“Gu Er, Senior Brother Ji came down the mountain and brought back some strange things again. Want to come take a look?” Zhong Daoxue, dressed in a light blue sect robe, cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone and called out from beneath a tree.
At that moment, a young girl was lounging comfortably against the tree with her legs casually crossed, warm sunlight filtering through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows across her body.
Hearing Zhong Daoxue’s call, Gu Er stretched lazily, her slender waist arching as she exuded an air of languid ease.
“Coming!” Her voice was crisp and pleasant, carrying a hint of carefree lightness, with the tone rising at the end in a youthful, lively manner.
The moment the words left her lips, she lightly tapped the branch with her toes and leaped down, landing as gracefully as a bird in flight. The blue hair ribbon atop her head fluttered freely with her movement, like a nimble blue fish swimming through the air.
After landing, Gu Er casually brushed off non-existent dust from her clothes, then naturally draped her arm over Zhong Daoxue’s shoulder, pressing close to her in an affectionate manner. Grinning, she said, “Sister Daoxue, let’s go see what treasure Senior Brother Ji managed to dig up this time. Hopefully he didn’t get scammed again like last time, buying some crappy red bracelet.”
Zhong Daoxue stumbled slightly from the force of her gesture, feigning disgust as she pushed Gu Er’s hand away, but her bright eyes were filled with laughter: “You and your sharp tongue. Maybe this time there’s actually something good.”
After relentless effort, Ji Fuli had finally passed the Yingzhao Peak examination in the same year as them and returned to Shaoyang Peak.
Since then, he hadn’t been idle, he went down the mountain every year. His swordsmanship hadn’t shown much improvement, but his skill at running away had certainly increased, likely out of fear of being punished by their master.
Gu Er blinked and asked curiously, “Where’s Zhao Yao? I don’t see her.”
“Why bother with her? She barely responds when you talk to her. Aside from you and Le Feng from Chiyang Peak, has she ever paid anyone else any mind?” Zhong Daoxue pursed her lips, getting annoyed just mentioning Zhao Yao. “She’s like a piece of wood, cold and icy.”
“Hmm…” Gu Er tilted her head, pondering for a moment, then a mischievous smile curled at the corner of her mouth as she joked deliberately, “Maybe it’s because I’m just too good-looking, so that’s why she likes talking to me.”
Zhong Daoxue turned her head to look at Gu Er. Her features had grown increasingly striking with age.
Her peach-blossom eyes sparkled with charm, the corners slightly upturned, as if a thousand stars were hidden within them. Beside her pert, slightly upturned nose, a small mole sat like a red plum blossom in the snow, adding an air of mystery to her androgynous face.
Zhong Daoxue pretended to be angry, shoving Gu Er away with both hands, crossing her arms over her chest, pouting as she said with a hint of playful petulance, “So you’re saying I’m not good-looking?”
Gu Er sidled up with a cheeky grin: “You’re gorgeous! Our Miss Zhong is naturally beautiful, who could possibly compare?”
“Hmph, smooth talker.” Zhong Daoxue let out a cold snort, turned her head away, refusing to look at Gu Er, and strode forward with her head down. The movement set her twin braids swaying, and the strings of beads hanging from her hair ornaments clinked softly with a pleasant, delicate sound.
Gu Er hurried after her: “Sister Daoxue, I’m sorry! Slow down!”
Not only did Zhong Daoxue not slow down, she broke into a light jog.
She turned her head and winked at Gu Er, her eyes curving into crescents, a playful smile spreading across her face as she called out loudly, “Then catch me! If you catch me, I’ll stop!”
Time flew like an arrow, and the sun and moon shifted like a shuttle. In the blink of an eye, Gu Er had already spent nearly three years at Lingyun Sect. She had inquired throughout the sect, high and low, inside and out, but had never found anyone named Cen Shiqing.
However, she did hear that Qingmiao Sect had produced a genius disciple. Based on the descriptions given by other disciples, it seemed to match the appearance of the female lead.
