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

The candlelight flickered in Tian Buyi's eyes, illuminating what had been hidden within them for over a hundred years.

Zhang Xiaofan looked at him, at this master who appeared rugged and forthright but was more sentimental than anyone else, and slowly nodded.

"Yes."

A single word landed steadily and clearly on the ground.

Tian Buyi's facial muscles twitched slightly.

First, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes smoothed out, then the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned upwards.

Finally, his whole face turned bright red—not from anger, but from the overwhelming joy of finally being able to release something he had been holding back for so long.

He suddenly turned around, his back to Zhang Xiaofan, his shoulders trembling slightly.

The night outside the window was deep, and the bamboo forest in the distance rustled in the wind.

The inner room was so quiet that Tian Buyi's heavy breathing could be heard, his breath tinged with sobs, which he forcefully suppressed.

"Okay...okay..."

His voice was terribly hoarse. "Senior Brother Wan... is still alive..."

He said it very softly, as if afraid of disturbing something.

Zhang Xiaofan didn't respond.

He knew that Tian Buyi didn't need to answer at this moment; he just needed time to process the shock.

Those events from a century ago, those acts of blood and light,

That legend, as dazzling as the sun, yet suddenly falling—

The fact that he is still alive is incredibly significant for those who lived through that era.

After a long while, Tian Buyi finally turned around.

His eyes were a little red, but his expression had almost recovered.

"How much skill did he teach you?" This time the question was direct.

"Seventy percent."

Tian Buyi's eyes lit up: "Seventy percent...that's enough."

If you can learn 70% of Senior Brother Wan's skills, it will be enough for a lifetime.

He paused, and a deeper meaning appeared in his gaze as he looked at Zhang Xiaofan.

Study hard and practice hard.

In the future... you might have a chance to reach the threshold of the Taiqing Realm.

This was said very carefully.

In the past thousand years of Qingyun Sect, only Patriarch Qingye has stepped into the Taiqing Realm.

For Tian Buyi to utter the words "there is hope" already indicates extremely high expectations.

Zhang Xiaofan calmly replied, "The Taiqing Realm is not the end."

Tian Buyi was stunned.

"The path this disciple must walk..."

Zhang Xiaofan continued, "Further than the Taiqing Realm."

If someone else had said this, Tian Buyi would have thought it was just wishful thinking.

But when Zhang Xiaofan said it, coupled with his calm eyes, it gave Tian Buyi a jolt.

Five volumes of heavenly books.

Zhang Xiaofan didn't utter those four words, but Tian Buyi sensed a certain determination in his eyes—

That was a true determination to embark on a path that no one had ever walked before.

"What level of cultivation have you reached now?"

Tian Buyi changed the subject, speaking casually as if he were asking what they were having for dinner.

He naturally assumed it should be the Jade Purity Realm.

Two years to go from the eighth to the ninth floor is already quite astonishing.

The Shangqing Realm? The youngest person to reach the Shangqing Realm in the history of the Qingyun Sect is over two hundred years old, back in the era of Ancestor Qingye.

"The ninth level of Jade Purity," Zhang Xiaofan answered naturally.

A smile bloomed on Tian Buyi's face, spreading from the corners of his mouth to his entire face, even smoothing out the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

"Five years, Jade Purity Ninth Level."

He repeated it, as if savoring the weight of those six words.

"Good! Well done, Zhang Xiaofan!"

At this rate, in twenty years...

No, perhaps in fifteen years, you'll be able to touch the threshold of the Shangqing Realm!

As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something, and his face turned serious again:

"Look at your senior brothers! How many years has He Dazhi been a disciple?"

Still lingering on the sixth floor of Yuqing! And Lu Daxin, not to mention, all he does is sleep all day!

Zhang Xiaofan listened with his eyes down, but his mind was on something else.

The trump card.

Dao Xuan Zhenren had been biding his time for over a hundred years, keeping the secret of the Taiqing Realm well hidden, even from his closest fellow disciples.

The Qingyun Sect leader taught him a lesson through his actions:

The real trump card is hidden until the moment of life and death.

The butterfly has already flapped its wings.

The more changes occur in this life, the greater the uncertainty in the future.

He had to be more careful and hide himself even more deeply than Zhang Xiaofan in his previous life.

"Oh, right." Tian Buyi suddenly rubbed his hands together, his expression a little awkward, as if he wanted to say something but was too embarrassed to.

"With you gone for the past two years, the fifth brother's cooking... has been really hard to swallow."

Zhang Xiaofan was taken aback.

Tian Buyi coughed and glanced towards the kitchen:

"You've spoiled my stomach."

Now that things have been said to this extent, Zhang Xiaofan would be a fool if he still didn't understand.

He suppressed a laugh and said respectfully:

"This disciple will go and make some midnight snacks for Master and Mistress."

Tian Buyi immediately beamed and waved his hand:

"Go ahead, make more, your master's wife is craving it too."

When the kitchen stove was lit, Big Yellow wagged its tail and came over, rubbing its head against his legs.

Little Gray jumped down from the roof beam, skillfully squatted down by the stove, and stared at the pot.

Two years have passed, and this little guy hasn't changed at all.

