Chapter 6: Those who like bright lights are enemies. ...

The first step in the test is age.

Duan Yi and others firmly believed that Shen Zhou had lied about his age, while Hua Deng remained calm and unhurried, pulling out a chair to sit down and resting his head on his hand.

He was surrounded by subtle, scrutinizing gazes, filled with an aura of desire. But this time, Hua Deng remained calm and composed, her gaze fixed solely on Shen Zhou.

She certainly hated this kind of plot, and she also feared the irreversible will of this world.

But since she went to great lengths to find Shen Zhou, it meant she didn't intend to restrain herself because of it.

She loved vibrant colors, and today she wore red again, adorned with gold jewelry. The necklace on her chest shone brightly, and the jade pendants at her waist jingled.

If I don't do these things, I always feel that making money is meaningless.

The test results came out quickly.

The compass clearly shows: bone age 24.

With the sect leader's help, the compass could not possibly be wrong. Everyone remained silent, their faces somewhat grim.

A 24-year-old Golden Core cultivator shouldn't be unknown. Could it be that he's a rogue cultivator and therefore unknown to everyone?

The atmosphere grew increasingly eerie and heavy, only Hua Deng let out a soft laugh.

“These 100,000 spirit stones were well spent.” She twirled her hair and lazily talked to the system. “See? There’s nothing that money can’t solve. If there is, it’s because you haven’t spent enough.”

The system couldn't help but retort, "How do you know that Shen Zhou can definitely help you?"

“I trust my judgment,” she laughed. “And I have the resources to try.”

Next came the usual tests, such as the Ascension Ladder, the Illusionary Realm Trials, and the Heart-Questioning Array.

Shen Zhou's work was decent enough, but not bad enough to leave any room for criticism.

In the end, the sect leader's smile had become sinister.

He stood before the peak and said in a deep voice, "I will personally preside over the final test. If you can break through my move, you will pass the test!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a crimson teapot, the size of a human head, suddenly appeared before them, flying into the air and spinning. Its design was unremarkable, but its shimmering luster and smooth, lustrous surface made it clear that it was no ordinary object.

"Why did the sect leader bring out this treasure?" someone exclaimed. "This is..."

Hua Deng's ears twitched, and he straightened up from his chair: "System, scan."

The system said, "Host, this is a second-grade magic weapon. He's deliberately making things difficult for you."

"Old man," Hua Deng said, "using a second-grade magic weapon to deal with a Golden Core cultivator is shameless enough."

Shen Zhou probably thought so too, so after glancing at the sect leader, he silently lifted the restrictions on cultivation under the other party's self-righteous gaze.

Almost instantly, his cultivation level jumped from Golden Core to Nascent Soul, and it continued to rise.

Sect Leader: "???"

He gasped, paced back and forth a few times with his hands behind his back, and couldn't help but turn around: "Disciple, what is the background of your Daoist partner?"

Hua Deng opened his eyes wide innocently and spread his hands, saying, "I don't know, maybe it has no history."

As they spoke, Shen Zhou's cultivation had already advanced to the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

Hua Deng quickly coughed, "Cough, cough!" It's over, it's over!

Shen Zhou's rapidly increasing cultivation level stalled, and his surging magical power slowly subsided, stuck at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

The sect leader finally breathed a sigh of relief, exhaled silently, and straightened his back.

Thank goodness, he's only at the Nascent Soul stage. In a combined attack against a Nascent Soul cultivator, the advantage lies with him!

"This magical artifact is called the Yellow Sand Pot. I will only use 30% of my power. If you can get out within 15 minutes, then you have successfully completed the challenge!"

After he finished speaking, the Yellow Sand Teapot soared into the air, its size increasing several times over, and the spout opened wide, releasing a torrent of yellow sand like a waterfall.

The sand and dust transformed into layers of silk, wrapping around and surrounding Chen Zhou, tightening at a visible speed, attempting to strangle him. Countless sand snakes also surged in from all sides, launching a frenzied attack.

The knuckles of the man holding the handrail turned white, his eyes unblinking.

Amidst the smoke and dust, Chen Zhou lightly raised his hand.

With a swift, sharp strike, the sword pierced through the surrounding yellow sand, pinpointing the sole weakness with unerring accuracy.

