Sixty-Three Frames

Zhou Lukang stared blankly. It took him a moment to recover, and he patted his chest. Thank goodness I didn't slack off. I broke through to the Nascent Soul Stage not long ago. If I'd delayed any longer, Junior Sister might have overtaken me.

Then he looked again and saw that his junior brother, who had still been at the Golden Core Stage when he left, had reached the Nascent Soul Stage too.

Zhou Lukang: "..." Was breaking through really that easy?

Qiao Ranran had been surprised when she learned of Pei Ling's breakthrough too. It felt as though, while she was breaking through, he had simply gone ahead and done the same—as naturally as stepping out for a meal.

"Junior Sister, what are your plans? Will you come take a look with me and then return to the sect, or go somewhere else to train? Before I left, Uncle-Master Xi was talking about you. He said the moment you went out, you put him out of your mind. You don't even answer your master's Communication Jade Token..." Zhou Lukang fought back a laugh. "So when are you going to fix that habit of ignoring it?"

Qiao Ranran's gaze slid away for a moment. She really had forgotten her master the moment she left. Just when Xi Lingge had been full of enthusiasm for trying to be a good master, she had "run away from home."

And it didn't look as though she intended to go back.

Zhou Lukang could tell. Pei Ling said nothing, but his gaze stayed on Qiao Ranran, while she kept glancing at him whenever she spoke. Zhou Lukang didn't understand what the two were saying with all those looks. He only knew his junior brother and sister had grown up.

Then he heard Pei Ling