The cave abode had only basic furnishings and few valuables. Liu Yu took the two Storage Bags he had hidden in a secret compartment and tucked them into his robes. After tidying up briefly, he left.
When he had visited Clear Spring Peak yesterday, he had seen many people hurrying about. He found it rather strange and wondered why. Could something major have happened?
Liu Yu patted his Storage Bag and took out the Giant Wood Sword, then rode it toward Jiang Qiushui's cave abode to ask for news. Over the years, he had been busy cultivating and carrying out missions, and Jiang Qiushui was the fellow disciple he knew best. After all, the pills he refined once a month for the Outer Courtyard faction always passed through her hands, and their repeated dealings had brought them closer.
However, now that he had entered the inner sect, his cultivation and standing had changed, and their previous agreement naturally became void. He had reached late Qi Refining and had the Golden Dragon Sword, a superior-grade magical artifact, at his disposal. He no longer had so many reservations about other cultivators in the Qi Refining period, nor did he need to shrink back at every turn.
Flying on a sword was far faster than traveling on foot, and he soon arrived outside Jiang Qiushui's cave abode.
Putting the Giant Wood Sword back into his Storage Bag, Liu Yu took out a Voice-Transmitting Talisman. His lips moved slightly, and the talisman turned into a streak of white light that flew into the cave abode.
After sending the Voice-Transmitting Talisman, Liu Yu waited patiently outside the ward. More than half a month had passed since his last visit. His breakthrough had brought a shift in his outlook, and his mood was quite different.
Dressed in white robes, Liu Yu stood with his arms folded across his chest, his deep eyes sweeping casually over his surroundings.
Jiang Qiushui had a wide circle of acquaintances in the outer sect, particularly among the Outer Courtyard faction. Perhaps thanks to some connections, her cave abode occupied a much better location than Liu Yu's. Not only was it much larger, but it also stood closer to a spiritual vein node, where the spiritual energy was noticeably denser.
Perhaps she had been cultivating. This time, Liu Yu waited for about half an hour before Jiang Qiushui opened her cave abode.
Rumble!
As the stone door slowly opened, a lovely, alluring face came into Liu Yu's view.
The robes of a Primordial Yang Sect outer disciple concealed most of her charms, leaving only the faint contours of her proud breasts visible. Her hair was tied loosely behind her head with a colored ribbon. Perhaps she had just finished cultivating, for beads of fragrant perspiration still glimmered on her snow-white forehead. A cultivator's eyesight could make out every detail clearly.
Jiang Qiushui opened the ward and saw Liu Yu dressed in the white robes of an inner disciple. Sensing the fluctuations of spiritual power emanating from him, distinctly stronger than her own, she widened her eyes in disbelief.
When he had come half a month ago to ask about pills for breaking through a bottleneck, learning that this junior brother had reached the peak of the sixth layer of Qi Refining had already made her see him in a new light. She had never expected him to break through and enter the inner sect in the blink of an eye. It truly stirred envy and jealousy. Jiang Qiushui felt certain he must have obtained a pill for breaking through his bottleneck; otherwise, he could never have advanced so quickly.
She had considered buying a pill to break through her own bottleneck, but such rare pills were extremely expensive. Her savings fell far short of the spirit stones she needed, leaving her no choice but to keep tempering her magical power in the hope of wearing down the bottleneck someday. Yet how could that compare with the speed at which alchemy earned spirit stones?
All these thoughts flashed through Jiang Qiushui's mind in a single instant. She quickly adjusted to her position and status, a smile appearing at the corners of her mouth as she said:
"Congratulations, Junior Brother Liu-oh, no, Senior Brother Liu-on reaching late Qi Refining and entering the inner sect. Please come inside first, Senior Brother, and we can talk!"
In the cultivation world, seniority was determined by cultivation. Liu Yu's cultivation was higher than hers, and he was now an inner disciple, so of course she had to address him as senior brother.
Her voice was lovely, bright and clear as an oriole's song, without a trace of impurity. This time, however, she did not lead the way. She waited until Liu Yu had entered before forming a hand seal to close the stone door.
