Starting My Cultivation With Time Management

Chapter 313: 30: Return to the Long Mountain Vein

Chapter 313: Chapter 30: Return to the Long Mountain Vein
 

Golden Ridge, Qiu Changtian’s cave dwelling.

Now it might be more appropriate to call it the dwelling of Mr. and Mrs. Qiu Changtian, as Junior Sister Xu had finally moved in.

The crane that used to linger at her door also followed and relocated to the entrance of Qiu Changtian’s cave dwelling. Each morning, without anyone to feed it, it would emit a long, mournful cry, much like the readers urging for more updates.

The stone bed had been expanded with a spell and could now accommodate both individuals to sit in meditation and practice Qi Refinement at the same time.

Beyond that, there didn’t seem to be any other significant changes.

For those who practice the Dao, even if they become Daoist companions, it’s common to retain their Yuan Yang and Yuan Yin.

If they could get their hands on a Dual Cultivation Technique, something like a Daoist bedroom spell, they might study how to achieve Yin Yang Harmonization; or perhaps one day, when the relationship became close enough and the time was right to have offspring, certain things would naturally occur.

But at least for now, Junior Sister Xu didn’t seem to be entertaining that thought.

Qiu Changtian was sitting on the stone bed with his eyes closed, refining Qi, while Xu Yinglian cleaned every nook and cranny of the cave dwelling with spells.

She didn’t have a severe case of germaphobia, but she did have a slight compulsion for organization, such as insisting that Flying Swords must be hung on the wall, Elixir Bottles lined up evenly spaced and symmetrical, and a screen must be set at the entrance of the cave dwelling, etc.

Qiu Changtian didn’t understand the point of all this, but had to admit, only a young miss from a family of cultivators could be so particular about their living standards!

“Why are you looking at me like that?” As if sensing his gaze, Xu Yinglian suddenly turned her head to ask.

“Cough.” Qiu Changtian gave a cough and said, “I didn’t expect Junior Sister to be so earnest and meticulous.”

“In Senior Brother’s eyes, am I always the ignorant sister who can’t measure up to you and causes trouble without reason?” Xu Yinglian frowned and asked.

“What are you talking about, Junior Sister?” Qiu Changtian laughed and said, “My favorite thing is Junior Sister’s spirit, which is defeated yet fights again, proud and unyielding.”

Xu Yinglian listened with delight, then felt something was off.

Defeated yet fights again, huh?

So in Senior Brother’s eyes, I’m just a pitiful Junior Sister?

With that thought, she suddenly heard a crisp sound in her hand.

Xu Yinglian looked down without expression, only to find that the Purifying Bottle in her hand had somehow been crushed by an external force.

Qiu Changtian: ……

Somehow, he felt a chill down his spine, and just as he was about to speak, he saw a streak of light enter the cave dwelling; it was a paper crane, which landed in Xu Yinglian’s palm.

Xu Yinglian silently unfolded the paper crane and after a brief look, said:

“It’s a call for help from Junior Sister Jian.”

“What happened?” Qiu Changtian asked with a serious expression.

“Do you remember the ancient ruins underneath the west side of Long Mountain?” Xu Yinglian asked succinctly.

Qiu Changtian was momentarily surprised but soon recalled it.

Back when he was at the Qi Refining Rank, he had been requested by outer sect disciples to lead a group into the west side of Long Mountain to explore the Earth Vein.

They had stumbled upon ancient ruins from the Nether Ghost Path below the vein, and there they collided head-on with a group of cultivators led by Wen Yang, nearly coming to blows.

“What’s Junior Sister Jian doing there?” he asked, concerned.

“After our sect went to war with the Nether Ghost Path, a true person went there to explore,” Xu Yinglian replied. “They found that the underground ruins were much larger than our original estimates.”

“Junior Sister Jian was teaming up with others to search the underground ruins. It seems she triggered some mechanism and got trapped, so she sent a message asking me to rescue her.” She handed the letter to Qiu Changtian.

