Tian Ling'er and Zhang Xiaofan's Envy, First Meeting with Tian Buyi

"Yuqing Realm, first layer."

Hearing Tian Ling'er's question, Su Han spoke as he followed Tian Ling'er and Zhang Xiaofan down the mountain.

On the surface, Su Han's cultivation was indeed at the first layer of the Yuqing Realm.

But in truth, his Great Brahma Prajna had already reached the second layer of the Shengwen Realm. Coupled with the powerful sword art known as the Seven Tribulations Dragon Slaying Art—

So long as his opponent had not reached the fourth layer of the Yuqing Realm and could wield a magical treasure, Su Han could fight them.

After all, the gap between the first and third layers of the Yuqing Realm was not that great.

Nor was the gap between the fourth and eighth layers.

Otherwise, Zhang Xiaofan could not have defeated Lu Xueqi, that genius at the eighth layer of the Yuqing Realm, during the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament with only the fourth layer of the Yuqing Realm.

Of course, that had much to do with the Soul Devouring Staff's strength, as well as Lu Xueqi's inability to fully master the Divine Sword Controlling Thunder True Spell.

But if the difference in their own strength had truly been worlds apart, then even with the Soul Devouring Staff, Zhang Xiaofan could never have been Lu Xueqi's match.

Yet upon hearing Su Han's answer and seeing his casual expression, Zhang Xiaofan froze on the spot and stared at Su Han in disbelief.

Tian Ling'er, meanwhile, did not process it at first and merely nodded slightly.

"Oh."

"So it's the first layer of the Yuqing Realm..."

But halfway through her sentence, Tian Ling'er suddenly realized something.

Her father was Tian Buyi, the Peak Master of Great Bamboo Peak, while her mother was also an expert of the Shangqing Realm.

Her talent was quite good as well, and she had begun cultivating the Tai Chi Xuan Qing Dao from a young age, so it was not strange for her cultivation to be somewhat higher.

But Su Han before her had come up the mountain together with her junior brother Zhang Xiaofan, hadn't he?

And how long had her junior brother been on the mountain?

Only seventeen days, it seemed?!

At that thought, Tian Ling'er cried out.

"Huh?"

"Y-Y-Y-Y... first layer of the Yuqing Realm?"

"Su Han, are you saying you've already entered the Yuqing Realm?"

Su Han smiled faintly and snapped his fingers.

A pale blue stream of spiritual energy immediately surged from his fingertips and struck a nearby Black Festival Bamboo.

In an instant—

The Black Festival Bamboo that took Zhang Xiaofan an entire day to chop down exploded with a bang.

"It really is Yuqing Realm spiritual power!"

The next moment, Tian Ling'er's eyes were full of astonishment.

"Su Han, your talent is actually this incredible!"

"Xiaofan has only just learned to draw spiritual energy into his body, yet you've already entered the first layer of the Yuqing Realm."

Zhang Xiaofan also stared at Su Han in shock.

He had never expected that Su Han, who had come up the mountain alongside him, had already surpassed Lin Jingyu, the genius disciple his master was always talking about, and reached the first layer of the Yuqing Realm.

As for himself, he still had to chop bamboo every day to train his body. Who knew how long it would take before he could enter the Yuqing Realm?

"This really is... sigh."

Zhang Xiaofan looked helplessly at his astonished senior sister Tian Ling'er, then at the calm Su Han. His eyes were filled with envy and a trace of jealousy.

He wanted his senior sister to look at him like that too.

"Su Han, just how do you cultivate?"

At that moment, Tian Ling'er looked at Su Han with curiosity and excitement in her eyes.

Seeing Tian Ling'er's sparkling gaze, Su Han smiled. "I just close my eyes, meditate, and draw in spiritual energy to cultivate."

"Could there be some special cultivation method besides that?"

"Ahhh, I'm so jealous! When I first started cultivating, it took me more than a month to reach the first layer of the Yuqing Realm."

"Back then, I thought I was already talented enough."

"But compared to you, Su Han... sob, sob..."

As she spoke, Tian Ling'er suddenly pursed her lips and looked at Su Han pitifully.

