Everyone sat quietly on the deck of the flying ship, neither talking nor moving about.
The flying ship did not have rooms for rest. Aside from the control room, there was only the deck.
All disciples sat on the ground and began to close their eyes, adjusting their condition to the utmost.
"Junior Brother Qin, what is wrong with you? Were you not well this morning?"
Seeing Qin Xiao as the only one lying on the deck, Lin Shimeng stepped forward and asked with curiosity.
"Ah, it is nothing. This is my unique cultivation method; I will be fine after resting for a while."
Naturally, Qin Xiao felt too embarrassed to admit that he had been beaten by his own disciple, so he offered this explanation.
"What kind of technique is this? Truly strange."
Seeing that Qin Xiao gave this reason, Lin Shimeng did not pursue the matter further and walked away, though curiosity still lingered in her mind.
"What absolute nonsense. Looking at his state, he was clearly beaten by someone."
Yao Kaidong walked over as well, casting a disdainful look at Qin Xiao.
"Holy Son Yao, what is this? Have your injuries healed so soon? Do you wish to taste another sword strike from my disciple?"
Seeing Yao Kaidong approach with mockery, Qin Xiao retorted without hesitation.
"Kid, do not get carried away. This Holy Son should actually thank your disciple, otherwise I would not have broken through to the Golden Core peak stage so quickly."
Yao Kaidong cared little for Qin Xiao's sarcasm. Immortal Sword Peak seemed to possess such a tradition; anyone beaten by Yun Man invariably achieved a breakthrough.
Previously, Li Cheng had gone from the early Golden Core stage to the mid Golden Core stage after a beating. Now, having suffered the same treatment, he himself had advanced from the late Golden Core stage to the Golden Core peak stage.
"Then I wonder how Holy Son Yao intends to thank me? With Spirit Stones or pills? Spirit Weapons would suffice as well."
Seeing that the other man refused to be provoked, Qin Xiao smoothly followed his line of reasoning.
"Hmph, you want thanks? Once we enter the secret realm, I will make sure to thank you properly."
With those parting words, Yao Kaidong turned and left.
Let him act as arrogant as he pleased for now. Once inside the secret realm, this Holy Son would let him experience the consequences of crossing him.
Now that he stood at the Golden Core peak stage and wielded a Low Grade Dharma Treasure, he no longer feared Yun Man. We would soon see who could save him.
It was fortunate that Yao Kaidong remained ignorant of Yun Man's actual cultivation level, or he would hardly dare harbor such thoughts, leaving the ultimate outcome entirely unpredictable.
"Junior Brother Qin, the sect has instructed us not to scatter but to form teams for this expedition. Would you be willing to join my group?"
Having witnessed the exchange, Lin Shimeng stepped forward with an invitation, believing that as long as Qin Xiao remained in her group, she could protect him.
"Many thanks, Senior Sister Lin, but my disciple and I will suffice on our own. You should look to others."
Qin Xiao rejected Lin Shimeng's invitation outright. He had no desire to expose his secrets to too many people, and since his disciple harbored many secrets of her own, traveling together was best avoided.
"Hmph, as you wish."
Never expecting her kind intention to be refused, Lin Shimeng flushed with annoyance and turned away immediately.
"Truly a fool. Had he chosen to follow Lin Shimeng, I might have needed to expend some effort. Now things are even simpler. He is simply courting death.
Yao Kaidong had kept a watchful eye on Lin Shimeng, feeling a brief pang of worry when she approached Qin Xiao. To think that this idiot would actually refuse-it was nothing short of suicidal.
"Disciple, are you hungry? Your master is quite famished."
Lying idle with nothing to do, Qin Xiao directed his question toward Yun Man.
He still had a good portion of the food he had purchased previously left uneaten.
"Master, this disciple is not hungry."
Ever since she had advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage, Yun Man had attained Inedia, consuming no mortal food from that day onward.
"You may not be hungry, but I am. Since moving is troublesome for me, you shall feed me."
With that, Qin Xiao feigned great difficulty as he fished several oil cakes from his robe and handed them over.
"Master, there are so many people watching. I will not do it."
Yun Man refused with a proud and haughty expression.
"If you refuse, I shall simply ask Senior Sister Lin to feed me instead. I imagine she would not mind taking Spirit Liquid as compensation. Ah, and that Spirit Liquid will be deducted from your allowance."
Cornered by her refusal, Qin Xiao resorted to a direct threat.
"Master, you... you... fine! I will feed you, I will feed you!"
Never dreaming that Qin Xiao would use her monthly allowance against her, Yun Man had no choice but to compromise with a disgruntled expression.
