Chapter 28: First meeting with fellow disciples
The tranquility of Yundan Peak was not dead silence. As Ye Li settled down here, she gradually began to get in touch with other disciples within the peak.
One day, she was practicing her refined, nameless form in the courtyard—the Shadow Step. Her figure shifted and flickered across the small space, leaving trails of afterimages behind. Her control over her power became increasingly refined.
Suddenly, a somewhat awkward sound of footsteps was heard outside the yard, and stopped outside the fence.
"Senior Sister Ye... Ye?" A female voice sounded with a hint of timidity and temptation.
Ye Li stood still, her aura steady. Standing outside the fence was a young girl of similar age, dressed in the pale blue attire of an inner sect disciple. Her face was delicate, but her eyes were evasive, revealing a hint of uncertainty. Her cultivation level was probably high in the Spiritual Awakening Realm. Her aura was stable, but lacked sharpness.
"Is there something?" Ye Li asked in a calm tone.
The young girl seemed startled and quickly waved her hands, "No…nothing serious! My name is Liu Yiyi, and I'm also an inner disciple of Yundan Peak. I live in the courtyard next door. I heard that you're new here and ranked first in this year's assessment, so I've come specially to pay you a visit."
As she spoke, she pulled out a small bamboo basket from behind her back. Inside was a few bright red, spiritual fruits. "These are the Zhuyan fruits I grew myself. They taste pretty good and can nourish the blood. I'm giving them to... to Senior Sister to try."
Her attitude was respectful, flattering, and even a little humble. It was obvious that Ye Li's title of first place in the assessment put a lot of pressure on her.
Ye Li glanced at the basket of fruit, then looked at Liu Yiyi's nervous expression and nodded slightly: "Thank you. Come in and sit down."
Liu Yiyi was flattered. She walked into the yard cautiously and placed the bamboo basket on the stone table, but she didn't dare to sit down. She seemed a little at a loss.
"Junior Sister Liu, how long have you been here?" Ye Li asked casually, picking up a Zhuyan Fruit. It was slightly warm to the touch, and the spiritual energy was pure. It was indeed cultivated with great care.
"Sister, I've been a disciple for three years now," Liu Yiyi replied softly, a trace of shame on her face. "My talent is dull, and I haven't even broken through to the Condensed Veins stage yet. I'm bringing shame to Master."
Ye Li glanced at her. This woman was not a bad person, but she seemed to lack confidence and sharpness. She was stuck at the peak of the Qi Ling Realm and could not break through. It was probably more of a problem of her state of mind.
"Everyone has their own destiny on the path of cultivation, so there is no need to underestimate yourself." Ye Li said lightly.
Hearing this, Liu Yiyi's eyes lit up slightly, as if she had received some comfort. She looked at Ye Li gratefully and said, "Thank you, Senior Sister."
As the two were talking, a cheerful voice came from outside the courtyard: "Huh? Junior Sister Yiyi is here too? Looks like the new junior sister has arrived?"
Before he finished speaking, a tall, neatly dressed young man with a large wine gourd hanging from his waist strode in. He looked to be in his early twenties, with a handsome face and a carefree smile on his face. His cultivation was already in the middle stage of Condensing Veins, and his aura was rich, with a faint aroma of medicinal fire.
"Han...Senior Brother Han Li!" When Liu Yiyi saw the person coming, she hurriedly saluted, as if she was a little afraid of him.
The young man named Han Li waved his hand casually, his eyes blazing as he looked Ye Li up and down with undisguised curiosity. "Are you the one who ranked first in the assessment, but chose our poor Junior Sister Ye Li from Yundan Peak? Tsk tsk, quite interesting indeed! I heard that you beat up that rock-hard Shi Feng from Zhan Kuang Peak? Well done! I've long disliked those guys who only rely on brute force!"
He speaks very fast and seems to be very outgoing and cheerful.
Ye Li frowned slightly, feeling a little uncomfortable with the man's familiarity and slightly presumptuous gaze, but she could sense he meant no harm, it was just his personality. She nodded slightly, "Ye Li, hello, Senior Brother Han."
