yī gǔ nuǎn yì zì dù zhōng yǒng xiàn ， liú xiàng sì zhī bǎi hái ， lǐ fán dùn jué shū fú le bù shǎo 。
一股暖意自肚中涌现，流向四肢百骸，李凡顿觉舒服了不少。
A warm sensation emerged from his abdomen, spreading to his limbs and body. Li Fan felt much more comfortable.
yóu qí shì xiōng kǒu de shāng shì ， zài zhè nuǎn liú de zuò yòng xià ， jìng rán zài qǐng kè jiān jiù jiǎn qīng le xǔ duō 。
尤其是胸口的伤势，在这暖流的作用下，竟然在顷刻间就减轻了许多。
Especially the wound on his chest seemed to have significantly alleviated under the influence of this warmth.
「 shī jiě ， zhè shì shén me yào ？ zhè me líng ……」
「师姐，这是什么药？这么灵……」
"Senior Sister, what kind of medicine is this? So effective..."
lǐ fán xià yì shí de wèn dào 。
李凡下意识的问道。
Li Fan asked instinctively.
yǔ cǐ tóng shí ， tā de nǎo hǎi lǐ yě fú xiàn chū guò wǎng de xiē xǔ jì yì 。
与此同时，他的脑海里也浮现出过往的些许记忆。
At the same time, some memories from the past surfaced in his mind.
tā hé zhè wèi zhào shī jiě ， tóng shì dà qīng shān zhǎng fēng cūn rén ， zì yòu xiāng shí 。
他和这位赵师姐，同是大青山长风村人，自幼相识。
He and Senior Sister Zhao were both from the Longfeng Village at Dabushan. They had known each other since childhood.
bàn nián zhī qián ， yī huǒ dào zéi xí jī zhǎng fēng cūn ， jué dà duō shù cūn mín cǎn zāo dú shǒu 。 wéi yǒu tā hé zhào shī jiě yīn wèi yì qǐ zài wài wán shuǎ ， duǒ guò yī jié 。
半年之前，一伙盗贼袭击长风村，绝大多数村民惨遭毒手。唯有他和赵师姐因为一起在外玩耍，躲过一劫。
Six months ago, a group of bandits attacked Longfeng Village, leaving most villagers dead or injured. Only he and Senior Sister Zhao survived because they were playing outside together and managed to avoid the attack.
děng tā hé shī jiě kàn dào cūn zhōng mào chū de huǒ guāng 、 pǎo huí lái shí ， yī tóu zhuàng jiàn le mǎn zài ér guī 、 zhèng yù chè tuì de dào zéi men 。
等他和师姐看到村中冒出的火光、跑回来时，一头撞见了满载而归、正欲撤退的盗贼们。
When he and his senior sister returned to see the burning village, they ran into the bandits who had just looted and were about to retreat.
zhào shī jiě suī rán nián yòu ， dàn shì qí jué měi de róng mào hái shì xī yǐn le suǒ yǒu dào fěi de zhù yì 。
赵师姐虽然年幼，但是其绝美的容貌还是吸引了所有盗匪的注意。
Although young, Senior Sister Zhao's striking beauty still caught the attention of all the bandits.
wēi jī guān tóu ， qià hǎo yǒu yī xiān shī lù guò 。 kàn jiàn xià fāng chōng tiān de xuè guāng yǐ jí zài dào fěi qián sè sè fā dǒu de liǎng wèi hái tóng zhī hòu 。
危机关头，恰好有一仙师路过。看见下方冲天的血光以及在盗匪前瑟瑟发抖的两位孩童之后。
In a critical moment, an Immortal Master happened to pass by. Seeing the bloodstained sky and two trembling children in front of the bandits, he immediately understood what had happened. He instantly killed all the bandits, rescued Zhao Senior Sister and Li Fan.
