A handsome young man with a blade of grass between his teeth saw Ji Sui'an turn around and instantly appeared before her.
“So you’re the new disciple the old man took in?”
Ji Sui'an narrowed her eyes slightly. It seemed this was one of her three senior brothers.
She nodded and replied, “I am Elder Ji’s newly accepted disciple. May I ask which senior brother you are?”
The young man didn’t answer her question. Instead, his peach blossom eyes swept over her appraisingly. “The old man’s taste in disciples has really gone downhill.”
Yun Luoyu circled Ji Sui'an once, looking intrigued. “How old are you this year?”
Ji Sui'an lowered her gaze. “Sixteen.”
What a terrible temper this guy has.
“Sixteen?!” Yun Luoyu choked on his own saliva. “That’s really young.”
Looking at the girl who showed no emotional reaction, Yun Luoyu also felt a bit bored. “Alright, I’m your Third Senior Brother, Yun Luoyu.”
Ji Sui'an suddenly looked up. “Yun Luoyu?”
Seeing her surprised expression, Yun Luoyu found it strange. “Why are you so shocked?”
Ji Sui'an lowered her head. “It’s nothing.”
She remembered him—Yun Luoyu.
Yun Luoyu was a child of the Yun family, a renowned alchemy clan in Jinling City. Yet, he rebelled against tradition and wanted to become a Sword Cultivator. After his family refused, he left in anger and was taken in by Ji Qingya, who was traveling outside, becoming his fourth disciple.
But that wasn’t important. What mattered was this:
Three months later, the Yun family would be massacred!
In a single night, rivers of blood would flow. No one would be spared except Yun Luoyu, who was at the Lingyun Immortal Sect.
By the time news of him reached her again, three years had passed, and Ji Sui'an had already been expelled to the outer sect.
But she had also heard of his fate. Yun Luoyu found his enemies, took revenge, but was severely injured, and his strength could no longer advance.
Yun Luoyu watched the little girl’s expression and narrowed his eyes. “What exactly do you want to say?”
Ji Sui'an raised her head and met the young man’s spirited appearance.
For a moment, she was speechless.
Just then, Ji Qingya came looking for Ji Sui'an on some business and immediately spotted the two staring at each other in the courtyard.
“Luoyu, when did you get back? Weren’t you saying yesterday that you’d only return in a couple of days?”
Yun Luoyu snapped out of it and shifted his gaze away.
He crossed his arms and snorted lightly. “I heard you took in a new disciple, so I rushed back to see. Old man, your taste isn’t that great either.”
“No respect for your elders!” Ji Qingya smacked the back of his head. “This is your junior sister!”
Yun Luoyu stumbled two steps and gritted his teeth. “Old man! You promised not to hit my head anymore!”
“Who promised you that?” Ji Qingya stroked his beard smugly.
Ji Sui'an let out a soft laugh, drawing a glare from her Third Senior Brother.
She innocently spread her hands—this has nothing to do with me.
“Sui’an,” Ji Qingya snorted coldly before turning to Ji Sui'an with a gentle expression. “You are now a disciple of Misty Peak. Your master will take you to the Duty Hall to update your registry.”
How could a disciple of their Misty Peak still have their name registered under Qinghua Peak!
“Ji Sui'an?” Yun Luoyu raised an eyebrow with interest upon hearing the familiar name. “The one from Qinghua Peak?”
This Ji Sui'an was quite famous throughout the Central Continent—a once-in-a-millennium genius with a Heavenly-grade Single Spiritual Root, a prodigy who broke through to the Golden Core stage at fourteen, a sixth-grade Alchemist who possessed an Exotic Fire…
How could such a disciple be released by Qinghua Peak and end up at their Misty Peak?
Yun Luoyu narrowed his eyes. Something was off—very, very off.
Ji Sui'an naturally caught the underlying meaning in his words. She smiled and said, "I was indeed a disciple of Qinghua Peak before, but since my strength has declined, Qinghua Peak naturally wouldn't force me to stay."
This time, it was Yun Luoyu's turn to be taken aback. He cleared his throat lightly, "Is that so? No wonder Qinghua Peak let you go."
Ji Qingya sighed. This disciple of his really needed to work on his temper.
He looked at his youngest disciple, "Since it's still early, let's go and come back quickly."
Ji Sui'an nodded, "Alright."
Ji Qingya had originally intended to take only Ji Sui'an, but as soon as the two turned to leave, Yun Luoyu followed, claiming that since he was the only one left on the peak now, he didn't want to guard the mountain gate alone.
Lingyun Immortal Sect, Duty Hall.
