Chapter 41: What are you doing! Count me in!
Fang Li tensed up, wondering whether to bite his wrist or kick him in the groin.
"You old fox Xie! Where did you hide Fang Li?! Get out here right now!"
A deafening roar suddenly erupted from outside the illusion array!
The entire illusion array shook violently, and even the ground trembled three times!
Immediately afterwards!
"boom!!!"
The entire "Golden Cage" illusion array twisted and fluctuated violently, as if it had been smashed hard by a giant hammer from the outside!
The light and shadow flickered, and the sounds of the stream and birdsong instantly changed and shattered!
Xie Chen's gentle smile froze instantly. His brows furrowed as he looked in the direction of the most intense fluctuations, a hint of surprise and displeasure at being disturbed flashing in his eyes.
He didn't expect Ji Qianqiu to come looking for him, and he certainly didn't expect that this brute would be able to pinpoint the relatively weak points in the formation.
Before Xie Chen could react.
Boom!!!
An irregular opening was smashed open in one corner of the illusion array! Sunlight and fresh air rushed in!
A tall, imposing figure burst in through the breach! Ji Qianqiu was carrying his heavy sword on his shoulder, sweat beading on his forehead, his chest heaving violently, and his eyes wide with rage.
As soon as he rushed in, his gaze swept across the entire room like a searchlight, instantly locking onto Xie Chen and Fang Li, who were almost touching.
Especially Xie Chen's hand that landed on Fang Li's cheek, and Fang Li's obviously startled posture as she retreated and clung tightly to the tree trunk!
Ji Qianqiu's anger instantly soared to its peak!
"What are you doing?!" he roared, his voice echoing across the surrounding area: "Count me in!"
Without any further ado, he shoved the heavy sword on his shoulder into the ground, swung his fist, which was as big as a bowl, and smashed it directly at Xie Chen's face!
Fang Li stared in disbelief at the scene before her, her mind nearly going blank.
In her mind, she was frantically cheering for Ji Qianqiu: "System! Quick! Record it! The iconic scene of the wolfhound breaking down the door! High-definition, uncensored archive! Give him a bonus later! Ten bonuses!"
[System: "Recorded! 'The magnificent entrance of Ji Qianqiu, captain of the Golden Cage Demolition Team'! Data stream backed up! Host, now's the time to run! (≧≦)"]
Xie Chen hadn't expected Ji Qianqiu to be so unethical, attacking without even a warning.
Faced with the whistling fist, a look of helplessness flashed across his face; in the end, he couldn't take it head-on.
He floated backward, his jade-bone fan unfurling with a "whoosh," drawing an arc in front of him to deflect some of the force of the punch, mainly adopting a defensive stance.
“Junior Brother Ji, why are you angry? I just…” Xie Chen tried to explain, his voice still gentle, but clearly more perfunctory.
"Stop talking nonsense! I saw it with my own eyes! You bullied Fang Li! Take this!" Ji Qianqiu wouldn't listen at all! After missing his punch, he followed up with a powerful punch, his fighting style completely reckless, clinging to Xie Chen tightly.
The two immediately began to fight in the arena.
Xie Chen was agile, mainly relying on dodging and neutralizing, while Ji Qianqiu completely overwhelmed with power, his fists and legs whistling through the air, causing the grass to fly and spiritual energy to surge wildly.
A perfectly peaceful and serene illusion array was instantly transformed into a demolition site.
Fang Li saw her chance had come! The opening that Ji Qianqiu had smashed open was still there!
She immediately crouched down, held her breath, and while Ji Qianqiu had attracted Xie Chen's full attention, she slid quickly towards the breach, clinging to the shadows along the stream!
Breathing in the normal air again, and hearing the faint sounds of sect clamor in the distance, she glanced back at the illusion array and patted her chest with lingering fear.
"Senior Brother Xie, Senior Brother Ji, you two take your time. I'll be going now!"
She muttered something to herself, then immediately turned around and flew towards the Hall of Affairs at Yixing Peak, which was responsible for the placement of new disciples, without looking back.
Upon arriving at the Hall of Affairs, she was quickly assigned a separate residence with a small courtyard, thanks to her True Disciple token.
Located halfway up Yixing Peak, it is relatively quiet and full of spiritual energy. You can see the sea of clouds surging and the distant mountains as dark as ink when you open the window.
The courtyard was small, but the houses were neatly arranged.
Compared to that simple little courtyard outside the gate, this place is much better.
Fang Li had just finished tidying up when her master, Master Qingxuan, arrived in a flurry of activity.
The old man, still brimming with excitement from his research on the new talismans, tossed her a storage bag: "My dear disciple, this is a gift I've prepared for you as your first disciple. It contains some commonly used talisman paper, spirit ink, and a few basic texts. For matters within the peak, consult your senior brother Xie Chen. If you encounter any difficulties in cultivation... well... you can also ask your senior brothers and sisters first. We'll discuss it further when I emerge from seclusion!" Without waiting for Fang Li's response, he vanished like a gust of wind, eager to return and work on his new discovery.
Fang Li held the storage bag, somewhat amused and exasperated. This master was truly... capricious.
Sure enough, Xie Chen appeared at the entrance of the courtyard not long after, dressed in a blue and white Taoist robe commonly seen on Yixing Peak. He looked very respectable, and his gentle smile was steady, as if he wasn't the one who had set up the formation in the back mountain and wanted to "have a chat".
"Junior Sister Fang, did you rest well?" He asked naturally. "Our master has made some progress and has gone into seclusion to study new talismans. He instructed me to show you around the peak and introduce you to your sect." He stepped aside and gestured for you to enter.
