Chapter 67: Moon Gaze Peak

Seeing no further bids, Mu Jiu’er offered a gentle, practiced smile.

“60,000 spirit stones, once. 60,000 spirit stones, twice. Sold! Congratulations, Senior, on winning the five-thousand-year Heavenly Lightning Bamboo!”

Could this be considered a bargain?

Li Meng wasn’t sure if it was a steal or a waste of money, but the gavel had fallen.

The grand auction conclave soon drew to a close. The final lot was a low-grade spiritual treasure, secured by Fairy Xu from the upper tiers for a staggering 170,000 spirit stones.

“Senior Brother, let’s go! There’s nothing more interesting to see now!”

Qi Wei hopped down from the seating platform, her energy boundless. She grabbed her “little old man” Senior Brother’s massive hand and pulled him toward the exit.

“Junior Sister, where are we going?”

“To collect our auction items, of course! Don’t you want yours, Senior Brother?”

“Ah, slow down, be careful not to trip!”

“I won’t!”

Their figures, one large and rugged, one small and delicate, gradually receded down the long corridor.

By the time Li Meng finalized the transactions and left the Auction House, another hour had passed. Unnoticed, the time had already reached the afternoon of the following day. The entire auction conclave had lasted a full twenty-four hours.

Standing on the flying sword platform outside the Market City, Li Meng nervously scanned his surroundings.

Was it really alright for him to leave the Market City like this?

“Senior Brother, let’s go!”

Qi Wei reached out with her small hands and wrapped them around his thick arm, tugging insistently.

Li Meng looked down at his Junior Sister, who was covering her mouth to stifle a giggle.

“Junior Sister,” he whispered, “the Ancestor should be nearby, right?”

If the Ancestor wasn’t around, he wouldn’t dare step one foot outside the city’s protective array. After all, he was currently a walking treasure chest. Who knew how many pairs of greedy eyes were watching him from the shadows?

Qi Wei’s eyes curved into crescents.

“Senior Brother, you look so funny when you’re scared!”

Li Meng, who had been scanning for assassins, glared down at her. Then, acting on impulse, he bent over and scooped her up into his arms.

“Senior Brother! Wh-what are you doing?”

Qi Wei’s face flushed pink. A flicker of bashfulness passed through her eyes.

Li Meng grinned, his tall frame leaping into the air. Holding his Junior Sister secure against his chest, he summoned his flying sword and soared away.

“Junior Sister, if we run into danger, I’m throwing you out as a shield!”

Qi Wei pouted, her small hands clutching tightly at the front of his robe. “Senior Brother would never do that!”

“Haha, Junior Sister, you know me quite well!”

“Senior Brother just wouldn’t.”

“You have that much faith in me?”

“Mhmm! Mhmm!” Qi Wei nodded her little head vigorously against his chest.

Li Meng chuckled softly. “You… one of these days I’ll sell you off and you’ll still be counting the money for me.”

Qi Wei looked up at him and blinked. “Senior Brother, what’s money?”

“It’s spirit stones!”

“Then I’ll count them for you!”

“Haha, you little miser!”

Li Meng urged his sword upward, shooting straight into the clouds.

High above the vast sea of mist, Li Meng flew. Beneath his feet stretched an endless expanse of white, broken only by the peaks of mountains like islands in an ocean. To the west, the setting sun grew large and crimson red, painting the world in hues of fire and gold.

The scene was breathtaking, filling the heart with a sense of serene delight. If only there wasn’t that fierce headwind battering them.

“Junior Sister, is my Master on Moon Gaze Peak?”

The girl in his arms shook her head.

“Moon Gaze Peak is Senior Sister’s cave abode, but she rarely returns there. She’s usually staying at Masked Moon Peak!”

She looked up at him. “Senior Brother, are you going to move to Moon Gaze Peak?”

“Move?”

Li Meng hadn’t considered moving. Registered Disciples of Golden Core Elders usually had their own designated cave abodes in the outer rings. They didn’t live with their masters; they only visited for instruction or errands.

Qi Wei nodded. “Senior Sister said that since Senior Brother is coming anyway, Moon Gaze Peak is at your disposal.”

