Refining the Mountains and Rivers

The situation with Peachy was tricky. What was worse was that Qin Yu realized she had lost the will to live. He opened his eyes and looked at Peachy. Then he frowned slightly as he spoke softly, "Senior-apprentice sister, don't worry. I am back and can protect you."

Peachy shook her head, "Junior-apprentice brother, you don't have to harm yourself in order to save me…" In her blank eyes, there was a hint of pain and dullness, "I am a jinx. Ever since I was born, I have caused unfortunate things to happen to my parents. I don't wish to implicate anyone else."

Qin Yu's heart clenched as he was sure Peachy knew about the real reason that caused the Spring Master to die. This was a cruel truth and he could understand how Peachy was feeling right now. But no matter what, he could not watch Peachy give up on herself.

He thought quickly and took a deep breath, "Senior-apprentice sister, since you already know how you have lived until now, then how can you bear to let the Spring Master's sacrifice go to waste?"

He stared at Peachy and his tone became more serious, "Saints are almost immortal. If not to save you, the Spring Master's injuries would not have continued to worsen until he was too weak and eventually died!"

Peachy stiffened as pain filled her cold eyes.

Qin Yu was trying to save her, not hurt her with his words. So when he saw Peachy's emotions get triggered and she was no longer the stale water she was initially, he immediately softened his tone.

"The Spring Master loved you so much that he was willing to sacrifice himself to protect you. Because of this, your life is not yours alone - it is also the remainder of the Spring Master's life. How can you bear to give it up? If the Spring Master knew about this, he would be extremely upset."

Peachy lowered her head, "I want to live, but only Great Dao can lengthen my life…no matter who helps me, they will eventually end up like my father…"

Qin Yu immediately said, "Me!"

Looking at Peachy, he smiled and did his best to sound gentle and sincere, "I don't know if you're aware, but I can tell you that I am cultivating the True God Path. I don't think I have to explain this type of cultivation much but I should not be able to have a Great Dao. However, with some luck, I managed to get a Great Dao.

"I know that this is very hard to believe but I promise that everything I am saying is true. I have to admit that getting the Great Dao helped increase my abilities by a lot. But this is just an extra benefit. So even if my Great Dao suffers, it will not put me in danger. Additionally, as someone taking the True God Path, since I am able to get a Great Dao, I can also repair and mold it. So even if it is damaged, it is not unrepairable.

"Elder apprentice brother's injury was related to the damage of his Great Dao. The furnace I summoned can save him and it will work on me as well…of course, senior-apprentice sister, you have probably heard of this furnace. You met it before in the Endless Sea. I was able to survive only because you and the Spring Master helped me. Eventually, I managed to use the furnace to get a Great Dao. Every little step is like fate…so it is only right that I help you. It is what I owe the Spring Master and the Peach Garden."

After saying so much, Qin Yu's mouth felt dry. It was not that he was thirsty but he was feeling nervous. If Peachy was set on dying and did not cooperate with him, she would really die.

Her death would mean that everything Qin Yu had worked for would be meaningless. Ning Ling and You Qi would disappear and never be able to return.

Peachy did not move as she continued to look down, not seeming to be moved by Qin Yu. Qin Yu was racking his brain but did not know what to do. Right at this moment, she suddenly said, "Tell me one thing."

Qin Yu extended his hand, "Please speak."

"I can sense that you have another reason for saving me. What is the reason?" Peachy looked up into Qin Yu's eyes.

His heart skipped a beat and his first thought was to hide the truth. But he quickly suppressed that thought.

He was silent for a moment before he replied, "I am saving you…to save someone…" He looked up and a bitter smile formed on his face, "This is quite a long story so let me summarize it. If you are interested, I can tell you in detail when your condition is more stable."

Since he already started, there was no need to hide what he found out about the Path of Ten Thousand Souls and how it related to Peachy, Ning Ling, and You Qi. He said it simply.

"That is how things are. So I saved you because I promised the Spring Master that I will do whatever I can to protect you, and it is also because I have to. I did not tell you the truth earlier to prevent unnecessary trouble. Please forgive me."

Across from him, Peachy looked calm and she did not express any emotions. After a few moments, she said slowly, "I will have to trouble you."

Delight shone on Qin Yu's face as he rushed to say, "This is what I should do. You don't have to thank me." He had finally convinced Peachy to continue surviving. He did not dare to delay any longer as he reached out to touch Peachy's forehead.

"The process might be a bit painful. Please bear with it for a while!"

After two hours, Qin Yu's face was pale as he finished up. This was the first time he used his Great Dao to save someone. There were a few times when he almost made a mistake.

Thankfully, he completed it successfully.

Across from him, Peachy closed her eyes; her clothes were drenched in sweat and they stuck to her voluptuous figure.

Qin Yu could not bear to look anymore and he coughed lightly as he got up, "Senior-apprentice sister, your condition is stable now. I will take my leave."

Peachy nodded very slightly.

Qin Yu turned to leave and the sound of the door closing could be heard. Peachy opened her eyes; they looked extremely dull, with complicated bitter emotions running through them.

So it was like this. It was because of this. Then…she should give up on the thoughts she should not have.

Whether it be because of the affection she felt towards her father for sacrificing his life to save her, or the gratitude she felt towards Qin Yu for saving the Peach Garden from danger, she could not refuse his offer to save her.

But how should she continue living in the future? A realization filled her and Peachy suddenly lowered her head, going silent.

……

Hoo -

Qin Yu let out a long breath as he turned to look back at Peachy's residence. An unwillingness shone on his face. He hadn't rushed to leave earlier solely because of Peachy's drenched clothes. It was also because he did not know how to face her.

