The morning sun rose, reviving all things.
Early in the morning, Chen Pingping began herding cattle.
On the hillside, there was a person, a cow, and a dog...
The person was chattering, the cow was rolling its eyes, and the dog was BARKING; the scene was very harmonious.
"When do you think Master will return?" Chen Pingping muttered. "With such poor aptitude, can Little Junior Sister rank in the top ten in the new disciples' competition six months from now?"
With poor aptitude, there's still Senior Brother, and if all else fails, there's also Master.
That was something one could say in front of others. But when trouble truly loomed, Chen Pingping couldn't help but worry.
If she didn't place in the top ten of the new disciples' competition, Qingfeng would be forced to merge. If Master were here, he wouldn't be so troubled, but now...
Isn't there a saying? The eldest brother is like a father. PAH... It's that Senior Brother is like Master.
System notification: Having raised cattle for 1,000 days, you've gained twenty years' worth of cultivation, the base sword skill has reached Perfection, Comprehension increased by 30 points, and you're rewarded with twenty third-tier Spiritual Medicines.
System notification: Herding level has increased to level 3.
BANG!
Under the sunlight, a Sword Dao intent surged from within Chen Pingping.
This scene was caught by Guang Xiaoyu, who happened to walk by. She paused, surprised in her heart. What's going on? Was that Sword Dao intent just now?
As a Demon Emperor and a genius in Sword Dao, it wasn't hard for her to catch the fluctuations Chen Pingping emitted just then.
It was indeed Sword Dao intent. But wasn't he just a dispirited mortal?
Guang Xiaoyu's brows knitted tightly.
The next moment, the Sword Dao intent dissipated.
An illusion. It must be an illusion.
Guang Xiaoyu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. A Demon Emperor, how could she possibly misjudge a person!
Chen Pingping, hearing the footsteps behind him, turned around. "Ah! It's Junior Sister! Did you sleep well last night?"
"Thanks for your concern, Senior Brother. I slept quite well," Guang Xiaoyu said.
"That's good, that's good."
"Why is Senior Brother so kind to me?" Guang Xiaoyu suddenly asked.
Ah! This? Chen Pingping thought for a moment. As Senior Brother, isn't it natural to be good to Junior Sister?
Damn this inexplicable feeling of being touched. He's just a dispirited mortal, and I, Guang Xiaoyu, am a Demon Emperor! I must remain composed, Guang Xiaoyu thought.
Guang Xiaoyu asked, "When will Master return?"
"Do you need something?" Chen Pingping wondered.
"I want to undergo Body Refining," Guang Xiaoyu said helplessly.
She was still young; her Dantian had just opened, and she had not yet started cultivating. Thus, she didn't have the ability to refine her body by herself. Well... how to put it, she needed someone to watch over her.
This was the consequence of having poor aptitude.
I see! Chen Pingping had an epiphany. "Senior Brother will get it ready."
What? Guang Xiaoyu was stunned. Does he even understand the meaning of "Body Refining"? He definitely doesn't. What... is he going to do?
"Junior Sister, why are you still standing there? Let's go!" Chen Pingping called out.
MOO!
Lao Huang the cow mooed softly, its eyes full of contentment. Finally, they're leaving, it was probably thinking.
Guang Xiaoyu glanced at it, surprised, and before she had time to take a closer look, Chen Pingping pulled her away.
Soon after, Chen Pingping took her to the back mountain. Here, there was a large medicinal field, densely packed with at least five hundred stalks of Spiritual Medicines, ranging from first-tier to fourth-tier.
Guang Xiaoyu was dumbfounded. It wasn't that she, the Demon Emperor, hadn't seen Spiritual Medicines before, but she had never seen so many growing on such a run-down hill.
Isn't this a bit too "lavish"?
"Flamegrass, hmm, one stalk. Two Snakeheart Fruits should be about right..." Chen Pingping selected them seriously.
Guang Xiaoyu finally snapped out of her daze. "Senior Brother, if Master finds out about this, will we get a beating?"
After all, she, the Demon Emperor, had not yet matured; it was better to keep a low profile, she thought.
