"Qingyi, time for your medicine."

"Master, I can do it myself."

"Look at your current state, how can you drink the medicine yourself? Quickly open your mouth."

"Thank you, Master."

At the courtyard on the peak of Lingqian Peak, Jiang Qingyi lay in bed and opened her small mouth. Xiao Mo fed the herbal medicine into her mouth bit by bit.

Although Jiang Qingyi won first place in the New Blood Martial Competition, her injuries were quite severe.

If not for the crucial moment when Jiang Qingyi comprehended the "Nine Leaf Sword" technique from the Grass Character Sword Formula, she might have lost her life entirely.

"You, please don't be so stubborn in the future," Xiao Mo sighed.

Jiang Qingyi didn't answer, just playfully stuck out her tongue.

After finishing the medicine, Xiao Mo placed the medicine bowl on a wooden tray and handed Jiang Qingyi a storage bag.

"Master, what is this?" Jiang Qingyi asked curiously.

"These are the spirit stones you earned from winning first place in the New Blood Martial Competition, including what Master won from betting, and the Dragon Spring Sword Sect's rewards. They're all in here."

"Master, I don't need these. Master can keep them," Jiang Qingyi returned the storage bag to Xiao Mo.

"How can you not need them?" Xiao Mo smiled. "In the future, you'll still need to reach Foundation Establishment, and after Foundation Establishment, there are Cave Mansion realm, Dragon Gate realm, and other realms. All of them require spirit stones."

"But Master needs them too."

"Me..." Xiao Mo reached out and gently patted Jiang Qingyi's head. "Master's cultivation realm has probably reached its limit."

"How is that possible? Master, you're only twenty years old. You still have plenty of time in the future. I've heard many elders say that Master is the youngest Nascent Soul realm cultivator to date, and you can at least achieve the Immortal realm in the future," Jiang Qingyi said excitedly.

Xiao Mo just smiled and didn't answer.

In fact, Xiao Mo knew his own capabilities.

If he hadn't used the Heaven Continuation Formula to help Jiang Qingyi reshape her bones and clear her spiritual meridians before, then Xiao Mo felt that with the sword bone's enhancement, this body could at least achieve the Immortal realm but after a year had passed, although the sword bone in Xiao Mo's body was fine, his foundation had been damaged.

Moreover, he didn't have many years left to live.

Xiao Mo said, "Just keep it since I'm telling you to. If Master needs it, I'll ask you for it."

"Alright... Then this disciple will help Master take care of the little money pouch. If Master needs anything, please be sure to ask this disciple. Everything this disciple has belongs to Master."

"Fine." Xiao Mo smiled.

Two months passed, and Jiang Qingyi's injuries had mostly healed. Xiao Mo continued helping Jiang Qingyi reshape her bones.

Because Jiang Qingyi was missing a sword bone, Xiao Mo was essentially forcibly helping her construct a false bone.

This bone was formed from Xiao Mo's spiritual power, so it required Xiao Mo's constant maintenance.

Once Jiang Qingyi reached the Golden Core realm, that fake bone would be consolidated.

Another half year passed.

Jiang Qingyi had perfected the ninth level of Qi Refinement and could attempt to break through to Foundation Establishment realm.

Xiao Mo personally protected her during the breakthrough.

After taking the Foundation Establishment pill, Jiang Qingyi broke through the realm.

In an instant, thunder rolled across the sky, and bolts of lightning struck down toward Jiang Qingyi.

Ordinary people crossing the Foundation Establishment tribulation only faced three lightning bolts but Jiang Qingyi faced a full nine bolts.

If Xiao Mo hadn't prepared thoroughly, using all kinds of treasures and pills for tribulation crossing, Jiang Qingyi would have been in grave danger.

After entering Foundation Establishment realm, Jiang Qingyi's cultivation speed became even faster than before.

This was a good thing.

