C5 Starfall Peaks

"Unable to cultivate?"

Xiao Xiao had never imagined that the lack of spiritual energy fluctuations in this man was due to his inability to cultivate.

How then did he become the senior sister's junior brother to the mountain lord?

"Yes, my body prevents me from cultivating," Wu Pingfan stated calmly.

Xiao Xiao was taken aback.

If he couldn't cultivate, wasn't he useless?

Yet, how could he discuss his inability to cultivate with such composure?

Wu Pingfan seemed to read her mind.

"If I can't cultivate, then I won't. The key is to live well."

"Our master often says contentment brings happiness; being satisfied with one's current life is what matters."

Xiao Xiao's curiosity was piqued. Who was this master he spoke of, and what kind of power did they possess?

"Could you share what your senior sister has taught you?" Xiao Xiao inquired.

The mountain lord's method of cultivation would surely not be shared with just anyone. This man might actually be the mountain lord's junior brother and possibly privy to the secrets of their cultivation techniques.

"It's quite straightforward," Wu Pingfan said with a smile. "We just cultivate different things."

"What do you mean?" Xiao Xiao pressed.

Wu Pingfan crouched down, examining Xiao Xiao's body, and then he began to point at various parts of her.

Starting with his palm.

"The senior sister begins by using her palm to touch and absorb spiritual energy."

Moving on to his arms.

"Then, she channels the spiritual energy through her limbs and the eight extraordinary meridians."

Next, he touched his forehead.

"It travels to the Spiritual Sea for filtration."

Finally, his finger traced down his cheek, over his neck, chest, abdomen, and stopped at his lower belly.

"The filtered spiritual energy eventually converges at the dantian."

"It's as simple as that."

"Hmm? What's the matter with you?"

Wu Pingfan suddenly noticed that the woman's cheeks had become extremely flushed and hot.

Xiao Xiao, feeling the finger at her lower abdomen, clenched her teeth in frustration.

The method of cultivation this young man had described was utterly unfeasible.

The idea of touching spiritual energy, channeling it through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, filtering it through the Spiritual Sea, and then gathering it at the dantian was nonsensical.

Can spiritual energy be touched?

It can only be absorbed by sensing the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth.

This kid was clearly mocking him and seizing the opportunity for some mischief.

Recalling the jolt of electricity that had surged through her neck and chest, Xiao Xiao's cheeks flushed even deeper.

"Oh, right, I misspoke earlier. It's not just spiritual energy; it's the spiritual elements within it."

Wu Pingfan suddenly remembered this and hastily corrected himself.

But the girl in front of him was already out of patience to hear him out.

Clang!

A long sword materialized in Xiao Xiao's hand.

"Uh..."

Wu Pingfan was taken aback.

What was she planning to do?

But in the next moment, he understood her intentions.

The long sword was already swinging towards him.

With quick reflexes, Wu Pingfan managed to dodge.

"What are you doing?"

He was baffled. She had been the one to ask about the cultivation technique, yet when he shared it in good faith, she reacted with fury.

Xiao Xiao, having missed her strike, prepared to swing her sword again.

Yao Jing had been keeping an eye on the unfolding scene.

He had no idea what had sparked this latest conflict.

As Xiao Xiao raised her sword again, he called out urgently, "Pack up, we're leaving!"

The disciples, having only rested briefly, were now faced with another departure, which was somewhat unsettling.

Xiao Xiao, hearing Yao Jing's command, ceased her attack. With a frosty expression, she sheathed her sword and headed to her belongings.

If this young man was going to return to the mountain with them, there would be plenty of opportunities to deal with him later.

For some reason, Wu Pingfan, shouldering his pack, felt an inexplicable shiver...

...

"There lies Mount Tianji."

Yao Jing lifted his hand, pointing towards the towering mountain ahead.

At its base, a signboard strung between two stout stone pillars read "Tianji Mountain."

This was the prestigious second-tier force of the Great Heavenly Empire, Mount Tianji.

Wu Pingfan surveyed the surroundings.

The sect's choice of location was indeed quite strategic.

Below the mountain gate, a forest lay to the left and a lake to the right.

Just as the elder had mentioned, Senior Sister's cultivation technique was indeed well-suited for practice in this location.

Yao Jing, with his entourage in tow, crossed the threshold of the mountain gate and made their way up the mountain.

Starfall Peaks boasted exactly 3,333 steps, all multiples of three. One could only wonder what the founding mountain lord was thinking.

Roughly half an hour later, the group finally arrived at the summit where the sect was located.

Climbing more than 3,000 steps was certainly a feat.

Upon reaching the summit, they could see from a distance two disciples, a man and a woman dressed in Starfall Peaks' attire, running toward them.

"Yao Jing, you've returned."

Yao Jing was in the midst of getting Wu Pingfan settled when he noticed the urgent looks on the faces of the two disciples. He promptly inquired, "What's the matter? Why the rush?"

Gasping for breath, the two disciples slowly explained, "The mountain lord said you would likely return within the next couple of days and instructed us to wait for you. She insisted that we inform her immediately upon your arrival!"