“Master…”

After thinking for a moment, Jian Chou turned directly to look at Fudao Shanren.

Fudao Shanren quickly said, “It’s so wonderful to see you come out alive!”

“…”

Now she was certain that asking Fudao Shanren had been the wrong decision.

Turning her head, she saw Qu Zhengfeng standing beside Fudao Shanren. If it were any other time, Jian Chou would have unhesitatingly asked Qu Zhengfeng about what everyone had come to do…

But now…

Jian Chou felt somewhat hesitant.

Fortunately, she didn’t speak up, but Qu Zhengfeng could see what she wanted to ask.

With a slight smile, his eyes showed complete calmness.

“We were all worried that Senior Sister Jian Chou might have an accident during cultivation, so we hurried here to check. The ‘Human Artifact’ body refinement method is extremely dangerous—one careless move could lead to eternal damnation. Now that we can see Senior Sister emerge safely, we can rest assured.”

His voice paused, and Qu Zhengfeng glanced at Jian Chou from head to toe.

The skin on her cheeks still had a slight rosy flush, but he could see that pearl-like lustrous fairness. Though she was just standing ordinarily by the door, it seemed as if one could feel the power accumulated in her limbs and bones.

This feeling…

Very familiar.

The smile at the corners of Qu Zhengfeng’s lips deepened as he cupped his hands and said, “I haven’t yet congratulated Senior Sister for successfully cultivating the ‘Human Artifact’ body refinement method and achieving a body of gold and iron.”

“She succeeded?”

Shen Jiu and the others nearby immediately exclaimed in surprise.

Even Fudao Shanren was stunned for a moment, looking at Jian Chou suspiciously: “But it’s only been three days…”

Shouldn’t it be that Jian Chou had failed her attempt, or hadn’t started yet, or had only cultivated halfway, or had just tried it casually?

She had already completed the first layer?

Are you kidding, this mountain hermit!

Jian Chou remained silent for a moment, meeting everyone’s gaze, and finally nodded.

“Didn’t Master say that I have a Heavenly Void Constitution, and that before reaching the out-of-body stage, cultivation would be very fast? Three days… shouldn’t be particularly fast, right?”

“…”

Fudao Shanren immediately clutched his chest.

His heart hurt so much!

That one sentence stabbed him a full hundred times!

He couldn’t speak anymore, nor did he want to.

The others all looked disheveled in the wind.

In the middle of the night, everyone had been worried about Senior Sister Jian Chou’s safety and was preparing to knock on the door, but unexpectedly, their beloved Senior Sister Jian Chou opened the door and threw a thunderbolt at them!

Three days to complete a realm that others needed five days for!

And then she said, “Shouldn’t be particularly fast, right?”!

They hadn’t come to show concern for Senior Sister—they had come to get beaten up.

Jian Chou could roughly understand everyone’s thoughts and couldn’t help but laugh.

She glanced at Qu Zhengfeng and said lightly, “But to see through my current body refinement realm at a glance, Junior Brother Qu’s eyesight is truly exceptional.”

Although it was in such a situation where everyone was present, calling him “Junior Brother Qu” still gave Jian Chou a very strange feeling.

Qu Zhengfeng said casually, “I’ve also studied the ‘Human Artifact’ method, so seeing Senior Sister Jian Chou, I already had an idea.”

Hearing this, Shen Jiu couldn’t help but take another look at Qu Zhengfeng.

There had been some particularly unreliable rumors on Yashan, one of which was that Qu Zhengfeng had once cooked people in a cauldron.

Originally, Shen Jiu hadn’t taken this seriously and didn’t care at all, but when he learned that Senior Sister Jian Chou was using a cauldron to cook herself, he began to have doubts…

Could it be that Qu Zhengfeng had also used the “Human Artifact” method for body refinement?

Otherwise, how could he be so familiar with it?

At most, they could only see that Senior Sister Jian Chou’s skin had improved somewhat.

Jian Chou here also had doubts in her heart, but it wasn’t good to ask too many questions.

At least on the surface, she and Qu Zhengfeng were still senior and junior disciples, appearing harmonious and joyful.

“Now that Master and all junior brothers have seen that I’m fine, you don’t need to worry anymore, right? It’s so late—aren’t you going back?”

“Wait, wait, wait, I have something to tell Senior Sister.”

