Dual cultivation makes you stronger, everyone else is a prodigy, and I'm the only one slacking

Yu Luoning gave a forced laugh; she simply didn't have the patience to argue with Cui Xiu any longer.

Shi Shangxu was still asleep in his room. The news of his senior brother Lin's death had left him exhausted, and he knew he had to hurry to Phoenix Perch Town soon.

She doesn't have time to play along with this ancestor's act.

Just then, Cui Xiu's smile suddenly stopped, and he raised his hand to press his chest.

An indescribable anger rose from the depths of his heart.

Yu Luoning keenly noticed this and cautiously asked, "Senior, what's wrong?"

Cui Xiu frowned slightly. He didn't answer, but the smile in his purple eyes faded, replaced by an indescribable complexity.

Just now, he felt an emotional fluctuation that wasn't his own.

It was obvious that those were the feelings of Yue Qi, who was thousands of miles away.

Cui Xiu narrowed his eyes. How many years has it been? That original body has never shown such emotion towards anything.

But now, he's actually angry because of the girl's heartless and ungrateful words?

That's right, how could he not be angry at a woman who toyed with his brother's feelings?

Cui Xiu's smile gradually spread across her face.

That's interesting, extremely interesting.

He couldn't help but laugh out loud, his voice carrying a hint of barely suppressed amusement.

Yu Luoning was completely bewildered by his laughter.

Cui Xiu's lips curled into a smile: "Little Ningning, what you just said made someone unhappy."

Yu Luoning was taken aback.

Someone? Her gaze swept around the room; it was just her and Cui Xiu there.

Could the person he's talking about be himself?

I didn't do anything to him, so why am I angry?

Yu Luoning forced a smile: "Um... Immortal Venerable Cui Xiu, don't worry. Although I am a bit of a philanthropist, rest assured, I know very well who I can mess with and who I can't."

"You're high and mighty, powerful and influential. Surely you wouldn't stoop to the level of a mere cultivator like me?"

Cui Xiu: "Just because I'm not going to hold it against you doesn't mean others won't. Aren't you afraid that one day you'll be caught off guard and suffer a setback?"

Your little lover in the Azure Sky has quite a background. Aren't you afraid he'll come knocking on your door if you toy with his feelings like this?

Yu Luoning's heart skipped a beat.

Her expression almost changed, but she quickly regained her composure and forced a smile.

"What do you mean by playing with feelings? My feelings for Xing'er are genuine, more genuine than pearls."

"Really? How does it compare to the one lying in bed?"

"Xing'er".

"And with another old flame?"

"Xing'er".

Choi Soo: "..."

Cui Xiu looked at her self-righteous expression and scoffed.

"Your sincerity is really worthless."

Yu Luoning: "Senior, believe it or not is up to you, I don't intend to persuade you. But as for sincerity, as I just said, there's more than one."

"To give an example, a mother has genuine love for the children she gives birth to, right? And with each child, that love is divided into several parts. Does that mean a mother's love for each child isn't genuine?"

"Furthermore, a master is sincere towards his disciples as well. Since there are several disciples, this sincerity is naturally divided among them. You can't say that a master isn't sincere towards any of his disciples, can you?"

"Therefore, I have shown sincerity to everyone who has treated me sincerely. Although the amount may vary, you cannot accuse me of playing with feelings or mock my sincerity."

Choi Soo: "..."

He had never heard such logic before. He opened his mouth to refute it, but couldn't find a point to refute it.

Seeing that he remained silent, Yu Luoning continued, "Senior, you came here today not just to discuss sincerity with this junior, were you?"

"You're so concerned about my love life, one minute you're mocking me for being a jerk, the next you're eyeing my young lover, and then you're wondering who I'm entangled with."

Could it be... that he's fallen for me?

Choi Soo: "..."

Yu Luoning's eyes widened, and she quickly hugged her chest with both hands, looking at the person opposite her with a look of horror: "Senior Cui Xiu, I only have the respect that a junior has for a senior, and I have absolutely no feelings beyond that."

As you can see, I have plenty of men, so there's no way I could accept you. You can ask me to accept you, though.

"You have to line up."

Cui Xiu's expression gradually went blank.

He stared at the woman in front of him, who seemed completely oblivious to her own mortality, and opened his mouth to retort.

I have absolutely no interest in you, so don't get your hopes up.

But if he were to refute it like that, wouldn't he seem a little guilty?

Cui Xiu raised her head and looked at Yu Luoning.

At this moment, the wisp of anger in Yue Qi's mind suddenly dissipated, replaced by Yue Qi's smile.

Cui Xiu felt that cool, moonlit smile, and she became even angrier.

He, a mighty evil corpse, was brought to his knees by a mere Qi-refining cultivator.

The air was silent for a moment, then Cui Xiu's spiritual energy rippled slightly before she turned and disappeared.

Yu Luoning stood there, a smile slowly curving up at the corners of her lips, and whistled smugly to herself.

You peeping tom, how dare you watch other people date?

~

After an unknown amount of time, Shi Shangxu woke up.

Yu Luoning went into the inner room and helped him change into a clean blue robe and tied his hair up in half, but the weariness on his face had not disappeared.

She sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to hold Shi Shangxu's slightly cool fingers.

When she first saw Shi Shangxu yesterday, she had actually observed its illustration information.

She possessed a Crimson Blood Crystal with Phoenix Bloodline, which she had unearthed from the ground, as well as a Dao Pattern Stone.

If we give these to the Shishangxu (时商序) system, will it be able to refresh to a higher-level version?

Yu Luoning couldn't grasp the situation.

Why not try one first? Even if it doesn't refresh, what's wrong with giving your partner a gift?

There was only one Phoenix Blood Crystal. Yu Luoning was thinking of going to Phoenix Perch Town, so she decided to use Phoenix Perch Light to refresh it.

Since it's named Feng, it should be a more fitting name for a little phoenix.

After being away for so long, and now that he's found a brother from the same mother, Yu Luoning can't let it go without compensating him in some way.

Yu Luoning felt it was worthwhile to use good things to make up for her debts and guilt.

Shi Shangxu looked up at her, and for some reason felt that Yu Luoning's gaze was off today.

Shi Shangxu asked worriedly, "Ningning, is there something you want to tell me?"

Yu Luoning lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment.

"Cousin, I will be leaving the sect for a while in a few days."

Shi Shangxu's pupils contracted slightly, and he slowly tightened his grip on her hand. "Where are you going?"