Li Fei looked up at him, still somewhat unable to believe it was him. Over the past three years, she had imagined countless times what Lei Xiuyuan might look like now—taller, his face more mature—but all those imaginings shattered the moment he stood before her in the flesh.
The disciple uniform no longer hung loosely on his once slender frame. He had grown so much taller, no longer the scrawny little sprout he used to be. The image of the fourteen-year-old Lei Xiuyuan in her memories overlapped with the graceful young man before her—similar, yet not. His long brows arched toward his temples, his demeanor poised and elegant. The once awkward youth now stood out strikingly among the crowd, refined like a painting. The arrogant aloofness of his younger days had mellowed into a quiet detachment, still making him seem unapproachable, yet without the same edge that once invited dislike.
What would he think of her? Would she seem unfamiliar to him? Like a completely different person?
Lei Xiuyuan gazed down at her, his expression inscrutable. Li Fei felt an unprecedented sense of nervousness. He neither gaped foolishly nor pretended she hadn’t changed at all. What was he thinking? Was her robe straight? Her hairpin in place? She had been training all morning, sweating profusely, and hadn’t even wiped her face before flying here. Did she look disheveled?
"Ahem," she coughed, trying to appear more natural.
Lei Xiuyuan suddenly reached out, his fingers brushing past the crystal bead by her ear.
"Turned into a lady now?" He smiled again. The rough, cracking voice of his fourteen-year-old self had deepened into a wholly masculine timbre.
Li Fei laughed. "Do I look the part?"
He patted her head lightly, his tone relaxed. "Only on the surface."
Her earlier furious shout had stunned everyone present. The male disciples below were still rooted in place, too shocked and heartbroken to approach.
Noticing he hadn’t mentioned the changes in her appearance, Li Fei couldn’t help but ask nervously, "D-Don’t you think I’ve changed a lot?"
"Ah, like a different person," Lei Xiuyuan admitted bluntly, his tone indifferent. "I’ll get used to it."
A wave of emotion rose in her. How many times had she imagined his response? Never had she expected him to say this. Memories of their younger days flashed before her eyes—this awkward, clever, proud, and resilient boy. He knew so much, yet he never asked. The strangeness of their three-year separation suddenly vanished. She stepped forward and hooked her arm through his sleeve—an old habit of hers.
"Then I’ll get used to it too," she said, looking up with a small smile.
Lei Xiuyuan felt her step closer, her unfamiliar yet strikingly beautiful face drawing near. An intoxicating fragrance enveloped him, and he instinctively wanted to retreat but forced himself to stay still. Truly, he still needed time to adjust. Uncharacteristically, he felt a flicker of embarrassment.
"Xiu Yuan." Guangwei Zhenren called to him from the hall’s entrance.
Lei Xiuyuan acknowledged the summons but suddenly bent his head toward Li Fei. "Will you wait for me?"
Without waiting for her reply, he flew toward the hall and bowed deeply.
Li Fei couldn’t help but chuckle. She had come to Shining Light Peak for him—of course she would wait. She walked over slowly, but this time, the male disciples no longer clamored around her. They watched from a distance, most aware of her connection to Lei Xiuyuan. Now that he had emerged from Cinnabar Cave, they naturally refrained from crowding her again.Guangwei Zhenren was discussing the trial at Chestnut Blaze Valley with Lei Xiuyuan when he noticed an unfamiliar young woman standing at a distance. Her radiant beauty was almost dazzling, making him slightly astonished—was she a disciple of Shining Light Peak? Why did he have no recollection of her at all?
As if sensing his gaze, the girl immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Disciple Jiang Li Fei pays her respects to Guangwei Zhanglao."
Jiang Li Fei? Guangwei Zhenren was momentarily stunned. Had she... always looked like this? To be honest, he couldn't recall. During their time at the Academy, his attention had been entirely focused on Lei Xiuyuan alone. Whether Jiang Li Fei was round or flat hadn't registered in his mind, but she certainly hadn't been like this. Moreover... he scrutinized her carefully and realized that although she hadn't broken through the first bottleneck, her cultivation had already surpassed it, even faintly approaching the second bottleneck.
