A max-level player in Jade Dynasty: Awakening the Innate Dao at the start.

The news spread from Tongtian Peak early in the morning.

The disciple on duty posted a yellow notice on the bulletin board outside the Jade Purity Hall.

The ink was still fresh, carrying the distinctive burnt and bitter smell of pine soot ink.

The notice was short, just three lines, but each word was like a stone thrown into a deep pool, and the ripples it created quickly spread throughout the seven peaks of Qingyun.

"Zhang Xiaofan, a disciple of Dazhu Peak, suffered a qi deviation due to his reckless cultivation and unstable foundation."

"The sect leader cherished his talent and could not bear to waste his cultivation."

It was specially placed in the ancestral hall to cleanse its demonic nature with a purification ritual.

"Disciples of all lineages should take this as a warning. The path of cultivation must be followed step by step, and one must avoid being greedy for quick results and rushing ahead."

The bulletin board quickly became crowded with people.

The disciples, dressed in various colored Taoist robes, huddled together, craning their necks to see the few lines of text.

The buzzing of voices was like a swarm of mosquitoes on a summer night.

"Going mad from cultivation? Really?"

"Reaching the seventh level of Jade Purity in just three years? I told you there was a problem!"

They must have practiced some kind of evil, clandestine martial art!

"Evil arts? If he really practiced evil arts, would Uncle-Master Daoxuan have been able to save him? He would have been killed with a single blow long ago!"

"What a pity... such great talent..."

"What's a pity? He was too eager for quick success; he deserves it!"

The voices were all chattering, expressing all sorts of emotions.

Skeptical, regretful, those who love a good show, and those who analyze calmly...

Like a pot of boiling water, it was bubbling and gurgling around Qingyun Gate.

In Qi Hao's quiet room at Dragon Head Peak.

A man dressed in a moon-white long robe stood by the window, holding a cup of warm tea in his hand.

The tea leaves slowly unfurled at the bottom of the cup, the emerald green tea reflecting his expressionless profile.

He could faintly hear the disciples talking outside the window, and as he listened, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

He went mad from practicing qi cultivation.

it is good.

That's...wonderful.

He took a sip of tea; the tea was slightly bitter, but the aftertaste was sweet.

The heavy weight that has been pressing on my heart for the past three years has finally eased a bit.

Zhang Xiaofan's talent was so terrifying that even he, the eldest disciple of Dragon Head Peak who had cultivated for nearly a hundred years, felt breathless.

Now it's all good, just a piece of scrap.

No, he's a useless piece of trash who's gone mad; nothing can stop him now.

Two years later, at the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament, his only remaining opponent was Xiao Yicai of Tongtian Peak. As for Dazhu Peak…

Qi Hao's gaze drifted towards the southwest.

Tian Ling'er.

That girl, as radiant as a camellia.

Zhang Xiaofan used to be in the middle, like an eyesore.

Now that the thorns have been removed, the opportunity has arrived.

Marrying her would be like binding Dazhu Peak firmly to Longshou Peak.

Given Tian Buyi's fiercely protective nature, what resources wouldn't he pull out for his precious daughter?

By then, his position as the head of the household will be as secure as a rock.

Qi Hao put down his teacup and tapped his fingers lightly on the table in a quick rhythm.

Footsteps came from outside the door.

Lin Jingyu pushed the door open and came in. The boy's brows were furrowed, and his face was full of worry.

"Senior Brother Qi, have you heard? Xiao Fan, he..."

"I've heard about it."

Qi Hao turned around, his face displaying a perfectly timed expression of regret.

"What a pity. Junior Brother Jingyu, don't be too sad."

"Since our sect leader is willing to help, Junior Brother Xiao Fan will surely be able to overcome this difficulty."

Lin Jingyu didn't speak, but clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Xiaozhu Peak, on the Moon-Viewing Terrace.

Lu Xueqi sheathed her sword and stood still.

The clear, ringing sound of the Tianya Sword as it was sheathed echoed along the cliff edge.

Mixed with the faint whispers of disciples drifting from afar.

Going crazy?

A cold glint flashed in her dark pupils.

That's a lie.

The young man who could see through the flaws in her cultivation technique at a glance and casually give her the supreme Buddhist mental cultivation method had a foundation as solid as a thousand-year-old rock.

She had personally experienced the profound spiritual depth that comes from practicing both Buddhism and Taoism.

Would such a person go astray and become possessed?

Lu Xueqi raised her head and looked in the direction of Tongtian Peak.

The ancestral hall was shrouded in mist, obscuring its outline.

But she could sense that a meticulously orchestrated play was unfolding there, with the entire Qingyun Sect as the spectators, and the protagonist...

She gripped the hilt of the sword tightly.

Two years.

She will personally go to the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament two years later to verify it.

Dazhu Peak, inside Shoujing Hall.

When Tian Ling'er rushed into the hall, her eyes were as red as a rabbit's.

She grabbed Tian Buyi's sleeve, her voice trembling with tears:

"Father! Xiao Fan... is Xiao Fan really...?"

Tian Buyi sat in the main seat, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

He glanced at his daughter, then at Song Daren's disciples who followed him in, and sighed heavily.

"It's true."

He spoke, his voice hoarse.

"I saw it with my own eyes."

That kid... was too hasty, too driven.

Reaching the seventh level in three years may seem glamorous, but the foundation has long been unstable.

A few days ago, while practicing martial arts, my true energy reversed and my meridians went in reverse, causing me to vomit blood on the spot…

He spoke slowly, each word seeming to be forced out of his throat.

