"You?"
When Li Qingdai heard this, she glanced at Yi Beidou and couldn't help but let out a laugh. "You're quite the joker."
Her expression then turned serious, and she continued, "But some things aren't to be joked about, or you might invite disaster. Do you understand? Those who have achieved Body Ascension are masters of great virtue, the pinnacle of human physical potential. Such figures are not to be disrespected or treated lightly."
"Alright."
Seeing that Li Qingdai didn't believe him even though he was telling the truth, Yi Beidou didn't say any more, having no intention of arguing with her.
'There's an old saying about having eyes but failing to recognize Tai Mountain, about not recognizing a true master standing right before you. This must be what that felt like.'
Li Qingdai had a generous personality and didn't hold Yi Beidou's inappropriate "joke" against him. After all, it was perfectly normal for a young man to want to show off his sense of humor to attract a beautiful woman's attention.
Next, Li Qingdai gave Yi Beidou an overview of the current state of the Cyan Wood Heart Intent Fist, naturally embellishing it with a bit of boasting. Yi Beidou, in turn, asked a few questions about the local situation at Cyan Wood Mountain to get a better sense of things.
"If you really want to learn the true skills of our Cyan Wood Heart Intent, you have to do it step by step. Those are the rules; I can't help you with that. You first have to go to the Qingmu Health and Fitness Center to make an appointment and register. They teach the Basic Pile Technique for free there. Someone will assess you every month, and only if you pass can you proceed to the next stage of cultivation."
"You have to pass three assessments. Once it's confirmed you have the necessary potential and the sect has run a background check on you, you'll be eligible to become a Registered Disciple. You seem a bit old, but your underlying aptitude feels decent, so becoming a Registered Disciple and learning some self-defense techniques shouldn't be a problem. As for whether you can become an official disciple, that will depend on your talent and opportunities. And just so you know, if you do manage to become an official disciple, it could change your life."
Li Qingdai explained.
As she spoke, a road sign for the Cyan Wood Mountain Nature Reserve came into view. A commercial area for tourist reception appeared in the distance, and it looked quite busy.
Cyan Wood Mountain, with its clear waters and lush scenery, was known as Han Province's natural "oxygen bar," a center for wellness and vacationing. The recreational facilities were comprehensive, and many well-off residents from nearby cities would bring their families here to vacation in their spare time.
"I'll get out here. I want to wander around a bit first."
Yi Beidou said.
"You're not coming with me? If you walk, the destination is still several kilometers away."
Li Qingdai said, a little surprised.
"No, I'll head over myself later. I just don't want to cause you any trouble."
Yi Beidou said with a smile.
'Li Qingdai was a good person. Not only did she give me a ride, but she also answered my questions. What I'm about to do will likely have negative repercussions. If she were to get involved, it might bring disaster upon her for no reason. That would be repaying her kindness with malice.'
"Alright, let's add each other on FeiXun. You can ask me if you have any questions. Here's my business card. You can show it to the person in charge when you go to register. Just say I recommended you, and it should save you some trouble."
Seeing Yi Beidou's firm attitude, Li Qingdai didn't insist.
Although she was a woman, she had the personality of a wandering knight-errant. Combined with her family's excellent financial situation, she enjoyed making friends, building good connections, and had a generous and straightforward nature.
"Hold on, my phone is off. Let me turn it on."
Yi Beidou didn't refuse. He took out his phone and turned it on. He'd kept it off to prevent Zhou Baiwei and the others from the Special Security Bureau from tracking his location and causing trouble. But now that he had reached his destination, it didn't matter anymore.
"You guided me and cleared up my confusion today; that's fate. If you run into trouble in the future, I can help you once,"
Yi Beidou said. He actually admired the woman's character. He acted as he pleased, following his whims without overthinking things.
"Haha, it's a deal, then."
Li Qingdai said, amused. She had no idea what that promise was truly worth.
The promise of an Immortal is a karmic fortune built over ages.
She just thought it was something Yi Beidou said to save face, and she went along with it so as not to embarrass him, not really taking it to heart.
She waved goodbye to Yi Beidou, rolled up the window of her sports car, and drove away.
Yi Beidou watched Li Qingdai leave. He didn't rush into action, but instead, like an ordinary tourist, leisurely observed the surrounding crowds and scenery.
