Chapter 296
The days in the mountains pass without notice, and one doesn’t realize how much time has flown by. This is especially true for cultivators who often meditate for months or even years at a time.
Only the girl’s gradually maturing body served as a reminder to Chen An. Chichi Su was growing remarkably fast. She started cultivating at nine, reached Foundation Establishment at eleven, and now, just after coming of age, she was already in the late Foundation Establishment stage. Chen An estimated that if nothing unexpected happened, Chichi Su would likely reach Golden Core before she turned twenty.
A Golden Core cultivator, even within Shenzhou, was considered a key force. If they chose to settle in a remote area, they would possess the means to establish their own sect.
It was during this year that Chichi Su found Chen An in his Cave Mansion.
“Master, I want to go down the mountain.”
The young girl tugged at Chen An’s arm, her eyes bright. She had become even more beautiful. The slight baby fat on her face had gradually faded. Although her lively nature remained, she no longer scrambled around the valleys like a little monkey as she had in her childhood. At a glance, she appeared graceful and elegant.
Chen An slowly opened his eyes, a hint of surprise on his face. “I didn’t expect you to hold out this long.” For the naturally restless Chichi Su, staying peacefully in the mountains for so long far exceeded Chen An’s expectations. However, Chen An still shook his head. This was the first time he had rejected Chichi Su’s request.
The young girl pursed her lips, a little confused, but she wanted to try again. “Master~ Are you worried that something might happen to me if I go down the mountain? Then why don’t you come down with me, just like before!”
Chen An looked at her and said softly, “Wait a bit longer.”
Wait for what? Wait how long? Chen An didn’t say, because he didn’t know either.
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The young girl’s desire to descend the mountain grew day by day, like weeds outside the valley. She often gazed towards the horizon, a hint of unspeakable loneliness in her expression. The vast lake that had seemed so expansive in her childhood no longer seemed as large to the current Chichi Su. The lake hadn’t changed, but her heart yearned for the world beyond the mountains.
Chen An knew he couldn’t keep her confined. Fortunately, in this final life, he had learned to temper his emotions and maintain a calm heart. By not harboring any expectations, he naturally wouldn’t be disappointed.
In Chichi Su’s twentieth year, she naturally broke through her realm. A Golden Core cultivator at twenty was enough to shock the entire Shenzhou. However, due to her long seclusion in the valley with her Master, Chichi Su was unaware of her own strength. The only comparison she had was that the tiger spirit was indeed no match for her anymore.
Without any rivals, Chichi Su’s days in the mountains became even more boring. She couldn’t possibly ask her Master to be her sparring partner, could she? Although Chichi Su had always believed herself to be exceptionally talented and not an ordinary person, she wasn’t foolish enough to invite humiliation.
Once, she curiously asked about her Master’s realm, and the reply she received was a rather casual statement. “Perhaps, roughly, in the Mahayana realm.” Her Master’s expression held a slight uncertainty when he said this.
Chichi Su’s eyes widened. Although she had never left the mountain alone, her Master had taught her basic common sense. The Mahayana realm was the pinnacle that cultivators pursued throughout their lives. Beyond that, perhaps it existed, perhaps it didn’t. After all, Shenzhou had existed for hundreds of millions of years, and no cultivator higher than Mahayana had ever appeared.
Chichi Su was secretly shocked and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Master, you are so powerful! That means no one can defeat you, and no one can kill you, right?”
This question, in a way, seemed somewhat offensive. But Chen An wasn’t angry. He was silent for a moment before smiling, “Even the most powerful people will eventually die.”
At that time, Chichi Su was very confused. How could anyone harm such a powerful Master?
In June of the same year, Chichi Su finally got her wish. With her Master’s permission, she descended the mountain alone to travel. Initially, she had planned how she would get Chen An to go down the mountain with her. However, Chen An did not agree, merely saying, “You will grow up eventually. I can accompany you for a while, but not for a lifetime.”
“Besides, isn’t this a common trope in fantasy novels? The protagonist cultivates peerless martial arts on the mountain, then descends to shock the world and sweeps all before them.”
Chichi Su pursed her lips and looked at him with a pitiable expression. “I don’t want to be a protagonist. Master, just come out and play with me.”
“Moreover, Master, you are so powerful and your cultivation is extraordinary. You can definitely accompany me for a lifetime.” Her way of shaking her arm and acting spoiled made Chen An pause for a moment. It was because, in the memory of a certain past life, a girl who happened to appear at the right time had done the same thing to him.
Chen An still shook his head, refusing her once again. Chichi Su was very confused. Why would her Master, who had always doted on and indulged her, be so resolute about this matter? She remembered that when she was little, no matter how strange or unreasonable her requests were, her Master had never refused. This included playing in the mud, climbing trees, and many other embarrassing and unreliable things. But her Master had never put on airs like an Immortal, nor had he ever told her to be more well-behaved. Only on the matter of descending the mountain had he refused her twice.
However, all her reluctance was no match for the bustling world outside the mountains. Her years of quiet cultivation in the valley had been too long, so long that Chichi Su had grown tired of everything in the valley except her Master. She sometimes thought that perhaps she didn’t tire of her Master not because of any deep master-disciple bond between them, but simply because her Master was handsome. Chichi Su had a clear understanding of this point.
That evening, with her skirt swaying, the young girl left, looking back three times. Chen An stood at the entrance of the valley, calmly watching her receding figure.
A moment later, a large tiger’s head peeked out from the woods beside them. Seeing the girl’s distant departing back, its eyes lit up, and it happily bounced on the spot. It hopped merrily to Chen An, then circled around the man. It rubbed against his hand, then his leg. It didn’t look like a powerful tiger spirit that dominated the mountain but rather like a clingy kitten raised by an ordinary family.
The orange sunset cast a golden glow on Chen An’s body. He stood there, quietly looking in a certain direction, unsure if he was watching a person or the sky. The young girl did not look back. Chen An knew why she didn’t look back. Because if she stopped, she would probably be too reluctant to leave. Past dusk was night. Chen An casually stroked the tiger’s head resting by his leg and said softly, “Let’s go.” As his hand caressed it, the white tiger’s body began to glow faintly.
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In reality, it was just a very brief separation, and she would return soon. The young girl secretly comforted herself, then raised her small fists towards the sky, her heart brimming with joy.
From then on, the valley had one less charming young girl. And the vast cultivation world below had gained a righteous female hero who favored exterminating demons and monsters. It was said that this female hero detested those demonic cultivators and demons the most.
(End of this chapter)
