Qing Yu Xue savored her delicious meal, unaware of the hungry gazes that followed her every move on the third floor of the Heavenly Crystal Restaurant.
Or rather… Qing Yu Xue knew very well that these people were here to admire her beauty, but she had no intention of satisfying their curiosity. She only revealed a glimpse of her chin, which was enough to make most of these lustful men drool.
"Pah. Men are nothing but horny beasts…"
But then, Qing Yu Xue recalled that she used to be a man, and deep down, she still felt like one.
"N-no… it's different… this is my body now… even if I do some strange things sometimes, that doesn't mean I'm a horny beast!"
Qing Yu Xue tried hard to justify herself, refusing to see any similarity between herself and these so-called 'beasts'.
...
Three young disciples followed Chen Ming as they ascended the stairs. They were heading to the sixth floor, the topmost level of the Heavenly Crystal Restaurant.
Among them, there was a girl and two young men.
Wang Lei, a burly and fierce-looking young man, glanced at the girl and asked, "Junior Sister Zhang, are you ready for the Crimson Sword Sect's selection test?"
Zhang Xueli was a stunning beauty, with long black hair that contrasted with her ice-cold blue eyes. She had a slender figure and a graceful posture, but her face was always aloof and indifferent. She nodded slightly and said, "Yes. I have been training hard. I have reached the eighth stage of Qi Condensation."
Liu Wei, the other teenager, smiled warmly and praised, "Junior Sister is truly talented, to reach the eighth stage at the age of sixteen…"
Zhang Xueli didn't say anything else, and just continued to walk up the stairs.
When they reached the third floor of the restaurant, they saw that it was crowded with people. Too many people.
Wang Lei, who was arrogant and impatient, looked at Chen Ming and demanded, "Mr. Chen, what's going on here? Why are there so many people on the third floor?"
Chen Ming smiled mysteriously and pointed at a veiled young woman, "The three of you may not know, but there is a goddess in Fallen Leaf City right now."
Wang Lei's eyes lit up and he licked his lips. "Show me the way to the goddess! I want to see her face."
Chen Ming nodded and led them forward.
...
Chen Ming led the three disciples to Qing Yu Xue, who was sitting at a table near the window. As soon as they saw her veiled face, the two teenagers were instantly smitten by her beauty.
Wang Lei walked up to Qing Yu Xue and gazed at her with admiration, "Hello, beautiful lady. May I have the honor of knowing your name?"
Qing Yu Xue was enjoying her roasted pork, but she put down her chopsticks and looked at Wang Lei with a frown.
Her voice was sweet and melodious, like a songbird, "My name is Qing Yu Xue. And you are?"
Wang Lei was enchanted by her voice and drooled a little, "My name is Wang Lei. I am the Young Master of the Wang Family. I have never seen such a beautiful girl with your name before."
Qing Yu Xue chuckled softly, "Well, I'm just here for a visit…"
Liu Wei chimed in and said, "A visit, you say?..."
Qing Yu Xue nodded her head slightly, making her veil flutter.
Zhang Xueli also watched the scene before her, and she felt a mix of emotions. Wang Lei and Liu Wei, these two young men who had been chasing after her all day, had completely ignored her and were fixated on another girl.
Zhang Xueli had a strange expression on her face, "Why don't I feel angry or jealous? Maybe it's better if these two have someone else to bother?"
Wang Lei, who was arrogant and impulsive, took out some Spirit Stones and flashed them at Qing Yu Xue, "Miss Qing, how about you join us on the sixth floor? I promise I'll give you five Spirit Stones if you do."
Qing Yu Xue's beautiful face turned cold, "What do you mean by that? Do you think I'm some kind of prostitute?"
Wang Lei stammered, "N-no… Miss Qing, you misunderstood me…"
Liu Wei cut in and said, "Miss Qing, my name is Liu Wei. I am the Young Master of the Liu Family. I wonder if you would like to come with us three to talk about the Crimson Sword Sect's disciple selection."
Liu Wei smiled gently and looked at Qing Yu Xue with interest, "I guess you came to Fallen Leaf City for the selection, right?"
Qing Yu Xue was confused and didn't know anything about the selection, but she didn't want to reveal that. "Sure, I'll go with you guys to the sixth floor."
Liu Wei laughed softly and glanced at Wang Lei, his rival.
Wang Lei snorted and glared at Liu Wei, his hatred growing stronger.
...
Qing Yu Xue and the others reached the sixth floor and started to enjoy their food. The dishes here were infused with Qi, which helped Qing Yu Xue's cultivation to increase.
