Nostalgia

Shu Feng took a deep breath. In all these years, this was the first time he had been allowed to touch the Sisha Stele. He flipped through his notebook, reviewing the runes his master had just drawn, then closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, beginning to circulate his spiritual energy to trace each stroke.

Yu Zhiling sent a spiritual transmission to Mo Zhu: "Hurry up, your master believes you can do it!"

Mo Zhu’s eyelids twitched slightly. He did not look at her. His slender hands moved in a rapid blur, his spiritual energy weaving into a complete rune before he commanded it to merge into the Sisha Stele.

In just fifteen minutes, the formation was restored.

[Ding! The male lead has learned the Sisha Stele repair technique. Merit +100. Total merit: 170 points. Please keep up the good work.]

Yu Zhiling: "..."

Yun Zhi was speechless. "Your disciple... is he truly a genius?"

Back then, it had taken him half a month to learn the formation repair technique and memorize all the runes. His first attempt had taken half an hour, and even then, he was considered a rare talent in Zhongzhou.

Yet here was Mo Zhu, who had only watched Yu Zhiling draw the runes once and succeeded on his first try in a mere fifteen minutes.

Shu Feng was still struggling. Seeing that Mo Zhu had already finished, he grew even more flustered. His spiritual energy was nearly depleted, yet the runes remained incomplete.

Finally, Yun Zhi patted his shoulder gently. "That is enough. I will continue teaching you the repair technique later. Let me finish the rest."

Shu Feng bowed and stepped back. Just as Yun Zhi was about to step forward to complete the repair, a flash of green robes blurred past his eyes.

Yu Zhiling pulled Mo Zhu to where Shu Feng had been standing and gave a decisive command: "Try again. There is one more seal."

Mo Zhu did not argue. He calmly raised his hand, tracing each rune and striking them into the Sisha Stele. This time, he was even faster than before, completing the final formation in no time with visible mastery.

The cracks on the Sisha Stele vanished, and the Mayuan Abyss returned to silence.

[Ding! Completed the mission: Suppress the Sisha Realm unrest. Merit +50. Total merit: 230 points.]

Yu Zhiling almost wanted to bow to him. Was this what a true genius looked like?

Why was she even playing the role of his master!

Yun Zhi looked at him, his expression complex. "Zhuo Yu, this boy is a fine seedling. You should devote yourself to nurturing him."

But in Yu Zhiling's mind, she didn't need to nurture him at all; Mo Zhu could transform into a dragon all on his own.

Mo Zhu took a step back, feeling that his master’s gaze was incredibly strange. Her eyes were shining, much like a wolf looking at a lamb.

It was too bizarre.

Seeing her unrefined manner, Yun Zhi could only shake his head with a faint smile. He asked, "I heard you were in seclusion for three years. Now that you have emerged, how is your cultivation base?"

Yu Zhiling snapped out of it. Noticing the trace of concern in his eyes, she beamed and raised her hand boastfully. "Very strong. One punch could collapse a mountain."

The statement was exaggerated, delivered in a humorous and witty tone.

Yun Zhi’s fingers twitched slightly. His Adam's apple bobbed as his gaze remained fixed on her, unblinking.

Yu Zhiling felt his gaze was odd—filled with nostalgia, yet also with restraint, exactly like Yan Shanqing’s gaze from the other day.

She called out tentatively in a low voice, "Yun Zhi?"

Yun Zhi turned his head away. "I haven't heard you call my name in many years."

His voice was very soft, but Yu Zhiling could detect a hint of grievance, perhaps even reproach.

It was as if she had unilaterally mistreated him.

Yu Zhiling gave a forced laugh, feeling uneasy. In the past two days, she had slipped up more times than she could count.

Standing beside them, Mo Zhu narrowed his eyes slightly, taking in the strange dialogue between the two.

Had Yun Zhi also noticed that something was wrong with Yu Zhiling?

It seemed his master had truly changed a great deal.