Xu Yinglian Felt a Sense of Crisis

"Fellow Daoist Qiu, you really are only at the Qi Refining Stage?"

"Absolutely."

"But I feel that Fellow Daoist Qiu's bearing is no less impressive than that of a Golden Core True Person."

"You flatter me."

"Why be so formal? Just call me Bilian."

Qiu Changtian: ...

How could he not see what this Penglai Daoist was up to?

She was plainly lusting after this body of mine!

It was just that Bilian wasn't bad-looking, but compared to Xu Yinglian, An Zhisu, Shi Liuli, and the others, she was still a level below.

To put it in perspective, it was like the difference between an ordinary first-tier university and Tsinghua or Peking University.

Of course, that wasn't the main reason. The main reason was that he and his junior sister had already pledged themselves as Dao Companions.

Qiu Changtian was distracted when Bilian casually probed:

"Does Fellow Daoist Qiu have a Dao Companion?"

"...I do."

"I heard she's Kunlun's Phoenix Fairy, Xu Yinglian?"

"Mm, that's right."

"You hesitated a moment, so I'm guessing you've pledged yourselves to each other, but haven't made it official yet?"

Bilian naturally had her reasons for making that guess.

Those who cultivated the Dao guarded their primordial yang energy, which made their cultivation twice as effective.

If they had already become Dao Companions, who knew when they might lose control, let yin pollute their yang, and hinder their cultivation? That was why cultivators were often not very keen on matters between men and women.

Qiu Changtian didn't answer, merely giving a wry smile of acknowledgment. Bilian looked thoughtful.

After returning to Kunlun's Deacon Hall on Yuxu Peak, Bilian went inside to confirm that the mission was complete and collect her reward.

Qiu Changtian waited outside. Just then, Xu Yinglian landed on her sword light and greeted him:

"Senior Brother, are you here for a mission?"

"Yes." Qiu Changtian smiled warmly. "Did you just get back from soaking in the Kunlun Springs, Junior Sister?"

Xu Yinglian looked a little uncomfortable and gave him an evasive answer:

"I was doing a mission too. I just finished and came back."

Qiu Changtian smiled without a word. The droplets at the ends of her hair hadn't even dried yet!

Just then Bilian came out of the Deacon Hall and saw Qiu Changtian speaking with a woman in white.

The woman was cold and stunningly beautiful, standing on a flying sword that glimmered like a streak of crimson light. Who could she be but the Phoenix Fairy?

Bilian hesitated briefly. Her newly risen feeling of inferiority was soon replaced by another thought.

"Is this the Phoenix Fairy, Xu Yinglian?" she asked Qiu Changtian with a smile.

"That's right. Let me introduce you." Qiu Changtian smiled. "This is Fellow Daoist Bilian, whom I met during my last mission. She's from Yuqing Temple in Penglai."

Xu Yinglian gave a slight nod, then suddenly noticed a hint of hostility lurking beneath Bilian's smiling gaze.

With her Seven Orifices Exquisite Heart, she saw through Bilian's hostility and motives in an instant. Naturally, she wasn't foolish enough to compete with her over... over his mother!

No one can beat me at anything!!

No one!!!

Sensing the sparks in the air, Kunlun's Chief Disciple—No One—Qiu Changtian instinctively felt uneasy and immediately said with a smile:

"Then let's part ways for now, Fellow Daoist Bilian. You're welcome to visit Kunlun's Golden Ridge next time."

"Next time?" Bilian covered her mouth as she laughed. "So you're not welcoming me this time?"

Qiu Changtian felt awkward. I was just being polite. Do you really have to take it so seriously?

He was just about to explain when Xu Yinglian replied coolly:

"Senior Brother Qiu is practicing swordsmanship with me this afternoon. If Fellow Daoist Bilian is interested, you're welcome to join us."

Bilian was at a loss. Swordsmanship and Dao arts were both weaknesses of Yuqing Temple. She might have been interested if they were merely discussing the Dao.

The other woman had deliberately said they would be practicing swordsmanship. It was clearly a way of turning her down.

