Luck taken away? It doesn't matter, I quietly become a god

Chapter 517 Rong Shu's Deepest Fear: The Inner Demon

Just as Rong Shu lunged towards the herb field, Xiao Zian grabbed him by the back of his collar.

"What's the rush? The medicinal herb grows right there in the ground; it's not like it's going to grow legs and run away..."

Rong Shu shuddered: "Fourth Senior Brother, we're not in the alchemy room now. I don't want to discuss the fifty-fourth improved version of the pill formula anymore."

Xiao Zian may be unreliable in general, but when it comes to alchemy, he is indeed worthy of being the youngest ninth-grade alchemist. He is exceptionally talented, strives for perfection, and cannot tolerate the slightest mistake or imperfection.

For Rong Shu, an ordinary alchemist who firmly believes that diligence can make up for lack of talent, repeated trial and error is not difficult; what he can't stand is Xiao Zi'an's hesitant gaze, as if he's looking at a piece of trash.

Rong Shu dared to make a bet.

If she weren't the fourth senior brother's most beloved junior sister, even for the smallest mistake, he would have tormented her to death!

Xiao Zian chuckled and said, "Don't worry, your fourth senior brother isn't that inhumane."

"What? Fourth Senior Brother, you can't have sex?! Ouch—"

A sharp rap on the head sent Rong Shu huddled pitifully, clutching his head.

Xiao Zian withdrew his hand: "Junior Sister, you are not allowed to go astray. Your Third Senior Brother is not here now."

The implication is that no one can save you.

"Third Senior Brother." Rong Shu suddenly spoke, looking behind Xiao Zi'an.

Xiao Zi'an put his hands on his hips: "Again? Junior Sister, did you pick up bad habits at Jixia Academy? Are you trying to scare me with Third Senior Brother?"

"Hmph! Even if my third senior brother were in front of me, I could take on ten of them with just one hand!"

Upon hearing this, Rong Shu looked at Xiao Zi'an with sympathy.

"Really? One against ten? That's amazing."

A familiar voice came from behind him, and a large hand pressed on Xiao Zian's shoulder.

Swish!

Xiao Zian's face stiffened.

The next second—

"...Awooooo!"

"Third Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, I was wrong..."

"..."

After a short while, Wu Hua stretched his wrists and smiled slightly at Rong Shu: "Junior Sister, welcome home."

"Third Senior Brother." Rong Shu said with a sweet expression.

Xiao Zian, who had just gotten up from the ground, widened his eyes in shock upon seeing this scene.

Why?

Is the junior sister really this well-behaved in front of the third senior brother?! She's a little devil in front of him! This is blatant discrimination!!

He raised his hand to point at Rong Shu and accuse him, but Wu Hua slapped it away halfway through.

Rong Shu asked, "Where is Senior Brother? Is he still on Xianzhu Peak? I have something to ask him."

Wu Hua replied, "Yes, what's up?"

"I just wanted to ask about the inner demon tribulation."

"Inner demon tribulation? Junior sister, your current cultivation level..."

Rong Shu immediately revealed his true cultivation level.

"You've reached the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage? And you're already showing signs of breaking through to the Void Refinement stage? No wonder you asked about the Heart Demon Tribulation." Wu Hua immediately understood.

"No..." Xiao Zian's gaze changed, and he looked Rong Shu up and down as if she were a monster: "Junior Sister, what exactly did you eat in Buzhou Domain? It's outrageous... your cultivation level increased so quickly?"

Xiao Zian reached out and grabbed Rong Shu's wrist, examining it carefully, but found no signs of instability.

"...Hiss." Xiao Zian was relieved, but then said with a bitter face, "Junior Sister, can we make a deal? Can your cultivation level increase a little slower? If it keeps increasing, it will soon surpass mine."

Xiao Zian's cultivation level has been stuck at the mid-stage of the Void Refinement realm for a long time.

Although his spiritual root has undergone a transformation, his cultivation speed has increased exponentially, and he almost never encounters any bottlenecks.

However, if someone in the Refinement stage wants to break through to the Integration stage, they need to 'grasp' that tiny bit of understanding of the laws of heaven and earth in order to naturally advance to the Integration stage.

Xiao Zian is now just one step away from "sudden enlightenment," which is also about confirming his path. Helpless, he can only try to slow down his cultivation and find other ways to gain insight (or perhaps just to catch fish).

