A pure white inner shirt and a moon-white outer robe—this was Rong Yu's usual attire, yet now it was worn by him.

I raised my hand to my nose and sniffed. There was indeed a familiar scent, a cool and refreshing fragrance.

He suddenly felt reluctant to change out of those clothes.

He sighed inwardly, then finally took off his outer robe, held it to his face and took a few deep breaths, folded it neatly, and put it into his storage bracelet.

Picking up the tray from the bedside, I noticed that the disciples of the Tianzhi Sect wore robes that were predominantly blue, with light blue embroidered trim on the collar, cuffs, and hem. The robes were simple, elegant, and easy to wear.

Gao Yao retrieved the medicine quickly. Just as he secured his waist seal, footsteps sounded outside the door. Recalling the scene before he fell unconscious, Geng Qi asked in confusion, "May I ask, senior brother, how did our grandmaster know that I... fainted on the jade steps?"

“I’m not quite sure about that. Perhaps it was my grandmaster who came down the mountain after his seclusion and wanted to see the newly initiated disciples, and just happened to run into him.” Gao Xiang thought for a moment and said, “But I heard that you actually made it all the way from the bottom of the mountain to the top of the Jade Ladder. That’s really amazing. When I climbed the Jade Ladder before, I couldn’t climb more than four hundred steps. In the past hundred years, the only people who have been able to climb all nine hundred and ninety-nine steps besides you are the one on Shangxu Peak.”

"The one from Shangxu Peak?"

"It's Grandmaster Uncle! It's fate that you two met outside the sect. I heard that Grandmaster Uncle was only eight years old back then..."

Perhaps because he had finally gained a junior brother, Gao Yao became more talkative. Geng Qi, however, couldn't listen properly. He paused for a moment, then secretly pursed his lips.

What the heck!

He had thought that Rong Yu had brought him here because he recognized him, but now it seemed that it was just because he had climbed the Jade Ladder and achieved the same result that they felt a sense of kinship!

"By the way, junior brother, what's your name?"

Geng Qi said, "I will always remember."

"Oh, Junior Brother Changyi, let me take you to the sect's plaza."

Guiding his junior brother gave him, as the senior who had entered the sect earlier, a small sense of accomplishment.

Seeing the obvious joy on his face, Geng Qi smiled as well.

He was now using an unfamiliar face. His original goal was to climb Xufeng. Gaining that person's favor ahead of time would be a good thing for him. Thinking this made him feel a little better. But then he thought again that the person had given his clothes to a complete stranger. Even though it was because he had sweated while climbing the ladder, he still felt extremely upset.

They've spent so much time together, from Gefeng Town to Yandan Gate, yet Rong Yu has never let him wear his own clothes!

Although it's also because he doesn't need it.

After struggling with his own thoughts, Geng Qi followed Gao Yao out of the room, patted his face, sorted out his thoughts, and looked ahead.

The outer gate of Tianzhi Sect was somewhat different from what he had imagined. Having grown accustomed to the ethereal aura of Shangxu Peak, the scenery at the foot of the mountain was not as pleasing to the eye as that on the peak, though it was still lush with vegetation and full of spiritual energy.

Stepping out of the room, past several courtyards, and onto the pure white pebble path, the air was serene, and my heart felt less heavy.

They headed straight for the sect square. The closer they got to the road, the wider it became. Suddenly, a white light flashed before their eyes, as if an exit had suddenly appeared in a secret cave. Their vision expanded, and the view was completely different from what they had seen before.

The vast plaza resembled a circular array plate, upon which twelve high platforms were set up, corresponding to the positions of the twelve peaks. When Geng Qi arrived, dozens of new disciples from the sect were already standing on the array plate, many of whom were exceptionally talented. Upon seeing Gao Yao appear with the new disciples, some were envious, while others harbored hostility.

"Is he the one who climbed the Jade Ladder?"

"Yes, they went straight to the inner disciples' residence as soon as they arrived. I heard that the young sect leader personally escorted them there."

"She's so beautiful!"

"..."

Some people in the crowd whispered among themselves, while others complained, "He's just relying on his looks; who knows how he got up there?"

The voice was particularly abrupt in the crowd. Geng Qi smiled and looked over, raising his eyebrows slightly.

This person had a dark complexion and a scar between his eyebrows. His brows were furrowed, making his already ferocious face even more hideous. Although his face was not pleasing, he already had the cultivation level of the early Foundation Establishment stage.

"Junior Brother Cheng, please be careful with your words. Junior Brother Changyi is..."

"Senior Brother Gao!" Cheng Song interrupted Gao Yao: "If you want to become an inner disciple, you still need to work hard yourself. If you only think about currying favor with others, you'll probably stay in the outer sect for the rest of your life. Don't think that just because you went out for training with Grandmaster Uncle, you'll be different from others!"

These words were utterly merciless. Geng Qi knew about Gao Yao's current situation. Those who went to Ge Feng Town for training included Yuan Xin, Ye Hanqi, and Su Mo'er. All three were new disciples, and they were inner disciples from the beginning. However, Gao Yao was left in the outer sect because of his three spiritual roots. Although he had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he was a step behind Cheng Song, who had gone into seclusion from the beginning.

Therefore, although Cheng Song called him senior brother, he showed him no respect whatsoever.

Gao Yao was speechless after being confronted by him. He clenched his hands, met Geng Qi's gaze, and gave an awkward smile.

He had no intention of currying favor; his grandmaster had simply sent the person to him for care, and he had done so as instructed. Now, after Cheng Song's words, he was truly at a loss for words.

He couldn't very well say that it was his grandmaster's instruction, and no one would believe him anyway.

Geng Qi smiled at him, then suddenly took a step towards Cheng Song, "Since this senior brother has doubts, how about I help you clear them up?"

Cheng Song frowned: "How do I resolve this 'confusion'?"

Geng Qi's smile widened. "Senior brother, why don't you take a look behind you?"

"What tricks are you playing... huh?" Cheng Song didn't want to do as he wished, but a sudden burning pain shot through his back. He whirled around, a corner of his blue robe already ablaze. He frantically scrambled to extinguish the flames, then turned back and roared, "You..."

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!