In truth, Qin Xiao's injuries had long since fully healed, but he was determined to exact a measure of retribution upon this disciple. She had struck without restraint and used the spar to settle personal scores, leaving him in absolute agony.
"Heavens above, why is such a disciple not mine? Not only is her talent peerless, but her filial piety is also so profound!"
"Qin Xiao, what kind of fortune did you cultivate in past lives? I refuse to accept this! I simply refuse!"
"If I possessed such a disciple, I would not regret being paralyzed for the rest of my life."
"Stop dreaming. Someone of your caliber could never deserve such luck."
This spectacle of Yun Man feeding her master immediately drew murmurs of discontent from many disciples, though envy predominated.
"What charm does this Qin Xiao possess? When Yun Man crossed swords with me, her pride knew no bounds. How could she possibly lower herself to such tasks?"
Lin Shimeng watched with lingering bewilderment, knowing firsthand from their duel just how arrogant Yun Man's temperament truly was.
"Junior Brother Qin, how can you burden Junior Sister Yun with such rough labor? Let me feed you instead."
Attracted by the scene, Chu Sheng ambled over and offered to take her place.
"Get lost. You are a grown man with hands as rough as tree bark. Who would want you to feed them?"
Recognizing the irrepressible Chu Sheng once more, Qin Xiao snapped at him without hesitation.
"Ah, Junior Brother Qin, why must you harbor such hostility toward me? Immortal Beast Peak wishes nothing more than to foster friendly relations with Seven Stars Peak. We are all fellow disciples-could you not show me a gentler expression?"
Unfazed by the hostility, Chu Sheng wore a thick skin and continued his entreaty.
"Chu Sheng! You bullied members of the Li Family and injured my elder brother! If you had continued to cower like a turtle in its shell, that would be one thing, but you dare to strut about here? I, Li Cheng, will settle this score with you today!"
Before Qin Xiao could reply, Li Cheng stepped out from beside Yao Kaidong with an accusing shout.
"Bully your Li Family? Injured your elder brother?"
Chu Sheng stared in utter bewilderment, completely at a loss as to when such events had ever transpired.
"Junior Brother Li, is there some misunderstanding here?"
Chu Sheng asked with a puzzled frown.
"Misunderstanding? Our ancestor sent a personal message down-how could there be any misunderstanding? What, do you dare to commit the deed yet lack the courage to admit it?"
Convinced that Chu Sheng was merely prevaricating, Li Cheng pressed the matter fiercely.
"There is clearly some error here. Junior Brother Li, refrain from spreading baseless slanders. Furthermore, in terms of cultivation, you are no match for me anyway. Where do you find the audacity to speak in such a tone?"
Chu Sheng's temper flared in response. Who knew if their sect ancestor had lost his mind? When on earth had he ever struck this man's elder brother?
"And what if I join him? The Li Family enjoys the protection of Immortal Sword Peak. By openly assaulting them, you show utter contempt for our peak!"
Yao Kaidong chose that moment to intervene, deciding that Li Cheng still had utility and thus warranted support.
"Yao Kaidong, accusations require evidence. Do you take the Tianyuan Sect for your Immortal Sword Peak's private estate?"
Angered to the point of casting aside formalities, Chu Sheng shouted his name directly. If they wanted a pretext to trouble him, they could state it plainly-did they really think he was easily intimidated?
"Junior Brother, fall back. There is no need to engage in idle bickering."
Having spent the period in secluded cultivation, Immortal Beast Peak's Senior Brother, Meng Chengren, finally emerged. He too had reached the late Golden Core stage, standing only half a step away from the Golden Core peak stage, and felt no dread toward Yao Kaidong.
"Understood, Senior Brother."
Suppressing his anger, Chu Sheng refrained from further argument and retreated to the ranks of Immortal Beast Peak.
'Well, well. The Li Family actually sought out Chu Sheng to settle accounts?'
Qin Xiao was well aware of the truth behind the farce, having freely used Chu Sheng's name when he thrashed the Li Family members in Tianyuan City.
'In that case, Senior Brother Chu, I must trouble you to bear this burden for a while longer.'
After a quick mental check with Yun Man confirming that Immortal Beast Peak's senior brother possessed half-step Golden Core peak strength, Qin Xiao felt entirely at ease.
Once inside the secret realm, Yao Kaidong would undoubtedly come looking for him. While not afraid, Qin Xiao preferred to avoid unnecessary hassles, leaving Chu Sheng to take the brunt of the attention. At worst, he could offer some compensation later.
The remainder of the night passed without incident, and as dawn broke the following morning, the flying ship finally arrived at the Abyss Secret Realm.