In a dilapidated courtyard within the Menial Disciple quarters.
Liu Hongyu opened her eyes, exhausted, her brows tightly furrowed.
“Why am I still stuck at the 1st stage Qi Refining Realm…”
“Damn it! Could it be that the spiritual energy here is too thin, not as abundant as the Nine Main Peaks?”
After several days without any progress in cultivation, Liu Hongyu couldn’t help but grow anxious and began searching for reasons. Since she couldn’t change her aptitude anymore, the only method left to improve was through cultivation resources…
Li Qinghuan and Lu Mengyao also finished cultivating and opened their eyes, their expressions filled with bitterness.
“At this rate, how long will it take to break through to the 2nd stage Qi Refining Realm?”
“Those disciples who joined the Nine Peaks have probably already reached the 2nd stage…”
“If this continues, in less than three months, we’ll be expelled from the Heavenly Mystic Immortal Sect…” Li Qinghuan said anxiously.
She didn’t want to be kicked out. If she were forced to leave and become a rogue cultivator, not only would she be bullied by other sects’ disciples, she would also have no access to cultivation resources.
That would completely sever her path of cultivation!
And besides, she was still waiting for the appearance of “Senior Brother Xu”—the man she had longed for in her past life. Maybe this time, she would have the chance to reconnect with him…
“The spiritual energy here is just too sparse—completely inferior to the Nine Peaks…”
“I remember in our previous life, Ye Chen even set up a Gathering Formation on Sword-Hiding Peak just for us. Only in that kind of environment could our cultivation speed improve…” Lu Mengyao recalled aloud.
She was gradually realizing that without Ye Chen and without Sword-Hiding Peak, their cultivation speed now was like heaven and earth compared to before.
And now, without the Marrow-Cleansing Pill to enhance their aptitude, everything was even slower.
Hearing this, Liu Hongyu and Li Qinghuan turned to look at her, a flicker of hesitation flashing across their faces…
“Are we really going to Sword-Hiding Peak to beg Ye Chen?” Li Qinghuan frowned and gritted her teeth.
Right now, the only way to quickly improve their cultivation speed was by getting Ye Chen’s help… but her pride wouldn’t allow it. Deep down, she still resented Ye Chen and thought of nothing else but killing him.
“I will never bow to Ye Chen…” Liu Hongyu said coldly, her expression unwavering.
“Even without the Marrow-Cleansing Pill, even without those cultivation resources, I will still reach the Emperor Realm!”
“One day, I will kill Ye Chen with my own hands…”
She had never changed her mind, nor had she ever let go of her obsession with killing Ye Chen.
In her eyes, she had reached the Emperor Realm in her previous life purely on her own strength. Ye Chen didn’t help her—if anything, he held her back from being accepted as a disciple under Sect Master Han Mengli.
In this life, she would prove herself no matter what.
There was no way she would go beg Ye Chen and let him see her as a joke.
Doing that would be the same as trampling her pride and dignity into the ground—it would hurt more than death.
Hearing Liu Hongyu’s words, Li Qinghuan and Lu Mengyao hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
Their hearts had wavered, but remembering their hatred from the previous life, they quickly gave up the thought of asking Ye Chen for help.
“You three, go to Sword-Hiding Peak!” she said indifferently.
Liu Hongyu frowned and looked up in confusion.
“What are we going to Sword-Hiding Peak for?”
Countless thoughts rushed through her mind at that moment…
Could it be that Ye Chen had sent someone to apologize?
Was he trying to ask them to return to Sword-Hiding Peak as disciples?
Li Qinghuan and Lu Mengyao also perked up their ears curiously…
Could it be that Ye Chen realized the mistakes of his past life and was now full of regret?
Was he trying to make it up to them?
“Don’t be stupid!” the female disciple snapped.
“Of course you’re going to Sword-Hiding Peak to work. Did you think someone was inviting you to a feast?”
“Take a look at yourselves—do you even know your place?”
“Don’t forget to bring your brooms.”
She shot them an irritated glance. What else could Menial Disciples do on the Nine Peaks?
Obviously, they were being sent to do chores.
Why did these three act like they were still nobles or something?
“What?”
“You want us to do menial labor on Sword-Hiding Peak?” Lu Mengyao was the first to object, shouting in disbelief.
Liu Hongyu and Li Qinghuan’s eyes widened too, staring at the disciple in shock.
For a moment, they thought they must’ve misheard.
In their past life, they hadn’t done any chores on Sword-Hiding Peak. Their only focus had been cultivation. Even meals had been prepared by Ye Chen, and all the cleaning was handled by other Menial Disciples.
And now… they had been reduced to cleaning duty?
“This is Elder Qian Tang’s order…”
“If you’ve got a problem, go talk to him yourself!” the female disciple said casually.
She was only here to deliver the message. Whether they went or not was none of her concern. Her task was complete the moment she passed on the instruction.
“Damn it! They’re actually making us do chores…”
“This has to be Ye Chen’s doing!”
In her mind, this was clearly Ye Chen’s revenge.
She had thought he was going to apologize and ask for forgiveness—but instead, he was humiliating them.
Her hatred for Ye Chen only deepened. She wanted nothing more than to kill him right this second.
“It’s definitely him! That bastard…” Li Qinghuan cursed angrily.
“He must be afraid our strength will rise and threaten him, so he’s deliberately using this to keep us too busy to cultivate…”
“Such a vicious scheme!”
“What should we do now? Can we refuse to go?” Lu Mengyao asked through gritted teeth, her voice filled with unease.
Hearing their curses, the female disciple’s expression shifted, and her eyes turned sharp.
Ye Chen was one of the Nine Peak Masters of the Heavenly Mystic Immortal Sect—his status in the sect was second only to the Sect Master!
If he found out that some Menial Disciples were openly disrespecting him like this, the entire Menial Hall could be punished…
“How dare you!”
“You actually have the nerve to call Elder Ye by name?”
“You fools! Do you want to get the whole Menial Hall in trouble?”
“Shut your mouths!”
She shouted angrily and slapped Liu Hongyu and Li Qinghuan across the face.
Slap!
Slap!
Two crisp, loud smacks echoed through the courtyard.
Liu Hongyu and Li Qinghuan froze, their cheeks burning, their minds going blank.
Someone actually dared to slap them?
In their past life, every disciple in the sect treated them with utmost respect.
When had they ever been humiliated like this?
Now, even a mere Menial Disciple dared to lay hands on them?
This was outrageous… utterly humiliating!