Heavenly Harem: Raising My Disciple With Infinite Dual Cultivation

Chapter 131: CH. 131 | Season of Hope

An Yue released her attack, launching her qi sword straight at Li Qingxue. Han Xin, who had arrived alongside Li Qingxue, stopped the sword with ease. A small explosion went off inside the room.

An Yue was thrown backward and coughed up blood. Watching her get hurt made An Xiao move fast. She appeared at An Yue’s side and stood guard in front of her.

"You hurt Master Lin!" An Xiao said firmly.

Ya Fei and the others refused to stand by. They stood their ground and protected An Yue, summoning their qi swords and pointing them at Li Qingxue’s group.

Han Xin went quiet, then responded by summoning her own qi sword. But Li Qingxue’s gentle hand rose and gave Han Xin’s shoulder a soft pat.

He turned immediately and saw Li Qingxue responding with a shake of her head. The woman had no desire to make things worse. She understood that what had happened to Lin Tian was genuinely connected to the Yunlan Sect.

"I know you must be angry and blaming me for Lin Tian’s injuries. But that accusation is wrong," Li Qingxue said.

"Lin Tian did fight, but he didn’t fight against the Yunlan Sect," the woman continued.

"Then... can you explain everything? Why did he end up this badly hurt when he told me he was going to see you?"

Li Qingxue glanced at An Yue, who was now standing again with the help of the others. The woman stepped forward gracefully, while Ya Fei and the other disciples stayed on full alert.

"Stop!"

"I said stop!" Ya Fei shouted.

The woman raised her hand, sweeping it forward with full grace, accompanied by a flow of blue spiritual qi drifting through the air.

Ya Fei and the others didn’t see it as a threat. The blue spiritual qi was absorbed into An Yue’s body, making the girl float gently in the air while the qi surrounded her.

Before long, the qi energy faded and disappeared. An Yue was back to feeling healthy and full of energy, no longer feeling the pain from the failed attack.

Her attention returned straight ahead. "So who can explain everything? Lin Tian?"

Li Qingxue turned her face to the side, looking at Lin Tian still lying in bed, unconscious. Every time her eyes landed on him, a pang of guilt surfaced in her heart.

Still, what An Yue said was true. Neither Li Qingxue nor the Yunlan Sect had asked Lin Tian to save them. He had done it after coming to an agreement with Han Xin.

But because Lin Tian knew about the dual cultivation candidate selection process, Li Qingxue was certain that what Lin Tian had done was connected to that process.

"Yes. Only he can explain his reasons."

"And to make that happen, we need to work together," Li Qingxue replied.

The woman turned and introduced the Yunlan Sect elders who had been assigned to help restore Lin Tian’s condition.

They had been chosen carefully and with thorough consideration. Li Qingxue trusted their abilities. These elders would certainly be able to heal Lin Tian quickly, using the Lingxian Sect’s own resources.

An Yue and the others looked over at them. The elders stepped forward, pressing their hands together and bowing their heads in respect.

Even though they had come with good intentions, An Yue still held concerns about them. She was afraid they might use Lin Tian’s vulnerable state as a chance to finish him off.

The girl stepped forward and stood in front of all of them. "I’ll allow you to help heal Lin Tian. But you’ll do it under my watch."

"I won’t have you using this as an opportunity to kill Lin Tian!"

"Of course, Miss An Yue. We will listen and follow your orders," the elder replied.

Before they arrived, Li Qingxue had instructed them to comply with whatever the Lingxian Sect disciples commanded, to prevent anyone from doubting their good intentions.

Now, An Yue stood as the one with the authority to direct and oversee them, holding the title of senior among the other disciples.

An Yue went quiet for a moment, then let out a slow breath. She turned and walked back toward Lin Tian’s bed. Her hand reached out and held Lin Tian’s hand, which felt cold.

"Don’t worry, Lin Tian. We’re going to heal you."

After a long enough moment of steadying herself, she turned back and looked at Li Qingxue and Cao Ying. "Alright... let’s heal him!"

From that day on, the entire Lingxian Sect directed all of its resources toward one single goal: saving Lin Tian.

***

One year later.

The snow in the front courtyard had begun to melt as the blinding sunlight started bringing warmth back with it.

The dormitory door opened and the disciples looked out, watching the leaves grow thick and lush on the trees, the grass finally clear of its layer of snow.

An Yue stepped out of the disciple dormitory along with the rest of them and felt warm air wash over her skin and face. The biting cold was gone. The seasons were turning, winter giving way to spring.

Spiritual qi was now rich and plentiful, ready to be drawn on for cultivation again, a welcome change after struggling through winter with limited spiritual qi due to the harsh weather.

"You all go cultivate. I’ll head to the main sect hall to check on Lin Tian," An Yue said.

"Wait, Senior Sister An Yue," Ya Fei called out. An Yue’s steps paused for a moment.

"What is it, Fei’er?"

"About the elders from the Yunlan Sect... why have they stopped coming?"

An Yue went quiet for a moment. It had been two months since the Yunlan Sect elders had last come. An Yue had already asked Cao Ying, but Cao Ying didn’t know the reason for their absence either.

That left An Yue and the others uneasy. They were only Foundation Establishment cultivators. They didn’t have the ability to treat a Perfect Nascent Soul cultivator on their own.

"I don’t know," An Yue replied. "But I’ve already talked to Master Ying about it. She’ll find a solution."

"For now, we’ll keep the Soul Essence Restoration Formation active and help Lin Tian absorb spiritual qi," An Yue explained.

"You go ahead. I need to head into the city to buy crystals to strengthen the formation," Ya Fei said.

An Yue nodded in agreement, watching Ya Fei fly off on her sword and leave the Lingxian Sect. Now only An Yue was left, walking alone into the main sect hall.

She pushed the wooden door open, and the warm air from inside the hall washed over her, putting her at ease. She was sure the fireplace inside the hall was still burning with firewood.

She stepped inside and turned to the side. Her face went still, her mouth fell open, and her heart began to race.

"Where is... Lin Tian?!" An Yue asked.

Lin Tian was nowhere in his bed. The sheets and blanket were neatly arranged, which only made An Yue more frantic.

She ran into the hall and came to a stop in front of the cultivation altar where Lin Tian usually sat. He wasn’t there either.

"I have to go find Master—"

The corner of her eye caught a figure standing tall beside the main sect hall.

He stood with his back to An Yue, long black hair hanging loose, his body turned toward the koi pond sitting right alongside the hall.

An Yue recognized him. She recognized that black hair, that posture, and the qi aura radiating from him.

"Have you ever heard that spring is the season of hope?" the man asked.

"Flowers bloom, leaves grow thick, birds fly free, and human life returns to how it was."

"Hope comes after passing through suffering. Suffering arrives carrying meaning about life and the dao."

The man smiled and released his white spiritual qi forward. He turned his body and looked toward An Yue.

"Good to see you again, Yue’er."