"Master! Did you defeat that bad guy?" Qing Jun looked up, her little face full of anticipation as she asked.
"? How did you know Master was fighting a bad guy?" Chen Ye was puzzled.
The little girl suddenly realized, and was greatly alarmed: "Sister, what should we do!"
Zhiwei’s expression was similarly alarmed, her dark eyes frozen, and it took a long while before she spoke: "It’s because other senior brothers and sisters told us... They said Master was having a magical battle with someone."
While speaking, her gaze secretly glanced at the jade pendant on Chen Ye’s neck.
"So that’s how it is... Hmph, this group of disciples really likes to be nosy!"
Chen Ye was very displeased, reaching out to pat their heads,
"Don’t worry, it was just a sparring match. Don’t you trust your Master? Of course, I won!"
"Then... that bad guy, will he never dare to bully Master and Sister Qiuyun again?" Qing Jun asked again.
"Probably not," Chen Ye was noncommittal.
He knew in his heart that Zhao Qing was someone who never let go of grudges.
But this time Chen Ye acted without restraint, it was a crushing defeat for Zhao Qing.
At that moment, Zhao Qing was hot-headed, perhaps not considering the implications behind this.
But once he sobers up and realizes the gap between them, he may not seek revenge.
Moreover, even if he wanted revenge, so what?
If he truly dared to act secretly, then he should not blame Chen Ye for being merciless!
Hearing this, Qing Jun’s eyes turned, and she puffed out her little chest: "I knew it! Master is so powerful, he was definitely going to win! Qing Jun and Sister were already prepared for a victory feast for Master!"
Saying this, she pulled Chen Ye over to the stone table in the courtyard.
The stone table was already laid with a variety of dishes and pastries, all emitting enticing aromas, made by the two little girls’ own hands.
Their cooking skills had improved a lot compared to before, and the aroma made one’s appetite grow.
To have the future demoness and divine maiden both cook, perhaps only he, Chen Ye, could achieve that in this world?
Looking at this table full of filial piety-driven food, the bit of fatigue that arose in his heart from the magical battle instantly vanished without a trace.
He sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and under the expectant gaze of his two disciples, picked a piece of what appeared to be decently-cooked roasted demon beast meat and popped it in his mouth.
"Mmm! Delicious!"
He praised sincerely.
The two disciples instantly sighed in relief.
...
Back in the Cultivation Room.
Chen Ye eagerly opened the Storage Bag, inside was a Jade Scroll he exchanged from Danxia Peak!
Thanks to gambling with Zhao Qing, it earned Chen Ye thirty more contribution points, otherwise he might not have afforded it.
This Jade Scroll recorded an alchemy technique, one of the most mainstream alchemical methods of the Lingyin Sect.
It was called Jade Pointing Hand!
It could effectively improve the quality of Pills a cultivator produced.
Chen Ye pressed the Jade Scroll to his forehead, his Divine Sense delved in, and a flood of profound information surged like a tide into his mind.
Jade Pointing Hand, this method was not simply about fire control or purification, but a more exquisite technique that, at the moment of condensing pills, used Divine Sense as a guide, Spiritual Power as a needle, to retain the medicinal properties within the Pills with a superior method.
"Such a subtle technique!" Chen Ye praised in his heart.
He eagerly took out the Hundred Herbs Furnace and a set of ingredients for Qi Nourishing Pill, preparing to try it immediately.
This time, he didn’t rush for success, but strictly followed the Dharma Method recorded by Jade Pointing Hand. First, he delicately sensed every Spirit Grass’s medicinal properties with his Divine Sense, then repeatedly refined it until it turned into the purest medicinal liquid.
This process was extremely exhausting of mental energy, even with Chen Ye’s current level of Divine Sense strength, he felt waves of fatigue.
At the critical moment of Condensing Pill, he took a deep breath, highly concentrated his Divine Sense, cautiously probing into the Pill Furnace, trying to capture the mystery of the moment the Pill took shape.
"Congeal!"
A green glow shot out from his fingertip, accurately touching the rapidly spinning medicinal liquid in the furnace.
"Buzz——"
The Pill Furnace made a slight buzzing sound, and a scent more intense than any previous time instantly wafted out.
Chen Ye felt joy in his heart, quickly lifting the lid.
At the bottom of the furnace, nine Pills radiating fragrance lay quietly, among which, five were Middle Grade!
Though it was just one more Middle Grade than last time, this was his first attempt at Jade Pointing Hand.
[Jade Pointing Hand Minor Achievement: 1/100]
"Achieved Minor Achievement directly? It seems... as my skills in higher realms deepen, my understanding of other skills has significantly improved."
