Inside and outside

The moisture in the secret passage was like insoluble ink, sticking to Yunxiu's cuffs and hair.

She used the moonlight from the cave entrance to identify the path, her fingertips stroking the slippery rock wall.

Strangely, the deeper you go, the less burning the pendant on your chest feels.

Previously in Yaoxi Mountain, this amulet made from her original feathers always felt like a small flame, burning hot against her skin, but now it only felt vaguely warm and cool, like embers blown away by the mountain wind.

"Crack--" There was a light sound of gravel rolling down in front.

Yunxiu immediately stopped walking. But when she looked up again, the clear morning light was already shining through the end of the secret passage.

Morning light…morning light? It was a bit dazzling, and Yunxiu tilted his head unconsciously. It was only the early morning when he set out, but had he walked for so long without realizing it?

She pushed aside the dense vines and stuck her head out, stumbling into a world completely different from Yaoxi Mountain.

Yunxiu poked his head out and shook off the dirt on his hair.

She found herself on an extremely ordinary hill, crawling out of a narrow cave in the ground in a somewhat awkward manner.

Yunxiu finally managed to pull herself halfway out of the hole and found that the pure white and round rabbit next to her was sniffing at her in dissatisfaction and stamping its feet angrily.

Yunxiu felt a little exhausted, so he just lay down and buried himself in the rabbit's fur to rest for a while.

The little rabbit struggled in Yunxiu's arms dissatisfiedly, kicking and jumping at this strange human.

Yunxiu had rested enough, so he pushed himself out of the cave in one breath, bent down and picked up the little rabbit.

"Is this your home?"

The rabbit stared with round eyes.

"This is my home too." Yunxiu was also angry: "You are the only one who gets angry."

Yunxiu threw the little rabbit into the hole she had just come out of: "Go find my senior sister, she will treat you well."

The little rabbit, who was forced to have a long-term meal ticket for no reason, looked up at her, as if he had not yet reacted.

Yunxiu then looked around.

She was nestled between several towering peaks. The winding mountain roads were thronged with cultivators, and spirit boats shuttled back and forth in the sky.

Various colors of spiritual energy shone into a colorful tapestry across the sky. The mountain with the brightest light in the distance was probably the main peak of the Qinglan Sect.

It is shrouded in the rosy glow, and the glazed tiles on the top of the peak reflect the light like broken gold.

This is not the human world, nor is it Mount Yaoxi, but the "fairyland".

In the mountains, various cultivators practice and various sects live.

Yunxiu paused at this scene and subconsciously looked down at the small hole he came from.

The little rabbit had run away and only an ordinary hole was left.

This was the first time in seventeen years that she had actually stepped out of the mountain gate.

The mountain breeze carried an unfamiliar scent towards me, the hustle and bustle of the market, the sharp sound of flying swords piercing the air, and the bitter aroma of cooking smoke mixed with herbs.

Yunxiu took a deep breath and pulled the paulownia leaf talisman Wu Yi had given her from her bosom. The talisman paper carried a fresh, plant-based fragrance. She applied it to the inside of her lapel as instructed. As soon as her fingertips lifted the talisman, a soft green light spread along the fabric.

All other immortal cultivators were born human, guided into the Tao by their masters, and their immortal powers didn't rely on talent or luck. Only the creatures of Yaoxi Mountain were non-humans transformed into human form, and were born with immortal powers.

This is a secret because the Other calls non-human beings "demons."

The spiritual bird's magical aura around her quietly disappeared in the morning mist, like a drop of water melting into a stream.

Yunxiu nodded at the hem of her clothes, and her black dress changed back into a green one. Pale green, a pale blue, was the color of the mountains in the morning mist.

The mountain path was filled with a constant stream of cultivators, most of them independent cultivators carrying backpacks, rusty magical instruments hanging from their waists, their faces showing a mixture of excitement and vigilance.

Yunxiu seemed a little conspicuous in the crowd, and people cast curious glances at him from time to time.

"This is truly... I'm afraid Yaoxi Mountain is truly finished."

The mountain road was long, and two men carrying huge swords were chatting casually nearby.

"Did you offend an enemy? That person wants to wipe out everyone in their sect, even the newborns."

"Is this true?" another strong man clicked his tongue.

"That's fake." Yunxiu muttered inwardly with a blank expression, "There are no newborn cubs in Yaoxi Mountain."

"That's a thousand-year-old immortal sect. Their secret techniques aren't passed down, but their immortal powers are terrifyingly strong. Their disciples are all geniuses, their strength unfathomable... They've dominated the rankings at several martial arts tournaments. How could they be destroyed just like that?"

"Who knows... I didn't know there was anyone who could beat the disciples of Yaoxi Mountain. Could it be an internal conflict?" The man from before spat.

"My cousin saw it with his own eyes at the foot of the mountain. He said the barrier of Yaoxi Mountain shattered like raindrops falling. The immortal energy in the mountain was pouring out, as if it was bleeding."

Yunxiu frowned and looked at the people who were chattering on the road.

She didn't care about these nonsense, but - she couldn't hear the voices of these people, nor could she feel their emotions.

Why?

Yunxiu had originally thought that this "suddenly awakened ability" was unrestricted and applicable to everyone. Yet, she quietly followed this group of people, concentrating her mind, but it had no effect at all, as if this ability had never existed.

