A bright and dazzling fire lotus bloomed before them, held at bay three zhang away by Li Fei's Bronze Wall Technique. Countless tongues of flame lashed and danced, the glow of the Bronze Wall Technique growing increasingly dim, on the verge of being engulfed by the inferno. Li Fei could already feel the scorching heat waves from the fire lotus.
She transformed into a wisp of green smoke and swiftly retreated, only to sense a faint stirring of wind behind her head. Emerald-green leaves shot toward her back. She twisted her body sharply, and several Supreme Harmony Arts descended, golden light slicing the leaves to pieces. At that moment, a fire dragon roared toward her. Li Fei raised her Bronze Wall Technique again as a spring rain began to patter down, gradually extinguishing the rolling waves of heat within the Martial Training Hall.
A blur of movement flashed before her eyes as Su Wan suddenly landed in front of her, a second fire lotus spinning in her palm. She laughed, "I win!"
Taking a step forward, Su Wan abruptly realized an invisible Earth Barrier had been erected three chi in front of Li Fei. She sighed and dispersed the fire lotus, wiping sweat from her brow. "I thought I had it! Li Fei, your reflexes are incredible." She then turned to Deng Xiguang. "Senior Brother Deng, you didn't restrain her at all! Wood Element Immortal Techniques aren't just Vine Entanglement!"
Deng Xiguang spread his hands, looking pained. "How could I really go all out against Jiang Shi Mei? I'm a man who cherishes beauty! I couldn't bring myself to get serious even if you killed me."
Su Wan frowned and shook her head. "Weren't we supposed to practice magical combat together? Did you think this was just for fun?"
Ever since hearing that Ocean Sect disciples excelled at magical combat, Su Wan had been eager to try. Having just broken through her second bottleneck two days prior, she was itching to spar with someone. Coincidentally, Li Fei was skilled in defensive techniques, so she reluctantly became the living target—with Deng Xiguang providing suppression while Su Wan attacked. Every day at noon, they practiced magical combat in the Martial Training Hall for half a shichen. But after several days of training, Senior Brother Deng still couldn't muster a serious effort, leaving it to just her and Li Fei in a standoff. No matter how she tried, her fire lotuses and fire dragons couldn't land a hit, leaving her utterly exasperated.
Pushing open the doors of the Martial Training Hall, they were greeted by a sea of red leaves and towering distant peaks. This was South Time Peak, where most of No Moon Court's Martial Training Halls were concentrated. Since Mountain Sect disciples rarely engaged in sparring, South Time Peak was usually quiet and deserted.
As the trio walked and chatted, they all wanted to hear Li Fei recount her experiences during the East Sea Trial. None of them could bear to ride the clouds just yet. Last time, she hadn't finished her story, and Deng Xiguang pestered her for more. "Jiang Shi Mei, last time you mentioned gathering with friends at the Trial Grounds and then encountering a Ferocious beast. What kind was it? Finish the story before we go!"
Li Fei smiled. "I heard it's a type of Ferocious beast found only near the sea, called a Mirage Dragon. It has no Demon Qi, and you can't see what it looks like. It only exhales mist to create illusions and then drains people's vitality. The illusions it creates are completely indistinguishable from reality—thinking back on it now still gives me chills."
Su Wan's eyes sparkled as she pressed, "Then how did you escape? And what illusions did you see?"
"The Mirage Dragon creates illusions of what people most desire and most fear. It's different for everyone—it depends on what's in your heart."Su Wan couldn't help but ponder—if one couldn't distinguish between reality and illusion when faced with their deepest desires and fears, it would indeed be difficult to break free. Deng Xiguang, standing nearby, repeatedly expressed his relief: "Good thing I wasn't chosen! If I had gone, I'd definitely be trapped in an illusion of beautiful women everywhere and endless indulgence, refusing to come out no matter what!"
The two girls burst into shocked laughter. Beautiful women everywhere and endless indulgence—Senior Brother Deng was being so blunt.