The faster Jiang Qingyi cultivated, the higher her realm would be fifty years later but Xiao Mo also used the Heaven Continuation Formula on Jiang Qingyi more frequently.

If this continued, Xiao Mo felt his remaining lifespan might only be forty years.

One day, the Dragon Spring Sword Sect assigned a mission to Jiang Qingyi.

Foundation Establishment realm disciples of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect all needed to go on external missions.

Jiang Qingyi was no exception.

Xiao Mo secretly followed Jiang Qingyi as her guardian.

However, unless it was a life-or-death moment, Xiao Mo couldn't intervene. This wasn't just the Dragon Spring Sword Sect's rule, but because a cultivator could only progress faster after experiencing life and death.

Jiang Qingyi didn't give Xiao Mo any opportunity to intervene.

She completed every mission exceptionally well.

Her strength was formidable, and she even displayed certain leadership abilities.

Before long, Jiang Qingyi had become the representative of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect's new generation of disciples.

Even Jiang Qingyi's reputation gradually spread throughout the world.

At seventeen years old, Jiang Qingyi stepped into the Cave Mansion realm.

Jiang Qingyi could be said to advance one realm every year and a half, leaving her peers further and further behind.

On the girl's eighteenth birthday, Xiao Mo found an excuse to send Jiang Qingyi to Dragon Spring Town to buy wine.

Taking advantage of Jiang Qingyi's absence, Xiao Mo quickly set up arrangements in the courtyard.

After finishing the setup, Xiao Mo waited on the necessary path up the mountain for Qingyi to return.

After more than half an hour, Jiang Qingyi carried the wine her master requested up the mountain and saw her master standing in the moonlight, smiling gently in her direction.

Joy flashed in Jiang Qingyi's eyes as she happily ran over, lifting the wine jar, "Master, the wine you wanted. Aunt Wang's twenty-year osmanthus wine, there happened to be exactly one jar left."

"Mm, thank you," Xiao Mo took the wine jar and handed Jiang Qingyi a black cloth with his other hand.

"Master, what is this?" Jiang Qingyi asked curiously.

"Cover your eyes."

Jiang Qingyi blinked, then took the black cloth and covered her eyes.

Although she didn't know what her master wanted to do, whatever Master said was right.

"No peeking."

Xiao Mo took Jiang Qingyi's small hand and walked forward.

"Alright, you can remove the black cloth now."

After entering the courtyard, Xiao Mo said.

The girl untied the black cloth covering her eyes.

What met the girl's gaze was a very, very large osmanthus cake.

A thin candle was inserted in the osmanthus cake, with "Happy Birthday Qingyi" written on it.

"Master... this is..." Jiang Qingyi's eyes flickered.

"This is a custom from my hometown. On birthdays, you eat cake. In previous years on your birthday, either I was on a mission or you were on a mission. This year we're both here, and it's also your eighteenth birthday. Originally, it should have been a cake, but the chefs in Dragon Spring Town don't know how to make cakes, so Master substituted it with osmanthus cake."

Xiao Mo explained to Jiang Qingyi.

"Make a wish, then blow out the candle, and your wish will come true."

"Mm."

Jiang Qingyi closed her eyes and clasped her hands together to make a wish.

After three breaths, the girl opened her eyes and blew out the candle.

"Does Master want to know what Qingyi's wish is?" Jiang Qingyi turned around, her eyes curved with happiness.

"Let me guess, is it hoping to quickly enter the Golden Core realm?"

"No."

"Is it wanting to eat grilled fish from Drunken Immortal Restaurant every day?"

"That's not it either."

"Then what is it?"

"It's..." When Jiang Qingyi was about to speak, she playfully turned around. "I won't tell Master~"

Xiao Mo: "..."

Under the moonlight, Jiang Qingyi looked at her birthday cake, her eyes full of tenderness, "Master..."

"Mm?"

"Thank you."

Xiao Mo reached out and gently patted his disciple's head:

"Who told me I'm your master?"