First Arrival, Encountering a Thief

Tianyi Peak is the main peak of the Tianyi Sect. Most disciples who ascend the Immortal Ascension Ladder initially study on Tianyi Peak for one month.

After one month, they are then assigned to various peaks.

If Lin Qi, a complete stranger, were to show up on Tianyi Peak now, she would definitely attract attention.

She had, after all, gotten in through the back door. It was best for her to keep a low profile for now.

"Senior Sister, let's go to the marketplace!"

Lin Qi looked excitedly at Yuan Xi, "I've never visited the sect's marketplace before."

Senior Sister Yuan Xi ruffled Lin Qi's hair, "Alright, let's get ready to head down."

The smile on Lin Qi's face instantly froze.

Senior Sister Yuan Xi was so amused by her expression that she couldn't stop laughing.

By the time they descended Zonglei Peak, Lin Qi was ravenously hungry.

Senior Sister Yuan Xi had no choice but to quicken her pace, leading her towards the marketplace.

The Tianyi Sect had four marketplaces in total, located in the east, south, west, and north. Zonglei Peak was located to the north, very close to the northern marketplace.

Even before they reached the marketplace, Lin Qi noticed that the number of people around them had increased significantly.

Senior Sister Yuan Xi took the opportunity to explain to her, "The sect's marketplaces have strict regulations. Generally, outsiders are not allowed in, except for mortal rogue cultivators who live at the foot of the mountain. They are only open to the public on the first and fifteenth day of each month."

Lin Qi, being quick-witted, understood immediately, "Today is the fifteenth, so the marketplace is fully open, which is why there are so many people."

Senior Sister Yuan Xi nodded with a smile, looking like a teacher pleased with a promising student.

Just as Lin Qi finished her thought, she suddenly caught a tantalizing aroma that made her mouth water.

Before her brain could even process it, she found herself standing in front of a noodle stall.

"Senior Sister, I'm hungry..."

The last shred of self-control kept Lin Qi from walking straight in. She felt every cell in her body screaming with hunger.

The stall owner, seeing Lin Qi's state, immediately smiled and asked Senior Sister Yuan Xi, "Two immortal fairies, my clear broth noodles are made with generous ingredients and the taste is absolutely superb. Why don't you try them?"

Before Lin Qi could ponder why clear broth noodles needed to be described with "generous ingredients," she eagerly looked at her Senior Sister, her expression pitiful.

Seeing her like this, Yuan Xi had no resistance.

"Alright, boss, two bowls to start."

"Coming right up!" The stall owner happily complied, immediately getting to work.

Soon, two bowls of noodles were served.

Lin Qi expected one bowl each for herself and Senior Sister Yuan Xi. To her surprise, her Senior Sister pushed both bowls towards her, smiling gently and affectionately, "You must be starving, eat up."

Lin Qi picked up her chopsticks, "Senior Sister, aren't you hungry?"

Senior Sister Yuan Xi replied, "Silly junior sister, I no longer consume grains. I ordered these all for you."

Lin Qi slurped a large mouthful of noodles, and her mind went blank.

Indeed, she was too naive.

Not consuming grains was at least a sign of Foundation Establishment cultivation. Lin Qi didn't know Senior Sister Yuan Xi's true age, but she felt that Senior Sister Yuan Xi was far more formidable than she had imagined.

As expected, the disciples accepted by Zonglei Peak were no ordinary people.

Her anxiety was starting to flare up again.

After finishing both bowls of noodles, Lin Qi felt completely invigorated. The chill that had been freezing her body had even warmed up a bit.

She probed her dantian and found it to be filled with abundant spiritual energy.

"Senior Sister, are these Spirit Noodles?!" Lin Qi finally understood what the boss meant by "generous ingredients."

Senior Sister Yuan Xi glanced at her, "Most of the food in the marketplace is made with spiritual items, and the ingredients are of better quality than those in the Tianyi Peak cafeteria. That's why many disciples specifically come here to eat."

"Are you done eating? Do you want me to accompany you to browse the marketplace?"

"Yes!" Lin Qi happily agreed.

When it was time to pay, Senior Sister Yuan Xi offered to treat Lin Qi, but Lin Qi refused.

