Chapter 19

…

Ye Qiao was already exhausted; the demonic beasts were almost completely eliminated. She collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath, not wanting to move.

So tired.

The spiritual energy that had been restless within her was now completely depleted, and amidst the fatigue, she felt an unusual sense of comfort. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she could feel something warm nurturing her from within.

The warmth made her so comfortable that she almost felt drowsy.

Her three senior brothers knew she was exhausted and didn’t disturb her, instead gathering to discuss.

“Did you say earlier that Litte sister hasn’t learned the first form of the Clear Wind Technique?”

Mu Chongxi nodded quickly, “Yes, could she have secretly learned from Elder Duan without me knowing?” Otherwise, it didn’t make sense how she could do it.

Ming Xuan raised an eyebrow. “Is it possible that Litte sister mimicked your sword strike?”

Mu Chongxi: “Huh?”

“Didn’t you notice? At first, Litte sister’s sword strikes were clumsy, like a beginner stumbling along.”

“Then, after repeated adjustments and practice, she gradually learned how to hold the sword correctly and better utilize the sword techniques.”

It was reminiscent of when Ming Xuan demonstrated the method of drawing the Fire Talisman to her once in the library. She was able to perfectly replicate it.

“But, but it took me two months to learn!” Mu Chongxi’s eyes widened, stumbling over his words.

He had spent two months learning the first form of the Clear Wind Technique, and was praised by Elder Duan for his exceptional talent. But Litte sister?

Not even a day.

“Don’t forget, Senior Brother Xue said she has a photographic memory.” Ming Xuan, having experienced the library incident, was much more accepting of the idea. He even tried to console Mu Chongxi, “You might not match her in memory, but in comprehension…”

Mid-sentence, the other two felt something.

They all turned to look at Ye Qiao in astonishment.

She broke through?

Ming Xuan’s shock was unmasked. “…but in comprehension, you might not match her either.”

Her breakthrough speed—did she not have any bottleneck periods?

Mu Chongxi gritted his teeth upon hearing this, “Thank you, you’re really good at comforting people.”

The three quietly stood guard until Ye Qiao stabilized her cultivation at the Foundation Establishment stage. Before the demonic beasts arrived, they had collected all the Qingxin Grass into their storage pouches. They never expected such a significant gain from this training.

After Ye Qiao reached Foundation Establishment, she felt her sea of consciousness expand more than twice its previous size. Before she could appreciate the benefits of this expansion, a pink figure suddenly appeared in front of her.

As soon as Ye Qiao finished her meditation and opened her eyes, she was met with Yun Que’s face. She screamed, “!! Ghost!”

Yun Que’s expression stiffened slightly. She reached out to grab Ye Qiao’s sleeve but was pushed away.

Xue Yu quietly stood in front of Ye Qiao. Without speaking, he already thought that this litte sister from Yueqing Sect had issues after hearing Ye Qiao’s scream.

After being pushed away, Yun Que bit her lip, unwilling to give up. She pleaded bitterly, “Can you give me just one Qingxin Grass?”

“Second Senior Sister, you know, right? I was born with a deficient spiritual root. I still need one more spiritual plant for my medicine.”

Seeing the woman he loved so humiliated, Su Zhuo’s heart ached. “Yes, Second Senior Sister, you have so many. What does it matter to give my litte sister one?”

Ye Qiao didn’t even have time to retort before Ming Xuan’s lips curled up, and he started spewing venom. “Who is your Second Senior Sister? This is our litte sister.”

“Give it to you? Why? Just because your litte sister has a big face?”

“Give you one? Then, since you’re so ugly, you should go die and stop blocking my view.”

Ming Xuan lifted his chin slightly, his lips curled in disdain, as if to say, “You bunch of misshapen pumpkins, I don’t want to see you.” This made Su Zhuo so angry he almost fainted.

“Congratulations on reaching Foundation Establishment, Litte sister.” Xue Yu ignored the commotion, tossing a Stabilizing Spirit Pill to Ye Qiao. “We should head back.”

He also silently noted that he should avoid dealing with these abnormal direct disciples from the Yueqing Sect in the future, especially the one named Yun Que.

“Don’t get too cocky,” Song Hansheng said darkly. Seeing the four of them ignore him, he began to make threats. “We’ll see in the competition.”

None of the four looked back.

Ming Xuan: “Tsk.”

Mu Zhongxi: “Bah.”

Xue Yu: “Oh.”

Ye Qiao: “Who cares about you?”

Song Hansheng’s face twisted in anger: “…”

Su Zhuo watched Ye Qiao’s departing figure, feeling indescribable emotions.

“She seems to be very close with Senior Brother Xue Yu, right?” Yun Que suddenly spoke softly as she stood there.

For some reason, seeing Xue Yu and the others protect Ye Qiao made her feel very uncomfortable.

It felt as if something that should have belonged to her had been taken by Ye Qiao.

“Xue Yu is the heir of the Xue family, one of the Eight Great Families. It’s said that Senior Brother Xue can refine pills that help people break through quickly.”

Cultivation is all about steady progress. Using pills to build a foundation is fast but comes with heavy backlash. In simple terms, it’s just superficial strength; at the same level, a single sword strike could send them flying.

Su Zhuo hesitated for a few seconds. “Are you saying Second Senior Sister used pills to boost her cultivation?”

Ye Qiao and the other two grew up together. The Second Senior Sister used to have the most honest personality, but she changed after returning from the Demon Abyss.

Su Zhuo couldn’t quite describe his feelings. He just felt a vague resentment. Was it just for Fuyou Grass that she got so angry and left the mountain?

“Yes,” Yun Que forced a smile. “After all, Second Senior Sister was stuck at the third level of Qi Refining for so many years. How could she reach Foundation Establishment in just a few months?”

If anyone was more shocked than Su Zhuo, it was Yun Que.

How could that dull and inconspicuous Second Senior Sister be the person in front of her now?

Not only did she reach Foundation Establishment earlier than Yun Que, but she also became a direct disciple of equal standing.

This was more painful for Yun Que than being killed.