After returning to his cave abode, Lu Li did not refine artifacts himself.
Now that Great Xia had the ability to refine artifacts, it could naturally do more experimenting.
Such opportunities were precious to Great Xia.
He immediately took out the jade pendant, sent back an artifact-refining material, and carefully repeated his instructions several times.
He also recorded and sent back the Great Xia Law Armor's test data, along with images of the artifact inscriptions he had newly comprehended.
Only then did he begin cultivating.
"Hum!"
The Five Elements Instruction 3.0 slowly circulated.
The Spiritual Power in the cave abode was stirred, swarming toward Lu Li.
There hasn't been any further progress on the Five Elements Instruction for over a year.
It looks like this top-tier Five Elements Instruction isn't so easy to deduce...
Even Great Xia can't accomplish it that easily.
But... the Spiritual Qi in my cave abode could still be improved.
Lu Li pondered as he cultivated and circulated his cultivation method.
The Spirit Gathering Formation was a formation specifically designed to increase the concentration of Spiritual Qi.
It could ensure that the concentrated Spiritual Qi within the cave abode did not dissipate.
If he learned formations in the future, he would naturally learn this one first and bring it back to set up for his own home.
With that thought, Lu Li stopped dwelling on it.
He immersed himself in cultivation.
When daylight shone brightly the next morning.
He left his cave abode early.
He planned to look around the Pill Hall and Formation Hall to see whether he could freeload-no... sit in on a few lessons.
"Whoosh!"
He set his flying sword in motion.
Lu Li sped through the sect.
He occasionally greeted disciples whose faces he recognized.
He was reasonably satisfied with his current life.
Although becoming an immortal was still extraordinarily far off, and the hope of returning home remained indistinct.
At least life was stable.
Keeping things this stable was better than anything else.
But just as Lu Li was lost in thought.
His heart suddenly gave a violent leap.
It was as though something terrifying was about to descend upon him.
His expression changed drastically.
Before he could figure out what was happening.
A streak of sword light suddenly flashed before his eyes.
Then a somewhat familiar voice rang out beside his ear.
"Hmm? Is that Junior Brother Lu?"
"You're... Ye... Ye Chenfeng?!"
Seeing the newcomer's face clearly, Lu Li's wonderful mood instantly gave way to wariness.
The newcomer wore white swordsman's robes, his presence sharp, the force of his Qi Refinement Peak cultivation surging outward.
Though his eyes and brows were full of exhaustion, Lu Li still recognized him at a glance.
It was none other than that suspected "protagonist."
"It really is Junior Brother Lu!"
Seeing Lu Li flying on a sword, Ye Chenfeng was slightly startled.
By his reckoning, hadn't he only been away from the sect for a little over a year? How had he already...
Fortunately, he sensed that Lu Li's cultivation had only barely reached the Qi Refinement Seventh Layer.
There was still a considerable gap between them, and he inexplicably relaxed.
However...
This time, Elder Jian, who always refused to concede anything, actually lost his composure.
"This boy... something's not right..."
"Hmm? What is it, Elder Jian? What's wrong? Isn't Junior Brother Lu only at the Qi Refinement Seventh Layer?"
"Idiot! I'm not talking about his cultivation!"
"It's a feeling! This boy... why does he give me an extremely well-concealed sense of ferocity... there was nothing like this last year..."
"Strange..."
Elder Jian's weathered, astonished voice reached Ye Chenfeng's ears.
It made him unable to resist studying Lu Li closely again.
Looking at Lu Li's delicate features, he found nothing unusual.
Yet it made Lu Li's skin crawl...
"Ahem... Senior Brother Ye, did you just return to the sect?"
"Uh, yes. You were the person I saw when I left the sect last time. I never expected you'd be the person I saw as soon as I returned, too."
"Junior Brother Lu, we really are fated to meet."
Ye Chenfeng came back to his senses and laughed it off.
Fated? I don't want to be fated to meet you...
Don't go stirring up trouble outside someday... and then run into me the moment you return...
After muttering a few things inwardly, Lu Li did not want to get further entangled with him.
He immediately moved to take his leave, but before he could speak.
Ye Chenfeng spoke first.
"Junior Brother Lu, you... haven't left the sect all year?"
"No..."
"Hmm? Haven't you been bored?"
"No..."
"Don't you want to go out and seek some fortuitous opportunities?"
"No..."
Three crisp, decisive refusals in a row left Ye Chenfeng speechless.
They made him even more curious.
Not only him-even Elder Jian took an interest!
"Interesting! Interesting! This boy... goes nowhere and simply cultivates diligently like this."
"His Dao heart doesn't waver in the slightest... his cultivation advances steadily, too... whichever way I look at it, something's not right!"
"Boy, sound him out. Invite him to go out tempering himself with you, to that Foundation Establishment cave abode we encountered on the road..."
"Don't worry, I'm not trying to harm him. I just want to see exactly what this boy's background is."
Elder Jian's voice passed through the sword pellet in his Dantian and reached Ye Chenfeng's ears.
It made him pause slightly.
After hesitating briefly, he still could not help speaking.
"Junior Brother Lu, I came back to rest and regroup this time, but I'll be leaving again soon."
"On this trip... besides carrying out a hunt-and-kill mission, I'll also explore the cave abode ruins left behind by a Foundation Establishment senior."
"Would you like to come with me? I heard... there might be Foundation Establishment Pills in that cave abode!"
Having said this, Ye Chenfeng was just about to observe his expression.
Yet he saw Lu Li's demeanor grow visibly solemn.
All polite pleasantry vanished from his face.
With a resolute, warning look, he faced Ye Chenfeng squarely.
"Senior Brother Ye, I'm warning you in all seriousness: cave abode ruins... are the most dangerous places!"
"These sorts of places are generally very likely to be traps!"
"I advise you not to go. Also... don't ever bring this up with me again."
"Tempering yourself... really can get you killed!"
With that, without waiting for Ye Chenfeng to respond, Lu Li flew away on his sword.
His escape speed was far beyond what someone at his cultivation should have been able to display.
"This... this... but..."
Watching Lu Li's figure vanish at tremendous speed, Ye Chenfeng froze.
Elder Jian fell silent.
Master and disciple were both speechless.
"Could it be... this boy really is simply timid?"
"But this... isn't he being far too cautious...?"
Elder Jian did not sound very confident.
The corners of Ye Chenfeng's mouth twitched repeatedly.
"Forget it. Maybe Junior Brother Lu really doesn't like going out to temper himself..."
"I'd better hurry and get my flying sword repaired."
"I wonder whether there's an artifact refiner in the sect who can repair this flying sword of mine..."
He shook his head, looking somewhat exhausted.
Ye Chenfeng sped off, first making a round of the Artifact Hall.
He sought out several first-tier master artifact refiners, but none could help.
In the end, left with no choice, he entrusted an Artifact Hall disciple with posting a repair mission before returning to his cave abode to rest.
Meanwhile.
After taking his leave of Ye Chenfeng and flying several li away, Lu Li still wore a deep frown.
That fellow... seemed to be sounding me out just now...
What, does he have designs on me? Or...
Does the person behind him have designs on me?
And... how did he run into me the moment he returned... are we really fated to meet?
Lu Li could not figure it out and did not want to think about it further.
He merely swore inwardly that he would keep farther away from this person in the future.
Because he seemed to have truly sensed a strong karmic connection...