zhè wèi xiān shī shùn jiān míng bái liǎo shì qíng de jīng guò ， dāng chǎng zhǎn shā le quán bù dào fěi ， jiù xià le zhào shī jiě hé lǐ fán 。
这位仙师瞬间明白了事情的经过，当场斩杀了全部盗匪，救下了赵师姐和李凡。
He also noticed that Zhao Senior Sister's innate talent was not bad and decided to take her back to the sect.
bìng qiě kàn chū le zhào shī jiě tiān fù bù sú ， yào jiāng tā dài huí zōng mén 。
并且看出了赵师姐天赋不俗，要将她带回宗门。
However, Li Fan seemed to have averagequalifications, not attracting much attention from the Immortal Master. It was only due to Zhao Senior Sister’s persistent pleading that he reluctantly agreed to bring him along.
kě lǐ fán sì hū jiù zī zhì píng píng ， bìng bù rù xiān shī fǎ yǎn 。 hái shì zài zhào shī jiě de kěn qiú zhī xià ， xiān shī cái miǎn qiǎng dā yìng jiāng tā yī tóng dài zhe 。
可李凡似乎就资质平平，并不入仙师法眼。还是在赵师姐的恳求之下，仙师才勉强答应将他一同带着。
After a few days of flying, the Immortal Master brought them back to the mountain gate. The clouds and mists surrounded it, with towering mountains everywhere. Occasionally, one could see Immortals soaring through the clouds, leaving trails of rainbow light behind. In the misty sea, many magnificent buildings stood out, resembling divine palaces in the heavens.
jīng guò shí jǐ tiān de fēi xíng hòu ， xiān shī jiāng tā men dài huí le shān mén 。 dàn jiàn yún wù liáo rào ， qún shān sǒng lì 。 bù shí jiù néng kàn dào yǒu xiān rén zài yún shān jiān fēi chí ， dài qǐ dào dào xiá guāng 。 yún hǎi zhōng ， yī xī chù lì zhe xǔ duō wēi é zhuàng guān de jiàn zhù ， wǎn rú tiān shàng shén tíng ， sàn fà zhe shén shèng de qì xī 。
经过十几天的飞行后，仙师将他们带回了山门。但见云雾缭绕，群山耸立。不时就能看到有仙人在云山间飞驰，带起道道霞光。云海中，依稀矗立着许多巍峨壮观的建筑，宛如天上神庭，散发着神圣的气息。
This scene of immortal splendor left Zhao Senior Sister and Li Fan speechless. From what his mentors said, he learned that this sect was called the Great Dao Sect, with nine main branches and seventy-two peaks.
rú cǐ xiān jiā shèng jǐng ， bǎ zhào shī jiě hé lǐ fán dùn shí kàn dāi le 。 cóng dài tā men huí lái de nà xiē xiān shī kǒu zhōng ， lǐ fán dé zhī le cǐ chù mén pài de míng zì ， dà dào zōng 。
如此仙家盛景，把赵师姐和李凡顿时看呆了。从带他们回来的那些仙师口中，李凡得知了此处门派的名字，大道宗。
Apart from the main branch being passed down directly by successive patriarchs, the other eight branches were managed by various elders.
dà dào zōng jiǔ mài qī shí èr fēng 。
大道宗九脉七十二峰。
The Immortal Master they thought of was merely the fourth-generation disciple of the Moonlight Branch named Zhang Rong. He had anyuan embryo cultivation level.
chú le zhǔ mài nǎi shì lì dài zhǎng mén qīn chuán ， qí yú bā mài jiē yóu zhū wèi zhǎng lǎo bǎ chí 。
除了主脉乃是历代掌门亲传，其余八脉皆由诸位长老把持。
Following Zhang Rong's guidance, they naturally joined the Moonlight Branch and became outer sect disciples, settling down on Clear Peace Peak.
