Son-in-law Heaven Emperor Xiao Yi

Inside the Xiaoshanhe Institute.

Ye Heng, Jin Feiyan, Xiao Yun, and Ruan Yunyi stood in front of Xiao Yi's separate courtyard. Apart from Xiao Yun, who squinted slightly, looking calm and collected.

The other three looked at each other with puzzled expressions on their faces.

Jin Feiyan, the one who couldn't stay still, slightly turned her shiny black eyes. With a playful spirit, her eyes were curved like crescent moons, she asked, "Eldest senior brother, do you know why our master has summoned us here?"

Ye Heng shook his head gently, also filled with confusion, "Master didn't specify, so I don't know either!"

"Could it be that master thinks we haven't been diligent enough in our cultivation and wants to reprimand us?" Ruan Yunyi's face was filled with intense worry.

This child, who had been unfortunate since childhood, had slowly changed his unlucky constitution after coming to the Xiaoshanhe Institute and cultivating the Cultivation Technique prepared by Xiao Yi.

Moreover...

Because of his past experiences, he valued this opportunity more than anyone else.

If you had to say who was the most diligent in cultivation within the Xiaoshanhe Institute, it was undoubtedly Ruan Yunyi.

It had been just over a year since he joined the Xiaoshanhe Institute, and he had undergone earth-shattering changes, as his cultivation had broken through to the Peak of the Golden Core Realm.

He was only a step away from the Tao Tribulation Realm.

Jin Feiyan rolled her eyes, looking speechless at Ruan Yunyi, "Little junior brother, if even you are called not diligent enough, where does that leave our faces?"

Ruan Yunyi scratched his head awkwardly.

What he feared most was this quirky second senior sister in front of him.

Ye Heng rolled his eyes helplessly and then looked at Xiao Yun, the oldest among them, with white hair already showing, and asked, "Third junior brother, you seem to be in no hurry at all, could it be that you already guessed the reason our master summoned us?"

Jin Feiyan and Ruan Yunyi both turned to look at Xiao Yun.

Xiao Yun finally opened his eyes, which seemed murky but held a glimmer of astuteness flickering within. He smiled slightly and said, "Cannot say, cannot say!"

"…"

Ye Heng was at a loss for words.

Ruan Yunyi scratched his head, not quite understanding.

Jin Feiyan rolled her eyes, hopped forward like an elf, and with her delicate fingers, she gently twisted Xiao Yun's beard, saying with a smile, "Third junior brother, won't you tell your senior sister? If you don't, I'll be very sad. And when I'm sad, I can't control my hands and feet and tend to like pulling on beards and hair..."

As she spoke.

Her fingers, curled around the beard, applied gentle pressure, causing Xiao Yun to grimace in pain.

Xiao Yun, caught between laughter and tears, said, "Second senior sister, master will be out soon and will naturally tell us then. Why do you need to torment this old bone of a junior brother like this?"

"Hmph!"

Jin Feiyan eyed him, hands on hips, pretended to be huffy and said, "Third junior brother, are you threatening your senior sister?"

"Second senior sister has misunderstood, how would I dare?" replied Xiao Yun with a wry smile.

Just as Jin Feiyan was about to speak again, a creaking sound came from behind them.

It was Xiao Yi, who had pushed open the door and walked out.

Jin Feiyan quickly let go of the beard and turned to Xiao Yi, who had just walked out of the room. With a surprised shout, "Master, your disciple missed you!" she bounced over to Xiao Yi.

"Stop!"

With a raise of his hand, Xiao Yi created an invisible wall of energy, forming a transparent barrier. Jin Feiyan was unable to halt in time and thudded against the transparent wall.

Jin Feiyan lay spread-eagle in midair, her features utterly distorted, then, amid a cacophony of giggles, slid down and landed on her backside.

She looked at Xiao Yi with a mournful expression.

Xiao Yi did not glance sideways; how could he not know what was on her mind? Among the four, only Xiao Yun was enveloped in a fog, mysterious even to Xiao Yi, who had broken through to the Longevity Secret Realm and could not see through him.

The one with the least progress was Jin Feiyan; needless to say, during this time, she had hardly concentrated on her cultivation practice.

This girl must be worried about being reprimanded by Xiao Yi, hence she took the initiative to make amends.

How could Xiao Yi let her have her way?

Under Jin Feiyan's mournful gaze, Xiao Yi coughed lightly and looked at the four of them, "During my absence, you all did not neglect your cultivation. Especially Yunyi, breaking through to the Golden Elixir Realm Peak in about a year, you've done well!"

"Thank you, Master. All this is thanks to the cultivation techniques you've taught..." Ruan Yunyi said with a mixture of sincerity and fear, his face filled with excitement.

Since his childhood.

This was the first time he had been valued and praised like this.

"A master leads you to the door, but cultivation depends on the individual; this is the result of your own efforts!"

Xiao Yi waved his hand and did not take credit, then frowned and turned to Jin Feiyan, "Fei Yan, I remember when I left, you were already at the Ninth Layer of the Golden Elixir Realm, and now you are only at the Golden Elixir Realm Peak. What have you been doing all this time?"

Jin Feiyan's expression showed a hint of grievance. She opened her mouth, but seeing Xiao Yi's stern face, she swallowed the excuses she had ready and lowered her head, "Your disciple knows her mistake..."

Xiao Yi frowned at Ye Heng, his foremost personal disciple, who had just broken through to the Tao Tribulation Realm, and he was profoundly dissatisfied, "Ye Heng, you have greatly disappointed me!"

As for Jin Feiyan, Xiao Yi only reprimanded her.

But for Ye Heng...

He was truly very dissatisfied!

Ye Heng's face changed slightly; indeed, he had become complacent during this period. The Battle War Holy Body became stronger the more he advanced. Although he had only just entered the Tao Tribulation Realm, his fighting power was no less than that of an ordinary practitioner at the fifth or sixth layer of the Calamity Realm.

Moreover, due to the schemes of the Feixue Temple, numerous female disciples threw themselves at him willingly, coupled with flattery from several other disciples, he began to lose himself.

His cultivation practice slackened.

Thump!

Ye Heng knelt heavily on the ground, his head bowed low, "I beg for the Master's punishment."

"Hmph! There's no need to rush into confessing your faults; whether we can continue our master-apprentice relationship is another matter..."

Xiao Yi snorted coldly, causing Ye Heng to tremble all over. He abruptly raised his head, his face pale as he looked at Xiao Yi.

Xiao Yi remained expressionless. He had once had high hopes for Ye Heng, and now he was profoundly disappointed. He said coldly, "The reason I called you all here is to test you, giving you half a day to prepare. Meet me at the foot of the mountain at dusk, and if you fail the test, it will prove that we have no master-apprentice connection..."

Buzz!

Except for Xiao Yun, who remained indifferent as ever, everyone else's face changed drastically.

"Master..."

Xiao Yi waved his hand to interrupt them, speaking indifferently, "At dusk, I will wait for you at the foot of the mountain. Now go back and get ready!"

The disciples looked at each other and knew Xiao Yi was determined and would not change his mind; they could only retreat one after another.

Xiao Yi stood with his hands behind his back in the courtyard.

He seemed to be waiting for something.

About half an incense stick's time later...

Xiao Yi slowly opened his eyes and looked at the person who appeared in the courtyard. His eyes flickered with dangerous sharpness as he asked coldly, "You, who exactly are you?"