Chapter – 04
First Move
In the Baiyun Mountains, a young man wearing nothing but a grass skirt, his upper body bare, was flying at low altitude.
After entering the Qi Refining stage, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is stored in the meridians, allowing for short-distance flight. The ability to fly is also the dividing line between the Qi Induction stage and the Qi Refining stage.
Li Yu had already been flying for a while.
Whenever his internal spiritual energy ran dry, he would land and recover his mana. Once his mana was full again, he would continue to experience the feeling of flying. For this novel experience he had never had before, he was endlessly delighted.
While Li Yu was having the time of his life, in a certain valley, another figure was pale with anger.
Jiang Li gripped a century-old ganoderma tightly in his hand, staring at the several figures opposite him, and gritted his teeth: “Chen, I found this first!”
Opposite him stood three men and one woman. The leading man smiled contemptuously and said, “What do you mean you found it first? I spotted this ganoderma a long time ago; I was just waiting for it to mature. There’s even a mark I made on that tree over there.”
Jiang Li looked at the mark on the tree and said even more angrily, “I saw it with my own eyesâyou made that mark just now!”
The man sneered and turned to ask, “Did any of you see that?”
The two men behind him answered without hesitation.
“No.”
“No. Clearly, the mark was already there when we arrived…”
As for the young woman, she looked at Jiang Li’s handsome face and hesitated for a moment. Then she turned to the young man beside her and said softly, “Senior Brother Chen, maybe we should just forget it. It’s just a ganoderma, not very old, and it’s not worth many spirit coins anyway…”
Seeing the young woman speak up for Jiang Li, the Chen surnamed man felt a surge of annoyance. Wasn’t she just taken by Jiang Li’s looks? In the world of cultivation, strength rules; good looks are useless. This shallow woman…
Chen Ming scowled and said, “Junior Sister Zhou, mind your own business. This isn’t about spirit coins…”
Hearing this, the young woman didn’t say anything more. She knew that Chen Ming had some old grudges with Jiang Li and Li Yu and that there had always been conflicts. Although Jiang Li and Li Yu were very good-looking and she couldn’t bear to see them bullied, Chen Ming had successfully gathered his qi half a year ago and officially entered the Qi Refining stage. He was even slightly stronger than her. For some dangerous tasks at the temple, they often needed to cooperate, so she didn’t want to offend Chen Ming either.
Still, looking at Jiang Li’s pitifully handsome face, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of protectiveness in her heart.
She secretly clenched her small fist, vowing that once her cultivation was higher, she would never allow Chen Ming to bully them again.
Chen Ming stared at Jiang Li’s flushed face. The better-looking that face was, the more he hated itânot only because the Chen Kingdom and the Jiang Kingdom were hostile, but also because his teammate Junior Sister Zhou had always favored Jiang Li and Li Yu. More importantly, two years ago, when they first arrived at Baiyun Temple, Li Yu and Jiang Li had given him a thorough beating together…
So, ever since he’d broken into the Qi Refining stage, he’d been finding ways to make life difficult for those two detestable guys.
Although a century-old ganoderma wasn’t worth many spirit coins, it would still let him vent a little.
“Hand it over!”
Chen Ming reached out to snatch the ganoderma, but his hand closed on empty air. A figure appeared in front of Jiang Li, shielding him. Seeing that figure, Chen Ming froze.
He would never forget that detestable face. If there was anyone in Baiyun Temple he hated more than Li Yu, no one came close. After all, during that beating two years ago, Li Yu had kicked the hardest, leaving him bedridden for a full half month…
But at this moment, Li Yu truly baffled Chen Ming.
His hair was disheveled, he was completely naked, wearing no shoes, and his only covering was a ridiculously short grass skirt tied around his waist. If you didn’t know better, you’d think he was some wild man who’d wandered out of the mountains.
This outfit also stunned the other two men. As for the young woman, her gaze kept drifting over Li Yu’s faintly visible abdominal and chest muscles, and a blush involuntarily rose on her cheeks.
After a moment of daze, Chen Ming came to his senses and asked Li Yu, “What do you want?”
“I want to beat you!”
In response came Li Yu’s unreserved punch.
After successfully gathering his qi, Li Yu had also fully absorbed the memories in his mind. He was no stranger to the person before him. The other was a prince of the Chen Kingdom. The Chen Kingdom and the Jiang Kingdom were neighboring states with a long history of friction. So on the very first day they entered Baiyun Temple, upon learning Jiang Li’s identity, this man had started trouble and clashed with him.
Back then, Li Yu had just arrived at the temple as well. At that time, he was dressed in rags and looked utterly poor. Aside from Jiang Li, no one was willing to even talk to him.
His only friend being bulliedâof course he couldn’t just stand by. So he immediately joined forces with Jiang Li to deliver a brutal, merciless two-on-one beating to Chen Ming. Because they broke the temple rules on their very first day, Elder Sun punished them both by locking them in a dark room for three days. It was during those three days that they forged a deep revolutionary friendship.
In Baiyun Temple, the two were practically inseparable, and Chen Ming never had a chance for revenge.
That was, until half a year ago, when Chen Ming broke through to the Qi Refining stage before them. From then on, everything changed completely. The difference between Qi Induction and Qi Refining may be just one word, but it was the difference between mortals and immortals. After that, Li Yu and Jiang Li could only avoid him.
