There are legends in the martial world.

By the time they returned to the Celestial Retreat, dawn was already breaking. The two subordinates and Xia Nuo'an were anxiously pacing in circles, terrified that the pair might not return.

Upon seeing them, they hurried over and scrutinized the two, breathing a collective sigh of relief when they saw that neither was hurt. Their hearts brimmed with admiration for the duo’s skill.

Luo Yu beamed with joy. “It was a fruitful night! Nuo'an, thank you so much!”

Xia Nuo'an looked a little downcast. “You’re leaving soon, aren’t you? Could I trouble you… to take a letter home for me? I miss my parents so much.” As she spoke, her eyes brimmed with tears.

Luo Yu hurried to reassure her. “Of course, no problem! Write it quickly! I’ll even take a few photos for you to send back.”

“I’ve already written the letter… You brought a camera?” Xia Nuo'an asked, teary-eyed.

Luo Yu waved her phone. Xia Nuo'an, eyes red and sniffling, said, “Who knows when I’ll be able to return home after I reach Foundation Establishment. If I get stuck at a bottleneck for ten or twenty years… my parents will be old by then, and I—” Her words dissolved into sobs.

Luo Yu listened, feeling an inner turmoil. She clearly knew a way to break through bottlenecks, but didn’t dare reveal it. Even if she trusted Nuo'an not to say a word, in a large sect with so many eyes and strict rules, any abnormal breakthrough would draw dangerous attention.

By now, Luo Yu had learned of a certain technique in the cultivation world called “Soul Searching”—invading another’s mind and memory with one’s spiritual sense to extract desired information. Unless the caster’s spiritual power and control were truly supreme, and they wished to leave the victim unharmed, this method inevitably damaged the victim’s mind: at best, causing amnesia; at worst, rendering them an idiot.

Moreover, this technique couldn’t simply be used by anyone with a stronger spiritual sense; there was a ratio of strength, and a caster generally needed to be at least a full stage higher than their target to be safe. Otherwise, the backlash from the victim’s own body could cause serious harm.

With such terrifying methods, low-level cultivators had virtually no secrets if they attracted the wrong attention. If discovered, it would bring disaster both to oneself and others.

After wrestling with her thoughts, Luo Yu suddenly said to Xia Nuo'an, “By the way… on our way back, we saw your sect’s people looking for a thief—they said the Peach Orchard had been robbed. We… also slipped in and picked ten peaches. I’ll give two to your parents when we deliver your letter.”

At this, Xia Nuo'an’s tears vanished in delight. “What? You got your hands on peaches from the orchard? That’s wonderful! The old crones in our sect must have had their brains caught in a door! They’d rather let them rot than sell or let disciples eat them, saying you have to be someone of status to enjoy such things. Who has status? They do, but then they complain the peaches don’t have enough spiritual energy and won’t eat them! I really don’t get them!”

Qin Yue coolly interjected, “It’s best not to speak ill of your sect.”

Xia Nuo'an rolled her eyes at him and muttered, “I know! I only vent in front of you two. I’ve bottled this up for three years—if I don’t let it out, I’ll go mad!”

After a round of farewells, Luo Yu left Xia Nuo'an a business card. Qin Yue pulled her away, and as they mounted their flying sword, they departed Kunlun with their two subordinates, leaving behind the shimmering tears of a beauty.

They first stopped by Xia Nuo'an’s home, delivering the two peaches. Father and Mother Xia were so overjoyed they circled Luo Yu, eyeing her as if she were the ideal son-in-law. Their gaze unsettled Luo Yu so much that she dared not stay for a meal, excused herself, and fled on her flying sword.

When they returned to the Luo residence, none of the elders had come back. The house was cold, the kitchen unused, and not a soul in sight. Luo Yu fumed: Just because they’re renovating, do all the adults have to vanish? Aren’t the vampires and professionals enough to guard the place? Who’s going to cook?

Seeing her master’s displeasure, Su Heng volunteered, “Please don’t worry, Master! Leave this to me!”

Luo Yu was delighted. “You can cook?”

Su Heng replied with pride, “I have been a wanderer since childhood—cooking is second nature to me!”

Thrilled, Luo Yu led him to the kitchen. But when the great chef Su Heng saw the bewildering array of utensils and spices, he was utterly confounded.

At dinner, the four of them sat in the living room, gnawing on peaches.

Luo Yu comforted Su Heng, “Don’t worry, we’re cultivators—fasting is no trouble. Don’t take it to heart. Besides, these peaches are delicious!”

Su Heng wept in silence.

Qin Yue cast a frosty glance at the two subordinates, saying nothing. The pair felt immense pressure.

Luo Yu cleared her throat. “There’s a month until the next market gathering. In the meantime, we need to carefully plan our next steps.” She turned to Qing Huo and Su Heng. “How long has it been since you two were in the mortal world?”

