Baili Wen Yue looked as wilted as a frost-bitten eggplant, his gaze fixed on Feng Qingran atop the mountain peak, preparing for her heavenly tribulation.
His fox-like eyes, captivating and curious, held a bewitching charm. “Fifth Senior Sister, what do you think our little junior sister was fed growing up? For most cultivators, advancing gets harder the further they go, yet she breezes through like she’s taking some miracle pills, making it look easier and easier…”
“Sixth Junior Brother, don’t be disheartened. Just bravely admit the gap between you and our little junior sister. I won’t look down on you for it!” Ning Shi Yue patted Baili Wen Yue’s shoulder sympathetically.
The hairpin atop her head swayed gently with the motion, adding to her lively and charming demeanor.
“Fifth Senior Sister, I don’t feel comforted at all…” Baili Wen Yue’s tone was utterly helpless.
He was still stuck at the peak of the Golden Core stage!
And here was their little junior sister, advancing ahead of him. Comparing oneself to others really was a sure way to frustration!
Baili Wen Yue’s gaze shifted to Mu Qian Jue.
He heard Liu Cang Lan say to Mu Qian Jue, “Qian Jue, do you remember what you said before?”
“Senior Brother, can we… not bring that up?” Mu Qian Jue’s peach-blossom eyes lost their usual sparkle, his face etched with a gloom that matched Baili Wen Yue’s.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t happy about Feng Qingran’s advancement, but rather, he was filled with regret.
He had once confidently declared that their little junior sister absolutely could not reach the Nascent Soul stage within four years!
Yet, not only had she done it, she had done it a year early.
“Qian Jue, do you remember our agreement from three years ago?” Liu Cang Lan’s eyes remained gentle, his voice calm and unhurried.
Truth be told, even Liu Cang Lan hadn’t expected Feng Qingran to advance so quickly…
Back then, he had simply wanted to take a gamble. If he won, he benefited; if he lost, there was no real loss.
“Senior Brother, just state your request. If it’s within my power, I will honor our agreement without fail.” Mu Qian Jue nodded, suddenly realizing that during their bet three years ago, he hadn’t set any conditions for Senior Brother…
Oh well!
He’d lost. Dwelling on that now was pointless.
Liu Cang Lan took out a jade slip from his spatial storage and handed it to Mu Qian Jue. “Then I won’t stand on ceremony. I need one thousand of each item listed here. Also, I’ll need a forty percent discount on the price…”
Mu Qian Jue took the jade slip, and his peach-blossom eyes widened instantly.
He rubbed his eyes, seemingly unable to believe what was written on the slip.
“Senior Brother, within one year!? Are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?” Mu Qian Jue felt a wave of despair.
Liu Cang Lan smiled and analyzed, “In one year, you’ll be participating in the selection trials, followed by the Spirit Combat Tournament. It will be several years before you return to Qingyun Zhou. So, one year is perfectly reasonable.”
After listening, Mu Qian Jue’s face was full of resentment. “Senior Brother, you really don’t see me as human, do you? Just this ‘Thousand-Leaf Umbrella’ you want would take me at least four months to complete…”
“And this Heavy Crossbow, the Swift Swallow Pair… one thousand pieces each. All these items combined, I would need over a decade to finish them all. And you’re giving me only one year…”
“Plus, you’re docking nearly half my pay! Your heart is truly black!” After his rant, Mu Qian Jue fixed his peach-blossom eyes on Liu Cang Lan, hoping he would reduce the demands.
Liu Cang Lan’s handsome face still wore its warm, gentle smile. “The old you might have needed that long, but now you possess an exotic flame. If you work day and night without rest, you can definitely complete it within a year.”
“Moreover, I’ve already prepared all the materials needed for the artifact forging.”
As he spoke, Liu Cang Lan directly handed Mu Qian Jue a storage ring. “Inside, I’ve also included spirit fruits to replenish your spiritual power—a full year’s supply. You needn’t worry about that.”
Mu Qian Jue wasn’t sure what expression to make. He somewhat numbly accepted the items.
“Senior Brother, you’re truly thoughtful. An employer like you is truly rare!” Mu Qian Jue’s words carried a somewhat gritted-teeth tone.
But Liu Cang Lan didn’t mind. He knew Mu Qian Jue was fully capable of forging all those items within a year.
Mu Qian Jue stored the jade slip and the ring, then lightly fanned himself with his jade fan, unable to completely mask his noble and elegant demeanor.
Narrowing his peach-blossom eyes, Mu Qian Jue asked, “Senior Brother, did you collude with our little junior sister to trick me on purpose?”
A hint of amusement colored Liu Cang Lan’s gentle eyes. “Qian Jue, you’re overthinking it. I merely deduced something, which made me confident that our little junior sister could reach the Nascent Soul stage within four years.”
“What was it?” Mu Qian Jue pressed.
“Five years ago, when Jing Hong came to Cang Lan Peak to deliver some items, she mentioned they were all from our little junior sister. So, I asked a few more questions…” Liu Cang Lan paused, glancing at Baili Wen Yue and Ning Shi Yue, who had leaned in closer.
Baili Wen Yue’s face was full of curiosity. “Senior Brother, go on!”
Liu Cang Lan continued, “Jing Hong said our little junior sister had gone to a certain place and trained there for several hundred years. She said her advancement would be very rapid from then on, and if the spiritual energy on our peak seemed diminished, I shouldn’t be concerned.”
“I guessed she must have gone to that place… the one you’ve all been to as well…”
“Being able to stay in that place for several hundred years meant that, until she reached the Soul Transformation stage, our little junior sister wouldn’t need to worry about the stability of her cultivation base.”
“This also implied she would advance consecutively.” The others understood his meaning.
However, disbelief was written all over their faces.
Mu Qian Jue’s eyes showed astonishment. “Senior Brother, are you sure you’re not joking? I was thrown out after only eight years in there. How did our little junior sister manage to stay for several hundred years?”
Liu Cang Lan looked at Mu Qian Jue and smiled. “You were expelled. It’s not the same.”
