Amidst the commotion, An Zhengzheng looked up and saw that, in addition to the male cultivators' discussions, many female cultivators were also nodding in agreement.

An Zhengzheng wasn't angry, but An Yirou's face flushed red with rage: "Sister, he...they..."

"Have you forgotten?" An Zhengzheng comforted her, "I cultivate the Path of Ruthlessness, so this controversy is inevitable."

From the very beginning, she was prepared to face controversy.

This preparation was not only met with dissuasion from the clansmen, opposition from the parents, and coercion from the grandmother.

"But we can't let them comment so freely. We make our own choices, what does it have to do with them?"

An Yirou deliberately raised her voice.

The murmurs among those people immediately subsided.

An Zhengzheng looked at her with some surprise.

It turns out that her time travel over the years has had some influence on this younger sister.

“I’m glad you think that way,” An Zhengzheng smiled. “I cultivate the Path of Ruthlessness, so I’m not afraid of these rumors. You don’t need to worry about me. If a few rumors could disturb my Dao heart, what’s the point of cultivating the Path of Ruthlessness?”

She had heard these words countless times in both her past and present lives.

For example, why would a woman be named Zhengzheng? It sounds frightening and doesn't look good when written.

Ordinary girls are often named with words like Jiao, Rou, Ya, Jing, Ting, Yi, Yi, Yi, Si, Min, Hui, and Hui, which evoke a sense of gentleness, charm, tranquility, or elegance.

Listening to them, the main themes are all about joy and tranquility, making them easy to choose and suitable for any home.

A man's talents should be brave, soaring, roc, sharp, dragon, heaven, strong, powerful, and martial.

Listening to their songs, the main theme is always striving, which immediately makes people feel that they are capable, ambitious, and have a bright future.

A woman should, should...

She should have been adorned with rouge and powder, and had a slender figure.

One should be gentle and weak, but only a mother can be strong.

Giving a girl a name like that is hardly befitting of a young lady.

But An Zhengzheng, she insisted on taking Zhengzheng, the Zhengzheng with an iron will.

Thinking of this, An Zhengzheng felt no sadness, but even a rare excitement.

She was even more looking forward to her days of cultivation at Siyue Gate!

The stronger the opposition, the more motivated she became. She wanted to see how public opinion would change if she persisted to the end.

After thanking the senior sister, An Zhengzheng left with a somewhat indignant An Yirou, only to see a sudden gust of wind rise and a person arrive on a sword.

"Is this...this year's runner-up?" Someone recognized the person. "He seems to be from the Zhou family, his name is...what was it again? Right, I think it's Zhou Xu?"

"Zhou Xu, is he the legendary Zhou family's eldest son, the one who is said to be heartless?"

The crowd began to discuss the matter, and An Zhengzheng instantly remembered the familiar name.

Zhou Xu.

Born without any emotional attachments, he was known since childhood as the most famous child prodigy among the four great immortal cultivation families, and was cultivated in the direction of the path of ruthlessness from the day he was born.

Zhou Xu arrived on his sword and landed in front of everyone.

He was tall and slender, like a towering pine tree, with exquisite features that were breathtaking. The female cultivators around him all gasped in astonishment.

"It's him, it's definitely him! My God, I can't believe I've seen this genius in my lifetime... Waaah, what good deeds did I do in my past life..."

"I need to send a spiritual energy signal... Senior Brother Zhou Xu is in the training hall..."

Amid cheers, Zhou Xu gracefully sheathed his sword and stored it in his storage ring before walking towards his senior sister who was distributing gift packs.

"The Path of Ruthlessness, Zhou Xu."

The senior sister asked somewhat haltingly, "Oh, the... the Path of No Emotion, is that right?"

What is your birth sign?

Zhou Xu simply said, "Sword."

It's not surprising that the man's natal element is sword, but when the senior sister heard this, she couldn't help but say, "Oh, just like Junior Sister Zhengzheng."

"Zhengzheng?" Zhou Xu frowned. He was all too familiar with that name. "You mean An Zhengzheng?"

In the joint examination of the seven major sects, the top scholar, who was thought to be a sure thing, actually fell to a person named An Zhengzheng.

I heard she's a female cultivator.

He lost, and surprisingly, he lost to a female cultivator who was a few years younger than him.

The senior sister pointed: "It's her."

An Zhengzheng, who had been pointed at, met Zhou Xu's gaze.

Calm, indifferent, observing without making a sound.

The two had the same look in their eyes.

An Zhengzheng nodded, then pulled An Yirou to leave.

"An Zhengzheng." Zhou Xu suddenly called out to her.

An Zhengzheng turned around in confusion.

At this moment, Zhou Xu had already swept his magic weapon over her, and now his brows were furrowed even more: "Your love is deeply rooted."

She had heard that sentence many times.

"Yes." An Zhengzheng nodded frankly.

He then left with An Yirou.

Zhou Xu, who remained where he was, couldn't understand how he could lose to a female cultivator who was younger than him and whose love was so deeply rooted.

Logically speaking, people with deep emotional attachments are often tormented by maternal and paternal love, romantic love, and friendship on their spiritual journey, making it difficult for them to calm down and cultivate themselves.

I can't continue drawing talismans, I can't persist in memorizing incantations, and I repeatedly suffer from internal friction when practicing swordsmanship and boxing.

This An Zhengzheng was the most deeply ingrained person he had ever met; it was ingrained to the bone, and yet, yet...

"If you have time, I'd like to have a magical duel with you."

Just as An Zhengzheng's figure was about to disappear at the entrance of the training hall, he suddenly spoke up.

An Zhengzheng wasn't surprised and didn't even turn her head: "Okay, but not for the next three days."

"good."

An Zhengzheng left with An Yirou.

On the way, An Yirou didn't know why, but she felt her heart pounding and her face burning hot.

She clutched her pounding heart and whispered to An Zhengzheng, "Sister, how can there be such a handsome man in this world!"

An Zhengzheng was stunned when he saw An Yirou's blushing face.

The cultivation world is warm and spring-like all year round, with no rain or snow, and the weather is never so hot that you'll blush and sweat.

She suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"What's wrong?" An Yirou asked, looking bewildered.

An Zhengzheng suddenly asked, "What do you think of Zhou Xu?"

“A genius prodigy, a promising talent with the Root of Ruthlessness…” An Yirou listed Zhou Xu’s merits one by one. “He is handsome and capable. With the 100% ascension rate of the Root of Ruthlessness, it is inevitable that he will ascend to the immortal position. He has a bright future.”

I understand, he's a promising stock.

An Yirou continued recounting: "His family background is not bad either, he comes from the Zhou family, but I don't know what his character is like..."

"But do you remember that we came to Siyue Gate to cultivate immortality?"

Seeing that she was getting more and more engrossed in counting, An Zhengzheng interrupted her.

An Yirou thought about it and realized it made sense, so she nodded, seemingly having come to her senses.

Just as An Zhengzheng breathed a sigh of relief, An Yirou suddenly said, "But if you could marry Zhou Xu, you wouldn't have to go through all this trouble."

An Zhengzheng was shocked and couldn't believe her ears: "W-what?"

Seeing An Zhengzheng's strong reaction, An Yirou asked in confusion, "Wasn't there a girl from the Zhou family like this before? She married Master, and when Master attained godhood, her entire maternal clan also rose to prominence..."

This is something everyone already knows, so why is my sister reacting so strongly?

It seems that my sister has been used to being aloof for so many years, and all she knows is to practice hard every day. Why suffer like that?