In a snowy corner of the courtyard, tall stone figures were neatly arranged. Li Fei stood before them, her eyes closed in deep concentration.
After a long while, she suddenly moved. Her actions were so swift that her silhouette became a blur. In an instant, the five elemental immortal techniques’ radiance flashed upon the stone figures. The Copper Wall Technique, Healing Net, Iron Wood Nails, Scarlet Fire Dragon, and Golden Arrow Rain simultaneously struck the five figures.
An earth-shattering boom resounded as dust billowed. The figures hit by the three offensive techniques shattered, scattering stone fragments across the ground. However, they quickly restored to their original state. Li Fei took a deep breath and gazed at the other two figures. The Healing Net’s ice-blue hue was strikingly beautiful, brimming with spiritual energy. The Copper Wall Technique’s range had expanded several times compared to before, now requiring three consecutive Tai’a Techniques to break it.
She stood silently for a long time. Ri Yan’s words were correct; her spiritual energy had indeed greatly increased. In the past, using immortal techniques always left her feeling strained and inadequate. Now, she could perform them as smoothly as flowing water.
It seemed that unleashing her source of spiritual energy once had a significant impact on her.
Li Fei wiped away her sweat and turned to look at the massive nine-tailed fox lying nearby. She smiled and asked, “Ri Yan, how was that?”
The fox barely opened its eyes, giving her a disdainful glance without uttering a word.
“How rude!” Li Fei formed a large snowball and threw it at him. The snowball passed through his body and shattered against the corridor.
For the past few days, Senior Sister Zhao Min had been out on a trial, and Master was in seclusion at the peak. She had been practicing alone every day. Fortunately, Ri Yan woke up this morning, and she asked him to guide her practice. However, he had been lying there sleeping the whole time, refusing to even open his eyes. How frustrating!
“This low-level cultivation doesn’t deserve my guidance,” Ri Yan said contemptuously. “Things you can do with your eyes closed!”
“Aren’t all immortal techniques like this?” Li Fei frowned.
Ri Yan turned his head away, sneering, “Ignorant child, how much have you learned? In human cultivation, above the five elements are high-level immortal techniques that combine them. Otherwise, with the five elements generating and overcoming each other, you’d be helpless against an enemy who counters your element. What kind of battle would that be?”
“When will I be able to learn those?” she asked.
“How should I know? But that technique the boy used in Chestnut Valley was a high-level immortal technique called Golden Water Dragon Roar, combining metal and water elements. These five-element combination techniques require extremely precise control of spiritual energy. Even the slightest deviation won’t work. That’s real cultivation! What you’re doing now is just wasting spiritual energy! Useless thing, even that little brat can use high-level techniques, and you’re still here throwing stones!”
Li Fei threw another snowball at him. “He only managed that because he was desperately trying to save me! Don’t make it sound so easy.”
“Enough chatter!” The nine-tailed fox rose gracefully, stretching lazily. “Is this boring practice over? Let’s go out for a walk! This icy snow is irritating to look at!”
“Alright…”
Li Fei wiped her sweat and was about to summon a cloud to take him to Yao Guang Peak for sightseeing when she suddenly heard a girl calling her name from the corridor. It was Su Wan’s voice! She quickly turned around to see Su Wan waving at her from the corridor, with Deng Xiguang skulking behind her, glancing around furtively like a thief.
“We came to see you during the lunch break,” Su Wan said coolly as she flipped over the railing of the corridor, landing on the snow with a crunch. “So this is what a snow mountain is like. How is there nothing here? Don’t you get bored living here?”
“It’s boring as hell! And I have to deal with fools like you!” Ri Yan roared at her, but no one could hear or see him. He swished his tail. “I’m leaving!”
Li Fei didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Well, she’d have to make it up to him next time and take him on a proper tour of Wuyue Court.
Su Wan surveyed the scenery and, noticing Deng Xiguang still skulking about, furrowed her brow. “Senior Brother Deng, what are you doing?”
Deng Xiguang looked around and, not seeing Zhao Min, heaved a sigh of relief. “Junior Sister Jiang, is your senior sister not here? That’s such a relief!”
The last time he came to Zuiyu Peak out of boredom to see Li Fei, he happened to run into Zhao Min when she was in a foul mood. She mistook him for one of those male disciples from Yao Guang Peak who often came to cause trouble. Not only did she give him a thorough scolding, but she also threatened to ban him from coming again. Deng Xiguang had a firsthand experience of Zhao Min’s ferocity and was quite shaken.
Li Fei couldn’t help but laugh. “Senior Sister is away on a trial for a few days. Don’t worry, Senior Brother Deng.”
Noticing that Lei Xiuyuan wasn’t present, she asked curiously, “Where’s Xiuyuan? Is he still in training?”
“Master said he had something to tell him, so he probably won’t make it today,” Su Wan replied while starting to make snowballs. In no time, she had built a large snowman in the courtyard.
It had been some time since they returned from Chestnut Valley, and everyone had been busy with their cultivation. It was rare for them to have time to gather and eat together today, so there was no shortage of conversation.
Deng Xiguang’s mouth was full of food, making his speech unclear. “I heard from Master that Wu Yue Court only brought back one disciple from the academy this year, and it’s a girl. She was taken in by Elder Qing Le at Zi Xi Peak. Remember Yue Cailing? Last time Elder Qing Le said she wouldn’t teach her the Closed Mouth Immortal Technique anymore, and it turns out it was true! I recently saw her chatting and laughing with Senior Brother Qin Yangling. Those two are together now. I guess the new disciple Elder Qing Le took in is meant to replace Junior Sister Yue in learning that Closed Mouth Immortal Technique.”
