Pursuit Arrives (Seeking Monthly Votes)

At the center of Rosy Cloud Island, where spiritual energy was at its most concentrated.

Rows of pavilions had been built along the mountainside in a pleasing, staggered arrangement.

This was the core area of Rosy Cloud Island. Those able to live here were cultivators at least at the fifth level of Qi Refinement.

Halfway up the mountain, an elegant pavilion stood quietly.

The open ground before the pavilion was covered in fine threads of spiritual power, woven together in the air into a dense net.

Liu Yiyi formed hand seals with both hands, spiritual power surging at her fingertips.

She controlled her flying sword as it wove and moved through the net.

Now fast, now slow; now flipping, now stabbing sharply.

The blade skimmed past the threads, cold light flashing from it. It came within a hair's breadth of those threads, yet never touched a single one.

Liu Yiyi drew back both hands, and the flying sword traced an arc through the air before landing steadily in the scabbard before her.

Just then, applause rang out.

"Congratulations, Senior Sister. Your Sword-Controlling Technique has reached great mastery."

Liu Yiyi turned and saw Qin Xiangbei approaching from before a pavilion in the distance, a gentle smile on his face.

Liu Yiyi smiled faintly. "It is thanks to your guidance over the past year. Otherwise, I do not know when I would have broken through."

Qin Xiangbei waved a hand and smiled. "Senior Sister, you are being too polite. The key is that your talent is exceptional. I merely offered a few pointers from the side."

"Your talent in sword control is far greater than mine," Liu Yiyi said seriously.

"You are already at the peak of great mastery, while I have only just entered it. The difference between us is immense."

At those words, a hint of pride surfaced on Qin Xiangbei's face.

But he quickly suppressed it, waving his hand and putting on a humble appearance.

He stepped forward, patted the storage pouch at his waist, and took out a red dress robe.

The robe was made from smooth, soft material, with faint spiritual light flowing across it. Clearly, it was a magical artifact of decent quality.

"Senior Sister Liu." Qin Xiangbei held the robe in both hands and offered it to Liu Yiyi. "I prepared this especially for you, to congratulate you on your breakthrough in the Sword-Controlling Technique. Please accept it."

An almost imperceptible anticipation flickered in his eyes.

A year ago, while chatting with an Island Patrol Guard, he had learned by chance that Liu Yiyi was actually the youngest daughter of Elder Liu from the Evergreen Sect.

That Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Elder Liu.

Because of the cause of her mother's death, Liu Yiyi had an extremely poor relationship with her father. She had even refused to let him take her to the Evergreen Sect, choosing instead to remain alone on a small place like Rosy Cloud Island to cultivate bitterly.

The daughter of a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage powerhouse.

Qin Xiangbei had immediately formed an idea.

First, he rented a house beside Liu Yiyi's.

Then he carefully guided her in the Sword-Controlling Technique.

All to win Liu Yiyi's heart and become Elder Liu's son-in-law.

Liu Yiyi looked at the dress and froze slightly.

Then she waved her hands repeatedly. "This gift is too precious. I cannot accept it."

In the cultivation world, gifts of clothing had never been merely gifts.

They were tokens of courtship.

Qin Xiangbei's smile did not change. "Senior Sister, just accept it. You have helped me greatly this past year. This small gesture is nothing."

"I truly cannot accept it."

Liu Yiyi shook her head, her tone firm.

All she wanted now was to cultivate properly, become a Foundation Establishment cultivator someday, and place her mother's memorial tablet openly and honorably in the ancestral hall of the Liu Immortal Clan.

Matters between men and women?

She had never considered them.

Qin Xiangbei continued extending the robe toward her. "Senior Sister, do not stand on ceremony. It is only a magical robe. You will surely look beautiful in it. Accept it."

Liu Yiyi frowned slightly.

She simply cut him off. "Junior Brother Qin, I have no interest in matters between men and women right now. Please take back your gift."

He opened his mouth, still wanting to say something.

But Liu Yiyi had already patted her storage pouch and taken out ten spirit stones, holding them out before him.

"This is your payment for guiding me in spells this month." Liu Yiyi's tone was calm. "We agreed on ten spirit stones a month."

