Hearing her sister’s assurance and knowing she never let her down, Yan Qi simply said, “I know you won’t.”
After a brief pause, Yan Qi urged her sister on. “Alright, that’s enough talk. Yan Yu, you should start practicing now.”
“Okay, I understand,” Yan Yu replied with a nod, having already received the complete cultivation technique.
She soon found a relatively clean patch of grass nearby, sat down cross-legged, and began practicing according to the method recorded in her mind.
Before long, under Yan Qi’s careful guidance, Yan Yu quickly grasped the fundamentals of the cultivation technique and officially became a Qi Refiner, just like Yan Qi and Ma Fangfang.
“Did… did I really succeed?” Yan Yu murmured, feeling the spiritual energy flowing through her meridians yet scarcely able to believe she had mastered the technique so quickly and become a Qi Refiner.
Hearing the self-doubt in her sister’s voice, Yan Qi, as both her younger sister and her guide on this path, offered a faint, reassuring smile. “Yan Yu, congratulations on successfully becoming a Qi Refiner. Once you make significant progress in your cultivation, you’ll be able to use supernatural powers not derived from the Abyss, just like me and the other organization members.”
Hearing this confirmation, Yan Yu stopped doubting herself, though a sense of unreality lingered. “It feels too easy, becoming a Qi Refiner just like that. It’s so simple it feels like I’m dreaming.”
“Yan Yu, you’re not dreaming. This is real,” Yan Qi told her sister firmly. Feeling her task was complete, she thought it was time to head home. “Alright, Yan Yu, it’s very late now. I should be going. You should head back to your dorm too.”
Hearing that Yan Qi was leaving, Yan Yu, who had just snapped out of her reverie, noticed the late hour and didn’t question it. She looked up and said, “Okay, Daoyan, I understand. Let’s meet again when we have the chance.”
“Yes, let’s meet another time. Oh, before I go, there’s one thing I wanted to ask you.” Just as she was about to leave, Yan Qi remembered something and paused, turning back to face Yan Yu.
Yan Yu was momentarily taken aback. “What did you want to ask me, Daoyan?”
Thinking that not addressing this might raise suspicions later, Yan Qi, after a moment’s consideration, asked, “Last night, when your parents called you… I wanted to ask what their attitude is about you becoming a superhuman and a member of the organization.”
“They didn’t really have much of a reaction; they just chatted with me on the phone like they always do. However, right before hanging up, they specifically told me to be extremely careful when dealing with anything related to superhuman affairs from now on.”
“Is that all?” Yan Qi pressed.
“That’s all,” Yan Yu answered very seriously, thinking back to confirm that was indeed all her parents had said on the matter.
Hearing her sister’s definite reply and knowing she was not one to lie to her, Yan Qi simply nodded. “Thank you for answering. Well, I really am leaving now.”
“Take care, Daoyan. I won’t see you out,” Yan Yu said.
With that, Yan Qi took a step, intending to leave. But at that very moment, an Abyssal aura suddenly emanated from the depths of the back hill, causing Yan Qi, who sensed its presence, to freeze in her tracks.
“This aura… it’s being released by an Abyssal Beast. But why would there be an Abyssal Beast here at Ninghang University?”
“Daoyan, do you feel that too? That strange, very uncomfortable aura?” Yan Yu, having just become a Qi Refiner and gained some sensory ability, also detected the unsettling presence. She quickly stood up from the grass, ran to Yan Qi’s side, and asked.
“I’ve sensed it. It seems there’s an Abyssal Beast lurking in your university’s back hill,” Yan Qi confirmed.
“An Abyssal Beast? No wonder the aura felt somewhat familiar. So it’s from an Abyssal Beast. But why would one be here in the back hill of Ninghang University? And how has it stayed hidden until today, when both you and I detected it?”
Yan Qi thought carefully before responding, “I can’t answer that question. But one thing I’m sure of is that if we let this Abyssal Beast roam free here, it’s bound to cause major trouble in the future.”
Hearing this and sensing Yan Qi’s intent, Yan Yu looked at her and asked, “Daoyan, from the sound of it, are you planning to personally deal with this Abyssal Beast?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I intend to do,” Yan Qi replied.
Upon hearing this, Yan Yu thought for a moment and then asked, “Daoyan, can I come with you?”
Knowing her sister possessed the combat power of a peak three-star superhuman when transformed into the Bloodthirsty Empress, Yan Qi turned to her and answered, “Since you want to come with me so much, then follow along.”
“Thank you.”
“There’s no need to thank me. After all, we’re both members of the Free Life Association.” And we’re sisters born to the same parents, Yan Qi added silently in her heart as she looked at her sister.
Having said that, Yan Qi abandoned her original plan to leave Ninghang University. Instead, she took her sister and, following the trail of the aura, flew towards the location of the Abyssal Beast hiding in the back hill.
Just as Yan Qi and Yan Yu were rapidly approaching the Abyssal Beast’s location from the air…
A young female university student was desperately running down the path of the not-very-tall hill, acting as if she had seen a ghost.
Even though her clothes were being torn into rags by the dense branches on the hill, the student still didn’t dare to stop. She prayed incessantly in her heart: ‘Help! Someone please help me! I’d be willing to do anything if someone would just save me!’