A New Type of Poison?

Yun Zhi spoke in a heavy tone, "When I arrived, the Sisha Stele already had cracks. The barrier outside the Sisha Realm also showed signs of being torn apart by demonic qi."

Yu Zhiling understood immediately. "A member of the Demon Race has infiltrated Zhongzhou."

"Indeed." Yun Zhi turned to look at her. "And their cultivation base is by no means low."

Shu Feng poked his head out to look into the Mayuan Abyss. He saw only a bottomless darkness, yet he felt as though countless pairs of eyes were lurking within.

He shuddered, hugging his arms, and asked in a low voice, "But... how could the Demon Race escape?"

Yun Zhi looked toward Mo Zhu. "And you? What do you think is the reason?"

Yu Zhiling and Shu Feng also shifted their gazes toward him.

Mo Zhu, who had remained silent until now, finally could no longer feign being mute. He replied coldly, "The Demon Race did not escape. Rather, someone sneaked in."

Yun Zhi questioned further, "Why do you say that?"

Mo Zhu’s expression remained calm. "The Sisha Stele is not yet completely shattered; the demons within the Mayuan Abyss cannot escape. However, the barrier outside the Sisha Realm has a tear, and the surface of the stele shows signs of cracking. This proves someone broke in from the outside, intending to destroy the stele and release the demons."

Shu Feng was stunned, scratching his head. "Huh?"

Yun Zhi raised an eyebrow slightly and asked with a smile, "Are you certain?"

Mo Zhu nodded. "Certain."

Yun Zhi looked back at Yu Zhiling. She lifted her chin, her face full of pride.

"Your disciple is not bad. He’s much smarter than Shu Feng."

Shu Feng pouted in protest, "Master, you don't have to put me down like that."

Yu Zhiling felt like she was showing off her own child. She patted Mo Zhu’s shoulder, her voice brimming with pride. "Of course. You have to see whose disciple he is."

Her tone was both witty and familiar, causing both Yun Zhi and Mo Zhu to pause momentarily, their expressions turning complex.

Yu Zhiling pressed an object into Mo Zhu’s hand. "A reward for you. You answered correctly!"

Mo Zhu: "...?"

He looked down. In his palm lay a piece of fruit candy wrapped in sugar. As a Dengshe with a keen sense of smell, he immediately caught the sweet fragrance of pear drifting past his nose.

Yu Zhiling stood on her tiptoes to rub his head, her eyes curving into crescents. "Good boy, well done!"

Teaching a disciple was like raising a child; one had to balance firmness with gentleness and be clear with rewards and punishments. One must always remember the principle of encouraging education—the most important goal was to foster confidence and independent ability!

In short: Praise! Reward! No hitting! No scolding!

Only then could one raise a good child—no, a good disciple.

This was the truth according to Master Yu.

Meanwhile, Mo Zhu stared silently at the candy in his hand.

Was this...

A new type of poison?

Yu Zhiling was oblivious, still silently praising the male lead for being so intelligent while also complimenting herself.

To Mo Zhu, however, the candy felt like it was burning his hand. Throwing it away would be improper, but holding onto it was awkward. He frowned, seeing Yu Zhiling still smiling happily, unable to understand where she found so many things to be joyful about.

After a moment of hesitation, he eventually tucked the candy into his Cosmos Bag.

Just then, Yun Zhi coughed twice. "Let’s get back to business. We need to return early; one cannot stay overnight in the Sisha Realm."

"Understood!"

Yu Zhiling remembered the main task. She stepped forward and placed her hand on the Sisha Stele. As a Grand Ascension cultivator, she could sense the countless complex formations hidden within. Currently, over a hundred of these formations had been destroyed.

Such a large number would be difficult even for a Grand Ascension expert like herself or Yun Zhi to break in a short time. From the moment Yun Zhi received word of the Sisha Realm's fluctuations to their arrival, at most six hours had passed. In those six hours, someone had managed to destroy all those formations.

Yu Zhiling mused, "It must be at least a peak Deity Transformation cultivator."

"Hiss." Shu Feng took a sharp breath. "There are only a handful of those in Zhongzhou. Didn't the Demon Race get wiped out years ago by Fuchun Immortal Venerable..."

Before he could finish his sentence, three pairs of eyes simultaneously landed on Yu Zhiling.

Yu Zhiling: "...?"

She asked blankly, "Why are you looking at me? Get to work."

Shu Feng breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, "My apologies, Immortal Venerable. I misspoke."

Yu Zhiling: "???"

What exactly did he misspeak?