Yunxiu lowered his eyes and stared at the tip of his shoe. It was covered in dirt, probably from when he had just crawled out of the cave.

The closer you get to Qinglan Sect, the more crowded the crowd becomes.

The town at the foot of the mountain had long been occupied by monks, and the signs of the taverns were all wrapped with sword tassels, which I wonder which careless monk had dropped them.

In the teahouse, the storyteller was talking excitedly about the "black-robed man breaking into Yaoxi Mountain at night"; on the wooden signs sold by street vendors, the "Yaoxi Mountain Topographic Map" was the most popular one, with the so-called "treasure spots" marked on it with cinnabar, attracting a group of wandering cultivators to scramble for it.

Yunxiu felt a little envious, thinking that if he could paint better than him, he might be able to get rich.

Well, Xiao You didn't know how the money was calculated here. He was a little worried that he would not be able to make ends meet and might be cheated out of everything.

Yunxiu avoided the bustling streets and walked up the mountain path. The white jade archway of the Qinglan Sect was already in sight.

The three large gilded characters "Qinglan Sect" on the archway shone coldly in the setting sun. The blue Taoist robe of the gatekeeper disciple was embroidered with flowing cloud patterns, and the jade pendant on his waist made crisp sounds when it collided with each other.

There was always a subtle scrutiny in their eyes when they looked at the newcomers, as if they were sifting something like sand.

After passing through the archway, the martial arts competition venue suddenly opens up.

The viewing platforms built against the mountain are stacked one after another. The elders' seats at the highest point are decorated with seven-colored flags that flutter in the wind. The three competition platforms are glowing with green light, and the defensive runes on the edges are flowing.

Behind the long table in the registration area, disciples of the Qinglan Sect were busy registering, and the line was lined up like a long snake.

Yunxiu's eyes quickly swept across the entire audience.

The green medicine bags of the Baicao Valley disciples stood out in the crowd. They gathered in a corner, not talking much, their expressions expressionless.

They clearly came down the mountain with their fellow disciples, but they didn't seem to be very familiar with each other.

Coming to a strange place together, yet standing so far apart from each other? Yunxiu observed them curiously for a while longer.

A tall figure wielding a pale green longsword walked past his fellow disciples, seemingly not watching where he was going, and stepped directly over a smaller figure beside him. Even stranger, the smaller figure didn't react at all, seemingly still immersed in the previous scene, chatting intently with his companions.

Yunxiu frowned and tentatively walked closer. She felt something was amiss, but she couldn't figure out what.

However, after a few steps, she stopped where she was - at this moment, the disciples of Baicao Valley had a tacit understanding and all looked at Yunxiu with expressionless faces.

Those who were chatting suddenly closed their lips and remained silent, and those who were walking stopped in their tracks, just like a bow that had detected the enemy's ready bow.

Yunxiu gave an awkward smile. She didn't understand the rules down below the mountain, and hadn't realized how she'd offended the other person. But not wanting to cause any conflict, and with the other person staring at her like a shadow, poor Xiaoyou hurriedly bowed in apology.

However, the other party remained motionless, which made Yunxiu begin to doubt that his half-finished gift was also wrong.

What? In Yaoxi Mountain, there's no such thing as etiquette. With old-fashioned people like Master and Yan Xiu, if they look at you wrong, you just kneel down on the ground. No matter how big the mistake is, that's the end of it. But with Senior Sister and Wu Yi, you just hug them and act coquettishly. There's nothing you can't get away with.

Seeing that the other party didn't make any other moves, Yunxiu turned aside and walked to the registration desk. She had originally intended to just join in the fun, but the He family disciple behind her seemed to think she was trying to cut in line. She didn't get angry, but simply took a step back.

Yunxiu thought he had finally met a good person.

"Name, sect, cultivation level." The Qinglan Sect disciple behind the table didn't even look up as his pen tip slid across the jade slip, making a soft, rustling sound. The cuffs of his Taoist robe were embroidered with three silver lines, and the jade pendant on his chest shone brighter than the others.

"Yunxiu, Yaoxi Mountain. Cultivation..."

Yunxiu was in a dilemma because she didn't know how to describe her cultivation level, and there weren't any grading systems on Yaoxi Mountain. She couldn't just say she could fly, transform, and have immortal powers that could blow up her master's classroom, and that her chances of winning a competition were 50-50 with Wu Yi, right?

Fortunately, the disciple was not surprised to hear the three words "Yao Xishan" and wrote them neatly, but he waited for a long time but did not get Yunxiu's next answer.

Perhaps many disciples of the sect were unaware of their own cultivation level, so he skillfully and kindly reminded them:

"Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced. Usually, young disciples like you sign up for the beginner level."

He glanced at Yunxiu and asked, "Haven't you ever competed with your fellow disciples in the sect? Are there any rankings?"

"I should ask Wu Yi what level he applied for last time before I go out." Yun Xiu thought, but then he said directly:

"Just sign up for the junior level."

The disciple had no objection and wrote it down directly. Yunxiu turned to leave, but suddenly heard a voice beside his ear, joking and laughing:

"So humble?"

Yunxiu immediately turned around, and the disciples around him also looked over, their expressions indifferent. They couldn't tell who had made the sound.

Is it...the voice of the heart?

Ever since leaving Yaoxi Mountain, Yunxiu thought that his magical powers had disappeared automatically.

She concentrated, as if trying to confirm something, but she could hear nothing.