One of my fairy-like friends

Elder Li of the Ming Shi Tang at the foot of the mountain frowned slightly, quite worried. Ming Yan had lingered outside for far too long. He should have only been active on the outskirts of Dragon Ridge. Having witnessed such a shocking phenomenon, he should have returned long ago. But several hours had passed, and it was getting late, yet he still hadn't returned...

The elders were well aware of Mingyan's talent. Even though he was older than usual to begin his cultivation journey, his future achievements were immeasurable. He was a talent highly valued by the sect leader, and they couldn't afford to let anything happen to him. Elder Li hesitated for a moment before deciding to go out and find Mingyan himself. Just as he was about to set off, he discovered that Mingyan had appeared at the entrance of the blessed land.

"Mingyan." Elder Li breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Mingyan return, but then he noticed the woman on his back. He first showed some confusion, and then his expression changed slightly.

"Elder Li, I'm back." Ming Yan greeted Elder Li, who was standing at the sect gate, carrying the woman in red on his back. "I found this woman outside. She was injured and unconscious. I thought I couldn't just leave her to die, so I carried her back."

"Do you know her cultivation level?" Elder Li's expression turned serious, his face grave. "Her aura is too youthful; she's probably only a few years older than you, yet her cultivation has already reached the initial stage of the Qi Sea realm. Such a genius must have an extraordinary background. Bringing her back might be a blessing or a curse..."

"Qi Sea Realm?" Ming Yan was greatly surprised. Although he had expected that the other party's cultivation must be very profound, after all, he was not an ordinary person to survive being swept away by the dragon's tail. But he was only a few years older than himself and had already reached the Qi Sea Realm.

Based on the cultivation system that Mingyan has come into contact with, it can be roughly divided into two major realms, each of which has four minor realms.

The first major realm, "Guiding the Spring," means opening the connection between the body and nature, drawing in the spiritual energy existing in nature for one's own use. This major realm is divided into four minor realms: Gushing Spring, Accumulated Stream, Great Stream, and Illuminating Sea. The second major realm is "Transcending the Mortal Realm," meaning transcending the mortal world. It is divided into four minor realms: Yinling, Yangling, Qi Sea, and Divine Gate. Each minor realm is divided into two stages: initial stage and final stage.

Mingyan's master, Liu Yunfeng, is currently at the Qi Sea Full Stage, which means that the young woman behind him is only one stage behind her master.

"This is probably an important figure from some truly powerful clans or sacred cultivation grounds... Where exactly did you meet her?" Elder Li asked with a solemn expression.

Mingyan thought for a moment and then explained to Elder Li in detail what had happened.

"...This matter is of utmost importance. I must inform the Sect Master that you must remain where you are and not move," Elder Li said after a moment's thought. He then turned and vanished from Ming Yan's sight with a light touch of his toes...

Qi Sea Realm... She's only a few years older than me... But I'm a latecomer to cultivation myself, so I wonder if I could have reached the same level as her at her age if I had started cultivating from a young age?

Mingyan thought for a moment, then shook his head, saying that making this assumption was not very meaningful.

Mingyan waited at the door for a while, and Elder Li returned quickly. "Mingyan, take her to your own residence to recuperate. This is healing medicine given to me by the sect leader. Remember, don't let too many people know that she is with you."

Upon hearing this, Ming Yan frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "If it will cause trouble for the sect, perhaps I shouldn't meddle in this matter...?"

"Even the sect leader doesn't know her identity, but doing her a favor shouldn't be a big problem. This is with the sect leader's permission, so there's no need to worry." Elder Li shook his head and handed the healing medicine to Ming Yan. "Some complicated things have happened in Dragon Ridge, so don't go out for the time being."

"I understand." Mingyan nodded, carried the woman in red on his back, and found a secluded path to return to his residence.

The woman in red was still unconscious. Mingyan placed her on his bed and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with a towel...

Only then did he have the opportunity to observe the woman in red.

The woman in red was dressed in spotless clothes without a single tear. Considering Elder Li's description of her cultivation level... this red garment must be some kind of precious treasure.

