Li Fei was taken aback. If these words had come from Zhao Min Shijie's mouth, she wouldn't have found it strange at all. But hearing them from Ji Tongzhou was utterly bizarre.
Ji Tongzhou snorted arrogantly from his high horse: "I might have time to teach you how to be an elegant woman someday."
Li Fei felt irritated and frowned. "How elegant are you yourself?" He wasn't exactly the picture of princely decorum either!
As Ji Tongzhou noticed her arms crossed, her wrists peeked out from her sleeves—one smooth and flawless, the other dotted with freshly scabbed bite marks. Suddenly, he grabbed her wrist and pulled it close, staring expressionlessly at the marks for a while.
Li Fei immediately felt embarrassed. Those were bite marks left by Lei Xiuyuan, who had refused to heal them, leaving them to scab over by now. Matters of romantic affection weren't something she wanted others to see, even if the cause was this little prince biting her in a daze. They were all friends, but Ji Tongzhou was still a man, and she had no idea how to discuss lovey-dovey topics with him.
She yanked her hand back with force, forcing a dry laugh, and was about to make a quick exit when a hand suddenly landed on her shoulder. Lei Xiuyuan draped an arm over her, stepping forward to shield her. Though his face still bore traces of sleepiness, his eyes calmly met Ji Tongzhou's without a word.
Ji Tongzhou also stared back expressionlessly. The two exchanged not a single word, the eerie and dead silence more baffling than their usual noisy, fight-ready encounters, which at least had been lively and entertaining.
Li Fei fiddled with her hair, hesitating. Should she walk away as she always had, pretending not to notice, or stay to see how things unfolded? Something seemed off between them.
Ji Tongzhou suddenly touched his cheek and sneered. "I still owe you for that punch."
A cold smile slowly crept onto Lei Xiuyuan's face. "You can repay it now, though you might not be able to."
Ji Tongzhou raised an eyebrow. "I've broken through the third Bottleneck. Are you sure you want me to bully the weak?"
"You can try."
...Well, so much for that. They were back to quarreling. Li Fei shook her head and walked away. If these two ever stopped fighting, the sun would rise from the west. Both eighteen or nineteen years old, yet still acting like they were eleven or twelve—always ready to throw punches. She might as well find Ge Lin to help her with her hair.
After searching around, she suddenly spotted Lu Li in the distance, carrying an armful of dried wood as he walked back. Baili Gelin was trotting alongside him, bowing and scraping in a rather flustered manner, desperately trying to keep up. But he acted as if he didn't see her, striding ahead without pause. Finally, as if out of sheer frustration, Baili Gelin grabbed his arm, only for him to shake her off and continue walking away in silence.
...What was going on? Li Fei stared in astonishment at Baili Gelin's exasperated sigh toward the sky. Had she offended Lu Li?
Noticing Li Fei nearby, Baili Gelin waved and trudged over, wearing an awkward smile. "You saw something embarrassing, huh?"
"What happened with Senior Brother Lu?" Li Fei asked softly.
Baili Gelin forced a laugh, clearly annoyed. "Just a stubborn, annoying man, that's all."She had been looking for an opportunity to apologize to Lu Li these past few days. Using him as a shield last time was truly her fault, so she was genuinely sincere in wanting to make amends and seek his forgiveness. Yet Lu Li had been treating her as if she were invisible, not even glancing her way. If he was still angry, she could accept a scolding or two—or even if he declared they were no longer fellow disciples from now on. But this silent treatment? What was that about?
She had always been somewhat flippant with men, but she hadn’t directed much of that attitude toward Lu Li. Before this trial, the two of them hadn’t even been familiar with each other. Later, when they formed a team, she cracked a few jokes at his expense, only to be coldly rebuffed. After that, she hardly teased him at all. Of course, she was still the one most at fault, but really—was it such a big deal? It wasn’t like hugging her had cost him a piece of flesh. She didn’t understand how "noble" this Nine Phoenix Clan was supposed to be. Was embracing a woman some kind of crime? She was practically ready to kowtow and admit her wrongdoing, but Lu Li’s attitude was truly infuriating. They were fellow disciples—they’d be seeing each other constantly from now on. Did he really have to make things so awkward?
"Forget it, ignore him! Let him keep up his act alone!" Baili Gelin waved her hand dismissively.
