If Shen Sangruo truly believed that the Flying Cloud Sect should be renamed the Undying Soul Sect.

Why is it that everyone who sees her follows her like a ghost, and there's no way to shake them off?

She was eventually caught up by Shen Daochen, who had fully unleashed his spiritual power.

After confirming it was her, Shen Daochen's voice carried a hint of anger, "Shen Sangruo, I called you, why did you pretend not to hear me? Do you really not want to see me and your sister?"

Shen Daochen only calls her by her full name when he is angry.

It was one thing for Shen Sangruo to have opposed Lingxiao Zhenren before, but now she doesn't even listen to him anymore. Does she still consider him her father?

Shen Daochen felt increasingly rebellious towards her and harbored many grievances against her.

After not seeing each other for several months, Shen Daochen's first reaction upon seeing Shen Sangruo was to find fault and criticize her.

He said with exasperation, "Young Sect Master, the competition is imminent. Why aren't you preparing for it properly? Why are you just wandering around here?"

Shen Daochen had always been grooming her to be the young sect leader, so he was very strict with her.

Even though she wasn't his preferred candidate for the young sect leader, he still felt she shouldn't let her guard down.

"No matter what you do, attitude is the most important thing. You are so lax and don't take the competition seriously. Do you have even a hint of what a young sect leader should be like?"

"The position of Young Sect Master carries immense responsibility and cannot be treated lightly."

It was indeed the right choice to side with Bai Mumu.

"Even if it weren't for the competition for the young sect leader, have you forgotten how I taught you? You can't even do the most basic self-discipline?"

"I thought you came down the mountain to gain experience and improve yourself, but I didn't expect you to become so addicted to these mundane things."

Shen Daochen subconsciously assumed that Shen Sangri was also relaxing and having fun here, and his disappointment was evident.

Without distinguishing right from wrong, they launched into a barrage of criticism against her.

If it were the old Shen Sangruo, she would only feel ashamed and embarrassed in this situation, feeling that she had let Shen Daochen down.

She took Shen Daochen's words too seriously, believing that everything he said was correct and for her own good.

She realized that she was indeed as worthless as Shen Daochen had said, and then she kept reflecting on her behavior, trying her best to do better as Shen Daochen had suggested.

Now she understands that all of this was just a tactic Shen Daochen used to manipulate her.

Therefore, she will no longer be influenced by his words as she used to be.

"How do you know I'm just wandering around here?" Chen Sangruo retorted coldly. "How do you know I haven't been preparing properly during this time?"

"To draw conclusions based solely on one's feelings without any evidence is a sign of a gentleman's way. How come it doesn't apply to you when it comes to yourself?"

Shen Sanruo had never refuted Shen Daochen like this before. In the past, she would only say that she knew she was wrong and would correct herself with trepidation.

Shen Daochen was unsure whether to be surprised by her unusual behavior or to defend himself.

He looked at Shen Sangruo. In the past two or three years, he had only met Shen Sangruo a handful of times.

The slightly immature face he remembered had lost its naivety, and the gaze that met his eyes no longer held the former admiration, respect, and apprehension, but was instead unusually calm and composed, with resolute eyes that seemed fearless.

Such a concrete depiction of growth surprised Shen Daochen.

"Senior Sister Shen, how can you speak to Father like that?"

It was Bai Mumu's voice that brought Shen Daochen back to his senses.

He quickly found an excuse for his behavior: "Based on my understanding of you, is this considered making a hasty judgment?"

He knew Shen Sangri better than anyone else; these conclusions were drawn from her previous actions.

Shen Sanruo glanced at Bai Mumu beside Shen Daochen; her complexion had become much rosier, indicating that she had fully recovered.

The other person was also secretly observing her.

Judging from her previous conversation with Shen Daochen, Bai Mumu's spiritual root seemed to have turned into an ice spiritual root. Such a strange thing made Shen Sanruo even more certain that there was something strange about her.

Their gaze returned to Shen Daochen.

"You know me?" Her expression was mocking as she sneered, "Your senior sister always acts so superior, believing that everything she does and says is correct."

Shen Daochen frowned upon hearing Shen Sangruo's blunt verbal attack.

When did she become so disobedient and dare to talk back to him?

Before Shen Daochen could speak, she continued, "So what if I did come here just to stroll around? Aren't my Uncle and Junior Sister Bai also just strolling around?"

“In the past, my senior uncle treated me and Junior Sister Bai very differently, which could be explained by the fact that she was in poor health and did not have to shoulder the important responsibilities of the sect.”

While demanding that she diligently cultivate, he doted on Bai Mumu and indulged her immensely.

It was as if he suddenly awakened his fatherly love after bringing Bai Mumu back, and suddenly knew how to be a good father.

"But now, Bai Mumu and I are both candidates for the position of Young Sect Master and both have to participate in the Young Sect Master competition. Why doesn't Martial Uncle apply the same standards to Bai Mumu as he did to me before?"

"Or does my martial uncle think she's unworthy to be the young sect leader, and that she doesn't need to prepare for the young sect leader competition, so he only holds me to high standards?"

"Moreover, my uncle has always prided himself on separating public and private matters, and he would never use the time he is dealing with sect affairs to do something as private as taking his daughter out for a trip."

After all, within the sect, she wasn't even allowed to call him "father."

Are you really as open and honest as you claim?

She ruthlessly exposed Shen Daochen's hypocrisy.

If he truly believes that treating her that way was the right thing to do, why not treat Bai Mumu in the same way?

Perhaps he had some idea in his heart, but he was still unwilling to admit that he was wrong.

If he could remain faithful to his wife, she would think he was indeed a strict father, but his differential treatment only makes her think he is a hypocrite.

Shen Sanruo looked straight at Shen Daochen, her words like a cold needle piercing Shen Daochen's heart.

He subconsciously wanted to say that she was different from Bai Mumu, but as Shen Sangruo said, the two were now no different from each other.

If we have to point out a difference, then the only difference is that one is her biological daughter and the other is just an adopted daughter.

But how could Shen Daochen admit that he was someone who only cared about blood ties and disregarded the years-long bond between adoptive father and daughter?

Why would he do that?

Shen Daochen had never thought about this question.

Looking back on this period, after Bai Mumu recovered, he treated her the same as before, never urging her to cultivate or do anything else.

Was his approach to the matter truly biased?

He quickly dismissed the idea. He was the leader of a sect, and it was under his management that the Flying Cloud Sect had reached its current position as a top sect in the cultivation world. How could he make a mistake on such a trivial matter?

But Shen Sangruo's question was so sharp that after a long silence, he seemed to finally find a reason.