After returning to the Yuanji Sect, Xue Fuyao soon noticed something amiss.
There seemed to be a lot of unfamiliar faces in the Yuanji Sect today.
She looked around at the disciples coming and going.
These people were not wearing the robes of Yuanji Sect disciples, so they were probably disciples from other sects.
Disciples from other sects did visit the Yuanji Sect from time to time, but most came with their elders. This time, however, there seemed to be rather a lot of them.
At that thought, Xue Fuyao quickened her pace and soon arrived at Green Bamboo Peak.
"Greetings, Master."
Upon reaching the summit of Green Bamboo Peak, Xue Fuyao saw her master, Xie Yichu, still sitting in meditation on that flat rock and respectfully bowed.
Hearing her approach, Xie Yichu slowly opened his eyes. When he saw that it was Xue Fuyao, his expression instantly softened.
"Not bad. Your cultivation is very solid," Xie Yichu said slowly.
A hint of approval appeared in his eyes as he spoke. It seemed that his young disciple's talent and comprehension for cultivation were even better than he had imagined.
Then, as though something had occurred to him, he asked, "What level have you reached in the Longevity Formula I gave you?"
At his words, Xue Fuyao instantly tensed, like a student called on by a teacher in class who happened to be asked the very question she could not answer.
She lowered her head guiltily and said in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, "The... the third level."
Just as she braced herself for a scolding, the reprimand she had expected never came.
"The third level. Your pace is decent. Is there anything you don't understand?" Xie Yichu asked.
Xue Fuyao could not help breathing a sigh of