Qin Xiangbei's expression turned somewhat ugly, and he waved his hands repeatedly. "Senior Sister Liu, there is no need for this month's payment. Let it be my..."

"Junior Brother Qin." Liu Yiyi interrupted him, staring directly into his eyes. "This was what we agreed upon from the beginning."

Qin Xiangbei looked at her. Her gaze was cool and resolute, leaving no room for discussion.

He took a deep breath and reached out to accept the ten spirit stones.

He was filled with extreme annoyance.

To be honest, he had never thought much of Liu Yiyi's baby face.

Only her figure was passable, barely pleasant to the eye.

What he wanted had always been to become Elder Liu's son-in-law.

He had thought that with his methods, he could easily win over this little girl who cultivated alone and knew nothing of the ways of the world.

Who would have thought this damned woman would be impervious to both soft and hard tactics.

Now she had even rejected him so bluntly, leaving no room whatsoever.

Qin Xiangbei cursed inwardly, but he could not show it on his face. He could only put the spirit stones into his storage pouch.

Seeing that he had accepted them, Liu Yiyi's expression softened somewhat. She changed the subject and asked,

"By the way, has that turtle Wang Mengde still not left the island?"

At the mention of that name, Qin Xiangbei's anger immediately flared.

He gritted his teeth. "That damned turtle has been hiding on the island for an entire year."

His eyes were filled with gloom.

Wang Mengde possessed such a powerful Fishing Technique, yet instead of going out to fish and earn spirit stones, he stayed cooped up at home every day.

He had only gone out a few times to buy pills.

Something was wrong.

There was definitely something wrong.

His elder brother's death absolutely had something to do with him.

Otherwise, why would he not dare go out to sea?

He had to be guilty as a thief.

Just then.

A communication talisman against Qin Xiangbei's chest suddenly lit up, sending out ripples of spiritual power.

His heart stirred, and he hurriedly took out the communication talisman from his robes.

A line of small words appeared on the talisman:

Wang Mengde has gone to sea, heading south.

Qin Xiangbei's pupils contracted slightly.

Then a cold smile curled across his lips.

That damned turtle had finally shown himself.

Liu Yiyi, standing nearby, also saw the words on the communication talisman.

She rose to her feet and said, "Junior Brother, that turtle Wang Mengde has finally gone out to sea. Let us go together."

Qin Xiangbei glanced at her and said blandly, "Senior Sister, there is no need. I can go alone."

Liu Yiyi frowned and stepped forward, staring into his eyes. "Junior Brother, do not violate the immortal rules."

Qin Xiangbei nodded, his expression calm. "I know."

Liu Yiyi looked at him, still wanting to say something.

But Qin Xiangbei had already summoned his flying sword and leaped onto the blade.

"Senior Sister, I will go first."

As soon as the words fell, the flying sword became a streak of light and vanished in an instant.

The flying sword hovered above an uninhabited shore of Rosy Cloud Island. Qin Xiangbei's figure flashed, and he landed steadily on the beach.

He raised a hand and patted his storage pouch. A completely blue magical robe instantly unfurled, and amid flowing spiritual light, it was already neatly donned, concealing most of his aura.

Next, he pulled a pale yellow talisman from his robes.

An invisibility talisman worth a king's ransom.

As spiritual power flowed into it, the talisman ignited in midair and transformed into an invisible ripple that enveloped his entire body.

Qin Xiangbei's figure gradually faded into the air before disappearing completely.

A moment later, a sharp streak of sword light shot into the sky.

Qin Xiangbei rode his sword straight into the clouds, his flying sword piercing through the cloud layer and rising to an extreme height.

He hovered in midair on his sword, narrowing his eyes as he fully cast the Spirit Eye Technique and scanned southward.

Although his Spirit Eye Technique had only reached minor mastery, bolstered by the spiritual power of the peak sixth level of Qi Refinement, his eyesight was still astonishing.

Sure enough, on the sea far to the south, a tiny black dot was moving slowly.

He poured in spiritual power beyond its limits, and his view became clearer and clearer. It was Wang Mengde's skiff spirit boat.

He hesitated no longer. The flying sword beneath his feet abruptly accelerated, lifting him higher still.

From even higher airspace.

He silently chased after that black dot at top speed.