âHe really didnât teach you anything else?â The third girl became dissatisfied.
Fan Bai didnât reply because she was already very satisfied. She memorized everything Li Qiye taught her and would continue learning them no matter what.
âHow about this? Iâll teach you a few things.â Xiao Ling had this idea: âIn my opinion, youâre wasting your time and effort learning just one move.â
âThatâs a good idea.â The other girls agreed.
âI will teach you a merit law.â Xiao Ling enthusiastically said.
âThank you, Big Sis, but there is no need. The young master said that one move is all I need.â Fan Bai shook her head.
âNo, your young master is wrong. How can just one move be enough?â Xiao Lingâs friend immediately interjected: âAny random merit law from our academy is better than this move of his.â
âMaybe your young master only knows one move, thatâs the only logical explanation.â The other added.
âOur Duality Academy is the strongest in Buddha Holy Ground. This merit law is also left behind by a Heavenly Sovereign and is certainly stronger than your young masterâs move. This is worthy of your effort.â Xiao Ling said.
âI know Duality.â Fan Bai stared at them and still refused: âI trust my young master.â
She had heard of this academy during her vagrant stage. However, she still chose to listen to Li Qiye instead.
âThis is foolish.â One girl couldnât help murmuring.
The choice was obvious for anyone, even a fool. Xiao Ling was willing to teach her a powerful merit law for free. How could she still refuse?
The old attendant has been watching this. The girls didnât know that Fan Baiâs future would have been ruined by taking the offer.
Fortunately, she was firm enough and remembered Li Qiyeâs words, remaining untempted. Others couldnât have done the same thing.
âLadies, please donât disturb her training.â He walked over and said with a smile.
The three had no choice but to back off. As students of Duality, they understood that it was extremely rude for them to interrupt someoneâs training.
âYou should talk to your young master. Donât just teach her one thing.â One friend remained indignant for Fan Bai.
âRight, look at how hard sheâs working. Hmph, if he has nothing to teach, we can give her a merit law. Itâs suitable for anyone in the world and is countless times stronger than that.â The other jumped in.
âThe young master certainly has a profound reason for doing this.â The old man smiled.
âWhat profound reason?â Even Xiao Ling herself expressed annoyance: âYour young master isnât a supreme or peerless existence. Thereâs no profundity nor mystery in this.â
She didnât like talking negatively about Li Qiye since he had helped them. However, she felt that the old man was trying too hard to be mysterious.
âRight, if your young master is capable of this, he wouldnât be a woodchopper right now.â Another girl said.
The old man could only reply with a smile. The three of them had no idea that a great fortune was there in front of them. Alas, they completely abandoned it.
Thus, their future would not be comparable to Fan Bai despite their noble upbringing. Fan Bai would illuminate Eight Desolaces while the best they could do was becoming queens.
Of course, the old man didnât try to help them. After all, everyone was responsible for grasping their fortune.
***
The three girls were bored while staying in the temple. They wanted to leave but were afraid of getting lost. All they could do was release a signal and continue waiting.
Fortunately, friends actually saw their signal on the same day and came seeking them. The dispersed group eventually gathered along with other students of the academy.
They were lucky to survive after scattering around the mountain range. Not one was killed or eaten.
They talked about how frightening the encounter with the serpent was and that it would go down as an exciting story to be told.
âClassmate Ling, I caught a divine fish too.â A male student was ecstatic to see Xiao Ling. He bragged: âWe ran to a pond and worked together to capture it.â
Having said that, he took out a chest containing water from the pond with a fire-colored fish with long feelers. It had yellow scales as if they were gilded.
âA gilded five-colored loach. Its blood is very precious, youâre quite lucky.â An older student said with admiration: âRumor has it that it is a side branch of a seven-colored draconic loach. It doesnât have a true dragon bloodline like the latter but its blood is immensely nutritious.â
âValuable indeed.â The students nearby were in awe.
The first student was happy and told Xiao Ling: âClassmate Ling, Iâll give it to you.â His eyes exuded admiration.
Everyone could tell that he was interested in her. All eyes were on the two of them. After all, Xiao Ling was a noble and had plenty of suitors.
âThank you, Classmate Zhang Yu, but I do not dare to accept such a precious gift. Please keep and use it yourself.â Xiao Ling politely refused.
The male student had no choice but to put the fish away, dejected.
The crisis earlier didnât diminish everyoneâs enthusiasm. Most talked about the next location. Some thought that they should bring more powerful students and teachers to tag along. Others had enough and wanted to go back to the academyâ¦
âSo rowdy, whatâs going on here?â A lazy voice interrupted the crowd gathered outside the temple.
Many students quieted down and looked over. They saw a youth with firewood and a yellow dog.
Who else could it be but Li Qiye returning from his trip?
The majority didnât give a damn after seeing Li Qiyeâs limited cultivation.
âYoung Noble Li, our friends found us.â Xiao Ling happily told Li Qiye. It was a blessing that a dozen of them survived the encounter with the serpent.
âThatâs fine but donât be loud and disturb the peace.â Li Qiye responded.
Xiao Ling didnât expect this but thought that it made sense. This was Li Qiyeâs place.
âYouâre right, Young Noble.â She nodded.
âHmph, Myriad Beast Mountains isnât your place.â The student named Zhang Yu who wanted to please Xiao Ling didnât like Li Qiyeâs haughty attitude towards her. He immediately stepped forward.
âIs that so?â Li Qiye lazily glanced at him.
His attitude didnât win him any love from the members of Duality. They stared coldly at him, thinking that he was thinking too highly of himself.
They could be considered dragons and phoenixes. Few were chosen by Duality, definitely not ordinary mortals.
Li Qiye belonged to the second group, just an unknown junior. How dare he treat them with contempt?
âBrat, watch your words.â An older student said seriously: âIf anything gets broken here, weâll be sure to pay for the damages. Just take back your arrogant tone.â