ér tā men yǐ wéi de xiān shī ， bù guò zhǐ shì dà dào zōng yuè huá yī mài dì sì dài dì zǐ 。 xìng zhāng míng róng ， yuán yīng xiū wèi 。
而他们以为的仙师，不过只是大道宗月华一脉第四代弟子。姓张名容，元婴修为。
They were also granted a technique called "Great Dao One Qi Art."
zài zhāng róng de zhǐ yǐn xià ， tā men shùn lǐ chéng zhāng de yě jiā rù le yuè huá yī mài ， chéng wéi le dà dào zōng de wài mén dì zǐ ， zì cǐ zài qīng níng fēng zhù le xià lái 。
在张容的指引下，他们顺理成章的也加入了月华一脉，成为了大道宗的外门弟子，自此在清宁峰住了下来。
Zhang Rong instructed them that once this technique was mastered, they could become inner sect disciples. This would allow them to focus solely on cultivation without having to handle miscellaneous tasks. The status and resources within the sect would be significantly different.
bìng qiě bèi shòu yǔ le yī mén jiào zuò 【 tài yuán yī qì shù 】 de gōng fǎ 。
并且被授予了一门叫做【太元一气术】的功法。
In their free time, the two of them studied and practiced the technique together.
zhāng róng dīng zhǔ ， zhǐ yào cǐ gōng fǎ xiū liàn yǒu chéng ， jiù kě chéng gōng jìn shēng wèi nèi mén dì zǐ 。 cóng cǐ bù zài yòng wèi gè zhǒng zá yì cāo láo ， kě zhuān xīn xiū liàn 。 zài zōng mén nèi dì wèi hé měi yuè suǒ néng huò zī yuán ， yě shì dà bù xiāng tóng 。
张容叮嘱，只要此功法修炼有成，就可成功晋升为内门弟子。从此不再用为各种杂役操劳，可专心修炼。在宗门内地位和每月所能获资源，也是大不相同。
Zhao Senior Sister was slightly older than Li Fan, with better comprehension and innate talent as well.
èr rén yú shì zài xián xiá shí jiān ， yì qǐ zuān yán 、 xiū xíng gōng fǎ 。
二人于是在闲暇时间，一起钻研、修行功法。
Six months later, she had already mastered Great Dao One Qi Art and passed the test. She was then highly regarded by Zhang Wanshuang, the Immortal King of Transformed Spirit, and became a fourth-generation disciple of the Great Dao Sect, addressing him as senior brother or sister.
zhào shī jiě nián suì shāo zhǎng ， wù xìng hé zī zhì yě dōu bú shì lǐ fán néng gòu bǐ de 。
赵师姐年岁稍长，悟性和资质也都不是李凡能够比的。
In contrast, Li Fan's progress was slow despite Zhao Senior Sister’s secret teachings and occasional gifts of medicinal pills. He could not break through.
bàn nián guò qù ， tā zǎo yǐ liàn chéng le tài yuán yī qì shù ， tōng guò le kǎo yàn 。 bìng qiě bèi yuè huá yī mài 、 huà shén xiān jūn zhāng wàng shuāng suǒ kàn zhòng ， shōu rù mén xià ， yī yuè ér chéng le dà dào zōng sì dài dì zǐ ， hé xī rì de xiān shī zhāng róng yǐ shī xiōng mèi xiāng chèn 。
半年过去，她早已练成了太元一气术，通过了考验。并且被月华一脉、化神仙君张望霜所看重，收入门下，一跃而成了大道宗四代弟子，和昔日的仙师张容以师兄妹相称。
Due to Zhao Senior Sister's frequent visits, he was often envied by other disciples. Although they outwardly showed great respect for him, privately, they spoke ill of him, calling him a worthless parasite.
fǎn guān lǐ fán ， jí biàn yǒu zhào shī jiě àn zhōng chuán shòu xīn dé 、 shí bù shí zèng yǔ dān yào 。 xiū xíng de sù dù yě shì jí màn ， chí chí bù néng tū pò 。
反观李凡，即便有赵师姐暗中传授心得、时不时赠与丹药。修行的速度也是极慢，迟迟不能突破。
Recently, Li Fan overheard their conversation in anger and shame, and impulsively struck out.
