ALL NOVEL Chapter 150 - Moved to Tears, Treated Differently
Purple Cloud Hall
“Master, I finally broke through to the Core Formation realm!”
Xue Jinli entered the hall with a proud expression, her head held high, clearly awaiting praise.
However, Xu Yang merely glanced at her calmly. Yuan Kouxuan, standing nearby, unsheathed the Qing’ai Sword and playfully tapped Xue Jinli on the rear.
“Alright, don’t be so smug. You’ve been a disciple for so many years and only now broke through to the Core Formation realm. Look at Junior Sister Liu—she’s been here for just over a month and is already in the Core Formation realm!”
Xue Jinli covered her backside, her beautiful eyes wide with shock as she turned to Liu Beifeng, whose presence was almost invisible.
“Little Beifeng, you broke through?”
Liu Beifeng nodded weakly, her voice soft.
“Yes, I broke through not long ago.”
“Hahaha! My judgment is excellent. Little Beifeng really is a top-grade talent!”
Xue Jinli wasn’t upset but instead hugged Liu Beifeng’s neck with a carefree grin.
“Little Beifeng, you’re incredible! Breaking through so quickly, you really bring honor to your senior sister!”
“It’s not that I’m amazing—it’s because Master gave me so many cultivation resources, and with the spiritual seal in my sea of consciousness, I was able to succeed.”
Liu Beifeng spoke humbly, sneaking a glance at her master’s handsome face. Her cheeks turned a delicate shade of pink.
“Oh, look, Little Beifeng is blushing!”
Xue Jinli teased, patting Liu Beifeng’s shoulder.
“Being amazing is amazing—there’s nothing to be shy about! Don’t worry, I won’t get jealous of you.”
“…”
Liu Beifeng’s face turned an even deeper red.
“Alright, all you do is tease Junior Sister Liu. Have you forgotten what Master said before? If you cause trouble again, I’ll use the Qing’ai Sword to give you a hundred lashes!”
Yuan Kouxuan hefted the Qing’ai Sword, her expression cold.
Xue Jinli immediately straightened up, her demeanor becoming as obedient as a quail.
Qin Kewan, watching this unfold, nearly burst out laughing. But when she felt Yuan Kouxuan’s cold gaze sweep toward her, she quickly covered her mouth.
“Master, Yuer and Qing’er are still in retreat,” Yuan Kouxuan reported to Xu Yang.
“They haven’t broken through to the Nascent Soul realm yet?”
Xu Yang frowned, his tone carrying a hint of doubt.
His disciples were exceptionally talented. After more than ten days, it was strange that they hadn’t made progress.
“Master, I know the reason!”
Xue Jinli raised her hand eagerly.
“Xiaoqing and Yu’er have already broken through to the Nascent Soul realm one after another. They’ve just gone back into retreat to stabilize their cultivation.”
“How dare you speak up?” Yuan Kouxuan shot her a glare. “While Qing’er and Yu’er are working hard, I found you bathing at Heaven’s Ford Pavilion!”
“I… I was balancing work and rest. Master said—”
Xue Jinli’s voice faltered, guilt creeping into her tone.
“Alright, Xuan’er, it’s enough that the little koi broke through to the Core Formation realm,” Xu Yang interjected with a gentle smile. He looked at Xue Jinli, his tone warm.
“I promised you that once you reached the Core Formation realm, I’d give you a divine source. Since you’ve succeeded, I won’t break my word.”
With a wave of his hand, Xu Yang summoned a dozen source stones from his system space. Among them was one divine source; the rest contained rare treasures.
“Wow! Master, so many source stones! Are they all for me?”
Xue Jinli’s eyes sparkled like gems as she stared at the source stones on the ground. Without waiting for a reply, she threw herself onto them, overjoyed.
“Yes,” Xu Yang replied calmly.
“There’s a divine source among them. The others are for you to hone your source skills.”
Divine source?!
Master, I love you to death!!!
