“Oh, I see.” The three of them looked at each other and saw puzzlement in each other’s eyes. Obviously, they didn’t buy the excuses Ji Yuewu gave them. But Ji Yuewu didn’t care and looked as calmly as before.

“Ah, I have been trying to refine Foundation Establishment Pills recently and all my hard work pays off. Yesterday I refined a Foundation Establishment pill successfully.” Duan Huaming seemed really proud of himself. He took out a Foundation Establishment Pill from his storage bag and put it on his hand while kept glancing at Ji Yuewu.

“A Foundation Establishment Pill! I really didn’t expect this. Since you can refine it all by yourself, you’re surely about to become a third-cla.s.s alchemist!” said Liu Junru admiringly. She was really shocked at first.

Li Yuedu also congratulated him but the embarra.s.sment on his face kind of revealed that he might have forced that out. 

However, what disappointed Duan Huaming was that Ji Yuewu just congratulated him plainly without changing that clam look on her face, not even a little bit. Didn’t she know how incredible it was for a young man like him to refine Foundation Establishment Pills successfully?

Right at this time, a person walked into the hall slowly. He seemed surprised at seeing so many people there and then saluted calmly, “Senior brothers and sisters.”

Ji Yuewu’s eyes lit up and even the coldness on her face melted a little bit when she saw s.h.i.+ao Chen. But she just nodded slightly.

Although Duan Huaming and Li Yuedu were not to each other’s taste, they did admit that both of them were qualified to purse Ji Yuewu. But how dared s.h.i.+ao Chen, a c.r.a.p without spiritual root, approach Ji Yuewu? This really p.i.s.sed them off.

As for Liu Junru, she never gave a glance to s.h.i.+ao Chen who was just a c.r.a.p without spiritual root for her.

“I heard from Brother Duan that you are digging into the refining of Foundation Establishment Pills, which really made me admire your progress in cultivation. You are not cultivating today. Does that mean you also succeed in refining Foundation Establishment Pills like Brother Duan?” A glimmer coming into his eyes, Li Yuedu said with a meaningful smile.

Ji Yuewu frowned slightly at this but she didn’t say anything. However, she did look at s.h.i.+ao Chen with some expectations.

s.h.i.+ao Chen also frowned slightly, but he had to hide his capabilities and bide his time to figure out how to solve the bottleneck of establis.h.i.+ng foundation without attracting unnecessary attentions. Therefore, he just replied causally, “It is extremely hard to refine Foundation Establishment Pills. Besides, I’m not talented enough and my purpose is to get to know it. So naturally, I did not make it. I come here today to return the Foundation Establishment Pill I borrowed as promised.”

Although she knew it was an extravagant hope, Ji Yuewu’s eyes still dimmed and she slightly sighed in her heart. Somehow, she always felt that she couldn’t see through Brother s.h.i.+ao, and the image of him would come into her mind every now and then, especially after the “encounter” last time.

“Alas, it is surely destined. Since it is so, there is no need to think too much about it.”

s.h.i.+ao Chen did not miss the changes in Ji Yuewu’s eyes. Hesitating for a while, he took out a Foundation Establishment Pill from his storage bag and handed it to her. Then he took one step back and said, “Thank you, Sister Ji. Now I return the pill I borrowed.” After this, he turned around and left straight away, ignoring the gird of Duan Huaming and others.

“Bah, as I said, Sister, lending your Foundation Establishment Pill to him just delays your own cultivation. He can succeed in refining Foundation Establishment Pill? Hilarious!” Duan Huaming wore a disdainful expression, as if s.h.i.+ao Chen could never catch up with him even after another one hundred or even thousand years of cultivation.

Li Yuedu had the same feelings. How dared such kind of small potato covet sister Ji! What an uppity bloke!

Liu Junru smiled for a while and she seemed delighted by s.h.i.+ao Chen getting away “in embarra.s.sment”.

“Let’s call it a day. I'm kind of tired. Brothers and sisters, please pardon me and leave me alone,” said Ji Yuewu insipidly with a cup of tea in hand. She seemed not in a good mood.

Duan Huaming and others knew her personality well enough. Hearing this, they just stood up and took leave.

After the three of them had walked far away enough, Ji Yuewu opened her hand and a round milk white Foundation Establishment Pill with a light halo lay on her palm. The corners of her mouth slid upwards, evolving into a breath-taking smile. She said to herself, “A middle-grade Foundation Establishment Pill. It seems that the three of them are really as blind as bats for they have failed to see any clue of this. s.h.i.+ao Chen, how many secrets have you kept from others? I’m really curious about that.”

“Oh, I’m really short of experience and not clam enough. I failed the test of life so easily!” While flying away, s.h.i.+ao Chen sighed with a regretful look. Giving Ji Yuewu a middle-grade Foundation Establishment Pill undoubtedly let out too much information. If she wanted to dig into it, the secrets s.h.i.+ao Chen made so many efforts to hide would probably be discovered. And if the news spread out, the consequences were unthinkable.

“Forget it. Weal and woe have already been destined; what's done can't be undone, so it is no use regretting now. If the information gives away, then it means I have trusted the wrong person and the worst scenario is that I have to leave this place. But I don’t believe Ji Yuewu is such kind of person!” s.h.i.+ao Chen changed into a firm look, sped up and went directly to Elixir Valley.

“Emm?” s.h.i.+ao Chen frowned slightly, pretended that he didn’t notice the two shadows coming near him and kept flying forward.

“s.h.i.+ao Chen, stop!” Two domineering voices came from behind him.

s.h.i.+ao Chen turned around expressionlessly only to find Duan Huaming and Li Yuedu were in a very threatening manner while Liu Junru behind them looked excited and kept glancing at s.h.i.+ao Chen with pity.

“Ho!” The three of them took back their light s.h.i.+eld at the same time and stood in his way.

s.h.i.+ao Chen frowned again, but still he landed on the ground and said modestly with hands cupped in front of him, “Brothers and sisters, What’s the matter?”

A feeling of disdainful welled up in Duan Huaming’s heart. What he hated most was s.h.i.+ao Chen’s calm and collected manner. A humble creature without spiritual root dared to pose a posture of talking to them as equals. How blind and reckless!

“I will come straight to the point. We do not have so much time to waste on you. s.h.i.+ao Chen, you’d better keep some distance with Sister Ji. She is extremely talented in cultivation and alchemy, and she’s even chosen to be a core disciple of Chief Master. She is so n.o.ble that she’s not someone an ordinary person without spiritual root like you could covet. If you still want to stay in Luoyun Valley comfortably, then you’d better do what I tell you. Otherwise, you know the consequences!”

Li Yuedu stood aside with a cold face. Although he didn’t say anything, his gaze was extremely cold whenever he looked at s.h.i.+ao Chen.

Liu Junru watched all of this with a meaningful smile, seemingly amused.

“I’m a nominal disciple of the master, but we are equals. Since I’m not your servant or slavery, on what basis do you give this order? There is someone coveting Sister Ji, but I’m afraid it’s not me.” s.h.i.+ao Chen smiled coldly. At this time, with the help of the gold seal, his cultivation surged up to the fifteen level of Qi Refining shortly. He could kill Duan Huaming with just one hand and that was where his confidence came from.