bìng qiě yóu yú zhào shī jiě jīng cháng de tàn wàng ， yǐn qǐ le zhōu wéi mén rén de jí dù 。 suī rán biǎo miàn shàng tā men duì lǐ fán shí fēn gōng jìng 、 shèn zhì duō yǒu ē yú fèng chéng 。 dàn sī xià lǐ ， què shì duì lǐ fán shí fēn bù xiè ， jīng cháng chū yán dǐ huǐ 。 rèn wéi lǐ fán zhǐ bù guò shì gè chī ruǎn fàn de fèi wù 。….
并且由于赵师姐经常的探望，引起了周围门人的嫉妒。虽然表面上他们对李凡十分恭敬、甚至多有阿谀奉承。但私下里，却是对李凡十分不屑，经常出言诋毁。认为李凡只不过是个吃软饭的废物。….
Unfortunately, his skills were not refined enough, and the group was too numerous. He ended up severely injured.
bù jiǔ qián ， lǐ fán ǒu rán tīng jiàn tā men de tán huà hòu ， xiū nù jiāo jiā zhī xià ， rěn bú zhù dòng qǐ shǒu lái 。
不久前，李凡偶然听见他们的谈话后，羞怒交加之下，忍不住动起手来。
Fortunately, due to Zhao Senior Sister's presence, no one went too far.
jié guǒ xué yì bù jīng ， duì fāng yòu rén duō shì zhòng 。 zì jǐ fǎn dào shì bèi dǎ le gè bàn sǐ 。
结果学艺不精，对方又人多势众。自己反倒是被打了个半死。
...
hǎo zài duì fāng gù jì zhào shī jiě de cún zài ， méi yǒu xià sǐ shǒu 。
好在对方顾忌赵师姐的存在，没有下死手。
The memories faded as he returned to reality.
……
……
"This is Heavenly Essence Powder. It can help you recover quickly while enhancing your qi sense."
huí yì xiāo sàn ， huí dào xiàn shí 。
回忆消散，回到现实。
"These materials are hard-won by me. You have not yet reached Foundation Establishment, so many pills would be harmful. Therefore, I sought this recipe from my master," Senior Sister wiped the remaining medicine off his lips and smiled.
「 zhè shì tiān jīng sàn ， bù jǐn néng bāng zhù nǐ kuài sù huī fù shāng shì ， gèng néng jìn yí bù zēng qiáng nǐ de qì gǎn 。」
「这是天精散，不仅能帮助你快速恢复伤势，更能进一步增强你的气感。」
The warmth lingered like a spirit energy, even spontaneously circulating. In just a short while, Li Fan felt his wounds healed, as if he had endless strength.
「 zhè xiē cái liào yě shì wǒ hǎo bù róng yì cái sōu jí dào de 。 nǐ shàng wèi zhù jī ， xǔ duō dān yào fú zhī fǎn ér yǒu hài ， yú shì wǒ biàn xiàng shī fù qiú lái le zhè ge yào fāng 。」 shī jiě wèi lǐ fán cā le cā zuǐ jiǎo cán liú de yào zhī ， wēi xiào zhe shuō dào 。
「这些材料也是我好不容易才搜集到的。你尚未筑基，许多丹药服之反而有害，于是我便向师父求来了这个药方。」师姐为李凡擦了擦嘴角残留的药汁，微笑着说道。
"Senior Sister, you are so kind to me..." Li Fan grabbed Zhao Senior Sister's delicate white hand, looking into her eyes with deep emotion.
nuǎn liú rú tóng líng qì yì bān ， jiǔ jiǔ bù sàn ， shèn zhì zì fā
暖流如同灵气一般，久久不散，甚至自发
"You…" Zhao Senior Sister’s cheeks flushed slightly. She tried to pull away but couldn’t due to Li Fan’s tight grip and fear of hurting him. So she remained still, her fingers unintentionally drawing patterns on his palm.
yùn zhuàn 。 duǎn duǎn piàn kè ， lǐ fán jiù gǎn jué shāng shì jǐn fù ， hún shēn shàng xià hǎo sì chōng mǎn le shǐ bù wán de lì qì 。
运转。短短片刻，李凡就感觉伤势尽复，浑身上下好似充满了使不完的力气。
The heat from Li Fan’s hand seemed even hotter than the underground fire, causing her body to feel weak.