Even so, he still stole their spirit herbs and mission rewards several times. For the past six months, Li Yu and Jiang Li had lived in great frustration.
Having merged with those memories, Li Yu naturally also bore that frustration. The moment he saw Chen Ming, he couldn’t quite control his emotions.
If his strength was lacking, of course he should yield when necessary.
But now? Could he take that lying down?
He had just broken through to the Qi Refining stage…
This punch came with a whistling wind. Chen Ming was startled, but after all, he was at Qi Refining Level 1 and reacted extremely quickly. Almost the moment Li Yu threw his punch, he swung his own fist back.
“You’re overestimating yourself!”
Chen Ming snorted coldly. Although his counterpunch was somewhat rushed, the vast gap between their strengths was enough to make up for it. In front of everyone, Li Yu had struck first. Even if he crippled one of Li Yu’s arms, Elder Sun couldn’t blame him.
*Bam!*
The two fists collided with a dull thud. Their strengths were similarâone was throwing a full-powered punch, the other a hasty counter. Li Yu’s body only gave a slight tremble, but Chen Ming was sent flying backward.
*Thump!*
Another dull sound. Chen Ming landed heavily on the ground, staring at Li Yu in disbelief, unable to understand why he had so much power.
Li Yu clenched his fist. This punch had eased some of the frustration pent up in his heart, but not all of it. Almost as soon as Chen Ming hit the ground, Li Yu had already closed in on him.
Chen Ming immediately circulated his mana, floating up several zhang into the air, looking down at Li Yu from above.
The biggest difference between the Qi Refining stage and the Qi Induction stage was that one could fly and the other could only walk on two feet. As long as he stood on high ground, he was already invincible.
But the next moment, Li Yu’s figure flickered, and he too flew into the air. Chen Ming’s eyes widened in shock. “Youâyou’ve successfully gathered your qi…”
Being able to fly meant he had undoubtedly entered the Qi Refining stage.
Realizing this, Chen Ming’s heart seized up, and he thought with infinite grief and indignation: “You bastard, you really did it…”
As the person he hated most, seeing Li Yu break through to Qi Refining was even more painful than falling back to Qi Induction himself. Chen Ming’s mind was already in chaos. Facing Li Yu’s pursuit, he could only clumsily parry. After taking a few hits to the face and body, he could only throw out a “Just you wait…” and flee in panic.
Li Yu didn’t chase after him. His mana was almost depleted; if he kept pursuing, there was a good chance he’d end up getting outplayed.
As he slowly descended from the air, Li Yu noticed that everyone’s expressions were somewhat strange.
The two male Baiyun Temple disciples were staring blankly with looks of barely concealed shame. The young woman, on the other hand, had a crimson face, rosy cheeks, and her beautiful eyes shimmered with shifting light…
Li Yu looked down and finally realized that, caught up in his emotions, he had forgotten he was still flying commando.
And that was how he’d been hovering over everyone’s heads just now.
Fortunately, his mental fortitude was strong. Without a hint of embarrassment, he glared at Chen Ming’s two lackeys and snapped, “What are you looking at? Scram!”
The two turned and fled. The young woman cast one shy glance at Li Yu before turning and flying away. Li Yu turned to look at Jiang Li and noticed his face was a bit red too.
Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly felt a chill on his rear. The makeshift grass skirt tied around his waist hadn’t been very sturdy; with all the movement, the cord had snapped and the skirt fell to the ground.
Li Yu bent down, picked up the grass skirt, and retied it. He noticed Jiang Li had his eyes tightly shut.
He glanced at Jiang Li and said flatly, “What’s with you, kid? It’s not like you haven’t seen it before…”
Jiang Li snorted coldly. “I don’t want to dirty my eyes.”
Only after Li Yu had retied his grass skirt did Jiang Li lower his hands. He took off his outer robe and handed it to Li Yu, leaving himself in just an undershirt.
On their way back to Baiyun Temple, Jiang Li composed himself and said with a complicated expression, “Youâyou’ve successfully gathered your qi…”
Li Yu nodded. “Just succeeded.”
Jiang Li’s expression grew even more complicated. As his best friend, he was happy for Li Yu, but there was also a lingering melancholy in his heart.
There were still three months until their two-year anniversary at Baiyun Temple. Li Yu had already succeeded in gathering qi. Even if he wasn’t selected as a formal disciple of the Kunlun Sect this time, he’d have other chances. But as for himselfâhe would have no choice but to leave and go back to inherit the throne…
As if not noticing Jiang Li’s mood, Li Yu buttoned up the outer robe and said casually, “I heard there have been demonic cultists lurking around lately, and you still left the temple? Aren’t you afraid for your life?”
Jiang Li gripped the ganoderma in his hand and murmured, “Your birthday is coming up soon. I wanted to gather more spirit herbs. If I got lucky and found one with enough years on it, I could trade it for a Qi Gathering Pill…”
He sighed and said, “But I guess that’s not necessary anymore…”
Li Yu’s footsteps paused.
In his previous life as an undercover agent, although he had plenty of “brothers” around him, everyone smiled to each other’s faces while scheming behind their backs to take each other out and seize each other’s resources. No one had ever done something like this for him…
Li Yu was silent for a moment, then opened the milky white jade bottle in his left hand and said, “Open your mouth…”
