Azure Heaven Saber
Chapter 584 - 584 165 Tired Palace Master

Chapter 584: Chapter 165: Tired Palace Master Chapter 584: Chapter 165: Tired Palace Master Dong Xiaoyan’s smile vanished in an instant, yet she still managed to maintain a sporadic giggle. After a considerable pause, she finally stopped laughing, then, furrowing her brows, she said, “Ling Yunduan is really quite something. He’s entertaining, fairly righteous, full of jokes, and moreover, there are so many unspoken things he’s capable of. He’s truly amazing, and I admire him a lot.”

“Oh?”

The couple exchanged a glance inquiring, “How amazing is he?”

“Mother, you wouldn’t believe it, when I first met him, he hadn’t even entered the Innate level. But now, in less than a year, he’s advanced to the Earth Level Upper Three Ranks. Isn’t such progress utterly astonishing and terrifying?!”

“Are you sure!? In less than a year’s time?”

Dong Canglan’s eyes widened abruptly.

The moment Dong Xiaoyan’s words reached his ears, Dong Canglan felt a sudden jolt in his heart.

In one year’s time, from not even on the Innate stage to the Upper Three Ranks of the Earth Level?!

Do the math. Even if you start counting from the ninth rank of the Post Heaven Stage, there are nine ranks in the Innate Stage, nine ranks at the Human-Level, plus three ranks he’s achieved at the Earth Level now…

That’s eighteen ranks in twelve months!

What pace is that?

Are you kidding?

“What Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures did he consume to attain such a leap?” Dong Canglan instinctively inquired.

“Dad, that’s such a boring question…”

Dong Xiaoyan rolled her eyes, saying, “I have no idea what substance in the world would let one jump from being nowhere to the third rank of the Earth Level. You should be the one answering such a question since it’s beyond common comprehension. I don’t know what one could eat to make such a leap overnight.”

“But you didn’t grasp my words correctly. Ling Yunduan didn’t make all this progress overnight or in a single step. His advancement has been averaged over a year!”

Dong Canglan humphed, his expression of shock not diminishing but intensifying instead.

As a cultivator who stands at the pinnacle, Dong Canglan well understood a fact: miraculous encounters, or certain heaven-defying Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, do indeed have miraculous effects that allow people to sky-rocket to unprecedented heights.

In a very short time, say, a day or two, even nobodies can become powerful figures in the cultivation world. Although such cases are rare, they are not impossible.

However, if one’s progress is calculated over a year, and increased steadily throughout, then it is not the result of the effects of any Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.

Because no type of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures possesses such an effect.

Even the most treasured Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures have their medicinal effects, characteristics, and resistance.

On the other hand, what could cause such progress would be, first and foremost, aptitude, followed by cultivation techniques, diligence, and finally… a matter of countless chances.

The reason for saying countless chances… A mistake, not every ten days or a half month will there be an opportunity. One can’t be too early or late. How could such progress be possible?

But that kind of thing… Not to mention Ling Yunduan, a scattered cultivator, even if it’s in Heavenly Sword Cloud Palace, even if it’s Dong Xiaoyan herself, even if the whole power of the Heavenly Sword Cloud Palace is gathered, and all of it is poured into creating such an opportunity for Dong Xiaoyan, it would still be impossible!

So, the other explanation, or the only explanation that makes sense is—

This Ling Yunduan’s aptitude has reached a jaw-dropping level, his diligence represents an unprecedented effort, and his cultivation technique is so subtle that no one understands it.

Suddenly, Dong Canglan recalled the words of Feng Yin.

“My home is called the Third Star.”

“My master is called Master Hongjun.”

“Residing in the Nine Heavens, with a Dao-illuminating meditation cushion…”

As Dong Canglan’s mind raced, he couldn’t help but take a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, and said, “This Ling Yunduan… Not bad.”

Lady Dong shared the same thoughts and said, “He truly is a good lad.”

Delighted, Dong Xiaoyan said buoyantly, “Of course he’s not bad, wouldn’t you look at whose friend he is? We are good friends, with ties as strong as life!”

Seeing their daughter’s pleased and proud expression, both parents felt a headache coming on.

Is this the point, girl?

Can’t you focus on the main point when you talk?

Why is your thinking so different from ours? You didn’t inherit your dad’s wisdom or your mom’s cleverness at all!

You only inherited your uncle’s idiocy.

In this day and age, just having good looks is not enough!

Originally, both parents had felt that it would be not difficult at all for their daughter to find a partner, not difficult at all.

A national beauty with the top family background in the world.

With high cultivation and a pure and kind-hearted character.

Wealthy, and supported by a top-tier power.

How would a woman with such qualifications fret about not finding a good family?

But looking at it now…

It’s clear that this girl has already put herself at a disadvantage.

“Hey…”

Both parents sighed simultaneously.

“Darling, this Ling Yunduan, he doesn’t have a wife, does he? He’s not married, is he?” asked Lady Dong.

