104: Reencounter with Gu Yingying

After Lu Yang put away the Jade Slip.

Having achieved his goal for this trip, his heart surged with excitement. He only wanted to return to his Immortal Cave immediately to contemplate this perfectly suited secret technique and resolve the "lack of energy" predicament as soon as possible.

He turned around, his steps light yet firm, walking toward the Elder guarding the entrance to register his loan.

The first floor of the Scripture Pavilion was vast, with bookshelves standing like a labyrinth.

Lu Yang walked through the aisles formed by the tall ebony bookshelves, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over a relatively quiet corner where basic Cultivation Techniques and miscellaneous treatises were kept.

Just as he was about to pass this area, a profile suddenly caught his eye.

The figure was slender, wearing the somewhat faded white robes of an ordinary Outer Sect Disciple. She was slightly bowing her head, leaning against a row of bookshelves, intently studying a Jade Slip held in her hands.

Light filtered down diagonally from the high Glazed Windows, casting a soft halo over her, which only served to emphasize the slight thinness and loneliness of her silhouette.

Despite it being only a profile and despite her wearing the most ordinary attire, Lu Yang recognized her at a glance.

Gu Yingying!

Lu Yang's footsteps faltered almost subconsciously. He was somewhat surprised to meet her here.

As a Disciple of the Formation Hall, why would Gu Yingying appear here?

Seeing Gu Yingying's familiar figure, Lu Yang suddenly recalled the frustrating experience in the Outer Sect where she had used a Formation to forcibly restrain him, taking everything she wanted from him.

It truly was a small world.

The Scripture Pavilion was as vast as a sea; how did he happen to run into this She-devil?

Lu Yang instinctively wanted to take a detour.

The lesson from last time was still vivid in his mind. Gu Yingying seemed charming but was actually as cunning as a fox with endless tricks. Having just obtained an important Cultivation Technique, he really didn't want any further complications.

However, just as he was about to quietly retreat, Gu Yingying seemed to sense the gaze behind her.

She turned around abruptly. On her still beautiful face, those almond eyes that always sparkled with cunning now held a hint of displeasure and alertness at being disturbed, locking onto Lu Yang with precision.

Their eyes met!

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

The displeasure in Gu Yingying's eyes was quickly replaced by surprise after recognizing Lu Yang.

Then, that familiar light, tinged with playfulness and calculation, reignited in the depths of her eyes like a fox seeing a fat sheep.

The corners of her lips curled up into an almost imperceptible arc.

"Oh—" A voice with a long-drawn-out tail and a clear tone of mockery broke the silence. "I was wondering who was sneaking around watching from behind. So it's Ju-nior Bro-ther Lu?"

Gu Yingying's gaze locked onto Lu Yang without reservation. Her red lips moved slightly as she sent a Voice Transmission, enunciating every word, making the title "Junior Brother" sound particularly meaningful.

"How is it that after entering the Inner Sect, you didn't even come to the Formation Hall to greet your Senior Sister?"

Her gaze lingered on Lu Yang's features, which were clearly more handsome and profound than before. Her Voice Transmission carried a deliberate sense of surprise:

"Tsk tsk, after Foundation Establishment, your looks have become quite handsome. I almost didn't recognize you just now! This change... is truly huge!"

Gu Yingying's Voice Transmission entered his ears.

One did not dare to make loud noises in the Scripture Pavilion.

Lu Yang's eyes were cold. He responded with a Voice Transmission as well, his voice like tempered ice, devoid of any warmth:

"Senior Sister Gu." He addressed her very stiffly. "The matter of that day was settled long ago. What sentiment is there left between us?"

Lu Yang's words were blunt, essentially asking who she thought she was and why he should bother greeting her.

Gu Yingying was choked by Lu Yang's tone.

This blunt retort was like an invisible slap, harshly striking Gu Yingying's face! The fox-like cunning smile on her face froze instantly, and the playfulness in her eyes was replaced by shock and a hint of unbelievable indignation.

