Chapter 2 His sword was stained by her…

Noticing Sheng Zhiyi's gaze, Ji Fuguang drew his longsword.

Before Ji Fuguang could make a move, Sheng Zhiyi quickly cast a spell to wash the beast blood off the sword.

"Senior brother, you've worked so hard going down the mountain to slay demons and monsters. You see, although I'm not very strong, I'm quite good at doing small things like cleaning."

While desperately promoting herself, Sheng Zhiyi obediently returned the sword.

Ji Fuguang glanced at Sheng Zhiyi's hands resting on the sword, a cold glint flashing almost imperceptibly in his phoenix eyes.

A murderous intent surged within him, and he roared that he wanted to cut off those hands.

Her sword got dirty.

He covered his palm with spiritual energy, separating his hand from the sword, took the sword and draped it behind his back, then suddenly laughed:

“Junior Sister, the initiation trial is fraught with danger for a newly initiated disciple. Given the large number of participants this time, I fear I may not be able to protect everyone. If anyone is injured as a result, it would be my fault.”

"Junior Sister is exceptionally talented. Even if she can't participate in the introductory trial, there are other tasks she can do. Why go to such lengths?"

Seeing Ji Fuguang ride his sword again, Sheng Zhiyi lowered her head in frustration.

Noticing the food box she was carrying, she quickly raised her arm, "Senior brother! Snacks!"

The wind was strong and the clouds were high on the mountaintop, but Ji Fuguang seemed not to hear it.

As she walked back carrying the food box, Sheng Zhiyi covered her mouth and yawned.

She got up very early this morning to make the pastries, and spent three or four hours kneading the dough and steaming them.

"Forget it, Ji Fuguang won't get to enjoy it. I'll take it back and eat it myself!"

Sheng Zhiyi muttered to herself, feeling a little better. Thinking of the points she had just earned, she quickly opened the Treasure Pavilion in her mind's eye.

Rows of grids, some of which were already lit up, she looked over with anticipation.

Qi-Consolidating and Blood-Gathering Pill, Foundation-Building and Qi-Replenishing Pill, Taiyin Wood Spirit Talisman...

After tentatively clicking the exchange button, Sheng Zhiyi immediately sensed that something had been added to her storage bag. She looked down and opened the storage bag, and sure enough, there was a brand new bottle of Foundation Establishment Qi Replenishing Pill inside.

Although this system is old and laggy, the items redeemed in the Treasure Pavilion can indeed be taken into the real world.

Thinking of the rare and precious herbs and medicinal plants in the Treasure Pavilion, the rare spiritual roots that cultivators crave, and even the ultimate reward, he returned to the mortal world.

Sheng Zhiyi could not hide her excitement!

Ji Fuguang, Ji Fuguang, you're a gentleman who won't have any selfish motives anyway, so letting me boost my score won't affect you much! You won't lose anything, and I can exchange for some resources to improve my strength. Isn't that a win-win situation?

The more Sheng Zhiyi thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. The only problem was how she could get close to Ji Fuguang.

She is currently a servant in the outer sect of the Tianyan Sect, while Ji Fuguang is the chief disciple of the Tianyan Sect and usually frequents the inner sect.

It's quite difficult for outer disciples to enter the inner sect. Today, she waited for most of the day at the mountain gate before finally meeting Ji Fuguang. She can't possibly camp out there every day. Even if she wanted to, Ji Fuguang wouldn't necessarily come down the mountain every day.

She frowned in deep thought as she walked around the lush green bamboo groves by the roadside.

There was a bend in the road, and the tall bamboo groves blocked her view. She wasn't paying much attention and bumped into someone coming from the opposite direction.

"Who walks so recklessly!" The newcomer was a middle-aged man, dressed in a dark purple robe, with a square face, his brows furrowed, looking over with a serious expression.

Upon seeing Sheng Zhiyi, he became even more displeased: "So it's you! Where have you been? Did you finish your work this morning?"

Seeing this, the weasel-faced disciple behind him added fuel to the fire, saying, "Manager Li, she's lazy by nature, she must have gone off to play again."

Manager Li frowned and was furious: "Zhao Qi, is she always like this? I've been busy with work these days and haven't paid close attention to the servants' quarters. How could Sheng Zhiyi be so lazy?"

Zhao Qi nodded repeatedly, "Yes, Manager Li, we usually do all the work for Sheng Zhiyi. Even though we have our complaints, we endure it for fear of delaying the overall situation!"

"Zhao Qi, don't make false accusations. You say you work for me every day, but do you have any proof?" Sheng Zhiyi's almond-shaped eyes widened as she immediately spoke up. She couldn't let someone slander her to her face.

Upon hearing Sheng Zhiyi's rebuttal, Zhao Qi glanced at her in surprise.

This junior sister is usually quiet and timid, but today she seems like a completely different person.