The woman's skin was snow-white, which contrasted sharply with her bright red gauze dress. Her delicate eyebrows were as beautiful as distant green mountains, and there were three diamond-shaped marks between her eyebrows, which together looked like a bright red flower.

Looking closely at her face, one can only marvel at the woman's extraordinary beauty; she seemed to have stepped right out of a painting, almost as beautiful as her...

No, now is not the time to think about these things. Ming Yan shook his head and came back to his senses. He took out the healing medicine that Elder Li had given him, reached out and pinched the woman's chin, trying to make her open her mouth so that he could feed her the healing medicine.

But as soon as Mingyan pinched the woman's delicate cheek and fed her some medicine, the woman suddenly opened her eyes and her gaze immediately locked onto Mingyan.

The woman's gaze was initially somewhat confused, but she seemed to understand the situation. She immediately raised her hand to slap Mingyan's hand away, quickly sat up, spat out the healing medicine in her mouth, and then glared angrily at Mingyan, "What are you doing?!"

"You're awake? Fairy, I was so rude just now. What I gave you was healing medicine. You didn't need to spit it out; it was such a waste..." Mingyan looked at the healing medicine that the woman had spat out and felt a little regretful.

The woman in red glared at Ming Yan, scanned him up and down, then looked around and narrowed her eyes. "Where is this?"

"Fairy, this is my residence. I know you may be confused. Here's the thing..." Mingyan didn't waste any words. The other party was a cultivator at the Qi Sea Realm. Although he was injured, he felt that crushing him was no different than crushing an ant. It was better to explain things clearly as soon as possible.

"Rain Terrace Blessed Land?" Upon hearing this, the woman's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed. She stared at Ming Yan hesitantly for a moment, then seemed somewhat dizzy as she sat down on the edge of the bed...

"Fairy, are you alright?" Mingyan asked tentatively. "This is a healing medicine made by our own Rain Terrace Blessed Land, brewed with dragon blood flowers from Dragon Ridge. It's very helpful for recovery..."

"Dragon Blood Flower?" Upon hearing this, the woman glanced at the half-empty bottle of healing potion in Ming Yan's hand, hesitated for a moment, and then beckoned to Ming Yan, "Let me take a look."

Mingyan then handed the healing medicine to the woman. She smelled the medicine bottle and her slightly painful expression eased a little. She remained silent for a while, then drank the medicine in one gulp and put the bottle aside.

"Fairy, is there anything else you need?" Mingyan asked.

The woman shook her head, her beautiful eyes darting around as she stared at Mingyan for a moment. "What's your name?"

“Fairy, my name is Mingyan.” Mingyan said, “Fairy, please stay here and recover from your injuries. I won’t disturb you any longer.”

"Don't go yet." Seeing that Mingyan seemed about to leave, the woman called out to him, then asked, "Why did you bring me back?"

"Because I didn't know the fairy's cultivation level at first, I thought there would be some threat if I left the fairy lying there alone. Now it seems that I was meddling in other people's business..." Mingyan said somewhat embarrassedly.

Upon hearing this, the woman looked at Ming Yan with a slightly puzzled expression. "Do you know that this could cause trouble for you and your sect?"

“I know, and our sect leader knows about this too. He asked me to bring you here to recuperate. Please rest assured, no one else saw me when I brought you back. You can rest assured and recover here,” Mingyan said.

“...You’re so kind…” The woman was silent for a moment after hearing this before saying, “Thank you. My name is Huang Feiyan, Huang as in phoenix. I would like to meet your sect leader. Could you arrange it for me?”

"I understand. Fairy, please rest well. I'll go find the sect leader now." Ming Yan nodded, turned and left the room.

Chapter Three: She is Your Chance

The sect leader of Yutai Blessed Land is surnamed Xia and named Xia Yanming. His residence is located on several small islands floating atop Yutai Mountain, including the council hall.

Once a cultivator reaches the Qi Sea Realm, they can fly, but Mingyan is only a minor cultivator at the Accumulation Flow Realm, and can only ascend via the iron chains connecting the floating island and the mountaintop.

However, this was not the first time he had climbed these chains. Moreover, after becoming a cultivator, his body was more agile and coordinated, and he quickly climbed up the chains to the top of the floating island.