Shen Jiu quickly spoke up.

Jian Chou looked over: “What matter does Junior Brother Shen have?”

“Well… our Yashan has been recruiting new disciples recently. Because Senior Sister has gained great fame in our Central Domain’s Left Three Thousand recently, many female cultivators have come admiringly, wanting to follow Senior Sister’s example and join our Yashan sect. The Sect Leader said he hopes to ask Senior Sister to come out and oversee the recruitment of new disciples. After all, Senior Sister is currently the most talented person in our Yashan…”

Shen Jiu explained the whole situation.

When she heard that she had “great fame,” Jian Chou suddenly felt speechless.

Being within Yashan, Jian Chou didn’t know how she was being talked about outside.

However, carefully thinking about what she had done in less than two months since entering Yashan, Jian Chou knew that the outside rumors were probably quite outrageous.

Things like “running away at the slightest disagreement,” “Yashan’s number one female cultivator who uses axes”…

Now, there should be added “rare female body cultivation practitioner.”

She had accumulated all the bad reputations…

Sighing heavily in her heart, Jian Chou didn’t understand how she, originally a gentle and weak woman, had become like this.

Shaking her head, she dismissed all the strange thoughts from her mind.

Jian Chou thought for a moment and blurted out: “Are you sure it’s not that the Sect Leader doesn’t want to manage so many affairs himself, so he’s randomly finding someone to take the blame?”

“…”

For a moment, Shen Jiu almost wanted to kneel to Jian Chou.

On his handsome face appeared a kind of unusual worship. He carefully looked around in all directions, then coughed and said, “Well… isn’t it because Senior Sister is the most suitable?”

“Most suitable to take the blame?”

Jian Chou smiled and added a sentence.

Shen Jiu immediately began to laugh awkwardly: “This is also unavoidable.”

Choosing Jian Chou was indeed the best choice.

Among the new generation of disciples, she had the highest talent, cultivated the fastest, and was the strongest—the Yashan Senior Sister, a female cultivator no weaker than any male cultivator.

She had once struck back Xu Lan’er with one pole, once broke through the Scripture Pavilion’s main door with one kick, and once kicked Zhou Baozhu flying…

On the Western Sea, she had even saved many people from Wangjiang Tower, spreading her fame far and wide.

Of course, the one with the greatest contribution here was Wei Xiang, with her big mouth who couldn’t wait to tell everyone that she had seen the Yashan Senior Sister back then—so handsome, so handsome!

So, if one were to ask who among Yashan’s disciples who had entered in the recent two years was most suitable to do this job, it would naturally be none other than Jian Chou.

“Previously, this kind of thing was done by Second Senior Brother, but now…” Shen Jiu glanced at Qu Zhengfeng and smiled, “Now that Second Senior Brother is no longer the former Senior Brother, naturally it should be changed to Senior Sister.”

Upon hearing this, Jian Chou’s expression slightly changed.

Unexpectedly, Qu Zhengfeng himself seemed quite calm and said, “Having Senior Sister Jian Chou go would be perfect.”

Sincere?

False?

Jian Chou didn’t know.

She looked toward Fudao Shanren.

Fudao Shanren quickly said, “Anyway, this mountain hermit won’t go. It’s good for you to go, Jian Chou girl. You were so miserable crossing the Yashan Path back then, now you have a chance to see how others suffer—that would be quite satisfying.”

“Just like how Master watched me cross the Yashan Path back then?”

Jian Chou asked directly.

Fudao Shanren choked a bit, his old face reddening as he said, “Do I, your master, seem like such a perverted person?”

At that instant, all of Fudao Shanren’s disciples looked at each other.

The meaning in their eyes was self-evident—

Not seem like you fundamentally are one!

This night, Fudao Shanren was destined to receive contempt from all his disciples.

Of course…

This night, Jian Chou was also destined to receive sympathy from the others.

With the matter settled, when little fatty Jiang He left, he patted Jian Chou’s shoulder with complex feelings, speaking in an old-fashioned tone: “Senior Sister, my condolences…”

After saying this, he walked away with a vicissitudinous expression.

Jian Chou was somewhat baffled.

Shen Jiu looked and shrugged, originally preparing to leave as well, but suddenly remembered something and said to Jian Chou: “Senior Sister, there’s a thunder message for you at Returning Crane Well.”

Thunder message?

