Zhangsun Xun Yi watched his disciple’s futile attempt at meditating for a while longer before he finally cleared his throat. "Qiu Ling, there’s something I have to do. I’ll only be gone for a moment. You wait here and continue meditating. Don’t leave this spot!" He waited to see if his disciple had understood.

Qiu Ling’s eyes cracked open and he hurriedly nodded.

Zhangsun Xun Yi almost heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed not all hope was lost yet. Maybe his disciple only needed a while to get used to the life in a sect. He had probably been a wandering practitioner before and was used to doing whatever he liked. But with a bit of time, he would slowly start to see the benefits of doing what his Master said. Then there would be no need to worry anymore.

Zhangsun Xun Yi nodded with satisfaction and turned around, leaving Qiu Ling to himself and hurrying down from the peak and over to an array hidden among the grove at the foot of the mountain.

Meanwhile, Qiu Ling looked at the door, his gaze darting about. Stay here? Not leaving the place? Why should he do that? His beloved was still out there! If his Master didn’t want to spend time with him, then there was no need to stay here either. He could use this time much better. Thus, the supposedly obedient disciple once again got up and left the Grandmaster’s palace.

Needless to say, Qiu Ling directly rushed to the outer sect and flew to the place where Jing Yi was currently sweeping the main hall of one of the buildings. Qiu Ling pursed his lips when he saw his beloved’s mortal reincarnation holding the broom. Hmph, these stupid mortals! They actually made his beloved to such dirty things! If it wasn’t for his trial, he would certainly teach all of them a lesson!

Unfortunately, there was no way for him to do that at the moment so he could only resign himself to hiding on the roof of the building on the opposite side of the road and watch Jing Yi.

Ah, looking from here, there was also something nice about this. Quietly watching over his beloved, making sure that nothing would happen to him … If he told his Jing He about this when he woke up in the Nine Heavens, his beloved would certainly be extremely happy. Qiu Ling smiled to himself when he imagined it and continued to watch in a happy mood.

At the same time, Grandmaster Zhangsun stepped out of the array. It had transported him to a small realm that was connected to the Yun Zou Sect but situated in another dimension. The place was filled with lush vegetation and the sound of birds tweeting and small animals scuttling around. A soft breeze blew, making the leaves sway gently and Zhangsun Xun Yi’s hair dance.

The Grandmaster made his way over to the middle of the realm and cupped his fists toward a lake that sparkled in the sun. The water was clear enough to see down onto the ground. Right now, a golden-haired man was seated there in the lotus position. When he felt Zhangsun Xun Yi’s gaze, the man opened his eyes. They glinted golden like the sun.

Zhangsun Xun Yi nodded at the man and the figure pushed off the ground. It broke through the surface, swam over to where Zhangsun Xun Yi waited and came out of the water. The man waved his hand and his golden hair, as well as his dark gray robe, both dried.

The man gave a charming smile and sat down on a boulder next to the lake. "Grandmaster, how nice of you to drop by."

Zhangsun Xun Yi nodded. "I’m sorry to disturb your rest. There’s a matter that I would like your assistance with. I just don’t know …"

The man’s lips curved even further and he waved. "It’s not like I have anything else to do. Just tell me what it is about. If it’s anything I can help with, then I’ll be happy to do so."

Zhangsun Xun Yi nodded again. "The thing is I’ve taken in a disciple.

The man raised his golden brows. This certainly was unexpected. "Then I guess I should congratulate you?"

Zhangsun Xun Yi smiled wryly. "Thanks. Unfortunately, his mind doesn’t seem stable enough. I was wondering if … you wouldn’t mind him meditating here for a while? I thought that maybe being in this dimension would help him shut out all distractions."

The man smiled noncommittally. "There’s no need to ask. This is the Yun Zou Sect’s realm after all. I am merely borrowing it for a while. So if the child would benefit from cultivating here, then he should certainly be allowed to do so. There is no need to take my feelings into consideration."

Zhangsun Xun Yi examined them man’s face and tried to figure out if he was displeased. Originally, they had agreed that he would be able to use this realm as he liked, without being bothered by anyone. Asking if it was alright for his disciple to stay here for a while wasn’t really in line with that agreement.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t think of a better plan to face his disciple’s issue. Well, maybe he could go search for another place but it would be more convenient to have him around here where he could check on him every now and then and make sure that things were going in the right direction. Furthermore, with this lofty person to watch over him, he doubted that even the most unruly disciple would dare to make trouble. Wasn’t this just perfect?

The man softly laughed. "No need to look like that. Just bring him here. I don’t mind at all. Actually, it would be nice to have some company. After all, it can be quite lonely in here."

Zhangsun Xun Yi nodded. "Thank you. Then I’ll bring him here in a bit. I’ll explain to him first so he won’t bother you too much."

The man waved as if he didn’t mind at all and got up again, walking back to the lake.

Zhangsun Xun Yi turned around and left the dimension, returning to his own palace to tell Qiu Ling the good news.