「Wencheng.」
As soon as Yi Beidou's phone turned on, Zhou Baiwei and her team received the news.
"Captain Zhou, his phone just turned on. Our colleagues in the tech department just pinpointed his location. He's at Cyan Wood Mountain in Da Wu City."
"Cyan Wood Mountain? That's the territory of the Cyan Wood Heart Intent. That's a sect that once produced a Saint Expert of Body Ascension. Their current Sect Leader, Mu Huaidong, is a Soul Stealing master capable of Transforming Illusion into Reality. He's one of the top figures in all of Han Province. What is that guy doing there?"
Hearing this news and remembering he had said he wanted to learn martial arts, Zhou Baiwei was suddenly overcome with a bad feeling.
「Meanwhile.」
North of the Cyan Wood Mountain Nature Reserve, at the Qingmu Health and Fitness Center.
This was an extremely comprehensive sports center, with professional courts and coaches for various sports including badminton, tennis, swimming, and boxing. It also had a team of professional nutritionists to create customized meal and exercise plans for its members. There was even a large shooting range, which spoke to the influence of the owner.
Many people were coming and going from the Qingmu Health and Fitness Center at this time. They were impeccably dressed and had an extraordinary air about them, chatting and laughing. The parking lot was filled with luxury cars.
The center operated on a membership basis with a hefty annual fee, so its members were essentially the rich and powerful. It had become one of the gathering spots for socialites from the surrounding cities.
Today's upper class values the enjoyment of life and pays close attention to their health. They sought to surpass ordinary people not only in wealth and power but also in physical fitness. A place like this, which offered the "real deal," was naturally highly sought after.
This was an enterprise under the Qingmu Group, which was controlled by the Cyan Wood Heart Intent Sect. The scale and influence of the Qingmu Group surpassed that of the Xu Family in Wencheng, with interests in multiple industries including health, pharmaceuticals, real estate, and security.
The Xu Family was only influential within Wencheng's borders, whereas the Qingmu Group had considerable influence throughout Han Province. They weren't in the same league.
Li Qingdai parked her car in the lot and headed toward a specific area of the sports center. This was a private area for the sect's core disciples, which not even members were qualified to enter.
On the way, Li Qingdai ran into a large man wearing a cyan Martial Arts Uniform, who spoke to her with a hint of reproach.
"Junior Sister, why are you so late? The people from the other two sects have already arrived. Master and Eldest Brother are receiving them in the reception room. They'll be heading to the training hall soon, so you should hurry up, change into your Martial Arts Uniform, and join the other disciples."
"My apologies, Brother Gao. Something came up at home, so I'm late."
Li Qingdai gave an apologetic smile and immediately headed for the changing room.
'Today is a big day. The other two major sects from Han Province have come to visit for an exchange. There will be a sparring session later, which promises to be quite a spectacle.'
'If Eldest Brother is fighting, he'll definitely suppress the disciples from the other two sects and uphold the honor of our Cyan Wood Heart Intent, right?'
「At the same time.」
Yi Beidou wandered around the foot of Cyan Wood Mountain for about half an hour, taking in the local scenery and culture, trying some specialty snacks, and enjoying a very leisurely time.
"It's about time."
He used his Celestial Demon Sensing to determine the direction, then leisurely strolled toward where his intuition pointed.
Before long, Yi Beidou was standing in front of the main entrance of the Qingmu Health and Fitness Center. He strode inside.
As he entered the lobby, a young female receptionist immediately approached, a polite smile on her face as she inquired.
"Excuse me, sir. This is a members-only facility, so you can't just enter as you please. Do you have a membership card?"
"I don't."
Yi Beidou answered truthfully.
Hearing that Yi Beidou was not a member, the young receptionist's smile remained polite as she explained, "If you'd like to sign up for a membership, please follow me to the reception lounge, and I can explain the details. Of course, aside from memberships, we also offer a free trial experience of the Cyan Wood Fist Technique, but you'll need to make an appointment first."
"I'm not signing up for a card, and I'm not joining. No need to trouble yourself. You can just consider me here to challenge the school. You can call security or whoever else and have them try to subdue me. If anyone can actually manage it, I'll be very pleased."