Shuixue.

It seemed that even after he left, she still frequently visited this place.

Thinking of this, Tanggu's heart couldn't help but warm slightly.

He stepped forward, pushed open the door of the thatched cottage, which was unlocked, and found inside only a few simple wooden chairs, which he had made himself. Although the thatched cottage had collapsed during the battle, these chairs had not been destroyed.

However, these wooden chairs were now covered with a thin layer of dust, indicating that Shuixue, while still visiting, had done so much less frequently since his departure.

Judging by the appearance of the room, it had been at least ten days since her last visit.

Tanggu's gaze shifted and suddenly fell on an iron hook hanging under the eaves in the corner of the room. On the hook hung a delicate basket made of reeds, inside which were two bouquets of flowers, one light yellow and one light purple. However, they had lost their moisture and fragrance.

It seemed that this basket was also a creation of Shuixue, as no one else would have the leisure to do such a thing.

Tanggu walked to the bed, sat down silently, and began to ponder the important matters ahead.

Thanks to the promise of the Martial Academy's Dean, "Kunwu Sword" Sikong Zheng, the old ancestor of the Du family, "Blood Palm" Du Yushan, had agreed not to cause him any trouble until the end of the Supreme Autumn Wind Pavilion trial in August of the following year.

Therefore, during these few months, Tanggu should be safe.

He had already decided that in the remaining half year, he would not return to the Martial Academy and would continue to cultivate outside.

Although the Martial Academy was good, it had many inconveniences. Tanggu was already accustomed to exploring on his own, and the remaining time was limited.

Regardless of whether it was for the Supreme Autumn Wind Pavilion trial in August of the following year or the hidden threat from the Du family's old ancestor, he needed to focus on cultivating and not be distracted by anything else during the remaining few months.

Moreover, besides the urgent need to improve his Qi Dao cultivation, the cultivation of the Ancient Soul Technique and the Innate Dragon Elephant Technique also required immediate attention.

This was also why, before leaving, he had specially visited the Inner Administration Hall to obtain all the welfare supplies he would need for the next half year.

While others might not be able to do this, as the top student of the Inner Academy, he naturally had the privilege of claiming some supplies in advance, and no one could say anything about it.

These medicinal pills and materials would at least ensure that he wouldn't have to worry about cultivation resources for a relatively long time.

After all, the Inner Academy's supplies were far richer than those of the Outer Academy, and as the top student of the Inner Academy, his supplies were even more abundant than those of ordinary Inner Academy students.

However, the Inner Academy's supplies did not include the blood and flesh spirit medicines required for the cultivation of the Ancient Soul Technique and the Innate Dragon Elephant Technique.

Tanggu's eyes flashed: "Since that's the case, I will take the medicinal pills provided by the Inner Academy to improve my Qi Dao cultivation and gradually advance to the Fifth Stage of Qi Dao. At the same time, I will release the Silver Snow Ferret to search for the blood and flesh spirit medicines needed for the Third Stage of Soul Command and the Innate Dragon Elephant Technique.

If I can find them, that would be great. If not, I will have to take a risk a few months later and re-enter the depths of the Ancient Python Mountain Range to hunt those Third or even Fourth Stage Qi Dao beasts and exchange them for some stone coins.

As long as I have stone coins, the required blood and flesh spirit medicines will be easy to obtain, but the risks involved will be much greater.

For now, let's see what surprises the Silver Snow Ferret can bring me."

With this thought, Tanggu stopped thinking, closed his eyes, and took out a few "Small Gathering Essence Pills" from one of the bottles he had received from the Inner Administration Hall. He began to meditate and sit in silent cultivation.

Soon, countless tiny white whirlwinds appeared around him, like the eye of a storm.

The boundless天地灵气 (heavenly and earthly essence) rapidly gathered on the thatched roof above him due to these small white whirlwinds, then entered his body through his limbs and pores, slowly penetrating his meridians and dantian, transforming into streams of glowing essence.