Who would send her a thunder message?

Jian Chou was surprised for a moment but still nodded: “Thank you for the reminder, Junior Brother Shen. I’ll go look later.”

Shen Jiu also nodded in acknowledgment and soon left with everyone else.

Qu Zhengfeng also showed no abnormality, seeming not to pay Jian Chou any extra attention before disappearing without a trace.

As if…

He had never drawn his sword against her on the scabbard summit.

Jian Chou found it wonderful, feeling that this Junior Brother Qu truly lived up to being someone who could once intimidate the entire Yashan sect.

Just this skill at hiding emotions was something she couldn’t match even if she tried.

Seeing that everyone had left, Jian Chou directly stepped forward, and the Liwai Mirror flew out according to her will, its glazed golden light seeming to have become a few degrees purer.

At this moment, all was silent.

The high cliffs of Yashan, under the moon’s shadow, were bathed in a layer of silver radiance.

In the half-darkness, a stream of glazed golden light fell from high on the cliff face, like a curved golden rainbow, landing beside Returning Crane Well.

The cranes had long since gone to sleep, and Da Bai’e was also dozing by the water’s edge.

Jian Chou gently walked forward two steps, raised her hand and waved, sending out a stream of spiritual light. Immediately, sparse patches of silver light appeared on the surface of Returning Crane Well.

Among them, one silver light was surrounded by flickering blue electric arcs, looking particularly different from the others.

Really a thunder message…

Jian Chou reached out with her finger, and that thunder message silver light seemed to sense something, jumping directly toward the water surface and instantly flying toward Jian Chou’s palm.

Crack, crackle, pop…

Electric arcs scattered wildly.

Jian Chou only felt a slight numbing sensation between her fingers.

However, after the electric arcs passed through the flesh of her hand for a short time, they disappeared completely.

Half was because the electric arcs on this thunder message weren’t very strong to begin with, and the other half was because Jian Chou’s body of gold and iron had just formed—such tiny electric arcs were naturally no problem.

She applied force with her fingers, and instantly saw a burst of electric light explode before her eyes, the crackling sounds immediately growing louder!

Countless electric arcs shot out, making Jian Chou’s vision somewhat dizzy.

However, in just a moment, these wildly dancing electric arcs had already connected into lines of ancient, simple characters.

When she first saw these characters, Jian Chou felt confused.

Whether in the human world’s isolated island of Great Xia or the Nineteen Continents, she had learned quite a few scripts, but didn’t remember any script that looked like this.

But strangely…

Though she didn’t recognize them, the moment she saw these characters, she already understood their meaning.

Just a short sentence.

“Western Sea, great dream, hasty farewell, didn’t ask about your wellbeing. Now traveling through the Western Sea path, clear skies without rain, Kun asked: ‘Do you have no friends?’ Thus, I thought of an old friend and inquired about their safety.”

Western Sea, Great Dream Reef…

Kun?

Looking at this thunder message, Jian Chou truly felt like she was lost in a fog.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her mind, and she frowned.

Was this that mayfly?

What floated up in her mind was that sentence from Fudao Shanren—

Supremely demonic and evil.

Mayflies live from dawn to dusk…

Such a tiny creature, if it went against the natural order and opposed Heaven, wanting to achieve longevity, would indeed become something supremely demonic and evil?

Jian Chou wasn’t certain.

This “Mayfly Lord Morning Life” actually called himself an “old friend,” which was extremely strange to Jian Chou.

Just as Jian Chou was pondering, suddenly a sharp, piercing sound came through the air!

Frowning, she instinctively flicked out a finger, a stream of spiritual energy shooting out immediately, scattering the thunder message before her eyes, electric arcs dancing wildly.

Her other hand was raised directly backward!

Whoosh!

The object broke through the wind, instantly hitting her palm!

Jian Chou gripped it forcefully, feeling something ice-cold in her hand.

Amid the chaotic electric arcs, Jian Chou turned back to see that Qu Zhengfeng, who had left earlier, was now standing not far behind her, walking leisurely toward her.

“Your reaction is not bad.”

Jian Chou frowned and gently opened her hand.

“Clatter…”

A small dagger that she had crushed and deformed with one palm fell from her hand to the ground, having already become a twisted mass of scrap metal.

“Junior… Senior Brother Qu.”

