8. Close Call With Death

Lu Yang arrived at the sect, but the sect master was nowhere to be found, intensifying his growing sense of panic and worry.

"I didn't think I would meet my end like this," Lu Yang muttered to himself, his voice filled with desperation. "But if I'm going to die, I'd rather face legendary beasts than get my life force drained." He sprinted toward the location of the Dragon Veins.

As he ran, an overwhelming power coursed through him, making it difficult to maintain his balance. His body turned red, searing with heat. Struggling to withstand the energy surging within him, Lu Yang spotted a waterfall in the distance. Without hesitation, he hurled himself off a cliff into a pond below, The cold water gave Lu Yang some relief.

As he surfaced from the water, Lu Yang's eyes widened in surprise. There, in the pond, was his master, Fairy Xi Yuan, who was undressed but only her face was out of water. He couldn't help but sigh, "Why does fate always put me in these awkward situations? Well it's not so bad to meet my end at the hands of my beautiful master"

Fairy Xi Yuan hastily donned her attire and, in the blink of an eye, held a sword inches from Lu Yang's throat.

"Master, I had no idea you were here! Please believe me, this wasn't intentional," Lu Yang pleaded.

Xi Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Is it merely a coincidence that you stumbled upon a remote pond, an hour's journey from the sect ? The only reason one will head to this route is to enter dragon veins. However, considering your current level of cultivation, entering the Dragon Veins is an impossibile."

"No, Master, I swear I was heading for the Dragon Veins," Lu Yang implored.

Xi Yuan remained skeptical. "Do you take me for a fool, you pervert? With your cultivation, you can't even get close to the gate. Enough with the excuses. Tell me the truth, or this might be your last day."

"Master, please trust me. I'm on the brink of a breakthrough, and knowing I lack the strength to endure a heavenly tribulation, I initially sought assistance from the sect. Unfortunately, you weren't there. Left with no alternative, my only choice was to attempt a breakthrough at the dragon vein."

"Heh, I can't believe you've concocted such a blatant falsehood," Xi Yuan remarked, her hand hovering near the edge of the sword at Lu Yang's throat.

"Since you don't believe me, see for yourself," Lu Yang said and sat in a meditative pose.

As he sat, thundering clouds gathered in the sky above him, ready to strike at any moment .

"The moment she saw clouds gathering in the sky, she was shocked."She knew that heavenly tribulations only occurred when those at the Earth Core Realm attempted to break through.

Putting her thoughts aside, she resolved, "Now isn't the time for this. I should protect him." As the tribulation intensified, Xi Yuan shielded Lu Yang.

Even though the tribulation appeared to be menacing, it wasn't overwhelmingly powerful for someone in the Heavenly Core Realm. With her support, Lu Yang completed his breakthrough, and the ominous clouds dispersed, signifying his success.

With this, Lu Yang breathed a sigh of relief.

"The problem that remained was how he would explain the marks of triggering the Heavenly Tribulation when his cultivation realm was only at Core Condensation.

Since you didn't lie, I'll let today's matter slide. But what did you do to trigger the tribulation?" Xi Yuan inquired.

"Since I can't reveal my system, the only option left is... I don't know, Master. But from the day I joined, I noticed that whenever I'm near you, I can absorb the energy from my surroundings exceptionally fast. So, when you gave your speech, I absorbed more than enough energy from the surroundings to break through the Core Condensation Realm. I later learned that no one has ever been able to achieve a breakthrough in any realm in just two days. I believe this extraordinary acceleration of cultivation might have defied the natural laws, triggering the tribulation," Lu Yang explained.

"I can't believe I came up with such a good excuse. With this, I've killed two birds with one stone. Now, I can get closer to my master, and I won't have to worry about the heavenly tribulation," Lu Yang thought to himself.

"Well, after witnessing this with my own eyes, I can't deny it. "From your explanation, it seems that you can cultivate faster when you are near me, but I still find it hard to believe, but you did broke through in two days. Isn't this like a blessing from heaven to you? If you continue to cultivate with me, you will surpass me in no time," she said with a contemplative expression.

Xi Yuan was lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "Alright then, I have made up my mind. From now on, your position will be that of my personal disciple".

"I know that you may not be overjoyed about cultivating with me, but consider this: by doing so, you'll have the opportunity to surpass me, and our sect will also benefit from having a more formidable member who can fight alongside me," Xi Yuan stated.

"Huh, no, Master. Why would you think that? I am more than happy to cultivate with such a magnificent master like you. It is an honor to be your personal disciple, and I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to cultivate alongside you," Lu Yang replied with genuine enthusiasm and admiration.

Upon hearing this, Xi Yuan was taken aback. It was the first time in her life that someone had praised her appearance without a hint of lust in their eyes, and had become her personal disciple without hesitation. Despite her striking beauty, people were usually intimidated by her, avoiding eye contact and keeping their distance because they knew that they wouldn't be able to control themselves due to her breathtaking beauty, and any mistake around her could lead to nothing but death.

"Master, what happened? Why are you smiling?" Lu Yang asked.

"I-I am not. Since you are going to cultivate with me, we can start it after one month. I will be leaving for the Celestial Peak as I am about to step into the Life Reconstruction Realm," Xi Yuan said.

"Master, can I come with you?" Lu Yang inquired.

"Are you kidding? The Heavenly Tribulation will not be this weak for the Heaven Core Realm, and I will not be able to protect you."

"I know, but in one month with you, won't my cultivation also increase? Who knows if I may be able to protect you?" Lu Yang said.

Xi Yuan smirked and replied, "You sure are making the most of this opportunity."

"Isn't it the duty of a disciple to learn from their master?. The method is different but I am just doing what I should do," Lu Yang replied.

Xi Yuan sighed, then said, "Then don't blame me for your death." She turned and looked at the horizon. "I will be leaving next week." And with that, she departed.

"First a mother and son relationship, and now a master and disciple relationship," Lu Yang mused in his mind, excitement coursing through him.

"System," Lu Yang muttered.

[Supreme Sage System]

User: Lu Yang

[Cultivation Realm]: Qi Refinement 1st Stage

[Cultivation Base: 10000/10M]

Martial Art Skills

• Cultivation Mastery [6000 CB / 1 Minute]

[Locked Skill]

• Love Ascension ( Have an imitate session )

"Congratulations, host, on your successful breakthrough into the Qi Refinement Realm. As a reward for your progress, your Xia Dantian, which previously held your cultivation base, will now be replaced by the system's Dantian. This system Dantian has the remarkable capacity for infinite Cultivation Base storage."

Lu Yang couldn't help but grin as he contemplated the system's capabilities. "Well, isn't the system a bit overpowered?" he mused. "It certainly does make everything so much easier for me. But I don't mind at all. With this, I won't have to worry about my cultivation base overflowing anymore."

"Lu Yang began to walk back to his house after realizing he had left early in the morning without notifying his mother."