He was deeply puzzled, but since she wasn't his disciple, it wasn't his place to inquire further. He could only nod with a smile. "Chongyi has taken on an excellent disciple. You're also going to Chestnut Blaze Valley this year, right?"
Li Fei respectfully affirmed. Guangwei Zhenren glanced at her, then at Lei Xiuyuan, and couldn't help but chuckle. He still remembered how this disciple of his had originally come to No Moon Court for this very girl. Who would have thought that after three years apart, the two of them remained so close.
Not wanting to keep the girl waiting, he quickly finished his instructions and was about to leave when Hu Jiaping, who had been standing silently nearby with his head bowed, suddenly spoke up. "Master, during my three years in Cinnabar Cave, I've broken through the fourth bottleneck and am now stuck at the fifth. Since I'm just idling at No Moon Court anyway, could I return to the Academy as an instructor this year?"
Return to the Academy as an instructor? Everyone immediately grasped the underlying meaning—he wanted to find the black-veiled woman.
Guangwei Zhenren sighed inwardly. Hu Jiaping was one of his most cherished disciples, yet he had entangled himself with his own weapon spirit. Back then, he had been lovesick to the point of misery. But unlike others, the more freedom he was given, the more diligently he cultivated. Applying too much pressure didn't work either. It had taken Guangwei many years to figure this out.
Though reluctant, he nodded. "Very well. But don't slack off even as an instructor at the Academy."
Hu Jiaping's face immediately lit up like a crumpled paper flower, his eyebrows practically flying off his forehead. He strode over to Li Fei and, just as he had five years ago, casually patted her head. Suddenly, his expression turned serious. "Little girl... did you chop off your head and get a new one?"
Lei Xiuyuan burst out laughing, while Li Fei was utterly speechless. This senior brother was as baffling as ever.
"Senior Brother, you haven't changed a bit in three years," she retorted, glaring at him.
"Hahaha, just joking." Hu Jiaping was in the best of spirits. "The little girl's all grown up now. Cultivate well. This senior brother is off!"
He couldn't bear to stay a moment longer. Fresh out of Cinnabar Cave, he was already rushing off to the Academy. After three years apart, his longing must have been unbearable.
For some reason, the thought of unbearable longing stirred something in Li Fei's heart. She turned to look at Lei Xiuyuan, who happened to glance down at her at the same moment. Their eyes met, and he quickly averted his gaze again, flustered. After a pause, as if suddenly annoyed, he grabbed her sleeve. "Let's go. Time to eat. I'm starving."It was lunchtime, and the hall was packed with people. The moment Li Fei entered, countless male disciples immediately fixed their eyes on her. Many were eager to approach, but then they saw her tugging at the sleeve of a young man, their demeanor and conversation strikingly intimate—a gesture she had never displayed before. The hearts of the disciples shattered instantly. However, upon recognizing the person she was pulling along was Lei Xiuyuan, the hall fell into abrupt silence.
This morning, after Lei Xiuyuan emerged from the Cinnabar Cave, news of him breaking through his second bottleneck spread like wildfire throughout No Moon Court.
This was a true prodigy. The disciples gazed at him with envy. For cultivators, wealth, power, or even a stunning cultivation partner meant little. Only this kind of sharp, unparalleled talent and cultivation could truly command respect.
At this moment, no disciple dared to approach and make a nuisance of themselves. The intimate closeness between Li Fei and Lei Xiuyuan was plain for all to see. If Lei Xiuyuan were just an ordinary elite disciple, it might have been different. But he was a genius, outshining all other young disciples. Beauty paired with genius—there was nothing more to say.