If her senior sisters weren’t present, Xue Jinli would have pounced on her master to hug him tightly and perhaps even give him a few enthusiastic kisses to express her gratitude.
Suppressing her excitement, Xue Jinli knelt respectfully and bowed deeply.
“Master, don’t worry—I won’t let you down. I’ll become a master of formations in the future!”
“Master believes in you.”
Xu Yang nodded with a warm smile, then turned his gaze to Liu Beifeng, whose presence was always understated. He spoke gently, “Little Beifeng has been very diligent. While I was away from Purple Cloud Peak, you trained without slacking. Tell me, do you want any reward?”
“Me?”
Liu Beifeng looked at Xu Yang in a daze. It took her a while to process the question, and when she did, she replied softly, almost hesitantly.
“Reporting to Master, I don’t need any reward. Just being able to stay at Purple Cloud Peak and cultivate in peace is enough for me.”
“Little Beifeng, are you serious?”
Xue Jinli muttered under her breath, looking disappointed. “You’re really ruining Master’s mood by saying something like that.”
Xu Yang chuckled at the exchange, his demeanor unchanged.
“Since I established Purple Cloud Peak, I’ve always rewarded diligence and punished laziness. Whether you want it or not, I must reward you for your effort.”
With a casual wave of his hand, an array of cultivation resources appeared before Liu Beifeng. The collection was dazzling, radiating spiritual energy and emitting a soft glow. Among the treasures were rare spiritual herbs, potent elixirs, and cultivation techniques tailored to Liu Beifeng’s strengths.
Liu Beifeng stared at the treasures, speechless. She raised her gaze to Xu Yang, her eyes reddening as tears began to well up.
“Little Beifeng, don’t cry. If you don’t want them, you don’t have to take them,” Xue Jinli teased, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket and handing it to Liu Beifeng.
Taking the handkerchief, Liu Beifeng wiped her tears, but they only flowed harder. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed quietly.
“Senior Sister Jinli, it’s not that… I just feel that Master is too kind to me.”
Her words were choked with emotion.
Liu Beifeng thought back to her time with the Liu family. Whenever she was given cultivation resources, it was always accompanied by stern reminders, “Beifeng, remember the family’s kindness. When you achieve greatness, you must repay us. Never forget your roots.”
The constant pressure for repayment had weighed heavily on her, haunting her even in her dreams.
But here at Purple Cloud Peak, things were different.
Master never asked for anything in return. He guided her patiently, solved her doubts, and provided her with ample resources without expecting anything back.
To Liu Beifeng, Xu Yang was the epitome of a perfect master.
“Just get used to it. Master is always this way,” Xue Jinli said with a grin, attempting to comfort her.
“Little Jinli, you’re terrible at comforting people. Just be quiet!” Yuan Kouxuan scolded, glaring at her junior sister.
Her gaze carried irritation. The implication that one should simply “get used to” Master’s generosity rubbed Yuan Kouxuan the wrong way. Disciples should reciprocate their master’s kindness with dedication, not take it for granted!
Embarrassed, Xue Jinli shrank back, muttering apologies.
…
“Master, can I… hug you?”
Liu Beifeng suddenly looked up at Xu Yang, her tear-streaked face filled with hesitation and courage.
“Of course. There’s nothing wrong with that,” Xu Yang replied gently, opening his arms.
Liu Beifeng threw herself into Xu Yang’s embrace, her tears soaking his robes.
Meanwhile, Xue Jinli and Qin Kewan exchanged a glance. Then they both turned their gaze to Yuan Kouxuan.
Her expression was calm and indifferent, showing no reaction to the hug.
Both junior sisters felt an inexplicable sense of injustice.
Xue Jinli’s thoughts: No way. Senior Sister, we’re both junior sisters. You beat me half to death just because I playfully grabbed Master’s chest muscles! But you’re completely fine with Little Beifeng openly asking for a hug? This is blatant favoritism!
Qin Kewan’s thoughts: Senior Sister didn’t mind that? Then… maybe I’ll try hugging Master too…