Ji Sui'an was taken aback. "Elder Ji, you are willing to take me as your disciple?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Ji Qingya's eyes held a smile. "I've long been envious that Xuan Xiao has such a fine disciple like you. Now that I have the chance for you to become my disciple, I naturally couldn't be more delighted!"
Looking into Ji Qingya's smiling eyes, Ji Sui'an immediately knelt down. "Disciple Ji Sui'an pays respects to Master!"
Xuan Xiao flicked his sleeve and sneered coldly. "Birds of a feather truly flock together."
Ji Xunzhou scolded angrily, exasperated by her lack of ambition. "Choosing Misty Peak over Qinghua Peak—how could I have such an unambitious daughter!"
Ji Sui'an looked at her own birth father, her voice cold enough to freeze ice. "Then you can pretend you don't have a daughter like me. I don't want a father like you either."
"You!" Ji Xunzhou trembled with anger. "Ungrateful daughter!"
Ji Yun'er looked at her pitifully. "Senior Sister, why are you leaving Qinghua Peak? Did Yun'er upset you?"
Before Ji Sui'an could speak, Ji Qingya glared at her and snorted coldly. "You little girl are quite cunning. She can leave Qinghua Peak whenever she wants—does she need to report to you?"
Ji Yun'er was left speechless, bowing her head as tears fell. "Yun'er has overstepped."
A beauty shedding tears would soften anyone's heart, but unfortunately, she was facing Ji Sui'an and Ji Qingya, who had no appreciation for such delicate sentiments.
"You know you've overstepped," Ji Qingya scoffed lightly, glancing around. "From today onward, if I hear anyone gossiping about my disciple, don't blame me for pulling out their tongue!"
With that, he turned to Ji Sui'an gently. "Good disciple, this place is truly detestable."
He snapped his fingers, and a Spirit Crane arrived instantly from the distance.
Xie Qingchen hadn't paid any attention to the people present from start to finish. He flashed onto the back of the Spirit Crane, his hair lifted by the breeze as he lowered his head.
Ji Qingya raised his head proudly. "Good disciple, let's go."
Ji Sui'an smiled, curling her lips. "Alright."
Leaving Qinghua Peak was at least the first step.
"You… you!" Ji Yun'er hadn't expected that even after lowering herself, that old man would be so disrespectful!
Ji Sui'an, just you wait!
She had already promised the System that within three months, she would seize all of Ji Sui'an's Exotic Fire and Artifact Refining talent. The Longevity Years she had advanced to the System today, she would reclaim every bit from Ji Sui'an!
Lingyun Immortal Sect was the top sect in the Central Continent, consisting of twelve main peaks, twenty inner peaks, and forty-six outer peaks. Its vast territory was the largest in the Central Continent.
Misty Peak was located in the easternmost part of the main peak area, remote and isolated. It only had one Mid-grade Spiritual Vein, completely incomparable to other main peaks that possessed two High-grade Spiritual Veins. The only residents were Peak Master Ji Qingya and his four disciples.
As for why no disciples chose Misty Peak, the reasons were quite simple.
First, resources on the peak were scarce. Second, Misty Peak Master Ji Qingya was on extremely bad terms with Sect Master Ji Xunzhou and the top Sword Cultivator, Sword Venerable Xuanxiao.
Thus, although Misty Peak was a main peak, its resources were even inferior to those of the inner peaks.
As a result, disciples feared that choosing Misty Peak would mean not only lacking a master's guidance and resource cultivation but also facing targeting from other main peaks, so they kept their distance.
Misty Peak.
Xie Qingchen leisurely flew down from the Spirit Crane, not even glancing at the two, and headed straight back to his small courtyard.
Ji Sui'an gave his retreating figure a somewhat puzzled glance. She remembered that this Young Grandmaster rarely returned to the Lingyun Immortal Sect. Including this encounter, she had only seen him twice in both lifetimes combined.
In her previous life, around this time, it seemed his cultivation base had plummeted, so he returned to the sect to recuperate. After recovering within a couple of years, he left the sect and never returned before her death.
"Good disciple, what are you thinking about?"
Ji Sui'an snapped back to reality and said, "I was just wondering if Young Grandmaster's injuries are alright."
Ji Qingya waved his hand dismissively. "Injuries are commonplace for him. As long as he's not dead, it's all fine. Don't worry, disciple."
He started walking forward. "Come, Master will take you to your courtyard."
Ji Sui'an followed closely behind her new master, listening to his introduction.
"On our Ethereal Peak, including you, there are five disciples. Your Eldest Senior Sister, Eldest Senior Brother, and Second Senior Brother are out on a training journey. Your Third Senior Brother went to Jinling City and should return in a few days."
As she listened, Ji Sui'an's thoughts drifted. She remembered that Ji Qingya's four disciples were all children he had picked up from outside the sect.