In private, she had to call Qu Zhengfeng Senior Brother.

Jian Chou had lost that previous match.

She admitted that she indeed didn’t have the qualifications to be the current Yashan Senior Sister, so this address was spoken with conviction.

Qu Zhengfeng glanced at the scrap metal by her feet and said, “Stronger than me.”

Jian Chou was slightly surprised.

Qu Zhengfeng didn’t explain, only saying, “At daybreak, many people will appear across from the Yashan rope bridge. Tomorrow you’ll have to oversee the recruitment of new disciples—how do you feel?”

Jian Chou smiled: “Senior Brother isn’t here to have a heart-to-heart talk with me, is he?”

“…”

Qu Zhengfeng was silent for a long while, glanced at the electric arcs around her, and said, “Just passing by. I happened to have a small dagger with me, so I thought I’d test to what degree Junior Sister’s body of gold and iron has reached.”

With a casual squeeze, she could turn ordinary iron into a pile of scrap.

If she continued cultivating this skill, she might not be unable to cripple him halfway with one kick.

The arc at the corners of Qu Zhengfeng’s lips rose slightly higher.

Jian Chou also glanced at the electric arcs around her that were about to dissipate, lowered her eyelids, and explained: “It’s a thunder message sent by Wuwang Studio…”

Wuwang Studio?

Qu Zhengfeng raised his eyebrows slightly and suddenly looked up.

Under the deep night sky, a gentle breeze suddenly blew over, rippling the surface of Returning Crane Well. A silver light slowly descended onto the water surface, its aura gentle and warm, not violent like the thunder message.

Jian Chou suddenly froze.

The aura of this wind message…

Too familiar.

Every wind message could designate a specific person to receive and read it. This worked on the same principle as reading jade slips—when the message arrived, with a light sensing, one could know the source and destination of the message.

And this was…

Wuwang Studio.

Jian Chou stood in place, feeling her whole body stiffen, unable to speak.

Qu Zhengfeng, standing beside her, could naturally also identify the source of this wind message at a glance: “Mm… Junior Sister Xiao Wan from Wuwang Studio must have recovered from her injuries recently, otherwise she wouldn’t be sending you thunder messages and wind messages…”

A feeling of wanting to laugh welled up.

Qu Zhengfeng shook his head. Originally, seeing Jian Chou standing alone by Returning Crane Well, he had indeed wanted to come up and say a few words, but now…

He turned around, about to leave.

Jian Chou naturally knew that even thinking with her toes, she could guess that no matter how Wuwang Studio sent her messages, it shouldn’t be one thunder message and one wind message. The lie she had just told was almost instantly exposed by this coincidence.

But…

Qu Zhengfeng was just leaving directly?

Jian Chou found it strange. She then turned around, hesitated for a moment, but still asked: “Senior Brother, aren’t you going to ask about the source of that thunder message?”

His steps paused, and Qu Zhengfeng didn’t turn around: “Your message—what does it have to do with me?”

Jian Chou naturally knew what her actions had been when Qu Zhengfeng had ambushed her with the dagger…

Qu Zhengfeng’s cultivation was much higher than hers, so he shouldn’t have missed seeing it.

She took a deep breath: “It’s my message, but isn’t Senior Brother afraid this message comes from demons and evil spirits?”

“Demons and evil spirits?”

Hearing these two words, Qu Zhengfeng finally turned back to look at Jian Chou.

That gaze was extremely strange, as if wondering how she could say such a thing.

“What does Junior Sister think demons and evil spirits are?”

Supremely demonic and evil, riding Kun mayflies.

Jian Chou still remembered the words she had asked Fudao Shanren…

She almost wanted to blurt it out, but when she was about to speak, she somehow stopped.

Seeing that Jian Chou couldn’t answer, Qu Zhengfeng seemed to see something extremely funny and absurd, and burst out laughing.

He didn’t explain what he was laughing about, just shook his head and left.

His laughter still lingered, but his figure had already disappeared.

Jian Chou didn’t understand his meaning, her brow tightly furrowed.

The electric arcs from before had completely disappeared around her, leaving no trace at all.

Mayfly Morning Life’s message, like when he had suddenly disappeared before her, seemed like a dream.

Looking up, on the surface of Returning Crane Well, there was only that wind message from Wuwang Studio.

Wuwang Studio—could it be Xiao Wan?