Shi Zhen glanced at Zhou Qing's courtyard nearby, feeling indescribable emotions welling up in her heart.
Unbeknownst to her, the youngest junior brother and junior sister of Divine Peak and Little Spirit Peak, one in the late stage of the Divinity Transformation Realm and the other in the late stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, had long left their peers far behind.
Especially during the battle of the Five Sects, if it weren't for Zhou Qing's tily intervention, she feared she would have already beco a black-robed puppet of the Cangyan Daoist Palace.
"Senior Sister Shi Zhen!" Just then, Lu Yaoyao seed to sense sothing and opened her eyes, a glint of coldness flashing briefly in them before they returned to their usual lively state.
Shi Zhen walked over with a smile, "Several dessert shops have newly opened in Fla Dragon City. I went to taste them, and they are indeed quite good. Try them and see how they differ from last ti."
Saying this, she gently lifted the lid of the food box.
A sweet aroma imdiately wafted through the air, revealing several plates of exquisite pastries neatly arranged inside the box.
The layers of lotus pastries blossod like petals, sugar-stead custard was glossy like jade, rice wine balls were crystal-clear, and golden osmanthus adorned the mung bean cakes.
Lu Yaoyao's eyes lit up, her delicate nose twitched as she took a deep breath, "Did you add mint juice to the lotus pastry this ti? It's fresher than the last ti."
She gently picked up a piece, and the thin, translucent pastry layers revealed a hint of light green filling within.
Shi Zhen nodded with a smile, "The shopkeeper said it's a new recipe; it seems indeed quite good."
"Did you add jasmine essence to the sugar-stead custard?" Lu Yaoyao pointed to another plate, "No wonder it slls so elegant."
With chopsticks, she lightly tapped the rice wine balls and exclaid in surprise, "Is there peach blossom wine in these balls? The wine's fragrance has a hint of fresh floral sweetness."
Eagerly, Lu Yaoyao picked up a crystal-clear rice wine ball and gently placed it in her mouth.
As her pearly teeth punctured the delicate rice skin, the rich fragrance of peach blossom wine spread across her tongue like a spring tide.
Her eyes widened, turning into crescent moons, her body swayed happily from side to side, and an unconscious smile lifted the corners of her mouth, revealing two sweet dimples.
Seeing Lu Yaoyao's satisfied expression, Shi Zhen couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle softly.
Although Junior Sister Lu's cultivation surpassed hers, in Shi Zhen's eyes, Lu Yaoyao was forever that innocent little girl.
While enjoying her food, Lu Yaoyao suddenly stopped and sighed gently.
She originally wanted to ask her father more about whether Third Mother shared her preferences.
But the result was that Third Mother's master loved these snacks, which led to them being poisoned by enemies and killed.
Now, Third Mother particularly dislikes these things, and her father warned her repeatedly not to ntion these snacks in front of her.
"What's wrong?" Seeing Lu Yaoyao sigh, Shi Zhen asked in confusion.
"Nothing," Lu Yaoyao shook her head, trying to perk up, "Senior Sister, you should try them too, they're truly delicious."
Shi Zhen smiled and declined, "I've already tasted them, you keep enjoying them slowly."
She turned to glance at Zhou Qing's courtyard, her expression complex, "I wonder when the Junior Sect Leader will finish his seclusion, maybe this ti he's aiming for Great Perfection?"
Lu Yaoyao smiled without speaking.
The news of her father's promotion to a Level Three Array Master was known by few at the mont.
So even the core disciples didn't know that her father's current seclusion wasn't for cultivation, but to craft the tri-color sect protection array for the sect.
"It should be soon, maybe..."
Before Lu Yaoyao could finish her sentence, a wave of spiritual power rippled from the nearby courtyard.
The two exchanged a glance and imdiately stood up.
Half an incense stick later, the sound insulation restriction covering the courtyard dissipated layer by layer like water ripples.
The courtyard door creaked open slowly, and a slender figure stepped out.
After more than two years, Zhou Qing's appearance was even more gaunt than rembered, yet his eyes were deeper than before.
A simple white robe hung loosely on his body, adding a more ethereal aura.
"Senior Brother Zhou!" Seeing Zhou Qing out of his seclusion, Lu Yaoyao cheered and bounced forward like a joyful little deer.
Shi Zhen followed swiftly, her eyes full of unmistakable joy.
Zhou Qing looked at the two, a gentle smile tugging at his lips, "What delicious treats have you enjoyed? It's still at the corner of your mouth."
He gestured to the corner of Lu Yaoyao's mouth.
Finally, Lu Yaoyao wiped the pastry crumbs from her mouth, sheepishly smiling.
"I suppose I've not failed my mission," Zhou Qing softly said, "I'll report to the master now."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yaoyao's eyes shone with pride; she knew the tri-color array was no match for her father.
"You can head back too, no need to keep watching." Zhou Qing waved his hand.
Recalling how her uncle confined him to prevent interference in Master Gao Xuan's affairs, and even sent Lu Yaoyao to "supervise," he couldn't help but smile.
This little girl's been on watch for so long she's even tanned a bit.
"Got it!" Lu Yaoyao responded crisply.
Zhou Qing nodded and turned, transforming into a streak of light shooting straight to the mountaintop.
To be honest, the "Zhou Tian Starry Array," which was initially anticipated to take three years to complete, was unexpectedly finished several months earlier, even to his own surprise.
"Fortunately, the matter regarding Kunpeng Palace allowed my cultivation to ascend to the late stage of Divinity Transformation, not to ntion the spiritual power added from the top-grade spirit stones acquired from Yan Sen; only thus could I persist until today!"
With a flip of his palm, a tri-colored light poured out from Zhou Qing's sleeve.
Revealing an entirely crystalline array disc suspended mid-air, densely inscribed with star patterns, the light of blue, gold, and purple swirled and flowed like living creatures.
At the center of the array disc, the pattern of the Big Dipper stood out prominently.
Additionally, as many as one hundred and eight array flags slowly revolved around the array disc.
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