Feeling the presence of the two people standing right beside her, Shen Qingyi knew she couldn’t escape this time.
With a flushed face, she stammered out the memory fragments she had seen.
After listening to the whole story, the expressions on Su Qiulian’s and Bai Luoshuang’s faces became visibly subtle.
They looked at each other in disbelief.
“You actually used the sword hilt!”
“You actually used your tail!”
The atmosphere became strangely awkward.
After a moment of silence, Shen Qingyi grabbed one hand from each of them and asked, “Are you two okay?”
“I-I’m fine. I was just a bit surprised.”
“It’s like this… Does Xiao Yi actually like that kind of thing…?”
“Eh?”
Shen Qingyi’s mouth twitched.
“What are you thinking?! You aren’t actually considering trying it together, are you?!”
Hearing this, Bai Luoshuang and Su Qiulian exchanged a look.
“If Xiao Yi likes it, it’s not out of the question…”
“I’ll listen to Little Shen!”
“You guys!”
Shen Qingyi was fuming.
She knew it would end up like this.
She quickly pushed the two of them aside, preparing to head out the door.
“Where are you going, Little Shen (Xiao Yi)?”
Su Qiulian and Bai Luoshuang immediately followed behind her, intending for each of them to hold one of her hands.
But Shen Qingyi brushed them off harshly.
“Shopping!”
***
Tianyi Sword Sect, Lintian Cliff.
Chen Xiner was still waiting for Bai Luoshuang to return.
Her master hadn’t even left her a message.
She had reached Foundation Establishment yesterday, and she wanted to tell her master the good news today.
But looking at the empty Cave Residence, she lowered her head in disappointment.
When she stepped outside and looked toward the horizon in the direction Bai Luoshuang had left, she felt a splitting headache.
She didn’t know what was happening.
For the past two days, she felt this way whenever she looked in that direction.
It felt as if something was trying to burst out of her head, yet in reality, there was nothing there.
She couldn’t even ask her master.
Just then, a transmission from the Sect Master reached her ears.
“Xiner, come to the Sect Master Main Hall. I have a task for you.”
A task?
That was perfect then; she could go ask the Sect Master.
Once Chen Xiner looked away, her head stopped hurting.
After descending the cliff and arriving at the Sect Master Main Hall, Chen Xiner saw Sect Master Jun Ziyi sitting on a futon, holding a message Yujian.
“Sect Master.”
Chen Xiner bowed respectfully.
“Mhm. Sit.”
Jun Ziyi put down the Yujian and poured herself a cup of tea.
Blowing on the steam, she said, “You’ve reached Foundation Establishment? Were there any obstacles?”
“No,” Chen Xiner replied, shaking her head.
Yesterday, when she broke through to Foundation Establishment, she faced no resistance at all.
She simply followed the Cultivation Technique, and the breakthrough happened effortlessly.
Of course, it was likely that the natural treasures Master Luoshuang had left her played a significant role.
Regardless, she felt like she hadn’t needed to put in much effort.
“I see. For a Heavenly Spirit Root, reaching Foundation Establishment is either effortless or fraught with immense difficulty. It seems you are among the lucky ones.”
Jun Ziyi nodded and asked, “Is there any issue with the Sword Intent you’re practicing with the Jian Zun? Your master sent a message to me saying she has very important business recently, concerning the future relations between the Human and Demon Races. She won’t be back for a while. If you have questions, you can ask me.”
“Yes, Sect Master. Regarding the Sword Intent, I had some doubts about the Sword Intent Yujian Master left behind. I wanted to ask her at the time, but she had already departed on her sword. I had to study it myself. Fortunately, I think I’ve figured it out today and understand it much better now, so there are no major problems. However… lately, whenever I look in the direction Master went, I get a splitting headache.”
“Oh?”
Jun Ziyi raised an eyebrow.
‘This won’t do. It wasn’t easy to get a Heavenly Spirit Root; we can’t have anything going wrong with her!’
She put down her teacup and beckoned.
“Come forward. I’ll take a look at you!”
Although Chen Xiner felt a bit apprehensive, she didn’t dare refuse.
She walked forward obediently and knelt beside Jun Ziyi.
However, when she sat close to Jun Ziyi and saw her face up close, she suddenly felt a profound sense of familiarity, as if Jun Ziyi were her true master.
But Chen Xiner didn’t think too much of it, assuming it was just because the Sect Master looked kind.
But immediately afterward, another powerful surge of familiarity struck her.
In a daze, she felt as if there should be one more person by her side.
She couldn’t help but turn her head.
In the blurry vision before her eyes, she seemed to see a woman of peerless beauty.
“Sister Qingyi…”
Chen Xiner murmured blankly.
“Who?”
Jun Ziyi frowned.
She didn’t know why Chen Xiner suddenly turned her head or what she was whispering under her breath.
Her train of thought was interrupted by the question, and Chen Xiner suddenly felt a splitting headache again, clutching her head in pain.
“I… I don’t know. My head hurts so much…”
Jun Ziyi was startled, fearing something had happened to this precious seed.
she quickly placed a hand on her, channeling Lingli into her to ease the pain.
At the same time, she used her Divine Sense to scan her entire body, checking where the problem lay.
To her confusion, there was nothing wrong with Chen Xiner’s body; her Divine Sense was simply a bit overactive.
As she kept her hand on her, the girl’s overactive Divine Sense finally calmed down.
Then, Jun Ziyi heard Chen Xiner speak softly again:
“Master, Sister Qingyi, she…”
“What did you say?”
However, Chen Xiner only shook her head in confusion.
“I don’t know…”
“It felt like there was someone standing beside me just now.”
Someone?
Jun Ziyi scanned the hall.
Who else could be there besides the two of them?
Furthermore, no one could hide their presence from her right under her nose.
Unless they had an Ancient Artifact.
But how precious were those?
Aside from those passed down by the ancestors of various sects, they could only be found in Secret Realms.
Thinking of this, Jun Ziyi remembered the reason she had summoned Chen Xiner.
She helped Chen Xiner up and said, “It’s nothing. Your Divine Sense might just be too active after such a smooth breakthrough, causing hallucinations. I’ll give you a Heart-Calming Talisman; just keep it on your person.”
Chen Xiner took the Heart-Calming Talisman from Jun Ziyi and found that she indeed felt much better.
The hallucinations vanished, and the stray thoughts in her mind cleared up.
She hurriedly thanked her.
“Thank you, Sect Master! I feel much better now!”
“Mhm.”
Jun Ziyi nodded in satisfaction.
“There’s no need for much thanks. I called you here because I have a task for you. The Alliance recently discovered a new Secret Realm. According to the investigation, it’s a low-level Secret Realm. When the time comes, I want you to serve as the leader of the Tianyi Sword Sect disciples and go there to train with the disciples of other sects! If your Divine Sense is fine over the next two days, pack your things and prepare to go!”
“This disciple obeys! I will not fail your expectations, Sect Master!”
Chen Xiner bowed low.
Jun Ziyi nodded.
“Go then.”
As she watched Chen Xiner’s retreating figure exit the hall, Jun Ziyi’s gaze turned somewhat somber.
“The Ancient Demon Cult… the Alliance between the two races… It might actually work…”
“But when exactly will Luoshuang return from this trip?”
As she spoke, she glanced at the words on the Yujian: ‘I’m staying with Xiao Yi, not returning for now.’
She shook her head helplessly.