Spring passed into autumn, summer gave way to winter—five cycles of seasons had turned, and now it was the height of midsummer in the seventh month. Over the Cloud Sea of No Moon Court, countless peaks were lush with greenery, yet Jade Fall Peak remained bitterly cold, swept by wind and snow. However, it was no longer as desolate as before.
Since noon, disciples had been flying to Jade Fall Peak incessantly, lingering briefly before departing in disappointment. Zhaomin had just finished her midday meal and stepped out of the central hall when she spotted several male disciples from Shining Light Peak waiting in the Wind and Snow Corridor. She couldn’t even be bothered to ask anymore and said directly, “Junior Sister hasn’t been at Jade Fall Peak recently. All of you, return at once and focus on your cultivation.”
The male disciples hastily bowed and retreated. The legendary Zhao Min Shijie had broken through her bottleneck two years prior, becoming Chongyi Zhenren’s sole direct disciple. Combined with her noble status, aloof demeanor, and imposing presence, the disciples who frequented Jade Fall Peak were all somewhat intimidated by her.
Utterly exasperating. Zhaomin shook her head. These disciples were still shallow in their cultivation, yet they wallowed in infatuation all day—what achievements could they possibly make in the future?
She somewhat regretted allowing Li Fei to freely travel between the north and south of No Moon Court after she mastered Cloud Soaring Flight. As the girl grew older, she transformed like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, changing day by day. If not for seeing her every day, it would be hard to believe the same person’s appearance could undergo such a dramatic transformation.
After first mastering Cloud Soaring Flight, Li Fei had made several trips to Shining Light Peak, where Lei Xiuyuan resided. From then on, peace and quiet became a rarity at Jade Fall Peak. Shining Light Peak was mostly populated by male disciples—older ones would have been one thing, but Lei Xiuyuan had been a newly admitted disciple back then, and those around him were also new recruits, all in their early teens. Once they figured out which sect Li Fei belonged to, they would visit Jade Fall Peak at every opportunity, most frequently during lunch breaks and around dinnertime.
When they came, they didn’t dare disturb her, sneaking around the corridor like thieves to steal glances at Li Fei. Occasionally, they’d exchange a few words with her, each one stumbling over their speech—utter fools. While it was human nature to admire beauty, their behavior had gone too far.
Even more surprising was that Guangwei Zhanglao had taken Hu Jiaping and Lei Xiuyuan to the Shining Light Inner Peak Pill Cave for cultivation three years prior. With no elder present at Shining Light Peak, and Chongyi Zhenren never interfering in such matters—given his eccentric and indulgent nature—Li Fei’s reputation for beauty spread widely among the disciples there. He even seemed rather proud of it. It was precisely because there was no responsible elder to curb this absurd behavior that things had escalated to this point.
Zhaomin turned a corner in the corridor, about to enter her room, when she suddenly heard the sound of wind behind her—someone had landed on Jade Fall Peak again. Frowning, she said coldly, “If you have nothing to do, return to your cultivation at once! What kind of behavior is this, constantly flocking to Jade Fall Peak?!”
No sooner had she spoken than an old man’s laughter rang out. “Little Zhaomin’s temper has grown even worse. Who are you scolding now?”
Startled, she turned to see Dongyang Zhenren and Qingle Zhenren watching her with amusement from the corridor. Flustered, she hurriedly bowed. “Disciple Zhaomin pays her respects to Elder Dongyang and Elder Qing Yue. This disciple did not realize it was the two elders earlier—my words were disrespectful…”
Dongyang Zhenren waved a hand. “Enough with the long-windedness. You’re still the same as ever. Where’s your Master? And where’s that girl Li Fei?”
“Master took Junior Sister to Sand Emerald Fort for cultivation ten days ago. They won’t return until later.”
Qingle Zhenren smiled kindly. “Oh? Sand Emerald Fort? That place is teeming with ferocious beasts. She’s only been training for five years, and he’s already taking her there?”Zhaomin felt a hint of pride within and smiled, saying, "Junior Sister is extremely diligent in her cultivation, and her talent is also quite remarkable."
