After My Rebirth, I Ended Up Happily Ever After with the Saintess - Chapter 35

The five hours of accumulation in the Scripture Depository were like a spring rain, silently yet profoundly nurturing Ye Li’s foundation in cultivation. Optimizing the Spirit Gathering Array, successfully refining the Heart Calming Pill, discovering the properties of the mysterious ore… all this was proceeding systematically, allowing her to steadily improve within her small courtyard on Cloud Pill Peak.

However, a sect is not an isolated paradise. She had previously stunned the masses by claiming first place in the assessment, followed by her counter-attack and victory at the Western Mountain Abandoned Mine, the mysterious rescue at Cold Ice Gorge, and her solo battle against the pack of wolves in the Molten Fire Mountain Range (though there weren’t many eyewitnesses, how could the disciples of Sunfire Valley not spread the word upon their return?). One after another, these incidents, even with her attempts to stay low-key, ultimately prevented her light from being completely hidden.

The name “Ye Li” gradually began to circulate within the Outer Sect and even among some Inner Sect disciples. However, this reputation was mixed, with both praise and criticism.

In the Outer Sect area, the Mess Hall.

Several Outer Sect disciples, having just finished their labor duties, sat around a table, chatting as they ate.

“Did you hear? About that Senior Sister Ye Li, the one who took first in this assessment but went to Cloud Pill Peak!”

“How could I not hear! They say she was on a mission at the Western Mountain Abandoned Mine, was ambushed, and there were even signs of techniques from a Cultivator of Evil! But not only was she fine, she even dragged out the person behind the scheme and reported them directly to the Enforcement Hall!”

“My heavens! Is that true? Evil Cultivation methods? Who’s so daring?”

“Shhh! Keep your voice down! It’s said to be someone under that one… ” a person whispered, pointing upwards, “the high-ranking disciple of Battle Maniac Peak. Although the Enforcement Hall didn’t have direct evidence, they warned that side. This Senior Sister Ye Li is truly a ruthless character!”

“More than that! I have a fellow villager working in Sunfire Valley, and he came back a few days ago saying that they almost suffered a total loss in the Molten Fire Mountain Range. It was a mysterious female cultivator, suspected to be Senior Sister Ye Li, who struck, instantly killing a large group of mutated Molten Fire Scorpions and helping them drive away three Molten Fire Earth Wolves!”

“Hiss… That powerful? Isn’t she only in the Qi Enlightenment Realm?” (Note: This is a common early cultivation realm, sometimes called Qi Condensation/Refining, referring to the start of cultivation).

“That’s why I say! Her real strength is definitely hidden! First in the assessment, well deserved!”

“Tsk tsk, I hear she’s quite pretty, too, but she’s too cold, and she’s quite a magnet for trouble…”

The words of these Outer Sect disciples were mostly filled with awe, curiosity, and even a hint of admiration. For them, struggling at the bottom, Ye Li’s image of overcoming the strong with the weak and daring to defy authority easily evoked resonance.

Inner Sect, near Battle Maniac Peak.

Several Battle Maniac Peak disciples came out of the Merit Hall, their faces sullen.

“Damn it, we’ve been cautious when taking missions lately, the guys from the Enforcement Hall are really keeping a close eye on us!”

“It’s all because of that Ye Li from Cloud Pill Peak! A trash with Yellow-rank talent (Note: Likely referring to a low-grade Spiritual Root), who dares to be so arrogant just because of some luck and a few tricks!”

“Exactly! Senior Brother Shi Feng just wanted to teach her a lesson, and she actually flipped the table! She has no sense of rules!”

“Hmph, she’s just trying to grab attention. In true strength, isn’t she still thoroughly suppressed by Senior Brother Gao Sheng? She only dares to throw her weight around at the bottom!”

“I heard she spends all her time soaking in the first floor of the Scripture Depository reading basic texts? It’s hilarious, just putting on an act!”

“She probably knows her talent has reached its limit and can only study some unorthodox methods now! Haha!”

These disciples close to Gao Sheng and Shi Feng spoke with contempt, jealousy, and disparagement. They attributed Ye Li’s success to luck and trickery, believing she broke the “rules,” and were extremely hostile towards her.

Heavenly Pivot Peak, a certain pavilion.

Several well-informed, analytical Inner Sect disciples were sipping tea and discussing.

“Fellow Junior Brothers, what are your thoughts on Junior Sister Ye Li, who has recently gained such notoriety?” a disciple (not Lin Yu), fanning himself with a folding fan, asked with a smile.

“This girl is not simple,” a composed-looking disciple mused. “First place in the assessment might have involved some luck, but the counter-attack in the Western Mountain, and the rescue in the Molten Fire Mountain, were absolutely no coincidence. Her firmness of mind, ruthlessness of method, and speed of reaction far surpass her peers.”