Sect Master Xia Yanming was still discussing matters with several elders when Mingyan asked a gatekeeper disciple to go up and inform them. Not long after, Sect Master Xia Yanming and Mingyan's master, Liu Yunfeng, came out of the council hall together.

Liu Yunfeng was a burly middle-aged man, while Xia Yanming looked much younger and had rather handsome features. He was the strongest person in Yutai Blessed Land, and it was said that his actual age was not much older than Liu Yunfeng's. He was a rare genius in the sect.

Upon seeing Ming Yan, Liu Yunfeng's expression visibly relaxed. "You're finally back..."

"Sect Master, Master." After bowing, Ming Yan looked at the gatekeeper disciple beside Xia Yanming, his expression hesitant. "Sect Master..."

Seeing this, Xia Yanming dismissed the gatekeeper and left temporarily. Mingyan then said, "Sect Master, the woman I brought back is named Huang Feiyan. She said she wants to see you."

Xia Yanming was slightly surprised to hear this. He thought for a moment and then nodded. "You go back first. I'll come over later. Remember, don't let anyone else know about this."

"Disciple understands." Mingyan nodded. To be honest, he was still a little uneasy. After all, the other party seemed to have a very terrifying identity, and he was worried about causing trouble for the sect.

Xia Yanming smiled slightly, stepped forward, and patted Mingyan on the shoulder. "I know you might feel pressured, wondering if this will cause trouble for the sect. But think about it, perhaps this is an opportunity for the sect? Or perhaps it's an opportunity for you?"

Liu Yunfeng, who was standing next to Xia Yanming, glanced at Ming Yan, seemingly wanting to say something but ultimately said nothing.

"I'll take you down. I'll come over later." Xia Yanming put his hand on Mingyan's shoulder, grabbed him, and jumped up, leaping off the floating island and landing lightly on the top of Yutai Mountain.

Xia Yanming released Ming Yan and said meaningfully, "Perhaps one day you will leave Yutai Blessed Land, but I hope you will not forget that this is where you stepped into the immortal realm. A person's life is long, and a cultivator's is even longer, but there are always some places worth remembering, right? Hehe."

Mingyan looked at Xia Yanming with some confusion. Although he did have some things to pursue, Mingyan didn't know why Xia Yanming said that. Did he know that he would leave this place sooner or later?

After Xia Yanming finished speaking, he patted Mingyan on the shoulder again, then leaped up and disappeared from Mingyan's sight.

Mingyan wondered if he had made it that obvious.

He shook his head and returned to his residence.

Huang Feiyan was sitting cross-legged on the bed with her eyes closed, seemingly meditating. Hearing footsteps, Huang Feiyan opened her eyes and saw Ming Yan.

"Fairy, the sect leader said he'll be here soon. Please wait a moment." Mingyan pulled up a stool next to him, sat down, and said.

Huang Feiyan nodded. Her pale lips had regained some color, and her overall complexion was much better than before.

"Fairy, the elders in our sect said that you have reached the Qi Sea Realm. Is that true?" Mingyan recalled that Elder Li had said that Huang Feiyan's cultivation was comparable to his master Liu Yunfeng, and that Huang Feiyan's age was not much older than his own. He couldn't help but be curious.

“...Hmm.” Huang Feiyan paused for a moment after hearing this before nodding.

"The fairy must be only a little older than me, that's amazing," Mingyan said sincerely.

Huang Feiyan shook her head. "I wouldn't say it's impressive."

Huang Feiyan could sense that Ming Yan's cultivation level was only at the Accumulation Flow Realm. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "How old are you this year?"

“I’m 16 this year, Fairy… Fairy Sister? You’re a bit older than me, so I think I should call you Sister?” Mingyan thought for a moment and asked tentatively.

Upon hearing this, Huang Feiyan's lips curled up slightly, and a faint smile appeared in her eyes. "Just call me that."

At 16 years old, and still only at the Accumulation Stream Mirror, this cultivation speed is too slow in Huang Feiyan's eyes... However, this is just a blessed land, and cannot be judged by her standards.

"How old is Fairy Sister this year?" Mingyan asked again.