The Duty Hall of Lingyun Immortal Sect was located on Qinghua Peak, which covered the largest area, and it wasn't far from Misty Peak. In just a short while, the three arrived outside the Duty Hall.
Outside the hall, disciples immediately recognized Ji Sui'an and began whispering among themselves.
"Look, it's Ji Sui'an!"
"I see her. Didn't she choose to leave Qinghua Peak herself? How does she have the nerve to come back?"
Yun Luoyu swept a cold glance around, frowning slightly.
Wasn't his little junior sister the most valued genius? Why was she being mocked by other disciples like this?
He turned to look at Ji Sui'an, only to find her seemingly oblivious as she walked straight into the Duty Hall.
Yun Luoyu raised an eyebrow. If his little junior sister didn't care, why should he meddle?
Still, as he passed by those disciples, he cast a minor spell.
Hearing the startled cries of the disciples as they fell to the ground, Yun Luoyu whistled, leisurely walked around them, and ascended the steps.
Ji Sui'an turned around in surprise and saw the disciples clutching their legs and rolling on the ground, groaning in pain.
She looked at her Third Senior Brother, who was strolling over casually, her eyes clearly asking: Did you do this?
Yun Luoyu scoffed and glanced at her, "Would I do something so childish?"
Ji Qingya directly exposed him, "You were clearly standing up for your little junior sister. Why the tough talk?"
Yun Luoyu paused mid-step, "Aren't we here to update the register? Let's finish it quickly and go back."
A smile tugged at the corner of Ji Sui'an's lips, and Ji Qingya chuckled as well, scolding affectionately, "Stubborn kid."
Updating the register was simple. The Duty Hall elder stamped it and put it away, "Elder Ji, it's been updated."
He was also somewhat surprised, as updating the register wasn't a major matter—usually, disciples handled it themselves. He hadn't expected Ji Qingya to personally accompany his disciple for this.
Ji Qingya nodded and looked at Ji Sui'an, "Let's go, back to Misty Peak."
Seeing her name removed from Qinghua Peak's register, Ji Sui'an felt a slight sense of relief.
"Alright."
However, as soon as they stepped out of the Duty Hall, they encountered an unwelcome guest.
Ji Yun'er, accompanied by Luo Zhuyuan and Lu Changze, was walking toward the three of them.
"Senior Sister!" The delicate, soft voice reached their ears even before the person arrived.
Ji Sui'an instinctively frowned. Ji Yun'er was truly persistent.
Ji Yun'er hurried forward and grasped Ji Sui'an's hand, "Senior Sister, do you want to return to Qinghua Peak? I'll go beg Master right now!"
Ji Sui'an chuckled lightly, pretending not to notice the fingers probing the jade bracelet on her wrist, "Don't worry. Since I've left Qinghua Peak, I won't go back."
And Ji Yun'er, finding nothing amiss with the jade bracelet, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems it truly is as the System said—Ji Sui'an accidentally got injured during the competition, which affected the jade bracelet, causing it to inflict Cultivation Backlash on her when she transferred her power.
The next moment, she looked up with tears welling in her eyes. "Senior Sister, you must be speaking in anger, right? I’ve always regarded you as my own elder sister. How could you say such things to me?"
Seeing his junior sister in tears, Luo Zhuyuan’s expression instantly turned cold.
"Yun'er is still recovering from her injuries, yet she rushed to see you as soon as she heard you had returned to Qinghua Peak, disregarding her own condition. And this is the attitude you show?"
"Otherwise?" Ji Sui'an raised her eyes, her emotions inexplicably indifferent. "Should I have lined the path to welcome her instead?"
Yun Luoyu let out a soft chuckle, drawing angry glares from Luo Zhuyuan and Lu Changze.
He shrugged nonchalantly. "What are you looking at? I know I’m handsome, and it’s only natural for you to envy me, but don’t stare at me like that. It’s quite rude, you know."
Luo Zhuyuan and Lu Changze twitched at the corners of their mouths—how shameless.
Ji Sui'an turned her gaze expressionlessly. "Master, Senior Brother, let’s go back."
Yun Luoyu raised an eyebrow slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Ji Qingya glanced at Luo Zhuyuan and the other two, noticing their cowering, and had no intention of making a fuss with a few juniors.
With Ji Qingya present, Luo Zhuyuan dared not act too recklessly and could only watch as the three of them walked straight past them.
Lu Changze watched his senior sister’s departing figure, slowly clenching his fist.
As for Ji Yun'er, she stared at Ji Sui'an’s retreating back, a deep malice flashing in her eyes.
Ji Sui'an, let’s see if you can still maintain that lofty attitude after tonight.