Chapter 108: A World Apart

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Qu Yiqiu suppressed a flicker of doubt in her heart and, accompanied by Mu Yunjin, left Mo Qingli’s cave dwelling. Since Mo Qingli said he was fine, there was no need for them to worry. After all, he was no child; he acted with discretion. Although Zhou Chen stubbornly wished to help Mo Qingli, Qu Yiqiu had other tasks in mind for him.

She led them to the location of the fourth-grade spiritual field. After briefly surveying the surrounding breathtaking scenery, she solemnly addressed the two: “You’ve both seen it—the master’s cultivation is advancing rapidly. He may soon condense his Nascent Soul and become a Nascent Soul True Lord.”

She paused, noticing the dazed yet proud expressions on their faces, and couldn’t help but press a hand to her forehead. “Our master is so formidable. As members of the Lesser Peace Peak, we must not lag behind! Therefore, as the chief disciple of Lesser Peace Peak, your senior sister, I have decided that from today onward, I will lead you to restore the honor of Lesser Peace Peak!”

Mu Yunjin and Zhou Chen stared at her in surprise, mouths agape. They asked in unison, “Senior sister, what do you plan to do?”

Qu Yiqiu smiled faintly. Although these two junior brothers were a bit naïve, they were obedient.

“Ahem,” she cleared her throat. “First, look up at the summit of the Nine Swords Peak—the foremost peak of the Heavenly Yan Sect—and tell me, what do you see?”

Zhou Chen and Mu Yunjin exchanged confused glances, then jumped onto a rock and gazed up at the imposing and aloof summit of Nine Swords Peak, exclaiming in unison, “Wow, looking at it like this, Nine Swords Peak is truly magnificent!”

Zhou Chen was filled with envy, enchanted by the scenery. “It’s even more beautiful inside. I’ve heard they raise many rare and exotic beasts there, and there’s a spacious martial training ground and an alchemical apparatus hall for disciples to use freely!”

Qu Yiqiu looked from their perspective. The towering Nine Swords Peak stood at the very center of Heavenly Yan Sect, surrounded by thick, almost overflowing spiritual energy. The proud summit overlooked everything below.

The three of them stared fixedly, feeling as if they were mere ants, only able to gaze up at the mountain’s grandeur from its base.

“Bah, bah, bah!” Qu Yiqiu suddenly shook her head, startled by the strange thought that had crossed her mind.

Nine Swords Peak was truly extraordinary!

Who wasn’t a precious treasure in their own right? How could she imagine herself as an insignificant ant?

Such bad luck, truly bad luck!

Hearing the “bah” sounds near their ears, the infatuation in Zhou Chen and Mu Yunjin’s eyes suddenly vanished, replaced by alertness. Zhou Chen asked, “Senior sister, what’s wrong?”

“Ahem, nothing, nothing at all!” Qu Yiqiu quickly pulled herself together and said loudly, “You’ve all seen the state of Nine Swords Peak. Junior Brother Zhou, you said it’s even more beautiful inside—have you ever been in there before?”

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Zhou Chen scratched his head, embarrassed. “I was fortunate enough to enter once… no, no, just once!”

Realizing he was praising Nine Swords Peak, he quickly waved his hands, fearing Qu Yiqiu and the others might misunderstand.

“Junior Brother Zhou, don’t be afraid. It’s just me and the little junior brother here. You can say whatever you wish. Today, I hope you can set aside personal feelings and discuss the differences between Nine Swords Peak and Lesser Peace Peak rationally!” Qu Yiqiu said with a hint of seriousness.

Zhou Chen and Mu Yunjin exchanged puzzled looks, unsure of what to say.

Suddenly, Mu Yunjin’s eyes lit up with realization. She quickly spoke, “Senior sister, I once heard other senior brothers say the biggest difference between Lesser Peace Peak and Nine Swords Peak is that one is in the sky and the other underground, one in the clouds and the other in the mud!”

Zhou Chen’s legs wobbled, nearly causing him to fall.

