Chapter 184: A Stud Standing at the Eye of Fortune

Ji Shiyu, who had stayed up all night to finish her work, looked terrible.

She seemed as though her very soul had been drained, and she let out one long yawn after another while standing among the disciples of Falling Cloud Peak.

In contrast, Xiao Xinran of Sunset Peak was full of energy, her outstanding performance earning high praise from her Master.

In the end, the glorious moment for the representatives of the Five Peaks was glossed over by the Great Baldy.

He offered nothing more than a few superficial words of praise, without so much as a single bottle of pills as a reward.

The Shenhua Sect was stingy to the extreme.

It was no wonder Yun Liu’s teacher had been so desperate for money that they fled!

The emergency meeting proceeded as usual—the Elders spoke nonsense, the disciples let their minds wander through the void, and there was never a clear word on how to actually implement any of the plans.

The Grand Elder stroked his beard.

At the very end, he mentioned that this year’s Yunding Sword-Chess Tournament would be held as scheduled and must not be treated lightly.

The Inner Disciples perked up at the news, all of them rubbing their palms in anticipation.

Was it not for this very day that they cultivated so diligently?

The Yunding Sword-Chess Tournament was essentially the annual sports meet of the Divine Splendor Cloud Estate.

Disciples of the Five Peaks would display their various talents, each hoping to secure a top ranking on the Sword Platform and make a name for themselves across the Sea of Clouds.

After the meeting adjourned, Gelan and Yan Bingling set off together, making a rare trip to Shenhua Pavilion to browse the shops.

In fact, Yan Bingling had been the one to take the initiative this time.

As soon as the woman, who was obsessed with that “little monster,” heard that someone had returned, she began coming up with all sorts of ways to “happen” to run into him.

‘Can’t you just go visit him directly? Why must you put on such a haughty front? What a stubborn person!’

The Head of Clear Mist Peak criticized her inwardly, though her face remained bright with smiles.

At the same time, she was secretly amazed.

The Head of Celestial Phenomena Peak was supposed to be in seclusion to nurse her injuries, yet her complexion was unexpectedly good.

She seemed to have been profoundly nourished.

Her Spirit Breath had even returned to the Nascent Soul Stage overnight, and she had actually left that ice cave of hers to come out and clear her head.

Gelan walked slowly down the long street, her curvaceous figure swaying as she cursed the unreliable Grand Elder.

Suddenly, she asked, “What kind of medicine did Liu’er give you?”

“What do you mean?”

‘What do I mean?’

Gelan rolled her eyes repeatedly.

The one who had fought a fierce battle against the Yinglong in the Outermost Sea with Bingling was none other than the Ice Fairy herself, yet she acted as if nothing had happened so soon!

If they were back at the Divine Tree of Yingzhou, Yan Bingling’s exaggerated feat would be no different from hunting a Golden Crow.

She was a total outland sword demon.

Thanks to this “crazy” Aunt Master, the relationship between the Imperial Cherry Shrine and the Shenhua Sect had become exceptionally strained.

This had directly resulted in the Junior Sister from Celestial Phenomena Peak being unable to return.

They were even quite unwelcoming toward the visitors from the Supreme Way of Yingzhou, though that was a matter for later.

Looking at the ice-cold beauty again, she remained nonchalant.

Her exquisite face was as cold as ever, and her skin was so supple it seemed it might break at a touch—just like the Guanghan Moon Fairy who lived beyond the mortal realm.

As they walked through Fang Street, many young, inexperienced disciples who passed them by turned red in the face.

They assumed she was some low-profile Junior Sister from one of the peaks whom they hadn’t met before.

‘Could it be that the medicine of a Heavenly Dao Alchemy Master is truly that miraculous? Does it even have beauty-enhancing effects?’

Gelan rubbed her hands together.

How could she not be tempted?

“Hehe, since I see you’ve recovered so well and your skin is so… moist, why don’t you let me try some too?”

“No, you can’t have any.”

To her surprise, her “plastic” friend rejected her immediately.

“Why!?”

“Liu’er made that specifically to honor me.”

Yan Bingling lightly flicked her sleeve, giving a bizarre reason.

“You stingy brat! Get this straight—that boy is partly mine too. Clear Mist Peak is his maternal home!”

The “fake” wet nurse was so angry her chest heaved as she cursed.

‘If you won’t give it to me, I’ll just go ask my dear son myself.’

Returning to the Nascent Soul Stage overnight had left Yan Bingling a bit dazed as well.

She only remembered having a rare, deep sleep.

When she woke up in the morning, she felt refreshed.

The accumulated Demonic Energy had vanished, replaced by a warm sensation flowing through her entire body.

As a famous sword-obsessed fanatic in the Cultivation World, the Aunt Master’s knowledge of physiological health was still vague despite her age.