Remarkable talent? Qingle Zhenren and Dongyang Zhenren couldn't help but laugh. Back then, they had hesitated to take Li Fei as a disciple precisely because her talent was average. Who would have thought Chongyi would actually nurture such a fine talent?
Dongyang Zhenren was the most emotional. Not only had they missed out on Li Fei, but they had also lost Lei Xiuyuan, a prodigy of unparalleled genius. That child was truly extraordinary—breaking through his first bottleneck within just two years of joining, shocking the entire No Moon Court. As a result, Guangwei Zhenren decided to take him into the Cinnabar Cave for cultivation.
The spiritual energy within the Cinnabar Cave was even denser than that above the Cloud Sea. For cultivators, however, spiritual energy wasn’t always better the denser it was. The Cinnabar Cave, as the origin of such concentrated spiritual energy, could easily damage one’s Alchemical Furnace if one wasn’t careful, rendering them unable to cultivate ever again. Guangwei, accompanied by Hu Jiaping, spent three whole years inside with Lei Xiuyuan, a testament to how highly they valued him.
Qingle Zhenren was also filled with emotion. Li Fei had first sought him out back then, only to be outright rejected. Normally, the elders couldn’t afford to dwell on such matters—each recollection brought a sigh. There was no cure for regret in this world, and even Celestials had to accept their shortcomings with grace.
Seeing that Chongyi still hadn’t returned, the two elders were about to leave when a small black dot appeared in the far distance, arriving before them in the blink of an eye. The newcomer’s eyes sparkled brilliantly, clear and smiling—who else could it be but Chongyi?
Dongyang Zhenren laughed, "Ah-ha! You’ve finally arrived. Where’s the little girl?"
Chongyi Zhenren smiled. "She went to the Cinnabar Cave. Lei Xiuyuan is likely coming out in the next couple of days."
The two youths had entered No Moon Court together and cultivated side by side for two years before Guangwei Zhenren took Lei Xiuyuan into the Cinnabar Cave three years ago. They hadn’t seen each other since. Recently, the spiritual energy fluctuations outside the cave had grown intense, suggesting those inside were about to emerge. The first thing Li Fei did upon returning was to check on the situation at the cave.
Dongyang Zhenren said, "Never mind the others for now. Chongyi, in your opinion, how is your little disciple’s cultivation progressing?"
Chongyi Zhenren had long guessed they wouldn’t visit without a reason. After a brief thought, he understood their purpose and smiled. "Is this about Chestnut Blaze Valley? She should have gone long ago."
Qingle Zhenren was startled by his tone. "You sound so confident! Chestnut Blaze Valley is nothing like Sand Emerald Fort. Don’t let pride lead to regret later!"
Chongyi Zhenren smiled faintly. "I know my disciple well. She can definitely handle Chestnut Blaze Valley."
Dongyang Zhenren sighed. Truthfully, if there hadn’t been so few disciples eligible for Chestnut Blaze Valley this year, they wouldn’t have come to Chongyi. Jiang Li Fei had been here for five years without showing any signs of breaking through her first bottleneck. Disciples who hadn’t overcome that hurdle would struggle in the valley, and if an accident occurred thousands of miles away, who could save her?
Yet this year, the elders from various peaks had recommended fewer than twenty disciples in total—not even enough to open the Seal of Chestnut Blaze Valley. They had no choice but to inquire further.
"Since you say so, we’ll count the little girl in," Dongyang Zhenren said, shaking his head. "Guangwei should be emerging from the Cinnabar Cave in the next few days. With his group, including Lei Xiuyuan, we’ll have five more, making exactly twenty disciples. Sigh… There are far too few prodigies among the new disciples in recent years. It’s truly worrying."Qingle Zhenren was about to speak when he suddenly noticed something and turned his head. A slender figure came rushing from outside, landing on the corridor in the blink of an eye. Before anyone could clearly see the person's face, Chongyi Zhenren abruptly struck, sending several streaks of golden light shooting toward the newcomer with lightning speed.
