As the night gradually grows, the annual lantern festival in Luancheng kicks off.

Since it is a lantern festival, the emphasis is on the word "bright".

At first, when the dusk fades away, Luancheng is like a baby just waking up from a deep sleep, everything is gloomy and dim.

When it opens its eyes, the eternal lamps, lanterns and candles are lit in clusters, and the streets and alleys are full of bright lights, and the light is flowing, making the whole city seem like daytime.

The dry night air envelopes the whole city, and the intermittent and scattered lights are like stars and fire. When Ningning steps into the street, she is dazzled by the dazzling and colorful lights and squints.

"This is a lantern, and that is a small animal-shaped lamp."

Zheng Weiqi drank a bowl of osmanthus porridge, her pupils turned bright orange in the light: "At this time, I should have passed by a handsome man. I was so weak and pitiful that I was knocked backwards by him, and in a split second--!"

"He grabbed your wrist and pulled you up. Under the influence of inertia, you were pulled into his arms without any explanation. The two of us looked at each other affectionately, and a little spark of love collided."

Ningning took over the conversation very cooperatively and took a bite of the candied haws in her hand.

That being said, judging from the actual situation of Senior Sister Zheng, the strength of a Yuanying cultivator should not be underestimated. If an ordinary person collides with the sword energy on her body...

it will become a horror movie, "Final Destination".

"But what do you think those elders are thinking?"

Zheng Weiqi said, "They actually let us go to the Demon Refining Tower to train - is that a place normal people would go?"

Lin Xun couldn't help but shudder when he heard the three words "Demon Refining Tower".

The elders announced the trial site for the second round of the Ten Dharma Conference not long ago. For most disciples, it was like a bolt from the blue.

The Demon Refining Tower was built before the battle between immortals and demons. When the battle was fierce, it naturally became the main target of the demons' attack and was almost breached several times.

Fortunately, many elders from the immortal sects jointly guarded the tower, so that demons would not be born and disturb the world.

Few people have entered the Demon Refining Tower, and most people, including Ningning, have only heard of this name in rumors.

The giant tower was built by Kunshan, and it imprisoned a large number of demons and monsters. Each of them was ferocious, violent, crazy and bloodthirsty, and had killed countless civilians. It was called "the most vicious place" by the world.

"It's good enough that I can save my life this time. We still have to compete."

He Zhizhou bought a bunny lamp and fiddled with its ears. "Although the specific competition has not been revealed, what else can we do in the Demon Refining Tower? Let's see who kills more."

This is actually a very straightforward method. There is no fancy tricks or intrigues. It depends entirely on personal strength. Any sect can show its magical power in its own field. Except for the safety problem, there are no major problems in other aspects.

——However, the elders have carefully prepared for so long, and they should have implemented protective measures to ensure that the Ten Dharma Association will not fall into a massacre of demons.

"Let's not talk about this for now! Today is the Lantern Festival. If you miss it, it will be difficult to encounter such a grand event again in the future."

Zheng Weiqi smiled and said, "I have heard that there is a Yuxia Mountain in Luancheng, which is the best place to overlook the whole city. Come on, Senior Sister will take you to see it!"

So a group of little disciples under Tianxianzi, including Jiang Si, who was idle and acting as a little tail, came to Yuxia Mountain together under her leadership.

The forest after nightfall is particularly creepy and eerie, not to mention that there are no other buildings and people except a temple at the foot of the mountain.

When Ningning looked up, she could only see the dark shadows of trees blown by the wind, like one huge wave after another, sobbing up and down in the night.

She came here with great enthusiasm, but she never expected that before the group had the chance to enter the mountain to explore, they were stopped at the foot of the mountain by a burly monk.

"Amitabha, Yuxia Mountain belongs to my Luming Temple. The abbot has specifically ordered that no outsiders are allowed to enter during the Lantern Festival."

