Li Fei pushed open the window to a vast expanse of swirling snow, the world outside blanketed in silver. It was already the third month of spring, yet Jade Fall Peak remained buried under ice and snow.
She adjusted her robes before the bronze mirror, noting the three black stripes now adorning her cuffs and collar—marking her as Chongyi Zhenren's direct disciple. During the Martial Competition Tournament at the beginning of the year, she had exhausted her spiritual energy countless times to heal Lei Xiuyuan's lingering hidden wounds. Strangely, it seemed to have helped her break through her third cultivation bottleneck—an unexpected coincidence.
Suddenly, the mirror reflected a massive fox face. Ri Yan stood drowsily behind her, demanding without courtesy, "Move. You're in my way."
Li Fei had no choice but to step aside, yielding the mirror to the fox.
He turned his back to the mirror, twisting his head to peer at his reflection. The crimson Seal of the Year of Calamity on his back still pulsed faintly. Ri Yan snorted in frustration, "Still not undone! What nonsense is this?"
"Has the seal not weakened at all?" Li Fei fastened her jeweled hair accessories and glanced back at him.
Ri Yan ignored her, muttering to himself, "This shouldn't be... Now that I'm free and unfettered, why does this seal persist?"
Li Fei couldn't help but laugh. Free and unfettered? He really knew how to boast. More like perpetually irritable.
"What's so funny?!" Ri Yan flicked his long tail, his massive form already outside the window. "If you still can't master Earthen Guardian today, I'll never teach you another Immortal Technique again!"
Before she could respond, he vanished—likely off to roam somewhere again. Ever since he no longer needed to frequently hibernate, he had practically explored every corner of No Moon Court. He was truly a fox demon who couldn't stay idle.
Earthen Guardian... Li Fei sighed as she walked to the table. Ri Yan's teaching methods were entirely whimsical and haphazard. At her current stage, she should be practicing techniques combining two types of spiritual energy, yet he insisted on teaching her Advanced Immortal Techniques requiring three or four. If she didn't grasp them immediately, he would fly into a rage. It was exhausting.
A letter lay beside the oil lamp, its envelope shimmering with a bright yellow Celestial Spell Mark—the emblem of Earth Treasury Gate.
Li Fei opened it and read carefully. Ye Ye and Chang Yue mentioned they still hadn't broken through their third bottleneck. Their respective masters would soon take them to the Trial Grounds in hopes of a breakthrough. At the end, as always, they asked if Ge Lin had replied to her letters.
Li Fei sighed inwardly. She didn't know what had happened to Ge Lin. After their return from the Eastern Sea, they had exchanged letters almost daily for over a month. Then, abruptly one day, without warning, Ge Lin stopped responding entirely. There had been no mention of trials or other commitments—her last message had been about catching another Snake Demon as a mount to show off at their next gathering.
The fact that Message Transmission Arts could still reach her meant Baili Gelin hadn't met with any mishap. Yet she remained silent. Could there be some sudden trial forbidding external communication? But it had been far too long—several months now.
Li Fei placed the letter in the drawer. The bedside drawer was already packed with years of correspondence between their small group of friends. The Earth Treasury Gate letters from Ye Ye and Chang Yue bore vibrant yellow Celestial Spell Marks, while Ji Tongzhou's letters—marked with the distinctive black-and-white emblems of Star Rectitude Hall—lay beside them.
Ji Tongzhou, too, had stopped writing to her long ago.A long time had passed, and now Li Fei could think of Ji Tongzhou with relative calm. He must have experienced something in the illusion—this outwardly cheerful yet inwardly fragile young prince found it harder than any of them to break free from the fantasy. That was why he had acted in such an incomprehensible manner.
Now that he had returned to Star Rectitude Hall and resumed normal cultivation, he should gradually be able to detach himself from the illusion, right? Would he regret the crazy or excessive things he had done? Would he laugh at his own fragile reactions? Whatever the case, she still hoped that when she saw Ji Tongzhou again, he would have returned to his former self. Otherwise, it would be far too awkward.