Furthermore, her Physical Vessel was tough and recovered quickly, so she didn’t realize anything was amiss.

If she had to say something, it wasn’t as if nothing had happened last night.

Yan Bingling was naturally too embarrassed to admit she had a beautiful dream—a carnal dream, at that.

As for the leading man…

‘Well, I suppose I was just missing Liu’er since he’s finally back.’

As the saying goes, one dreams at night of what they think of by day.

But the content of that dream was far too shameful!

Yan Bingling felt steam rising from her head, yet she remained expressionless on the surface.

Clearly, this wasn’t the first time she had such a “beautiful dream.”

However, this time, the scale was particularly large and far too realistic.

Certain intense details refused to leave her mind.

Throughout the morning, the two of them circled the area three times.

They ran into the bustling Miss Xiao and saw the clumsy Ji Shiyu.

They even encountered Mr. Kuai giving a lecture at Rosy Fragrance Pavilion and exchanged greetings with Qin Cha.

Whether it was fine silks or novel magical treasures, Yan Bingling was distracted.

No matter what she was asked, her answer was always, “It’s fine.”

By the fourth lap, Gelan finally couldn’t take it anymore.

She simply grabbed Yan Bingling and headed straight for Shanhai Pavilion.

“Wait, where are you taking me?”

“Where do you think!”

Yan Bingling’s body stiffened.

She hadn’t thought of an answer to “that” question yet!

***

Yun Liu was currently lying in his office, troubled by the fact that he was burdened by extreme Fortune—a victim of his own success.

“The tree craves stillness, but the wind will not subside.”

He was slowly realizing the gravity of the problem.

Standing at the center of the wind of Fortune, even a pig could fly, let alone a protagonist like Feng Aotian.

For some reason, even just “getting lucky” once had caused his cultivation to skyrocket.

A massive amount of Demonic Energy had been converted into the foundation of the Sacred Fire.

The Bright Sovereign’s solar energy was in excess.

Now that he had tasted the forbidden fruit, he feared things would spiral out of control.

He couldn’t actually use Yan Bingling as a human Dinglu to cultivate.

However, the Tianxing Method for Realm Breaking was different from that of ordinary people.

To form a Golden Core, he had to destroy his current state to rebuild it.

Perhaps he could only use the fire of the Sword Furnace to smelt his Golden Core?

‘I wonder if I can handle it.’

The False Holy Son, who was playing with fire, let out a sigh, feeling forced into his current circumstances.

While he was worrying, Ji Shiyu rushed in.

It was impossible to expect her to knock.

Thud!

The Little Yellow Hair threw her notebook of pill recipes onto the desk.

She tilted her nose up proudly, waiting for praise.

“Hmph!”

“Oh?”

Yun Liu scanned the pages, reading ten lines at a glance.

When he reached the last page, he touched the paper.

The ink wasn’t even dry yet.

He looked up and saw the dark circles under Ji Shiyu’s eyes, finding it somewhat amusing.

“This couldn’t possibly be the result of a single night’s work, could it?”

“H-How is that possible! The air has been heavy these past few days, so the paper just got damp. Didn’t I tell you I was only a little bit away from finishing?”

Ji Shiyu gave him a thumbs-up, but her eyes were darting around, and her trembling body told the whole story.

Seeing the Yellow Chicken snickering nearby, one could tell she had a rough night.

They were both “rebellious disciples,” yet while someone was “stripping” her Master, this poor child was staying up all night working…

One had to admit, the yellow-haired girl was a genius.

She had completed all her assignments in one night, her pen never stopping.

Truly, only a desperate situation could push a person’s true potential.

“Well? How is it?”

“Not bad.”

Yun Liu paused for a moment and added, “Actually, it’s very good.”

Ji Shiyu had extrapolated from what she knew, perfectly filling in the gaps of the incomplete exercises based on her usual observations.

These Second Grade pill recipes would fetch a good price even if sold at Shanhai Pavilion.

“Yay!”

Ji Shiyu’s eyes sparkled as she looked expectantly at Yun Liu, seemingly waiting for something.

For instance, that New Year’s gift that had been delayed for so long.

Surely her Master hadn’t forgotten, right?

What a forgetful guy!

“Is there anything else?”

“N-No.”

“Then go play. If nothing goes wrong, the Great Baldy probably wants you to participate in the Yunding Sword-Chess Tournament for experience. Good luck.”

Yun Liu waved her off.

Pah, even he had been influenced by Ji Shiyu, giving people nicknames all day.

She had just passed the Five-Phase Trial and been promoted in the first half of the semester, and now she was participating in the Yunding Sword-Chess Tournament in the second half.

In the long river of history, such a feat was quite explosive.

To have two such terrifying New Students appear at once was unheard of.

No, if Jing Tan’er was included, there were three.