The monk was nearly two meters tall, and when he stood there motionless, he looked like a standing cylindrical wooden pestle: "In the past few years, people from the city have been coming here in droves, and the birds and beasts in the mountains have been frightened. All creatures have spirits, so it's better not to disturb them again--"

When he said this, his face suddenly changed, and he raised his eyebrows in surprise, staring at Lin Xun without blinking: "Look at this dragon horn... Could it be Taoist Lin Xun from the Xuanxu Sword Sect?"

Lin Xun was inexplicably named, his consciousness froze, and he nodded blankly.

"Then this person must be Taoist Priest Zheng, Taoist Priest Ning, Taoist Priest Meng, Taoist Priest Pei--"

The monk's eyes swept over everyone's faces. When he saw Jiang Si, his voice became noticeably louder, and his eyes were as round as his forehead: "Elder Tianxian!"

Ah, what Elder Tianxian? Of course he is not that person.

Jiang Si was about to retort, but he heard Meng Ju beside him said seriously: "That's right. Young Master, you have good eyesight."

Jiang Si:...?

"I'm Wujing, Elder Tianxian, I've always wanted to see you in person!" The

monk took a step forward excitedly: "You are the dawn of the righteous path, the spokesperson of the sword path. It has always been my wish to meet Elder Tianxian!"

Jiang Si: "I--"

"Master, you don't have to be so flattered!"

Zheng Weiqi grabbed his arm and whispered in secret while saying this: "Whether we can go to Yuxia Mountain today depends on you!"

Jiang Si: ...

Jiang Si's mouth twitched: "Oh."

Ning Ning also smiled and said: "Since the young master admires the master so much, why not talk to him more?"

Wu Jing was even happier to get the promise: "Really? Of all the deeds of Elder Tianxian in his life, the one that impressed me the most was that when everyone in his group was seriously injured, he killed the nine-headed giant dragon with one sword in Fengduling - I wonder if the elder can tell me the details of the scene that day?"

What is Fengduling? What is the nine-headed giant dragon?

Jiang Si really wanted to answer "no".

But the vicious and cruel eyes of the people around him were staring at him, making him feel like he was being stabbed in the back, extremely painful. He just felt that he was so pitiful, these sword cultivators were not human.

"I will never forget that day."

He took a deep breath and quietly winked at the people around him, trying to seek support. But he saw Zheng Weiqi whistling and playing with her fingernails, Ningning put her hands behind her back and looked down at her feet. The rest of them were alive, but actually dead, standing there motionless and silent.

Damn, this bunch of useless garbage.

"That giant dragon came with such force that my fellow students fell to the ground like noodles, foaming at the mouth, with their bodies spread out, their hair hanging sideways, and their voices wailing. I felt pity for them..."

Jiang Si mobilized all his vocabulary reserves, but suddenly realized a very serious problem.

All his recent readings were from Zheng Weiqi's indescribable short stories.

"As a swordsman, how could I let my companions suffer such a disaster! I am so heartbroken! My tears rushed out uncontrollably, I swung my sword madly, I roared and screamed, I tore my hair like a mad wolf until there was nothing left, I want to kill it! Ugh——!"

He made up stories and even developed emotions. With a hideous look on his face, he madly hammered a big tree beside him, panting heavily:

"I fought it for three hundred rounds, stabbing my sword into its body without mercy. It groaned, it screamed, it wagged its tail and begged for mercy under me, and I laughed so crazily! Hahahaha! My sword is a rare famous weapon, how could a small evil dragon like it escape! I swung my sword fiercely and let out an extremely satisfying roar——!"

Help! This story is getting more and more wrong!

Ningning was stunned when she heard it. After thinking about it, it turned out that it was not the wind that was moving, but her heart; it was not that Jiang Si's words were dirty, but that her heart was dirty. Jiang Si

finished speaking, still maintaining the posture of hammering the tree with his hand, and took a deep breath again with red eyes.

