Chapter 69: Chu Qingli's Resilience in the Face of Adversity - I Forged Them in Darkness, and They Buried Me in It

**Chapter 69: Chu Qingli's Resilience in the Face of Adversity** In this year, Su Chichi was nine years old. But the days of tranquil cultivation in the secluded valley did not last long. A month later, the depths of this silent forest welcomed its first uninvited guest. The visitor was well-known to both Chen An and Su Chichi. That sky-blue dress was almost a signature of Chu Qingli. Due to the remoteness of the mountain, she had uncharacteristically removed her veil, revealing her true face. Her slender waist was cinched with two sashes, and as the valley's breeze swept through, it lifted the sashes alongside a corner of her skirt. Su Chichi skipped forward with a cheerful grin, "Sword Immortal Sister, are you here to get beaten up again? Have you fallen for my master?" Chu Qingli glanced at her, tightening her grip slightly on her sword hilt. She thought, what an annoying little girl, just like her master. Then, she raised her hand slightly, pointing the long sword directly at Chen An. With a hint of arrogance, she looked at the man before her, her face composed, "Thanks to you, I've successfully formed my Golden Core. Today, I will show you what it means to become stronger with every setback!" After speaking, an astonishing fighting spirit surged in her eyes, the dust around her swirling despite the still air, and the sword in her hand let out several clear rings. The imposing aura was somewhat intimidating, causing Su Chichi to instinctively step back. Three minutes later, the battle was swiftly concluded. The result was no different from what Su Chichi had witnessed before. In terms of timing, it was a perfect three minutes. Because the time it took for Chu Qingli to complete a set of sword moves was roughly three minutes. The woman lay on the ground, half-embedded in the soil, her sword thrust into the dirt beside her, trembling slightly, symbolizing her futile struggle. The area around her bore the marks of fierce sword qi, evidence of the brief and intense battle. Her sky-blue dress was also tattered, revealing large patches of fair skin beneath. If not for her faint breathing, one might mistake her for a spirit unearthed from some graveyard. Chen An frowned slightly but did not speak, simply took Su Chichi's hand and turned back towards the valley. Leaving Chu Qingli alone, her condition uncertain. But Chen An knew she would likely return soon. After all, they had both fought through injuries far worse than this several times before. Chu Qingli was like an indomitable cockroach with incredible vitality. The more brutally she was beaten, the more her cultivation advanced the next time she appeared. Chen An never struck to kill; he wasn't one to enjoy wanton slaughter. Moreover, besides her penchant for challenging him, Chu Qingli never bothered him otherwise. Quite often, one could hear tales of her from passersby—such as how the Immortal Chu Qingli once again slew a certain demon beast, or successfully challenged someone beyond her level. The sound of their footsteps grew distant, accompanied by the girl’s fading laughter. "Master, she’s so silly..." Chu Qingli lowered her head, silently pulling herself out of the soil. The battle spirit in her eyes was gone, replaced by an indescribable melancholy. She could not understand why this man always seemed one step ahead of her. Though reluctant to admit it, her initial defeat by Chen An in such a humiliating manner had left a significant shadow on her heart. She could accept failure, but couldn't tolerate losing so disgracefully. This was the reason for her relentless challenges against Chen An. Chu Qingli sought to preserve nothing more than a small shred of dignity... She slowly stood, forlornly departing. In the breeze, her murmur could be heard. "Turns out, you had formed your Golden Core long ago..." ... For Su Chichi, there wasn’t much else in the valley. Every day, she cultivated and played with her master, and that was it. Perhaps having witnessed so many worldly wonders in the past two years with Chen An, she didn’t find this life boring at all. As for the balance between cultivation and leisure, it was probably half and half. Recently, Chen An’s indulgence led to the girl’s demeanor becoming a bit pampered; she often made other demands during times meant for cultivation. And Chen An never refused. Su Chichi’s requests were often whimsical. One moment she might shout about going fishing, and the next, she’d cling to Chen An’s arm, pouting and asking her master to play a tune. Their fishing rods, crafted by Chen An from bamboo, were special in that they never baited the hooks, relying purely on fortune. Su Chichi didn’t know fishing required bait, and Chen An was simply lazy. Following her master's lead, the two often went to the lake empty-handed and returned the same. Su Chichi didn't grasp why, often muttering that the lake didn't even have fish. Yet she still enjoyed going. Being with her master, doing anything felt comforting. The little girl couldn't quite describe the feeling; it was like soaking in a hot spring, warming every inch of her body, with even her hair filled with joy. As for the tunes, they were Chen An's pastime, a small hobby for idle moments. Sometimes he played melodies from his world, sometimes traditional tunes of their land. Outside the valley lay a small bamboo grove, from which Chen An crafted a flute and the fishing rods. Making a flute was simple, but to make it resonate and sound clear required a fine reed membrane. The reed membranes were usually made of reeds, but after searching around the valley, he couldn't find any. Not pressing it, he used spiritual energy to conjure a makeshift reed membrane. But it was lacking in essence, like a dish without salt, leaving Chen An somewhat dissatisfied. East of the valley lay a medium-sized lake. On one side, there were two bamboo chairs, one large and one small. On the chairs reclined two figures, one big, one small. Su Chichi held the fishing rod with both hands, her gaze focused on the lake. The water was crystal clear, revealing many aquatic creatures swimming below. After watching a while, Su Chichi suddenly asked, out of the blue, "Master, what's the name of this lake?" Chen An paused, thinking that the nearest village was several days' walk away. With the mountain rarely visited, how could the lake have a name? So he replied, "It doesn’t have a name." Upon hearing this, Su Chichi's eyes lit up. "Then let's give it a name." Chen An, lying on the bamboo chair with eyes half-closed, casually inquired, "What name do you have in mind?" The girl lowered her head, pondering seriously for a long time. Finally, she spoke with earnestness, "Master, for such a large lake, let's just call it Big Lake." Chen An sighed but agreed, "Then it shall be called Big Lake." Thus, the lake gained its name. Big Lake. (End of Chapter)