As the morning sun rose, Li Fei sat on a bluestone while Baili Gelin braided her hair behind her. A gentle sea breeze blew as Ye Ye and Baili Changyue carried over several large rocks. After reinforcing them with the Earth-Shaping Immortal Technique, they began experimenting with casting spells onto the stones—likely trying to create stone puppets for Immortal Technique practice. Lu Li sat alone on a dirt slope, meditating with his eyes closed. It was said to be the Oceanic Meditation Practice of the Ocean Sect, which could calm the mind and make it easier to release Immortal Techniques. Ji Tongzhou and Lei Xiuyuan joined Ye Ye and the others in studying how to cast spells onto the rocks. At some point, the two of them started arguing again, which quickly escalated into a noisy brawl. Ye Ye simply took Changyue and left, giving the space to them.
Honestly, because obtaining the Demon Vermilion Fruit had gone so smoothly, this trial didn’t feel like a trial at all—more like a vacation. Compared to their last experience in Chestnut Blaze Valley, which could only be described as brutal, this was a world apart.
Baili Gelin finished weaving the last small braid for Li Fei and leaned in to inspect her work. Finally, she smiled in satisfaction. "This looks great! I knew it—you look much prettier with your forehead exposed, Li Fei. Stop covering it with bangs from now on."
No wonder her forehead felt so cool… Li Fei touched it absentmindedly, then instinctively glanced toward Lu Li again. To her surprise, he was no longer meditating with his eyes closed but was instead looking in their direction. When he noticed her gaze, he gave a slight nod before closing his eyes again to resume his meditation.
Had he been looking at Gelin just now? Li Fei suddenly recalled the incident where Lu Li had held Gelin in his arms. Could it be that he was acting this way because of that? Strangely, Li Fei felt a little happy about it. As a friend, she didn’t want Gelin to remain trapped in her unrequited love for Ye Ye forever. A wonderful girl like Gelin deserved someone better, someone who truly understood and cherished her.
"Gelin, if you want to apologize, you have to be sincere. If you’re just laughing and joking around, of course he won’t take you seriously. The fact that Senior Brother Lu is so angry must mean he cares about you. People who don’t care wouldn’t bother with all this. Try talking to him properly again."
Baili Gelin exaggeratedly gaped. "Don’t scare me like that! Who said I was joking around when I apologized? I was completely serious—he’s the one acting like I don’t exist! Someone that difficult to talk to, caring about me? Yeah, right!"She didn't wish to continue this topic. Sitting cross-legged with closed eyes, she said, "I'm going to meditate now. Go find your dear Xiu Yuan to play with."
Before Li Fei could knock her on the head, she burst into laughter first.
The joint trial between the Mountain and Ocean Sects was finally coming to an end. By the halfway point, people competing for the Demon Vermilion Fruits had become a constant stream. As time passed, more participants arrived, and the methods of competition gradually shifted from ambushes and group fights to one-on-one sparring matches—whoever won would claim the fruit. This quick and friendly approach gained widespread approval among most disciples of both sects. Although there were still those like Long Mingzuo or members of the Guangshenghui who resorted to trickery and force, they had become the minority.
Regardless, this trial had fostered positive interaction between the two sects. The Mountain Sect's exquisite Immortal Techniques and the Ocean Sect's flexible Demon Manipulation had given each side a deeper understanding of the other.
When the one-month deadline arrived, a Spiritual Source descended over the large island in the inner sea. Two hundred disciples emerged from it, returning to the vast beach where they had first entered the Trial Grounds.
Li Fei's hand remained firmly clasped in Lei Xiuyuan's. As the scenery shifted to the open beach, she gazed at the dark mist swirling over the sea, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. When they had entered, they had also been holding hands—but back then, she had been anxious and uneasy. Now, facing the same view with their hands still joined, her state of mind was entirely different.
She looked up at Lei Xiuyuan, who was already watching her. They exchanged a smile.
The two hundred disciples began handing over their Demon Vermilion Fruits to the elders. All thirty fruits were accounted for, though the results of the trial were rather dismal—only forty-two from the Mountain Sect and forty-five from the Ocean Sect had passed, meaning half had failed.