There was a sound of applause from the gentle, elegant, and bright Meng Ju: "As expected of a master, you really speak so vividly that it almost makes me cry."

Although Wu Jing felt something was wrong, he could only clap along: "The picture is very vivid, as expected of Elder Tianxian!"

Jiang Si's mouth curled up, and he shook his messy hair and sneered from his throat.

"By the way, I have another question!"

Wu Jing listened to it very well, and asked curiously: "Elder Tianxian was born with a sword bone, and he is famous all over the world at a young age. I wonder if he has any secrets of cultivation?"

He knew nothing about snake skin clubs and hammers.

Jiang Si's smile froze.

"I know this!"

Useless waste number one Zheng Weiqi was the first to transmit the message: "Master practices for six hours every day, and is always trying to figure out the sword manual. I heard that in order to save time, he uses river water for bathing--"

Before she finished her words, another voice rang in Jiang Si's mind.

Useless waste number two Ningning spoke quickly: "I know, I know! When he was hungry, he ate leftover steamed bread. Later, he practiced fasting to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. He bought sword manuals one after another. In order to make money, he even sold his pants and almost went to a brothel."

Then it was useless waste number three He Zhizhou: "Master didn't eat or sleep during his practice. The whole day...

"The master is practicing swordsmanship day and night in the pagoda. He is chopping with a sword every day. If it were me, I would be so tired that I would commit suicide on the spot." And the useless waste number four Meng Ju: "Just say that you practice swordsmanship day and night. The master practiced swordsmanship every day and almost went astray. He never stopped practicing until he became the elder of the Xuanxu Sword Sect."

Because it was transmitted to Jiang Si alone, they could not hear each other's voice.

If you take them separately, perhaps each one has its own reasons, but when they are gathered in the same person's ears, it is no different from the garbled words of a group of demons.

"Uh, I..."

Jiang Si wanted to escape, but the sight of the little monk in front of him was as bright as a torch, silently urging him to speak as soon as possible. Those words were put together in an extremely chaotic way. He thought about it for a long time and finally chose to give up thinking.

"When I was hungry, I ate the bath water that had been left overnight. I chopped pants in the brothel all day long and was so tired that I became obsessed. In order to make money, I even committed suicide on the spot. Even after I became an elder of the Xuanxu Sword Sect, I never stopped going to the brothel."

What is this.

The scene was silent.

Several people from the Xuanxu Sword Sect turned their heads and looked around.

Only Wu Jing was horrified when he heard it. His pupils trembled, and his eyes, mouth and nostrils turned into natural circles, which looked very harmonious, like a donut on a plate.

——Could this be the strongest swordsman of the time! Horrible! The ultimate horror!

Jiang Si tried hard to hold back the hot tears in the corners of his eyes: "Well, probably, maybe, that's it."

He laughed awkwardly a few times, and continued as if to make up for it: "Actually, I can also read books. Reading thousands of books will help you travel thousands of miles, hehe."

Wu Jing hesitated for a moment: "I wonder what kind of books Elder Tianxian reads?"

Jiang Si was about to open his mouth, but was immediately covered by Zheng Weiqi: "The General Principles of Swordsmanship!"

In fact, it was "Records of Cultivation".

Ning Ning added seriously: "The Solitary Light Sword Technique!"

In fact, it was "Erosion of Bone Danger: My Domineering Master".

Lin Xun almost cried after hearing this. To save his master's reputation, he timidly said with a little effort: "There is also "Twelve Chapters of Sword Classics."

In fact, it was "Genius Son and Confused Mother".

Jiang Si couldn't make a sound, so he could only nod.

"So that's how it is!"

Wu Jing didn't know what he was thinking about. He lowered his head and scratched his bald head embarrassedly. A blush appeared on his face: "There is one last question... Actually, I have always wanted to practice sword with Elder Tianxian. What do you think, Elder?"

Fate is fair.

While opening a door for some people, it will also close a window for others.

Jiang Si has already foreseen his future.