"Junior Sister Jiang, it's been more than half a month, hasn't it? You're as lovely as ever. Here I am, troubling you again!"
After returning from Jiatai Market, he had remained in seclusion while recovering from his injuries and attempting to reach the seventh layer of Qi Refining. He had not gone to the cliff to meditate and refine qi, so they indeed had not seen each other for more than half a month. Cultivators often went long periods without meeting because they were in seclusion or completing missions to earn spirit stones.
Liu Yu did not stand on ceremony. He nodded and calmly accepted the change in their standing. This was the norm in the cultivation world; there was nothing awkward about it. He greeted Jiang Qiushui with a smile and walked openly into her cave abode.
Following behind him, Jiang Qiushui gazed at the white-robed figure ahead, complicated emotions flickering in her beautiful eyes. Three years ago, this junior brother had been utterly ordinary in both looks and aptitude, yet in the blink of an eye, he had become an inner-sect senior brother. The disparity inevitably left her feeling dispirited and deeply uncomfortable.
The furnishings in the cave abode were unchanged from his last visit. Liu Yu glanced around, then went straight to a stone table and sat down, considering how to phrase his questions.
Jiang Qiushui set out two teacups and gently drew back her long sleeves, revealing a stretch of forearm as white as jade. She gracefully poured two cups of tea and set one lightly before Liu Yu before sitting down herself.
She sat upright on the stone stool, her hands folded in her lap and her eyes lowered toward her teacup. With a soft sigh, she said wistfully:
"To think a joke from three years ago would become a prophecy. Now you're a senior brother of the inner sect, while I'm still struggling to temper my magical power and cultivation in middle Qi Refining. Who knows how many more springs and autumns I'll remain trapped here!"
Jiang Qiushui's words were full of emotion, with a hint of desolation creeping in toward the end. Some cultivators with false spiritual roots could never enter late Qi Refining because of their bottlenecks. With her three spiritual roots, she would not face such difficulty, but if her luck was poor, she could still remain stuck for more than a decade, unable to enter the inner sect and missing the best age for Foundation Establishment. That was precisely what worried her.
"I was merely fortunate enough to buy a pill for breaking through my bottleneck. There's no need to envy me, Junior Sister. I believe that as long as you cultivate diligently, once your opportunity comes, you'll certainly break through before you turn thirty!"
Liu Yu looked at his former senior sister. There had once been a faint air of condescension when she spoke to him, yet now she looked so forlorn.
He could not help feeling a flicker of satisfaction, but he quickly steadied his mind and offered her reassurance.
Liu Yu picked up the teacup on the table and leisurely took a sip. The tea tasted excellent and contained traces of spiritual energy, but it had no special effects. In terms of value, it fell far short of Clear Lotus Tea. Only after setting down his cup did he speak, his manner composed and unhurried.
"As you know, Junior Sister, I have some modest knowledge of alchemy. However, I'm devoted to cultivation and don't wish to be distracted by miscellaneous affairs. Would you be willing to shoulder some of my burdens and handle the sale of some pills for me?"
Only after reaching late Qi Refining and shedding many of his reservations did Liu Yu dare to do this. It would increase his influence and reputation, making certain matters much easier to handle while broadening his network of contacts.
His experiences in his previous life had taught Liu Yu that reputation could sometimes serve as a bridge, granting access to many things otherwise beyond one's reach, such as certain treasures that aided Foundation Establishment.
Having someone handle affairs for him would also save him considerable time.
This approach would attract covetous attention as well, but with his increased strength, he was confident he could fend off some of those lurking in the shadows.
"With only the sword in my hand, I shall cleave through ten thousand miles of clouds!"
Thanks to fellow readers Likes Reading Cultivation and Farming Stories, Sacred Flying Immortal, Fluttering Cherry Blossoms, 20170123135843561, Zeng Xiangbin, Lei Tiezhu, Chenghai Muzi, and everyone else for supporting me with recommendation votes!
Thanks to fellow reader I Love Reading Novels morilei for the monthly ticket, and Hair Like Ice for the tip of 100 coins!
If you enjoy this book, please support it with a recommendation vote. Changting bows in thanks!