Chapter 48: Mysterious, Returning to the Shen Family, Exposing the Fake Daughter

Shen Qingli's first night at the Heavenly Star Sect was spent in cultivation.

The lodging the Heavenly Star Sect provided her was more suitable for cultivation than a space with time differences.

When Liu Meng came to call her for breakfast, she was still somewhat reluctant, but thinking of that food, she immediately rushed to the cafeteria.

"Junior Sister, have you decided which Elder to take as your master?" Liu Meng asked.

"Not assigned by the sect?" Shen Qingli countered, having heard the Sect Leader's intention to assign her one.

"No, it's up to you to decide." Liu Meng wondered, "Didn't your master and uncles ask you?"

"Ask what?" Shen Qingli didn't understand.

Liu Meng was greatly shocked, "You're so outstanding, they haven't expressed wanting to take you as a disciple?"

Shen Qingli shook her head, "No."

"How could that be?" Liu Meng anxiously said, "Wait, I'll go tell my master, then you and I will both take him as master!"

Shen Qingli didn't even get a chance to speak before Liu Meng disappeared; she wanted to ask more but couldn't.

Fortunately her father arrived, so she went up to him and repeated what Liu Meng had just said, "Dad, I'm a bit confused. Are the rules of the Azure Jade Sect really that different from other sects?"

"It's not that the Azure Jade Sect differs greatly from others; it's that the Heavenly Star Sect is off." Shen Kuo soothed, "Don't worry, I estimate your master, the Sect Leader, already has it figured out."

But in fact, Ji Wanxing had no idea!

"It's like this; we currently feel we aren't qualified to teach Xiao Qingli, so..."

Ji Wanxing was embarrassed; they brought back a disciple but couldn't pick a suitable master—how could it not be awkward?

Shen Kuo was speechless, "So A Li still has to cultivate on her own?"

"That's not the case either." Ji Wanxing explained, "We analyzed Xiao Qingli's situation last night; first let her enter the school.

Wait for her inheritance to settle, then make a trip to Star Phenomenon Mountain; if all goes well, after leaving the mountain her master will come."

"Her master?" Shen Kuo wondered, "Who is it?"

"Hard to say." Ji Wanxing also didn't know!

"We have to wait for the results from Star Phenomenon Mountain?" However, Ji Wanxing guessed it would be one of those few.

"Your sect is indeed mysterious." Since entering the Heavenly Star Sect, Shen Kuo also felt his knowledge lacking.

"It seems staying too long on the Xuanti Continent has left him ignorant; he needs to catch up, lest his daughter think he knows nothing—what good would he be then?"

"Also, after a while I need to bring A Li back home—no problem, right?" Shen Kuo asked again.

"Of course no problem, but it's best to wait until Xiao Qingli emerges from Star Phenomenon Mountain before returning." Ji Wanxing suggested.

Regarding Star Phenomenon Mountain, he added, "This mountain is special; our sect guards it here."

"Oh?" Shen Kuo was surprised, gaining more curiosity about the Star Phenomenon Mountain he hadn't seen yet.

Meanwhile, Shen Qingli, upon her first day at school, had already immersed herself in a whole new world of learning.

"Primordial Script originates from the Divine Script of Cangzu; it inherently contains divine power."

"Mr. Huayuan, you're wrong; you never told us this before."

"Shut up; if you don't listen to class, get out."

As soon as class began, Mr. Huayuan, who instantly shifted from a kind, wealthy elder to a strict old scholar, had a solemn expression and sharp eyes!

Liu Meng instantly dared not speak; the four sat upright, fully focused on the lecture, fearful of being expelled.

"Those without aptitude, upon viewing the text, feel dizzy and unable to discern." Mr. Huayuan lectured slowly, "Since you have all undergone Hongmeng Purple Qi Tempering Body, your minds should be enlightened. Come, read with me."

The four looked at the textbook; Liu Meng breathed a sigh of relief! This time she finally didn't feel dizzy—turns out her earlier drowsiness had a cause; she hadn't yet been enlightened.

"The first character, read: 'Great'."