A burst of golden light appeared, and the yellow sand teapot broke open.

The sect leader's expression changed instantly.

But it only lasted for a moment.

The next second, he narrowed his eyes and let out a triumphant smile.

Looking closely at the streetlights, he sensed something was wrong.

Although Huang Shahu's attack stopped, Shen Zhou's already damaged sword, which had been covered in cracks, finally succumbed to the pressure and collapsed helplessly in the wind.

The sect leader immediately shouted, "Your immortal sword is destroyed, you'd better give up now!"

Glancing at the sword in his hand, Shen Zhou said nothing and tossed it back into his spatial storage. Before anyone could celebrate, a flash of silver light appeared in his palm, and a sword identical to the one in the picture, even just as worn, appeared in his hand.

"You mean this?" He asked in a flat tone, which inexplicably made everyone feel mocked. "I have 107 more swords like this."

What? !

A commotion erupted on Yaoqing Peak, everyone's eyes filled with disbelief.

The sect leader clutched his chest, his heart bleeding. He had thought that Shen Zhou's sword, though it looked tattered, was incredibly powerful and a rare treasure in the world.

But surprisingly, it really was just a piece of scrap metal!

Poor thing, his yellow sand pot is now riddled with holes, all those three million spirit stones he spent on it were for nothing.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. His eyes flashed with a sharp light. He formed hand seals and gritted his teeth, saying, "Let's see how you get out of here this time!"

He didn't believe that Shen Zhou was really an ordinary rogue cultivator; either he had misled the Age-Testing Compass, or he had hidden his true identity.

Regardless of the reason, the sect leader is confident that he can force him to reveal his true form and make him understand the price of coveting the lanterns!

The yellow sand pot exploded and expanded, quickly filling the entire sky above Yaoqing Peak. Shen Zhou was as insignificant as an ant trying to shake a tree in front of it.

"Host, stop the sect leader! This is the strength to deal with a Nascent Soul stage cultivator. Unless Shen Zhou reveals his identity, he has no chance of winning," the system rationally analyzed.

Without needing to say anything, Hua Deng had already stood up, coldly pulling off the disciple's jade token.

If they are truly determined to expel Shen Zhou, then she has no reason to stay here.

However, as if sensing something, she looked up at the sky before lifting her foot.

Shen Zhou was also watching her. Despite the howling wind, he was relaxed and gently raised his hand to her, as if to tell her not to rush.

After standing still for a moment, Hua Deng slowly sat back down, picked up his tea and took a sip, his heartbeat quickly calming down.

The yellow sand formed a cocoon, surging and trapping Shen Zhou inside. His figure was swallowed up by the sandstorm and disappeared without a trace.

Satisfied with the yellow sand that had settled in the daytime, it quickly flowed back into the pot, and the spout closed again, leaving not a single gap.

An uncontrollable smile appeared on the sect leader's contorted face.

But suddenly, the wind stopped.

It's not quite accurate to say it stopped; it was more like it solidified, solidifying around everyone, becoming extremely viscous and heavy along with the surging spiritual energy.

No one could see what happened, and there were no streetlights.

She only saw a black sword light streak across the sky, like a hawk spreading its wings, so sharp and so swift, disappearing in the wind in an instant.

Not a trace was left.

The crowd seemed to realize something, and their whispers abruptly stopped. The sect leader felt a chill run down his spine, and his blood ran cold.

Click.

A crisp sound of jade shattering echoed in the sky.

The sect leader's face turned as white as paper in an instant.

He watched helplessly as countless cracks appeared out of thin air, eroding the entire yellow sand pot from the inside out.

Only one thought remained in my mind—it's all over, everything is over.

Amidst the crashing sound of the yellow sand pot collapsing, Chen Zhou stepped out from under the golden light, his long sleeves hanging low, his clothes unmoved by the wind.

Strangely, he wasn't holding a sword.

Yao Qingfeng was completely silent, except for Hua Deng, whose eyes were shining brightly and kept waving to the sky.

The sect leader beat his chest and stamped his feet, silently casting a rain spell. Dark clouds covered the sky, and cold rain lashed his face, but it did nothing to calm him down.

The blazing sun outlined Chen Zhou's silhouette as he looked up at the sky. He reached out and caught a fragment in his palm.

