Chapter 035

Chapter 35: Little Uncle’s Support

Chen Feng returned to his room but did not activate his isolation formation, so the conversation among the other three clearly reached his ears. A bitter smile crossed his lips, soon replaced by a twisted grimace. [These people don’t even know the truth, how could they ever understand my suffering?]

Tang Ru had never willingly become the concubine of that Golden Core Elder. She had been forced, pressured by their low cultivation and lack of support. To protect their status as Outer Sect disciples, she had no choice but to yield to that old codger whose lifespan was nearly spent.

She was as lovely as a blooming flower, yet had to serve at the side of a decrepit old man. Chen Feng could not bear to see Ru Ru suffer. He had suggested fleeing the sect, but Tang Ru had sorrowfully stopped him, her expression full of bitterness as she said, “Brother Feng, where could we go if we left Grand Righteous Sect? Abandoning the sect would brand us as traitors. That Golden Core Daoist Master would have an even stronger excuse to persecute us. Risking both our lives and cultivation paths just for my sake isn’t worth it.”

“At least if I stay by his side, I can still secure some resources for your cultivation. Please don’t give up, Brother Feng. Your aptitude is greater than mine. Once your cultivation rises, you can rescue me from this misery.”

Chen Feng knew his impulsive suggestion had been rash. Tang Ru was right—they were simply too weak to resist. All he could do now was swallow his pain and endure in silence.

From that day on, he trained frantically, but after three full months, he only managed to reach the fourth level of Qi Refining. His resources depleted, he intended to take on missions to earn more. On the way to the disciple hall, he heard news of new disciples joining the sect, and he decided to target them. He hadn’t expected, however, that these newcomers had connections with Inner Sect disciples, whom he could not afford to offend. Still, he quietly remembered this grievance.

When dawn broke the next day, Wei Yun Xi had just completed a full cultivation cycle. Feeling someone tapping on her isolation formation, she ended her session and opened it. Wei Yun Ting stood smiling at her door.

“Sister Yun Ting, is something the matter?” Wei Yun Xi asked softly.

“Little Uncle has come to see us,” Yun Ting replied cheerfully. “I’ve called everyone to gather in our courtyard. Hurry and join us!”

“Alright, I’ll be there right away.” Wei Yun Xi felt a surge of happiness and stepped out without delay—she had nothing valuable inside anyway.

As Wei Yun Xi reached the courtyard, she saw a tall, sturdy young man nearly six feet tall sitting upon a jade stool. His face was resolute, bearing a resemblance to Wei Ling Tao, the family patriarch. He wore the sect’s green robes, but the collar was trimmed with golden embroidery, distinguishing him from ordinary Outer Sect disciples.

“You must be Yun Xi, eldest brother’s girl?” Wei Ling Kai smiled gently, waving her over.

Wei Yun Xi stepped forward respectfully, cupping her fists in greeting. “Niece Wei Yun Xi greets Little Uncle.”

Wei Ling Kai raised his hand, gently lifting her up. His eyes softened as he said, “No need for such formality. You look very much like your mother.”

Wei Yun Qing, arriving slightly later, quickly approached and bowed respectfully. “Niece Wei Yun Qing greets Little Uncle.”

Following her, Wei Zong Hao and the others each took turns greeting Wei Ling Kai, delighted to see their Little Uncle so soon. With him here, they felt much more confident.

At this moment, Wei Yun Ting took out a storage pouch from her robes and respectfully presented it. “Little Uncle, Patriarch asked me to bring this to you before we left.”

Wei Ling Kai received it without pretense, scanning the pouch with his spiritual sense. He could instantly tell it contained cultivation resources prepared by the family. After calmly accepting the pouch, he inquired about their experiences during the sect assessment.

Wei Yun Ting stepped forward first, recounting their journey. Others chimed in with details, while the tale of Wei Yun Xi and Wei Zong Hao’s adventures after separating from the group was eagerly narrated by Little Fatty. The story continued until they described yesterday’s difficulty with an Outer Sect disciple named Chen Feng.

Wei Ling Kai nodded approvingly as he listened. The Wei family disciples had indeed performed exceptionally this time, particularly the two young ones who had reached the sect gates first despite getting separated. Regarding Wei Yun Qing’s troublemaking tendencies, he wisely refrained from commenting further to maintain group harmony.

“All of you did very well. Very few of our family’s disciples passed all three trials directly into the Outer Sect in the past. Little Uncle is one, and another is our Grand Uncle at Law Peak in the Inner Sect—a Golden Core Daoist Master. Most who became menial disciples struggled greatly.”

Hearing his praise, the eight disciples visibly brightened. Wei Zong Han bowed earnestly, “Little Uncle, rest assured. We will cultivate diligently and never shame our family.”

The others quickly echoed their agreement.

Wei Ling Kai smiled with satisfaction, then continued seriously, “Regarding that Chen Feng incident, I’ll visit Disciple Hall later and speak with Elder Zheng. Afterward, no one will dare trouble you again. However, remember: never misuse the family’s reputation to bully others. If you cause trouble, be ready to bear responsibility yourselves. Our Wei family has only one Golden Core Master within the sect. Stay humble, lest you provoke someone our family cannot handle.”

“Yes, Little Uncle. We’ll remember your words,” the eight disciples promised solemnly.

“But within the Outer Sect, our Grand Uncle can still protect you. As Yun Ting said, we don’t cause trouble, but neither do we fear it. Focus wholeheartedly on your cultivation. Within a year, you all must reach at least the third level of Qi Refining. Yun Ting and Zong Han, you should advance quickly to earn a peak with denser spiritual qi. Once you enter the Foundation Establishment stage, you’ll automatically become Inner Sect disciples. Alternatively, ranking in the top ten during the sect-wide competition will also secure you an Inner Sect position. The next competition is ten years away—you have ample time, so start preparing now.”

Wei Yun Ting and the others listened attentively, quietly counting on their fingers to calculate their chances. Clearly, Wei Yun Ting and Wei Zong Han had the greatest potential for advancement.

Noticing their eagerness, Wei Ling Kai smiled again and waved his sleeve. Eight porcelain bottles appeared on the jade table. “Here is a meeting gift for each of you. Each bottle holds ten supreme-grade Spirit-Nourishing Pills, very useful for minor breakthroughs.”

“Thank you, Little Uncle!” they all exclaimed joyfully, stepping forward one by one to collect their precious pills and carefully placing them in their storage pouches.

Wei Ling Kai continued gently, “Remember to conceal your wealth and resources carefully, lest others in the Outer Sect deceive you. Your starting point is already higher than most, so your standards must be stricter. This jade slip contains spells suitable for the Qi Refining stage. Everyone, copy a set for yourselves and diligently practice.”

He handed the jade slip to Wei Yun Ting.

“You’ve troubled yourself greatly, Little Uncle,” Yun Ting said gratefully, knowing how expensive such copies could be.

“That’s all for now. Since everyone is here, I’ll personally escort you to the lecture hall and greet the Outer Sect Elder.”

“Yes, Little Uncle!” the eight replied excitedly, knowing that with Little Uncle’s clear support, anyone plotting against them would now hesitate.