"But will I really become stronger? Can I have more spirit energy?" Ling Yu asked eagerly.
Xuan Tian hesitated, carefully choosing his words. "I don't know. You're the first cultivator I've ever encountered without an Immortal Core. Your energy flows naturally, but whether you can grow stronger remains unclear."
Ling Yu nodded eagerly. "I've always been special, so this isn't news to me."
Xuan Tian froze briefly in disbelief, exasperation flickering in his eyes. Quickly regaining his composure, he murmured under his breath, "I believe that."
Ling Yu narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What did you say?"
Xuan Tian met her gaze steadily. "I said you need to be careful. Being a cultivator isn't just about gaining power. There are dangers you don't yet understand."
Ling Yu paused, considering his words. They actually made sense. "Like what?" she asked cautiously, starting to believe him a little.
"Like exposing your meridians to others, the way you did this morning. If it had been anyone else, they might have harmed you," Xuan Tian explained firmly. He wanted Ling Yu to understand clearly.
Ling Yu tilted her head skeptically. "Are you sure you're not just trying to scare me again?"
Xuan Tian stared at her silently, his expression clearly conveying exactly what he thought about her skepticism.
"Your meridians—and for other cultivators, their cores—are your lifeline," Xuan Tian spoke slowly and deliberately. "They must be protected at all costs. Revealing them to others is dangerous. If someone damages them, the consequences could be severe—worse than death."
Ling Yu rolled her eyes. "I think you've got your priorities wrong. Isn't death worse than severe injuries?"
Xuan Tian shook his head firmly. "No, I meant exactly that. Death is final—you're gone. Severe injuries can be worse. You could live in constant pain, never able to cultivate again. It's a fate worse than death, Ling Yu."
Ling Yu shuddered imagining that.
"Thank you," Ling Yu said sincerely. She could tell Xuan Tian was genuinely concerned, even if she still thought he was overly paranoid.
Xuan Tian stared at her, momentarily stunned by her genuine gratitude. No one had ever thanked him for anything before—not for warnings, not for protection, not for any of the countless duties he'd silently fulfilled. He wasn't used to hearing such simple, honest appreciation. For a fraction of a second, he hesitated, unsure how to respond.
Ling Yu noticed him staring blankly and blinked out of reflex.
He blinked back, mirroring her instinctively.
She blinked twice, tilting her head slightly, testing him.
He blinked twice, his expression completely unreadable.
Ling Yu blinked a third time, now fully committed to the challenge. Xuan Tian mirrored her once more, maintaining his impassive expression. Finally, she burst into laughter, breaking the silent standoff. "What are you doing? Why are you copying me again?"
Xuan Tian recovered quickly, clearing his throat. "Do you understand what I've said?"
She blinked again.
Xuan Tian, exasperated, "Stop blinking and answer me."
Ling Yu rolled her eyes. "Yes, Shengzun. I understand."
Xuan Tian sighed. "Good. Now, are you ready to continue waking the rest of them?"
She grinned. "I've been ready since you were blinking after me. But am I really allowed to continue? You don't need to check my spirit energy?" she teased.
Xuan Tian rapped her forehead gently. "No, Little Chaos. I don't need to. I can see your complexion is better, and your breaths are even."
Ling Yu covered her forehead and pouted. "Don't knock my forehead! And what is this 'Little Chaos' thing? I'm not!"
"Then stop calling me Iron Wall."
Ling Yu shook her head. "No way! You are Iron Wall!"
"Then you are Little Chaos."
They kept bantering while walking together to the fifth person. Xuan Tian felt oddly comfortable with their exchange. This was the first time he had ever had a bantering partner. Not too long ago, he had been unsure how to interact with Ling Yu. But this... this felt right. This felt like the perfect way to interact with her.
Xuan Tian never realized it, but his casual banter with Ling Yu had left Zhao Zhi and Chen Zhaoyun—especially Zhao Zhi—completely flabbergasted. Zhao Zhi, who had been waiting in the next chamber, overheard everything and struggled to process what he was witnessing. The Great Celestial General Xuan Tian was bantering like a teenager... with a teenager?! No one would ever believe him!
When they finished waking the rest of the victims, it was well past dinner time. Ling Yu was starving again. She never realized that using spirit energy would make her hungry more easily. Confused, she frowned. Weren't Immortals supposed to be able to go without eating? Why was she hungry all the time? She turned to Xuan Tian with her question.
"It's because you are not an Immortal yet," Xuan Tian answered simply.
Ling Yu's brows furrowed. "How come? Is it because I don't have a core?"
Xuan Tian considered his response before speaking. "Yes and no. A cultivator reaches immortality when they break through to Low Immortal Stage 2. Once they reach that stage, they can gradually adapt to abstaining from food and other mortal necessities."
He continued, "I said 'yes and no' because I don't know how to measure your cultivation level. The size of an Immortal Core is typically used as the general measurement, but since you don't have one, there's no clear way to gauge where you stand."
Ling Yu nodded, processing his explanation.
Chen Zhaoyun, who had been quietly listening ever since Xuan Tian had first explained the dangers of exposing one's meridians, found himself even more in awe of Xuan Tian. He had already admired Xuan Tian's strength and composure, but now, he was equally impressed by his patience and ability to explain things so simply. It was like Xuan Tian was opening an entirely new world for him.
Right then and there, Chen Zhaoyun made a decision—he would strive to be more like Xuan Tian. He wanted to be able to guide his shidis and shimeis with the same clarity and confidence that Xuan Tian used to guide Ling Yu.