Zhongyi Zhenren came over and touched the stone that had split in two. Seeing the smooth, scorching cut surface, he smiled instead: “This is due to insufficient fire elemental qi. High-level immortal techniques are like this – a slight error can lead to great mistakes. The exquisite control of qi is the most crucial aspect for cultivators. Don’t rush, take it slowly.”
Li Fei responded affirmatively and began to concentrate on calculating the amount of qi to use again. Unlike early-stage cultivation that consumed qi to the limit of one’s crucible, calculating qi usage was a different level of exhaustion. She had to focus all her attention, moving the flow of qi with utmost care and caution.
A stone not much larger than before condensed in front of her. Li Fei set up an earth elemental wall, this time more skillfully. She quickly calculated three parts of fire elemental qi and carefully released it. The stone instantly exploded, shattering the earth wall in the blink of an eye. Li Fei fumbled, losing a large portion of her Bronze Wall technique defense. She was still grazed by knife-like stone fragments on her arm. Her disciple robe caught fire from the flames on the stones. Li Fei immediately cast the Spring Rain technique. When everything finally settled, she saw countless deep pits blasted into the ground. Although it couldn’t compare to Zhongyi Zhenren’s earlier Giant Stone technique in terms of momentum and power, it was still quite shocking.
“Good!” Zhongyi Zhenren’s eyes were full of admiration. This child had an innate advantage in controlling qi, almost like instinct. Being able to successfully release the Giant Stone technique on the second try was already a miracle. There were plenty of disciples who couldn’t successfully calculate qi for several consecutive days when first encountering high-level immortal techniques.
Seeing the wound on Li Fei’s arm deep enough to see bone, he immediately threw a healing web at her, saying: “Next time, don’t rush. The Bronze Wall technique and basic earth elemental defense can’t withstand high-level immortal techniques. You must constantly maintain the earth wall. You did very well just now, keep it up.”
Li Fei saw him turn away with satisfaction. Only after he had walked far did she turn back to smile at Ri Yan: “How was that just now? You can’t say I’m wasting qi anymore, right?”
Ri Yan shook his ears, lazily lying on the ground, and snorted with a laugh: “It’s just the beginning. This is only a high-level immortal technique combining two types of qi. There are still techniques using three, four, and even five types of qi infused in one place, like the Senluo Great Technique. That’s what’s considered close to the true immortal techniques at the pinnacle of the Five Elements.”
“You know about the Senluo Great Technique too?” Li Fei was a bit surprised.
Ri Yan’s eyes once again revealed that almost sentimental, even somewhat sad look. He said indifferently: “This technique is famous. Only an idiot with a head full of water like you wouldn’t know about it. You even managed to get injured by your immortal technique. I’m about to laugh my tail off!”
Laugh his tail off? Li Fei couldn’t help but burst into laughter, then quickly covered her mouth, afraid of alarming her master.
“You watch me cultivate. Later when we rest, I’ll take you around to look around.”
The fox hesitated unusually. He turned his head to look at the distant misty sea of clouds, and after a while, said softly: “Ah, let’s go take a look at Hushe Peak.”
Hushe Peak was the easternmost mountain peak of Wuyue Court. No elder had built a residence there yet. Li Fei didn’t know how Ri Yan knew about it, and even if she asked, he probably wouldn’t say. When it came to being mysterious, this fox was even more adept than Lei Xiuyuan.
It was now deep autumn in November, and the sky darkened early. By the time they reached Hushe Peak, it was already dark. Li Fei looked with some surprise at this precipitous yet strange mountain peak. Among the countless peaks above the sea of clouds in Wuyue Court, some were occupied by elders who had built residences, while others were unoccupied. This Hushe Peak had no elder’s residence, yet halfway up the mountain, there were buildings, all with white walls and black tiles, very simple and clean.
Ri Yan stopped in mid-air and sighed deeply: “It does look like a pestle.”
Li Fei was particularly sensitive to the word “pestle” and immediately turned back to him: “What pestle?”
Ri Yan laughed: “Look at the shape of this mountain, doesn’t it look like a pestle?”
He quietly flew towards the row of houses halfway up the mountain. Li Fei quickly followed, cautiously looking around: “There’s no elder residing here, yet there are houses. It’s probably not good to wander around. Let’s not go into the houses, okay?”
“There used to be, but the resident is no longer here. I didn’t expect the houses to still be kept. Humans… they’re unpredictable.”
Li Fei followed Ri Yan in confusion, landing in a small courtyard halfway up the mountain. Although no one lived here, the courtyard was very clean. The ground was spotless, and the bronze tripod in the corner hadn’t accumulated any dust. Several old stone statues were placed along the mountain wall, in a very ancient style. There were marks of Tai’a technique slashes and Lihua technique burns on the mountain wall, suggesting that disciples had practiced here before.
Ri Yan gently blew on the tightly closed courtyard gate, and the wooden door opened silently. He flew into the inner courtyard without hesitation. Li Fei’s courage gradually grew, and she quickly walked in. She saw a very thick camphor tree in the inner courtyard, so large that it would take more than ten people to encircle it. Its leaves were as green as new, with a fragrant aura. The tile-roofed houses were neatly arranged on all sides, even the door rings were spotless. If it weren’t for the silence of the courtyard and the absence of any candlelight in the windows, one would think someone had been living here all along.
“Your little master is thoughtful, remembering to come and clean regularly,” Ri Yan flew up high, looking down at this small courtyard and the camphor tree, his eyes full of emotion. “This tree is real, five hundred years have passed, and now it stands tall like a canopy.”
The fox seemed very strange today. Li Fei looked up at him, “Ri Yan, you haven’t been here before, have you? Who used to live here?”
Ri Yan said softly: “I haven’t been here, I’ve just heard about it. A brilliantly talented immortal used to live here, but now he’s gone.”
