Xiao Chuang left Tianyu Peak with Xiao Yi, looking quite satisfied.
Xiao Yi, however, was puzzled by his actions.
"Uncle, why are you so insistent on me joining Tianyu Peak?"
Xiao Chuang replied, "Haven't I explained it to you before?"
"Tianyu Peak's Peak Master, Shao Cheng, is in need of a direct disciple. If you follow me, you'll only be an inner disciple, which is far inferior to being a direct disciple."
"But," Xiao Yi expressed her concern, "from what Senior Brother Lü said, it doesn't sound like joining Tianyu Peak is a good thing."
Xiao Chuang scolded, "That brat is talking nonsense; don't listen to him."
"Joining Tianyu Peak is a rare opportunity and a great fortune for you."
"Why?" Xiao Yi pressed. "Uncle, unless you explain clearly, I won't agree to join Tianyu Peak."
Xiao Chuang sighed. "Fine, as I mentioned before, besides becoming a direct disciple of Tianyu Peak, you'll also have an outstanding senior brother to guide you."
"Do you know who the strongest disciple in Lingxiao Sect is?"
Xiao Yi, being clever, asked, "Uncle, you don't mean the senior brother of Tianyu Peak, do you?"
Xiao Chuang nodded. "That's right. The strongest disciple in Lingxiao Sect is indeed Tianyu Peak's eldest disciple, Ji Yan."
"His cultivation is at the late-stage Foundation Establishment level, and he's capable of defeating Nascent Soul stage cultivators."
Xiao Yi's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Uncle, you—you're not joking, are you?"
"A Foundation Establishment cultivator defeating a Nascent Soul cultivator?"
"What kind of joke is that? How could a Nascent Soul cultivator be so weak?"
Xiao Chuang replied, "Why would I lie to you?"
"Ji Yan truly is the most talented genius in Lingxiao Sect's history. His swordsmanship talent is the greatest the sect has ever seen, even surpassing the founder."
"Ten years ago, Shao Cheng was at the late Foundation Establishment stage. After taking Ji Yan as his disciple, Ji Yan pushed him to advance to the Nascent Soul stage in less than a year."
Xiao Yi was even more astonished. "A disciple pushing his master?"
Xiao Chuang nodded. "Exactly. With Ji Yan around, who could slack off?"
"Ji Yan continuously progresses, and those around him can only follow his pace, never stopping. That's the real reason I want you to join Tianyu Peak."
"With such a senior brother, your own strength will improve rapidly."
As Xiao Chuang described, Xiao Yi's mind began to form an image of a determined and ever-advancing figure. But suddenly, for some reason, the image of Lü Shaoqing flashed in her mind instead.
Subconsciously, she asked, "What about Senior Brother Lü? Is he also as powerful?"
Xiao Yi's question prompted her uncle to show a constipated expression.
Xiao Chuang replied with annoyance, "Him? When you get to Tianyu Peak, stay away from him so you don't get influenced."
Curious, Xiao Yi asked, "Uncle, what kind of person is Senior Brother Lü? Why do you say that?"
Xiao Chuang explained, "Lazy—extremely lazy. And greedy—very greedy."
Xiao Yi was taken aback, surprised by her uncle's assessment of Lü Shaoqing.
Reflecting on Lü Shaoqing's behavior earlier, she thought her uncle's words seemed to make sense.
"What about his strength?" she asked. "You said that being around Senior Brother Ji Yan encourages progress. Shouldn't Senior Brother Lü be quite strong too?"
Xiao Chuang sighed, looking even more exasperated. "He's an exception."
"Just trust me—when you join Tianyu Peak, keep your distance from him."
Xiao Yi questioned further, "Uncle, are you so sure I can join Tianyu Peak?"
"Senior Brother Lü said it's hard to get past Senior Brother Ji Yan."
Xiao Chuang replied, "That kid may be lazy and greedy, but he has principles. If he's taken the payment, he'll get the job done."
"Besides, he knows Ji Yan better than anyone. His method will work."
"When Brother Shao returns, I'll take you to formally become his disciple. If we follow Lü's plan, it'll definitely succeed."
Tianyu Peak
That evening, Lü Shaoqing looked pleased as he examined the 500 spirit stones he had earned earlier. He chuckled lightly before disappearing from sight.
He reappeared in a grand white hall. In the center was a jade table, upon which lay a blank spirit tablet and an incense burner, both crafted from the same jade material.
Apart from that, the room was empty.
Lü Shaoqing approached the table and threw ten thousand lower-grade spirit stones into the incense burner.