Why do I feel a little spicy when the wind blows into my eyes today?

=====

Jiang Si and Wu Jing went to practice sword.

Without the little monk's obstruction, climbing the mountain seemed particularly easy. Ningning followed the mountain path up, passed through layers of overlapping forests, and soon reached the top of the mountain.

Yuxia Mountain is not the highest, but the view is the most open. Standing on the top of the mountain and looking down, thousands of lights fall into the eyes.

In the middle of the night, the neon lights mixed with the rolling smoke by the Longyin River, and the layers of fog with a faint glow were like a thin gauze swaying in the wind, covering the lights that were connected like pearls.

As for the Longyin River, it was filled with flickering flames. Looking down from a high place, it really looked like a giant circling dragon, with smoke and waves billowing on its side, and its momentum was extraordinary.

Ning Ning was dazzled by what she saw, and Zheng Weiqi's chatter was playing in her ears on a loop. When she turned her head inadvertently, she found Lin Xun's shadow in the corner.

Little White Dragon was a little distance away from everyone else. The entire mountain top was reflected in a faint light, but the place where he was was shrouded in the shadows of the trees, covering it with a shadow as thick as a dark cloud.

He was originally concentrating on looking at the scenery below the mountain, and probably noticed Ning Ning's gaze, and turned his head hastily.

"What's the matter? Why are you standing here alone?"

Ning Ning walked to his side calmly, and the light in front of her eyes dimmed, leaving only a hazy shadow.

"I--"

He didn't expect anyone to come over, so he took a step back. Even though he had known Ning Ning for quite some time, Lin Xun still felt nervous when he was alone with her: "I think this place is great."

To be precise, he rarely talked to anyone alone.

Ning Ning leaned against the tree trunk, put her hands behind her, raised her eyes and asked him softly: "How do you feel about your time in the sect?"

Lin Xun didn't dare to look her in the eye, and said "hmm" in a low voice.

He and Pei Ji were the same type of people who kept to themselves and didn't fit in in the sect.

But unlike the latter, Pei Ji deliberately separated himself from others and hated unnecessary contact with others; while Lin Xun, although he wanted to get to know more people, always stopped because of fear and wrapped himself in an absolutely safe cocoon.

He hated himself like this, but he could do nothing about it.

The scene here reminded Lin Xun of the accident in his childhood.

He fell into the abyss alone, with a ghost-like giant beast evil spirit beside him, and in the process of falling, he could see the fire of the city in the distance.

Those bright lights were dazzling and seemed to be close at hand, but when he stretched out his hand, he could only touch the empty bubbles.

Just like now.

There were lights everywhere in Luancheng, and even Yuxia Mountain was tinged with bright colors, but the forest itself was actually pitch black, without a single ray of light.

He was not good at speaking, and there seemed to be an awkward silence between him and Ningning.

Lin Xun was anxious for a moment, trying to think about how to talk to her, and suddenly heard Ningning's voice.

She kept laughing: "By the way, I have something to give you."

Lin Xun looked up blankly.

The two of them stood under the silent and dim shade of the trees, as if they were completely isolated from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

The girl next to him half lowered her head, searching for something in her storage bag, and some light leaked in from the gaps between the branches and fell on the tip of her small nose.

Ningning raised her lips immediately, and a faint light illuminated her fair knuckles.

The dragon boy widened his eyes in astonishment.

What appeared in her hand was the night-shining pearl that he had been thinking about for a long time.

Lin Xun was speechless.

When he was in the abyss, he had longed for someone to help him, and he had hoped to touch the unreachable light in despair.

But no one came.

Even after he was rescued from the abyss, due to his drastic change in temperament, no one except his family was willing to contact him.

- He was so troublesome that he would be shy to speak a word. He could not trust anyone around him. He could only stay where he was like a piece of wood, wandering alone outside the group.

Lin Xun knew Ning Ning's financial situation.