Tanggu's body shimmered with a crystalline light, and his strength steadily increased at a slow but steady pace.

In the blink of an eye, three days passed.

On this night, the stars and moon filled the sky, and the weather was clear. Tanggu was meditating in the thatched cottage when he suddenly sensed something and opened his eyes.

The wooden door opened by itself with a "bang," and Tanggu's figure suddenly floated off the bed, leaped out of the thatched cottage, and stood at the top of the cliff, looking down.

There, a familiar figure in a black cloak was visible, holding two strange bouquets of flowers, one blue and one white, walking up the cliff.

It was Shuixue!

In an instant, Tanggu recognized her, and his usually calm heart suddenly stirred.

At the same time, Shuixue, who was below the cliff, seemed to sense something and looked up. Her bright eyes met Tanggu's gaze in the air.

In the next moment, her eyes lit up with immense joy, sparkling with happiness.

She ran up the cliff!

"It's Big Brother Tang..."

A moment later, the two met at the top of the cliff. The stars and moon were like water, and they seemed to have a thousand words to say, but neither spoke.

In the night sky, only the gentle wind and the soft chirping of insects could be heard, and everything else was silent.

After a long while, Shuixue finally smiled, though her face was veiled, and she shyly lowered her head, saying softly, "Big Brother Tang... it's been a long time!"

Tanggu was suddenly startled and felt a bit awkward, nodding to cover it up, "Yes, it's been a long time."

Then, there was a long silence.

Finally, Tanggu broke the silence, patted the ground beside him, and said, "Let's sit and talk. Thank you for rebuilding this thatched cottage for me; it saved me a lot of trouble."

"Hehe."

Shuixue sat down beside him as he asked, "Have you completed the collection of Moon Dew? It seems you haven't been here for a long time."

"Um."

Shuixue nodded lightly and replied, "Yes, I have completed it. Now I'm in the experimental stage, and I've failed many times, so I've been very busy and come less often. Once I gain more experience, the success rate will increase, and in about four or five months, I should be able to complete the refinement."

At this, she smiled and turned to look at Tanggu, "I heard last night that the competition in your Martial Academy had just ended, and I guessed you would return, so I came to see. Sure enough, I met Big Brother Tang."

Tanggu smiled, genuinely happy for her, "Congratulations, Miss Shuixue. Your filial piety has moved heaven and earth, and you will succeed sooner. Your father's health will improve."

"Um. Thank you, Big Brother Tang. I will work hard."

Shuixue gently swayed the two bouquets of flowers in her hands and smiled.

The moonlight was like water, and the two fell silent. After a long while, Shuixue suddenly lifted her head, gazing at the bright moon in the distance, her expression becoming somewhat dazed.

She murmured, "It's been three or four months already. Time really flies... I still remember clearly the scenes when Big Brother Tang told me stories about your hometown and those beautiful Kongming lanterns..."

Hearing this, Tanggu turned to look at Shuixue's face. Although he couldn't see much, he could faintly make out a beautiful outline. For some reason, he sensed a faint sadness from her.

It seemed as if she had picked up something and let go of something else, but Tanggu couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

He didn't want to ask, so he simply said, "If you want to listen, I can tell you more, for as long as you like."

"Great!" Shuixue was delighted, but then seemed to become somber, "Big Brother Tang, you always keep your word!"

Tanggu was puzzled by her change in expression but didn't press further, just smiling, "When have I ever broken my word?"

"Um."

Shuixue nodded slightly, suddenly turned to look at Tanggu, and asked out of the blue, "Big Brother Tang, do you have any dreams?"

"Dreams?"

Tanggu was taken aback, not knowing why Shuixue suddenly brought this up. He thought for a moment and then smiled, "I haven't really thought about it much, but if I must say, it would be to cultivate to a higher realm or to travel more."

"I want to see how vast this world really is!"

His words carried in the wind, making Shuixue's body tremble slightly. She suddenly looked up, her eyes bright, and her expression seemed to show a hint of joy.

PS: First update, please give 1 recommendation.

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