As the hour of Mao approached, Li Fei got up and pushed open her door, walking briskly toward the central hall. Zhaomin was already inside having breakfast. Li Fei bowed to her and greeted her. Zhaomin set down her chopsticks and gave a slight nod. The next moment, silver light flickered in her palm. Reacting swiftly, Li Fei transformed into a wisp of green smoke, narrowly avoiding the Heavenly Thunder strike from above. The heat beneath her feet surged as flames erupted. Li Fei summoned a clear, shimmering Water Lotus and stepped onto it, giving Zhaomin a wry smile. "Shijie, you do this every day—I haven’t even eaten yet!"
Zhaomin smiled faintly. "A disciple in cultivation must be capable of quick thinking and adaptability. Sit down and eat."
Quick thinking and adaptability—more like Zhaomin Shijie just wanted someone to spar with. Li Fei shook her head inwardly. Ever since losing to Qin Yangling in the Martial Competition Tournament, which had even led to the rampant spread of cold poison in her body, this competitive senior sister had maintained a calm exterior, but she must have been deeply upset. Since then, she had frequently sought Li Fei out for magical combat.
Next time, she should just spar with Lei Xiuyuan. Both of them were combat fanatics.
Li Fei pulled over a small table and picked up her chopsticks, about to start eating, when a clear, resonant bell chime sounded in her ears. A piece of Talisman Paper landed beside her, enveloped in a pure white glow—it was the Elder Summoning Token, something she was all too familiar with.
Why was a summoning coming so early in the morning? She hadn’t even eaten yet!
Bidding farewell to Zhaomin, Li Fei immediately channeled her spiritual energy and, in the blink of an eye, was summoned to the main hall of Literature Ancient Peak. To her surprise, the hall was filled with elder Celestials—not a single disciple in sight. Chongyi Zhenren’s voice rang out from the front: "Li Fei, come here."
Had her Master summoned her?
Li Fei hurried forward and knelt in salute. "Disciple Jiang Li Fei pays respects to Master and all the elders."
Chongyi Zhenren chuckled. "And also to Cuixuan Xianren and Shouzhong Xianren."
Only then did Li Fei notice that over a dozen elders stood in the hall with utmost reverence, while two Celestials with an otherworldly air sat opposite them—clearly senior figures from No Moon Court whose status surpassed even that of the elders. Her astonishment grew. In nearly six years at No Moon Court, she had never seen any Celestials beyond the elders. Why had two suddenly appeared today?
"Disciple pays respects to Cuixuan Xianren and Shouzhong Xianren," she said respectfully, bowing.
The blue-robed Cuixuan Xianren opened his half-lidded eyes. Li Fei thought he looked drowsy, but the glint in those narrow slits sent a shiver down her spine. She hastily lowered her head to avoid his gaze.
"Not having broken through the bottleneck, yet possessing cultivation that surpasses it—how intriguing," Cuixuan Xianren suddenly spoke, his voice as drowsy as his appearance.Beside them, the youthful-faced yet white-haired Celestial Shouzhong chuckled, "The world is vast, full of wonders. Chongyi, is this the disciple you wish to bring? One who has barely reached the third bottleneck might prove troublesome. We have important matters at hand and may not be able to protect her adequately. Are you certain you wish to bring her?"
Chongyi Zhenren clasped his hands and replied, "I will naturally do my utmost to protect her and will not trouble the two seniors."
What was happening? Li Fei kept her head lowered, not daring to ask a single word. Was her Master planning to take her somewhere? With these elders and the two senior Celestials?
Suddenly, the sound of a bell echoed through the hall. Li Fei felt her vision blur, and when it cleared, she saw Lei Xiuyuan standing not far away. He glanced around, reacting much quicker than she had, and immediately bowed in greeting. "Disciple Lei Xiuyuan pays respects to Master, to all the elders, and to the two seniors."
The two senior Celestials were clearly far more interested in him. Even Cuixuan Xianren, who had been half-asleep, opened his eyes fully and smiled as he scrutinized Xiuyuan. After a moment, he remarked, "Excellent. You’ve already reached the mid-to-late stages of the third bottleneck. Since Azure City, there has been no one as remarkable. Don’t let him outshine you."
Lei Xiuyuan replied humbly, "The Celestial flatters me. This disciple is unworthy of such praise."
"Are these the two disciples you’re bringing? The two of you, as their Masters, must prioritize their protection. Leave the rest of the important matters to us," Cuixuan Xianren said slowly as he rose. His body gradually dissolved into points of light, vanishing before everyone’s eyes. "We’ll gather at noon. Return and prepare."
