Chapter 89

Chapter 89: Congratulations to Senior Sister Yu on reaching Foundation Establishment in six years; unlike me, utterly ordinary…

Time flew.

One month later, on Limitless Peak of Heaven’s Evolution Sect, Jun Xiu Ran, Feng Lin, and Qin Yuan stood tensely outside Joyous Hall. Two days earlier, Yu Ruan Ruan had told them she was going to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage. Although advancing from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment did not bring a Lightning Tribulation like the Golden Core Stage did, the three, out of concern for Yu Ruan Ruan, had still worried for two days.

Now, Yu Ruan Ruan was attempting her breakthrough inside Joyous Hall.

An hour later, Yu Ruan Ruan emerged. The aura that only a Foundation Establishment cultivator possessed rolled off her, and the three finally exhaled.

As Master, Jun Xiu Ran spoke first: “Ruan Ruan, very good. Keep working hard.”

Yu Ruan Ruan’s cheeks flushed: “Mm, I will, Master.”

Qin Yuan promptly offered his congratulations: “Ruan Ruan, congratulations on successfully breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.”

“Thank you, Third Senior Brother.”

Not to be outdone, Feng Lin poured on the praise: “Ruan Ruan, you truly are our sect’s prodigy. In only five or six years you’ve reached Foundation Establishment. I believe within ten years you will reach the Golden Core Stage.”

As expected, Yu Ruan Ruan’s attention settled on Feng Lin. “Aiya, how could I possibly be as amazing as Senior Brother says,” she demurred with her lips, though inwardly she was unimpressed. If not for that Divine Beast egg in the secret realm, she should have broken through to Foundation Establishment one or two years ago. Still, now was not late. Compared with the present Rong Shu, merely an insignificant Qi Refining novice, she had already stepped into Foundation Establishment. It would not be long before she formed a core, then reached Nascent Soul, leaving Rong Shu far behind and choking on dust.

“Come on, let’s go welcome Second Senior Brother,” she said.

Today was the day Jun Xiu Ran’s second disciple, Huo Yi Han, returned from his training journey. At Yu Ruan Ruan’s suggestion, Feng Lin and Qin Yuan agreed to accompany her to greet him. As Master, Jun Xiu Ran naturally would not go and instead returned to the Hall of Heartlessness.

As the three chatted and laughed, Yu Ruan Ruan caught a figure out of the corner of her eye. It was Rong Shu.

Yu Ruan Ruan’s eyes flashed as she called loudly: “Isn’t this Junior Sister Rong? How do you have time to come back to Limitless Peak? Weren’t you going to stay in the training rooms and put your nose to the grindstone?”

Rong Shu paused, then turned to the three approaching seniors and cupped her hands: “Greetings, Senior Brothers and Senior Sister. I came back to pick up a few things.”

Just yesterday, Rong Shu had decided to pack up everything she had left on Limitless Peak. After living a month in the training rooms, she had grown used to it. Anyway, she was not short of Spirit Stones and had already booked by the month there, treating it as a second residence.

“Junior Sister Rong, you are already at the fourth layer of Qi Refining,” Qin Yuan said, a bit surprised after probing her cultivation. Only a month ago when he ran into her, she had still been at the third layer of Qi Refining. How had she advanced again in such a short time?

Feng Lin’s expression cooled: “Advancing again in a short time?” He snorted. He did not know what crooked method she had used. If Rong Shu had already strayed onto a deviant path, he did not mind cleaning house for the sect.

“It seems your hard work has paid off, Junior Sister Rong. What method did you use? Could you tell your senior sister? My own breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Stage was very difficult,” Yu Ruan Ruan said with pointed intent.

Feng Lin huffed and turned his head to reassure Yu Ruan Ruan: “Ruan Ruan, you don’t need to copy other people’s methods, which might not stand the light of day. You are exceptionally gifted. Even cultivating normally, advancing is as easy as eating and drinking for you. There’s no need to be like those mediocre types who practice day and night without sleep and may still achieve nothing.”

Yu Ruan Ruan flushed with pleased embarrassment, her voice turning sweet: “Eldest Senior Brother, I still want to put in a little effort.”

“Even if you did not,” Feng Lin said with assurance, “you have your Eldest Senior Brother to protect you. No one would dare bully you.”

“Thank you, Eldest Senior Brother.”

Yu Ruan Ruan turned back to Rong Shu with a gentle sigh: “We are all happy that you advanced, junior sister. It is just that, if you used…” She sighed again. “I hope you can turn back while there is still time…”

Seeing the kindhearted Senior Sister Yu about to run off the rails, Rong Shu hurried to clarify: “In fact, the reason I was able to break through again in such a short time is entirely because Senior Brother Cheng Bu Fan gave me a Seven Illusion Azure Lotus.”

“Seven Illusion Azure Lotus?”

At that, all three immediately understood, especially Yu Ruan Ruan, whose face took on a hint of awkwardness. She breathed a sigh of relief; it was fortunate she had not blurted out the words crooked path. At the same time, however, she was annoyed. Why could Rong Shu not have said so earlier? Was she trying to make her look foolish?

“So that’s how it is. It seems your relationship with Cheng Bu Fan is quite good if he was willing to give you such a precious spiritual herb,” Yu Ruan Ruan said. “Oh, I recall you and Cheng Bu Fan sparred a few times before. You became acquainted by fighting, right?”

Rong Shu nodded with perfect composure: “Exactly, we became acquainted by fighting. I only learned recently that our sect has a Senior Brother Cheng who is this generous. Senior Brother Cheng may grumble that my cultivation is too low and that sparring with me is never satisfying, but then he turned right around and gave me this herb, wanting me to keep working hard. I never imagined that a senior brother I had only met a handful of times, with no ties between us, would give me such a precious herb. I truly do not know how to repay him.”

Whether Feng Lin or Qin Yuan, both felt something was off after hearing this, though they could not say where.

“I nearly forgot to congratulate Senior Sister Yu. Foundation Establishment in six years, truly the sect’s famous prodigy, unlike me, utterly ordinary…” Rong Shu said with an air of mortification that was anything but. Now that she had trained both her dark and water elements to the ninth layer of Qi Refining and was even forcing her wind element, the so?called first wife, not to break through, she looked suitably abashed as she added: “I have been in the sect a little over a year and am only at the insignificant fourth layer of Qi Refining. The third layer came from a secret?realm chance, the fourth from the Seven Illusion Azure Lotus that Senior Brother Cheng gave me. Who knows in what year or month I will ever reach the Foundation Establishment Stage.”