Evil Cultivators Emerge

"Yes, Master!"

Liao Ziqian thought this was better. Lili could still keep him company and talk to him. The feeling of being trapped in an illusion before had been terrible, so without another word, he hugged Lili and stepped onto the first stair.

Xun Kun concealed himself in the shadows. He did not trust Liao Ziqian out of his sight. If the boy were abducted by Evil Cultivators again, he would be too ashamed to ask Ranxi for help.

Liao Ziqian held the drowsy Lili and began climbing. Fortunately, it was only a climb up the stairs, and no illusions appeared along the way, which eased Liao Ziqian considerably.

But Lili in his arms grew heavier and heavier. After an hour and a half, his legs began to weaken and his breathing turned ragged. After all, he was only a five-year-old child; before body tempering, he was still somewhat frail.

Along the way, Liao Ziqian also encountered a few disciples descending the mountain. They all knew that he was Venerable Xun Kun's newly accepted disciple, so they politely asked about him. Upon learning that this was the Venerable's test, they offered a few words of encouragement before going about their own business.

Only one plain-looking female disciple spoke to Liao Ziqian at length. With envy written all over her face, she said, "Senior Brother Ziqian, you're so lucky. You entered later than us, yet your cultivation progressed so quickly. I've been in the sect for three years, and I've only reached the third layer of Qi Refining. But I can't see through your cultivation. What layer of Qi Refining are you at now?"

Liao Ziqian glanced at her. "Sixth layer."

"Wow, that's incredible! Did you begin cultivating before you entered the sect?"

"..."

Liao Ziqian did not want to speak.