Before he left Cauldron Peak, Hui glanced left and right, checking to make sure no more rogues laid in wait, selling command medallions. He paused for a moment to open his third eye and peer around, but nothing stood out to him. Nodding to himself, he gently wafted himself with the fan and strode along the path to Starbound Peak, holding himself like a silkpants scholar. If I act stuck-up enough, no one will ask me where I’m from.

The sound of clashing swords caught his ear as soon as he stepped through Starbound Peak’s barrier. Hui turned, looking toward the practice field. I wonder, did Tang Fei’er already run into Li Xiang? I don’t want to fight her, but I do want to see her match with Li Xiang! He sped his pace, subconsciously using the flicker-step technique from the Bai Clan. With a fourth-stage cultivation base, he operated the technique much faster than before, and quickly sped past his fellow disciples, who could only stare in shock.

Abruptly, Hui stopped. A lower-realm cultivator sitting under a tree nearby stared in shock as a gaudy scholar suddenly appeared in front of him, lazily waving a fan. Hui frowned at himself, shaking his head. Wait! This technique uses death qi! I flicker between death qi and qi to use it. It’s a good compromise over using yin and yang like the Bai Clan does, because, after all, I don’t cultivate their core methods, but—but I can’t use death qi in front of the All-Heavens Sect!

He put a hand on his chin, thinking.

Under the tree, the lower-realm cultivator sat up and cleared his throat. “Er, Senior, can I help you?”

Hui murmured something to himself, lost in thought.

The lower-realm cultivator waited, not sure how to react. For a mysterious senior to suddenly materialize in front of him either meant they had a job for him, or he was about to be gifted with good fortune, and either one made his heart beat in anticipation, though whether anticipation for fortune or anticipation for punishment, he couldn’t rightly say. It wasn’t uncommon for seniors on Starbound Peak to enlist juniors like himself to do any kind of paltry chore, from cleaning swords to fetching food or polishing the practice field. In fact, in any sect, it would be the same. Hui had largely avoided such a situation due to his unique situation, as the lone disciple of Unrivaled Under Heaven Peak… and his unique personality.

However, because he’d avoided the usual relationship between seniors and juniors… he also had no idea that pausing in front of the other cultivator was causing the poor boy no lack of anxiety.

“Senior, I…” the lower-realm cultivator started, then silenced himself. I don’t want to interrupt this senior. If I interrupt some important cultivation of his and he decides to take it out on me later… Instead, he sat there, a bland, servile smile on his face, and waited. One day, when I have a stronger cultivation base, I’ll force poor juniors to sit and sweat like this guy is doing to me! Just you wait!

At last, Hui nodded to himself. “Life qi should do it. It doesn’t expend much in the first place.” So thinking, he took a step forward.

When he swapped to life qi, the entire world seemed to become more vibrant. Unlike death qi, which seemed to slow down time, life qi simply made the entire world vibrate with qi. Even the tiniest qi flow stood as bright as neon in his eyes.

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“Oh?” Hui said, delighted. He looked around, but already the moment had passed. He stepped forward again, and the vibrant qi appeared once more.

He didn’t notice, but wherever he stepped, plant life suddenly sprung into being. Not magically induced life; lotuses didn’t appear where none had been before. However, every plant inside his footstep grew vigorously. In one of his footsteps, an acorn grew to a young tree. Another footstep filled with wildflowers and fresh, long grass. Yet another sprouted a stand of bamboo in the precise shape of his footstep.

Unaware of how his steps ruined the path behind him, Hui strode ahead, practicing the new flicker-step. Behind him, the lower-realm cultivator gaped, not sure what he’d just witnessed. Did… did I just watch an Elder Brother create a new magical technique, right in front of my eyes? Eyes shining with determination and inspiration, he sat down under his tree again and meditated on the mysterious technique he’d just encountered.

As he reached the top of Starbound Peak, Hui stopped circulating his new walking technique and walked along normally, fanning himself casually with his fan. He glanced around, looking for the visiting cultivators from All-Heavens Peak. No one stood out to him. Most of the fellow cultivators milling around wore the simple white robes of Starbound Sect, and gave him weird looks as he passed.

Hui paused, then slapped himself on the forehead and sighed. I spent so long away from Starbound Sect that I forgot everyone wears the same robes! Oh, well. I don’t want to waste another snakeskin. I’ll just pose as one of the visiting cultivators for a bit. After all, Tang Fei’er wasn’t wearing anything like a sect uniform. Besides, this way no one should bother me too much if I approach their idol, Li Xiang. They won’t be happy about it, but after all, a foreign cultivator doesn’t stand a chance with the sect’s idol. They won’t have the same ferocious reaction they did when I got close… I hope.

Despite the strange glances, no one stopped him as he strode across the peak. Hui quietly raised a brow at that, tapping his fan against his lips. Hmm. There are only ten exchange students—er, cultivators. If I can walk around without being challenged, that means that most of them have hidden away this whole time, either in some sort of secluded meditation, or sticking close to Gui Delun. It’s not surprising, given that they arrived in a hostile way, and yet… it doesn’t feel right. They arrived for a reason, to accomplish something. If they’re still hiding away after all this time… could it be that Starbound Sect is more powerful than they expected?

A sudden shiver ran down his spine. He turned and looked upward, then frowned, not certain why he’d done that. Still, a thought crawled through his mind: or… are they all busy looking for something?

In any case, I wonder who the Sect Master agreed to send back to All-Heavens Sect? Or are they still in negotiations? It’s been a few months, certainly they’ve come to agree on something?

A crowd gathered around the practice fields, and he stood on his tiptoes to see better. Just visible over everyone’s head, bolstered by the slight rise of the practice field, he could see Li Xiang’s pink pin. He rushed over, not worried, but excited to watch the match.

Shoving through the crowd, he arrived near the front of the group. Li Xiang stood, sword still sheathed, opposite Tang Fei’er.

Tang Fei’er beamed and tilted her head cutely, pressing her hands against her face. “I’m Tang Fei’er, the most powerful, most cutest cultivator of my generation, disciple of the all-powerful All-Heavens Sect! I challenge you to a fight!”

Li Xiang bowed, cupping her hands. “Li Xiang, disciple of Starbound Peak. I accept.”

Around Hui, the crowd murmured in discontent.

“Most cutest? She’s a hundred years too early to call herself that! Compared to our Li Xiang, she’s dogshit on the side of the road.”

“Li Xiang is more a cool beauty than cute, and yet, her cuteness still outshines this Tang Fei’er’s by a thousand times!”

“Does she think calling herself cutely will make her cuter? It’s the upfront honesty and brusqueness of Li Xiang that makes her the top beauty, everyone knows that!”

Hui smiled behind his fan, unable to stop from shaking his head a little bit. Ah, this is definitely Starbound Peak. Never change, Starbound Peak, never change!