“Indeed. What’s more interesting is that she chose Cloud Pill Peak instead of powerful peaks like Heavenly Array or Azure Cloud. Now she often immerses herself in the bottom floor of the Scripture Depository… This act seems like a lack of ambition, but in reality, it holds great meaning. Either she is hiding her true abilities, or… what she seeks is immense, and she deeply understands the importance of a solid foundation.” Another person analyzed.

“I heard that Junior Sister Su Wan Yun of Hundred Flowers Peak is on good terms with her? Junior Sister Su has always had good judgment.”

“This girl is someone you can befriend, but not easily make an enemy of. The momentum of her rise is likely unstoppable. It’s just that the Battle Maniac Peak side probably won’t tolerate her…”

These elite disciples saw things more clearly, and their evaluation of Ye Li tended to be objective, even with a hint of wariness and seriousness.

Hundred Flowers Peak, Su Wan Yun’s cave dwelling.

Su Wan Yun was chatting with a few close Senior Sisters, and the topic naturally revolved around Ye Li.

“Senior Sister Wan Yun, are you truly acquainted with that Junior Sister Ye Li? What kind of person is she? Is she really as… fierce as the rumors say?” a round-faced Junior Sister asked curiously.

Su Wan Yun smiled gently and said softly, “Junior Sister Ye Li only looks cold and prefers silence, but she has a very kind heart. At Cold Ice Gorge, if she hadn’t helped, several Senior Brothers would likely not have escaped. Her strength is great, but she is not the type to bully the weak.”

“But… she offended Senior Brother Gao Sheng of Battle Maniac Peak. She’ll likely face endless trouble in the future.” Another Senior Sister worried.

Su Wan Yun sighed lightly, but her eyes were firm: “I believe Junior Sister Ye Li knows what she’s doing. Besides, within the Sect, in the end, strength speaks the loudest.”

Within Cloud Pill Peak, reactions to this were varied.

Liu Yiyi was even more worshipful of Ye Li, feeling that this Senior Sister was omnipotent, and her eyes sparkled every time she saw her.

Han Li burst into laughter upon hearing the rumors, patting his chest and saying to Ye Li, “Junior Sister, well done! I’ve long disliked those guys from Battle Maniac Peak! If they dare to cause trouble again, call for your Senior Brother, I’m just looking for a place to test the effects of my new pill!” (Though Ye Li thought his pill might be more dangerous than the enemy).

Chen Mo remained silent as ever, but on one occasion when they crossed paths, he uncharacteristically took the initiative to say to Ye Li, “Foundation of array formations is very important.” This was considered an acknowledgment of her approach.

As for Senior Sister Li Yan, she was both jealous and afraid, walking far around Ye Li whenever she saw her, but the resentment in her eyes deepened.

Ye Li herself was not entirely ignorant of these external discussions, but she chose to ignore most of them. Reputation was an illusion to her; strength was the fundamental. A few bad comments couldn’t shake her resolve. She continued at her own pace, either reviewing texts in the Scripture Depository or practicing pill refinement in the Hundred Refinements Hall and familiarizing herself with the ore during the day, and without fail, cultivating the Profound Universe Emperor Scripture and tempering her body at night.

One day, as she was in the Earth Fire Chamber of the Hundred Refinements Hall attempting to refine a new batch of Heart Calming Pills, striving to increase the success rate and quality, Zhao Xiao Yi’s slightly anxious voice came from outside the courtyard.

“Senior Sister Ye! Are you there?”

Ye Li had just finished collecting the pills; this batch yielded four, all with a single cloud pattern, indicating stable quality. She put away the pills and opened the stone door.

Zhao Xiao Yi was waiting outside with an anxious expression: “Senior Sister, this is bad! Senior Sister Liu Yiyi… she’s being harassed at the market!”

Ye Li’s gaze instantly chilled: “What happened? Speak slowly.”

Zhao Xiao Yi took a breath and quickly explained: “Senior Sister Yiyi was setting up a stall at the Ten Thousand Manifestations Hall market selling the spiritual herbs she grew. Somehow, she got into a conflict with a few disciples from Battle Maniac Peak. They claimed Senior Sister Yiyi’s spiritual herbs were substandard, ruining their pills, and demanded she compensate them with a hundred contribution points, or they would smash her stall and drag her to the Enforcement Hall for judgment! Senior Sister Yiyi is almost in tears!”

Battle Maniac Peak? Them again!

A cold light flashed in Ye Li’s eyes. It seemed Gao Sheng and Shi Feng dared not target her directly, so they started to bully Liu Yiyi, who was close to her and gentle in nature!

“Lead the way.” Ye Li’s voice was icy, without the slightest hesitation.

“Yes, Senior Sister!” Zhao Xiao Yi quickly led the way.

Ten Thousand Manifestations Hall Market, a relatively quiet corner. Many people were gathered around Liu Yiyi’s stall. Her eyes were red, tears welling up as she helplessly tried to explain: “…I didn’t! My Vermillion Face Fruits were carefully cultivated, how could there be a problem! You failed your pill refinement yourselves, why blame me…”

The three Battle Maniac Peak disciples opposite her stood with crossed arms, looking scornful and playful. The leader sneered: “Hmph, you say there’s no problem, so there’s no problem? Our pills failed after using your spiritual herbs! Whose problem is it if not yours? Pay up! Otherwise, we’re not done today!”