Seeing that the largest groups among the disciples numbered no more than ten, and observing the bewildered and frustrated expressions of those who had failed, the elders couldn't help but laugh. Shen Xiansheng chuckled and said, "What a bunch of fools. Did you really think there was a limit on group size? I don't recall setting any such restriction."
The disciples were first confused, then suddenly enlightened, their mouths hanging open—why hadn't they been told earlier? Traditionally, trial groups consisted of four or five members at most, balanced in elemental affinities. Larger groups were avoided because it became difficult to coordinate, with members clashing over leadership and struggling to work together. Now, after the trial was over, they were being told there had been no group size limit all along! Were they supposed to wheedle, beg, or scheme their way into a group that had a Demon Vermilion Fruit?
Dongyang Zhenren, seeing their dawning realization, sighed. "Always holed up in your sects training hard, never venturing out to interact with others—you've all become like dull geese, only capable of following the elders' instructions. Don't you have minds of your own? Can't you adapt?"
The Mountain Sect disciples were particularly aggrieved. They were constantly told to obey the elders in everything, yet now they were being scolded for lacking initiative. Being a disciple was truly difficult.
Fortunately, there didn't seem to be any punishment for failing the trial. The Demon Vermilion Fruits were collected, and the elders from both sects, along with the Academy's founders, began discussing follow-up arrangements. The disciples gathered on the beach, chatting and laughing among themselves. With the trial concluded and the elders' words still fresh in their minds, even those who had clashed during the trial let go of their grudges and mingled freely.The most frequently mentioned topic was still that enormous illusion. At the time, disciples on the large island within the inner sea region had all been swallowed by the Mirage Dragon's mist. After waking from a profound dream, they found only layers of black ash beneath their feet—the pulverized remains of the Mirage Dragon's body. For most Sea Sect disciples, this was their first encounter with the ferocity of such a beast. Ferocious beasts were rare in the Eastern Sea, and most demons here, aside from their massive size, had little else to boast about. No one had expected a Mirage Dragon to appear in the Trial Grounds.
When the elders, who had been discussing important matters, heard them mention the Mirage Dragon, Shen Xiansheng's expression shifted first: "There was actually a Mirage Dragon in the Trial Grounds?"
His sharp gaze immediately turned toward the Sea Sect elders. The Trial Grounds had been jointly selected by several Immortals from the Eastern Sea. Before the disciples entered, the elders had thoroughly surveyed the area to confirm there were no powerful demonic beasts present. Only then were the disciples permitted to enter. Yet now, they had encountered a Mirage Dragon. Fortunately, no harm had come to them—had there been casualties, the losses would have been severe. How could they explain this to the Mountain Sect?
The Sea Sect elders were also deeply unsettled and alarmed. Guangwei Zhenren smiled and said, "There's no need for excessive concern. The Mirage Dragon is unlike other ferocious beasts—it carries no trace of demonic Qi and typically takes on various illusory forms, making it impossible to detect. Though its illusions are terrifying, the Mirage Dragon itself is not difficult to kill. Once someone with a strong will breaks free from the illusion, it can be easily slain. The fact that the disciples are unharmed speaks for itself."
However, according to the disciples, the Mirage Dragon had been sliced into fine fragments upon its death—this was rather peculiar. How could these disciples have accomplished such a feat?
As he pondered this, he suddenly noticed two grim-faced elders from Long Mingzuo approaching with four disciples in tow. Zongli, the elder of Long Mingzuo's Three-Zhang Mountain, clasped his hands and said, "Guangwei Zhenren, this trial was meant for friendly competition, not for taking lives. Our Long Mingzuo disciples may have acted somewhat carelessly, but the struggle for the Demon Vermilion Fruit did not violate any rules. May we ask why your esteemed disciple resorted to such brutality, severing the limbs of two of our disciples?"
Guangwei Zhenren was startled. He saw that the four Long Mingzuo disciples were pale, two of them with severed arms and torn robes at the hem. At a glance, he could tell that the reattached limbs had obstructed spiritual energy flow. Without further delicate treatment, these two disciples might never advance in their cultivation again. Even more severe were the other two—though their physical wounds had been healed, Fire Poison raged through their Eight Extraordinary Meridians, requiring extensive effort to cure. Had they been injured by a Fire-type Celestial Spell?
He immediately turned and called out, "Xiu Yuan, come here for a moment."
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