Li Fei was entirely focused on Lei Xiuyuan and didn’t notice the strange atmosphere in the hall. Perhaps because Shining Light Peak had more male disciples, the portions of food were larger, with all kinds of meat dishes. She grabbed two steamed buns and a bowl of vegetable soup, while Lei Xiuyuan’s plate was piled high with various meats and vegetables. He must not have had anything good to eat in the Cinnabar Cave for three years, and now he was devouring his first meal outside like a starving man.
"What’s it like inside the Cinnabar Cave?" Li Fei was most curious about this. "How did you cultivate there?"
Though Lei Xiuyuan’s movements were refined, he ate astonishingly fast. In just a few bites, a bowl of rice was gone. As he refilled his bowl, he replied, "The Cinnabar Cave has nine layers. In these three years, I only reached the third. The deeper you go, the denser the spiritual energy becomes. I’ve had quite a few magical combats with Hu Jiaping inside."
His cultivation was all about magical combat? Thinking about it, that made sense. The Metal Spirit Root was inherently exceptional in offensive power, and aside from combat, there weren’t many more suitable cultivation methods.
Li Fei watched him with keen interest, so absorbed that she barely touched her food. Three years apart, and boys could change so much. Even the hand holding the chopsticks had grown larger, fingers long and nails neatly trimmed. Her gaze traveled from his hands to his arms, then to his shoulders, before finally settling back on his face, staring unblinkingly.
Lei Xiuyuan finally couldn’t eat under her scrutiny and sighed. "I’m not full yet. You can stare all you want later when I’m free."
Fine… Li Fei found herself a little amused too. She tore her steamed bun into small pieces and nibbled at them when suddenly, a man’s delighted voice sounded beside her: "Junior Sister Li Fei! You’ve come to Shining Light Peak today?"
She turned to see several male disciples standing nearby, all drenched in sweat as if they had just finished training. The one who called her was decent-looking and somewhat familiar, though she couldn’t recall his name. As she pondered, he actually moved to sit beside her, acting overly familiar. "What are you eating?"
Li Fei’s expression darkened immediately. She didn’t move, just stared at him coldly. The male disciple’s heart skipped a beat, and he dared not push further, awkwardly standing back up.
Lei Xiuyuan glanced at him and suddenly smiled. "Senior Brother Songfeng? Long time no see."
Songfeng and the others froze, scrutinizing him carefully. The outline of his face bore a striking resemblance to that annoying brat from three years ago. Lei Xiuyuan? That irritating little runt had grown up like this?"You... came out of Cinnabar Cave?" Songfeng had just finished his cultivation session and hadn't heard the news yet.
Lei Xiuyuan said, "It's been years, Senior Brother. You're as dignified as ever, even more mature. If I recall correctly, this year marks your thirtieth birthday?"
Songfeng instantly flared up in anger. "I'm only twenty-four this year!"
Lei Xiuyuan gave him an apologetic smile. "My apologies. It seems I misremembered."
He was absolutely doing it on purpose! Was this some roundabout way of saying he looked old? That he wasn't good enough for Junior Sister Li Fei? Did he really look that old?! Songfeng wanted to lash out, but Lei Xiuyuan wasn't just some new disciple anymore. Even though his words were sharp, he remained perfectly polite. If Songfeng suddenly lost his temper, how would that look? His helpless gaze turned to the other disciples behind him, but they all averted their eyes, refusing to meet his.
"Please have a seat, Senior Brothers." Lei Xiuyuan stood and gave Songfeng and the others a slight nod. "We'll take our leave first. Farewell."
By the time they had flown halfway down the mountain, Li Fei was still doubled over with laughter. She had noticed long ago that Lei Xiuyuan had a knack for infuriating people with just a few words. The look on Songfeng's face just now had been priceless.
"I... I can't take it..." She clutched her stomach, laughing so hard it hurt.
"Your laughter is unsightly," Lei Xiuyuan remarked, glancing at her. "Didn't you want to look at me? Now that we have time, you can stare all you want."
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