Little Bamboo Peak was bustling today. Third Elder Meng Caihong had emerged from seclusion!
She had successfully broken through to the Soul Splitting Realm, becoming a mighty cultivator at the soul splitting realm first level.
In the Longevity Sect, even the strongest ancestor was only at the soul splitting realm ninth level, while the sect master was at the soul splitting realm sixth level.
With her breakthrough to the Soul Splitting Realm, the third elder could certainly be counted among the Longevity Sect's experts!
For a time, Little Bamboo Peak was extraordinarily lively, with many peak masters coming to offer their congratulations!
Ji Wuchang and the other disciples of Little Bamboo Peak were naturally even busier. Serving tea, pouring water, welcoming guests, and seeing them off were all their jobs!
After her breakthrough, Meng Caihong had also grown considerably younger, looking to be in her forties.
At the sight of Meng Caihong, a trace of joy appeared on Ji Wuchang's face.
In his previous life, Meng Caihong had not ignored him because of his damaged meridians. Instead, she had gone out many times to find medicinal herbs and refine pills for him.
Had An Kexin not swapped away that five-hundred-year-old stalk of origin-nurturing grass, his meridians would have been restored to their original state in his previous life.
Later, because of his hostility with Xiao Fan, Meng Caihong's relationship with Fifth Elder Tang Yiyuan had grown increasingly strained, until they even became enemies.
Decades later, she had been killed by Xiao Fan while away from the sect!
Yet laughably enough, his two senior sisters had believed Xiao Fan's claim that their master had died in the jaws of a fifth-tier ferocious beast.
Only when An Kexin was finally abandoned by Xiao Fan had she learned the truth from his own mouth!
That was also why An Kexin had later sought out Ji Wuchang, weeping bitterly in repentance!
Looking at his master before him, Ji Wuchang silently resolved that he would never allow such a tragedy to happen in this life.
Only after considerable effort did Little Bamboo Peak regain its peace. Once all the well-wishers had left, Ji Wuchang and the others finally had a respite from their work.
Inside Little Bamboo Peak's main hall, Meng Caihong sat in the seat of honor, looking at the four disciples below with great satisfaction.
Just then, Meng Caihong looked at Ji Wuchang, and her eyes lit up.
"Wuchang, your cultivation has risen very quickly lately. You're already at the peak of the Qi Refining seventh layer! It seems you haven't been slacking off while I was in seclusion!"
As soon as Meng Caihong spoke, An Kexin's and Tai Yujie's expressions both changed slightly.
Ever since they had given Ji Wuchang a scolding that time, neither of them had seen him again.
Truthfully, neither was particularly fond of this newly accepted junior brother, so they had naturally paid no attention to Ji Wuchang's cultivation.
Only now, hearing their master point it out, did they feel astonished, while a faint sense of crisis rose in their hearts.
After all, a little over two months ago, Ji Wuchang had only been at the peak of the Qi Refinement third layer. Now he was already at the peak of the Qi Refining seventh layer. His cultivation speed was simply too fast.
Back then, it had taken them nearly two years to advance from the Qi Refinement third layer to the Qi Refining seventh layer.
Moreover, they had pills to assist them at the time.
By that comparison, Ji Wuchang's aptitude and innate constitution were far superior to theirs.
"Your discerning eyes burn like torches, Master. During a recent cultivation session, I miraculously entered a state of sudden enlightenment. When I awoke, I discovered that my cultivation had risen enormously!"
"That feeling was truly wondrous. Unfortunately, though I tried many times afterward, I could never find it again!"
This was the explanation Ji Wuchang had prepared long ago, one that could perfectly account for his increased cultivation.
After all, sudden enlightenment was a state cultivators dreamed of attaining. Not only did their cultivation rise extremely quickly, but their comprehension of cultivation methods and combat techniques also improved by leaps and bounds.
Some people could even cross an entire major realm in an instant through sudden enlightenment. Such cases were recorded on the Heavenly Chen Continent!
Hearing Ji Wuchang's words, Meng Caihong smiled and said, "That was your own fortuitous opportunity, Wuchang!"
Envy appeared on An Kexin's and Tai Yujie's faces at the same time! Deep in their eyes lurked a trace of jealousy, but both concealed it extremely well!
Zeng Linghong smiled and said, "Our junior brother has a mid-grade earth-tier innate constitution, the best among the four of us!"
"As long as he has time, the day he catches up to us is just around the corner!"
Zeng Linghong meant what he said, and he was genuinely happy for Ji Wuchang. After all, the three of them all had low-grade earth-tier innate constitutions!
Hearing this, Meng Caihong smiled and nodded before saying, "On the path of immortal cultivation, innate constitution isn't everything. What matters most is your own effort!"
"So none of you four may neglect your cultivation. Immortal cultivators contend with heaven for their lives and walk against its will! One step ahead means staying ahead at every step!"
Meng Caihong's words were meant to encourage her four disciples, but they had little effect.
Although An Kexin and Tai Yujie bowed and agreed on the surface, inwardly, they disliked Ji Wuchang even more.
In fact, they had been jealous of Ji Wuchang's superior innate constitution from the very beginning. They simply could not say it openly.
In his previous life, when Ji Wuchang's meridians had been damaged, both had secretly rejoiced. The pressure Ji Wuchang had brought them had vanished without a trace.
In truth, to put it plainly, everything stemmed from jealousy!
Having lived two lives, Ji Wuchang swept his gaze over An Kexin and Tai Yujie. The instant he saw their expressions, he knew they were forcing their smiles.
He understood the two of them all too well. They concealed it very well before their master.
Ji Wuchang sneered inwardly. He was not afraid of them in the slightest now.
Even setting aside the secret arts he possessed, Ji Yaoyao alone could crush them at any time, as easily as crushing two ants.
Since they were currently in the sect, Ji Wuchang naturally would not kill them, lest someone notice something amiss.
Truthfully, Ji Wuchang still deeply valued the bond between himself and Meng Caihong as disciple and master.
However, the sect's secret realm trial would begin soon.
In his previous life, his damaged meridians had prevented him from participating. In this life, he would not miss it.
Ji Wuchang remembered that this secret realm was only open to disciples in the Qi Refining Realm and Foundation Establishment Realm.
In his previous life, it was after the secret realm expedition that Xiao Fan had truly become acquainted with An Kexin and the others, and their relationship had grown increasingly close afterward.
This time, Ji Wuchang decided to scheme them to death.
Even if they survived, he would make them shed a layer of skin!
Afterward, Meng Caihong questioned the four of them in turn, answering their questions and guiding their cultivation.
In truth, Meng Caihong held the bowl level for all four disciples, treating each of them equally.
The reason she gave Ji Wuchang somewhat more attention was that his cultivation was the lowest, so she would occasionally offer him a few extra words of guidance.
But in An Kexin's and Tai Yujie's eyes, all of this became something else entirely: their master favoring their junior brother!
Only Zeng Linghong remained completely even-tempered, feeling that even if their master favored their junior brother a little, it was only right.
After all, when they had first become her disciples, their master had done the same for them.
When Ji Wuchang left Little Bamboo Peak's main hall, he held an additional jade slip in his hand. It contained a new combat technique Meng Caihong had passed on to him.
This combat technique was a finger technique called the Jade Shattering Finger!
It was also one of the finger techniques Ji Wuchang had liked quite a bit in his previous life, and it had only one move.
"Better to shatter as jade than remain whole as a tile!"
Once the Jade Shattering Finger was unleashed, it signaled a fight with one's life on the line!