Noticing Li Fei’s confusion, Chongyi Zhenren whispered with a smile, "Go back and pack your things. We’re leaving soon."
Li Fei hurriedly asked, "Master, where are you taking me?"
"No Moon Court has a Trial Grounds at the very center of the Central Land, called White Edge Cliff. It’s meant for disciples on the verge of breaking through the sixth bottleneck. You won’t be entering the Trial Grounds, but the heart of the Central Land is home to many powerful Demonic Beasts. I’ll take you to capture one and forge a Mystical Treasure. How can a direct disciple not forge their own treasure?"
Forge a Mystical Treasure? Li Fei was stunned. She had no idea how to do such a thing.
"Isn’t this glass mirror a Mystical Treasure?" She pulled out the mirror from her robes. It had been invaluable in sensing Demon Qi when she couldn’t, and its immense pure spiritual power was enough to mask the peculiarities of her constitution. She couldn’t imagine any treasure more useful than this.
Chongyi Zhenren chuckled. "Only a treasure you forge yourself can unleash its full potential. Besides, forging treasures is the fastest way to improve your cultivation. Why else do you think so many people stuck at bottlenecks scour the heavens and earth for powerful Demonic Beasts to forge treasures? Guangwei Zhanglao must be thinking the same. He gave Lei Xiuyuan the White Tiger Tail—strong in offense but lacking in defense. A disciple with exceptional offensive power can only rely on treasures to bolster their defense. I suspect Guangwei Zhanglao intends to capture a Whirlpool Turtle."
Just then, Guangwei Zhenren approached with a laugh. "You sly fox! You guessed I wanted a Whirlpool Turtle. What about you? What are you planning to catch for your girl?"
Jiang Li Fei’s Spirit Root was primarily water with a secondary earth element. Forging a treasure would likely follow a supportive path. After some thought, it seemed she might forge something similar to that glass mirror—a protective treasure against evil.
But Chongyi Zhenren remained cryptic. "I won’t say yet. You’ll find out soon enough."Guangwei Zhenren's curiosity was piqued instead. He grabbed Chongyi's sleeve, insisting on getting a clear answer. Seeing the two elders bickering, Li Fei quietly took Lei Xiuyuan's hand and looked up at him with a smile. "Just the two of us together—that's perfect! Do you know how to refine a Mystical Treasure?"
But Lei Xiuyuan didn't respond. He was staring fixedly in the direction where Cuixuan Xianren had departed, seemingly lost in thought. Li Fei shook his arm, snapping him out of it. Seeing her excitement, he couldn't help but chuckle. "You think this is a trip for fun?"
"Guangwei Zhanglao said he'd catch a Whirlpool Turtle to refine into a Mystical Treasure for you." Li Fei let her imagination run wild—would Lei Xiuyuan end up with a turtle shell as his treasure? Where would he even put it? On his head like a hat? Strapped to his back? The more she thought about it, the funnier it seemed, and she burst out laughing.
Lei Xiuyuan gave her hand a firm squeeze and was about to speak when Guangwei Zhenren suddenly called out to him. "Xiuyuan, you two should go pack your things now. The journey to White Edge Cliff is long—don't forget anything."
Both of them acknowledged the instruction. Seeing Chongyi Zhenren nod in approval, Li Fei linked arms with Lei Xiuyuan and walked off, chatting and laughing.
Chongyi Zhenren watched their inseparable figures recede and smiled. "Guangwei, what suddenly made you decide to bring Lei Xiuyuan along?"
The excuse was to catch a Whirlpool Turtle for a Mystical Treasure, but for someone who already possessed the White Tiger Tail, what Lei Xiuyuan needed most wasn't a defensive treasure but rather to learn how to amplify the power of his Immortal Technique using the tail. The old man's sudden decision had taken him by surprise.
Guangwei Zhenren's expression gradually turned solemn. He lowered his voice. "During this trip to White Edge Cliff to reinforce the Seal on the Outlander Tomb, I plan to find an opportunity to tell him—and let them witness the tomb firsthand. Disciples shouldn't remain ignorant forever, kept in the dark about the world beyond our shores. With the signs already appearing, the Sea Fall will come within the next decade at the latest. If we perish in this calamity, at least the disciples left behind won't be clueless. We can't repeat the mistakes of five hundred years ago."
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