Mr. Huayuan taught each character one by one; after one lesson, he had only taught eight characters.

Strung together, they actually form the introductory cultivation mind classic—the Classic of Constant Purity and Stillness.

"The Great Dao is formless, giving birth to heaven and earth."

Shen Qingli looked at those eight characters, only feeling they were strange—they moved!

And before recognizing them, she couldn't see them move!

Of course, these eight characters are also vastly different from the characters circulating in the present world.

"Remember these eight characters; tomorrow's homework is to write them from memory." Mr. Huayuan assigned the after-class work.

The four nodded; Mr. Huayuan then said, "Class dismissed, A Li stay behind."

"I'll go wait for you." Liu Meng whispered.

Shen Qingli nodded, still unaware what Mr. Huayuan wanted to tell her.

"These eight characters, you should have remembered them, already seeing them evolve, right?"

"Yes." Shen Qingli nodded.

Mr. Huayuan wasn't surprised, "Then I'll teach you another eight characters."

"Aren't the senior sister and senior brothers learning them?"

"No problem; I'll teach you gradually later. You'll soon enter Star Phenomenon Mountain—knowing more characters will only benefit you."

"Good." Shen Qingli gratefully said, "Thank you, sir."

Mr. Huayuan nodded, eyes full of relief; after so many years of teaching, he finally had a student who could learn—others were all blockheads.

After two classes, it was already mealtime.

Shen Qingli was so hungry her head swam; leaving the school, she saw Liu Meng and the others, then realized she'd forgotten to let them go first.

"Senior sister, two senior brothers, have you been waiting for me? Why didn't you go ahead, I—"

"Hey! It's fine, we're not busy either; it's you, why did the teacher keep you so long?"

"I'm starving; let's eat first and talk later." Shen Qingli said weakly.

She had never been this hungry since she could remember! Going to school really is a brain-draining physical task.

"Okay! Let's eat first." Liu Meng was also very hungry; she just digests fast.

The four entered the dining hall together; the sect leader and elders sat at one table, and they four sat at another.

Shen Qingli didn't have time to look around; she grabbed her bowl and dug into plain rice.

After a bowl of rice and vegetables settled in her stomach, she finally felt alive again.

"You're starving, come on! Eat this."

Liu Meng shoved all the big meat onto Shen Qingli's plate; Li Yidao and the two others had no objection, and they also ladled soup for her to aid digestion.

If this were ordinary food, it wouldn't matter, but it's not—these are all cultivation resources.

They aren't averse to eating it, nor do they not need it.

But she was hungry, so they all willingly let her eat more.

"You eat too."

Shen Qingli pressed down the odd feeling in her heart and let them eat too.

"Eat!"

Liu Meng buried her head in eating rice, with no pretense.

It wasn't deliberate yielding; it was just an unconscious gesture of care. Seeing her recover, everyone went back to eating their own.

It was very harmonious, naturally…

Shen Qingli realized that at every moment in the Astral Star Sect, she felt comfortable and at ease, completely unlike how she felt in the Jade Virtue Sect.

This isn't just because she's only been here the first day or two; every subsequent day is like this—comfortable, content, and simple.

As a disciple, she only needs to study, cultivate, spar with her senior sisters and brothers, even horse around, and nothing else.

No need to teach junior brothers and sisters;

No need to figure out how to obtain cultivation resources for junior brothers and sisters;

No need to network with the various peaks just to bring some advantages to Saint Maiden Peak.

……

Moreover, there's no need to daily cautiously face Zhao Yue, worrying that she'll do poorly and provoke her anger.

Of course, there's also no need to be self-reliant and guard against pursuit by the orthodox sects.

Those blood‑etched memories seemed to have turned into a gray mist, now dissipating in her past.

"Do you like it here?" Shen Kuo asked, holding a letter from the Changshui Shen clan.

He had received a reply to the letter he sent to his family, but he didn't know that just as his family sent out this letter, Su Chacha was holding his Jade Pendant and entered the family gate.

He was telling Shen Qingli, "The family has sent word—eldest brother says you are the only girl in our three generations, and he wants to come personally to fetch you back to the Shen household."