「 shī jiě ， nǐ duì wǒ zhēn hǎo ……」 lǐ fán yī bǎ jiāng zhào shī jiě bái xī rú yù de xiǎo shǒu wò zhù ， kàn zhe tā de yǎn jīng ， shí fēn gǎn dòng de shuō dào 。
「师姐，你对我真好……」李凡一把将赵师姐白皙如玉的小手握住，看着她的眼睛，十分感动的说道。
An unusual emotion began to spread in the room.
「 nǐ ……」 zhào shī jiě liǎn jiá wēi wēi yī hóng ， xiǎng yào jiāng shǒu chōu chū 。 nài hé lǐ fán zhuā de tài jǐn ， tā yòu wéi kǒng zì jǐ shǐ de lì qì tài dà ， shāng dào duì fāng 。 suǒ yǐ yī shí jiān jìng rán zhǐ néng rèn yóu lǐ fán jiāng zì jǐ shǒu ná zhù ， shǒu zhǐ yǒu yì wú yì de zài shǒu xīn huá guò 。
「你……」赵师姐脸颊微微一红，想要将手抽出。奈何李凡抓的太紧，她又唯恐自己使得力气太大，伤到对方。所以一时间竟然只能任由李凡将自己手拿住，手指有意无意的在手心划过。
Just then, Li Fan suddenly said: "By the way, Senior Sister. There are many unclear parts of Great Dao One Qi Art. Can you explain them to me?"
cóng lǐ fán shǒu zhōng chuán lái de rè liàng ， sì hū bǐ qǐ dì mài zhī huǒ hái yào zhì rè 。 ràng tā shēn qū gǎn dào wēi wēi fā ruǎn 。
从李凡手中传来的热量，似乎比起地脉之火还要炙热。让她身躯感到微微发软。
Zhao Senior Sister was taken aback.
yī gǔ yì yàng de qíng xù zài fáng jiān zhōng kāi shǐ màn yán 。
一股异样的情绪在房间中开始蔓延。
A hint of disappointment flashed through her mind, but she also felt relieved.
jiù zài cǐ shí ， lǐ fán què hū rán shuō dào ：「 duì le ， shī jiě 。 tài yuán yī qì shù zhōng wǒ shàng yǒu xǔ duō bù míng bái zhī chù ， nǐ zài wèi wǒ jiǎng jiǎng ba 。」
就在此时，李凡却忽然说道：「对了，师姐。太元一气术中我尚有许多不明白之处，你再为我讲讲吧。」
Earlier, she had wanted to teach him about the essence of Great Dao One Qi Art but hesitated due to his pride as a man and his insistence on self-discovery. She could only give up in despair.
zhào shī jiě wēi wēi yī lèng 。
赵师姐微微一愣。
...
xīn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī shī luò de tóng shí ， yòu yǒu jǐ fēn xīn wèi 。
心中闪过一丝失落的同时，又有几分欣慰。
Fortunately, he finally understood now.
zhī qián tā yě céng xiǎng wèi duì fāng jiǎng shòu tài yuán yī qì shù de jīng yào ， dàn shì huò xǔ shì chū yú nán ér de zì zūn ， tā yě bù yuàn yì tīng ， shuō shén me yào kào zì jǐ lǐng wù 。
之前她也曾想为对方讲授太元一气术的精要，但是或许是出于男儿的自尊，他也不愿意听，说什么要靠自己领悟。
Senior Sister then carefully explained it to him.
