Time passed swiftly, and soon, another five years had gone by.
"Senior Brother Fan, the Immortal Path is bitterly cold, and the great way is arduous. Why don't you and I support each other and seek warmth together?"
The young girl blocked Fan Wubing's path.
Fan Wubing looked up and down at the girl for a while.
Her long hair flowed like a waterfall, her eyebrows were like delicate smoke, her green eyes carried a hint of shyness. Dressed in a dark green dress that moved with the wind, her ten fingers had nowhere to rest and twirled at her waist. She was pure and otherworldly, her beauty captivating, looking about thirteen or fourteen years old, her figure just starting to develop, graceful and charming.
Fan Wubing thought for a moment and said uncertainly:
"Junior Sister Zhaorong..."
The girl's eyes widened instantly, with a look of surprise and bewilderment almost reaching Fan Wubing's face.
"Senior Brother, my name is Luo Qingyao. We've seen each other every day this month..."
The wind scattered the fallen leaves...
Fan Wubing recalled that this year's enrollment list indeed seemed to have someone named "Luo Qingyao." He forced a smile,
"Sorry, Junior Sister Qingyao..."
Fan Wubing felt he couldn't be blamed; he was just too busy. His day's schedule was almost timed to each breath, where would he have time to care about what the new students' names were.
"Junior Sister Qingyao, if there's nothing else, I'll be off to my tasks first."
To ease the awkwardness of mistaking her identity, Fan Wubing quickly walked away. Besides, he truly was very busy.
Luo Qingyao stood there stiffly in a daze, still heartbroken over Senior Brother Fan Wubing calling her by the wrong name.
But soon, she regained her composure, promptly activated her Dantian, circulated her Spiritual Qi, and quickly blocked Fan Wubing's way once more.
"Wait, Senior Brother Fan, can you hear me out?"
Fan Wubing checked the position of the sun meticulously and then said seriously:
"You have sixty breaths of time."
Luo Qingyao, who had a poor sense of time, became nervous upon hearing Fan Wubing give her a time limit. The lines she had prepared stuck in her throat, her face turning red, even the roots of her ears turned crimson. She stammered:
"Senior Brother Fan Wubing, on my first day at the Eternal Immortal Sect, I mistakenly entered Enlightenment Peak and saw you standing in the moonlit waterfall. The moonlight draped over you, the night breeze caressing your clothes, your figure like a banished immortal. As I passed by, you raised your head and looked at me intently, your eyes like stars; I felt that one glance was an eternity..."
Luo Qingyao was enchanted by that evening,
"I heard that Senior Brother has been in the sect for ten years, yet you've never partnered with anyone, always alone. So I thought... why not partner up and dispel the loneliness of the Immortal Path, progressing together."
Fan Wubing looked at this earnest yet slightly starry-eyed girl and immediately furrowed his brows.
Partner?
Partnering would mean setting aside time for dates every day, which would eat into his already limited time. He was in a race against time, pressing on every second, trying to survive past the looming threat of Ying Huo at his fifteenth birthday. How could he indulge in such petty affairs!
So, he sternly said:
"I'm sorry, Junior Sister, but my heart is set on the Dao, and I have no intention of dating for the time being."
"Tang... Lian... Ai?"
Although Luo Qingyao didn't understand what "dating" meant, from Fan Wubing's tone and context, she deduced he was rejecting her.
She was briefly disappointed but quickly perked up again, her face full of hope as she said:
"It's okay; I know my impulsive approach might not have left a good first impression on Senior Brother. But please trust me, I'm not that kind of girl. The women in my family only partner with one person for life. We can get to know each other first, interact more, and I promise I won't let you down."
Luo Qingyao was very confident; with the 'Eighteen Moves to Handle Men' her mother taught her, as long as Senior Brother gives her a chance, she was sure to win his heart!
Seeing Luo Qingyao's confident and earnest expression, Fan Wubing knew that if he didn't reject her more decisively, she would certainly keep pestering him.
He nodded and said:
"Junior Sister, I understand your feelings. But I'm sorry, you are not my type. We shouldn't delay each other; in the Eternal Immortal Sect, the male-to-female ratio is fifty-fifty. With your looks, finding a partner should be easy."
Having said that, he sidestepped, intending to bypass her.
Having been repeatedly rejected, with even her stance being so humble, Luo Qingyao felt aggrieved, although it didn't show on her face. She lightly bit her lip, her gaze like rippling waves beneath the night moon.
"What kind of person does Senior Brother like? I can strive to be that. I'm not joking, my mom said 'On the path of the great way, everything depends on a single thought. Becoming an immortal or a demon, or wasting one's life, all boils down to one glance.' I believe that glance happened that night."
Fan Wubing sighed,
"Junior Sister, I really don't want to hurt your feelings. But, I'm not fond of people, to be precise, anything that resembles a human won't do."
Luo Qingyao was suddenly frozen,
"Could it be that Senior Brother you!"
"That's right, that's exactly what I like!"
Luo Qingyao was struck as if by lightning, standing in place as if her soul had left her.
Fan Wubing smirked, just a little kid of thirteen or fourteen.
Then, he bypassed Luo Qingyao and walked away briskly.
After walking no more than a few dozen steps, he suddenly heard Luo Qingyao's desperate shout from behind:
"Senior Brother, what kind do you like, dog, cat, mouse, fox, snake, zombie! I can change! I can change!"
