The whole family went mad, but the junior sister turned the tables and her luck soared.

"Master, that's not what I meant."

"I just feel that I'm growing too slowly right now. I can't do anything, I can't protect anything..."

Recalling the humiliation of the Buddha-Demon Tower, Ning Tinglan's hands, hanging by her sides, clenched quietly.

He said, "I don't want to practice the techniques of the mortal world anymore."

Ning Tinglan finished speaking with a forced smile, awaiting the impending storm.

To his surprise, Wen Fuyue followed up by asking, "So, what do you want to learn?"

Ning Tinglan quickly replied, "This selection process has given me the opportunity to choose treasures from the Treasure Pavilion. There are many high-level core cultivation techniques there. Master, could you help me pick one?"

Wen Fuyue readily agreed.

"But I hope you think this through. The problem you're facing now can't be solved by simply changing your cultivation method."

"I'm helping you change your cultivation technique today. Do you think the new technique will make your cultivation advance by leaps and bounds? If you encounter something in the future that you can't blame on the technique, shouldn't you consider changing your sword?"

"If changing the sword still doesn't satisfy you, shouldn't we also change your useless master?"

Upon hearing this, Ning Tinglan immediately knelt down, her voice trembling as she said, "Master, I had no such intention..."

Wen Fuyue said, "If you were to tell me honestly, like your junior sister, that you don't want to or are unwilling to follow in my footsteps, I would never force you to do so."

"But you shouldn't weakly blame all your problems on external factors."

"You've had such a smooth journey so far that you can't handle even the slightest setback or failure."

"You should know that haste makes waste. There is no such thing as a cultivation method that can transform you completely in one go."

"It's normal to win and lose in fights and sparring. If you have such an extreme and utilitarian mindset, you can easily go astray and develop inner demons if you are slightly tempted."

Ning Tinglan felt a pang of pain in her heart when she thought of the day Wen Fuyue abandoned her alone, and said aggrievedly, "I didn't have this thought because I lost the competition with the Buddhist disciple."

“That day at the Buddha-Demon Tower, I thought you and your fellow disciples would never come out again, but I was just standing outside watching helplessly.”

"The cultivation methods of the mortal world talk about severing emotions and love, but if you have to pay such a price and don't get the corresponding strength, why should we still cultivate them?"

Wen Fuyue looked at her silly apprentice in front of her and couldn't help but facepalm: Oh, sorry, it turns out I accidentally messed with you.

He thought about it for a while and said, "The drawbacks of the mortal world techniques do exist, and I have been looking for ways to improve them."

"And do you think cultivation is a transaction? Our lineage's cultivation method is said to sever emotions and love. It seems to have harsh conditions, but in reality, it is to restrain people's desires. Only in the later stages can one achieve a clear mind and be free from obstacles on the Great Dao."

“I also made a mistake that day. I shouldn’t have left you alone. But you and your senior brothers and sisters are all the same in my heart. If you were trapped in the tower, I would have made the same choice.”

"So don't hold this against yourself anymore, Lan'er, it's all in the past."

Ning Tinglan was already insightful, and with Wen Fuyue's guidance, most of her inner knots were finally untied.

Seeing that he remained silent, Wen Fuyue's gaze fell on the dried bloodstains on his chest: "Would you like me to accompany you to the Medical Peak?"

Ning Tinglan shook her head and said, "I'm fine. The Buddhist disciple didn't really hurt me, and my junior sister gave me some pills to regulate my internal energy."

Mentioning Yun Yici, Wen Fuyue nodded in satisfaction, "Your junior sister is quite good."

This youngest apprentice was the least troublesome among his many apprentices.

The master and disciple chatted for a few more minutes, and as Ning Tinglan was about to leave, Wen Fuyue earnestly promised, "Give me some more time, and I will definitely find a way to improve our martial arts technique."

"If you find a woman you like in the future, you won't be affected anymore."

Ning Tinglan's ears immediately turned crimson, and he quickly said, "Master, I am focused on the Great Dao and have no such thoughts for the time being."

At his age, he would have already been married and had children in the mortal world.

I am so fortunate to have met Wen Fuyue. Only with his appreciation can I break through the barriers and glimpse a sliver of heavenly secrets. How can I turn back and indulge in romantic love?

Ning Tinglan bid farewell to Wen Fuyue and originally planned to fly back to the peak directly on her sword, but she stopped halfway because she remembered Yun Yici's previous concern.

Just then, they stopped and saw Mu Yunjian lingering at Yun Yici's door, the two of them talking about something.

After finally managing to fool Mu Yunjian, Yun Yici saw the direction Ning Tinglan came from and asked, "Senior Brother Ning, did you come from Master's place?"

Ning Tinglan replied, "Yes, thank you for your concern this morning, Junior Sister."

“Also,” Ning Tinglan turned to Mu Yunjian awkwardly and said, “Thank you… Senior Brother Mu.”

Mu Yunjian later wanted to challenge Xuanzhu to a duel. If he didn't want to stand up for him, he couldn't think of any other reason.

Although Ning Tinglan didn't need this kindness, she still appreciated his gesture.

Mu Yunjian took two steps back as if pricked by needles, distancing herself from Ning Tinglan, and cautiously looked at her, saying, "Did you just tell Master about me?"

Ning Tinglan said speechlessly, "No."

He's not a child; he shouldn't be pranked by his senior brother and then go to his master to complain and seek justice.

The two disliked each other from the first sight, and things couldn't get any better between them.

Caught in the middle, Yun Yici saw that the two had nothing to say to each other, so she had no choice but to make conversation: "By the way, Senior Brother Ning, after you left today, Elder Yan Jing came forward and said that the Academy Hall needs to be repaired, so we can start special training to prepare for the Sword Trial Tournament."

Ning Tinglan frowned and said, "If it's special training, wouldn't it be disrespectful to the Buddha if all four of us went?"

Wen Fuyue instructed them to accompany the Buddhist monk on his excursions, as they would be nowhere to be seen all day if they went to special training.

Yun Yici recalled Yan Jing's special instruction not to bring Buddhist disciples, and guessed that the higher-ups of the Nanhua Sect might have other plans for them.

She asked uncertainly, "Master, can you take care of the Buddhist disciple?"

Wen Fuyue had just seen her three disciples off and hadn't even had a chance to sit down when her three disciples arrived again, still talking about Xuanzhu.

After hearing the whole story, Wen Fuyue also had a headache. He said, "I don't have any problems, and Xuanzhu should be fine too. I'm just afraid that Liaoqing and the others might have problems."

To put it bluntly, whenever Xuanzhu was alone with him, Liaoqing would have someone guard him outside, for fear that the Buddhist disciple would renounce his vows on the spot.

Although Xuanzhu has a high status, in the eyes of these elders, he is still an uncertain junior.

"But it's nothing serious. I think Xuanzhu will understand. The important thing is to focus on your cultivation. I'll talk to him later."