"Haha, no problem!" Han Li laughed heartily, and without hesitation, he picked up a Zhuyan fruit from the stone table and threw it into his mouth. "Well, the fruits grown by Junior Sister Yiyi are so sweet! Junior Sister, if you have any problems in Yundan Peak in the future, tell me Han Li's name! Although we have few people on the peak, no one dares to bully us!"
He patted the wine gourd at his waist and said, "Brother, I don't have any other hobbies. I just like to drink a little and tinker with pills. If you have any questions about alchemy in the future, you can come and ask me. Although Master said that I only make 'tiger and wolf medicines', the effects are absolutely amazing!"
Liu Yiyi added softly, "Senior Brother Han Li is one of the best alchemy disciples at Yundan Peak, but...sometimes his furnace explodes..."
Han Li's face flushed red as he glared at Liu Yiyi. "Ahem! That's called the surge of spiritual energy when the elixir is complete. It's hard to contain! What do you know, little girl?"
Ye Li looked at the two and formed a preliminary impression of the Yundan Peak disciples. Liu Yiyi was timid but simple-minded, while Han Li was free and easy, skilled in alchemy, but seemed a little... unreliable.
At this moment, a cold voice came from outside the courtyard: "Han Li, you are making noise here again, disturbing the new junior sister's meditation."
A young man, dressed in the same attire, but meticulously groomed and with a serious expression, approached. He was thin, with eyes as sharp as a hawk's. He was also at the middle stage of Condensing Veins, and a faint, sharp rune aura swirled around him.
"Hey! Chen Mo, stop lecturing me! I'm just welcoming my new junior sister!" Han Li yelled dissatisfiedly.
The young man called Chen Mo ignored Han Li completely. His eyes fell on Ye Li and he nodded slightly as a greeting. His tone was calm and unperturbed: "Chen Mo. Majoring in the art of talismans. Living in the third courtyard on the west side. Junior sister, since you have entered Yundan Peak, you should focus on your cultivation and not be distracted by trivial matters or...idle people." As he spoke, he glanced at Han Li meaningfully.
Han Li immediately jumped up and down: "Chen Muddleheaded! Who do you call the outsiders?!"
Chen Mo ignored him and said to Ye Li, "If you have any questions about the way of talismans, you can come to me. As for the elixir," he paused and said bluntly, "it's best not to look for Han Li, unless you want to experience the feeling of being possessed in advance."
After saying that, he turned around and left, leaving Han Li screaming in anger and Liu Yiyi looking helpless.
Ye Li watched this scene, and understood. Chen Mo, as his name suggests, was taciturn, serious, and focused on the art of talismans. He was clearly not impressed by Han Li's eccentric personality.
Han Li cursed for a few words, then said to Ye Li, "Junior sister, don't listen to that taciturn guy's nonsense! My elixir is very good! I'll refine a batch of 'Dragon Tiger Bone Tempering Pills' for you to try someday!"
Ye Li: "..." She suddenly felt that Chen Mo's warning might be necessary.
At this moment, a gentle voice came with joy: "Sister Yeli!"
Su Wanyun was standing at the entrance to the courtyard, holding a small food box, looking at her with a smile. She had changed into the inner sect clothing of Baihua Peak, and the pale pink dress made her look more beautiful than a flower.
"Senior Sister Su." Ye Li nodded. Liu Yiyi and Han Li also hurriedly saluted Su Wanyun. They knew the title of Senior Sister of Baihua Peak.
Su Wanyun walked in, placed the food box on the table, and said softly, "Since my sister has just joined the sect, she might not be used to the sect's food. Here are some pastries I made myself. They contain a little spiritual energy and taste quite good, so I brought some to you."
When she saw Liu Yiyi and Han Li in the yard, she smiled and nodded to them with a friendly attitude and no airs at all.
Liu Yiyi suddenly felt nervous and excited. Han Li's eyes lit up and he said with a smile, "So it's Junior Sister Su! I've heard that Junior Sister Su from Baihua Peak is beautiful and kind, and her skill in preparing spiritual food is even more amazing. I'm really in for a treat today, right?"