Chen Ye was very surprised.
But upon reflection, it made perfect sense.
Even if he were a pig, with deep understanding of numerous magics, learning other magics would likely yield twice the result with half the effort.
...
Time rewinds to when Chen Ye was in the competition.
"Senior sister, Master is fighting now!"
Qing Jun pressed her ear tightly against the jade pendant, her little face painted with a mix of tension and excitement. She could clearly hear the steady and powerful voice of her Master coming from the jade pendant, along with... the arrogant shouting of another man.
This warm jade pendant was a gift from Mao Qingzhu, and aside from tranquilizing the mind, it has an unknown ability—transmission of sound.
Of course, this sound transmission effect is quite weak, and will fail if the distance is slightly far, and it only transmits sound in one direction.
Only after Zhiwei reached the fourth-layer of Qi cultivation and refined the jade pendant did she discover this layer of functionality.
Mao Qingzhu gifted this item to Zhiwei with the intention of occasionally eavesdropping on her daughter’s voice to soothe the pain of longing. Of course, Qing Jun’s little bell also has this effect...
Moreover, she was not familiar with Chen Ye at that time.
Thus, Mao Qingzhu worried that Chen Ye would destroy the jade pendant if he knew about this effect, so she did not inform him truthfully.
Unexpectedly, it became a tool for two little girls to "monitor" their Master.
"Shh..."
Zhiwei hastily pushed Qing Jun’s little head aside, leaning in herself with a serious expression.
She could hear her Master’s teasing remark "Triumphant over Zhao Qing," and also feel the suppressed amazement and shock from the surrounding disciples.
"Master...won." Zhiwei said softly, a subtle, imperceptible glimmer flashing in her cool, dark eyes.
She knew it... Master is the most powerful man in the world!
"He won? That’s great!"
Qing Jun cheered, then angrily clenched her little fists,
"That villain! How dare he bully Master! When Qing Jun grows up, she’ll definitely catch him, lock him in a little dark room, and annoy him every day with the stories Master told!"
Zhiwei couldn’t help but smile seeing her junior sister’s "ferocious" demeanor. She gently patted Qing Jun’s head, softly saying, "Okay, since Master won, I bet he’ll be back soon."
The girl with the dark hair paused and then spoke softly, "Whatever happens, don’t let Master know about this effect of the jade pendant."
"Why?" The little girl was puzzled.
The older girl pursed her lips: "Senior sister’s words must be obeyed!"
"Oh...alright." The little girl nodded.
Time returns to the present.
At Luoli Courtyard, beneath the pear trees, beside the stone table.
The two apprentices were huddled together, continuing to eavesdrop on their Master’s activities.
Zhiwei held the warm jade pendant in her palm, a thread of weak spiritual power cautiously released from her fingertip into it. The tranquilizing runes on the pendant faintly glowed, then emitted an extremely faint, mosquito-like buzzing sound.
"Hehe, obedient disciples, when Master achieves great success in the Alchemy Dao, I’ll feed you into long legs for Master to hold..."
Inside came Master’s strange laughter.
It sent chills through both apprentices.
Master’s voice, how strange!!
"Senior sister,"
Qing Jun leaned her little face close to Zhiwei’s ear, lowering her voice like a sneaky little fox, "
Is Master...thinking up another wicked plan? Hehe, Qing Jun just knew, Master is Taoist Chen!"
The little girl’s head shook as she sighed, as if everything was as expected.
Zhiwei’s cool eyes flashed a hint of helplessness, she gently tapped Qing Jun’s forehead, "Silly, Master just wants us to be able to help him..."
She stood on tiptoe, looking at her own tender little short legs, inexplicably sighed.
When can they let Master embrace big legs?
"Uh? How could Qing Jun possibly help Master!"
The little girl pouted.
She wants to be a lazy bug all her life! Lying there and being raised by Master every day!
Thinking of this, the little girl was already drowsy, lazily yawning, "Senior sister, let’s sleep! What’s the point of listening to smelly Master refining pills!"
Zhiwei hesitated, glanced quickly at the sleepy Qing Jun, then earnestly, "Senior sister needs to learn alchemy, so...let me listen a bit longer!"
Qing Jun blinked her eyes, "But senior sister doesn’t have a Fire Spiritual Root, can’t refine pills?"
Zhiwei kept a stern face: "Adult matters, it’s none of the kids’ business! Precisely because I can’t refine pills, I have to seize the chance to learn more now...hard work makes up for lack, yes, hard work makes up for lack!"
"..."
Qing Jun was speechless.
Turns out, senior sister is the silly one!