tā yě zhǐ dé wú nài zuò bà 。
她也只得无奈作罢。
"Marvelous! This phrase can be interpreted this way too. You are truly wise!" Li Fan praised her enthusiastically while listening.
hǎo zài rú jīn tā zhōng yú kāi qiào le 。
好在如今他终于开窍了。
After half a day of explanation, the sky grew dark, and Zhao Senior Sister looked hesitant.
shī jiě yú shì xī xīn wèi lǐ fán jiǎng shù qǐ lái 。
师姐于是悉心为李凡讲述起来。
"Master instructed me to return before nightfall. So I must go," she said cautiously, afraid of upsetting him.
「 miào ， miào a 。 cǐ jù yuán lái hái kě yǐ zhè me lǐ jiě 。 shī jiě nǐ zhēn shì tài cōng míng liǎo ！」 lǐ fán yī biān tīng zhe ， yī biān jiāo kǒu kuā zàn dào ， yǎn zhōng yì cǎi lián lián 。
「妙，妙啊。此句原来还可以这么理解。师姐你真是太聪明了！」李凡一边听着，一边交口夸赞道，眼中溢彩连连。
"The master’s command is important. Go back then." Li Fan nodded without any displeasure. "Next time you have free time, come again."
dà bàn tiān zhī hòu ， tiān sè jiàn wǎn ， zhào shī jiě miàn lù hàn sè ， bù dé bù tíng le xià lái 。
大半天之后，天色渐晚，赵师姐面露憾色，不得不停了下来。
Zhao Senior Sister lightly affirmed and was about to leave when she noticed that he had already loosened his grip on her hand while listening intently. Instead, she found herself still holding onto him tightly.
「 shī fù dīng zhǔ wǒ ， tiān hēi qián yí dìng yào fǎn huí 。 suǒ yǐ wǒ yào zǒu la ！」 tā kàn zhe lǐ fán de shén qíng ， xiǎo xīn yì yì de shuō dào ， shēng pà duì fāng xīn shēng bù mǎn 。
「师父叮嘱我，天黑前一定要返回。所以我要走啦！」她看着李凡的神情，小心翼翼的说道，生怕对方心生不满。
She blushed furiously, afraid of being discovered. After a quick farewell, she fled.
「 shī mìng wèi zhòng ， nà shī jiě nǐ jiù gǎn jǐn huí qù ba 。」 lǐ fán diǎn diǎn tóu ， xīn zhōng bìng wú bàn diǎn bú yuè 。「 děng nǐ yǒu shí jiān ， xià cì zài lái biàn shì 。」
「师命为重，那师姐你就赶紧回去吧。」李凡点点头，心中并无半点不悦。「等你有时间，下次再来便是。」
Her heart raced with excitement as she walked faster than before.
zhào shī jiě qīng qīng ń le yī shēng ， zhèng yù lí kāi 。 què fā xiàn duì fāng zài jù jīng huì shén tīng jiǎng shí ， zǎo yǐ jīng sōng kāi le jǐn wò de shǒu 。 fǎn dào shì zì jǐ bù zhī wèi hé ， yì zhí láo láo bǎ tā wò zhù 。
赵师姐轻轻嗯了一声，正欲离开。却发现对方在聚精会神听讲时，早已经松开了紧握的手。反倒是自己不知为何，一直牢牢把他握住。
Li Fan, however, had long forgotten the awkward moment between them.
shùn jiān gǎn dào liǎn shàng fā tàng ， tā wéi kǒng lǐ fán fā xiàn ， dǎ le shēng zhāo hū hòu ， táo yě shì de lí qù le 。
瞬间感到脸上发烫，她唯恐李凡发现，打了声招呼后，逃也似的离去了。
He was deeply engrossed in understanding the mysteries of Great Dao One Qi Art.
xīn tiào de lì hài de tóng shí ， yě gǎn dào què yuè wú bǐ ， lián bù fá dōu qīng kuài le xǔ duō 。
心跳的厉害的同时，也感到雀跃无比，连步伐都轻快了许多。
"Ah, I am so close to Foundation Establishment!" The flow of spirit energy within him was unobstructed and seemed natural.