The surrounding crowd pointed and talked. Some sympathized with Liu Yiyi, but most dared not offend the Battle Maniac Peak disciples and could only whisper.

“If you can’t pay, that’s fine. Why don’t you come have a cup of tea with us brothers, and we can ‘chat’ nicely? Then this matter is settled?” another disciple chuckled lewdly, reaching out to grab Liu Yiyi.

Liu Yiyi’s face turned pale with fright, and she tried to dodge backward.

Just as that hand was about to touch Liu Yiyi, an ice-cold hand clamped down on his wrist like an iron vise!

“Ah!” The disciple felt an intense pain in his wrist, as if it was about to be crushed, and he let out a scream.

Everyone was startled and looked towards the sound.

They saw a girl in a light-blue cloud-patterned skirt who had appeared in the scene without anyone noticing. Her face was cold, her eyes chillingly icy, and she was staring coldly at the three Battle Maniac Peak disciples.

“Senior… Senior Sister Ye Li!” Liu Yiyi saw the newcomer, felt as if she had seen her savior, and finally burst into tears.

“Ye Li?!” The faces of the three Battle Maniac Peak disciples also changed instantly. They clearly recognized her, and a hint of fear flashed in their eyes, but they immediately forced themselves to remain calm.

“Ye Li, what do you think you’re doing? Being a busybody?” the leader shouted, trying to pull his wrist free, but found the other party’s strength surprisingly great and simply couldn’t break loose.

Ye Li shook off his hand, shielding Liu Yiyi behind her. Her gaze swept over the good-quality Vermillion Face Fruits on the stall, her voice calm but carrying undeniable authority: “You claim her spiritual herbs have a problem?”

“Of… Of course!”

“Evidence.” Ye Li only said two words.

“Our failed pills are the evidence!”

“Oh?” A cold curve formed on Ye Li’s lips. “What kind of pill were you refining? When did you purchase her spiritual herbs? Do you have records of the refinement process? What were the specific symptoms of the pill failure? Was it due to insufficient heat, improper fusion, or a pure clash of medicinal properties? Do disciples of Battle Maniac Peak even blame the seller of firewood when their pill furnaces explode?”

Her pace wasn’t fast, but the rapid-fire succession of professional and sharp questions, like cold knives, instantly pierced through their clumsy lie!

The three disciples were immediately struck dumb, their faces flushed red. How could they know any details about pill refinement? They were merely acting on orders to find trouble!

“You… you’re twisting the facts!” The leader was enraged out of shame.

“Twisting the facts?” Ye Li stepped forward, her intimidating aura causing the disciple to instinctively take a step back. “If you can’t provide evidence, it constitutes falsely accusing a fellow disciple and extortion. According to the sect rules, what is the punishment? Shall we go to the Enforcement Hall right now and ask the supervising Senior Brothers to appraise these spiritual herbs and check your recent pill refinement records?”

Hearing the words “Enforcement Hall,” and seeing Ye Li’s cold and confident eyes, the three disciples completely panicked. They had no doubt that this ruthless person would actually do it!

“You… you just wait!” After uttering an utterly unthreatening threat, the three Battle Maniac Peak disciples squeezed through the crowd and fled wretchedly.

A round of low laughter and murmurs immediately broke out among the onlookers.

“Senior Sister Ye Li is so impressive!”

“She scared them away with just a few sentences!”

“Those Battle Maniac Peak people are too much of a bully!”

Liu Yiyi looked at Ye Li’s back, her eyes full of gratitude and admiration: “Senior Sister Ye Li, thank you…”

Ye Li turned around, her expression softening slightly, and handed her a handkerchief: “It’s fine now. If they dare to come again, tell me directly, or go find Senior Brother Han Li or Senior Brother Chen Mo.”

“Mhm!” Liu Yiyi nodded forcefully.

Following this incident, the news of “Ye Li standing up for a fellow disciple and reprimanding Battle Maniac Peak disciples” quickly spread among the lower-level disciples. Her reputation became even more prominent in the Outer Sect and among some Inner Sect disciples. Those who praised her called her protective, loyal, and fearless of authority, while those who criticized her mocked her for being a troublemaker and arrogant.

Regardless, everyone reached a consensus—Ye Li of Cloud Pill Peak was not to be messed with! And the conflict between her and Battle Maniac Peak seemed to be becoming increasingly irreconcilable.

Ye Li was well aware of this but paid it no mind. She helped Liu Yiyi pack up her stall and sent her back to Cloud Pill Peak.

Standing in her small courtyard, she looked toward the direction of Battle Maniac Peak, her gaze deep.

The trouble won’t stop, so let it come more fiercely.

It would serve perfectly as a whetstone to sharpen her edge.