People from Danyang City

Mid-October has passed, and the weather has turned cold. As expected, Long Qiqi has entered her "hibernation state".

Years ago, this cunning little lolita somehow obtained a poor quality metamorphic skill. It not only messed up the meridians, acupoints, bones and muscles in her body, but also made it difficult for her to grow up. Although she has been taking bone-tempering pills for so many years, she has only grown a little bit.

Then, even though she has turned into a human, the habits of snakes still greatly impact her. She's like a snake - a cold-blooded creature. As it turns cold, she becomes limp and lazy. When it gets even colder, she wants to hibernate all day.

Long Qiqi fears the cold a lot. It's only October, yet she has put on a big coat and nestles under the chair next to the old Linghuai tree.

If no one else was here, this would be the scene: the bleak autumn wind blows, withered yellow leaves flutter in the wind, Long Qiqi seems to be a lonely, dying old person, waiting alone in the autumn for the winter to arrive.

Of course, no matter how withered and pitiful the little lolita curling up in the chair appears, Zhou Fu dares not say much more, or even glance at her more.

Firstly, she has witnessed Long Qiqi's fierceness and horror. The little lolita is very knowledgeable in alchemy and poison-making.

Secondly, this is Dan Peak under Qin Shou's seat. Zhou Fu has no right to speak here.

Yes, Zhou Fu has passed Qin Ran's pharmacology assessment to become an outer registered disciple of Dan Peak, gaining the qualification to study alchemy knowledge at Dan Peak.

It is also obvious that Qin Ran has been lazy again and has handed Zhou Fu's induction into the alchemy practice to Long Qiqi.

"How is it going? Have you remembered all the alchemy steps?" The little lolita curling up in the chair suddenly speaks up lazily.

Zhou Fu immediately replies solemnly, "Not yet."

"Hurry up then!" The little lolita sighs, "You were originally not an alchemist, and the cultivation method you practice is one for warriors. In the future, you won't be able to gather dan fire. Trying to concoct pills will be countless times more difficult for you than others."

The little lolita takes on a mature appearance to teach Zhou Fu, "You'll need to spend more effort on alchemy techniques to control the medicinal potency and essence as well as the external fire flames for alchemy. Others use dan fire, but you have to use external flames. I suppose you should know which is more difficult to control between your own dan fire and external fire."

"It is also easier for alchemists like you with no dan fire to cause explosions." The little lolita continues, "Explosions during alchemy are extremely dangerous - they could lead to death in serious cases or severe injuries in lighter ones. One cannot be too cautious and prepared."

"Yes!" Zhou Fu hurries to bow to express her gratitude. She knows this is precious from the experience of her seniors.

"Pfft..."

Just then, there is the sound of a woman unable to hold in her laughter from the river bank. Zhou Fu looks over to see it is Li Shiyin, the direct disciple of Dan Peak.

This isn't Zhou Fu's first time at Dan Peak seeing this third-ranked sword immortal on the Heavenly Talent Ranking, as she has come to Dan Peak to study many times and has thus seen the female sword immortal many times too.

Zhou Fu realized long ago that the female sword immortal is quite different from her original impression.

In her impression, Li Shiyin should have been a frosty beauty, peerless in style and beauty, overthrowing cities with a single sword; but the one she met at Dan Peak is instead an adorable and spirited young girl, with some mischief.

As Li Shiyin hops and skips adorably, she is cute, playful and very girlish.

"I pay my respects to Senior Li." Zhou Fu hurriedly bows in greeting.

Li Shiyin waves a hand at her, signaling there's no need to be too polite.

"What are you laughing at?" Long Qiqi glances at Li Shiyin and feels annoyed at the sight of her.

She finds this brat annoying and irritating.

"In your first time trying alchemy, you blew up the furnace, yet you're teaching others not to blow up their furnaces." As expected, this brat brings up her black history right away and hits her where it hurts. "Shame!"

Long Qiqi's face immediately turns dark. She suddenly regains her spirit, sits up and argues, "That was an accident, do you understand? Accident! How could alchemists call it blowing up furnaces? You ignorant sword cultivator doesn't understand so don't spout nonsense!"

"Someone even cried then..." Li Shiyin further pours oil on the fire.

"Bang!" Long Qiqi anxiously slams on the table and shouts, "Go, go away! I don't want to see you!"

"I won't leave." Li Shiyin just enjoys seeing the cunning little lolita annoyed by her but unable to defeat her.

She sits on the swing under the old Linghuai tree, swaying greatly on it. She smiles wickedly as she watches Long Qiqi and Zhou Fu, waiting for Long Qiqi to start her lesson so she can nitpick it.

"Humph!" Long Qiqi is furious. She wraps herself tighter in her thick clothes, collapses back into the chair, flustered and exasperated. "Won't teach anymore!"

Li Shiyin continues swaying without budging.

After losing her alchemy lesson like this, Zhou Fu can't help throwing a glance at Li Shiyin.

"Why are you staring at me?" Li Shiyin feels a little embarrassed and looks away. "I don't know alchemy."

Oh really, it makes sense that the disciple of the number one alchemy master of the Dao Sword Sect doesn't know alchemy.

"Sigh..."

What can Zhou Fu do?

She can only sit down obediently to read books, hoping there won't be any mistakes in tomorrow's training.

Silence returns under the old Linghuai tree. The autumn breeze blows gently as Li Shiyin noisily sways on the swing.

After a while, sounds come from outside the protective mountain formation, breaking the silence:

"The Li Family of Danyang is here to seek an audience with the immortal!"

The Li Family of Danyang?

Li Shiyin stops swinging. Isn't that her family? Could something have happened at home?!

Thinking so, her body flashes and disappears from her spot, only to reappear outside of the fog created by the protective mountain formation.

"How terrifying speed!" Zhou Fu gets a huge shock. "Almost like teleportation!"

She remembers that Li Shiyin is at the same post-foundation building stage as her. But... could this also be considered post-foundation building?

Whose post-foundation building cultivator at home grows like this?!

No wonder she's ranked on the Heavenly Talent Ranking. Zhou Fu knows she can't even block a single move, even though she is a long-time post-foundation building cultivator.

"Stop looking. She's not someone from our world." Long Qiqi, curled up in the chair, glances at her and says, "There are still three other geniuses of that level in this little broken sect."

Zhou Fu hears the thick resentment in Long Qiqi's voice. After some thought, ordinary people mingling with such supremely talented geniuses would feel resentment towards unfairness of fate. That's understandable.

After a pause, she can only squeeze out: "Instructor Long is also amazing."

"Heh!" Long Qiqi lets out a cold laugh.

Li Shiyin opens the mountain protecting formation to the stone path at the outer gate. She sees a warrior dressed in armor standing by the roadside whom she recognizes as wearing their Li Family army armor.

"Young miss!" Seeing Li Shiyin, that warrior quickly comes over to bow in greeting.

Oh, he knows to call her young miss. It seems he's still one of their trusted family confidants. Li Shiyin nods her head and asks, "Did something happen at home?"

"All's well at home." The warrior replies.

"Then why have you come?"

The warrior bows again and says, "Eldest Young Master will marry the young lady of the Yu Chi Family on the eighth day of next month. The general has specially sent me to inform Young Miss."

"Li Shiwen is getting married?" Li Shiyin's eyes go wide.