Chapter 87: The Junior Sister About to Enter Seclusion

The massive golden characters shimmered with waves of potent Spiritual Power, attracting the attention of every passing Inner Disciple. Streaks of sword light soon converged from all directions like moths to a flame, and before long, a large crowd was hovering on their flying swords just outside the barrier of Moon Gaze Peak.

“The spiritual characters are condensed yet diffuse, radiating an artistic conception that resonates with heaven and earth. This is undoubtedly the work of a master Talisman Master!” one disciple exclaimed, eyeing the calligraphy with awe.

“What Talisman Master? Can’t you read? They’re advertising alchemy and artifact forging!” another retorted.

“This peak seems to be Elder Ruoshui’s cave abode. Could it be one of her disciples?”

“Nonsense! Only Golden Core cultivators can refine third-grade pills and spirit treasures. Why would a Golden Core cultivator take Elder Ruoshui as their master?”

“Has Elder Ruoshui taken a Dao Companion then?”

“Shut your mouth! Do not blaspheme Elder Ruoshui!”

“I… I was just speculating. Don’t take it seriously!”

The Inner Disciples buzzed with discussion. While the sect had its own Artifact Forging Hall and Alchemy Hall, and the status of Artificers and Alchemists was quite high, for an ordinary Inner Disciple to commission a custom magical artifact was nothing but a dream. Those professionals were notoriously aloof and proud. Forget trying to build connections with them; one could hardly even catch a glimpse of their robes on ordinary days.

Inner Sect, Masked Moon Peak.

Within a secluded pavilion at the peak, Ruoshui lay on her side on a jade bed. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

A trace of helplessness and surprise flashed within them. That nominal disciple of hers was causing trouble again.

“Alchemy, talismans, artifact forging… is there anything he can’t do?”

Surprise was one thing, but what Ruoshui felt more was genuine bewilderment.

Did one person truly have that much energy to spare? The paths of Alchemy, Talismans, and Artifacts were all vast oceans of knowledge. How many cultivators exhausted their entire lives without reaching the summit of even one? Yet her nominal disciple was cultivating all three simultaneously, with his talent in each path reaching an unbelievable level.

This definitely wasn’t just because of his physique.

Three days later. Inner Sect, Moon Gaze Peak.

In the courtyard before the summit pavilion, Li Meng sat on a reclining chair, basking in the warm sun. He appeared utterly at ease, but in truth, he was cultivating.

Although the Qi Refining Art progressed slowly, it had one significant advantage: it didn’t require sitting in a full lotus position for meditation cycles. One could enter Deep Meditation in any posture, at any time.

Li Meng cultivated with his eyes closed, refining the medicinal energy within his body. Cultivation was a long, arduous process. Even a cultivator with a Heavenly Spirit Root would need thirty or forty years to progress from early Foundation Establishment to the late-stage Great Perfection.

Li Meng opened his eyes, a flicker of doubt within them.

“How strange. Why has no one come?”

Three days had passed since he released the news with his grand display. Not a single person had visited to inquire during these three days, which left Li Meng feeling slightly disappointed.

“It doesn’t make sense. Could it be they don’t believe I can handle both alchemy and artifact forging?” Li Meng’s expression became thoughtful.

There were hundreds of Foundation Establishment disciples in the Inner Sect. Even if they were skeptical, a few should have come to try their Luck. It was unreasonable for there to be absolute silence.

“No good. It seems I need to hire a shill!” Li Meng chuckled to himself, an idea forming in his mind. There was no shame in making money, whatever the method.

“Senior Brother! Senior Brother! Senior Brother!”

Just as Li Meng was plotting his little marketing stunt, a pleasant, familiar, and youthful voice suddenly rang out from beyond the peak’s barrier.

Hearing it, a genuine smile touched Li Meng’s lips.

Outside the peak, Qi Wei had arrived. She hovered on her flying sword, calling out loudly toward the summit.

At that moment, the clouds and mist surrounding the peak stirred, opening a passage leading inside.

Qi Wei’s eyes curved into crescents as she flew through the gap.