Fang Li rolled her eyes so hard they almost reached the top of her head.
That fox has such a great acting skill.
He had to force a smile and say, "Thank you for your help, Senior Brother Xie."
The architectural style of Yixing Peak is also different from that of the outer gate. There are faint lights of runes flowing between the upturned eaves and corners, and the air is filled with the faint scent of cinnabar and spiritual ink.
As Xie Chen walked, he pointed to various places and introduced them: "That's the talisman-making hall, the place where talismans are drawn, where the spiritual energy is most stable."
That's the talisman pavilion over there, where ancient books and insights from predecessors are stored.
Behind that is the talisman practice area, a place to practice activating and manipulating talismans…
Just then, a person walked towards them.
The newcomer was dressed in a faded blue Taoist robe, with a slender figure and a gentle demeanor, and was holding a yellowed ancient book in his hand.
With a handsome face, gentle features, and a natural, faint smile at the corners of his mouth, he instantly makes people feel close to him.
"Mo Yun." Xie Chen stopped and greeted her with a smile.
Mo Yun looked up and saw Xie Chen and Fang Li. A gentle smile immediately appeared on his face as he closed the book in his hand: "Senior Brother." He turned his gaze to Fang Li: "This must be the newly joined Junior Sister Fang, right? I am Mo Yun, ranked second in the peak. If you have any questions about talisman making in the future, you can come and ask me at any time." His voice was clear and unhurried.
Fang Li quickly returned the greeting: "Greetings, Senior Brother Mo."
【Wow! Host! So gentle and refined! (ω)】The system screamed softly in its mind.
[This is the right way to be a gentle senior brother! Xie Fox should take note!]
"Agreed! Senior Brother Mo is so reassuring! Xie Chen, that smiling tiger, is nowhere near as good!"
Xie Chen's smile remained unchanged, but his gaze quickly swept over Mo Yun.
Just then, heavy footsteps echoed from a nearby courtyard, and a tall, burly man with bulging muscles rushed out, carrying a huge stone lock in his hand...
"Senior Brother! I heard Junior Sister is here?!" The man's voice boomed. When he saw Fang Li, his eyes lit up instantly. He threw the stone lock on the ground, scratched his head, and grinned with an incredibly honest and simple smile: "My name is Tie Pan! I'm the third oldest! Junior Sister Fang! You're amazing! Watching you beat up that brat Wang Zheng in the arena got my blood pumping! If you need anything in the peak, just call me! I'm strong! I can take a lot of hits and fight!"
He was so excited that his face turned red, and his eyes were full of admiration as he looked at Fang Li.
Fang Li was a little bewildered by the honest and straightforward aura emanating from him, and quickly returned the greeting: "Fang Li greets Senior Brother Tie Pan."
[Host, this senior brother... looks like a large canine? He's kind of goofy and kind of cute! ()] System's comment.
Before Tiepan could say anything more, the gate of a nearby courtyard creaked open.
A gust of cold air wafted out first.
A woman dressed in an ice-blue dress walked out. She was tall and slender with a cold and beautiful face. Her brows and eyes seemed to be covered with frost, and she exuded a powerful aura that kept strangers at bay.
Her gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on Fang Li.
"Ling Shuang, your fourth senior sister," Xie Chen introduced in a normal tone. "She is skilled in offensive talismans."
Ling Shuang nodded slightly as a greeting, her voice as cold as ice beads falling to the ground: "When drawing talismans, your hand must be steady, and your heart must be cold." After saying that, without waiting for Fang Li's response, she turned around and went back to the courtyard, slamming the door shut.
[Aura of two meters and eighty centimeters! Host! This senior sister is a moving iceberg! (；一_一)] The system shrank its neck.
"Senior Brother Mo is truly gentle and refined! Senior Brother Tie is so憨憨...like a big dog? Senior Sister Ling has an aura of two meters and eighty centimeters! System, will I survive three episodes on Yi Xing Peak? I feel like the senior brothers and sisters have such different styles!"
[Host, stay calm! Focus on developing your character! It's not a big problem.]
Xie Chen seemed oblivious to Ling Shuang's cold expression, still smiling as he said to Fang Li, "Mo Yun is gentle, Tie Pan is honest, and Ling Shuang is cold on the outside but warm on the inside. You'll know once you spend time with her. Most of the disciples in the peak are focused on the Dao of Talismans, and they have different personalities, but none of them are bad people."
Fang Li nodded, feeling slightly relieved.
Apart from Xie Chen, that smiling fox, the other senior brothers and sisters all seemed alright.
At this moment, Xie Chen took out a jade slip from his sleeve and handed it to Fang Li: "This is the basic talisman outline of Yixing Peak. It details everything from the structure of the runes and the infusion of spiritual power to the drawing of basic talismans. As you are new to the path of talismans, you can study it carefully to lay a solid foundation."
Fang Li took the cool-to-the-touch jade slip. With a slight probe of her divine sense, she could feel the vast amount of information inside. She respectfully said, "Thank you, Senior Brother."
"The basic talisman outline, hopefully it won't be as insanely difficult as 'Five Years of Talisman Making, Three Years of Simulation'."
Hearing her complaints, Xie Chen couldn't help but smile: "Meet me in the talisman room tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM). I, your senior brother, will personally guide you in drawing your first basic talisman."
After saying this, he nodded slightly to Mo Yun and Tie Pan, then turned and left, the corner of his blue and white robe fluttering lightly in the wind.
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