Chapter 23: Who the Hell Ambushed Me?

Ye Xiao was stunned by the request.

Su Muxue was remarkably beautiful, with a graceful figure and a white dress that fell above her knees, revealing a pair of snow-white calves. Every man who passed by could not help but steal a glance at her. Yet, such a cute and playful woman, who seemed as ethereal as a fairy, possessed a surprisingly bold and uninhibited personality.

Seeing that Ye Xiao remained motionless, Su Muxue frowned slightly and said with a touch of annoyance, "Well? Do you expect me to beg you?"

Feng Buxing, standing to the side, sensed her irritation and quickly tugged at Ye Xiao’s sleeve, whispering, "Brother Ye, Senior Sister Su’s abilities are extraordinary. Perhaps she can help you resolve your lifespan issue."

Seeing the sincerity in Feng Buxing’s eyes, Ye Xiao smiled. He extended his hand toward Su Muxue and said, "Thank you."

Su Muxue gave him a peculiar look before grabbing his wrist. A thread of subtle mystic energy flowed out, circulating through Ye Xiao’s body, and as it did, her expression grew increasingly grave. Seeing this, Feng Buxing became worried. "Senior Sister, how is it?"

Su Muxue shook her head. "His body is severely overdrawn, causing his vitality to drain rapidly. I don’t have a very good solution for this." While many medicinal pills were heaven-defying, extending a lifespan was something Su Muxue could not yet achieve.

Ye Xiao withdrew his arm and said with a smile, "Regardless, thank you for your help, Senior Sister."

Su Muxue stared at him for a long moment before sighing. "Don't thank me. If it weren't for Junior Brother Feng, I wouldn't have come. If you want to thank someone, thank him."

With that, she turned and addressed the Sword Peak disciples, who were trembling with fear and dared not leave without permission. "I will let it slide this time, but if I see you bullying my Alchemy Peak juniors again, do not blame me for being heartless!"

She walked away, ignoring them entirely. Once she was gone, the Sword Peak disciples exhaled in relief. They glared at Feng Buxing with visible resentment, especially Qiao Rong, whose expression was dark and sullen. Having heard the others whisper about Su Muxue’s identity, he dared not act too recklessly. Before leaving, he threw out a harsh threat and then hurried away with his fellow disciples.

"How did you offend him?" Feng Buxing asked, watching Qiao Rong’s retreating back with curiosity.

Ye Xiao shrugged. "I’m not sure. Perhaps I stole his spotlight during the trial two days ago."

Aside from that, Ye Xiao truly could not think of any other way he might have offended Qiao Rong.

Feng Buxing was speechless. He stopped looking at Qiao Rong and asked, "Where are you heading?"

"The Library Pavilion," Ye Xiao replied candidly. "My former family was very small, and I am ignorant of many things regarding the Southern Frontier and the continent at large, so I intend to do some reading."

Feng Buxing nodded. "Alright, then go ahead. I need to return to my cultivation. The Master said my talent for alchemy is good, but my cultivation base is lacking, so I might not have much time to see you for a while."

Ye Xiao laughed. "Just focus on your cultivation. I’m not exactly a beautiful woman; why would you need to see me?"

Feng Buxing was taken aback for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Rest assured, I will find a way to help you! You are a friend recognized by Feng Buxing!"

Ye Xiao nodded. After parting ways with Feng Buxing, he headed straight for the Library Pavilion. The first floor of the Yin-Yang Academy’s library contained ordinary books and was open to everyone, while the second floor and above housed cultivation techniques and secret manuals, which were not accessible to just anyone. Fortunately, Ye Xiao had no interest in the higher levels yet; he had not reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, so even if he were given sword techniques, he would have no way to execute them.

He spent the entire day buried in books, reading everything from local gazetteers and an overview of the Southern Frontier to miscellaneous records of the continent. It wasn't until the sky turned dark that he closed the book and let out a long breath. Though the day had been dry, he had gained a basic understanding of the continent and, in particular, the Southern Frontier.

"This Spirit Path trial does not seem very safe," he muttered. He had found a more detailed description of the trial in one of the books than what Zhuge Lingyun had told him. The Spirit Path trial opened every three years. During the last opening, ten members from the Yin-Yang Academy had participated, and not a single one survived. Because the trial attracted not only spirit beasts and Southern Frontier sects but also geniuses from the Central Region and the Eastern Provinces, the eight Spirit Paths were essentially sites of slaughter, with only one victor allowed per path.

Ye Xiao narrowed his eyes in thought. Perhaps this trial was a rare opportunity. He had a premonition that he was on the verge of forging his first Blood Spirit Pulse. Once that was done, his strength would undergo a qualitative leap, and perhaps he would have a chance to stand out in the trial. After all, participants were required to be under thirty years of age and below the Foundation Establishment Realm.

"I just wonder what that so-called Spirit Fruit actually does, that it could entice people from the Central Region," he mused to himself.

Leaving the library, he returned to Bamboo Mountain to find Mu Bai sitting on a rock atop the peak, seemingly stargazing.

"Senior Brother Mu Bai, feeling poetic tonight?"

Mu Bai turned to look at Ye Xiao and smiled. "Just bored. There isn't much to do in this academy. I truly don't know why the Master insisted that I come back with him."

Curious, Ye Xiao sat down beside him and looked up at the stars. "Senior Brother, are you often away from the academy?"

Mu Bai nodded. "The Master is not officially a teacher of the academy; he was invited by the Headmaster to serve more like a consultant. That is why he is unwilling to take on students or stay in the academy for long. He prefers to take us traveling across the Southern Frontier."

"So, your cultivation is all guided by him?" Ye Xiao asked.

Mu Bai chuckled. "With my aptitude, the Master wouldn't waste his time guiding me. He just tells us to walk more and see more, saying that cultivation is about cultivating the heart. As long as the state of mind is clear, one's cultivation will naturally follow."

Ye Xiao nodded, half-understanding.

"Ye Xiao, I reckon that after you come out of the Haoran Tower, the Master will take you out as well. When that time comes, I’ll take you out for some fun." A knowing, masculine grin spread across his face. "Let me tell you, in Willow Leaf City, where we were before, the Cuihua Pavilion was full of beauties. Those fair, shapely legs—they were enough to make a man unable to look away."

Just as he was speaking with enthusiasm, a stone flew from nowhere and struck him squarely on the head. He let out an "Ouch!" and began cursing at the top of his lungs, "Who is it! Who dared to ambush me!"