But that also confirmed her guess: the Phoenix Fairy really did care about Qiu Changtian, and her possessiveness was unusually strong.

How interesting.

"In that case, I won't impose." Bilian smiled. "If Fellow Daoist Qiu ever has time to visit the Eastern Sea, I'll have the bed swept in welcome."

There were two key points to that: the suggestive phrase "have the bed swept in welcome," and the fact that she mentioned only Qiu Changtian, not Xu Yinglian.

Xu Yinglian naturally understood the hostility behind it, and her smile grew ever colder.

Bilian leapt onto her sword and flew away, exchanging one last look with Xu Yinglian in midair:

Go to hell.

Then she vanished into the horizon to find her junior brothers and sisters.

Xu Yinglian turned around. Her expression was predictably awful as she fixed Qiu Changtian with a gaze cold enough to freeze everything.

"Ahem." Qiu Changtian cleared his throat. For some reason, he felt like a husband caught cheating by his wife, so he started explaining the mission. "Her junior brothers and sisters had gotten trapped while exploring a hidden realm in the Qinling Mountains..."

"You don't have to explain yourself to me." Xu Yinglian turned her head aside and said sarcastically, "Senior Brother Qiu has many friends. How could your junior sister dare criticize your choices?"

"Junior Sister, hear me out..." Before Qiu Changtian could finish, a large crowd of Kunlun disciples poured out of the Deacon Hall. They seemed to have just gathered there to accept missions.

"Hey, isn't that Senior Brother Chief?" someone sharp-eyed called out. A whole crowd immediately swarmed over, greeting him in a noisy chorus.

"Hello, Senior Brother Qiu!"

"Looking at Senior Brother Qiu's radiant complexion, I'd say your luck is on the rise!"

"Senior Chief Qiu! We've accepted a mission to find spirit herbs. Want to come with us?"

"Senior Brother Qiu, Senior Brother Qiu! Is it true you still don't have a Dao Companion?"

The onlookers were mostly female disciples, and the conversation gradually turned to teasing and ribbing him. After all, everyone knew Senior Chief Qiu was gentle and refined, and never got angry over such things.

Qiu Changtian awkwardly played along, surrounded by bright, lilting laughter.

Xu Yinglian's eye twitched. She instinctively wanted to say nothing and fly away.

But then she thought better of it. If she left with her tail between her legs, wouldn't outsiders think that she, his true junior sister, had lost to this shameless pack of little hussies?

The words "lost to them" surfaced in her mind, and Xu Yinglian couldn't make herself move.

Killing intent.

Thick, murderous intent.

Surrounded by a crowd of disciples, Senior Brother Qiu Changtian suddenly shivered beneath the gaze of a certain junior sister outside, who looked like a vengeful ghost.

After politely shooing away his fans, Qiu Changtian finally escaped and came to Xu Yinglian's side. Without saying a word, she set off on her sword light.

Qiu Changtian hurried after her on his sword and asked with a smile:

"Are you jealous, Junior Sister?"

Xu Yinglian: ????????

If this were a novel, a string of ellipses would probably be the only way to convey how speechless she was, and how badly she wanted to swear.

"All right." Qiu Changtian sighed. "Then I guess you're envious."

Xu Yinglian: ...

She wore an absolutely terrifying expression that seemed to say, "Say one more word and I'll scatter your ashes to the wind."

"Heh, Junior Sister," Qiu Changtian continued. "I suddenly understand why you always keep a cold face."

He smiled warmly as he said:

"Because if you didn't, there'd be even more fellow disciples surrounding you and pursuing you than there are people admiring me."

Xu Yinglian's expression eased a little. After a moment, she said:

"Senior Brother."

"What is it?"

"Losing your primordial yang would slow your cultivation." Xu Yinglian said coolly.

"So I hope you'll take good care of yourself, Senior Brother."

Qiu Changtian: ?

Xu Yinglian's reasoning for advising her senior brother: lose primordial yang—cultivate more slowly—lose to herself—an unfair victory.