ér cǐ kè de lǐ fán ， què shì zǎo yǐ bǎ gāng gāng liǎng rén jiān de ài mèi pāo zhī nǎo hòu 。
而此刻的李凡，却是早已把刚刚两人间的暧昧抛之脑后。
He couldn’t help but exclaim with joy.
chén jìn zài tài yuán yī qì shù de ào mì zhī zhōng ， bù kě zì bá 。
沉浸在太元一气术的奥秘之中，不可自拔。
"If only I had sought your advice earlier! So much time wasted!
「 yuán lái rú cǐ ， yuán lái rú cǐ ！」 jīng guò zhào shī jiě de diǎn bō ， tā jiāng píng rì lǐ yùn zhuàn gōng fǎ suǒ yù dào de zhū duō nán tí jǐn jiē jiě kāi 。
「原来如此，原来如此！」经过赵师姐的点拨，他将平日里运转功法所遇到的诸多难题尽皆解开。
Why did I feel embarrassed before?
róng huì guàn tōng ， liǎo rán yú xiōng 。
融会贯通，了然于胸。
Li Fan shook his head, feeling that he used to be irrational.
「 wǒ lí zhù jī bù yuǎn yǐ ！」 tǐ nèi líng qì yùn zhuàn ， háo wú zǔ sāi ， hún ruò tiān shēng 。
「我离筑基不远矣！」体内灵气运转，毫无阻塞，浑若天生。
Angry octopus
A warm sensation emerged from his abdomen, spreading to his limbs and body. Li Fan felt much more comfortable.
Especially the wound on his chest seemed to have significantly alleviated under the influence of this warmth.
"Senior Sister, what kind of medicine is this? So effective..."
Li Fan asked instinctively.
At the same time, some memories from the past surfaced in his mind.
He and Senior Sister Zhao were both from the Longfeng Village at Dabushan. They had known each other since childhood.
Six months ago, a group of bandits attacked Longfeng Village, leaving most villagers dead or injured. Only he and Senior Sister Zhao survived because they were playing outside together and managed to avoid the attack.
When he and his senior sister returned to see the burning village, they ran into the bandits who had just looted and were about to retreat.
Although young, Senior Sister Zhao's striking beauty still caught the attention of all the bandits.
In a critical moment, an Immortal Master happened to pass by. Seeing the bloodstained sky and two trembling children in front of the bandits, he immediately understood what had happened. He instantly killed all the bandits, rescued Zhao Senior Sister and Li Fan.
He also noticed that Zhao Senior Sister's innate talent was not bad and decided to take her back to the sect.
However, Li Fan seemed to have averagequalifications, not attracting much attention from the Immortal Master. It was only due to Zhao Senior Sister’s persistent pleading that he reluctantly agreed to bring him along.
After a few days of flying, the Immortal Master brought them back to the mountain gate. The clouds and mists surrounded it, with towering mountains everywhere. Occasionally, one could see Immortals soaring through the clouds, leaving trails of rainbow light behind. In the misty sea, many magnificent buildings stood out, resembling divine palaces in the heavens.
This scene of immortal splendor left Zhao Senior Sister and Li Fan speechless. From what his mentors said, he learned that this sect was called the Great Dao Sect, with nine main branches and seventy-two peaks.
Apart from the main branch being passed down directly by successive patriarchs, the other eight branches were managed by various elders.
The Immortal Master they thought of was merely the fourth-generation disciple of the Moonlight Branch named Zhang Rong. He had anyuan embryo cultivation level.
Following Zhang Rong's guidance, they naturally joined the Moonlight Branch and became outer sect disciples, settling down on Clear Peace Peak.
