In the blink of an eye, three months had passed.
At dawn, the path leading to the back mountain echoed with lively chatter.
"Ji Changfeng, what's your cultivation level now?" Tian Ling'er asked, her voice brimming with curiosity.
"Guess," Ji Changfeng teased, a playful glint in his eyes.
"How dare you! You should call me Senior Sister!" Tian Ling'er huffed.
"Alright, alright, Senior Sister, guess!" he chuckled.
"Argh! Ji Changfeng, you're so annoying!" Tian Ling'er stomped her foot, gripping a firewood knife tightly.
Nearby, Zhang Xiaofan's honest face broke into a shy smile. Senior Sister is so adorable.
Ji Changfeng grinned. "You really want to know?"
"Yes, yes!" Tian Ling'er nodded eagerly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Ji Changfeng's cultivation journey was practically legendary in Qingyun Sect. He'd reached the first layer of Jade Purity in a single night and the second layer in less than half a month.
Now, three months later, no one—not even Tian Buyi and Su Ru—knew the extent of his progress.
The entire Qingyun Sect was abuzz with curiosity, making Ji Changfeng's cultivation the hottest topic of discussion.
The last time Tian Ling'er visited Small Bamboo Peak with Su Ru, several senior sisters had pulled her aside to probe about Ji Changfeng. They claimed he was destined to be the greatest rival of their "Junior Sister Lu" and urged Tian Ling'er to gather intelligence.
Tian Ling'er had met this "Junior Sister Lu"—Lu Xueqi, a strikingly aloof young woman, only slightly older than herself. Lu Xueqi always carried a shimmering blue divine sword, rumored to be the legendary Nine Heavens Divine Weapon, Tianya.
Lu Xueqi seemed indifferent to most things, her days consumed by sword practice and cultivation. But there was one exception: whenever Tian Ling'er visited Small Bamboo Peak, Lu Xueqi would linger nearby, silently listening as the senior sisters interrogated Tian Ling'er about Ji Changfeng.
According to the senior sisters and Master Shuiyue, Ji Changfeng was fated to be Lu Xueqi's greatest rival.
Though Lu Xueqi felt a spark of defiance, she couldn't deny a growing curiosity about Ji Changfeng.
Of course, Ji Changfeng was oblivious to all this.
"I'll tell you, but only if you agree to a small request," Ji Changfeng said with a mischievous smile.
"What request?" Tian Ling'er blinked, her eyes wide with anticipation.
She was already imagining how she'd boast about Ji Changfeng's cultivation level on her next visit to Small Bamboo Peak. As a young girl, being coaxed and flattered by the senior sisters had gone straight to her head. All she could think about was showing off.
"Go ask shi niang if I can tag along the next time you visit Small Bamboo Peak," Ji Changfeng said, his tone mysterious.
"What?!" Tian Ling'er's eyes widened. "You want to go to Small Bamboo Peak?"
Though young, she knew one ironclad rule: Small Bamboo Peak forbade all men from entering!
"Exactly." Ji Changfeng nodded, unfazed. "I just want to see the Moon-Gazing Platform, one of Qingyun's Seven Scenic Wonders. Ask shi niang if I can come along. If you do, I'll tell you my cultivation level."
Visiting the Moon-Gazing Platform was true enough.
But it wasn't the real reason he wanted to go.
Or rather… it wasn't the only reason.
He wanted to see the platform, sure, but also the person standing on it.
Yes, that's it! It's mainly about the scenery. Everything else is incidental.
Tian Ling'er hesitated, then nodded. "I can ask Mama, but I can't promise she'll agree."
"That's fine. Just ask, and we're good," Ji Changfeng said casually.
If he could go, great. If not, no big deal. He was merely curious.
"Deal!" Tian Ling'er's eyes sparkled. "Now tell me, what's your cultivation level?"
Zhang Xiaofan, standing nearby, leaned in, equally curious.
Ji Changfeng smiled faintly, deciding not to tease further. "Jade Purity, fourth layer."
To dispel any doubts, he demonstrated the signature skill of the fourth layer: Object Manipulation.
Whoosh!
An invisible force lifted the firewood knife from his hand, sending it dancing gracefully through the air.
"What?!" Tian Ling'er's jaw dropped.
Jade Purity, fourth layer?
It hadn't even been half a year since Ji Changfeng began cultivating!
Four months to reach the fourth layer?
Is this for real?
Tian Ling'er wanted to question him, but the proof was undeniable.
