Junior Sister Xu's First Meeting with Eldest Young Lady Shi

Yuxu Palace, Scripture Hall.

After the Ziwei Sect Master finished lecturing, as the disciples were about to leave, they heard the Sect Master say leisurely:

"Qiu Changtian, Xu Yinglian, stay behind."

Under the astonished gazes of their senior brothers and sisters, the two sat cross-legged on futons, their expressions calm, not uttering a word.

Once everyone else had left the Scripture Hall, the Ziwei Sect Master maintained his posture of resting with closed eyes, waved the Fly Whisk in his hand, and said:

"Qiu Changtian."

"This disciple is here," Qiu Changtian replied respectfully.

"Both from Kunlun, assisting with righteousness." The Ziwei Sect Master said slowly, "This is well said."

Even though Qiu Changtian's skill at acting cool was almost maxed out, he couldn't help but curse internally at this moment.

The Ziwei Sect Master ignored his awkwardness and embarrassment, continuing:

"Our Kunlun Taiqing Sect, like Penglai Yuqing Temple, originated from the ancient Heavenly Origin Sect, and thus maintains a custom of regular mutual visits."

"Tomorrow morning, I will be accepting an invitation to visit the East Sea to discuss various matters between our two sects."

"According to tradition, both sides will also arrange for elite disciples of the Foundation Establishment Realm to meet, to deepen their understanding and build connections."

"Previous visitors have all been disciples at the peak of the Abode Transformation Stage. However, considering you two often go out for training, this time you will accompany me and broaden your horizons."

Qiu Changtian: ...

Xu Yinglian: ...

Broaden my horizons? I'm very familiar with Penglai. What's there to see? Qiu Changtian thought to himself.

Does Master think I usually go out for training with Senior Brother? Cough, actually, I've just been soaking in the Kunlun Spring. Xu Yinglian thought to herself.

Of course, neither of them could reveal the truth to their master on the spot, so they could only nod in agreement.

Soon, the next day arrived.

Since it was a long-distance flight, flying swords were out of the question.

Everyone gathered on the plaza in front of Yuxu Palace. The Ziwei Sect Master took out a treasure ship model from his sleeve and tossed it forward.

The treasure ship grew against the wind, longer and longer, and in a flash, it became over a hundred meters long.

The group of true cultivators and disciples followed the Sect Master into the ship. Qiu Changtian and Xu Yinglian, who had the lowest cultivation, naturally received another round of astonished gazes.

The journey from Kunlun to Penglai was over nine thousand li, but the actual flight time was not long.

In this world, treasure ships were the fastest mode of transport, even faster than Flying Swords.

Around dusk, the treasure ship finally arrived at Penglai Island. The Sect Master of Yuqing Temple and a group of elders came out to greet them and led the Kunlun delegation into the Yuqing Temple's residence.

Qiu Changtian followed in the disciple procession and saw the Ziwei Sect Master conversing warmly with Elder Shi Ding ahead, as if they had known each other for a long time.

He subtly withdrew his gaze and heard Junior Sister Xu beside him ask:

"Senior Brother, it seems this isn't your first time here?"

Qiu Changtian smiled faintly:

"Why do you say that?"

"Because Senior Brother's demeanor is too uninteresting," Xu Yinglian pointed around.

Following her gesture, Qiu Changtian saw the senior brothers and sisters in the Abode Transformation Stage curiously looking around, glancing here and there.

After all, in the Kunlun Shangqing Sect, most inner disciples were homebodies, staying in their isolated snow-ridge cave mansions and not leaving the mountain for a hundred years of cultivation.

It was quite normal for them to be attracted by the vast scenery they had never seen before upon arriving at an island sect for the first time.

Not only the Kunlun disciples, but also the Penglai disciples who came to greet them looked at these "Heavenly Origin Sect fellow disciples" from the western snow ridges with eyes full of inquiry and curiosity.

Judging by their attire, the Kunlun disciples mostly wore white or sky-blue Taoist robes, with wide sleeves, carrying Flying Swords on their backs, and their hair tied up with high crowns, appearing extremely dignified and solemn.

The Penglai disciples, on the other hand, favored brocade robes with narrow sleeves, wore no crowns, and carried various magical treasures at their waists, such as formation flags and talisman pouches, looking more like wealthy young masters and ladies out for a picnic.

The two sides sized each other up. No matter what they were thinking, they couldn't be rude on the surface, and merely offered smiles.

The welcoming banquet was held in the main hall of Yuqing Temple, with disciples from both sects arranged to sit together to facilitate acquaintance and interaction.

Qiu Changtian and Xu Yinglian found seats. They saw that the table was laden with all sorts of delicacies, mostly cold dishes, with various meats, vegetables, and fruits, thinly sliced or in thick soups, a dazzling array.

Although cultivators had already achieved grain abstinence and could live on dew and wind, it was not a problem to eat occasionally; the turbid qi in their stomachs could be refined later.

