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.

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