chapter 13 Dimming Light

Lu Li stopped helplessly and opened the door. It turned out to be Chen Zhong and Qin Shouren.

Chen Zhong was holding a large bowl of steamed buns, a silly smile plastered on his face. "Nihao, I got you some food."

Lu Li then realized it was already getting dark outside. He thanked them and invited them in.

"Nihao, you can't practice without eating. There's still plenty of time ahead," Qin Shouren said as they sat at the table.

"I know. I just got the technique for the first time. I'm excited," Lu Li replied while eating a steamed bun. "Didn't you practice today?"

"I practiced for two hours, but refining true qi is too slow. Besides, my acupoint barrier is at the seventh layer. I don't know when I'll break through," Qin Shouren said, sounding disappointed. "You think we'll end up like old man Yu Tong said—never reaching the second level in our lifetime?"

Lu Li was stunned for a moment before offering comfort. "Don't worry. We're still young. Take your time." He suddenly remembered something and bent down, secretly pulling out the pill formula. "Don't we still have this?"

"This is... the pill formula!" Qin Shouren's face lit up. "Hurry up and see what's written on it."

Chen Zhong also hurried over. Lu Li nodded and lowered his voice to read aloud: "First-level green bamboo grass, first-level thunderfire orchid, five-hundred-year earth milk essence, and... what is this?"

Lu Li suddenly froze, staring at the last ghostly symbol. It resembled a strawberry but had smoky strokes running through it.

"I know! That's a strawberry on fire!" Chen Zhong suddenly blurted.

Lu Li and Qin Shouren rolled their eyes at him in unison. Lu Li sighed. "No matter what it is, you two remember the first three. I recall that errand disciples are responsible for tending the medicine garden. If an opportunity arises, do you understand?"

"Understood!" The two of them nodded immediately. Their spiritual roots were mixed, and if they followed the normal path, they might never break through to the second level of Qi training in this lifetime.

Seeing their determination, Lu Li nodded and gave a solemn reminder. "I must warn you—Fan Zhengping said that this formula isn't even available in major sects. If word gets out, it could lead to disaster. You two must be cautious, especially around the beasts..."

"I know. Don't let my carefree attitude fool you. I know how to handle this kind of thing," Qin Shouren said seriously.

"Good."

After finishing their meal, Lu Li ushered the two out, stating that he was going to train and reminding them not to slack off just because they had the formula. After all, there was no guarantee they could gather the necessary ingredients anytime soon.

Once they left, Lu Li lay down on his bed. He had discovered that posture didn't affect his ability to enter the Time Hall. Sitting made his back sore afterward, but lying down was much more comfortable. Even if someone walked in, they would simply assume he was asleep.

After training for over thirty hours, the golden barrier of his second acupoint had begun to loosen. He wanted to strike while the iron was hot and break through completely.

Meanwhile, in a cave on Tianjue Peak, deep in the back mountain of Qingyang Sect, three old men were enjoying wine.

One of them, dressed in green, was the Second Elder Yu Tong, the same elder who had tested Lu Li and the others' spiritual roots earlier that day.

If Lu Li were present, he would have recognized another man—the gray-clothed old Taoist who had recruited disciples in Longxing Town. That man was none other than Fang Buwei, the Third Elder of Qingyang Sect.

The third old man, sitting with a restrained aura and a ruddy complexion, was Xiao Jue, a famous elder of Qingyang Sect.

The three chatted merrily, laughter filling the cave. As the night went on, their faces grew slightly flushed from the alcohol.

Yu Tong suddenly leaned over the table, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Brother Xiao, Brother Fang, I encountered something interesting today. Want to hear it?"

"What's so interesting?" Xiao Jue and Fang Buwei looked at him curiously.

Yu Tong was usually serious and rarely gossiped, making them all the more intrigued.

"Hehe, you won't believe this—I actually encountered a nine-spiritual-root disciple today... Oh my heavens! Nine spiritual roots! I've never even heard of such a thing, let alone seen one! I had to examine him again and again, and it still feels unbelievable."

"Nine... spiritual roots?" Xiao Jue rolled his eyes. "Second Brother, you can't just make things up. You might as well claim you recruited a heavenly spiritual root; that'd be more believable."

"Exactly," Fang Buwei said with a chuckle. "I recruited a double-spiritual-root disciple this time, but there's no need to exaggerate just to compete with me."

The "double spiritual root" he mentioned referred to Xiaoyun, a girl he had recruited from Longxing Town. Her recruitment had caused a stir in Qingyang Sect, even drawing out the sect master, Li Xuanyang, who had been in seclusion for three years. Fang Buwei had received considerable recognition and rewards for his find.

"Yes, the Third Elder managed to recruit someone with double spiritual roots, which is a great contribution to the sect. Second Elder, you're going a bit far with this," Xiao Jue said, shaking his head.

"Who's making things up?! I'm telling you, it's not just a nine-spiritual-root disciple—there were two others with seven spiritual roots alongside him!"

Xiao Jue and Fang Buwei exchanged helpless glances. They assumed Yu Tong was simply upset that Fang Buwei had outshone him.

But then again, the Third Elder was in charge of the Foreign Affairs Hall, and this recruitment should have been his responsibility. The fact that Fang Buwei had taken the lead must have stung.

"Ah, forget it!" Yu Tong slammed the table in frustration. "You don't believe me, do you? Fine! If you don't believe me, go to the Foreign Affairs Hall tomorrow and check for yourselves! Their names are Lu Li, Qin Shouren, and Chen Zhong. See for yourselves!"

Xiao Jue and Fang Buwei simply stared at Yu Tong, their expressions unreadable.

"Friendship is faded! I won't drink anymore, damn it!" Yu Tong huffed, declaring that their friendship had soured. With that, he stomped on the table and shot out of the cave like a rocket.

The next moment—

"Ouch!"

A loud crash echoed from outside, followed by the crisp snap of breaking wood.

Xiao Jue and Fang Buwei rushed out, only to see Yu Tong sprawled beneath a massive banana tree, which was now split in half.

"Second Brother, you shouldn't drink and fly a sword. And if you drink, don't fly a sword..." Xiao Jue's lips twitched, barely containing his laughter.

"Bah! It was too light! Too light!" Yu Tong sprang up, dusted himself off, and stretched out his hand. A long sword whizzed to his grasp. Without looking back, he took off into the night, ignoring the two shouting after him.

The next morning...