The burner flashed with white light, instantly absorbing the spirit energy from the stones, reducing them to powder. The spirit tablet also glowed, and faint characters seemed to flash across it.
Finally, the jade table displayed the words "One Year."
Lü Shaoqing sighed. "Ten thousand spirit stones for one year of time. It's so expensive."
"Making money is hard. It took me so long to save up ten thousand spirit stones, and now I'm back to square one."
He shook his head. "Well, there's no choice. With a monstrous senior brother like mine, there's no way to keep up without using these spirit stones to buy time."
"Thankfully, after I transmigrated, I found this ring. Otherwise, I wouldn't survive in this world."
He then sat cross-legged and began his cultivation.
Eighteen years ago, Lü Shaoqing transmigrated into this world and, by chance, joined Tianyu Peak as a disciple.
He also stumbled upon a ring similar to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber from Dragon Ball. With its help, he managed to keep up with his monstrous senior brother, Ji Yan.
Lü Shaoqing and Ji Yan became disciples of Tianyu Peak at the same time, taken in by their master, Shao Cheng.
Ji Yan was a true genius with unmatched talent, especially in swordsmanship, even surpassing the sect's founder.
He was diligent and always advancing. Though he entered the sect as a mere mortal, he reached the late Foundation Establishment stage within ten years.
His talent was so extraordinary that no one in the Lingxiao Sect could compare.
A year passed quickly as Lü Shaoqing cultivated.
When he awoke, he assessed his progress.
"Ah, a whole year of hard work, and it's probably only equivalent to half a year for Senior Brother."
"A year of cultivation, and I only broke through one small level. Geniuses really are enviable."
Lü Shaoqing sighed and, with a flash, returned to his bed.
In the outside world, only a few minutes had passed.
"Unfortunately, the ring's ability has a one-month cooldown."
"Well, it's good to rest for a while and balance work and leisure."
He collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep like an ordinary person.
The next day, Lü Shaoqing woke up around noon. Seeing that his master and senior brother had not yet returned, he stretched and said, "Time to order some food."
He took out a paper crane and infused it with spirit energy. The crane's eyes lit up and came to life.
"Same as usual," he instructed, and the crane flapped its wings, flying off to place his order.
At his level, eating wasn't necessary, but Lü Shaoqing felt that not eating would take away much of life's enjoyment.
He returned to his hammock, pulled out his Tianji Tablet, and started browsing the news.
The Tianji Tablet, similar to a smartphone, was a palm-sized device created by the Tianji Pavilion, which functioned like Earth's news media.
The Tianji Pavilion had many disciples across the world, known as Tianji Reporters or, mockingly, Tianji Dogs, similar to journalists on Earth.
After coming to this world and acquiring the mysterious ring, Lü Shaoqing would spend time reading news on his tablet after long cultivation sessions to avoid the loneliness and also because earning money for cultivation was challenging.
Half an hour later, someone arrived.
"Senior Brother Lü, your food is here."
A young man around twenty-five brought a steaming meal box. Lü Shaoqing, lying in the hammock, glanced at him. "Wang Yao, why are you so late today?"
Wang Yao, an outer disciple of Lingxiao Sect, had average talent and was still at the Qi Refining stage.
"Had two other deliveries before yours," Wang Yao explained.
"It's all because of you, Senior Brother Lü. Everyone in Lingxiao Sect is now copying you and ordering takeout."
"My boss, as you know, is stingy and refuses to hire more staff. It's hard for us delivery guys."
Lü Shaoqing replied, "But you must be making more money."
He sounded envious; if it weren't for the sect rules forbidding inner disciples from working outside, he would've been delivering food himself.
Wang Yao shook his head. "Not really. We work hard, and it only earns a little each month."
"Here's your order: Boiled Spirit Beans, Jade Broth, and Grilled Spirit Pigeon."
Lü Shaoqing popped a bean into his mouth, chewed, and said, "This tastes different. Did they change the chef?"
Wang Yao sighed. "Yeah, business got better, but my boss refused to raise wages. Chef Hu quit out of anger."
"Which place did he go to? Tell me."
Wang Yao was shocked. "Senior Brother Lü, are you planning to change restaurants?"
Lü Shaoqing nodded. "Of course. Who can match Chef Hu's skills?"
Wang Yao said, "So, will Tianyu Peak's food orders switch restaurants too?"
Lü Shaoqing shrugged. "How would I know? My master and senior brother make their own choices."