Fan Wubing nearly tripped over himself, sprinting away as fast as possible.
Have mercy on me, I just want to find a way to survive in peace!
...
The evening sun brought the night hues.
At the peak of Enlightenment, beneath an ancient pine beside the mountain gate. Fan Wubing sat with eyes closed, feeling as if there was a ravine in his chest, which contained a breath of life. He guided a strand of Qi through his internal organs and the meridians throughout his body.
This process was time-consuming and demanded patience.
But if there was one thing Fan Wubing was not short of, it was patience. Year after year, day after day, like an ascetic monk, either meditating in front of the Enlightenment Stele, indulging in that 0.1 life value, or guiding the Qi, cultivating the Unwarranted Qi Creation Skill.
In his spare time, he would tend to the inside and outside of Enlightenment Peak, pulling weeds, and picking up discards. Bit by bit, he transformed the once desolate Enlightenment Peak into the refreshing state it was today.
After half an hour, as the evening sun sank behind the peaks, a notification appeared,
["Unwarranted Qi Creation Skill" training progress +1%, current progress 100%, has reached perfection, can be used as passive talent]
Fan Wubing was delighted and immediately set it as a passive talent. Then he looked at his panel,
[Fan Wubing]
[Age: 14]
[Life: 342/342]
[Cultivation: None]
[Physique: Heavenly Crippling Body
Characteristics: Every five years suffers Ying Huo's devouring, deducting 99.99% of the maximum life limit]
[Talent: Fate Not to Perish
Characteristics: Life value has no upper limit, but cannot grow naturally]
[Talent: Unwarranted Qi Creation Skill
Characteristics: Restores 0.1% life value per second]
It worked!
Fan Wubing let out a long breath, standing under the ancient pine, shouting towards the distant mountains,
"Ah——"
The sound was loud, the momentum was overwhelming, dispelling years of suppression and gloom.
Because of practicing inner strength, his stamina was very robust. Although he hadn't stepped into the true path of immortality yet, he no longer had to constantly worry about dying suddenly.
With the Unwarranted Qi Creation Skill, he only needed to worry about Ying Huo's devouring once every five years.
"This should be considered on the right track. It's impossible to just struggle for survival; I still have to utilize the 'Fate Not to Perish' talent."
In "Immortal Path," life value was actually the least useful attribute. In the era of numerical speed runs, players pursued extreme damage and big numbers in battles, so even if there were many items that converted life into combat power, their cost-effectiveness was far less than simply stacking attacks, so they were generally classified as "tasteless."
But it was different for Fan Wubing. What does limitless life value mean? If there are items that convert life into combat power, it equates to limitless combat power!
Just thinking about those top-notch items made him swallow his saliva.
At this moment, there was a rustling sound from the nearby grass. He looked over to see a rabbit.
"A rabbit?!"
Fan Wubing was very surprised. Because of Senior Sister Fu Ming, ordinary creatures didn't dare to approach Enlightenment Peak.
How could there be a rabbit here?
Fan Wubing cautiously approached, observed for a while, and after not finding anything strange, gently picked up the rabbit.
The rabbit didn't struggle or resist, very calm, its red eyes staring at him.
Fan Wubing muttered,
"This clean, it's probably someone's pet. Forget it, I'll put you back where you belong. However you came, that's how you'll go back."
Just then, a familiar voice sounded again,
"Senior Brother Fan!"
Fan Wubing suddenly felt guilty like a thief, hid the rabbit behind him, and looked over,
"Junior Sister Luo, what brings you here?"
Luo Qingyao took a deep breath, patted her face, encouraged herself, then showed a beautiful smile, and said,
"Senior Brother Fan, you are so resilient, practicing every day under the ancient pine and in Little Moonfall, unshaken by thunder, unfazed by any storm. Such character and attitude are exactly why I have faith in you. Think about it, how could someone so upright like inhuman things? So!"
Goodness, you've been following me every day!
Fan Wubing swallowed his saliva,
"So?"
Luo Qingyao's eyes sparkled with wisdom. She put her hands on her hips with a "I've seen through you!" look,
"So, you made up this excuse just to reject me. Senior Brother, I know it's hard to accept when someone suddenly says such things. But give me a chance, I will let you know that I, Luo Qingyao, am an outstanding person, worthy of you!"
Just as Fan Wubing was about to speak, the rabbit in his hands suddenly struggled violently.
It didn't hop away but jumped onto Fan Wubing's shoulder, then rubbed against his face right in front of Luo Qingyao.
Face, stiffened,
Heart, panicked,
Mind, blank.
"Ah! Senior Brother, you meant it! And a rabbit at that! You are so big, it's so small, how could you! Humans shouldn't, or at least shouldn't do that!"
Luo Qingyao's voice was in despair, and she turned and left crying.
"Waa waa waa——"
The cries echoed between the cliffs.
This... is a big misunderstanding.
Fan Wubing thought, oh well, let it be a misunderstanding; at least now she should give up.
He wanted to look for the rabbit, but after searching around, it was nowhere to be found.
In the distance, at the Eternal Immortal Peak where the Sect Leader of Eternal Immortal Sect was, a girl doing her tasks suddenly laughed softly.
The Sect Leader in front, meditating, opened his eyes and asked,
"Manman, what's wrong?"
The young girl sat upright,
"Nothing."