"Am I going to die?"
Just as Xiao Yi was about to be surrounded by the magma, the scene before her changed abruptly, and she found herself back in Lü Shaoqing's living room. Staring at her surroundings, she felt as if she had lived through a lifetime in an instant.
"Se-Second Senior Brother!"
Seeing Lü Shaoqing in front of her, Xiao Yi called out.
Lü Shaoqing yawned and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"Chirp!"
Xiao Hong, perched on his head, chirped and then flew to Xiao Yi's shoulder. Lü Shaoqing shook his head, sighing, "Ah, young people, always so impatient. Can't you wait a little longer? Why rush in like that?"
Xiao Yi, still shaken, stammered, "Second Senior Brother, what... what was that?"
Lü Shaoqing didn't explain but instead said, "You should never barge into someone's house without permission. This is no joke."
"You're lucky you came to my place. If you had wandered into First Senior Brother's, you might have been stabbed to death by his swords."
If this had happened earlier, Xiao Yi would have dismissed it. But after the recent experience, she didn't dare doubt Lü Shaoqing's words.
She nodded obediently, realizing her mistake. If Lü Shaoqing hadn't shown up in time, she might not have survived. It was clear that the array or restriction was something her Second Senior Brother had set up to ward off intruders.
Seeing her still pale and shaken, Lü Shaoqing patted her head, saying, "It's okay now. Nothing to be afraid of."
Then he called out to Xiao Hong, "Stupid bird, go fetch a candy."
Xiao Yi pouted in protest. "Second Senior Brother, I'm not a child!"
Lü Shaoqing sneered, "Not a child? You almost cried just now. Didn't wet your pants, did you?"
Xiao Yi's face turned bright red. "Second Senior Brother, you're a scoundrel!"
Lü Shaoqing rolled his eyes, "Scoundrel? Even if I were, with your flat figure, no one but a pervert would pay attention."
"Ugh!"
Xiao Yi's face turned even redder. Trying to change the subject quickly, she said, "Second Senior Brother, you said you'd take me to the Sword Cave today."
"Why can't you go by yourself? You're not a child, right?"
Embarrassed, Xiao Yi muttered, "I-I'm scared."
The memory of her last experience in the Sword Cave was still vivid, and she felt a lingering fear.
Lü Shaoqing looked at her with disdain, "You say you're not a child, yet you're scared of something like that?"
"Second Senior Brother, come with me. You promised to be responsible for me."
Lü Shaoqing scoffed, "Ugh, don't say things that can be misunderstood. I don't have a Dao companion yet, and if you ruin my reputation, I'll beat you up."
Xiao Yi pouted, "But you and First Senior Brother get along so well. Why not just be together?"
Lü Shaoqing's expression became serious. "Stop spouting nonsense. My relationship with your First Senior Brother is one of deep-seated animosity. We can't stand each other—what's so good about that?"
"Say something like that again, and I'll smack you."
Xiao Yi didn't believe a word of it. She wasn't a fool—she'd been at Tianyu Peak for over two months and knew better.
Master Shao Cheng, Ji Yan, and Lü Shaoqing had a habit of arguing, even drawing their swords against one another. Lü Shaoqing was particularly unruly, showing no respect for Ji Yan, often calling him crazy, and even confronting their master without hesitation.
But Xiao Yi knew this was just how they expressed their bond. She liked this atmosphere—there were no strict rules, just freedom and spontaneity.
Seeing Lü Shaoqing's unwillingness to admit their bond, Xiao Yi found it amusing. "Second Senior Brother, hurry up and take me to the Sword Cave."
She was determined to become stronger, to earn her place at Tianyu Peak and make her master and senior brothers proud. She wanted to be a true member of their group.
"Alright, alright," Lü Shaoqing muttered, "Don't be so impatient. Take it slow."
"Don't be like your First Senior Brother," he continued as they walked, "He's a maniac. One pervert at Tianyu Peak is enough."
"Just train step by step, and keep a normal mindset."
Xiao Yi asked, "What about you, Second Senior Brother? You're younger than First Senior Brother, but your strength is almost equal to his."
Lü Shaoqing tilted his head proudly. "You can't compare yourself to me."
"People are different."
Xiao Yi wrinkled her nose. "If you can do it, why can't I?"
"Because I'm a genius," Lü Shaoqing said with a smug grin.
To Lü Shaoqing, it was just a boast, but to Xiao Yi, it was the truth. She agreed—Lü Shaoqing was indeed a genius. Otherwise, how could he fight Ji Yan on equal footing?
In Xiao Yi's view, the reason Ji Yan could overpower Lü Shaoqing was solely due to his higher cultivation level. If they were at the same level, the outcome of their fights would be uncertain.
Xiao Yi huffed, "You two may be geniuses, but I'm not. So, I'll have to work even harder."
Lü Shaoqing shrugged. "Effort is important, but don't rush things."
"No matter how hard you work, you won't catch up. It's better to take it slow."
Xiao Yi was speechless. "Is this encouragement or discouragement?"
"I'm just being honest."
Elsewhere, on Tianyu Peak's path:
"This is Tianyu Peak?" The Peak Master of Chiyue Peak spoke to the group behind him.
"That's right. This is Tianyu Peak. Don't wander around or cause trouble."
"Understood."
"Uncle Xiao Chuang, do you know where Xiao Yi is?" asked a girl about the same age as Xiao Yi.
Xiao Chuang gave her a cold look. "Xiao Qun, just because you're the granddaughter of the Great Elder doesn't mean you can act recklessly."
"Xiao Yi isn't just a young lady of the Xiao family anymore—she's now a personal disciple of Tianyu Peak and a member of Lingxiao Sect."
"I know you have issues with her, but I'm warning you, don't cause trouble here."
"If anything happens, I won't protect you."
The girl, Xiao Qun, quickly lowered her head under the reprimand. "Yes, Uncle Xiao Chuang, you're right."
Xiao Chuang snorted but didn't say more.
He then addressed another young man, "Boyuan, follow me."
"The rest of you, stay here and don't wander."
With that, he led the Xiao family's envoy, Xiao Boyuan, away.
Xiao Qun pouted unhappily. "Hmph, I wanted to meet Ji Yan too."
"Ugh, why didn't they take me along?"
Someone beside her whispered, "It's probably intentional on the Deputy Family Head's part."
"After all, he's Xiao Yi's own uncle."