Only after making sure that the yellow sand teapot could not be reassembled did he leisurely stop, turn around, and take a step.

There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, and everyone looked up in unison to watch the dark blue shadow approach from afar.

Sun Wheel was left far behind; his backlit figure was as tall as a mountain, his feet treading on the void as he walked toward the crowd.

With each step he took, Yao Qingfeng trembled, as if he were about to collapse under his oppressive aura.

Finally, the sect leader was the first to succumb to the pressure.

He announced loudly, "Disciple Shen Ye has passed the trial. Please enter the Medicine Purification Hall!"

The sound pierced through the clouds, reverberating endlessly.

The streetlights jumped up, cupped their hands to their mouths, and shouted silently—

"Shen Zhou, you're amazing! You're the most powerful sword cultivator!"

Although he couldn't see what she said clearly, he guessed it was a compliment. Shen Zhou nodded approvingly, dispersed the drifting golden light, and instantly landed beside her.

Hua Deng grabbed his sleeve with a beaming smile, showering him with compliments without repeating herself.

"How did you use that move just now? Did you draw your sword? That was so cool and satisfying! I used to think swordsmen were just fiction when I read about them in stories, but seeing it live was so amazing..."

Duan Yi, who was standing to the side, became more and more jealous as he listened. Finally, he couldn't help but interrupt them and said with a forced smile, "Congratulations, junior brother. I'll take you to Yaoqing Hall now."

Shen Zhou looked up and said, "Let's go."

His gaze was unwavering, yet it sent a chill down Duan Yi's spine, making him take a step back.

Led by the sect leader, everyone headed towards Yaoqing Hall.

In stark contrast to before, this time they didn't even dare to glance at the streetlights.

And so, everyone squeezed their way into Yaoqingtang, stepping on each other's feet.

What happened next completely shocked them.

In the dim light of the streetlights, Chen Zhou pressed down on her shoulders and forced her into the sect leader's seat. The sect leader dared not say anything, only saying, "Disciple, sit wherever you like. Don't worry about your master."

Shen Zhou then took a long stride and sat down in the seat below her, which belonged to the Grand Elder. His posture was relaxed and casual, and he even used his magic to reheat the tea that had cooled down on the table.

Even when the tea was hot, he didn't drink it; he just played with the teacup, making a crisp sound from time to time.

Everyone's hearts trembled at the sound of that voice. After a long while, Shen Zhou's deep voice rang out: "Who wants to take me as their disciple?"

Everyone was startled. Some looked up at the sky and the roof beams, while others looked down at the ground and the tips of their shoes. No one dared to look ahead.

Hua Deng almost burst out laughing. In her previous life, she looked just like this when she was afraid of being called on by the teacher. She never expected it to be so funny from a different perspective.

No one answered. Shen Zhou gently raised his head, his gaze sweeping over everyone's faces, causing many hearts to stop beating.

Finally, the gaze settled on the sect leader's face.

The sect leader's body trembled, and he forced a smile: "With my abilities, I'm afraid—"

"You're the one!" everyone at Yaoqingtang shouted in unison.

Shen Zhou nodded slightly: "You can."

The sect leader instantly burst into tears.

*

The bright lights brought me back to my room in the slumber of the day, a feeling of exhilaration and radiant joy.

The place she lived in was called Begonia Garden, which had exactly three rooms. She slept in the main room, with Chen Zhou on the left and Yueya and Yueman on the right.

Watching the maid help Chen Zhou pack his things, she turned around and solemnly instructed, "Remember, here, anyone who says they like me is our enemy."

Shen Zhou said, "Any?"

Hua Deng nodded emphatically: "Yes, any, all, everything!"

“Hmm,” Shen Zhou said, “There probably aren’t many people like that.”

Hua Deng: "...Watch your attitude toward the boss, Comrade Xiao Shen."

Shen Zhou remained silent, and judging from his expression, he clearly didn't care.

A familiar surge of anger welled up inside him, and Hua Deng quickly repeated the "Boss's Guidelines" three times, then smiled at him.

"I'll go with you to the apprenticeship ceremony tomorrow. It starts at 9:00 AM, so remember to be on time," she said gently.