"Alright, putting aside the past, have you finished your work for today?" Manager Li looked at Sheng Zhiyi sternly, his thick eyebrows furrowed into a deep frown.

Sheng Zhiyi pursed her lips and remained silent.

If she fails to complete the mission, her very existence will be erased; she has no time to care about the chores in the servants' quarters.

"Alright, Sheng Zhiyi, go to the servants' quarters right now and finish your work. I'm going to check later, so hurry up!" Steward Li made the final decision, then walked past Sheng Zhiyi and continued on his way.

Zhao Qi followed behind him, then turned around and glared fiercely at Sheng Zhiyi.

Sheng Zhiyi, carrying the food box, thought with a wry smile, "Forget it, I don't have any way to get close to Ji Fuguang anyway, I might as well just go to the servants' quarters, maybe there will be some new opportunities there."

The Tianyan Sect spans several mountain ranges, with lush forests and vegetation. Sheng Zhiyi flew on his sword, circling several mountain peaks. Seeing that the surrounding environment was becoming increasingly dilapidated and chaotic, he finally arrived at the servants' quarters.

Sheng Zhiyi found her own little courtyard. The wooden sign hanging at the gate was a bit crooked, and the thatched roof was yellowed and messy.

As soon as she stepped inside, she immediately closed her eyes in pain.

The original book didn't mention that the junior sister had to do this kind of work!

The courtyard was filled with various wooden blocks, piled up in layers, reaching half a person's height, filling the entire yard. There was barely any room for her to step, so she could only walk along the wall.

In the only empty space, there was an axe.

Clearly, Sheng Zhiyi had to chop all the wood in the yard by herself, and she only had half a day to do so.

Sheng Zhiyi put the food box into her storage bag, walked over, and picked up the axe.

The black iron axe was quite heavy. She placed the wooden block in front of her, gripped the handle tightly with both hands, swung it over her shoulders, and smashed it hard into the wooden block. A loud "crack" echoed.

...Oh no! The axe is stuck!

Sheng Zhiyi picked up the wood, and saw that the surface of the wood was shimmering with light, clearly indicating that it was no ordinary piece.

She tried to pry it open, but the wood held the axe firmly in place, leaving no gap. She then tried to smash the axe down, but the wood was too hard, and the axe wouldn't budge an inch.

Why is it that even chopping wood is going badly?

Sheng Zhiyi frowned in frustration and stared at the axe.

The wood in this cultivation world is just too hard. This useless junior sister is indeed useless; she has too little spiritual power in her body, and no matter how hard she tries, she can't cut it down.

Suddenly, something occurred to her, and Sheng Zhiyi's eyes lit up.

She took out a newly replaced medicine bottle from her storage bag. The bottle contained ten Foundation Building and Qi Replenishing Pills, and she put one in her mouth.

After waiting for a moment, she felt as if strands of spiritual energy were surging through her limbs and bones. She felt her strength increase significantly. She gripped the axe and swung it fiercely, easily splitting the block of wood in two.

This "Dating Strategy System" may have a ridiculous name, but what it produces is genuinely good!

Just then, the system's cold, mechanical voice suddenly rang in Sheng Zhiyi's mind:

[Good afternoon, player Sheng Zhiyi!]

[A new strategy guide has been released. Please check your inbox.]

[Strategy: Smile at Ji Fuguang to gain his favor.]

[Task Reward: 100 points]

[Punishment for failure: Extinction of existence]

[Task completion countdown: 06:00:00]

[Please complete the current strategy mission as soon as possible!]

She wanted to finish it too, but how could she see Ji Fuguang? With only six hours left in the countdown, it would be too late to wait until tomorrow. She couldn't just force her way in now!

Sheng Zhiyi lost interest in chopping wood and sat on the pile of firewood, pondering a solution.

She quieted down and heard several stewards talking in the courtyard next door.

With a thought, Sheng Zhiyi quietly moved closer, channeled her spiritual power, and eavesdropped on their voices.

"...Nowadays...among the younger generation...Ji Fuguang...is being given important responsibilities..."

"...So young...so devoted to the Dao...at Hai hour...Frosty Peak...practicing swordsmanship..."

Shuanghua Peak?

This place is located at the junction of the inner and outer gates. The mountain gate belongs to the inner gate, but if you climb up the cliff at the outer gate, you can also reach the summit.

Sheng Zhiyi tiptoed out of the servants' quarters and immediately flew away on her sword. She stumbled and staggered her way through crowded and intrusive places, and an hour later, she arrived at the foot of Shuanghua Peak.

She stood at the foot of the mountain and looked up. In the quiet night, the majestic mountain became even steeper, with large, hard rocks covering the mountainside. The peak was hidden among the clouds, almost touching the stars.

Ji Fuguang really doesn't have any fear of heights at all!

