Chapter 179
The dandy chattered incessantly as he escorted Tao Zhiyuan to Tianming's territory, finally stopping at the border. “Brother Tao, this is as far as I can go. Can you get back on your own? Sigh, if only you were a member of my Dan Peak. It’s a pity Venerable Tianming won’t let you go.”
After Tao Zhiyuan thanked him, the dandy walked away, turning back every few steps. Anyone who didn't know better might have thought they shared some kind of indescribable bromance.
Tao Zhiyuan took a couple of unsteady steps forward and saw Tianming standing ahead.
Tianming’s brow was tightly furrowed, his gaze sweeping over Tao Zhiyuan with a hint of suspicion.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
After a long while, Tianming finally said in a cold voice, “It's a miracle someone as stupid as you has managed to survive in the cultivation world.”
Although he knew he was partly responsible for Tao Zhiyuan’s current state, Tianming would certainly never admit it. He simply felt that Tao Zhiyuan was too foolish.
Tianming could see the Dan Peak dandy’s intentions at a glance, yet Tao Zhiyuan genuinely believed the man’s words made perfect sense.
In the past, he might have had the patience to lecture Tao Zhiyuan, but ever since he discovered that Tao Zhiyuan had disobeyed him by secretly using pills to cultivate and was full of resentment, he had started treating him as nothing more than a tool.
Now that Tao Zhiyuan wanted to use pills for cultivation, he couldn't be bothered to intervene.
Tianming let out a cold snort, no longer paying Tao Zhiyuan any mind, and left with a flick of his sleeve.
Tao Zhiyuan watched Tianming's retreating back, his lips pressed into a tight line. Without a word, he returned to his room to cultivate.
Using pills, of course.
Although the dandy from Dan Peak had ill intentions, the number of pills he gave Tao Zhiyuan was more than generous.
Ever since Tao Zhiyuan had befriended him, he had never lacked pills—whether for cultivation, healing, or any other miscellaneous purpose. Whatever the dandy had, Tao Zhiyuan was sure to get a share.
Tao Zhiyuan was no saint; naturally, he had been corroded by the dandy's sugar-coated bullets.
Qiu Chi was unaware of the events in Tianyuan Sect, but she knew that several other sects were already preparing to have a good, long "chat" with Tianming during the upcoming sect competition.
The matters concerning ascension and Tao Zhiyuan were also slated to be discussed at the competition.
There was still over a month until then.
After agreeing to their plan, Qiu Chi left directly.
I can use this time to wander over to Tianyuan Sect and properly torment Tao Zhiyuan.
Unfortunately for her, Tao Zhiyuan didn't need her torment; Tianming was already taking care of it.
Although he now saw Tao Zhiyuan as a tool, the daily death illusion was still an essential part of the regimen.
When Qiu Chi arrived at Tianyuan Sect and saw this, she raised an eyebrow, not particularly surprised.
However, the injuries in an illusion were ultimately fake. To put it bluntly, the "death" was torment; to put it nicely, it was training.
Qiu Chi felt this wasn't harsh enough for Tao Zhiyuan. It needed a touch of real injury.
So, when Tao Zhiyuan entered the illusion, she followed him in. She took the place of the person meant to kill Tao Zhiyuan and tormented him every which way.
When Tao Zhiyuan was once again kicked out of the illusion, he felt the pain wracking his body and the sluggishness in his meridians. He was stunned.
The illusion… it seemed different from before. Had Venerable Tianming decided to increase the difficulty to torture him?
In the past, he would be exhausted after leaving the illusion, but the spiritual energy in his meridians would flow smoothly. Now, however, the injuries he sustained in the illusion had clearly been carried out with him.
At this thought, Tao Zhiyuan couldn't help but clench his fists.
He was sure he had done nothing to provoke Venerable Tianming and had always been respectful. On what grounds was he being humiliated like this?
Qiu Chi watched the drama unfold leisurely from the side.
Judging by Tao Zhiyuan's furious glare, it definitely wasn't directed at her. So, had she just drawn Tianming a heap of hatred?
What a pity. Tao Zhiyuan was so useless that even gaining his hatred was pointless.
The dandy from Dan Peak arrived again.
“Brother Tao, what happened to you? How are you so seriously injured? This shouldn't be happening! Even if he wanted to train you, Venerable Tianming shouldn't have been so heavy-handed, right? This is too much!”
Muttering, he quickly took out a pill bottle from his storage bag, poured out a pill, and fed it to Tao Zhiyuan.
He then helped Tao Zhiyuan sit down to the side and asked with concern, “Brother Tao, are you alright?”
Tao Zhiyuan shook his head. “I’m not that fragile. But thank you for the pill. Please stand guard for me while I regulate my energy.”
“Of course. Brother Tao, if you ever need more pills, just let me know. I’ll make sure you have enough.”
Tao Zhiyuan closed his eyes and began to meditate. The dandy, meanwhile, took out a cup of spirit tea and sipped it nearby, occasionally glancing at Tao Zhiyuan. For a moment, his usually innocent eyes held an unreadable expression.
But just as quickly, his face returned to its usual simple-minded look.
“Interesting. Is he trying to raise him to be useless?”
First, there was Tianming protecting Tao Zhiyuan from all harm, and now there was this walking pill pouch handing out medicine. Tao Zhiyuan’s cultivation journey was truly a breeze.
But in this cultivation world, being too well-protected was not a good thing.
Logically, a modern person who had transmigrated like Tao Zhiyuan shouldn't be so foolish.
But firstly, his talent was so exceptional that even when a Divine Transformation ancestor took an interest in him, he attributed it to his talent, believing it was what he deserved.
And secondly, the dandy from Dan Peak was so incredibly sincere toward him. Coupled with the knowledge that the dandy's father was the peak master of Dan Peak, he concluded that the dandy was just a simple boy who had been sheltered too well by his father.
As for his combat ability, Tao Zhiyuan felt he had put in the effort. Otherwise, how could he win every competition? When he went out for training, hadn't he easily killed those who tried to rob him for his treasures? And killing demonic beasts and the like was a piece of cake for him.
In Tao Zhiyuan's view, he saw nothing wrong with his situation. So what if he used pills to cultivate? Wasn't he still powerful?
But anyone who had actually fought him just wanted to curse him for cheating.
Did he not see how many top-tier defensive spiritual artifacts he wore? And the weapon in his hand was far superior to theirs, wasn't it?
He was entirely a man built from spirit stones. In all their lives, they had never seen so many spirit stones, yet Tao Zhiyuan wore them all over his body without seeming to think anything of it.
Qiu Chi stayed at Tianyuan Sect for a few days and got a good look at just how ‘devoted’ the Dan Peak dandy was to Tao Zhiyuan.
Not even Tao Zhiyuan's own parents were as generous to him as this dandy. It was no wonder Tao Zhiyuan didn't suspect his motives.
Aside from attacking Tao Zhiyuan in the illusion and incidentally drawing Tianming more hatred, Qiu Chi spent the rest of her time watching the show.
Watching how well the Dan Peak dandy treated Tao Zhiyuan.
Watching Tao Zhiyuan think he was hiding his actions so well from Tianming, when in reality, Tianming saw everything.
Watching Tianming look upon Tao Zhiyuan's foolishness with disdain, yet having to keep him around because he was the hope for ascension.
All in all, it was quite interesting.
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