Looking at the adorable Tian Ling'er, Su Han could not help but smile and shake his head.

"Alright, alright. Let's head back first, or Aunt Su Ru will start worrying."

Hearing Su Han mention her mother, Tian Ling'er finally stopped making a fuss.

But she quickly became excited again. "Oh, right, Su Han. When we get back, make sure you don't tell Mother about your cultivation on your own."

"When you start fighting Senior Brother and the others, reveal your cultivation then..."

"Mother and Father will definitely be shocked, hehe~"

As she spoke, Tian Ling'er could not help giggling, her eyes full of mischief.

At the same time, she reminded Zhang Xiaofan, "Xiaofan, you can't tell anyone either, understand?"

Hearing Tian Ling'er's instructions, Zhang Xiaofan hurriedly nodded. "Don't worry, Senior Sister. I won't say anything."

Only then did Tian Ling'er nod in satisfaction.

She immediately grabbed Su Han's sleeve and tugged him along. "Su Han, let's hurry down the mountain."

No one spoke along the way.

Before long, led by Tian Ling'er, Su Han returned to Great Bamboo Peak and rushed straight into the dining hall.

It seemed that dinner at Great Bamboo Peak had already been prepared. Everyone was waiting for Su Han, Tian Ling'er, and Zhang Xiaofan to return.

Thus, aside from Tian Buyi, the Peak Master of Great Bamboo Peak, and Su Ru, the other disciples were all gathered in the dining hall as well.

"Mother, I'm back."

The moment Tian Ling'er rushed into the dining hall, she threw herself into Su Ru's arms with a spoiled little whine.

"Where have you been, you brat? I was about to send Daren out to look for you."

Tian Buyi looked at Tian Ling'er and reprimanded her in a low voice.

Su Ru glared at Tian Buyi, then stroked her daughter's head.

Then she pointed at Su Han and said to Tian Buyi, "I don't need to introduce him, do I? He's Senior Sister's newest young disciple. You met him before, too."

Tian Buyi looked at his wife and nodded.

He then said to Su Han, "Since you're here, sit down and eat. Great Bamboo Peak won't deny you a bowl and a pair of chopsticks."

After saying that, Tian Buyi looked at Zhang Xiaofan and sternly said, "Seventh, what are you standing around for? Sit down and eat."

"What, do you expect me, your master, to invite you personally?"

Zhang Xiaofan hurriedly shook his head, then respectfully lowered his head and sat down in a chair.

Seeing this, Su Ru could not help frowning slightly at Tian Buyi. "Buyi, even if Su Han's cultivation is ordinary, he is still one of Senior Sister's favorite disciples on Little Bamboo Peak."

"Now look at our Seventh. Can't you at least show him a kinder expression?"

Tian Buyi snorted. "When his cultivation surpasses Lin Jingyu's, forget giving him a pleasant face—even smiling at him every day would be fine."

"As for Su Han?"

"I don't know how Shui Yue treats her disciples."

"But Seventh is not a disciple of Little Bamboo Peak. He is a disciple of Great Bamboo Peak."

"At Great Bamboo Peak, this is how I treat my disciples."

After saying that, Tian Buyi snorted at Zhang Xiaofan once more and said nothing further.

Su Ru actually knew that her husband was cold on the outside but warm at heart. Deep down, he cared greatly for every one of his disciples.

He simply insisted on acting as though he looked down on Seventh.

For a moment, Su Ru felt rather helpless.

In the end, Su Ru shook her head and stopped dwelling on it for now.

Instead, she walked over to Su Han, gently took his hand, and had him sit beside her.

"Come, Xiao Han. Eat first."

"As for the sparring, I've already told the others. After dinner, you can challenge anyone you want..."

"Hehe~"

Before Su Ru could finish, Tian Ling'er could no longer hold back and burst into delighted laughter.

"What's wrong, Ling'er?"

Su Ru looked at her daughter in confusion. Tian Ling'er hurriedly shook her head. "Nothing, nothing, Mother. Eat, eat."

After saying that, Tian Ling'er smiled smugly again, seemingly looking forward immensely to the shocked expressions her mother and father would soon wear.