Su Wan suddenly remembered something and said, “I also heard from Master that the Fledgling Phoenix Academy hired a few new teachers last year, some kind of sea faction. Their teaching methods are quite strange. As a result, many academy disciples were taken away by sea faction immortal sects this year. Our Wu Yue Court only received one disciple, and I heard that Xing Zheng Hall didn’t get any. Senior Brother Deng, you always boast about knowing everything, do you know what this sea faction is?”
Deng Xiguang coughed dryly, “Well… I, I don’t know about that.”
Li Fei quickly swallowed her food. “I know!”
She hurriedly explained the situation of the mountain and sea factions. Su Wan listened with increasing curiosity. “They only practice the five basic elemental immortal techniques for five years after joining? What kind of cultivation is that? So your friend Bai Li Gelin is at the East Sea Myriad Immortals Assembly? She’s really brave to go so far alone.”
Li Fei smiled slightly. She now understood why Gelin had traveled so far away from home. That was just Gelin’s nature – always smiling on the surface, never letting anyone see her true worries. How much resolve must it have taken for her to choose the East Sea Myriad Immortals Assembly back then? Li Fei felt she had been a poor friend, unable to help at all. The saddest part was that even now, understanding Gelin’s pain, she still couldn’t do anything to help.
It had been five years already. Had Gelin moved past her inner conflicts? From the brief mentions in her letters, Li Fei couldn’t discern her emotions. However, the fact that she was willing to correspond with Ye Ye and Bai Li Changyue probably indicated that she had opened up, right?
Su Wan continued, “Weren’t the mountain and sea factions supposed to mind their own business? What is the academy trying to do?”
Li Fei pondered, “I’ve only heard rumors, but it seems Master Zuoqu intends to unite the mountain and sea factions. I’m not sure what he’s thinking.”
As they were talking, Li Fei suddenly heard a clear, bell-like sound in her ear. She turned in surprise to see a talisman paper falling beside her, enveloped in white light – imbued with a high-level immortal technique.
Deng Xiguang’s eyes lit up. “Oh? This is an Elder’s Summons! Junior Sister Jiang, an elder is calling for you.”
An Elder’s Summons? Li Fei held the talisman, turning it over repeatedly. She had only seen this mentioned in the Disciple Discipline Manual; this was her first time seeing the real thing.
Instinctively, she circulated her spiritual energy. The next moment, her vision blurred, and Li Fei was shocked to find herself suddenly transported from Zuiyu Peak to the main hall of Wengu Peak. There were over a dozen disciples in the hall, with several elders standing at the front. Everyone stared at her sudden appearance, making Li Fei feel a bit embarrassed. She had been eating – hopefully, there wasn’t any oil in her mouth.
Elder Dongyang’s voice soon rang out: “Little girl, you’re here? Come quickly.”
Li Fei hurriedly stepped forward and bowed. “Disciple Jiang Li Fei greets the elders.”
Elder Dongyang smiled, “Little girl, I summoned you here for two reasons. First, about the matter of exchange and interaction. Second, I told them you’ve reached the cultivation level of the second bottleneck, but the other elders didn’t believe me. Let them see for themselves.”
What did he mean by exchange and interaction? Li Fei only felt the intense gazes of several elders upon her. She immediately bowed, holding her breath.
After a moment, Elder Guangwei spoke, “I saw this child a few months ago when she had just broken through the first bottleneck. I didn’t expect her to break through the second so quickly.”
Another elder Li Fei didn’t recognize said curiously, “But she didn’t have the spiritual energy fluctuations typical of breaking through a bottleneck. How did she achieve this level of cultivation? Who is her master?”
Elder Dongyang replied, “Her master is Chongyi, who is currently in seclusion at the peak of Zuiyu Peak.”
Ah, so she’s Chongyi’s disciple! No wonder she’s a bit unusual. The elders immediately understood.
One elder smiled, “Since her cultivation is sufficient and she has prior camaraderie, she’s more than suitable.”
The other elders nodded in agreement.
Li Fei remained silent, utterly confused. What were these elders up to?
She secretly glanced back at the other dozen or so disciples and realized she didn’t recognize any of them. Moreover, these disciples were older than those who went to Chestnut Valley earlier. The oldest looked to be in his thirties. They all wore expressions of confusion, seemingly as lost as she was.
Elder Dongyang suddenly stepped forward and announced in a clear voice, “Listen well, all of you. The major immortal sects have discovered another excellent trial ground, perfectly suited for disciples who have broken through the second bottleneck. The ownership of this place has not yet been determined. Tomorrow, you will be led by myself and Elder Guangwei to this trial ground. You may encounter disciples from other sects, so you must give your all in representing Wu Yue Court!”
The disciples immediately burst into discussion. A new trial ground? This was certainly good news, but the so-called “exchange and interaction” was likely a polite way of saying they might engage in magical battles!
Although these disciples had all broken through the second bottleneck and experienced numerous trials, fighting against monsters and beasts was completely different from fighting against humans. Almost none of them had ever dueled with cultivators of similar levels. Upon hearing this news, they all became nervous.
It was well known that while the major immortal sects maintained a harmonious facade, there were countless hidden conflicts beneath the surface. But wasn’t it a bit too early to involve disciples who had just broken through the second bottleneck in such duels?
Seeing the hesitation and fear on the disciples’ faces, Elder Guangwei frowned and said sternly, “What are you afraid of? You’ve already stepped into the world of cultivation with one foot. Once you’re in, there’s no turning back! If anyone lacks this resolve, leave Wu Yue Court now!”
His words left everyone below in stunned silence.
Elder Dongyang also spoke seriously, “This matter is extremely important. From now on, you are strictly forbidden from communicating with the outside world! The same applies within the sect. No matter who asks, you are not to speak of this! Anyone who violates this will be immediately expelled from Wu Yue Court! Tomorrow at dawn, gather here to depart for the trial ground.”