Su Wanyun covered her mouth with her hands and chuckled softly: "Brother Han, you are too kind. If you don't mind, please try it too."
With Su Wanyun present, the atmosphere suddenly became more harmonious. Han Li was outgoing and full of witty remarks; Liu Yiyi, though still somewhat reserved, occasionally chimed in; Su Wanyun was gentle and considerate, attentive to everyone's emotions; even Ye Li's icy expression seemed to soften a bit.
She looked at the people before her, her heart warming slightly. In this unfamiliar sect, it was a blessing to meet a few people who could make friends.
However, not everyone will show kindness.
Just as they were chatting, a slightly sarcastic snort came from the path outside the courtyard:
"Huh, what a lively scene! The top scorer in the assessment is so arrogant! He's just entered the ranks, and already so many people are rushing to curry favor with him?"
A beautiful female disciple with a somewhat harsh look in her eyes walked over, followed by two equally arrogant female disciples. This female disciple had a strong cultivation base, also in the early stages of Condensing Veins. She looked at Ye Li with undisguised jealousy and disdain.
"Senior Sister Li Yan." Liu Yiyi's face paled and she subconsciously shrank back. Han Li frowned but said nothing. Su Wanyun's smile also faded.
Li Yan glanced at the Zhuyan fruit and food box on the stone table and sneered, "Liu Yiyi, you're using this kind of low-quality fruit to curry favor with your new junior sister? And Junior Sister Su, if you're being so humble, aren't you afraid that some people will become arrogant and take advantage of you in the future?"
Her words were sarcastic and mean, not only belittling Liu Yiyi, but also provoking the relationship between Su Wanyun and Ye Li, and even directly accusing Ye Li of being "arrogant because of her favor."
Ye Li's eyes turned cold instantly.
She slowly raised her eyes and looked at Li Yan. Her voice was calm, but with a chill in it: "It seems that I don't need to report to you who I'm dating. As for being arrogant because of my favor..."
She paused, her gaze sweeping across Li Yan like an icy blade. "If you weren't convinced, why wasn't you there during the arena fight? Were you hovering at the bottom of the leaderboard, or not even in the top 100?"
Li Yan's face flushed crimson instantly! She had decent talent, but she was impatient and impetuous. She performed poorly in the Illusion Killing Formation, and her final ranking was indeed outside the top 90. This was her biggest pain! Being exposed so publicly by Ye Li, she was so angry that she trembled all over!
"You...you are so insolent!" Li Yan pointed at Ye Li and screamed, "Don't think you are so great just because you won first place! It's just good luck! It's not your turn to be arrogant in Yundan Peak!"
"Whether it's luck or not, you'll know in the future." Ye Li's tone remained calm, "At least, I don't need to rely on belittling others to show off myself. If you have nothing else to do, please go ahead. We're just having a small gathering, and noisy people are not welcome."
"You...good! Very good! Ye Li, I will remember you! We'll see!" Li Yan was choked and speechless. Her face turned pale. She stomped her feet fiercely and walked away dejectedly with her two followers.
The courtyard was silent for a moment.
Liu Yiyi looked at Ye Li, her eyes full of admiration. Han Li grinned and gave a thumbs-up. "What a relief! I've disliked that woman for a long time!" Su Wanyun gently shook Ye Li's hand, a hint of worry in her eyes. "Senior Sister Li... has some influence within the peak. I need to be careful."
Ye Li shook her hand with his backhand, indicating that it was okay.
She has long been accustomed to jealousy and trouble.
After this commotion, everyone chatted for a while and then dispersed.
Ye Li saw Su Wanyun off and returned to the courtyard.
She had a preliminary understanding of the interpersonal network at Yundan Peak. There were friendly people like Liu Yiyi and Han Li (though he was unreliable), dedicated people like Chen Mo, Su Wanyun who cared about her, and of course, jealous people like Li Yan.
The path of spiritual practice is never a solitary journey for one person.
She looked at the distant mountains with a calm gaze.
These are just small paths.
The real goal is always ahead.
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