He hadn't paid attention before. After all, how could an ordinary mortal know about qi circulation without being taught? But just now, when Jin Bao'er's aura surged, he saw it!
Jin Bao'er nodded, having already thought of her words.
"Disciple couldn't sleep last night and felt the presence of spiritual energy after meditating for a while..."
Her subsequent advancements would only be faster than in her previous life, and she didn't want to scare this master who treated her quite well.
At first glance, this explanation seemed full of loopholes, but given Jin Bao'er's rare talent, it wasn't impossible! Seeing his little disciple's diligence, the old man quickly and complexly accepted this fact!
He had a premonition that this little disciple's future would be limitless!
Three months passed quickly. Jin Bao'er absorbed spiritual energy to increase her own spiritual power while learning formations with the old man...
At this moment, a little girl in a water-blue silk robe with a merman's sheen fixed her calm gaze on the open ground before her. She held seven or eight stones of various colors in her hand, then tossed them out. The stones scattered instantly, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye!
A faint fluctuation of spiritual energy spread, and the little girl's eyes lit up. She quickly moved her hands, and in the next second, a white light flashed around, and everything returned to peace...
Success!
Jin Bao'er suddenly opened her eyes, her joy evident! After practicing for a month, she had finally mastered the most basic Spirit Gathering Formation!
"Haha, truly my disciple! In just three months, you've already learned the basic talisman crafting and formations! Excellent! Excellent!"
As he spoke, the old man jumped down from a nearby tree, his movements exceptionally elegant and smooth! If one ignored the leaf on his head...
"Master... weren't you going to welcome Senior Disciple back to the mountain? Why are you back? Could it be... you got lost?"
Jin Bao'er's voice held a hint of helpless amusement. In their time together, she hadn't noticed much else, except for her master's forgetful memory and tendency to get lost. He even got lost at the foot of their own mountain peak, no wonder he carried so many teleportation talismans; it was likely out of fear of not being able to find his way back.
The old man heard this and awkwardly stroked his little beard, his gaze drifting.
"Ahem, what nonsense is this little girl spouting! Your master suddenly remembered that you haven't met your Senior Disciple yet, so I specifically came back to bring you down to welcome him! Yes, that's how it is!"
The first part of his statement was quite convincing. If it weren't for the subsequent confirmatory sentence, Jin Bao'er might have actually believed him!
Feeling speechless yet amused, she thought about how these three months, being cared for by her senior disciples and occasionally having her master act silly, had made her even forget the hellish days of being chased.
"Alright! Then let's go! We mustn't keep Senior Disciple waiting!"
Because each mountain peak had its own defensive mechanisms, and Hua Ming Peak's had recently been reset, Senior Disciple needed someone to open the entrance for him to ascend.
As they spoke, the figures of the old man and the girl vanished from their spot...
At the foot of the mountain, a young man in black robes with a resolute aura gazed coldly at the mountain's restriction array before him. His aura gradually turned chilling, and a faint frost on his robes clearly indicated he had been waiting for a long time!
When Jin Bao'er and the old man emerged, this was the scene they saw. The young man in black had regular features and a tall build. If not for his black attire, which seemed out of place with the surroundings, no one would have noticed him!
"Ah, my good disciple, why are you wearing so little? Aren't you cold? Although body cultivators are not afraid of the cold, you shouldn't casually harm your body!"
The old man, who had been dawdling and lost for a long time, sighed dramatically upon seeing the newcomer, completely forgetting that it was his getting lost that caused Bai Yileng to wait for nearly three hours at the foot of the mountain!
In response, Bai Yileng looked up and cast a fierce glance at the old man, his voice icy and sharp!
"Master is right!"
Then, he directly punched a large tree next to the old man. With a dull thud, water droplets from the tree came crashing down like a torrential rain. The old man, completely unprepared for his sudden move, was soaked to the bone...
Meanwhile, Jin Bao'er was protected by a transparent defensive array, her clothes remaining perfectly dry!
"Ah!! Ahhh! It's freezing! It's freezing!"
The old man, hopping on the spot, was quite comical. Jin Bao'er couldn't help but show a slight smile, but she also felt warmth from this Senior Disciple's thoughtful protective shield.
The young man ignored his master's wails and walked up to Jin Bao'er. He looked down at the little girl who only reached his waist and said in a calm, indifferent tone.
"Little Junior Sister? Ice Spiritual Root? You... are very good!"
Despite his previous actions, he maintained an unfazed demeanor. At the very least, his little junior sister's temperament was certainly not bad!
Jin Bao'er tilted her head up, finally realizing how tall the man before her was, exuding a strong sense of righteous pressure and an icy aura. However, she didn't miss the fleeting hint of admiration in the man's eyes and then smiled.
"Jin Bao'er greets Senior Disciple. Welcome home!"
This calm and steady demeanor once again earned Bai Yileng's satisfaction. The tall man voluntarily walked up the mountain, with Jin Bao'er following closely behind, while the old man complained and recounted his grievances.
As the Senior Disciple of Hua Ming Peak, Bai Yileng undoubtedly held authority. His cold demeanor, his preference for action over words, and his strictly serious expression had the six junior disciples sitting in their seats with perfect posture!
Jin Bao'er sat on her chair, marveling inwardly. To subdue the "vixen" Second Disciple, to make the unkempt, messy-haired Guan Ziyun neat and tidy, and even to make their master sit obediently in the main seat – he truly deserved to be the Senior Disciple!
"I have returned for the Sect Competition! I heard that in the three years I was away, our sect has ranked last every year! Hmph, you are truly remarkable!"
An icy aura swept through, causing all seven to stiffen. Only Jin Bao'er straightened her expression. In her memory, the sect competition at this time required a minimum cultivation of Qi Condensation third layer!
Therefore, in her previous life, she hadn't participated at all! However, she vaguely remembered the rankings... Hua Ming Peak was still last! And now, with Senior Disciple's return due to her appearance, what about this year's competition...
"Senior Disciple, if I can reach Qi Condensation third layer before the competition begins, can I participate?"
As soon as she said this, eight pairs of eyes fell on her. The old man was the first to notice the anomaly and exclaimed.
"Qi Condensation second layer?"
"How is that possible? Little Junior Sister actually..."
"It's only been three months? So quickly..."
Facing their astonishment and slowness, Jin Bao'er remained composed, showing no pride. After all, she was a former Golden Core expert, and her current cultivation was truly insignificant!