In her previous life, in the second year after the demon realm reappeared, Ji Qingya left the Lingyun Immortal Sect and did not return for months, his Life Tablet extinguishing.
After news of Ji Qingya's death spread, his disciples returned to the sect, destroyed more than half of the main peak of the Lingyun Immortal Sect, then rebelled and left the sect, their whereabouts unknown thereafter.
Ji Sui'an lowered her gaze. However, she had heard rumors that after rebelling, two of Ji Qingya's disciples seemed to have gone to the demon realm.
"Good disciple, from today onward, you'll live here. To the right is the courtyard where your Young Grandmaster is currently staying. To the left is your Eldest Senior Sister's courtyard. Since you're both female cultivators, it'll be easier to look out for each other."
Ji Sui'an looked up and saw an exceptionally exquisite courtyard.
She was surprised. "Master, do I live here alone?"
Ji Qingya chuckled. "Of course."
Remembering that Ji Sui'an was the sect leader's daughter, he asked, "Don't you like it? There are several other vacant courtyards, but they're all near your senior brothers. Should I take you to see them?"
Ji Sui'an, however, pursed her lips, her voice low but firm. "This place is fine, Master. I like it very much."
At this time in her previous life, she had already been forced to move to a cave dwelling at the foot of Qinghua Peak. The base of the main peak was permeated with Sword Qi left behind by Sword Cultivators, making it impossible for her to even rest inside.
Ji Qingya was taken aback for a moment, then patted his disciple's fluffy head. "If you like it, that's good."
Strange. Given his little disciple's status and talent, she should be the most esteemed disciple in the Lingyun Immortal Sect. Yet, why did she give him an inexplicable sense of pitifulness, making him feel extremely fond and protective?
He shook his head, dismissing the strange thought. He must be overthinking it. Although Ji Xunzhou was becoming increasingly annoying, he surely wouldn't mistreat his own daughter.
"By the way," Ji Qingya said with a slight frown, "if there's nothing important among your belongings on Qinghua Peak, don't go back to retrieve them. Master will get you new ones."
Ji Sui'an nodded. "There's nothing important."
Ji Qingya took out a Mustard Seed Bag and handed it over. "Then don't go back to get them."
"Alright." Ji Sui'an had no objections.
As evening approached, Ji Qingya spoke softly, "You were injured today. There are pills in the Mustard Seed Bag. Rest well today and don't use any spiritual power."
"Yes, Master."
That night.
Ji Sui'an sat by the window, clutching the token of a Direct Disciple of Qinghua Peak in her palm.
Many years ago, she was Sword Venerable Xuanxiao's first disciple. She addressed him as 'Shizun,' but he said to call him 'Shifu' instead, to regard him as a second father.
That year, she was only eight years old, and she truly came to see Xuan Xiao as her second father.
In the following years, he took in many more disciples. Because she entered the sect early and was young, the disciples of Qinghua Peak respectfully called her 'Little Senior Sister.'
Yet the title 'Shifu' remained one only she could use—until Ji Yun'er became his disciple.
She never understood why her beloved father and master could become like two completely different people in such a short time.
Even now, she still doesn't understand.
But now, she no longer wants to understand. Perhaps the human heart is simply fickle, even if that person is your father or your master.
She clenched her hand, crushing the token directly into powder and scattering it out the window.
Only a few days remained until Ji Yun'er would seize her Exotic Fire. She needed to prepare early.
The next morning.
Ji Sui'an changed into her disciple robes and stepped out of her room.
Feeling the abundant spiritual power within her Qi Sea, which was several times larger than in her previous life, she wished she could swing her sword tens of thousands of times.
Not long after, Xie Qingchen walked out of his courtyard and immediately spotted the young woman diligently swinging her sword in the neighboring yard.
He raised an eyebrow and walked over. "What are you doing?"
Ji Sui'an paused, turned, and saluted with her sword. "Little Grandmaster, this disciple is practicing sword forms."
She remembered that the Little Grandmaster was also a Sword Cultivator. "Does Little Grandmaster not practice sword forms in the morning?"
Xie Qingchen fell silent. How should he put it? Should he say he had never practiced sword forms since birth?
He simply didn't answer and walked to the side to sit down.
Seeing he didn't speak, Ji Sui'an didn't dwell on it and turned back to continue swinging her sword.
Xie Qingchen picked up a pastry, propped his head in his hand, and watched Ji Sui'an practicing.
Strange. Yesterday, it felt as if she were a completely different person, yet today that feeling had vanished without a trace.
Xie Qingchen pondered thoughtfully. Could he have been mistaken?
An hour later, Ji Sui'an stopped, a light sweat beading at her temples.
She turned around but found that Xie Qingchen had already left at some point.
Ji Sui'an cast a Dust-Removal Spell on herself and was about to return to her room when a soft chuckle came from outside the courtyard.
Puzzled, she looked back and saw a young man in yellow robes sitting casually on a branch of the spirit tree outside the yard.