She patted her small pouch and said righteously, "Senior Sister, I have Spirit Stones! You've already taken care of me so much, I can't let you go to more trouble and expense."

Senior Sister Yuan Xi was amused by her grown-up demeanor and didn't argue.

"Alright, alright, you're a little rich girl," she said with a helpless smile, poking Lin Qi's forehead.

Having eaten her fill, Lin Qi finally had the chance to properly explore the marketplace.

Senior Sister Yuan Xi, having been a newcomer herself, knew what newcomers needed most. She directly led Lin Qi to a three-story Tianbao Pavilion.

"Communication is inconvenient in the sect, so you can buy a Sound Transmission Jade Token for backup. You should also prepare a few Talisman Cranes in case of emergencies..."

Under Senior Sister Yuan Xi's guidance, Lin Qi didn't even need the shop assistant to explain. With a wave of her hand, she bought everything.

Seeing that she also bought a dozen Talisman Papers, Cinnabar, and a Brush, Senior Sister Yuan Xi guessed that Lin Qi intended to learn talisman drawing.

"My master has considerable experience in talisman drawing and formation array arrangement. If you wish to learn, you can often seek her out for guidance."

Lin Qi's hand, holding the talisman paper, paused. "Master is skilled in formation arrays and drawing talismans?"

"Actually, Master dabbles in artifact refining, beast taming, and alchemy, but is most adept at drawing talismans and setting up formation arrays."

Senior Sister Yuan Xi found Lin Qi's reaction somewhat strange and asked, "What's wrong?"

Lin Qi gave a sheepish smile. "It's just... a bit of a coincidence. I happen to be interested in both of those things."

Just then, the shop owner came out. Upon seeing Senior Sister Yuan Xi, he called out in surprise, "Fairy Yuan Xi! The alchemy furnace you ordered last time has arrived, and we've also gotten some new herbs. Would you like to see them in the storeroom?"

Senior Sister Yuan Xi's face lit up with surprise. "Really?!"

The shop owner happily stroked his beard and nodded. "Shall I lead you in?"

Lin Qi wanted to pick out a few book on drawing talismans. Seeing this, she waved her hand and said calmly, "Senior Sister, you go ahead. I'll wait for you outside."

Senior Sister Yuan Xi instructed a shop assistant to keep an eye on Lin Qi and then followed the shop owner to the storeroom.

Lin Qi chose her books and was about to pay when someone bumped into her, knocking her books to the ground.

"Sorry, sorry!"

A young man, looking like a scholar, apologized to her and even helped her pick up her books.

"It's fine, but you should watch where you're going."

Lin Qi's shoulder hurt from the collision. She thought to herself that this scholar had quite a bit of strength.

"I'm so sorry, I was in too much of a hurry and wasn't watching where I was going."

The scholar apologized profusely, handed the books back to Lin Qi, and then hastily prepared to leave.

Lin Qi took the books from the scholar with some confusion and turned to go pay.

Just then, Senior Sister Yuan Xi came downstairs after finishing her selections.

Lin Qi casually recounted what had just happened.

Senior Sister Yuan Xi frowned subconsciously. "Do you remember what that scholar looked like?"

Lin Qi froze. She instinctively tried to recall the scholar's appearance, only to find her mind completely blank.

"Senior Sister, I don't remember," Lin Qi said with a distressed expression. "Is there something wrong with that person?"

"Where's your money pouch?"

Lin Qi instinctively reached for it and froze in place. "It's gone."

She was worried about drawing attention with her storage space, so she had specifically taken out some spirit stones and put them in a money pouch. She hadn't expected a thief to snatch it so quickly...

Senior Sister Yuan Xi said, "You probably showed off your wealth while eating noodles, which caught his attention. If we chase now, we should be able to get it back."

Lin Qi originally wanted to say that she had plenty of spirit stones and only a few were in the pouch, so it wasn't a big deal if it was lost.

Who knew Senior Sister Yuan Xi was already chasing after him with a serious expression.

The new book is still a seedling and needs your diligent cultivation. Read data is very important! Please don't just save it without reading.

Thanks to Qiu Shan Wu Tong Shu, Yi Yu, Mu Mu Ru Feng Xin Jian Gua, Wu Jin Feng Liu, and Chui Mu Xiao Ke Ai for their rewards. Sending love.