After saying that, he quickly turned around and left, afraid that he wouldn't be able to control his urge to hit someone.

LOL, they can't beat them even if they fight.

Her room was exactly as it had been before she left. Hua Deng rushed onto the bed, wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, casually cast a cleansing spell, and fell into a deep sleep.

After many days of tension and anxiety, she was relieved to have a good night's sleep this time without having nightmares.

I don't know why, but in my hazy state, I always felt that there was something standing next to the bed, like a dark shadow.

As the morning sun slanted into the room, she frowned, turned over, used her pillow to block out the sunlight, and continued to sleep peacefully.

The shadowy figure hadn't disappeared; it stood there, coldly watching her for a while, making some noises, saying things like "together," "9 AM," and "on time." But she was too sleepy to hear anything and fell asleep again.

Shen Zhou: "..."

He sleeps like a pig.

He clicked his tongue very softly, intending to ignore the apprenticeship ceremony and descend the mountain alone. A group of reckless individuals had recently tracked him down, and he needed to deal with them.

But as soon as he stepped out of the room, he saw his brand-new boots and clothes in the sunlight, and then he thought of the 100,000 spirit stones on the contract.

"..." He turned and walked towards Yaoqingtang with a blank expression.

Inside Yaoqingtang.

The sect leader was sitting in a chair, fiddling with his prayer beads, but the more he fidgeted, the more agitated he became, and finally he couldn't help but shake his leg.

He caught a glimpse of a gloomy dark figure at the doorway out of the corner of his eye, and immediately jumped up, looking rather pathetic as he made room for the other person.

Shen Zhou didn't stand on ceremony, crossed his legs and leaned against the wall, getting straight to the point: "I've come to ask to become your disciple, what do you want to say?"

The sect leader said sternly, "The Medicine Purification Sect belongs to every disciple. Here, you are free. You don't need to tell me what you want to do!"

The prayer beads were on the table. Shen Zhou picked them up and tugged at them, but he didn't pay attention to the force and broke the thread, scattering the beads all over the floor.

A perfectly good fifth-grade magic weapon was now just a lone piece in his palm. He casually tossed it away, ignoring the sect leader's words, and said to himself, "I'm just staying here for a few months, and I'll leave when the time comes."

The sect leader breathed a sigh of relief, his joy evident in his eyes: "No problem, you can stay as long as you want!"

Shen Zhou lifted his eyelids: "Are you afraid of me?" His words revealed neither joy nor anger.

"No, I'm not afraid." The sect leader forced out a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"You are my master, why are you afraid of me?" he asked with great interest.

"No, no, no!" The sect leader bowed in alarm. "We can each follow our own path. I'll be your master, and you can be my master too!"

Shen Zhou glanced at him with a slight upturn of her eye: "How old are you?"

How big?

The sect leader was a little confused: "Five hundred and three years old?"

Shen Zhou withdrew his gaze, his tone indifferent: "Too poor aptitude, I have no interest."

Sect Leader: "..."

Do you think I need to tell you that?!

Shen Zhou put his leg down and stood up, half a head taller than him, and said, "You know what to teach Hua Deng starting tomorrow."

"Of course, of course." The sect leader wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve and said with an embarrassed smile:

"Hua Deng is exceptionally talented and has excellent comprehension. I am quite fond of this disciple."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Zhou's nonchalant gaze suddenly froze, as if he were looking at him directly for the first time.

The sect leader shuddered: "W-what's wrong?"

Before he could figure out what was happening, everything went black, and he felt a sharp pain on his head as Shen Zhou's sword sheath struck him.

Bang bang bang!

After three blows, the sect leader was knocked to the ground, powerless to fight back.

They continued beating until the floor tiles cracked and the sect leader's handsome face was embedded in the dirt. Only then did Shen Zhou speak: "From now on, you are not allowed to tell her you like her."

The sect leader silently cursed a thousand times in his mind: "She is my disciple!"

Bang!

Shen Zhou said coldly, "Don't make me remind you a second time."

Bang!

"Hear, answer."

"I heard it! I heard it with both ears! Oh, Master, please stop hitting me! I know I was wrong!"

On this day, the sect leader's screams echoed throughout the Yaoqing Sect.

However, no one dared to help, because everyone knew that they might be the next target.