In the courtyard, Qi Wei arrived on her sword, her petite figure leaping down lightly onto the grass.

“Senior Brother! Senior Brother!”

Upon landing, Qi Wei trotted over to Li Meng’s side. Her small frame leaned against the armrest of his recliner as she looked at her greatly changed little old man Senior Brother with fresh curiosity.

“Senior Brother, you’ve gotten handsomer!”

Li Meng chuckled softly and reached out to ruffle his Junior Sister’s head.

“Is that so? Then does Junior Sister prefer Senior Brother now, or Senior Brother from before?”

Qi Wei tilted her head in thought. After pondering for a moment, her eyes lit up as if she had found the perfect answer.

She blinked at her Senior Brother.

“I like both!”

Li Meng was quite satisfied with this answer. He flicked her forehead lightly with his finger.

“You little clever devil!”

Qi Wei’s eyes curved into crescents again as she wrapped both her small hands around her Senior Brother’s arm.

“Senior Brother, you can forge artifacts too!”

When she first arrived, Qi Wei had seen those golden characters floating above the peak summit—Alchemy, Artifact Forging, Talismans… Her Senior Brother knew far too many things! Just thinking about studying that much gave her a headache; she hated having to memorize things.

Li Meng chuckled again and stroked his white beard.

“Just a passing familiarity, nothing more!”

That answer again. Qi Wei pursed her lips into a smile. Her Senior Brother could be so funny sometimes.

Li Meng glanced at his Junior Sister, his system interface activating.

【Name: Qi Wei】 【Age: 21】 【Luck: 1800】 【Cultivation: Peak Qi Condensation】 【Aptitude: Lunar Body】 【Favorability: 80】

It seemed his Junior Sister hadn’t been idle during his time in seclusion.

“Junior Sister, are you about to enter seclusion to attempt your Foundation Establishment breakthrough?”

Qi Wei nodded her little head seriously.

“Master said that things shouldn’t be put off more than three times. I have to attempt my breakthrough now.”

Li Meng flicked his sleeve.

Two jade bottles flew out from the Sword Nurturing Gourd at his waist and landed on the tea table beside them.

“These are pills Senior Brother prepared for you.”

Qi Wei glanced at the pills on the table. Her lips pouted slightly before she pursed them again.

“Senior Brother, I didn’t come here to ask for pills.”

Li Meng chuckled and ruffled her hair again.

“Senior Brother knows. Junior Sister just wanted to see Senior Brother before entering seclusion. If Junior Sister hadn’t come, Senior Brother would have gone looking for you.”

Qi Wei’s eyes curved into crescents once more as she gave him a sweet smile. Her Senior Brother really knew how to comfort people. It sounded so nice.

Qi Wei released her hold on his arm. She took out a small reclining chair from her own storage pouch. Her petite figure clambered onto it and lay down just like her Senior Brother.

The two of them—one big, one small—began chatting leisurely under the sun.

“Senior Brother, after I establish my Foundation, let’s go play at Void Heaven Palace!”

Li Meng turned his head to look at his Junior Sister on the small recliner beside him.

“Tell me about it. What kind of place is Void Heaven Palace?”

Just hearing the name told him it was no ordinary place.

Wait… why does that name sound somewhat familiar?

Qi Wei perked up immediately. She sat up cross-legged on the small chair, her beautiful eyes fixed on him as she began explaining with enthusiasm.

“The Void Heaven Palace is a blessed land within a grotto-heaven! It’s said to be the cave abode of some great power from ancient times. Its territory is vast—reportedly half as large as the entire Tianlan Continent!”

She gestured widely with her hands.

“The spiritual energy inside is incredibly dense, with countless heavenly materials and earthly treasures everywhere. They say even Heaven-Connecting Spirit Treasures have appeared there! There’s even a rumor that most of the Heaven-Connecting Spirit Treasures currently known in Tianlan Continent originated from Void Heaven Palace—though whether that’s true or not is unknown.”

“The Void Heaven Palace opens once every hundred years! The next opening is in five years!”