Zhang Xiaofan washed rice and chopped vegetables with such fluid movements that it was as if he had never left the kitchen.

The firewood crackled and popped, the water in the pot began to bubble, and the aroma of rice mixed with the smell of firewood filled the kitchen.

This smell reminded him of the days right after he transmigrated, when he would come to the kitchen to start a fire before dawn every day.

At that time, he was just an ordinary disciple who had barely entered the sect.

What now?

He possesses the cultivation level of the Shangqing Realm, practices both Buddhism and Taoism, is a true disciple of Wan Jianyi, and wields the Soul-Devouring Staff.

The hands that cut vegetables are still the same hands, and the warmth of the stove fire reflected on my face is still the same.

Some things have changed, some things haven't.

Just as he was putting the meat into the pot, a loud "boom" came from outside.

The sound came from the woodshed, followed by the clamor of shattered tiles and broken wood.

Big Yellow barked wildly, and Little Gray squeaked and jumped onto the roof beam.

Zhang Xiaofan put down the spatula and went out the door.

Smoke and dust billowed from the woodshed, and half of the roof had collapsed.

Moonlight shone into the ruins, illuminating a figure lying on... three giant dice.

The man was covered in dust and dirt, his Taoist robe torn in several places, and he was struggling to get up from the dice.

Each die was as big as a water vat, and the wood grain gleamed darkly in the moonlight.

One of them is standing upright, and the side facing up is six o'clock.

"Sixth Senior Brother?" Zhang Xiaofan called out tentatively.

The person lying on the dice froze, then slowly turned their head.

His face was covered in dust, but his eyes were frighteningly bright.

"Xiao Fan?!" Du Bishu was both surprised and delighted. His hand slipped, and he tumbled off the dice. "Ouch!"

Zhang Xiaofan quickly stepped forward and helped him up.

Du Bishu grabbed his arm to steady himself and looked him up and down:

"You've grown taller and stronger!"

As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something, and his expression changed.

"Wait, don't speak yet—"

He turned around and made a hand seal.

The three enormous dice shrank rapidly, becoming the size of a fist, and fell into his palm.

The wood is smooth, the dots are clearly visible, and it gleams with a faint, ethereal light under the moonlight.

"That was an accident."

Du Bishu explained in a very serious manner,

"I just finished refining this magic weapon, and I'm not yet proficient at flying. I originally wanted to sneak back and surprise my master..."

"So you ended up smashing the roof of the woodshed?" Zhang Xiaofan asked.

Du Bishu's face fell: "Couldn't you just pretend you didn't see it?"

"Sixth Senior Brother,"

Zhang Xiaofan pointed to the dice in his hand.

"Your magic weapon... is it really a die?"

Du Bishu's eyes lit up again when this was mentioned.

He opened his palm, and three wooden dice lay quietly in his hand.

Each piece of wood has a unique grain, and there is a subtle sense of spiritual energy flowing through it.

"Made from the essence of the thousand-year-old Three Pearl Tree."

He said smugly,

"It took me two years to find the right materials."

Look, it can change size at will, and once infused with spiritual energy, it becomes as hard as iron; one hit on the head and it'll give you a bump!

Zhang Xiaofan looked at the three dice, then at the undisguised smugness on Du Bishu's face, and suddenly smiled.

"Sixth Senior Brother, isn't your gambling addiction a bit too much?"

"What gambling addiction!" Du Bishu exclaimed, his eyes wide.

"That's called making the best use of resources!"

Imagine this: during a martial arts competition, I unleash my secret weapon, and my opponent sees it—a die?

They'll definitely be dumbfounded.

That moment of stunned silence meant I won!

He spoke with great enthusiasm, completely forgetting that he had just crawled out of the rubble.

"Besides,"

He lowered his voice, speaking mysteriously.

"I named this magical artifact 'Divine Wood Dice'."

"I'm counting on this for the Seven Sects Martial Arts Tournament!"

The moonlight shone on his face, and his dusty face now radiated an almost naive confidence.

Looking at him, Zhang Xiaofan felt a warmth in his heart, recalling his sixth senior brother from the original story who always lost money but was always cheerful.

"Then Sixth Senior Brother must do his best."

He nodded in agreement.

"With this magic weapon, I'm afraid no one will be able to beat you at gambling from now on."

Du Bishu laughed heartily and patted him hard on the shoulder:

"Xiao Fan understands me best!"

Come on, I heard you're back. Master will be so happy!

Wait, why do you smell like braised pork?

"I was just about to make a midnight snack for my master."

Du Bishu's eyes widened, and his Adam's apple bobbed:

"Make more! What have I been eating these past two years while I've been away...?"

The two walked side by side toward the kitchen.

Du Bishu walked along, toying with the sacred wood dice in his hand.

Three wooden dice flew between his fingers, tracing smooth arcs in the moonlight.

The lights of Shoujing Hall were still on in the distance.

Tian Buyi stood by the window, watching the smoke rising from the kitchen.

He looked at the half-collapsed roof of the woodshed, shook his head, but couldn't help but smile.

The people from Dazhu Peak have finally all gathered.

The Seven Sects Martial Arts Tournament?

Tian Buyi clenched his fist, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

Let those who look down on Dazhufeng see what it means to be truly unassuming.