As Deng Xiguang spoke, he gestured animatedly, and his foot suddenly kicked something heavy. He looked down and saw a Disciple Name Tag. He immediately picked it up, flipped it over, and exclaimed in surprise, "This is... Junior Sister Le's Name Tag?"
Li Fei and Su Wan hurried over. Sure enough, the name "Le Cailing" was engraved on the tag. How had her Name Tag ended up near the Martial Training Hall on South Peak? Had she been here recently?
Deng Xiguang glanced around. The forest was scattered with red leaves, the trees sparse, with no sign of anyone. Suddenly, he brightened, tucking the Name Tag into his robe with a smug expression. "I'll return it to her personally later. Maybe she'll even thank me."
Su Wan gave him a disdainful look. "Junior Sister Le is always paired with Senior Brother Qin. Why are you butting in? Do you think returning a Name Tag will make her look at you properly?"
Deng Xiguang clicked his tongue and wagged a finger. "That's why I say women will never understand a man's heart. Just getting to exchange a few words with such a beauty is already a win for us men."
Su Wan laughed. "If you go to Zixi Peak, the gatekeepers might not even let you near the Disciple Rooms. With that shifty look of yours, no one would trust you."
Just as Deng Xiguang was about to retort, a gust of wind rustled overhead. Speak of the devil—Le Cailing, the very beauty they were discussing, descended right in front of them. She ignored them completely, focusing only on searching the ground.
Deng Xiguang quickly put on an ingratiating smile. "Junior Sister Le, are you looking for your Name Tag?"
Le Cailing still didn't look at him, coldly extending her hand. "Give it back!"
Without hesitation, Deng Xiguang handed over the Name Tag with both hands. Su Wan, displeased that Le Cailing didn't even say thanks, snapped, "Can't you even manage a 'thank you'?"
Le Cailing summoned her little white cloud and was about to leave when a gentle male voice called from above, "Cailing, did you find your Name Tag?"
A young man in a Direct Disciple uniform descended gracefully atop a green jade flute—handsome, poised, and exuding charm. It was none other than the long-unseen Senior Brother Qin Yangling. At the sight of him, Le Cailing's eyes reddened, and she turned her back on him.
Qin Yangling smiled warmly and reached out, intending to soothe her, when he noticed a girl among the three opposite him—the stunning beauty he hadn't seen since their last encounter. His outstretched hand immediately shifted into a polite salute. "Junior Sister, we meet again."
Li Fei stared coldly at him, then glanced at Le Cailing, who was still turned away. Qin Yangling, ever perceptive, noticed the disdain in her eyes and softened his voice. "Junior Sister, might I ask your name? I can't keep calling you 'this junior sister' forever."
Su Wan had no fondness for him either and tugged at Li Fei's sleeve, whispering, "Let's go."
Li Fei nodded, and the three turned to leave in silence. Just as Li Fei summoned her little white cloud, she noticed Qin Yangling following at a distance. She stopped abruptly and frowned. "What are you doing?"She glanced again at Le Cailing, who was still standing alone with her back turned, her slender figure unexpectedly pitiful. How could he just abandon her like that? Just as she was about to speak, she saw Le Cailing summon a white cloud and fly away without looking back.
Qin Yangling smiled. "Are you bothered by Junior Sister Le? She just likes to throw little tantrums. Since you won’t tell me your name, I’ll have to follow you to see which peak’s disciple you are."
Su Wan said coldly, "Your lover ran off in anger, yet here you are pestering another female disciple. Is that proper?"
Qin Yangling looked surprised. "Lover? How could Junior Sister Le be my lover? I treat her like a younger sister. Don’t speak nonsense."
Su Wan grew furious. "So you dare act but not admit it?"
Qin Yangling replied calmly, "What have I done with her? What do you mean by 'dare act but not admit'? I don’t understand. Please enlighten me, Junior Sister, on what I’ve dared to do."
Su Wan was momentarily speechless, regretting engaging with someone like him. But she couldn’t leave—how could she let Li Fei return to Jade Fall Peak alone? What if this scoundrel harassed her?
