Relax and Watch

"Spirit Hall, you've gone too far!"

Tang San clenched his fists tightly, gritting his teeth as he stormed out of the Spirit Hall.

The only reason he was able to walk out of there was thanks to his teacher—who had a powerful "ex-girlfriend."

After returning to Spirit City from Heaven Dou City, Bibi Dong immediately began investigating and comparing her findings with Yu Xiaogang's theoretical knowledge.

In the end, Bibi Dong fell silent, plunged into deep thought.

If much of the theoretical knowledge from the last thirty or so years had been plagiarized from Yu Xiaogang, then what about the knowledge from decades, or even over a century ago?

Yu Xiaogang's books were merely reorganized versions of these pre-existing theories, with some of his own flawed ideas mixed in. These errors were likely Yu Xiaogang's original thoughts.

Upon realizing the "truth," Bibi Dong felt as if her world had collapsed. The "pure light" she once adored had turned out to be dark beneath its surface.

"No, that's not right. I love the person, what does his academic standing have to do with anything?"

Bibi Dong murmured to herself, as if comforting her stubborn heart.

Even though she knew Yu Xiaogang was utterly useless, she still needed an excuse to justify her feelings—an excuse to reassure herself that her judgment wasn't wrong.

If she didn't find that excuse, wouldn't it prove that Qian Xunji's decision to separate her from Yu Xiaogang had been correct all along?

To prove Qian Xunji wrong, she needed to find some way to validate her past choices.

---

In Heaven Dou City, at a certain entertainment establishment, today was unlike any other day.

Sitting beside Zhongli was not a spy or an informant but Chiyu, who had returned home for the holidays, along with Du Siji and a few others, including Paimon.

For Du Siji and the others, this kind of scene was entirely unfamiliar, leaving them somewhat bewildered.

Those women, their... their dancing was impressive!

And those movements, they were... quite dazzling!

"???"

Chi Yu blushed, silently eating alongside Paimon, while Du Siji and the others tried their best to mimic Zhongli—sipping tea and watching the performances without saying a word.

Gradually, they began to understand why their sect leader frequented such places.

It truly was a relaxing experience!

In fact, for those under the intense pressure of their training, this kind of relaxation might actually be beneficial.

When they returned to training, they might not find it so unbearable.

The group exchanged glances and then looked at Zhongli, who remained calm and composed. They couldn't help but feel that their own mental states still had a long way to go.

"To be able to look at beauty as if it were nothing but bones, and to see bones as beauty without fear."

"If we could achieve half the mindset of our sect leader, becoming powerful would be inevitable!"

"Indeed, we must temper our minds more."

In the past year or so, their soul power had grown far too quickly, and their mental states had become increasingly arrogant!

It was a common phenomenon for young people who gained success early—youthful arrogance.

Like an ordinary person suddenly acquiring great power: they might be cautious on the first day, but by the end of the week, they'd act like they owned the world.

"So this is why our sect leader brought us to such a place—it's to teach us a deeper lesson?"

Du Siji and the others thought to themselves, looking at Zhongli with newfound respect.

Zhongli: "..."

This was just his personal hobby, but somehow, his disciples had come up with all sorts of profound interpretations.

The most dangerous assumptions are the ones you make yourself!

The onlookers watched as the disciples of the Body Sect went from blushing in embarrassment to watching with steady composure in such a short time, and couldn't help but be impressed.

As expected of the Body Sect disciples—disciplined and proper, unlike some students from certain academies who whistled and flirted with the performers.

Those academy students were truly disgraceful!

For a moment, Du Siji and the others looked at Chi Yu in confusion. They hadn't spent much time with Chi Yu over the past year, only a few days.

Chi Yu hadn't eaten with the group before, but now, to their surprise, the holy maiden seemed extraordinary—she had consumed as much food as the three of them combined.

Wait, she was still eating!

"Hiss~"

Du Siji and the others inhaled sharply. This holy maiden could eat more than the elders! According to their sect leader, Zhongli, the stronger a body soul master became, the more energy they needed to consume. So, being able to eat like this was a sign of talent and strength in a body soul master.

In the sect, it wasn't just about who had the strongest body, but also who could eat the most! And now, the truth of Zhongli's words was undeniable. Of course, there were exceptions—some people were just naturally big eaters.

"No wonder she's the holy maiden…"

Initially, Du Siji had some reservations, thinking Chi Yu's status was due to Zhongli's favoritism. He considered himself different—he stood out among his peers, not just because they shared the same training resources, but because he was the first of the younger generation to awaken his second martial soul transformation on his own.

But now, Du Siji was convinced.

"Relaxation after training can yield twice the result with half the effort," Zhongli suddenly said.

The second awakening of the body martial soul granted immense strength but often turned its users into maniacs—complete lunatics. They weren't fallen or evil, but their actions were driven solely by their whims, without regard for anything else.

This was the future of the Body Sect—cultivators whose behavior bordered on madness, much like the infamous evil soul masters. Zhongli didn't want the sect he once led to devolve into such chaos.

Allowing his disciples to enjoy life and appreciate the beauty of the world was the true path.

"Yes, Sect Leader!"

So, their assumptions were correct?

Du Siji and the others answered in unison, their expressions dead serious.

Zhongli, observing that his disciples were still mostly normal, sighed in relief. Part of the reason he occasionally returned to the Body Sect was to keep an eye on them, to make sure the second awakening wasn't warping their personalities.

After all this time, Zhongli had come to a conclusion. With proper guidance, though second awakenings were rare, they didn't drastically alter a person's character.

It was the future sect's cruel cultivation methods—where only one in ten survived—that had amplified these personality defects in those who awakened. Watching their comrades die, those who survived couldn't help but go mad.

"I'll need to continue watching…"

Zhongli withdrew his gaze, making a mental note.

"There's no need to be so serious. When resting, focus on relaxation,"

"Yes, Sect Leader!"

Stubborn—just like Chi Yu, his sect's disciples couldn't change either.

Among the onlookers were skilled spies, who glanced at Du Siji and the others with caution. The blood energy and aura emanating from these Body Sect disciples were far beyond what any regular sect's disciples could achieve.

As time passed, when Zhongli and Paimon reached the gates of Zhongli's residence, Zhongli suddenly furrowed his brow, halting in his tracks.

Chi Yu, Du Siji, and the others had already headed back to Heaven Dou Royal Academy, walking in the opposite direction from Zhongli and Paimon.

"Zhongli, what's wrong?" Paimon asked.

Without changing his expression, Zhongli replied, "Chi Yu and the others seem to have run into some trouble."