Object Manipulation was unmistakably a fourth-layer technique.
Her mouth hung open in shock.
Zhang Xiaofan was equally stunned. Seeing Ji Changfeng's display left him speechless.
They'd joined Great Bamboo Peak at the same time, yet Ji Changfeng was already at the fourth layer, while Zhang Xiaofan hadn't even touched the first.
A pang of disappointment hit Zhang Xiaofan, though it was fleeting. He harbored no jealousy, only a sense of his own inadequacy.
"Senior Sister, Xiaofan, don't go spreading news of my breakthrough to the fourth layer," Ji Changfeng said with a playful smile.
He was half-joking, knowing full well why Tian Ling'er was so eager to learn his cultivation level—she wanted to brag.
But to his surprise, Zhang Xiaofan's expression turned resolute. "Seventh Senior Brother, don't worry! I won't say a word, even if it kills me!"
Ji Changfeng blinked, caught off guard.
That's Zhang Xiaofan for you.
Loyal to a fault, he'd guard a secret with his life.
Crack!
Suddenly, a small pebble flew from nearby, striking Tian Ling'er and Zhang Xiaofan.
"Who's there?!" Tian Ling'er whirled around, glaring.
In the distance, a small monkey clutched a handful of pebbles, its clever eyes glinting mischievously. A faint third eye marked its forehead, though it remained closed, unopened.
"Huh?" Ji Changfeng raised an eyebrow.
The Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey, Xiao Hui?
To think I'd encounter it here.
"You rotten monkey! Don't run!" Tian Ling'er shouted, chasing after Xiao Hui in a huff.
Zhang Xiaofan, equally indignant, followed. I may be slow, but I'm not about to let a monkey mock me!
"Senior Sister, wait for me!"
The two charged after Xiao Hui, while Ji Changfeng trailed leisurely behind, a knowing smile on his face.
Looks like I know what's coming.
_
As expected, when Ji Changfeng caught up, they had ventured deep into the bamboo forest.
A chilling aura permeated the air, laced with faint traces of ghostly energy.
"Ugh! Where did that stupid monkey go?" Tian Ling'er huffed, hands on her hips.
Crack!
Another pebble sailed through the air.
"Heh heh heh!" Xiao Hui peeked from behind a tree, sticking out its tongue and making faces at them.
"You little pest! Stop right there!" Tian Ling'er's temper flared, and she plunged deeper into the forest.
"Senior Sister, wait!" Zhang Xiaofan hurried after her.
Before long, they arrived at a secluded pond.
Whoosh!
As they neared the water, an invisible surge of ghostly energy struck, overwhelming Tian Ling'er with dizziness.
"What's… happening?!" she gasped, collapsing by the pond's edge.
Xiao Hui, caught in the same force, fainted nearby.
"Senior Sister!" Zhang Xiaofan cried, panic seizing him.
Unaware of the danger, he rushed into the pond's range.
Boom!
Dizziness hit him like a tidal wave, and he crumpled to the ground, his arm grazed by a sharp branch.
Drip.
A crimson bead slipped from his robes, rolling beside his bleeding arm.
Hiss!
The moment it touched his blood, the Blood-Devouring Pearl broke its seal, erupting with a ferocious surge of blood energy.
Ji Changfeng, unfazed, used his spiritual energy to gently move Tian Ling'er and Xiao Hui out of the pond's range.
Once they were safe, he stood back, watching as Zhang Xiaofan "coincidentally" forged a blood-refined treasure.
Boom!
The Blood-Devouring Pearl unleashed a torrent of blood energy.
At the pond's bottom, the Soul-Capturing Rod stirred, startled by the disturbance.
The two supreme treasures clashed violently.
The Blood-Devouring Pearl absorbed Zhang Xiaofan's blood, suppressing the Soul-Capturing Rod with relentless force.
But then, the Soul-Capturing Rod unleashed a surge of ghostly energy, turning the tables and overpowering the pearl.
Hiss!
The two treasures began to merge, their energies intertwining.
In the end, a weapon surpassing even the Nine Heavens Divine Weapons was born: the Soul-Devouring Rod!
[You have witnessed the fusion of two supreme malevolent treasures, comprehending the immense harm their ferocious and malevolent energies can cause to the human body. You have created a technique to neutralize such energies—the Ice Heart Technique!]
A mystical voice echoed in Ji Changfeng's mind.
In an instant, a profound state enveloped him.
Enlightenment!
He had entered enlightenment once more!