Chapter 130

130 – Gathering (I)

As they walked further into Martial Demon Realm, Xue Qilin noticed that the route conditions have improved unexpectedly .

The terrain is gradually flattening . The sunlight that penetrates between the branches and leaves has also increased, dispelling the dark colors that fill the forest .

As a result, everyone is able to speed up their pace .

Although the conditions are getting better, but the furrow between Qi Qiqi’s eyebrows is getting deeper . She is still mumbling something . It’s probably because they haven’t encountered any martial demons . Apparently affected by this, everyone seems a little uneasy .

Immersed in this atmosphere, Xue Qilin feels like fierce beasts will jump out and attack them at any time .

However, Xue Qilin may have been a little over-worried – in the end, they arrived at the meeting place without any incidents .

Mirror Moon Lake .

Although it has a beautiful name, but this small lake embedded in the forest is rather plain .

With sunlight shinning upon it, the lake’s surface is a little dazzling . The lakeside is surrounded by messy and uneven grass . Several disciples dispatched by the people who arrived before them are striving to clear the place, so as to create an open space and set up simple tents . Mirror Moon Lake is not connected to any rivers, so its water source should be groundwater or underground rivers .

How do you describe this? Probably as a scene matching a pristine forest .

Only that the more pristine a forest is, the more animals should inhabit it . Yet let alone birds, there aren’t even traces of insects .

Were they driven away by the people who arrived here first? Xue Qilin guessed .

A few simple tents stand next to the lake . Before one of the tents, there stand several Earth Realm martial practitioners, and Xia Xue is among them . The people with whom she’s talking are presumably team leaders of the other sects .

The trial by fire participants who have arrived first are also gathered there . Wearing uniforms of different colors and styles, some are chatting, others are sitting on the ground and resting, and yet others are even directly laying on the ground and sleeping . Additionally, some people are using stones they collected from the vicinity to set up simple stoves and cook food .

Xue Qilin glanced around as she followed her team .

Some people found Xue Qilin and them from Merak Temple approaching and began whispering and paying attention to them .

“Look, it’s Merak Temple’s people!”

“Really, but haven’t Merak Temple’s people arrived earlier?”

“I heard that they acted separately . ”

“Who is the leader there?”

“Fool, it’s Merak Temple’s Temple Master Qi!”

“Ah, really? Heavens, she’s so beautiful... Her reputation is well-deserved . ”

“Not only her . There are many beautiful girls in Merak Temple . Although the one in purple is also pretty good . But look at the one with water-colored hair, she’s my type!”

“Yeah, she’s really pretty! But I prefer the one with yellow eyes instead . ”

Yellow eyes? Wouldn’t that be me? Xue Qilin’s ears caught some interesting conversation, prompting her to take note of the two male martial practitioners talking about Merak Temple .

They each have a long and a short spears in their hands . Xue Qilin doesn’t know which sect they belong to .

“Hey, the girl you like seems to have heard it . Go strike up a conversation with her . ”

One of them noticed Xue Qilin’s gaze and teased his companion – the boy sitting beside him .

The boy said “What are you talking about!” angrily and caused a burst of laughter . He glanced at Xue Qilin, embarrassed . As a result, the lass who just happened to snap out of it and is in a playful mood smiled back at him, causing him to blush and lower his head .

“If fact, you are in no way handsome, so why would anyone be interested in you?”

“Shut, shut up!”

The boy spoke in panic .

Even if it’s a handsome guy, I won’t be interested! Xue Qilin ridiculed secretly . She likes the opposite sex – no, it should be the same sex . Although she became a girl, but Xue Qilin’s sexual orientation hasn’t changed .

But what makes her helpless is that as her cultivation base advances, she finds it more and more difficult to change back into a man . She has a feeling that if she ever were to become a Grandmaster, she might not be able to revert after that .

Be that as it may, she can’t give up her current cultivation base, and it’s still up for debate whether her present appearance comes as a consequence of her cultivation method or not .

If I meet a girl I like, at worst it’ll be “yuri” [1]... Xue Qilin thought carelessly, and two figures, one red and one blue, swept across her mind .

Why did they come to mind when I thought about “yuri”? She couldn’t help become distracted .

Unwittingly, the team has joined the group of participants of the trial by fire and arrived near the tents .

“It’s been hard on you . ” Qi Qiqi turned around and consoled the team softly, “You should all be tired, go ahead and take a rest . ”

“Yes!”

Everyone cupped their hands, and then dispersed . Xue Qilin, Shui Yun’er, Gong Tianqing, and the Nangong siblings didn’t leave immediately .

Xue Qilin yawned . She wants to find a place to sleep .

“Young Ancestor, wait a moment . ”

But Qi Qiqi stopped her before she had the chance to leave .

When a few people fairly close to them heard how Qi Qiqi addressed Xue Qilin, they exchanged looks, stunned .

“What is it?”

“Come with me . ”

Qi Qiqi came close to Xue Qilin’s ear and said this softly . The fragrant breath she exhaled tickled Xue Qilin’s ear .

Looking from the corner of her eye at the tender lips near her, Xue Qilin suddenly has the urge to take a go at them . But in the end she swallowed and held back .

“Why?”

“To introduce you to the other sects . ”

Hearing this, Shui Yun’er suggested, “Older Sister Qi, we’ll go ahead and help the others . ”

Qi Qiqi said “okay”, and Shui Yun’er nodded in response and led Gong Tianqing and the Nangong siblings away at once .

Xue Qilin spoke unhappily while watching them leave, “What is there to introduce? You know I don’t like social interactions . ”

“You were allowed to come here as an exception . Therefore, you have to at least say hello to the other sects – in short, come with me . ”

“Hey! I can walk by myself!”

Qi Qiqi took Xue Qilin’s hand and dragged her towards the small group composed of Earth Realm martial practitioners where Xia Xue is located .

Among the several Earth Realm martial practitioners, the man who looks the oldest seems to take note of Qi Qiqi and Xue Qilin approaching . As his eyes swept across Xue Qilin, they stayed on her for a moment, and then fell on Qi Qiqi .

“... Oh, if it isn’t Merak Temple Qi . ”

The man chuckled and greeted Qi Qiqi .

He has a striking appearance, has long hair with a few strands of gray tied by a cloth crown [2], and is wearing a black and white bagua robe [3], giving off the feeling of a sage .

With these adornments, his identity is obvious .

“Someone from One Dao Church?”

Xue Qilin tilted her head and asked in a low voice .

“Mhm, One Dao Church’s Reverend Carefree, a generation younger than One Dao Church’s current Church Master Immaculate Violetcloud .

While smiling at the Reverend Carefree, Qi Qiqi answered Xue Qilin quietly .

“Heavenly blessings upon us...”

Reverend Carefree waved a fly-whisk and cupped his hands in salute .

“Greetings, Temple Master Qi . ”

“Reverend Carefree, how are you doing? We haven’t met for a year or two . ”

After returning the salute, Qi Qiqi uttered a typical greeting calmly .

Reverend Carefree nodded his head, and then said rather regretfully, “It has been indeed a long time . Temple Master Qi, you are more beautiful than ever... Even I who practice asceticism cannot help but feel a little moved . ”

Be that as it may, his eyes are clear . They don’t resemble the eyes of someone who is affected by seeing a beautiful girl . He’s evidently just being polite .