After closely examining the content, Qiu Changtian thought that if it was indeed Junior Sister Jian who was accidentally trapped while exploring the ruins, it wasn’t out of the question to go rescue her.

But… could it be a trap?

As such doubts crossed his mind, he said aloud:

“Junior Sister, let me go with you.”

With an invincible character setting, one can’t be timid! Otherwise, if Junior Sister really is trapped and I hesitate, the synchronization value would plummet.

“I have some doubts.” Xu Yinglian wasn’t so cautious and said frankly, “If she truly were trapped by a mechanism or restriction, how could this message transmission technique freely reach me? Might there be a trap involved?”

Qiu Changtian inwardly applauded her and said with a smile on his face:

“That’s not impossible. Therefore, Junior Sister must be careful and attentive. Don’t act rashly within the ruins and make sure to stay close behind me.”

Xu Yinglian naturally thought the same and was about to nod in agreement when she remembered her senior brother’s “defeated yet fighting” statement, causing her indignation to flare up once again. She sneered and said:

“Fine, with Senior Brother’s strength, even if there are any risks inside, it seems they are entirely negligible. I am making a mountain out of a molehill.”

Qiu Changtian: ???

So where exactly did I annoy you?

The two of them summoned their Flying Swords from their sleeves and rushed towards Long Mountain.

Upon reaching the western foot of Long Mountain, Qiu Changtian had Ah Jing scan the surroundings.

No ambush, no traps, and not a soul in sight.

He landed his sword light and said to Xu Yinglian:

“Something’s not right.”

“What’s not right?” Xu Yinglian asked with a frown.

“Why is there no one around this place?” Qiu Changtian asked, pointing towards the entrance of the ruins. “A site of an earth vein without guardians, isn’t that very fishy?”

“Indeed.” Xu Yinglian sighed and said, “So do we go back to our sect to report to our master, or do we enter to save Junior Sister Jian first?”

“How about Junior Sister returns to our sect to report to our master while I go in to save Junior Sister Jian?” Qiu Changtian suggested to her.

If there really is a trap inside, I can have Ah Jing teleport me away in a critical moment. If Junior Sister follows me in, she would just be a burden!

However, although he didn’t utter these thoughts, Xu Yinglian seemed to have seen through his mind. She immediately raised her right hand, parted her cherry lips lightly, and gave a gentle blow.

A stream of fire blew out from her mouth, forming a tiny Vermilion Bird in the center of her palm. With the fluttering of its wings, countless sparks scattered, and in an instant, it shot towards the sky, flying towards the western horizon.

“I have already reported to our master.” Xu Yinglian stated indifferently, “Let’s go, Senior Brother.”

Qiu Changtian was at a loss for words.

He simply couldn’t say, “Junior Sister, you’re a burden,” otherwise Junior Sister Xu would certainly demand a divorce from him.

But he also couldn’t make her understand with logic, as he couldn’t explain the life-saving mechanism of the Kunlun Mirror.

Perhaps, in the strong-willed Junior Sister Xu’s eyes, “Senior Brother is asking me to go back because he looks down on my strength,” “I am determined to follow him inside and lend a helping hand at the crucial moment”…

Thinking this way, it somehow became touching, making it even harder for him to refuse.

“Since that’s the case, Junior Sister, please follow closely behind me,” Qiu Changtian said gravely as he brought the Yu Long Sword to the front.

These words, to Xu Yinglian’s ears, coupled with the invincible character setting and the aura of the illusion technique, sounded like “Wife, please don’t hold me back.”

Consequently, Xu Yinglian let out a cold laugh and said:

“Then I’ll cover our rear, Senior Brother.”

Qiu Changtian used the Universal Pure Tone Minor Illumination Technique to light up the path ahead, then carefully took his steps and entered.

Xu Yinglian followed behind him, about to lower her head and step into the cave when suddenly, she raised her head again, looking towards the dark depths of the cave.

Was there…. some sound?