Su Heng replied, “It’s been a century, Master.”

Luo Yu nodded. “Earning spirit stones to buy spiritual herbs is more efficient than hunting for them in the mountains. You’ve lacked resources while wandering, but now we’ll have a large spirit garden and no security concerns. Your immediate task is to help us earn spirit stones. First, I’ll have you go to the major provincial cities and put up advertisements for our ‘Dominion Artifacts’ at central stations—right on top of the event notice boards. I’ll make the words extra eye-catching! And use this chance to learn about the modern world and broaden your horizons.”

Both bowed. “As you command!”

Luo Yu nodded, then said, “Qin Yue and I will focus on making more magical artifacts… and also take a stroll through other sects’ spirit gardens… Don’t worry, we won’t take what we already have…”

The two hurriedly assured her, “We’re at your service!”

Luo Yu was pleased. People are so much easier to teach once they’ve opened their minds!

With tasks assigned, the two leaders spent two days crafting forty giant billboard signs, each engraved with a spirit-gathering array that could operate indefinitely without consuming spirit stones. Then, the rich kid handed each employee a thousand spirit stones and a thick stack of cash, instructing them to finish by the next market, and sent them off to work.

Next, Luo Yu and Qin Yue went to the old estate to craft magic items. This time, with ample materials, they quickly sorted and paired them, designing artifacts to best showcase their properties.

Ever since Qin Yue acquired the Supreme Yang True Fire, refining mid- and low-grade materials was as easy as boiling bean sprouts—everything came out pure, flawless, and of superb quality, saving tremendous amounts of time. He even developed several new materials, reaching the level of a true weapons expert.

The glittering snake demon skin was also refined. Luo Yu had thought to make a garment for each family member, but after processing, it shrank so much there was only enough for herself—though its defensive power had increased greatly. She gleefully added a glamour array so that, when activated, it transformed into a dazzling “Golden Saint Armor” straight out of a fantasy epic.

The serpent’s golden core was also refined by Luo Yu into two bottles of Foundation Establishment pills. Though some spiritual energy was lost, it was enough to last them a month or two—a delightful surprise.

As for the boxes of Kunlun Mist, they found the old refining method wasteful. By adding a portion of Heavenly Mulberry sap, they could dilute the Kunlun Mist to the optimal ratio without diminishing its effect. The finished product could cover twenty-five square meters and could be split into several smaller artifacts or changed into any shape at will—chairs, toilets—making it a top-tier medium flying artifact, perfect for family group travel.

When their work was done, the two embarked on a spree of theft, swiftly plundering seven or eight sects’ spirit gardens and reaping a tremendous harvest. Toward the end, however, they found that most sects grew the same kinds of herbs, and they had nearly everything already, so they called it quits.

Within days, a sensational headline rocked the cultivation world: a formidable formation master had appeared! Their cultivation was thought to be at the Foundation or Core stage, and they had stolen from numerous sects without a trace, targeting only Foundation Establishment spiritual herbs.

For a while, this “Nameless Master” was the talk of the town, idolized, envied, and hated by all Foundation and Qi Condensation cultivators: they had done what others had only dreamed of for years! Where, everyone wondered, was this master’s own spirit garden? Could they rob the robber?

The sects that hadn’t been robbed treated the matter as a grave threat and strengthened their defenses. But after some time, when they noticed their spiritual herbs hadn’t diminished, they realized the truth and secretly rejoiced—poor Jiutian Palace had suffered the worst loss; but at least the thief had a conscience, stealing only seeds and seedlings. Had someone less scrupulous uprooted the entire crop, where would they even begin to complain?

The affair caused a huge stir, but, unexpectedly, none of the major sects pursued the matter. The reason was simple: in the cultivation world, strength ruled. If someone could steal from you, it proved their ability. Besides, befriending a top-tier formation master was far more valuable than a few spiritual seedlings. The sect leaders couldn’t care less about Foundation Establishment herbs, and since everyone had been robbed, no one lost face alone. Whoever wanted to hunt down the thief could do so, and then try to smooth things over and gain a favor—perhaps next time the master would spare them, or even upgrade their own defensive arrays for free. Perfect! So, the major sects all waited for someone else to make a move, but as time passed, everyone was disappointed: the old foxes in charge were as cunning as monkeys—no one took the bait.

Luo Yu and Qin Yue, of course, acted utterly oblivious to the cultivation world’s uproar.

At this moment, with bulging packs on their backs and drifting clouds beneath their feet, the two swaggered in a triumphant S-shape toward the ancient grand array.

Author’s note: ZYH has tossed in another landmine—make that two… Thank you, dearest!!

Before bed, the Mischief Lord counts: one, two, one, two, one, two…

Fellow Cultivator Chronicle 57—Legend of the Martial World, updated in full!