Chapter 245- The Black-Bellied Demon Cultivator’s Senior Brother VS The Righteous Young Junior Brother (10)
Although Mu Shaoyuan came to climb the Ascending Zongyun Ladder today, he had actually been at the Qingliu Sect for quite some time. Since the destruction of the Duankong Sect, he had been at the Qingliu Sect for more than half a year, so he knew most of the people here.
Upon hearing that the person beside him intended to give oranges to a benefactor, Mu Shaoyuan wondered why someone would carry a basket of oranges just to express gratitude. This piqued his curiosity, so he asked Mu Jin, “Who are you planning to thank with these oranges?”
Mu Jin, not hiding anything, replied, “I heard he is the eldest disciple of the Master of the Chuan Yun Peak, named Ning Yizhou.”
“You mean Senior Brother Ning?” Mu Shaoyuan had also heard of Ning Yizhou’s name during his time at Qingliu. However, for most of the past half year, he had been staying in his room due to his troubled mind and had not gone out much.
He had seen Ning Yizhou when he first arrived at the sect and had heard from others that he was a very gentle person who was willing to guide younger disciples. However, he had not had much direct interaction with him.
Mu Jin’s eyes immediately brightened when he heard Mu Shaoyuan mention Ning Yizhou. He looked at Mu Shaoyuan eagerly and said, “You know my benefactor? He saved my life before. I have no way to repay him, and since I can’t see him, I decided to climb the Ascending Zongyun Ladder. At least I can personally thank him!”
Mu Shaoyuan was taken aback by Mu Jin’s words. Although he had anticipated some reason for climbing the Ascending Zongyun Ladder, he found this explanation somewhat surprising. Most people climb the ladder with the goal of cultivating, and reaching this point already indicated that Mu Jin was obviously exceptionally talented.
Seeing the sincerity in Mu Jin’s eyes, despite his simple clothing and humble demeanor, Mu Shaoyuan felt a growing sense of admiration for him. He did not reveal his own identity and brushed off the question with a few vague responses before saying to Mu Jin, “Then let’s continue the journey together.”
Although Mu Shaoyuan had struggled with the illusion earlier, he still had some cultivation compared to Mu Jin, who seemed to lack any visible strength. So, his offer to walk with Mu Jin was an expression of goodwill.
Mu Jin accepted the offer without hesitation, and the two young men walked side by side. Their pace was steady, and with Mu Shaoyuan’s presence, Mu Jin’s speed increased slightly to keep up.
Perhaps because Mu Jin’s spiritual essence differed from others, his previous journey had been smooth, but walking with the male protagonist made things considerably more perilous.
Later, Mu Shaoyuan encountered various situations and even faced two more illusions, which had a certain impact on him. However, he clearly handled them much better than he had during the first encounter.
With Mu Jin by his side offering comfort and encouragement, Mu Shaoyuan’s spirits were much higher than when he had been alone. The presence of a companion gave him more motivation than he had initially felt.
After climbing for another half day, the two of them, by mutual understanding, sat down together to rest. Mu Jin, wanting to save the remaining oranges for his own man, was unwilling to share any more with Mu Shaoyuan. However, he did offer Mu Shaoyuan one of his remaining biscuits, for which the male protagonist expressed his gratitude. After all, since he hadn’t yet reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he still experienced hunger. Even though he could use Fasting Pills, nothing compared to the satisfaction and comfort that real food provided.
Despite the dangers they encountered, the protagonist’s aura of luck persisted. Few people successfully complete the climb up the Ascending Zongyun Ladder, and this time, less than ten managed to finish. Mu Jin and Mu Shaoyuan were among the first to reach the top.
Once they stepped onto the final tier of the Ascending Zongyun Ladder, the dense fog before them completely dissipated, revealing the majestic gates of Qingliu Sect. The main peaks of the sect also became visible in their true forms.
Upon finishing the climb, both Mu Jin and Mu Shaoyuan felt a surge of rich spiritual energy entering their bodies as a reward for their success. Mu Shaoyuan felt an immediate stability in his cultivation, sensing that he was close to reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, which made him feel excited.
Mu Jin was also thrilled, but not because of the increase in spiritual power or the progress in his cultivation. His excitement stemmed from finally seeing his beloved—and in human form, no less!
Although many Qingliu Sect disciples stood at the gate to welcome them, Mu Jin’s eyes could only see one person: Ning Yizhou, dressed in a white robe, standing tall and graceful.
Ning Yizhou was somewhat surprised to see Mu Jin as the first to reach the top of the Ascending Zongyun Ladder. Although he had given Mu Jin a spiritual fruit yesterday and sensed that he had a good natural foundation, he knew that successfully climbing the Ascending Zongyun Ladder was an achievement reserved for only a select few.
