A Senior Apprentice Will Always Be a Senior Apprentice

Fang Yuhe had never hated Zhou Qing as much as he did now.

Before, it had merely been contempt for Zhou Qing's single Spiritual Root and commoner background. Now, there was an additional personal grudge.

His eyes locked onto Zhou Qing as though he wanted to swallow him whole.

Lin Hongyu watched in trepidation, worried that Fang Yuhe would act on impulse and bring about disaster. She immediately said, "Senior Apprentice, now that the matter has been cleared up, the task should go to Junior Sister Yuan. I can wait for the next one. Why make fellow disciples fall out over such a trivial matter?"

Fang Yuhe glanced back at her and said without room for doubt, "I said this task would be yours, and it will be yours."

He looked at Zhou Qing and said, "Zhou Qing, give me this task. From now on, we'll keep to our own wells and rivers and leave each other alone!"

Zhou Qing sneered faintly. "Brother Fang, that's a funny thing to say."

"Back then, Brother Fang inexplicably brought people before me to throw his weight around. Then, for half a month straight, I couldn't get a single task for my junior brothers and sisters. Brother Fang said it was my own oversight, so I accepted it."

"Now that I've luckily obtained one task, Brother Fang is the one feeling slighted, talking about keeping to our own wells and rivers."

"My well has never trespassed upon Brother Fang's river. It is Brother Fang's river that, relying on its power, wants to drown my well. How did it somehow become my fault?"

"One sentence: I won't give it up!"

Fang Yuhe had originally been a man of deep calculation. No matter what, he would not normally quarrel with Zhou Qing in public over a mere task.

But he had already promised Lin Hongyu beforehand. He did not wish to lose credibility before her, so at this moment, he had no intention of backing down, his cold gaze fixed on Zhou Qing.

The atmosphere between the two sides immediately grew tense.

Yuan Hongying looked back and forth between Zhou Qing and Fang Yuhe for a moment, understanding that she needed to step in and ease the situation.

She understood that neither of these two men was accustomed to yielding.

Fang Yuhe had been Senior Apprentice for six years, always throwing his weight around. Others had always tolerated him—when had he ever lowered his head to anyone?

As for Zhou Qing, although he usually seemed mild-tempered and had never spoken harshly, with such humble aptitude, he had still managed to subdue an entire cohort of disciples. How could he not possess pride in his heart?

If no one mediated now, these two would surely stir up trouble.

Thinking this, Yuan Hongying hurriedly said, "Senior Apprentice, why not let Senior Sister Lin have this assignment?"

Zhou Qing's gaze flickered. "Are you willing?"

Yuan Hongying said, "Senior Sister Lin is this junior sister's neighbor, and I often seek her guidance in cultivation. Fighting with her over a mere assignment is truly not what I wish for. If Senior Brother Fang Yuhe had not immediately accused this junior sister of falsely claiming it, and if his words had not injured Senior Apprentice, this junior sister would not have argued with him either."

Hearing Yuan Hongying be so magnanimous, Lin Hongyu instead felt embarrassed. She said, "Junior Sister previously complained that she had no spirit stones to use. Now that you've finally obtained an assignment, how could I snatch it from you? You should go instead."

Yuan Hongying smiled. "Senior Sister needn't yield it to me. I know Senior Sister has recently been preparing to break through to the third level of Qi Refinement, and work at the Spirit Garden is beneficial for condensing spiritual energy. You need this assignment more."

At that, she glanced at Fang Yuhe and said, "Senior Sister is one who walks ahead on the path of cultivation. You should set an example for those of us who come after."

"If Senior Sister breaks through smoothly, seeing it will also inspire this junior sister to press bravely onward on the Dao."

Only then did Lin Hongyu have nothing more to say.

Fang Yuhe looked at her with amusement and said, "Junior Sister, are you implying that I don't know how to set an example for those who come after?"

Yuan Hongying said, "Senior Brother Fang is overthinking it."

Fang Yuhe said, "No matter what, since you were willing to yield the task, I owe you a favor. The next time I receive a task, I'll return one to you."

Yuan Hongying smiled sweetly. "No need. My affairs naturally have my own Senior Apprentice to handle them. I need not trouble Senior Brother Fang."

Fang Yuhe was momentarily dazed.

The intimacy and admiration in Yuan Hongying's tone were no different from how Junior Sister Lin acted around him.

He had always looked down on Zhou Qing in his heart, but at this moment, he suddenly realized that Zhou Qing was actually already a qualified Senior Apprentice.

To accomplish this much with such lowly origins and talent, Zhou Qing truly was a man with methods. He should not keep underestimating him.

Just like that, the dispute dissipated.

The two groups did not see eye to eye. Since the matter had been settled, naturally neither wished to remain even a moment longer.

Zhou Qing and Yuan Hongying immediately headed down the mountain toward Violet Cloud Mountain.

Zhou Qing smiled. "Isn't it a pity to lose an opportunity to earn spirit stones?"

Yuan Hongying smiled. "What is there to regret? Senior Apprentice surely won't treat me unfairly, right?"

Zhou Qing nodded. "When there's another opportunity, I'll give it to you first."

Yuan Hongying laughed, her eyes curving into crescents.

After a while, she suddenly felt lingering fear and said, "I was truly afraid you would start fighting just now. I heard Fang Yuhe has already broken through to the fourth level of Qi Refinement. He has a Fire Spiritual Root and has mastered several fire-element spells. If a fight broke out, the two of us together wouldn't be worth one of his hands. Senior Apprentice, you were far too reckless. Why confront him head-on? It was only one task."

Zhou Qing laughed. "What are you thinking? This is Azure Cloud Mountain. There are countless Foundation Establishment cultivators on this mountain, and even two Golden Core cultivators. How would he dare make a move?"

"The sect's current philosophy is to create an environment where Outer Disciples need not fight, so that disciples can calmly accumulate their cultivation rather than become obsessed with arts of attack and conquest. The sect elders would never stand by and watch disciples fight."

As he spoke, he recounted the information he had heard from Chen Qingxuan.

Only then did Yuan Hongying understand why Zhou Qing had been so fearless. Hearing that he intended to cultivate formations, Yuan Hongying asked curiously, "Senior Apprentice, how is your cultivation now?"

Zhou Qing smiled. "Only two inches of Spirit Pressure. What about Junior Sister?"

Yuan Hongying said, "I've just reached six inches."

Zhou Qing calculated silently. When the two months of Dao lectures had ended, he had cultivated three inches of Spirit Pressure, while Yuan Hongying had four inches.

Now, nearly another month had passed. With the aid of spirit stones, along with his strengthened ability to capture spiritual energy through his magnetic field, his Spirit Pressure had increased by two inches this month, keeping pace with Yuan Hongying.

This showed that his cultivation speed was roughly equivalent to Yuan Hongying's eight Spiritual Roots.

Unfortunately, during this past month, he had only used spirit stones for cultivation for three days. Otherwise, who knew how much faster his cultivation speed could have been.

Seeing him fall silent, Yuan Hongying assumed he felt uncomfortable and immediately regretted bringing up the question.

Knowing full well that Senior Apprentice only had one Spiritual Root, why had she asked such a sensitive question? Hongying, why had your brain suddenly stopped working?

She chose her words carefully and said, "Senior Apprentice, don't take it to heart. On the road, some walk quickly and some slowly; going far is the true meaning."

"This junior sister only happened to take two quick steps ahead. The future is still unknown."

"Whether your cultivation is high or low, Senior Apprentice will always be Senior Apprentice."