“Pfft, with his level of cultivation, who would want him? Do you think he’s handsome? Even if he is truly handsome, how can we just look at his face?” Dong Xiaoyan tilted her head.

“Heh, heh…”

The couple fell speechless. So many people want somebody just like him.

“Yan Yan, do you… have a bit of a crush on this Ling Yunduan?”

“Of course I have a crush, otherwise how could we become friends?”

“I mean, do you like him?”

“Oh…”

Dong Xiaoyan suddenly blushed, showing a rare shyness, but being the hearty girl she was, she reddened and said, “I guess… only a little bit. I must clarify beforehand that it’s not just about his looks, I’m not that shallow. He is also a very interesting person, not just an attractive shell.”

“Hehe…”

The couple finally understood.

My god, one is all hot and bothered but clueless, the other is equally confused and ignorant, not knowing anything.

We actually were taken in to do investigation…

This feels as annoying as a dog’s package!

“If you like him, go after him. His character seems good to your mother.”

Lady Dong persuaded earnestly.

“How should I go after him? He’s not some pet that I can bid for.”

“I mean, does he know that you like him?”

“Should… know? Or doesn’t know? Probably doesn’t know… right?”

“You brat, really…” Lady Dong was so angry that she was staring with wide eyes.

“Ah!”

Dong Xiaoyan twisted her waist with some embarrassment, “You don’t know how annoying he is. What’s so good about him?”

“What’s annoying?”

“A few days ago, I asked him what kind of daughter-in-law he would like…” said Dong Xiaoyan.

The couple perked up immediately.

Not a silly girl, wasn’t that a confession?

They were both sharp-minded, deeply aware that when an unmarried girl asks an unmarried boy such a question, it is almost equivalent to a confession.

Who would ask such a question without that kind of intention?

“So how did he respond?” Lady Dong asked quite expectantly.

“He said, someone like you.” Dong Xiaoyan bit her lip, blushing.

“Isn’t that it?!”

The couple was puzzled. How could they bungle it up when it was all spelled out? Is that boy playing dumb?

So Dong Canglan asked, “What was your reaction then?”

“My reaction? What could I possibly do?!”

Dong Xiaoyan bit her lip and said, “I stood up and ran!”

“She stood up and…ran?”

Lady Dong was stunned, standing still.

You successfully wooed him and even got a welcome response, but you stood up and ran yourself?

Could you be any more ridiculous?

Not only was Lady Dong stunned on the spot, Dong Canglan on the side was also dumbstruck, stammering, “You…you ran without any response?”

Palace Master Dong was stuttering in shock.

“Reaction? Respond to what?” Dong Xiaoyan responded matter-of-factly.

“Wasn’t that the question you asked him?”

“Well, yeah, but I was just joking,” Dong Xiaoyan replied.

The couple suddenly felt liver pain, their temples throbbing, they were showing signs of stroke.

After taking a few deep breaths, they finally recovered.

God, you asked this question, he thought you were confessing and responded accordingly. But you ran off?

“I just want to ask you, when you two were together later, did you keep discussing this topic?” Lady Dong asked, as if grasping at straws.

“Which topic?” Dong Xiaoyan was puzzled.

“The…the type of daughter-in-law he wants topic!” Lady Dong couldn’t hold back from stomping her foot.

“No! Why should we talk about that?”

“No?!” The couple was stunned, their necks stretched out, their eyes full of disbelief.

“I don’t even have time to avoid it. As soon as he tried to bring it up, I always interrupted him immediately. It’s so embarrassing to talk about these things. Of course, I needed to change the topic.”

Dong Xiaoyan justified proudly, “This kind of topic is very awkward.”

“…”

“Distraction? How did you distract him?” Lady Dong asked, hoping against hope.

“Last time he said, you were asking me about what kind of daughter-in-law I want… As soon as I heard it, it was so embarrassing to bring up the past, wasn’t it awkward? There happened to be a toad squatting by the pond in the garden, so I said: Look at that toad, it’s so cute, it even croaks…”

Dong Xiaoyan shared enthusiastically, “Then he too seemed very interested, saying, oh, the toad is croaking, haha. He was laughing happily, and so was I. Therefore, we switched to discussing toads instead. I’m smart, quick-witted—this takes presence of mind, which not just anyone has…”

“So he was laughing happily…”

The couple looked at each other, a moment of realization, yet they wanted to sob their hearts out.

How did we end up with such a daughter?

Calling her a simpleton is an overstatement!

No wonder Ling Yunduan was like that when talking to her. He was completely thrown off!

No, it wasn’t just thrown off, what is the toad usually associated with? Unattainable swan meat!

With Dong Xiaoyan’s run, he might have thought there was no hope at all. After her repeated deflections in the following conversations, any fire in his heart must have been snuffed out, no matter how passionate.

Last time he gathered his courage, but the conversation ended with a magical toad…