"Miss Qing, may I ask what your cultivation level is?" Wang Lei asked in a gentle tone.
Anyone who saw Wang Lei here acting so courteous and respectful to this beautiful woman would be shocked, since Wang Lei was known as a ruthless and cruel Young Master.
"Um… my cultivation level is at the third layer of Qi Condensation."
Wang Lei smiled brightly, "Haha! Miss Qing's cultivation is not very high, but don't worry. I can help you pass the disciple selection."
"After all, who would dare to offend the woman that I, Wang Lei, have taken a liking to?"
Qing Yu Xue scoffed. She was disgusted by the way that Wang Lei was talking to her, as if she was weak and helpless.
However, she didn't voice her displeasure. Qing Yu Xue's laugh echoed throughout the sixth floor, and even the ice-cold beauty Zhang Xueli was captivated by her laugh.
Zhang Xueli was also a peerless beauty, ranked as the number one beauty of Fallen Leaf City, but in front of Qing Yu Xue's veiled face, she felt inferior and overshadowed.
...
The day went by and Qing Yu Xue decided to spend the night at the Liu Family Estate. She didn't like Wang Lei, who was too eager and presumptuous to offer her a place to stay.
Qing Yu Xue also noticed the rivalry between Wang Lei and Liu Wei for her attention, but she didn't care about either of them.
However, just to spite Wang Lei, she chose to sleep at Liu Wei's place.
Wang Lei, however, was generous enough to give Qing Yu Xue five Spirit Stones, and Liu Wei, not to be outdone, gave her six Spirit Stones.
The Crimson Sword Sect would hold its disciple selection in three days, and Qing Yu Xue had to become stronger in a short time.
Qing Yu Xue sat on her bed and pondered, 'Should I go to a Formation Apprentice and ask him to inscribe some formations on my bones?'
But then, Qing Yu Xue shook her head. 'No, that's too risky. The process of inscribing formations should only be done by myself… I can't trust anyone else.'
What if they tried to harm her or take advantage of her while they were inscribing the formations on her Heavenly Inscription Bones?
Qing Yu Xue's emerald eyes sparkled as she came up with a new idea, 'What if I try to learn how to create formations myself? After all, I have the Formation Emperor's Mind, which is a Heaven Grade talent.'
Qing Yu Xue got up and went to find Liu Wei, to tell him about her idea.
...
"So, you're saying that you want to learn how to create formations?" Liu Wei asked with disbelief.
Qing Yu Xue nodded, her veil still hiding her face, "Yes. I want to learn how to create formations in a few days."
Liu Wei looked at Qing Yu Xue with a skeptical expression and said, "Alright… I'll help you with what I can, Miss Qing, but I don't think it's possible to learn how to create formations in such a short time…"
Qing Yu Xue smiled and said, "I appreciate Young Master Liu's help, but you don't have to worry."
Liu Wei nodded and promised Qing Yu Xue that he would bring a Formation Apprentice to assist her.
...
When Liu Zhihao saw Qing Yu Xue, he was spellbound by her aura and grace.
"Cousin Wei was not exaggerating when he said that your beauty is peerless and can shake the foundations of the Heavenly Flame Empire…"
"I believe that Miss Qing's perfect appearance can make Immortals forsake their cultivation just for a glimpse of your eyes."
Qing Yu Xue chuckled softly, as she was impressed by Liu Zhihao's poetic words. "Wonderful words! Wonderful words! Brother Liu has a way with words!"
(Note: QYX is not attracted to men. She is still a man at heart. She ain't gay.)
Liu Zhihao felt proud of himself after making such a beauty praise him. Her heavenly voice made Liu Zhihao extremely enchanted.
"Miss Qing, please don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think you can become a Formation Apprentice in a few days… you must know that even in the whole empire, the most talented people take at least a year or more to become a Formation Apprentice…"
Qing Yu Xue scoffed, making Liu Zhihao apologize. "I'm sorry if I offended Miss Qing…"
Qing Yu Xue said with a frown, "Never mind, just teach me…"
...
After a day, Liu Zhihao was amazed to see that Qing Yu Xue had actually become a Formation Apprentice and had earned the same status as him.
"H-how… Miss Qing, I'm sorry for doubting your talent…"
Qing Yu Xue shrugged her shoulders, as she didn't care about his opinion. "It's fine, it's understandable."
Liu Zhihao felt moved as he looked at Qing Yu Xue. He gently touched her shoulder and said, "To show you my sincerity, I will give you the five Spirit Stones that Cousin Wei gave me to teach you."