I woke up to find myself as the villain's older sister.

Yun Qingyi exclaimed in amazement, "Master, your nose is even more sensitive than the sand dogs of Emerald Mountain!"

Word Return: ...

"If you really can't think of any other adjectives, you don't have to say anything. I don't really want you to praise me."

"Oh." Yun Qingyi pouted, sat down at the table and chairs that Ci Gui had placed next to her, and took out a phoenix egg from her storage ring and placed it on the table.

With bright eyes, he looked at Cigui and said, "Master, come and see the phoenix egg I found."

Upon hearing this, Ci Gui walked over and sat down opposite Yun Qingyi, staring at the golden egg bouncing around on the table. The familiar flame patterns on it proved that it was indeed the egg of the ancient divine beast, the phoenix.

Ci Gui thought of the celestial beast skeleton, which Yun Qingyi must have used to supplement the phoenix egg with nutrients.

After laying eggs, phoenixes seek out abundant natural treasures rich in spiritual energy for the eggs to absorb. If the supply is insufficient, it will be difficult to generate enough power to activate their bloodline and hatch.

Ci Gui didn't ask Yun Qingyi where the egg came from, but looked at Yun Qingyi with admiration in his eyes: "I suppose you specially found that piece of immortal beast bone for this egg. Not bad, you studied the beast encyclopedia quite carefully. Knowing that the phoenix is ​​picky, you even deliberately chose a piece of immortal beast bone."

Uh… Yun Qingyi touched her nose, silently wondering what it meant. Why couldn’t she understand what her master was saying?

"Don't just stand there." Ci Gui looked at the phoenix egg that was bouncing around and almost making a hole in his table, and said to Yun Qingyi, "Quickly take out that piece of immortal beast bone and let it absorb it."

Yun Qingyi obediently took out the skeleton and placed it next to the phoenix egg. As if attracted by something, the phoenix egg jumped onto the skeleton, and gradually, the huge skeleton disappeared in front of Yun Qingyi.

After absorbing the remains, the phoenix egg tilted over and lay on the table. No matter how Yun Qingyi poked it, it only gave a slight reaction.

"Master, did it eat this bone? Will something happen? Look, it's hardly moving at all," Yun Qingyi asked with some concern, poking the phoenix egg with her finger again.

"That bone is a rare find. It absorbed an enormous amount of spiritual energy and needs to be digested. If possible, try not to touch it again," Ci Gui said.

"Oh, I see." Yun Qingyi found it somewhat amazing. So this egg still needed to eat, which was why Master thought that the piece of immortal beast bone was something I had specially found for the phoenix egg to absorb?

If that's the case, then what she just did... Oh no! She nervously looked up at Ci Gui.

Sure enough, the man was looking at her with a half-smile.

"So you don't seem to know that phoenix eggs need to absorb spiritual energy to hatch."

Yun Qingyi: ...

"No, Master, I do know a little bit."

"Really? Then I'll give you seven days to write a detailed guide to the habits of exotic beasts. After you finish writing it, I'll test your memorization."

These words struck Yun Qingyi like a bolt from the blue.

Ah!! She hadn't really read that book, and she had clearly consulted the almanac before going out today, so why was she having such bad luck? Yun Qingyi felt like crying.

"Ok?"

"I understand, Master..." Yun Qingyi was a little dejected, but then a thought suddenly struck her, and she grinned at Ci Gui: "Master, I'm afraid I won't be able to hand in my homework on time."

"Today, Arou and I went to the Merit Pavilion to accept a mission. The mission time limit has already been activated. If I don't do it soon, I'm a little afraid that I won't be able to complete the mission. I think Master wouldn't want me to fail to complete the mission either, right?"

"So I can only give the 'Illustrated Compendium of Beast Habits' to my master after I finish the quest." After saying that, Yun Qingyi showed a slightly regretful expression.

Upon hearing this, Ci Gui raised his handsome eyebrows slightly: "Oh? What mission?"

"I'm going to Black Wind Ridge to kill the evil cultivator Mo Buyu," Yun Qingyi answered truthfully.

"I remember the task had a time limit of six months."

Yun Qingyi was slightly surprised: "Master, how did you know?"

"Because I was the one who issued this order."

……

For a moment, Yun Qingyi didn't know what to say, and felt that even the air around her was filled with awkwardness.

“You are now in the late Foundation Establishment stage. I remember that the sect rules state that disciples below the Golden Core stage are not allowed to go down the mountain, including to do missions.”

Yun Qingyi: ...Can she say that she automatically ignored this?

"Master..."

"Cough, I didn't say you couldn't go. Your foundation is already solid, and it's time for you to advance to the Golden Core stage. Leave yourself a month to break through, and the remaining five months will be more than enough to complete the mission."

After saying that, Ci Gui took out two small balls from his storage ring and placed them in Yun Qingyi's hand.

Looking at the small black ball in her hand that resembled a glass bead, Yun Qingyi asked in confusion, "Master, what is this?"

"The magic weapon that suppresses the loss of spiritual energy—that evil cultivator, although he is at the late Nascent Soul stage, his cultivation is not real; his true strength is at most the late Golden Core stage at the Great Perfection."

"His ability to reach the late Nascent Soul stage is actually due to the unique nature of his cultivation method. The reason he is considered an evil cultivator is because his cultivation level is not obtained through his own efforts, but rather by absorbing the spiritual energy of others through his cultivation method and converting it into his own," Ci Gui said calmly.

"These two small balls can effectively suppress that kind of technique. You and Qingrou should keep them with you at all times."

Yun Qingyi happily put the ball away, her previous embarrassment and frustration gone, and said with a smile, "Thank you, Master!"

"But Master, why didn't you give the task to those who accepted it in the first place, when you clearly had a magic weapon that could effectively punish that evil cultivator? I've heard that this task has failed many times."

"I issued this task for my disciples to gain experience. What's the difference between using magic weapons and cheating?" Ci Gui said calmly.

Yun Qingyi: ...

“But you’re still young. The mission recommends a cultivation level of Nascent Soul. Even after you break through, you’ll only reach the Golden Core stage at most. It’s reasonable to give you more protection.” Ci Gui rubbed Yun Qingyi’s head and chuckled.

"Oh, and take this too."

Ci Gui took out several more pieces of beast remains from his storage ring. Yun Qingyi only needed to feel them lightly to know that the spiritual energy contained in them was much stronger than the piece she had brought back.

"Phoenix eggs require a large amount of spiritual energy to activate their bloodline power. They look down on ordinary spiritual energy and would rather never hatch than absorb it. Only rare and precious treasures like the skeletons of immortal beasts, which possess pure spiritual energy, are willing to absorb the spiritual energy contained within them."

Feed it a piece whenever it gets hungry and jumps around wildly; it will hatch very quickly.

"Oh, oh." Yun Qingyi happily accepted the remains of the immortal beast and put the phoenix egg, which was digesting on the table, back into the storage ring given to her by Ci Gui.

Watching Yun Qingyi complete these tasks smoothly, Ci Gui smiled and said, "Since you have some free time, come on, let me give you some test questions to test what I taught you last time."

"And there's the tea class, let me see how you're doing?"

"Let me also do some astrological divination."

"Have you been practicing the piano at a fixed time lately? Play a piece for me to hear later."

……

Every word seemed to enter Yun Qingyi's ears like a demonic whisper. No, she had only just accepted the beast remains, couldn't she be allowed to be happy for a little while longer?

Yun Qingyi cried out in anguish in her heart, and finally accepted reality amidst the ups and downs of her emotions.