Chapter 60: Jiang Li publicly rebukes Lu Ziting for being heartless and ungrateful.

To find out who the masked man is, Ye Li needs an identity that allows her to get close to the various sect leaders, so she needs to get the opportunity to be promoted to the outer sect.

In order to avoid attracting attention, Ye Li used swordsmanship throughout.

The disciples who had fought Ye Li were all completely dumbfounded.

Everyone who recalled it afterward said: "I don't know how, I just bumped into the sword."

The force with which I was knocked away was just right—stunned but not mentally taxing.

With the final gong strike, the trial came to an end.

Ye Li and several other disciples who had also persevered to the end in the gauntlet battle went to collect their outer sect badges.

The person handing out the signs was Lu Ziting. When he saw Ye Li coming over, he stood tall and straight, displaying the self-restraint of a true gentleman.

"Junior Sister Jiang Li, congratulations on becoming an outer disciple."

Ye Li nodded symbolically and reached out to take the sign.

This reluctance to speak even a few words made Lu Ziting feel somewhat neglected and unhappy.

Personal disciples are the most prestigious disciples in a sect. Ordinary disciples would rush to flatter and fawn over personal disciples, hoping that the personal disciples would say good things about them to the sect leader.

But Jiang Li was so indifferent. Was she still holding a grudge about them not believing her yesterday?

This kind of temperament is not something a virtuous woman should have.

Lu Ziting didn't immediately give her the doorplate, but instead took out another item, saying, "Yesterday I spoke a little harshly in the heat of the moment, this is my apology gift."

Upon seeing the small magical artifact, Ye Li's expression became somewhat subtle.

Lu Ziting, oblivious to the situation, adopted the airs of a senior brother and said, "I also have something to remind you, junior sister. As a woman, you should be understanding and considerate. It's not good to be petty over trivial matters. I hope you will keep this in mind, junior sister Jiang Li."

Ye Li took it, looked down at the thing in her hand, and said, "Senior brother's teachings are correct. I have learned a lot."

Lu Ziting nodded in satisfaction, "This young man is teachable."

He felt a growing fondness for her and was about to say something when he saw "Jiang Li" raise her head with a half-smile, "Senior brother is so generous, even giving away the gifts he received so easily."

Gift……

Looking at the small bell, Lu Ziting belatedly realized that this magical artifact was indeed a gift, and one that Ye Li had given him.

Once, during a trial, he got separated from his team and became trapped inside the trial barrier, resulting in minor injuries.

Ye Li took care of him tirelessly for several days, and then made this bell-shaped magic item.

This bell can not only be used to notify companions in case of danger, but also to ward off low-level monsters and has a calming effect.

He was deeply moved when he received it and vowed to cherish her for the rest of his life...

In just one year, he not only forgot his vow, but he even forgot that Ye Li had given him the bell.

Recalling the good old days, Lu Ziting felt a pang of pain in his heart. "I took the wrong one for a moment. I'll give another one to Junior Sister Jiang Li another day."

Just as he was about to touch the bell, Ye Li put it directly into her storage pouch.

"How can you ask for something back after giving it away? Besides, since you've forgotten the origin of this magical artifact, you probably don't care."

Lu Ziting hadn't cared about this little bell before, but now that it was about to be taken away, it felt like a piece of his flesh was being cut off.

Ah Li is already dead. If he were to give away even her things, wouldn't that be heartless?

Looking at Ye Li again, his expression became stern. "Junior Sister Jiang Li, since you know that A Li is dead, you should understand that the dead should be respected. These are her belongings. What kind of logic is it for you to keep them?"

If one didn't know the inside story, Lu Ziting's words would seem genuinely heartfelt.

The disciples around them, hearing the conversation between the two, praised Lu Ziting's character.

"Senior Brother Lu is indeed a gentleman. Ye Li is so despicable, yet he still wants to preserve her dignity after death. Whether Ye Li is alive or dead, she is not worthy of Senior Brother Lu."