He hadn’t really expected Mu Jin to be so fortunate as to make it to the top. However, upon seeing Mu Jin now, Ning Yizhou couldn’t help but feel a bit pleased.
Despite this, he couldn’t reveal any familiarity with Mu Jin. Instead, he maintained his usual polite smile, directing it at both Mu Jin and Mu Shaoyuan. Given that Mu Shaoyuan was already a member of the Qingliu Sect, Ning Yizhou nodded to him first.
Meanwhile, Mao Kun, who had been waiting at the table to record the arrivals, straightened up with a smile as he looked at Mu Jin. The first person to reach the top of the Ascending Zongyun Ladder was undoubtedly someone with extraordinary talent. At the very least, he would be a cultivator with three spiritual roots, resilient in mind and sure to become their junior disciple.
With this in mind, Mao Kun’s interest in Mu Jin grew. He was just about to warmly welcome him as a senior brother when he saw Mu Jin, without even sparing him a glance, rush straight to Ning Yizhou with an excited expression.
Mao Kun’s smile froze in place: …
“Benefactor! Benefactor, do you remember me?”
Finally seeing Ning Yizhou, Mu Jin’s joy was evident. He was just as surprised as anyone that he had been the first to reach the top, but right now, all he wanted was to give his beloved a big hug. However, knowing he couldn’t do that, he settled for looking at Ning Yizhou with bright eyes, eager to say a few more words to him.
Although Ning Yizhou had known all along that Mu Jin came here to see him, he still pretended to be somewhat surprised. After a brief moment of thought, he replied, “You’re the person I saved in the town that day.”
“Yes! Benefactor, you remember!” Mu Jin nodded vigorously, trying to suppress his excitement.
Then, with a serious expression, he set down his basket, straightened his back, and bowed deeply to Ning Yizhou, saying:
“Benefactor, I’ve always wanted to properly thank you for saving my life, but I never had the chance. Thank you for saving me! Although I can’t repay you now, I promise I will repay you in the future!”
As Mu Jin spoke, he stood up straight, looking at Ning Yizhou with determined eyes. When Ning Yizhou nodded in response, Mu Jin smiled, then pushed the basket toward him, saying, “These are oranges grown by Uncle Li. They’re really sweet. I brought them just for you, so you have to try one!”
As soon as Mu Jin finished speaking, Mao Kun couldn’t help but chuckle. Likewise, several Qingliu Sect disciples standing not far behind Ning Yizhou found Mu Jin’s words amusing and couldn’t help but smile as well.
Several of the people present, like Ning Yizhou, were also from Chuanyun Peak. They remembered that Ning Yizhou had saved someone before, but they hadn’t expected that person to go so far as to climb the Ascending Zongyun Ladder just to thank him. What amused them even more was that the thank-you gift turned out to be a half-basket of oranges.
Mao Kun, in particular, couldn’t hold back his laughter after hearing Mu Jin’s words and seeing the oranges. He finally burst out laughing.
When Ning Yizhou heard Mao Kun’s laughter, he cast a discreet yet icy glance in his direction. Under Ning Yizhou’s cold gaze, Mao Kun immediately stopped laughing, his expression freezing up.
After Mao Kun quieted down and looked at the rather heavy half-basket of golden oranges in front of him, Ning Yizhou’s gaze toward Mu Jin grew even softer.
However, the young man in front of him no longer seemed as excited and happy as when he had first seen Ning Yizhou. Instead, after hearing Mao Kun’s laughter, he appeared somewhat flustered.
Mu Jin looked at Ning Yizhou with a face full of embarrassment, seemingly realizing that the oranges he had brought might not have been an appropriate gift. His face turned red, and his eyes showed a hint of awkwardness.
Mu Jin’s appearance was already attractive, and now, with his face flushed and looking flustered, he only appeared even more endearing. This stirred a strong sense of maternal affection in several of the Qingliu Sect’s senior sisters. They all found the soon-to-be junior disciple absolutely adorable and shot angry glares at Mao Kun.
Mao Kun, who had already turned to stone due to Ning Yizhou’s subtle threat, felt even more like crying.
Seeing Mu Jin’s embarrassment, Ning Yizhou quickly spoke to him in a gentle tone, “Did you bring these oranges especially for me?”
Hearing Ning Yizhou’s words, Mu Jin, though embarrassed from being laughed at earlier, quickly nodded and quietly replied, “Yes, benefactor, these oranges taste really good.”
Ning Yizhou’s smile became even more genuine at Mu Jin’s response. He softly said, “Thank you,” and then, to everyone’s surprise, he actually accepted the oranges in front of everyone. He even put them directly into his storage pouch.