Li Fei had a sudden realization: “You’re not talking about that Qingcheng Zhenren, are you?!”
Ri Yan snorted and laughed: “Oh, you know his Daoist title? Not bad. Yes, this Hushe Peak was once Qingcheng’s residence.”
“You know him?!” Li Fei was stunned. “How do you know each other?”
Could it be that the “immortal who went to his death” he mentioned in the East Sea was also Qingcheng Zhenren? This was an immortal of Wuyue Court, how did he become connected to the East Sea?
“Why should I tell you!” Ri Yan flew angrily around the camphor tree a few times. “Don’t bother me, go away.”
Li Fei wanted to pick up a stone to throw at him to scare him when suddenly she heard the sound of an argument coming from afar. Gradually, the arguing voices grew closer, stopping in the outer courtyard. A woman’s icy voice suddenly said: “I won’t go in! Don’t think about touching me again! You can go play with your other junior and senior sisters! We have nothing to do with each other anymore!”
Immediately after, Qin Yangling’s voice responded gently: “Cailing, you always like to be petty with me. Where do I have any junior or senior sisters? How I feel about you, don’t you know clearly?”
“How did we run into this couple again?” Li Fei looked up at Ri Yan. He was staring intently at the camphor tree, lost in some old memories, so absorbed that these disturbances didn’t disturb him at all.
Le Cailing laughed coldly: “I’m tired of your sweet talk. I know what you want, and I told you from the beginning, it’s not possible! I still hope Master will change his mind and teach me the Heavenly Qin Great Technique, I can’t lose my virtue! You agreed verbally, but you always take me to secluded places, getting handsy! I’ve endured again and again, until today!”
Qin Yangling sighed: “Cailing, that was because I couldn’t control my emotions. I didn’t mean to take liberties. If you don’t like it, I won’t touch even a finger of yours from now on. Calm down a bit. That woman just now was only an acquaintance, it’s not what you think. Let’s find a place to sit down and let me explain properly, okay?”
Le Cailing’s voice was very cold: “Senior Brother Qin, I, Le Cailing, am not a heartless person, but I’m also not a fool. If you truly had deep feelings for me, even if we couldn’t become immortals, so what? But you’re just treating me like a brainless woman you can deceive. Over these past months, I’ve been angry and resentful. What kind of person you are, I thoroughly understand today. From now on, let’s be like strangers as if we never knew each other! I’ll just consider myself blind for these past months!”
This is… a breakup? Li Fei felt a bit embarrassed. She wanted to leave, but it was too late now. She would probably startle the two outside if she left, making things even more awkward.
Qin Yangling was still trying to soothe her gently: “Cailing, from beginning to end, there’s only you in my heart. This heart can be as clear as the sun and moon.”
…How cheesy. Li Fei pursed her lips. No wonder Gelin said that a man’s ten thousand sweet words couldn’t compare to one small deed he did. Qin Yangling’s words sounded so nice, but his actions were truly ugly.
“Let go!” Le Cailing shouted coldly, followed by the sound of fabric tearing. Le Cailing cried out in surprise, but her cry was quickly cut off. Qin Yangling’s gentle voice sounded like it was trembling: “Cailing, I really can’t control my feelings for you! Don’t blame me!”
Li Fei saw two figures struggling as they came in through the courtyard gate. She immediately conjured a cloud and hid in the branches of the camphor tree. She saw Qin Yangling with one hand pinching Le Cailing’s pulse point, and the other arm dragging her inside. She was struggling desperately, making terrified sounds from her throat, but could not resist, like a chick caught by an eagle. He pulled her into the inner courtyard in an instant.
This is not good! Li Fei put her hands behind her back, channeling wood elemental qi. Several small wooden birds immediately appeared in her palm and flew out silently. Ri Yan was finally alerted and suddenly came to his senses. Seeing Qin Yangling push open the door of a room and drag Le Cailing in, he said grimly: “Shameless scoundrel! Wanting to do such an indecent thing in Qingcheng’s former residence!”
Li Fei saw Le Cailing’s face full of fear and despair, one hand clutching the doorframe so hard her nails were breaking, only to be pressed down by Qin Yangling again, and thrown heavily to the ground. She really couldn’t bear to watch any longer, afraid that even if the elders came, it would be too late. She immediately coughed heavily twice, and the two people inside instantly froze.
Li Fei said calmly: “Senior Brother Qin, this isn’t right.”
Qin Yangling burst out of the door and immediately spotted the girl hiding in the branches of the camphor tree. He stared at her in disbelief for a while, and surprisingly, he was still able to put on a smile: “Junior Sister Jiang, what a coincidence. How did you come to this uninhabited peak?”
Li Fei was secretly on guard. This person was a personal disciple who had arrived decades earlier than her, his cultivation level must be much higher than hers. If he were to fly into a rage and attack recklessly, she wouldn’t be able to stop him.
“I was just taking a walk when I had some free time,” she said softly. “What about you?”
Seeing her calm tone, Qin Yangling’s anxiety eased a little. If people found out he was forcing himself on a woman, his master probably wouldn’t forgive him this time. He saw Le Cailing with her arms twisted behind her back, seemingly unconscious. He immediately picked her up and smiled: “I had a bit of a quarrel with Junior Sister Le. I’ve made you witness something embarrassing. I’ll take her back. It’s late, you should head back too.”
Li Fei asked again: “Is Le Cailing alright?”
“She was probably just scared earlier. I didn’t mean to. Junior Sister Jiang, I’ll have to trouble you to keep today’s matter a secret for your senior brother.”
Li Fei frowned. Suddenly, she heard the sound of wind whistling overhead. Her heart relaxed, and she heard Elder Zhengxu sternly shout: “Yangling! What are you doing here?!”