Li Meng resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

Well then. His bargain-bin Master was certainly living up to being a bargain.

“Senior Brother, there’s also this!”

Qi Wei produced a token from her sleeve. “This is the access token for Moon Gaze Peak’s Cloud Mist Array. With it, you can pass through unimpeded!”

Li Meng sighed internally. He had no choice but to accept the token. It seemed his Master intended to be completely hands-off.

Well, hands-off was fine by him. In fact, it was perfect. In his Master’s eyes, he was just an old man nearing his Sitting Death anyway. If not for the Ancestor’s request, that cheap Master probably wouldn’t have given him a second glance.

“Senior Brother, shall we go now?”

“Yes, let’s go.”

The duration of his transformation was nearly up. This was a perfect opportunity to go to Moon Gaze Peak and revert to his true identity in safety.

Li Meng glanced back over his shoulder one last time.

They were already within Joyous Union Sect territory. While there was no need to worry about rogue cultivators or enemies from other sects, it would still be troublesome if he caught the eye of some Golden Core Grandmaster within the sect itself.

“Senior Brother, don’t worry. They wouldn’t dare!” Qi Wei said, reading his tension.

“Mhmm. Senior Brother isn’t worried.”

Li Meng withdrew his gaze and chuckled softly. He reached out and ruffled her hair.

Qi Wei squinted her eyes and covered her mouth with a giggle. Her timid “little old man” Senior Brother was so funny.

Joyous Union Sect. Inner Sect. Moon Gaze Peak.

Two figures—one large, one small—bathed in moonlight as they arrived on a flying sword.

“Senior Brother! That’s Moon Gaze Peak!”

Li Meng halted his sword outside a mountain peak shrouded in dense mist and clouds.

To the untrained eye, there was no difference between the Cloud Mist Array and a Maze Formation. Both looked like impenetrable fog. But upon closer inspection, one could see the telltale signs: the mist of a Maze Formation remained static, dead air, while the fog of the Cloud Mist Array flowed in a slow, clockwise rotation around the peak.

Li Meng took out the access token and channeled spiritual power into it.

The token emitted a five-colored spiritual light. In response, the clouds encircling the peak parted silently, opening a passageway.

Holding his Junior Sister close once more, Li Meng guided his sword through the gap.

“It truly is a place of spiritual beauty!”

On a stone platform by a cliff at the summit, Li Meng descended and set Qi Wei down. He looked around in awe.

The summit of Moon Gaze Peak was vast. It resembled a celestial garden, filled with jade pavilions connected by winding paths. A small, crystal-clear lake dominated the center, reflecting the moonlight. The scenery was a perfect landscape painting come to life.

“Senior Brother! Senior Brother! Come quickly!”

Qi Wei was already hopping along one of the paths leading further up.

Li Meng chuckled. A white mist enveloped him for a brief moment. When it dissipated, the tall, burly “Iron Ox” had vanished. In his place stood a small, hunched old man dressed in blue robes.

“Junior Sister, slow down. These old bones of mine can’t walk very fast!”

Despite his words, Li Meng walked with remarkable briskness.

“Hehehe, Senior Brother, walk slower. Don’t trip!”

It took them an hour of exploring the summit before they finally settled down in one of the gazebos.

“Senior Brother, Master is calling me back now.”

Qi Wei sat on a stone stool, swinging her feet somewhat dejectedly.

Li Meng smiled warmly, stroking his beard.

“Junior Sister, your constitution is special. If you don’t cultivate diligently, it will be very difficult for you to achieve your breakthrough before your lifespan runs out. I’d hate for me to form my Golden Core only for my dear Junior Sister to face Sitting Death during Foundation Establishment. That would truly sadden this old heart.”

Qi Wei’s eyes curved into happy crescents again. She stood up on top of the stone stool, looking down at her little old man Senior Brother from her new height.

“Senior Brother, you are not allowed to die. If you die, this Junior Sister will laugh at you for an entire lifetime.”

With that, she stuck her tongue out playfully, then hopped down.

Bouncing with each step, she ran out of the gazebo. Her small figure leaped into the air, mounting her flying sword as she soared away from the peak, disappearing into the night.