Chen Pingping laughed. "Don't worry, I grew all these Spiritual Medicines myself."
All of them? He grew them? Guang Xiaoyu's eyes widened, almost bulging out.
It took an hour to pick more than thirty different types of Spiritual Medicines.
Chen Pingping said, "Your aptitude is poor. For your first Body Refining, just choose some Spiritual Medicines with milder properties. Alright, follow me."
My... aptitude isn't really that bad, Guang Xiaoyu thought, her face darkening as she wanted to retort.
However, she had to admit that the aptitude of the body she was reborn into was indeed a bit lacking.
Sigh! The mighty Demon Emperor, needing someone else's help for Body Refining.
He poured a bucket of water and threw in all the collected Spiritual Medicines. Rich Spirit Qi drifted in the air.
Guang Xiaoyu looked at the bucket, then at Chen Pingping, who showed no signs of leaving. She couldn't help but say, "Senior Brother?"
"Ah? I'm here."
"Could you... go outside?"
"Why should I go outside?" Chen Pingping asked, puzzled.
He... actually asked why? Are all mortals this foolish?
Guang Xiaoyu said helplessly, "I'm a girl."
"No worries, Senior Brother doesn't mind," Chen Pingping chuckled. "Rest assured!"
Mainly, he wanted to see. Three years ago, when he entered the Breaking Sun stage, he had directly skipped the Body Refining step, so he was quite curious about the details.
Guang Xiaoyu's brows furrowed tightly.
"Alright then!" Chen Pingping said, reluctant to leave.
After her exceptional Senior Brother left, Guang Xiaoyu stared at the bucket. Truth be told, after a hundred thousand years, she had forgotten how to perform Body Refining. Senior Brother had picked many Spiritual Medicines earlier, none of which she understood.
After being busy for nearly an hour to prepare just one bucket... Does Senior Brother actually know how to do Body Refining? she wondered, hesitating.
HISS!
The moment she stepped into the water, a scorching sensation assaulted her, as if she had jumped into a pit of fire. Guang Xiaoyu quickly circulated the Spirit Qi in her Dantian to absorb it.
But the medicinal properties were too intense, and the water in the bucket began to boil.
My goodness! Is this what they call mild? Guang Xiaoyu wanted to cry but had no tears.
About two minutes later, she couldn't bear it any longer. With a trembling voice, she called out, "Senior Brother!"
BANG!
The moment her words fell, Chen Pingping burst through the door. "How do you feel?"
"Awful."
"Where does it hurt?"
"Everywhere hurts." That feeling was beyond description. Her whole body felt like it was cracking, the burning sensation was intense, and her Dantian was trembling.
Guang Xiaoyu's consciousness grew increasingly blurry, as did her vision. Through the haze, all she could make out was Chen Pingping approaching.
Damn it! This Senior Brother is utterly unreliable.
"Is your aptitude really that bad? You can't even handle thirty-seven kinds of Spiritual Medicines?" Chen Pingping mused. "Master said she used over a hundred types of Spiritual Medicines when she underwent Body Refining! Could there be a mistake somewhere?" He scrutinized the situation back and forth, finally concluding, "I think I forgot to refine the medicinal properties for her."
Using Spiritual Medicines directly, as opposed to refining them for easier absorption, was an entirely different concept.
Luckily, Guang Xiaoyu had already fainted; otherwise, she might have spat out a mouthful of blood upon hearing this.
Chen Pingping immediately sat down cross-legged and pressed his hands against the bucket, refining her and the contents of the bucket together to help Guang Xiaoyu assimilate the medicinal properties.
「The next day.」
When Guang Xiaoyu awoke, the water in the bucket had dried up, leaving only a sticky liquid—the impurities expelled from her body. With a cry of alarm, she exclaimed, "Senior Brother, you... you... you... you!"
She was completely naked, and Chen Pingping was right there, guarding her side.
In such a situation, the once formidable Demon Emperor instantly thought of many possibilities.
Chen Pingping said sheepishly, "Senior Brother didn't expect that Body Refining required undressing. AHEM. But don't worry, Junior Sister, I definitely didn't peek. Really."