Wu Hua disagreed, saying, "Don't set a bad example for your junior sister by being lazy yourself."

Xiao Zian: "..." Was this something he was slacking off on? It's clearly because his junior sister is just too amazing!

Xiao Zian was equally horrified by his junior sister's mysterious cultivation progress, and often felt like a useless person when compared to her.

Rong Shu and Xiao Zi'an exchanged a glance, their thoughts echoing in unison: Fourth Senior Brother (Junior Sister) is a prodigy! Waaaaah, I'm such a waste...

……

Rong Shu arrived at the small bamboo house on Xianzhu Peak.

As expected, the eldest disciple, Leng Mingjing, was sitting quietly in the bamboo forest, with a chessboard in front of him, playing a game of chess with white pieces in his left hand and black pieces in his right.

Rong Shu paused in his steps.

Since she came to Zhanming Mountain, Leng Mingjing has rarely left the area of ​​Xianzhu Peak, let alone left Zhanming Mountain.

In the past, Second Senior Sister Lin Jingyue hid from her family, Fourth Senior Brother Xiao Zi'an was not yet the head of the Xiao family and could idle around all day, and Fifth Senior Brother Di Chuchen remained silent and detached from the world...

Few people live on Zhanming Mountain, but Rong Shu never felt lonely.

But now, Lin Jingyue, Xiao Zian, and Di Chuchen have all left Zhanming Mountain to shoulder their respective responsibilities.

Only Leng Mingjing remained.

Only the eldest brother remained in the same place, at Zhanming Mountain.

"Big brother."

Rong Shu sat on the other side of the chessboard, picked up a white piece, and placed it down.

"You're here. Did you have a good time outside?" Leng Mingjing's tone was casual, which made Rong Shu feel a little dazed, as if she had only been away from Zhanming Mountain for a day, not ten years.

Everything about Zhanming Mountain still felt familiar and warm to her.

"Hmm." Rong Shu nodded: "During this time away, I've seen a bit of the world. There are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding. I've encountered quite a few people and things."

The bits and pieces of the past ten years fell into her heart like spring rain, sometimes damp and cool, but after the rain, the earth always becomes nourished with vitality and greenery.

After finishing a game of chess, Leng Mingjing poured Rong Shu a cup of tea: "You are still young, so you don't need to have too much burden on yourself when dealing with people and things."

"Junior Sister, the path of cultivation is inherently a solitary journey."

"The higher you climb, the colder it gets. Only those with a strong will can endure the bitter cold and loneliness to see the view from the top."

Rong Shu nodded obediently: "Senior Brother, I've got it."

Upon hearing this, Leng Mingjing gave Rong Shu a deep look and sighed inwardly.

Ultimately, it was something that could not be avoided, a calamity that could not be escaped.

"Speak, what is it that you want to ask me?"

Rong Shu said, "Senior Brother, when I was killing demons in Buzhou Domain, I accidentally absorbed too much of the Nightmare Qi there. As you know, there is Nightmare Qi everywhere there. So my current cultivation level has reached the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage. I only need one more opportunity to break through to the Void Refinement stage."

"But I've heard that when you break through to the Void Refinement stage, you'll encounter a tribulation of inner demons, which is quite terrifying."

"Senior Brother, I'd like to ask, what exactly is the Tribulation of Inner Demons? And how can one successfully overcome it?"

Leng Mingjing pondered: "The inner demons that every cultivator experiences are different, but there is one thing in common."

"What is an inner demon? It is the fear, obsession, and pain hidden deep within your heart... If you fall into it and fail to overcome the tribulation, then there is no hope of refining the void."

“The deepest fear in my heart…” Rong Shu murmured.

What is her deepest fear?

Rong Shu couldn't figure it out.

She felt that she had nothing to fear now.

"Senior Brother, may I ask how you overcame your inner demon tribulation back then?"

"Mine?" Leng Mingjing shook his head: "Mine is not a reliable reference. Junior Sister, you can ask Zi'an."

"Okay~" Rong Shu suddenly remembered something, and his face fell: "I just tricked Fourth Senior Brother..."

Hey~

What goes around comes around!

Rong Shu could already imagine the scene when he went to ask his fourth senior brother.

Leng Mingjing shook his head with amusement: "You two kids..."

But it’s understandable.

On Zhanming Mountain, Xiao Zian and Rong Shu are the youngest, and their personalities are sometimes very similar.