The hands hidden in the sleeves were clenched tightly, the nails digging into the palms.

Tian Ling'er's tears streamed down her face instantly.

Her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground, trembling all over.

His lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Zhang Xiaofan's image filled my mind—

His focused dedication to cutting bamboo in the back hills, and his concentrated effort in cooking in the kitchen.

The unwavering determination with which he shielded her when she was in danger...

Now...it's all gone?

"Master."

Song Daren stepped forward, his voice heavy with sorrow, "Can Junior Brother... still be saved?"

Tian Buyi shook his head:

"The sect leader intervened and saved his cultivation."

But with the meridians damaged, cultivation... is probably ruined.

The hall was deathly silent.

The senior students looked at each other, their faces filled with disbelief.

He Dazhi clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, and Wu Dayi's eyes reddened.

Du Bishu murmured, "How could this be... Junior Brother is perfectly fine..."

"Alright." Tian Buyi waved his hand. "Everyone, get out. Ling'er, stay."

Everyone left, leaving only the father and daughter in the hall.

Tian Ling'er was still sitting on the ground, tears falling like broken beads onto the bluestone slab.

Tian Buyi looked at her, feeling a sharp pain in his heart, as if being pricked by needles.

He crouched down and reached out to help her, but she pushed him away.

"You're lying to me." Tian Ling'er raised her head, her eyes fixed on him. "Father, you're lying to me."

Tian Buyi's hand froze in mid-air.

"Xiao Fan... he didn't go into a state of demonic possession at all."

Tian Ling'er's voice was hoarse, "Right?"

Tian Buyi remained silent for a long time.

Then he stood up, walked to the doorway, and confirmed that there was indeed no one outside.

He turned back and lowered his voice:

"Yes, I lied to you."

Tian Ling'er's pupils contracted.

"Xiao Fan is alright."

Tian Buyi said, word by word,

"He was practicing under the guidance of a... master in the ancestral temple."

The sect leader released this information to protect him.

"Protecting her?" Tian Ling'er was stunned. "Why?"

"Because his talent is too dazzling."

Tian Buyi walked to her side, lowering his voice even further.

"Seven levels in three years, Qingyun Sect has never seen such a thing in a thousand years."

Too many people are watching him, and quite a few want to ruin him.

The sect leader had no choice but to do this—use the false news of "qi deviation" to...

Let him disappear from everyone's sight and cultivate in peace.

Tian Ling'er stared blankly at him, tears still on her face, but her eyes had regained their light.

"And... who is that master?"

"You don't need to ask about that."

Tian Ling'er stared blankly, unable to recover for a long time.

Want to refute? But the joy of knowing Xiao Fan was alright made her momentarily speechless.

Finally, Tian Ling'er nodded vigorously, raised her hand to wipe her face, feeling both like crying and laughing at the same time:

"So Xiao Fan is alright... he's alright..."

"Not only are you alright, but a glint of light flashed in Tian Buyi's eyes."

"He has been training with his senior for two years... He will surely surprise everyone at the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament two years later."

"Can we reach the ninth level of Jade Purity?" Tian Ling'er asked.

"Maybe." Tian Buyi paused.

"As for Shangqing Realm... the fastest record is twenty years."

But that child always manages to cause trouble in unexpected places.

He looked outside the hall, his gaze passing through the bamboo forest and heading towards the direction of Tongtian Peak.

Two years.

Two years is enough time for that child to undergo a complete transformation.

Inside the secret room.

Su Ru closed the door, turned around and looked at Tian Buyi:

"Now you can tell me, right? What exactly happened?"

Tian Buyi sat on the stone bench and rubbed his temples.

"You already guessed it, why ask?"

"I want to hear it from your own mouth."

Su Ru walked to his side and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Xiao Fan, that kid, has a foundation as solid as iron."

"Going mad? You might fool outsiders, but you can't fool me."

Tian Buyi gave a wry smile.

He took his wife's hand and recounted the whole story from beginning to end—

From Dao Xuan's decision to Wan Jianyi's agreement, and then to the true purpose of the smokescreen of "going into demonic possession".

"Firstly, to protect Senior Brother Wan's secret."

Tian Buyi concluded,

"Secondly, let Xiao Fan temporarily step back from the limelight."

Being too sharp and assertive is not a good thing.

Su Ru listened quietly, and only nodded gently after he finished speaking:

"Sect Leader...you have put a lot of thought into this."

"Yes," Tian Buyi sighed.

"Once this news is released, at least half of the eyes that were fixed on Xiao Fan will be able to look away."

"What about Ling'er..."

"I told her part of the truth."

Tian Buyi said, "He only mentioned that Xiao Fan was cultivating with a master, but didn't mention Senior Brother Wan."

That girl... can't keep things to herself.

Su Ru smiled, a smile filled with relief: "That's good. It puts her mind at ease."

She paused, then asked, "What level do you think Xiao Fan can reach after studying with Senior Brother Wan for two years?"

Tian Buyi thought for a moment.

"The ninth level of Jade Purity should be no problem."

He said, "As for Shangqing Realm... it's too difficult."

But if it's Xiao Fan, maybe...

The meaning was conveyed even though the words were not finished.

Su Ru leaned on his shoulder and whispered:

"The Seven Sects Martial Arts Tournament will be held in two years; it's going to be quite a spectacle."

Tian Buyi hummed in agreement and squeezed her hand.

Outside the window, the sun is about to set.

The last rays of sunlight dyed the bamboo forest a golden-red hue.

Two years.

Two years is enough time for many things to change.

That's enough... for a young boy to complete his final transformation.