"That's right, Jiang Li is really something. Has she never seen a magic weapon before? People said it was given to the wrong person, but she won't return it. She's so petty."

"Could it be that she's hoping to use this to get closer to Senior Brother Lu?"

"Heh, with a kind and lovely sweetheart like Junior Sister Ying'er, Senior Brother Lu wouldn't even glance at her. He's just dreaming because he's a little pretty."

Lu Ziting had always been well-regarded among the disciples. In addition, he was a direct disciple, having been apprenticed to the Lotus Sect, the highest-ranking sect in the Heavenly Gate Sect. When he had a conflict with an outer disciple, the other disciples immediately sided with him.

Ye Li felt a chill run down her spine.

She was killed by evil spirits, and her body was never found.

And in order to slay the evil spirit, he almost lost his soul.

Now she has become the sinner, while Lu Ziting and Su Ying'er, the culprit, have become an enviable couple.

If it weren't for the need to conceal her identity while investigating the masked man's whereabouts, she would have really asked them a lot of questions!

Ye Li suppressed her anger and her gaze fell on the twin swords at Lu Ziting's waist.

"Just now, my senior brother said that we should respect the dead, so we can't give Ye Li's things to me, right?"

In public, Lu Ziting's attitude was much more subdued. "That's right. No matter what Ye Li did, she's dead. This is the respect she deserves."

"I see."

Ye Li seemed to be persuaded. Just when Lu Ziting thought she was going to hand over the bell, she pointed to the twin swords at his waist and said, "When you gave these twin swords to Su Ying'er, didn't you think that it was disrespectful to Ye Li?"

Lu Ziting's expression stiffened slightly.

The disciples watching were puzzled. "These twin swords were forged by Senior Brother Lu himself. What does it have to do with Ye Li?"

Ye Li's gaze slid over Lu Ziting's tense jaw as she slowly explained, "To forge the Twin Swords, one needs ten-thousand-year-old Twin Iron Stone, a thousand-year-old Twin Mandarin Duck Grass, and the endless fire of the Abyss of Despair to forge them. Each of these is extremely rare."

"For example, these twin iron stones cannot be destroyed with spiritual power; they must be chiseled off bit by bit by hand. Once the iron stones are removed, one's hands will become a bloody mess."

"As for the Twin Mandarin Duck Grass, it is guarded by two high-level magical beasts, one male and one female. They have been together for many years and work in perfect harmony. If one of them is injured, the other will immediately destroy the Mandarin Duck Grass. The only way to defeat them is to exhaust their strength."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Wouldn't that drain a person's spiritual energy?

Ye Li looked at Lu Ziting's evasive eyes and said, word by word, "But if we're talking about the rarest thing, it has to be the Endless Flame."

"The Abyss of Despair is an ancient battlefield, filled with malevolent energy. Mortals who approach it will perish instantly. Even cultivators of high cultivation levels face a nine-out-of-ten chance of death. To obtain the Endless Flame is undoubtedly gambling with one's life."

Upon hearing how difficult it was to create the Twin Swords, everyone's faces were filled with admiration.

"Senior Brother Lu truly dotes on Junior Sister Ying'er; he actually managed to gather all these materials!"

"Yes, to be able to risk one's life to come here truly shows deep affection and loyalty."

Such a good man is rare in this world.

Lu Ziting hadn't heard many words of praise, but never before had he felt so ashamed as he was now.

Waves of heart palpitations washed over him, and he tried to stop Ye Li from saying anything more, his face already showing panic. "Since you... really like that bell, then I'll give it to you."

Before Lu Ziting could finish speaking, some disciples voiced their dissatisfaction.

"How can this be allowed, Senior Brother Lu? We must get it back."

Someone else questioned Ye Li, "Jiang Li! What does all that you've said have to do with whether you're returning the bell or not? Don't try to change the subject!"