"Is knowing a woman's age a secret?" Huang Feiyan raised her hand to cover her lips, smiling as she spoke.

Mingyan pursed his lips. "I'm sorry..."

"Hehe, but since you saved me, I can tell you that I'm two years older than you." Huang Feiyan lowered her hand, her eyes narrowed slightly, and the corners of her mouth turned up. Her smile had an indescribable charm. She looked really good when she smiled, probably because she had peach blossom eyes. When she smiled, her eyes looked like two crescent moons, which was refreshing to look at.

"So the fairy sister is only two years older than me?" Mingyan was somewhat surprised. "But her cultivation level is almost the same as my master's... truly amazing."

Huang Feiyan lowered her head, the smile on her face gradually fading. She remained silent for a while, then asked, "Ming...Yan? Ming Yan? What is your purpose in cultivating immortality?"

"Why did you cultivate immortality? I... I guess it's to catch up with someone." Ming Yan smiled a little embarrassedly. "A year ago, I was saved by a fairy. Since then, I've thought that I must repay her. But at that time, I was just an ordinary person. Even if I wanted to repay her, I was powerless. So I decided to start cultivating immortality. I want to catch up with her. That way, one day, I will definitely have the opportunity to repay her."

"Really? You only started cultivating immortality a year ago?" Huang Feiyan noticed the key information and looked up at Ming Yan with some surprise, then smiled slightly, "Your talent must be quite good."

Mingyan shook his head. "I was just lucky."

“There’s no need to be modest.” Although Huang Feiyan’s tone sounded slightly weak, she was in good spirits. She paused for a moment and said, “I’m also cultivating for someone… I want her to know that I haven’t let her down, that I haven’t disappointed her… That’s probably why I’m working so hard.”

"I see. Then I'm quite similar to Fairy Sister in some ways." Mingyan smiled.

"Yes, by the way, may I ask? What realm is the fairy you mentioned?" Huang Feiyan chuckled, thought for a moment, and then asked.

“I’m not really sure either. In fact, I don’t even know her name.” Mingyan scratched his head. “I only know that she’s probably very capable.”

Huang Feiyan was not surprised to hear this. Mingyan had just said that he was saved by someone. The person who saved him was not obligated to reveal his name and cultivation level, right?

“One day, you will find her, catch up with her, and fulfill this wish.” Huang Feiyan smiled slightly. “I hope we can both wait until that day when our wishes come true.”

"Thank you, Fairy Sister." Ming Yan was actually quite surprised. In his opinion, Huang Feiyan, with such a high level of cultivation, might be difficult for him to get along with. After all, the difference between the two was not only in cultivation level, but also in their perspectives, status, and experience. They were from two different worlds. However, Huang Feiyan's attitude was very gentle, which made him feel that the two of them were equals.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Mingyan?"

"Hmm? The sect leader has arrived?" Ming Yan quickly stood up, went over to open the door, and welcomed Xia Yanming in.

Xia Yanming looked at Huang Feiyan sitting by the window and raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Sect Leader Xia, we meet again." Huang Feiyan smiled faintly. "The last time was at the Huang family."

Xia Yanming's expression turned serious. "I didn't expect that the person Mingyan brought back would actually be Fairy Huang... How could Fairy Huang appear in Dragon Ridge?"

"It's a long story..." Huang Feiyan looked at Ming Yan, who understood the meaning behind her gaze. "Sect Master, I'm going to see Master."

Xia Yanming nodded, and Mingyan left his room to find Liu Yunfeng.

“Master.” Not long after Mingyan left his room, he encountered Liu Yunfeng, who seemed to be waiting for him there. Mingyan bowed slightly in greeting.

"You scared me to death! I thought something had happened to you." Liu Yunfeng sighed. "If I had sent you out to gather herbs and something had happened to you, Mengli would probably hate me for the rest of her life."

Speaking of Liu Mengli, Mingyan felt a slight headache coming on. "Speaking of which, I promised Mengli I'd go to the market with her this evening..."

"This is a sensitive time, so let's not go out," Liu Yunfeng shook his head. "I'll talk to Mengli about this..."