She had never expected that this little Cultivator, who once had almost no power to resist before her and was "taken for everything" by her, would dare to talk back to her so firmly after breaking through to Foundation Establishment!

She took a deep breath, the anger in her eyes turning into deeper sarcasm. A sharper Voice Transmission, carrying a naked threat, stabbed toward Lu Yang:

"Heh! It seems the Foundation Establishment Realm has indeed given Junior Brother Lu quite a bit of courage!"

Gu Yingying narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze like needles. "What, after not seeing each other for just a few days, you've forgotten the taste of being... meticulously taught and harvested by your Senior Sister??"

"That feeling of ecstasy, forgotten so quickly?"

Gu Yingying deliberately emphasized the words "meticulously taught" and "ecstasy," filling them with humiliation and provocation.

In her subconscious, even if Lu Yang broke through to Foundation Establishment, he was still that Junior Brother she could manipulate at will.

Hearing this, Lu Yang didn't show the panic or shame she expected. Instead, the corners of his mouth also curled into an extremely cold, even somewhat mocking arc.

He also responded with a Voice Transmission. His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear, carrying an unprecedented level of confidence:

"Senior Sister Gu's 'teaching,' I, Lu, naturally keep it close to my heart."

He paused slightly, his gaze sharp as a blade, looking directly into Gu Yingying's provocative eyes. His Voice Transmission was calm but contained powerful self-assurance:

"However... if Senior Sister still wants to easily restrain me with a Formation until I have no power to resist like last time... I'm afraid it won't be that easy anymore."

The sarcasm on Gu Yingying's face froze completely, replaced by an indignation at having her authority offended.

She understood the subtext in Lu Yang's words perfectly.

This kid's strength had not only improved, but his courage had grown so much that he dared to look down on her, his Senior Sister!

"It seems after Foundation Establishment, his wings have truly grown strong..."

Gu Yingying's heart was filled with shock and anger as her thoughts raced. "Could he have climbed onto some powerful mountain gate and gained a backing?"

Thinking of this, a hint of wariness quietly emerged.

However, Lu Yang's talent in Alchemy, which she coveted, was like an alluring bait, making her suppress the urge to immediately have a falling out.

"Forget it, there's plenty of time. This grudge... I'll settle it later!"

Gu Yingying forcibly suppressed her surging anger, her chest heaving slightly.

She forced a few bits of fake smiles onto her stiff, angry face. Sending a Voice Transmission, her voice carried a deliberately feigned calmness, even a somewhat distorted "kindness":

"Heh, Junior Brother Lu is joking. I was merely concerned about you." She quickly changed the subject, her gaze searching as it swept over Lu Yang. "As for you, Junior Brother, how do you have the leisure to come to the Scripture Pavilion today?"

"Could it be that you've also found some exquisite secret technique?"

Lu Yang's eyes were indifferent as he responded succinctly via Voice Transmission: "No comment."

Those four words blocked Gu Yingying's path to further inquiry.

The fake smile on Gu Yingying's face could hardly be maintained as she ground her teeth.

She took several deep breaths before she managed to maintain a steady voice, but her Voice Transmission already carried a hint of uncontrollable bitterness:

"Oh? It seems what Junior Brother found is just some mediocre, easily obtainable thing?"

Before her voice had even faded, Lu Yang's gaze fell on the Jade Slip she was clutching tightly, its spiritual light appearing somewhat obscure.

The corner of his mouth twitched imperceptibly as he asked via Voice Transmission:

"Oh? From what Senior Sister says, the secret technique in your hand is very special?" He paused slightly, turning his gaze to the other Jade Slips arranged around them, and continued, "But isn't it also placed on the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion?"

These words were like a cold stone, heavily striking Gu Yingying's heart.

Gu Yingying was first stunned, then a complex light flashed in her eyes—there was anger at her secret technique being looked down upon, a hint of embarrassment from having her sore spot touched, but more than anything, a pathological desire to show off.

She immediately held up the Jade Slip as if to prove something, her Voice Transmission's tone rising a few notches, carrying a deliberate boastfulness:

"Humph! Junior Brother Lu, look closely!"