Sheng Zhiyi gritted her teeth. "If you're going to practice swordsmanship, then practice swordsmanship. Why did you run to such a high place? Do you think the cold wind will make your mind clearer?"

Helplessly, she was under someone else's roof and had no choice but to look down at the countdown in her mind, which was now only 03:12:34.

Say nothing more, just crawl!

To avoid alerting the inner disciples, Sheng Zhiyi sheathed his sword, stretched out his arm, and tried to reach the rocks above. Using both hands and feet, he began to climb.

Fortunately, she had just taken several pills, so her spiritual energy was plentiful and she felt as light as a swallow. She climbed for half an hour without feeling tired.

Sheng Zhiyi paused slightly, and when she glanced down, she felt dizzy.

The ground beneath my feet was no longer visible; bathed in moonlight, only the swaying trees and the distant echoes of the pine waves reverberating from the valley.

She looked up again, and above her were still endless mountains, seemingly without end, and the legendary summit was nowhere to be seen.

There was nothing but emptiness above and below, and she was all alone in the middle, her footing blown about by the cold night wind, like a piece of duckweed in the wind.

Sheng Zhiyi glanced at the countdown in her mind: 01:43:17.

With only a little over an hour left, she had to hurry and see Ji Fuguang to complete this mission.

Gritting her teeth, no longer caring whether she would be discovered, Sheng Zhiyi drew her longsword, made a hand gesture, and flew upwards on her sword.

A cold wind blew across her cheeks, blowing her hair back. With a do-or-die determination in her almond-shaped eyes, Sheng Zhiyi poured all the Foundation Building and Qi Replenishing Pills from the medicine bottle into her mouth and focused all her energy on driving her longsword.

Like a hot knife through butter, the longsword flew swiftly towards the mountain peak.

Sheng Zhiyi felt her spiritual energy burning wildly like a raging fire.

Closer, closer!

She saw the lush trees on the mountaintop, and the bright moonlight shining on the cold pool, making the water shimmer as if shrouded in a layer of bright silver gauze.

Suddenly, the protective array emitted a beam of white light, shooting straight towards Sheng Zhiyi.

Caught off guard by the attack, Sheng Zhiyi burned up all her spiritual energy and had no time to dodge.

She felt a violent shove all over her body, paused in mid-air for a moment, and then plummeted downwards!

The wind howled past her ears as she plummeted through the air, overtaking the rocks she had just climbed.

In his mind's eye, the large characters of the countdown were exceptionally eye-catching: 00:43:12.

That's it, it's really over. Even if I don't die from the fall, I'll still be eliminated if I can't complete the mission.

Sheng Zhiyi felt utterly hopeless.

Suddenly, a sword light flashed past as fast as lightning. Before Sheng Zhiyi could react, a silver ribbon wrapped around her waist and, before she could speak, she was pulled upwards.

The newcomer was incredibly fast; in just a few breaths, the mountain she considered an insurmountable barrier had already reached its summit. It wasn't until she was thrown onto the ground beside the icy pool that Sheng Zhiyi looked up and saw who it was.

Under the silvery moonlight, Ji Fuguang looked down at her.

The moonlight bathed his entire body in a thin layer of silver, exuding a chilling aura, like a deity sitting high in a hall, coldly observing the world with inscrutable eyes.

His phoenix eyes lowered slightly, his gaze gently falling on the corner of her eye, his dark pupils containing a hint of mystery.

"Junior Sister, are you... trying to kill yourself?"

He smiled faintly, his tone indifferent, seemingly tinged with sarcasm.

Sheng Zhiyi quickly forced a smile and stared straight at Ji Fuguang, "To repay, to repay your kindness!"

I don't know what the favor is, but I'll repay it first!

In the anxious wait, the cold, mechanical system voice finally sounded:

[Congratulations to player Sheng Zhiyi for completing the strategy mission. Reward: 100 strategy points]

With the threat of death temporarily averted, Sheng Zhiyi took out a food box from her storage bag, opened the lid, and said, "Senior brother, these are some snacks I made myself..."

Ji Fuguang glanced at her indifferently, and Sheng Zhiyi followed his gaze, finding herself unable to continue speaking.

That day was filled with chopping wood, climbing mountains, and falling off cliffs. The snacks in the food box had long since turned into a mess, with crumbs and pieces mixed together, making it look extremely chaotic.

She quickly put the food box away and looked at Ji Fuguang pleadingly: "Senior brother, the entrance trial..."

Before she could continue, Ji Fuguang's eyes moved from the corner of her eye to her neck, his thin lips curving into a smile, his voice as clear as spring water, yet carrying a chilling undertone:

"Junior Sister, do you know that trespassing into the inner sect is a capital offense? The mountain-protecting formation has just been activated, and soon the senior uncles from the Enforcement Hall will come to see who dared to do this..."

"audacious in the extreme."