Wang Yao bid farewell and left Tianyu Peak, muttering to himself. "Seems I need to quit this job too."
"If I can't keep Senior Brother Lü satisfied, this greedy boss is doomed."
"He may not know it, but Senior Brother Ji Yan's meals are all ordered by Senior Brother Lü. When the other disciples find out which restaurant Ji Yan's using, they'll follow suit."
"Boss, you're in trouble," he said with a smug grin.
Suddenly, a streak of light flashed through the sky.
Wang Yao looked up. "Isn't that the Peak Master of Chiyue Peak? What's he doing at Tianyu Peak?"
"Ah, whatever. That's their business. I'd better focus on earning spirit stones and advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage."
The streak of light landed as Xiao Chuang and Xiao Yi arrived at Tianyu Peak.
Lü Shaoqing greeted them lazily, "Uncle Xiao, Junior Sister Xiao."
He continued snacking on his spirit beans while listening to the news on his Tianji Tablet.
The news broadcast reported:
"The Young Disciples Tournament and the Duchang Spiritual Vein Conference of the Three Major Sects of Qizhou have concluded successfully."
"Lingxiao Sect's representative, Ji Yan, delivered the closing remarks."
Hearing Ji Yan's name, Xiao Yi couldn't help but exclaim, "Senior Brother Ji Yan!"
After learning about Ji Yan's greatness from Xiao Chuang yesterday, Xiao Yi already admired him deeply.
Xiao Chuang chuckled. "Nephew Ji Yan has once again brought honor to Lingxiao Sect."
Lü Shaoqing remarked, "Sending Senior Brother Ji Yan is just bullying the disciples from Shuangyue Valley and Guiyuan Pavilion. Isn't our sect leader ashamed?"
Xiao Chuang replied, "This is about the distribution rights of the newly discovered spiritual vein in Duchang for the next ten years. We must go all out."
"Unlike you, lying around in the sun all day and contributing nothing."
Lü Shaoqing threatened, "When Senior Brother returns, I'll tell him that you think his performance at the tournament was embarrassing."
Xiao Chuang jumped in shock and then quickly forced a smile. "Oh, Shaoqing, I was just joking. No need to get upset."
"This grilled spirit pigeon smells great. How about sharing a bit with your uncle?"
Lü Shaoqing swatted his hand away. "Get lost."
Xiao Chuang retreated, feeling frustrated.
Xiao Yi found it amusing. "Uncle, aren't you one of the five peak masters? Why are you afraid of Senior Brother Lü?"
Xiao Chuang grumbled, "You don't understand. I'm not afraid of him; I'm showing respect to his senior brother."
Xiao Yi laughed even more, finding it hilarious how Lü Shaoqing could so easily manage her uncle.
"Senior Brother Lü is really interesting."
Xiao Chuang grew wary, warning his niece, "Girl, I've told you, stay away from him when you join Tianyu Peak."
Xiao Yi replied, "But Uncle, I haven't even become a disciple of Tianyu Peak yet."
"Don't worry," Xiao Chuang assured her. "There won't be any problem with the apprenticeship."
"But," Xiao Yi added, "if I become a disciple under Master Shao, and Senior Brother Lü is my second senior brother, how can I avoid him when we're living together?"
Xiao Chuang paused, then earnestly continued, "Just follow my advice and keep your distance from him.
"Whatever you do, don't end up like him."
After about an hour, Lü Shaoqing, who was still lounging in the hammock, suddenly sensed something.
His eyes glanced northwest, but his expression remained calm as he continued browsing his Tianji Tablet.
Xiao Chuang's face lit up. "They're back."
Soon, a streak of light descended, landing before them.
A middle-aged man and a young man appeared. The middle-aged man had a friendly face and a warm smile that immediately put people at ease.
The young man carried an ancient-looking sword on his back, his expression cold and resolute, with sharp, piercing eyes.
When Xiao Yi saw him, she felt as though she was staring at an unsheathed sword, radiating a fierce aura.
Xiao Chuang greeted them, "Brother Shao, Nephew Ji Yan, congratulations on your victory."
"Nephew Ji Yan, you've brought great honor to Lingxiao Sect at the tournament. Well done."
Ji Yan replied calmly, "They were not strong opponents; it wasn't difficult."
His tone was humble and genuine, without any hint of arrogance.
Shao Cheng courteously returned the greeting. "Brother Xiao, you're too kind. It was all for the sect. It's nothing."
Lü Shaoqing, still lying in his hammock, asked, "Master, did you bring me any gifts?"
Shao Cheng retorted, "No. Go away."