Deng Xiguang suddenly laughed heartily, spreading his arms to pull both Su Wan and Li Fei into his embrace. He grinned smugly at Qin Yangling. "Senior Brother Qin, as they say, the fair flower already has an owner. This isn’t very honorable of you!"
An owner? Qin Yangling stared in astonishment at this somewhat shifty-eyed fellow with an arm around each beauty, basking in his triumph. The two girls even nestled obediently in his arms—what kind of world was this?! How could a runt like him have two beauties?!
Deng Xiguang laughed uproariously as he flew off with an arm around each girl. As they neared Jade Fall Peak, Su Wan glanced back. "He doesn’t seem to be following. He must have gone after Le Cailing."
She then pushed Deng Xiguang’s arm away, smiling. "Senior Brother Deng, I didn’t expect you to be so clever. Thank you for your help this time."
Deng Xiguang was so moved he wept, sighing dramatically. "I’ll never wash this arm again!"
The two girls laughed in shock. Seeing they were close to Jade Fall Peak and the afternoon training session was about to begin, Li Fei quickly bid farewell and flew back. Just as she was about to land on the corridor, she heard someone whisper right behind her, "Oh? So you’re Zhaomin’s junior sister?"
Startled, Li Fei landed swiftly on the corridor and immediately raised her defenses. Qin Yangling stood smiling on his emerald-green jade flute, hovering midair as he studied her. The more he looked, the more he found her vibrant and charming—a lively, endearing contrast to Le Cailing’s delicate beauty. She was simply delightful.
"What’s your name?"
He landed before her, stepping closer. Li Fei raised her hand to attack, but a flash of white light shattered her defenses instantly—was this the skill of a direct disciple? She retreated hastily, summoning her small white cloud to take flight again. He pursued closely, reaching for her arm with a laugh. "Why run?"
Li Fei swerved sharply to evade him. With all this commotion and no sign of her senior sister, it meant Zhaomin wasn’t at Jade Fall Peak. In desperation, she stopped abruptly and turned to glare at him coldly, saying nothing.
Qin Yangling halted as well. Seeing her icy, clear eyes fixed on him, he took a step back and smiled. "Why run? This senior brother won’t bite. I just want to know your name."Li Fei replied indifferently, "I am Jiang Li Fei, a disciple of Chongyi Zhenren. Now that Senior Brother Qin knows my name, may you leave? I must continue my cultivation."
Qin Yangling said, "You and Zhaomin both speak so coldly—truly alike. With your master and senior sister absent, how can you cultivate alone? Why not let me offer you some guidance?"
Li Fei answered coldly, "No need—"
Before she could finish, a deep, resonant roar suddenly echoed from the summit of Jade Fall Peak. Both of them instinctively turned their gaze toward the snow-capped, ice-bound peak. The roar continued unbroken, now clear and bright, now deep and thunderous. Waves of intense spiritual energy rippled down from the summit, shaking the ground beneath them. Qin Yangling barely managed to steady himself against a pillar, but Li Fei was sent flying backward. She hastily summoned her small white cloud, yet before she could regain her footing, someone steadied her from behind. The cheerful voice of Dongyang Zhenren sounded above her: "Little girl, your master is about to emerge from seclusion."
Overjoyed, Li Fei blinked—and in an instant, over a dozen elders had already gathered at Jade Fall Peak, all gazing enviously at the frozen summit. They had assumed Chongyi’s seclusion would last several years at least, yet he was emerging after just three months! As Celestials, they could no longer break through bottlenecks so easily within mere months. Chongyi was truly enviable.
The roar lasted for the time it takes to burn an incense stick, and the fluctuations of spiritual energy grew increasingly violent. The dense spiritual energy for a thousand miles around was churned into turmoil. Dozens more elder Celestials soon gathered at Jade Fall Peak, all watching the summit intently.
Then—abruptly—the wind stilled, the snow ceased, and the spiritual energy calmed. Before everyone’s eyes, a white-robed man appeared on the corridor, his eyes filled with laughter, as if vast, luminous light surged within them before gradually receding. He clasped his hands in greeting to the surrounding elders and let out a hearty laugh—none other than Chongyi Zhenren.
OpenNovel