Chapter 55: Finding Xu Mo
"About that disciple, right?" her aunt asked, though her tone was firm, as if she already knew what Jin Meiyu was thinking.
"Yeah, Xu Mo was the name, if I heard correctly. What do you think?" Jin Meiyu agreed and sought her aunt's opinion, knowing she was more experienced in such matters.
"I've memorized the rankings of all the inner sect disciples in the top 50, including the core disciples," Jin Meiyu's aunt began, narrowing the scope of their search. "If he's not from the inner sect, then he could only be..." She left the sentence unfinished, but Jin Meiyu already had an idea of the place she was referring to.
"Have you found anything about Long Chen that links him to our assumption that he might be the true successor?" Jin Meiyu asked, though deep down, she already had an answer in her heart. Having interacted with the Sect Master—now her master—she knew he was a righteous person at heart. Many of the elders she had met within this timeframe also seemed honorable, though it was possible it was all an act. But how long could someone maintain such a facade? A day, a week, a month? Hiding one's true nature for months, if not years, seemed nearly impossible.
On the other hand, Long Chen was widely known to be a pervert. This reputation had spread throughout the inner sect. When he first joined the inner sect, he had shown some restraint, but as success came his way, he grew increasingly arrogant. If it had stopped there, it might not have been a significant issue. However, he began harassing female disciples, not even sparing his own master. Long Chen's master was a woman, the second strongest person in the sect after the Head Elder, and renowned for her beauty.
"It's strange," her aunt remarked. "There have been complaints about him drugging female disciples since he became a core disciple. Yet, every time he's about to seal the deal, his master or someone from the disciplinary hall catches him red-handed. He always manages to escape punishment, with someone else taking the fall for him. Because of this, there's been a strong protest demanding his expulsion from the sect and a punishment of 100 lashes."
Her aunt recounted the recent incidents.
"Ugh, this is disgusting. If you weren't stopping me, I would have castrated him long ago."
"But his strength is real," her aunt chided from the void.
"Stronger than me?" Jin Meiyu raised an eyebrow.
"Well, if you went all out, Long Chen would be obliterated."
Under the veil of shadows, Jin Meiyu's lips curled into a smile.
Since no one else was around except her and her aunt, she walked with a light, hopping step, her ponytail swinging from side to side.
"Let's try to find this Xu Mo. It's possible he's the one we're looking for."
...
A few nights later, Long Bai and Xu Mo were still in the same place where they had begun their training. Now, with the help of pills, Xu Mo no longer felt drained even after going all out. He could quickly replenish his Qi reserves by consuming a single pill. However, Elder Long had warned him against overusing them, as it could damage his potential.
"Did you get the books?" Elder Long asked.
Xu Mo nodded. He had received the package the day before but hadn't finished skimming through it yet.
[Elder Long, I was curious. From what I've read, I know that at a specific realm, cultivators awaken something akin to a third eye—called Divine Sense. Are they also unable to see through our bodies and check if we have those extra meridians that haven't awakened yet?] Xu Mo wrote a lengthy paragraph in his notebook.
Elder Long stroked his chin, thinking for a moment before responding. "You're already able to discern so much after just a day of reading the human anatomy book. It seems you also have the talent to become a scholar. But back to the topic. Yes, Divine Sense is essentially the power of the mind. There isn't a specific realm required to unlock it. If a weaker cultivator has a stronger mind than someone who has already unlocked Divine Sense, they too could awaken it. I can't say much more about Divine Sense, as it's what separates an ordinary cultivator from someone on the path to immortality."
Scribble.
Elder Long paused before continuing, "To answer your second question... that's something you'll have to discover for yourself. Once you reach that level, you'll understand."
Scribble.
Elder Long walked behind Xu Mo and saw him quoting every word he had just said into the notebook, including phrases like, "To answer your second question," and, "You're already able to discern so much after just a day of reading the human anatomy book. It seems you also have the talent to become a scholar. But back to the topic."
Long Bai didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Sometimes Xu Mo acted like the smartest person in the room, and other times he behaved like this.
Xu Mo continued to soak daily in the medicinal bath, and his body still absorbed 100% of the herb's properties. He could already feel the changes in his physique. Fortunately, his body hadn't become as bulky as Elder Long's, who was a walking mountain of muscle. Instead, Xu Mo remained lean and had grown taller, now standing above most children his age. His charm had increased, with his jawline becoming sharper and more defined. His jet-black hair, like the night sky, now reached his hips.
Xu Mo was considering getting a trim, as long hair wasn't his preference.
"Your body has grown stronger. It's like I'm looking at a Body Cultivator with the talents of a Qi Cultivator," Elder Long observed.