They were also granted a technique called "Great Dao One Qi Art."
Zhang Rong instructed them that once this technique was mastered, they could become inner sect disciples. This would allow them to focus solely on cultivation without having to handle miscellaneous tasks. The status and resources within the sect would be significantly different.
In their free time, the two of them studied and practiced the technique together.
Zhao Senior Sister was slightly older than Li Fan, with better comprehension and innate talent as well.
Six months later, she had already mastered Great Dao One Qi Art and passed the test. She was then highly regarded by Zhang Wanshuang, the Immortal King of Transformed Spirit, and became a fourth-generation disciple of the Great Dao Sect, addressing him as senior brother or sister.
In contrast, Li Fan's progress was slow despite Zhao Senior Sister’s secret teachings and occasional gifts of medicinal pills. He could not break through.
Due to Zhao Senior Sister's frequent visits, he was often envied by other disciples. Although they outwardly showed great respect for him, privately, they spoke ill of him, calling him a worthless parasite.
Recently, Li Fan overheard their conversation in anger and shame, and impulsively struck out.
Unfortunately, his skills were not refined enough, and the group was too numerous. He ended up severely injured.
Fortunately, due to Zhao Senior Sister's presence, no one went too far.
...
The memories faded as he returned to reality.
"This is Heavenly Essence Powder. It can help you recover quickly while enhancing your qi sense."
"These materials are hard-won by me. You have not yet reached Foundation Establishment, so many pills would be harmful. Therefore, I sought this recipe from my master," Senior Sister wiped the remaining medicine off his lips and smiled.
The warmth lingered like a spirit energy, even spontaneously circulating. In just a short while, Li Fan felt his wounds healed, as if he had endless strength.
"Senior Sister, you are so kind to me..." Li Fan grabbed Zhao Senior Sister's delicate white hand, looking into her eyes with deep emotion.
"You…" Zhao Senior Sister’s cheeks flushed slightly. She tried to pull away but couldn’t due to Li Fan’s tight grip and fear of hurting him. So she remained still, her fingers unintentionally drawing patterns on his palm.
The heat from Li Fan’s hand seemed even hotter than the underground fire, causing her body to feel weak.
An unusual emotion began to spread in the room.
Just then, Li Fan suddenly said: "By the way, Senior Sister. There are many unclear parts of Great Dao One Qi Art. Can you explain them to me?"
Zhao Senior Sister was taken aback.
A hint of disappointment flashed through her mind, but she also felt relieved.
Earlier, she had wanted to teach him about the essence of Great Dao One Qi Art but hesitated due to his pride as a man and his insistence on self-discovery. She could only give up in despair.
...
Fortunately, he finally understood now.
Senior Sister then carefully explained it to him.
"Marvelous! This phrase can be interpreted this way too. You are truly wise!" Li Fan praised her enthusiastically while listening.
After half a day of explanation, the sky grew dark, and Zhao Senior Sister looked hesitant.
"Master instructed me to return before nightfall. So I must go," she said cautiously, afraid of upsetting him.
"The master’s command is important. Go back then." Li Fan nodded without any displeasure. "Next time you have free time, come again."
Zhao Senior Sister lightly affirmed and was about to leave when she noticed that he had already loosened his grip on her hand while listening intently. Instead, she found herself still holding onto him tightly.
She blushed furiously, afraid of being discovered. After a quick farewell, she fled.
Her heart raced with excitement as she walked faster than before.
Li Fan, however, had long forgotten the awkward moment between them.
He was deeply engrossed in understanding the mysteries of Great Dao One Qi Art.
"Ah, I am so close to Foundation Establishment!" The flow of spirit energy within him was unobstructed and seemed natural.
He couldn’t help but exclaim with joy.
"If only I had sought your advice earlier! So much time wasted!
Why did I feel embarrassed before?
Li Fan shook his head, feeling that he used to be irrational.
Angry octopus