Chapter Seven: Junior Brother, Please Mind Yourself

Zhou Qi waited where he was, listless and bored. For the upcoming Five Sects Competition, the other sects would surely target him; his cultivation was only at the seventh level of Qi Refining, still too low. He wondered if he could reach the ninth level within two months. The Method of Life and Death was no longer viable—if he saw someone using such a sly approach, even he would want to draw his sword and kill them.

Compared to the Five Sects Competition, the greatest challenge was still the Celestial Sovereign Xuan. He had no idea how powerful his enemies were, and he still had to eliminate nine soul bearers. Just the thought gave him a headache.

Before long, Liu Piaopiao returned. She poured out a large pile of spirit stones from her storage ring and handed them to Zhou Qi. “Here are 1,000 spirit stones. Use them to cultivate. I hope they help you break through quickly.” She then solemnly produced an herb from her ring. “This is the Soul-Returning Grass. There’s only one in the entire True Unity Sect. I begged it from the Elder of the Herbal Hall. I don’t know if it will be useful to you.”

Zhou Qi bowed deeply in gratitude. He took the Soul-Returning Grass and, gathering up the spirit stones, sat down beside her to meditate.

He was about to activate the Profound Heaven True Art when he noticed Liu Piaopiao hadn’t left. Left with no choice, he began to circulate the True Unity Sect’s cultivation method instead.

He cultivated for a long time, but not even a single spirit stone was fully absorbed. Liu Piaopiao frowned deeply—at this rate, using up a hundred lower-grade spirit stones in two months would already be impressive.

His absorption of spiritual energy was far too slow. Helplessly, Zhou Qi stopped and couldn’t help but ask, “Senior Sister, don’t you need to cultivate?”

“Master has said that for the next two months I am to remain by your side at all times to guide your cultivation. You needn’t worry,” Liu Piaopiao explained.

If you don’t leave, how can I dare use the Profound Heaven True Art? Zhou Qi grumbled inwardly. “Senior Sister, I’m only absorbing spiritual energy at the moment and don’t need any assistance. If I do, I’ll call for you. Perhaps you could attend to your own matters first?”

“No, Master has ordered it. You have done a great service for the True Unity Sect, and I must not leave your side until you are able to survive the Five Sects Competition,” Liu Piaopiao replied sternly.

If you stay, I won’t be able to increase my cultivation and will die even faster. Zhou Qi racked his brain for a way to send his earnest senior sister away.

Ten minutes later, Zhou Qi stopped cultivating again and stared fixedly at Liu Piaopiao, his expression that of an infatuated fool.

“Junior Brother, what are you doing? Why aren’t you focusing on your training and staring at me?” Liu Piaopiao felt thoroughly uncomfortable under his gaze.

“Senior Sister, may I ask how old you are?” Zhou Qi inquired.

“I have lived eighty years,” Liu Piaopiao answered honestly.

Eighty years old! In his previous life, people of eighty would be holding their great-grandchildren. Yet Liu Piaopiao looked only seventeen or eighteen—cultivators truly couldn’t be judged by appearances.

His own body was only twelve years old, and here he was flirting with an eighty-year-old. Ah, but what choice did he have? Circumstances demanded it.

“Senior Sister, how did you come to be so beautiful?” Zhou Qi put on a lascivious expression.

“You…” Liu Piaopiao was furious. As the daughter of the Gate Master of the Life and Death Sect, who dared speak to her like this?

“Junior Brother, please behave yourself! You’re about to participate in the Five Sects Competition; your focus should be on cultivation. Besides, you’re only twelve years old. I will pretend I heard nothing just now.” Liu Piaopiao rebuked him.

Alas, it seemed he would have to take more drastic measures.

“Senior Sister, I know I shouldn’t have such thoughts. I should put cultivation first. It’s just that I fell in love with you at first sight, and with you nearby, I can’t help but look your way,” Zhou Qi said, feigning distress.

“If you need anything, you may find me in the neighboring cavern!” Liu Piaopiao’s cheeks flushed red; she wasn’t sure whether she felt angry or pleased. Unable to stay any longer, she turned into a streak of light and vanished.

Watching her depart, Zhou Qi thought, To be eighty and never have been in love—how tragic!