The two chased each other along the winding path, their skirts and hems fluttering wildly in the wind.
The flowers and grass they passed swayed gently in response. Before long, they arrived at the bustling Shaoyang Peak.
On the martial arts training ground, a group of disciples were practicing their swordplay, drenched in sweat. Sword shadows flashed, and from time to time, powerful shouts rang out.
“Little junior sister, here to see Senior Brother Ji again?” A senior brother who was directing the disciples’ sword practice on Shaoyang Peak waved at them from a distance.
Zhong Daoxue trotted over, flashing a sweet smile, and asked politely, “Yes, is Senior Brother Ji in?”
The cultivator casually wiped the sweat from his face, pointed in a direction, and said with a hint of teasing in his eyes, “He’s in. He’s been looking forward to you and your friend coming over.”
Zhong Daoxue and Gu Er thanked him and headed in the direction he indicated. Soon, they arrived at Ji Fuli’s residence.
Because the structure of each peak was different, some peaks had disciples living in cave dwellings, some in small huts, and others on the water. Shaoyang Peak, however, had its disciples living in wooden cabins.
Zhong Daoxue raised her hand and gently pushed open the wooden door. With a creak, the door slowly swung open.
“Senior Brother Ji, are you there?” Zhong Daoxue called softly.
With that, the two stepped inside together. The interior was simply furnished, with an antique wooden table at the center, on which lay some books, brushes, and ink. Several landscape paintings hung on the walls, adding a touch of elegance to the room.
“You two are here?” Ji Fuli, hearing the noise, emerged from the inner room, a warm smile on his face. He was still wearing the vermilion-brown robe he had not yet changed out of since coming down the mountain, with a patterned silk sash tied around his waist, making him look neat and sharp.
Senior Brother Ji strode quickly to the table, picked up a small, exquisite round ball, and said proudly, “Come, let me show you the treasure I just obtained.” The ball was covered in strange patterns, shimmering with a mysterious luster under the sunlight.
“Isn’t this just the shell of one of those demon beasts?” Zhong Daoxue leaned in for a closer look, her eyes full of confusion.
“This isn’t an ordinary demon beast shell. Let me show you how impressive it is.” Ji Fuli shook his head and said with an air of mystery.
The group went together to an open space behind the mountain.
Ji Fuli stood still, the corners of his mouth lifting. He gripped the round ball in his right hand, gently pulled the string on top with his left, then quickly tossed it while casting a spell to set up a barrier.
With a thunderous boom, the ball exploded in the open space, sparks flying in all directions. The powerful shockwave snapped the surrounding trees, and leaves from distant branches rustled down.
Zhong Daoxue’s eyes widened, and she clapped her hands in applause: “That’s amazing! But honestly, it’s not that different from an ordinary explosive artifact.” She frowned as she spoke.
Ji Fuli explained unhurriedly, “This thing really isn’t of much use to us, but it’s a different story in the mortal world. Dharma artifacts and explosive talismans require spiritual power to activate. But this doesn’t need spiritual power, even an ordinary person can use it. Just give the cord a light pull, and it unleashes tremendous power. And if you don’t pull the cord, it won’t explode easily either.”
Gu Er stood off to the side, quietly watching everything, yet a strange feeling welled up in her heart. The more she looked at this explosive ball, the more familiar it seemed, wasn’t this just a modernized version of a hand grenade?
Could Cen Shiqing have made it, or had another transmigrator appeared? Was this world about to become riddled with holes like a sieve?
Her brows furrowed slightly, a flicker of doubt passing through her eyes, and she couldn’t help asking, “Senior Brother Ji, where did you buy this thing?”
“I got it at an auction at Baoling Pavilion,” Ji Fuli replied with a proud look on his face. “There were tons of people bidding on this thing, but I had some old connections with their shopkeeper, so I managed to get a few from him.”
He didn’t mention at all how he’d shamelessly and thick-skinnedly snatched them.