Qiu Changtian picked up a Flat Peach from a plate and ate it slowly, finding it tender, juicy, and exceptionally sweet.

It was even more delicious than the fruit slices Luo Yan usually got from Eldest Young Lady Shi.

"This is no ordinary peach," a female voice said from beside him. "It was grown from a peach sapling nurtured among spiritual herbs, bathed in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to bear fruit. Its flavor is sweet and pleasant. While it cannot prolong life, it can cleanse the body and mind."

Qiu Changtian turned his head to look beside him and immediately cursed internally.

It was Shi Liuli!

At this moment, this young lady, who was originally fearless, was sitting to his left in a ladylike manner, looking at him with a gaze of admiration and enthusiasm.

To be precise, it didn't seem like love at first sight between a man and a woman.

It was more like the inexplicable emotion one gets when a fan meets their idol.

Qiu Changtian instinctively felt that something was extremely amiss, but to avoid revealing any flaws, he could only pretend to be a complete stranger and asked with a smile:

"May I ask, Fellow Daoist..."

"Yuqing Temple, Shi Liuli," Shi Liuli said with a slight smile, continuing, "Fellow Daoist Qiu, Senior Sister Bilian once mentioned you. Back in that blessed land in the Qinling Mountains, you were the one who broke the Yi Wood Dragon Binding Formation and rescued us disciples from Yuqing Temple, wasn't that you?"

Hearing her say this, and combining it with Luo Yan's understanding of Eldest Young Lady Shi, Qiu Changtian immediately understood.

Bilian must have returned and boasted about his heroic deeds that day to Shi Liuli at great length.

Shi Liuli was a typical maiden, admiring the strong, despising the mediocre, and was also a seasoned member of the "Beauty Appreciation Society."

She heard that Kunlun's Chief Disciple of this generation, Qiu Changtian, was handsome, gentle, and powerful. How could she not be immediately interested?

The time to test his acting skills had arrived! Qiu Changtian said with feigned modesty:

"It was merely luck, hardly worth mentioning. The way of formations in this world, seven parts belong to Penglai. I, Qiu Changtian, wouldn't dare to show off before an expert."

"Fellow Daoist Qiu is too humble," Shi Liuli said with a smile. "The way of formations is the most obscure. Even in our Yuqing Temple, there are only a few cultivators who study the profound arts of Qimen Dunjia."

This was indeed true. Luo Yan had stayed in Yuqing Temple for a long time and knew that the temple's primary research was in alchemy, followed by talismans.

There were no more than three families in the entire Yuqing Temple that specialized in crafting artifacts, like the Tiangong Workshop. As for studying formations, there were probably only about seven or eight families.

"Fellow Daoist Qiu's ability to break the Yi Wood Dragon Binding Formation was no mere luck; it requires profound knowledge of formations." Seeing Qiu Changtian's lack of complacency, Shi Liuli became even more interested in him, saying with a smile, "Even my Junior Brother, who studies formations and cauldron crafting, probably hasn't mastered the solution to the Yi Wood Dragon Binding Formation."

No, he actually has mastered it...

Qiu Changtian forced himself to remain calm, not wanting to continue on this topic.

After all, his facial features were exactly the same as Luo Yan's.

It was just that Luo Yan had squinty eyes, while Qiu Changtian wore his hair in a high bun. Combined with the modifications from Mirror Flower Water Moon's aura and some mental suggestion, Shi Liuli hadn't immediately noticed the similarities between him and Luo Yan.

But what if she continued to discuss Luo Yan with him and suddenly noticed the flaw in his appearance?

He had to change the subject quickly!

Qiu Changtian suddenly shifted his body to the side, introducing his Junior Sister Xu Yinglian, who was sitting to his right, to Shi Liuli:

"By the way, this is my Junior Sister, Xu Yinglian."

Xu Yinglian was drinking tea at that moment and only heard Shi Liuli from across the table say:

"Oh, the Phoenix Fairy? Heh, I've heard a lot about you."

The faint hint of hostility in her tone immediately ignited Xu Yinglian's competitive spirit.

"Shi Liuli?" she asked coldly. "Are you Elder Shi Ding's beloved daughter?"

"I didn't expect to be known by the Phoenix Fairy," Shi Liuli said with feigned modesty. "It is truly a blessing of three lifetimes."

"You're too kind," Xu Yinglian said faintly. "After all, you are Elder Shi Ding's daughter."

Emphasizing "Elder Shi Ding's daughter" twice in a row, Shi Liuli immediately caught the sarcastic undertone (meaning she was useless except for having a good father), and her expression immediately became strained.

Shi Liuli's feelings for Qiu Changtian were not romantic; she was merely idolizing him. Please do not misunderstand this; the author does not intend to break up any pairings. If you don't understand the difference between idol worship and a crush, you can ask your wife, girlfriend, sister, younger sister, female classmate, or female colleague