So fast! Elder Dongyang and Qingle couldn't help but feel slightly startled—this disciple was surely in trouble!
Yet when the golden lights of the Supreme Harmony Art struck the newcomer, they merely produced a series of "ding-ding-dang-dang" sounds before scattering across the ground in golden fragments. The figure swayed slightly, transforming into mist and vanishing without a trace in an instant. Chongyi Zhenren raised his left arm slightly, and towering flames erupted from the ground. The others had already taken to the air outside, watching the magical combat unfold between these two.
The sea of fire blazed fiercely, only to be extinguished moments later by a sudden drizzle of spring rain falling from the sky. Amid the billowing smoke, several streaks of green light silently shot forth. Chongyi Zhenren swayed slightly, narrowly avoiding the small leaves. Elder Dongyang saw green smoke suddenly condense behind him, instantly forming into a human figure, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Ah!"
Chongyi Zhenren spread his hands and looked at the two astonished elders. "Shall we go to Chestnut Blaze Valley?"
The two elders were still somewhat incredulous. Who would have thought that in just five years, that ordinary girl with only a special physique could be trained to such a level?
Though no one knew exactly how Chongyi Zhenren had instructed Li Fei, her performance just now was undeniable to anyone with eyes. That kind of adaptability and mastery of the Five Elements Immortal Method was something ordinary disciples could never achieve.
For cultivators, the raw power of an Immortal Technique wasn't the most important factor. What truly mattered was releasing the most appropriate technique at the most opportune moment, precisely allocating one's spiritual energy without waste. Only by understanding this could one be considered a true cultivator.
Jiang Li Fei had already become a true cultivator—this was what made it so astonishing and admirable. What puzzled everyone was why she still hadn't broken through her first bottleneck at this stage? Could she have already broken through without them noticing? But breakthroughs always left various signs, such as fluctuations in spiritual energy. This child showed none of that, yet her cultivation level seemed to subtly surpass the first bottleneck. How was this possible?
With a wave of his sleeve, Chongyi Zhenren restored the corridor and hall—previously in disarray from the Immortal Techniques—to their original state in an instant. The graceful figure behind him took a step forward and bowed calmly. "Disciple Jiang Li Fei pays her respects to Elder Dongyang and Elder Qingle."
Her voice was as clear as a forest breeze, neither overly sweet nor affected, making it very pleasant to hear.
When she raised her head with a smile, her skin appeared luminous as snow. Her eyes sparkled with warmth and liveliness as she smiled, and though still young, her plump cheeks retained a hint of childish innocence that made people instinctively want to draw closer and feel joy in their hearts. Five years had passed—where had that little girl with braids gone? Now before them stood a young woman with elegant coiled hair, a slender and graceful figure, and crystal beads swaying gently by her ears. Her posture, demeanor, and gentle smile were all impeccable.
The two elders were momentarily stunned. After scrutinizing her carefully, they found her unrecognizable. In their memories, though that little girl from five years ago had delicate features, her facial structure was completely different now. After five years, she seemed to have become a different person—not only in appearance but even in demeanor, with no trace left of her former self.Dongyang Zhenren looked left and right, marveling at how much a girl could change over the years—but this transformation was downright unbelievable. This child always had a way of leaving people utterly baffled. He murmured, "Girl, you've really... Are you truly Jiang Li Fei?"
He still couldn't believe this graceful, demure young lady was the same wild tomboy with braids from years ago.
Li Fei took out the Evil-warding Pearl. "The pearl Elder Dongyang gave me—I've kept it all this time."
It was indeed his pearl. Dongyang Zhenren accepted the string of beads and couldn't help but chuckle. Turning to Qingle Zhenren, he saw her equally astonished and delighted expression. She praised, "This child... has grown into such a beauty now!"
Dongyang Zhenren patted Li Fei's shoulder twice, both laughing and sighing. "Who'd have thought our little tomboy would blossom into such a vision? I almost don't dare let my disciples accompany you to Chestnut Blaze Valley now... Chongyi, what do you think? Maybe your disciple should wait a few more years before going to the valley?"
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