160 - Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts

### Chapter 160: As Long As Xu Ming is Safe "Where is he, where is he?" Qin Qing Wan muttered to herself as she manipulated the Bagua Diagram, her eyes scanning her surroundings in search of Xu Ming's location. Despite her efforts, she couldn't determine exactly where Xu Ming was. Perhaps she had been searching for too long and was worried about straying too far from Xiao Bai. Thus, she decided to use a talisman to display Xiao Bai's position, intending to reunite with it first before proceeding further. Surprisingly, Qin Qing Wan discovered that Xiao Bai's location hadn't changed at all. "This isn't right." A sense of unease crept into her heart. Logically, if Xiao Bai was searching for Xu Ming, it should be moving continuously. Could it be that Xiao Bai had encountered some enemy or fallen into trouble? Otherwise, why wasn't Xiao Bai moving at all? Her heart gripped with anxiety, Qin Qing Wan swiftly flew towards Xiao Bai's direction, silently praying for its safety. When she finally arrived at the location indicated by the talisman, she froze in shock. The talisman was stuck to a tree. There were no signs of a struggle or conflict nearby. Recalling Xiao Bai's earlier suggestion to split up and then seeing this talisman on the tree, Qin Qing Wan felt she understood everything. If her hunch was correct, it seemed Xiao Bai knew Xu Ming's location but didn't want her to be in danger. Thus, it had deliberately left her behind to confront whatever lay ahead alone. "Even you, Xiao Bai, have learned to deceive me!" Qin Qing Wan pouted, feeling a little upset. When they were younger, the three of them—she, Xiao Bai, and Xu Ming—always got into mischief together with no secrets between them. And now, neither of them would include her! "You can't leave me behind!" Determined, Qin Qing Wan took out the Bagua Diagram again, preparing to deduce Xiao Bai’s whereabouts using the talisman. Since they had only just parted ways and the talisman carried Xiao Bai's essence, it would be easier than attempting to track down Xu Ming. "Qing Wan." Just as she was focusing on determining Xiao Bai's direction, a calm voice interrupted. Qin Qing Wan looked up in joyful surprise: "Master!" With her master here, things would be much easier, and Xu Ming could be saved! Wang Xuan descended from the sky, landing beside his disciple, his brows furrowed. "What happened to make the Dao Lotus within you disappear?" "Eh?" Qin Qing Wan was taken aback. "Master, how did you know?" Wang Xuan replied, "The Dao Lotus within you was cultivated with my assistance. How could I not know? When it vanished, I feared for your safety and traveled through the void to reach you." Qin Qing Wan protested, “But, Master, it’s a long story. There’s something more urgent now. Can you help me locate someone? My friend might be in mortal danger!” She grasped her master’s hands, pleading, “Please, Master.” Seeing the urgency in his disciple’s eyes, Wang Xuan set aside his questions and unfolded a formation on the ground. "Place anything related to him here." Qin Qing Wan quickly produced the Baizi Scroll and placed it on the formation. Wang Xuan recognized the scroll as a small world in itself. Activating the formation, his delicate fingers moved rapidly and precisely. As an immortal of Wang Xuan's caliber, not only could he easily deduce the scroll's owner, but he could also glimpse the causal events surrounding the scroll. Wang Xuan saw a man standing on a heavenly staircase, gazing up at a thunder dragon, saw his disciple beside the man, transferring the Dao Lotus into Xu Ming's mouth, and then witnessing the man overcoming the tribulation and gifting the scroll to his disciple. And that man was—Xu Ming. But how? Someone with severed spiritual roots like him? How could he cultivate? After understanding the cause and effect, Wang Xuan opened his eyes. "There's no need to find him. I just foresaw that he narrowly escaped death, though injured, his life is not in danger. The urgent matter now is for you to quickly return with me to Tianxuan Sect. Your previous cultivation had been nurturing the Dao Lotus. That Dao Lotus was foundational to you. But giving it to Xu Ming has damaged your foundation. You must return for restoration, or you’ll never attain the Jade Pupil stage in your life!" "Eh?" Qin Qing Wan blushed slightly, “Master, how did you know?” Wang Xuan replied helplessly, “How could I not deduce such a trivial matter?” Qin Qing Wan, anxious, pleaded coquettishly, “Master, please just let me go see Xu Ming once to make sure he’s alright. Then I’ll return with peace of mind..." "Qing Wan, stop this nonsense," Wang Xuan interrupted sternly. "Do you know the condition of your body right now? Time is of the essence!" Faced with her master’s reproach, Qin Qing Wan lowered her head, realizing her master was indeed upset. Her master rarely got angry. Seeing his disciple's downcast demeanor, Wang Xuan sighed deeply. "You know, that Dao Lotus could have transformed into your life-bound object, allowing you to leap even higher when entering the Dragon Gate realm. When reaching the Golden Core stage, it could have formed a Lotus Golden Core, paving a smoother path to the Jade Pupil stage. It would inherently grant your cultivation a higher quality than most. Even upon reaching the Jade Pupil stage, the Dao Lotus would have become a bridge connecting you to the universal laws. And now, all of that is lost. Was it worth it?" In his calculations via the Baizi Scroll, Wang Xuan only saw Xu Ming undergoing a tribulation to become the master of the Baizi World and nearly failing, leading Qin Qing Wan to aid him. He was unaware of the greater danger; of the sect's plans to trap everyone inside the scroll, leading potentially to their deaths at the hands of the cult that sought to capture cultivators. But even if he knew, Wang Xuan wouldn't care. His disciple’s innate Dao physique allowed her to adapt to any small world's laws, rendering her immune from expulsion. Thus, the light beam of the Baizi World would never fall upon her. And even if Xu Ming failed and everyone became trapped within the scroll, her innate Dao physique would allow her to connect with the grand laws when entering the Dragon Gate realm, enabling her to leave the Baizi World independently. "If Xu Ming is safe..." As Wang Xuan’s sense of regret grew, Qin Qing Wan spoke softly. Wang Xuan: "Hmm?" The young girl lifted her gaze, blinking at her master, "As long as Xu Ming is safe, then it was all worth it." --- *(Spending eight hundred dollars on a table only to find it missing non-slip grips. The shop offered to send replacements. Assembled the table only to find the legs uneven, causing it to wobble. Unbelievable, I'm at wit's end. I'm going to call and complain; I can't take this anymore.)*