With Liu Piaopiao gone, Zhou Qi no longer held back and activated the Profound Heaven True Art with all his might. Countless spirit stones turned to dust.

The Profound Heaven True Art was truly marvelous.

Ten days later, Zhou Qi broke through to the eighth level of Qi Refining.

He had used up 300 spirit stones going from the seventh to the eighth level. Previously, it had only taken 180 spirit stones to progress from the third to the seventh level. Looking at the remaining 700 spirit stones, it seemed unlikely he would reach the peak of the ninth level with what he had left.

He should have asked for more. Pushing the thought aside, he continued drawing in spiritual energy.

Another twenty days passed. With only a month left before the Five Sects Competition, his 700 remaining spirit stones were gone, but Zhou Qi had reached the peak of the eighth Qi Refining level, just a step away from the ninth.

He ceased his cultivation, took out the Soul-Returning Grass, and began refining it, uncertain if it would be useful for the Celestial Sovereign Xuan.

Traces of medicinal power were absorbed by the soul of the Celestial Sovereign Xuan. Zhou Qi sensed a tremor in his sea of consciousness and hurriedly called out, “Sovereign, I beg you to save me!”

“What is it?” At length, the sovereign’s voice sounded.

Zhou Qi explained the circumstances of the upcoming Five Sects Competition, expressing his fear that he would be targeted by disciples from the other four sects.

The Celestial Sovereign Xuan grew furious. “You woke me for such a trifle? Very well, in gratitude for your bringing me the Soul-Returning Grass, I will impart to you a movement technique. But this herb is of too low a grade—once I have finished, I will likely fall into slumber again.”

With those words, a ripple of spiritual thought passed, and a new technique appeared in Zhou Qi’s mind: the Divine Movement Art. Within a range of a thousand meters, it allowed instant movement, but the spiritual energy consumption was immense. With his current cultivation, he could use it once or twice at best—evidence of its high level.

Zhou Qi studied the Divine Movement Art diligently. Even if it could only be used a few times, it might save his life in a crisis.

Another five days passed. Zhou Qi concealed his cultivation at the seventh Qi Refining level and sought out Liu Piaopiao.

When Liu Piaopiao saw that Zhou Qi had advanced from the sixth to the seventh level in just a month, she nodded approvingly—he had worked hard and hadn’t let thoughts of her distract him. Wait… why was she thinking this?

“Senior Sister, I’d like to learn some spells,” Zhou Qi said.

Liu Piaopiao was relieved Zhou Qi didn’t mention their previous conversation, though she felt a trace of disappointment. “What kind of spells do you want to learn?” she asked, collecting her thoughts.

“I’d like to learn some offensive and defensive techniques.” Up to now, Zhou Qi only knew the Fireball Spell, the Taiji Seal, and rudimentary Sword Control. Learning other spells required completing sect missions for exchange. At the third level of Qi Refining, he was permitted to study three spells—he had worked hard.

“Very well. I’ll teach you a few practical spells useful in matches. There isn’t time for more.” Liu Piaopiao grew serious.

Wind Blade Spell: using vital energy to form razor-sharp blades of wind in the air to attack an opponent. Its advantage was strong attack power, but it required great precision.

Exploding Flame Spell: a variation of the Fireball, this technique detonated the fireball upon impact, causing area damage. Its power depended on the spiritual energy expended.

Earth Armor: an earth-type defensive spell that formed a suit of vital energy armor around the body. Its strength lay in comprehensive defense, but a concentrated attack could break through unless the defense was focused on a single point.

Liu Piaopiao watched Zhou Qi practice the spells repeatedly, pointing out his flaws.

She sparred with him at the level of Qi Refining until he had fully mastered the techniques.

The pairing of man and woman made cultivation less tiring, and half a month passed before they knew it. Only then did the Fifth Star Literary arrive, leisurely, to teach Zhou Qi a new spell.

Heaven-Shattering Sword: an offensive spell consuming tremendous spiritual energy, but its power was astonishing and guaranteed to hit. However, the aftereffects were severe—it required pouring a wisp of spiritual sense into the sword along with the energy.

Once the sword was unleashed, the strike could not miss, but that wisp of spiritual sense would be destroyed. It was a technique for desperate or decisive moments.