Stay Put.

Elder Gao and Thalia's ears opened wide in attention so as not to miss any word from his mouth. 

Phate could feel their burning curiosity and desire to know something that would only be known by few, yet mostly everyone would have liked to see it as it was, in a way, something that would contribute to his inevitable rise!

Sigh! 

Cold air came out of his mouth as he sighed. They could feel he was willing to tell them, but something held him back.

"Sigh, tell me, Elder Gao, who was behind the poisoning of the first Matriarch?" he asked.

Crack!

The first cracking sound was immediately heard after Phate's question. The young duo directed their gazes to the location of the sound, and they couldn't believe it;

the once smiling and easygoing elder Gao had his first tightened, his fingers dug so hard into his palm that it was only one inch from digging into his flesh.

"That family," he said heavily with his teeth gritted almost gridding on each other, his face was somehow pale from anger, "it was all because of that cursed Zhang family; they wanted the leadership of the sect, so the P-primordial Divine Dragon family easily swayed them!" he said, his voice cracking at the mention of the dragons!

"I see; this seems to run deeper than meets the eye! What do you think, Thalia?" Phate asked his companion.

Thalia didn't immediately answer; she sat quietly, her hands supporting her head, which was resting in her palms, elbows on her thighs.

"umm..." she started chewing on her fingers. Phate was confused about why she was overthinking something that seemed too easy; at least, he thought so.

"we should stay out of things concerning anything related to the Divine beast realm for a moment, Phate," she said to him with begging eyes.

He didn't know so much about the realm than general knowledge, but Thalia did, and so there's a reason why she asked him that.

Phate narrowed his eyes slightly before he sat down near her; she took his one hand in hers and squeezed it gently; he looked at her, and Thalia gave him a reassuring smile.

He believed that something deep was at play here, and despite knowing his status, Thalia still cautioned him to go slow.

"she's right, disciple Phate; this is way above your league despite your background. I won't deny I would love your help." elder Gao nodded; he also agreed with Thalia.

"okay, and it's not like I was going to get involved in the first place, so tell me, why are you telling me all this elder Gao, me... a stranger to you?" Phate stared intently at Gao, and his gaze made the latter somehow uncomfortable.

"I believe there's a cure, but it's just hard to find..." Although uncomfortable, he was an experienced man in the end, and easy for him to control his emotions, "I don't know why I think it's related to the technique she once possessed but abandoned when she was in a near-death state." he answered uncertainly if his words would make sense to them as it did to him.

Phate and his lover looked at the uncertain elder; Thalia felt sorry for the man; from his words, it was easy to deduce that he had a solid and close relationship with the first Matriarch.

Phate, on the other hand, smiled and shook his head at the man's worries and uncertainty, "Sorry to blow your candle of hope out, but I don't have that technique as you thought; it's too small for me, hehe!" he finally declared with a stupid laugh at the end!

"WHAT!" elder Gao shouted in surprise; it was hard to believe; not only him but Thalia was surprised too; how was it possible to make a technique react to him and then not get it?

Not only that, but he was saying that the most sacred technique of the Cherry Blossom Sect was just too small for him.

"don't tell me..." there was another possibility, but Elder Gao was afraid to say out. He looked at the man with mixed expressions changing on his face now and then, but Phate looked relaxed.

"elder Gao, I assure you, the person you entrusted with your granddaughter is just so extraordinary," Thalia would have rolled her eyes, but she was too lost in her thoughts. She had previously heard the conversation between the elders (Gao and La Hanchan) and the patriarch, and they mentioned a particular technique...

"you got it, huh?! I am happy for you, and I still haven't lost hope that you might help me; anyway, I am leaving now, and please visit my granddaughter later," he deactivated the formation before he left.

He thought Phate had something to discuss with Thalia, and he, as an elder they had just met not more than hours today, had no right to hear them; all in the cultivation world, even your family members can betray you, let alone a stranger, who might sell your cultivation secrets without batting an eye!

Thalia didn't immediately ask him anything, sitting down in a position where it was possible to face him as he continued reading his book; feeling her gaze, he turned and smiled before pulling her into his embrace, and they fell on the couch with her on top of him

her big breasts were pressed directly into his chest, and her crotch was on his. His little brother became slightly stiff, but he quickly controlled himself.

"The sect Merit points! You can only acquire them through doing missions or other meritorious deeds in the sect, and they can be transferred from one Jade card to another. You can only buy something in the treasury or medicine hall with Merit points.

So your wealth in the sect mounts to nothing as you can't even use it to buy merits and also not allowed! Wow! This is going to be fun. I have to rely on myself rather than my status, and this zero on my card meant I don't have a single Merit point." he shouted, but Thalia already knew.

"Now that you're done with the book, tell me about this technique!" she said.

"Naturally love..."