Chapter 500: Soft Rice Requires Hard Eating

Angry Squid:

A warmth surged from his belly, flowing through his limbs and bones. Li Fan immediately felt much more comfortable. Especially the injury on his chest; under the effect of this warm current, it remarkably alleviated a great deal in an instant.

"Senior Sister, what kind of medicine is this? It's so effective..." Li Fan asked subconsciously. At the same time, some past memories surfaced in his mind.

He and Senior Sister Zhao were both from Changfeng Village in Mount Daqing, having known each other since childhood. Half a year ago, a group of bandits attacked Changfeng Village, and most of the villagers met a tragic end. Only he and Senior Sister Zhao escaped, as they were playing outside together. When he and his Senior Sister saw the flames rising from the village and rushed back, they ran headlong into the bandits who were loaded with loot and about to retreat.

Although Senior Sister Zhao was young, her exquisite beauty still attracted the attention of all the bandits. At that critical juncture, an immortal master happened to pass by. After seeing the soaring bloody light below and the two children trembling before the bandits, this immortal master instantly understood what had happened and immediately killed all the bandits, saving Senior Sister Zhao and Li Fan. Furthermore, he recognized Senior Sister Zhao's extraordinary talent and decided to take her back to his sect. However, Li Fan's aptitude seemed ordinary and did not catch the immortal master's eye. It was only at Senior Sister Zhao's earnest plea that the immortal master reluctantly agreed to take him along as well.

After more than ten days of flying, the immortal master brought them back to the sect's entrance. They saw clouds and mist swirling, with mountains towering high. From time to time, immortals could be seen soaring between the misty peaks, leaving trails of radiant light. Within the sea of clouds, many majestic and magnificent buildings stood vaguely, resembling a heavenly court and exuding a sacred aura. Such a grand immortal scene left Senior Sister Zhao and Li Fan utterly dumbfounded. From the immortal masters who brought them back, Li Fan learned the name of this sect: the Grand Dao Sect.

The Grand Dao Sect had nine main branches and seventy-two peaks. Besides the main branch, which was passed down directly by successive sect masters, the other eight branches were all managed by various elders. The "immortal master" they had encountered was merely a fourth-generation disciple of the Moon Splendor Branch of the Grand Dao Sect, named Zhang Rong, with a Nascent Soul cultivation. Under Zhang Rong's guidance, they naturally joined the Moon Splendor Branch, becoming outer disciples of the Grand Dao Sect, and settled down on Qingning Peak. They were also granted a cultivation technique called the Taiyuan One Qi Technique. Zhang Rong instructed them that once they successfully cultivated this technique, they could be promoted to inner disciples. From then on, they would no longer need to toil with various chores and could focus solely on cultivation. Their status within the sect and the resources they could obtain monthly would also be vastly different.

The two then spent their free time studying and practicing the cultivation technique together. Senior Sister Zhao was a little older, and her comprehension and aptitude were beyond Li Fan's comparison. Half a year passed, and she had long since mastered the Taiyuan One Qi Technique and passed the test. Moreover, she was highly regarded by Zhang Wangshuang, a Primordial Spirit Immortal Lord of the Moon Splendor Branch, who took her as a personal disciple. She instantly became a fourth-generation disciple of the Grand Dao Sect, referring to her former immortal master Zhang Rong as a senior brother.

In contrast, Li Fan's cultivation speed was extremely slow, and he had been unable to break through for a long time, even with Senior Sister Zhao secretly imparting insights and occasionally gifting him elixirs. Furthermore, Senior Sister Zhao's frequent visits stirred jealousy among the surrounding disciples. Although outwardly they were very respectful, even flattering towards Li Fan, privately they held him in great disdain and often slandered him, believing he was nothing more than a good-for-nothing mooch.

Not long ago, after Li Fan accidentally overheard their conversation, he was filled with shame and anger and couldn't help but fight back. However, he was unskilled, and they outnumbered him. He ended up being beaten half to death. Fortunately, his opponents were wary of Senior Sister Zhao's presence and did not deliver a fatal blow.

The memories faded, and he returned to reality.

"This is Heavenly Essence Powder. It can not only help you recover quickly from your injuries but also further enhance your Qi Perception."

"I painstakingly collected these materials. Since you haven't reached Foundation Establishment yet, many elixirs would be harmful to you, so I asked my master for this prescription," Senior Sister said, wiping the lingering medicine from the corner of Li Fan's mouth with a smile.

The warm current, like spiritual energy, lingered and even circulated on its own. In just a short while, Li Fan felt his injuries fully healed, and his entire body seemed to be filled with inexhaustible strength.

"Senior Sister, you are so good to me..." Li Fan grasped Senior Sister Zhao's fair, jade-like hand, looked into her eyes, and said with deep emotion.

"You..." Senior Sister Zhao's cheeks flushed slightly. She tried to pull her hand away, but Li Fan held on too tightly, and she was afraid of using too much force and hurting him. So, for a moment, she could only let Li Fan hold her hand, his fingers inadvertently tracing lines on her palm. The heat radiating from Li Fan's hand seemed even hotter than subterranean fire, making her body feel slightly weak. A strange emotion began to spread through the room.

Just then, Li Fan suddenly said, "Oh, by the way, Senior Sister. There are still many things I don't understand about the Taiyuan One Qi Technique. Could you explain them to me again?"

Senior Sister Zhao was slightly stunned. A hint of disappointment flashed in her heart, accompanied by a touch of relief. Before, she had also wanted to teach him the essence of the Taiyuan One Qi Technique, but perhaps out of male pride, he was unwilling to listen, insisting he wanted to comprehend it on his own. She had no choice but to give up. Fortunately, he had finally come to his senses.

So, Senior Sister meticulously began to explain to Li Fan. "Wonderful, truly wonderful! So this sentence can be interpreted like this! Senior Sister, you are truly brilliant!" Li Fan praised effusively as he listened, his eyes sparkling with realization.

After most of the day, as dusk approached, Senior Sister Zhao looked regretful and had to stop. "My master instructed me to return before dark. So, I have to go now!" she said cautiously, watching Li Fan's expression, afraid that he might be displeased.

"Your master's command is important, Senior Sister, so you should head back quickly," Li Fan nodded, without a trace of displeasure in his heart. "When you have time, just come again next time."

Senior Sister Zhao hummed softly and was about to leave. But then she realized that while he had been engrossed in listening, he had already released his tight grip. It was she, for some reason, who had continued to hold his hand firmly. Her face immediately burned hot. Fearing Li Fan might notice, she quickly bid him farewell and fled as if escaping. While her heart pounded fiercely, she also felt incredibly joyful, and her steps became much lighter.

At this moment, Li Fan had already cast aside the subtle intimacy between them. He was completely engrossed in the mysteries of the Taiyuan One Qi Technique, unable to extricate himself. "So that's how it is, so that's how it is!" With Senior Sister Zhao's guidance, he resolved all the difficulties he had encountered daily while cultivating the technique. He fully comprehended it, understanding it perfectly.

"I am not far from Foundation Establishment!" The spiritual energy circulated within him without any obstruction, as if it were natural. He couldn't help but exclaim with delight. "If only I had asked Senior Sister for guidance earlier, I wouldn't have wasted half a year!"

"Strange, why did I ever have thoughts of 'embarrassment' before!" Li Fan shook his head, suddenly feeling that his past self had been somewhat unreasonable.