He told her the truth without hiding anything. Although it did make Peachy no longer resist being saved, it was another blow to Peachy when she was already weak.

Qin Yu's true reason for saving her was not because of her, but the avatars of her split soul.

The Spring Master was dead and Peachy had no one to rely on. Qin Yu could sense that her emotions had changed.

He also knew that his approach towards Peachy was probably a big blow to her.

But he had no other way to explain this. Because the truth was as such.

He stood on the spot and used his senses. As soon as he felt something off, he would step out to stop her…he had to admit that he was very cruel towards Peachy.

But no matter what Peachy thought, he would not allow her to die.

And when someone could not even decide their own death, it was an incredibly miserable thing.

Thankfully, Peachy did not give Qin Yu the chance to act so cruelly. Her aura stabilized.

He waited for a moment longer. After confirming that she would not do anything rashly for the time being, he turned to leave.

Although Furnace had provided a confirmation, Qin Yu was not able to completely rest assured. Thankfully, elder apprentice brother's condition was not stable.

According to Furnace, his Great Dao had just formed and was brittle. Yet it had undergone such a beating as if a hammer went over it multiple times. There was nothing good left and it would not be easy to completely recover.

Qin Yu found it strange. He went from nothing, to having half a Great Dao, to completing his Great Dao…people would be annoyed hearing this, but it was the truth. The entire process was smooth and quick. It finished before Qin Yu even realized.

Although 'rebuilding after a disaster' was slightly more difficult, it wouldn't be that different. Qin Yu suspected that Furnace was taking revenge and intentionally not doing its best.

Furnace could sense Qin Yu's thoughts and almost exploded from anger, "Can you have some common sense. Molding a Great Dao is something life-changing and something that goes against the heavens' will! Otherwise do you think that the one who created me would die and give such a treasure like me to you?

"You are the master that I acknowledge and our auras are linked. So I am able to help you quickly form a Great Dao…but for others, if I were to do the same, it would be like pointing a middle finger to the heavens and challenging it! Do you believe me if I say the heavens would send a hundred lightning strikes to smash him to pieces?"

Qin Yu coughed lightly as he rubbed his nose. Although Furnace's attitude was bad, instinct told him that Furnace was telling the truth.

Looking at Thousand Faces, he said, "Seventh apprentice sister, don't worry. Elder apprentice brother's situation is stable now and there is no threat to his life. He will wake up soon."

Sleeping was a way for cultivators to protect themselves as it could repair their internal damages at a faster rate. It was extremely commendable for elder apprentice brother to be able to last till here before falling unconscious!

Thousand Faces relaxed slightly, "Thank you junior-apprentice brother." She turned back to look at elder apprentice brother who was asleep.

At this time, it was best not to disrupt him and leave quietly.

But Qin Yu hesitated slightly before saying, "Seventh apprentice sister, your condition…"

She was silent for a while before saying, "Thank you for your concern. I am fine."

Qin Yu frowned. He seemed to think of something as he did not say anything more and turned to leave.

He met with the disciples outside elder apprentice brother's residence and talked to them for a short while. Qin Yu asked Lei Xiaoyu to find a few reliable servants to take care of Peachy. Although she had stabilized, she was still very weak.

"Seniors, I will be heading back to rest. If there is anything that you need my help with, just send someone to call for me."

"Okay, junior-apprentice brother, please hurry and rest!"

After he returned to his residence, Qin Yu sealed the area, preventing anyone from sensing inside. He frowned, "Why did you stop me just now?"

Stone Pagoda spoke, "Thousand Faces is acting strangely. If you trigger her, there might be an accident."

Qin Yu replied, "So what?"

Stone Pagoda replied, "Since it is not urgent, why don't you observe for a while more. As long as she is in the Peach Garden, we can always help her."

Qin Yu thought about it before nodding, "Okay!" He turned and sat. He thought for a while before turning to enter a cultivation chamber.

The courtyards of the Peach Garden's disciples may have seemed simple, but they were not. For example, at elder apprentice brother's residence, True Saints fought but it was not easily damaged.

That's right, Qin Yu was preparing to isolate to cultivate. It was not that he was trying to do things at the last minute but it was because the power of the Inheritance Divine Ways was a lot stronger than he had imagined.

Sensing that a Ruler was on the verge of appearing, Qin Yu's will to become more powerful was more urgent than before.

And cultivating the five Inheritance Divine Ways was undoubtedly the most effective and convenient method.

In a blink of an eye, three days passed. There was a knock on his door.

Woosh -

Qin Yu opened his eyes and they flashed. He stood up to open the door. Then he waved his sleeve and opened the door to his residence.

It was Lei Xiaoyu.

She looked slightly anxious and she rushed to speak as soon as she saw Qin Yu, "Brother Qin, second apprentice brother went into the wine cellar to isolate. Before elder apprentice brother fell unconscious, he told us to ask you to go and have a look if he did not come out in three days."

Qin Yu frowned, "Okay, let's go now."

Outside the wine cellar, White Phoenix and Iron Mountain were standing there. Seeing Qin Yu appear, they rushed up to meet him, "Junior-apprentice brother, do you know what is happening?"

Qin Yu replied, "Seniors, please don't worry. I will go in now to have a look."

In front, he saw a medium-sized fake mountain. It seemed to have been cut by a heavy sword, causing a crack to appear in the middle of it. The black crack stretched all the way to the ground, and standing outside, they could smell a strong scent of wine. It was the peach blossom wine from the Peach Garden.

He nodded to the two of them and indicated for Lei Xiaoyu to wait outside. Qin Yu's body flashed as he entered the crack and disappeared into the darkness.