Qu Yiqiu’s heart skipped a beat, the corner of her eye twitching slightly. She composed herself and said, “Junior brother’s words are reasonable; that’s indeed what other disciples of Heavenly Yan Sect like to say!”

Mu Yunjin clapped happily and said to Zhou Chen, “Junior brother, I’ve been praised again! Now you tell us your thoughts!”

Qu Yiqiu gave Zhou Chen an encouraging look. “Junior Brother Zhou, since you’ve been to Nine Swords Peak, you should understand it better. I’m eager to hear your analysis.”

Zhou Chen’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed nervously. Meeting Qu Yiqiu’s ‘gentle’ gaze and then seeing Mu Yunjin’s supportive eyes, he mustered courage and said, “Senior Sister Qu, I think the greatest differences between Nine Swords Peak and Lesser Peace Peak, aside from peak area, disciple numbers, spiritual energy capacity, peak lord strength, number of buildings, affiliated forces, and the level of spiritual fields and beasts, lie mainly in resource allocation.”

“Lesser Peace Peak has fallen behind and cannot receive sect cultivation, causing everything to lag behind other peaks’ development speed, leaving it at a disadvantage. Meanwhile, Nine Swords Peak, even before Lord Su took over, was the top peak of Heavenly Yan Sect and received countless resources. With Lord Su’s use of existing resources for regenerative development, Nine Swords Peak has grown stronger and stronger, far surpassing our Lesser Peace Peak…”

Zhou Chen’s voice weakened as he looked at Qu Yiqiu’s solemn expression and Mu Yunjin’s wide-eyed stare, and he stopped speaking.

“Ha ha ha!” Qu Yiqiu laughed heartily and praised, “Junior Brother Zhou, well said! Your thoughts mirror mine. The weak grow weaker, the strong grow stronger—that is the rule of Heavenly Yan Sect and of the Five Elements Realm!”

“But we intend to break this rule,” Qu Yiqiu said, her eyes bright and fiery.

Zhou Chen was stunned.

Mu Yunjin cheered excitedly, “Senior sister, are we going to oppose Nine Swords Peak?”

Having heard of Mo Qingli’s past, Mu Yunjin no longer felt any fondness for the people of Nine Swords Peak.

Qu Yiqiu smiled faintly and replied vaguely, “With master’s body recovering, Lesser Peace Peak is destined to be mentioned alongside Nine Swords Peak. You don’t want Lesser Peace Peak to always be defeated, do you?”

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During this time, besides studying cultivation methods, she had also thought much about Mo Qingli.

Having accompanied him for over a decade, she knew he would never abandon his quest for revenge.

The conflict between Lesser Peace Peak and Nine Swords Peak was growing more intense; whether or not she took action, she would inevitably be drawn into the mountain’s struggles.

Better to prepare early than be passively involved.

Zhou Chen was so shocked by Qu Yiqiu’s bold plan that his expression lost control, mouth agape without a word.

Mu Yunjin was overjoyed; with his current mindset, he couldn’t possibly grasp how vast the gap between the two peaks truly was.

“This is wonderful! We’ll never be looked down upon again!” Mu Yunjin clenched his small fists, furrowing his brows with a fierce determination.

Qu Yiqiu smiled at the sight and said to Zhou Chen, “Junior Brother Zhou, there’s no need to be nervous. You’ve seen Lesser Peace Peak’s current situation—it is nearly the target of all arrows. Even if we don’t act, as members of Lesser Peace Peak, others will still watch us closely. Today, the opponent Junior Brother Zhou faced from the Vast Expanse Peak was a good reminder: we must take action.”

Zhou Chen swallowed hard and asked in alarm, “But, but what do we act with?”

They had nothing at all!

Qu Yiqiu smiled mysteriously.

Zhou Chen had no thought of running away; she was pleased and firmly believed he was truly part of Lesser Peace Peak.

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A side note:

Thank you all for your support~~~~~

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