Gu Er’s heart stirred, and she quickly asked, “Senior Brother Ji, do you have any extras? I’d like to buy a few to study.”
Ji Fuli’s face showed some difficulty, and he said helplessly, “There was a purchase limit at the auction, so I only got three. But considering our friendship, and since I have no use for them, I’ll give you the remaining two.”
Hearing this, Gu Er was delighted and quickly reached for her storage pouch, intending to take out spirit stones as payment. But Ji Fuli hastily waved his hand and said with a smile, “Between fellow disciples, why talk about spirit stones? That’s too formal.”
Gu Er looked at Ji Fuli gratefully and thanked him repeatedly.
Zhong Daoxue, standing nearby, was full of confusion. She tugged at Gu Er’s sleeve and asked, “Why are you buying this? You can’t use it either.”
Gu Er blinked, leaned in mysteriously close to Zhong Daoxue, and lowered her voice, “Just buying it to study, you know? Maybe I’ll discover something interesting.”
The three returned inside the house, and Ji Fuli handed the remaining two explosive balls on the table to Gu Er. Then he carried out a pill furnace from inside the room. The furnace was ancient in style, with faint pill patterns visible on its surface, clearly no ordinary item.
“This is a pill furnace I picked up from the black market. Anyway, I’m a sword cultivator and have no use for it, so Junior Sister Xue, you should take it,” Ji Fuli said, his eyes bright as he looked at Zhong Daoxue.
“Senior Brother Ji, this is too precious, I can’t accept it,” Zhong Daoxue said, her eyes widening as she waved her hands frantically, shaking her head like a rattle-drum.
“Oh, it’s a worthless thing. Sitting here with me, it’s only good for cooking or gathering dust, better to let it fulfill its original purpose. Besides, before we came down the mountain, I said I’d bring you a treasure. Since Junior Sister Gu took the explosive balls, you should accept this furnace,” Ji Fuli said, waving his hand dismissively as he continued to persuade.
Zhong Daoxue couldn’t refuse any further and had no choice but to nod in agreement. Knowing that Ji Fuli wouldn’t accept spirit stones, she bit her lip and said, “Senior Brother Ji, if there’s ever anything you need me for, you must let me know.”
After chatting for a while longer, the two bid Ji Fuli farewell and walked side by side away from Shaoyang Peak. Gu Er escorted Zhong Daoxue all the way back to Tianling Peak.
Tianling Peak was shrouded in swirling mist, like gossamer veils dancing gracefully. Spirit birds sang with melodious, crisp calls that echoed through the valley.
Spiritual plants flourished abundantly on the peak, with colorful spirit flowers blooming wantonly. Spiritual energy swirled and coalesced into wisps of spiritual mist, as if this were a paradise on earth.
Gu Er waved her hand to bid farewell to Zhong Daoxue: “Sister Daoxue, I’m heading off now.”
Hearing this, Zhong Daoxue’s brows drooped slightly, a flicker of disappointment passing through her eyes. “It’s still early, and you don’t have class today. Why not stay with me a while longer on Tianling Peak?”
Gu Er reached out to smooth the stray strands of hair by Zhong Daoxue’s temple, offering an apologetic smile and speaking gently: “I have something to take care of, I need to go to Chenming Peak. I can’t keep you company for now.”
“Alright, go ahead and take care of your business then.” Zhong Daoxue let out a soft sigh, her tone full of regret.
“I’ll come find you as soon as I’m done.” With that, Gu Er hurried off without pause toward Chenming Peak.
On Chenming Peak, spiritual energy was dense. Several massive refining cauldrons were scattered across the martial arena, their flames blazing fiercely and painting half the sky red. The air was thick with the scent of metal and the searing fluctuations of spiritual power.
Following the directions of other disciples on Chenming Peak, Gu Er found Lu Yunqi in a refining chamber.
Lu Yunqi, clad in a plain gray robe and holding a carving knife, was intently inscribing runes onto a piece of spiritual material.