This bead could empty her small treasury.

Why...even so, she had to buy it and give it to him.

"For you, you must do your best in this trial."

Ning Ning stood in the halo, looked up and smiled at him: "If you feel scared when you are alone in the future, take it out and have a look, and you will think of us."

It was originally pitch dark here, but because of her arrival, the night was dispelled and the white light as gentle as a dream was cast.

Then came the breath, warmth and voice of human beings, accompanying him very softly.

Lin Xun took a deep breath.

He felt a little hot in the corners of his eyes.

"Little, little senior sister——"

Lin Xun's eyes were filled with tears, and the white jade dragon horns were dyed light pink, and the tops shook slightly: "When we return to Xuanxu Sect, I will give you all the watermelons, pumpkins and cucumbers, and make fried melon peels for you. I will never let you beg for food again."

Ningning laughed out loud, gently held his wrist, and stuffed the night pearl into the palm of the little white dragon: "Okay."

=====

Zheng Weiqi used a whole month of free storybooks as a bargaining chip to make Jiang Si agree to practice swordsmanship with Wujing as Tianxianzi.

When everyone came down from Yuxia Mountain, they happened to run into them outside the temple gate.

There was also a crowd of onlookers.

Someone was playing "Dance of Butterflies" on the erhu in the distance. In the endless music, Jiang Si stood expressionless with Wu Jing, looking indifferent to life and death.

The music sounded, and the swords rose. The two stood on tiptoe, raised the edge of the sword, and let his hand gently rest on his shoulder.

Every movement seemed to be slowed down by 0.25 times. Jiang Si stepped on his feet, touched the sword, turned, and touched the sword again. At first glance, it looked like a fluttering butterfly, stumbling and landing on a cylindrical stick.

Someone asked curiously, "Who is the person who practiced swordsmanship with Master Wu Jing?"

"I heard it was Elder Tianxian of the Xuanxu Sword Sect."

Someone responded, "As expected, he is the man who has conquered the entire Luan City. His butterfly-like dancing posture is so beautiful."

Jiang Si remained indifferent, still with an expressionless dead face. When he leaned forward, his whole frail body was grabbed by Wu Jing and lifted high.

"Butterfly Dance" reached its climax at this moment, and the crowd took a breath of cool air at the same time.

He spun and flew, spun and flew, and raised his orchid finger in the posture of the Seven Fairies Flying in the Sky, letting the long sword in his hand draw out one after another bright light. Finally, he shook his body and performed the extremely difficult Thomas Full Spin in Wu Jing's hand.

Everyone present cheered and cheered. Everyone who saw her would say from the bottom of their hearts, "As expected of Elder Tianxian, she is so beautiful that it makes people intoxicated!"

What a beautiful rural sunset romance, Zheng Weiqi was about to step forward to stop it, but she was caught off guard by Ning Ning's voice, "Senior sister, wait!"

She deliberately lowered her voice, as if she had seen something extremely frightening, and her tone was full of panic and fear.

Zheng Weiqi felt something in her heart, and moved her eyes away from Jiang Si and Wu Jing, looking at the crowd of onlookers not far away.

Among the many Luancheng people who praised them sincerely, the young man standing in the front was tall and handsome, and when he looked at them and smiled, it was like a spring breeze.

Who else could it be except their dear master Tianxianzi.

I don’t know who sighed affectionately, "There is Tianxian in Luancheng, one dance can conquer the city, and another dance can conquer the country."

And Tianxianzi smiled so amiably, and every word was as moving as a wild chrysanthemum blooming in the wind. He waved to them with great love while speaking.

Like a ghost who died with his eyes open.

"A few of you. Come. Over. For. a. moment."

=====

Being caught red-handed by the real owner while impersonating someone else is really embarrassing.

Fortunately, Tian Xianzi took into consideration the Dharma Assembly tomorrow and did not kill them directly. Instead, he told them in an unusually gentle tone that the cemeteries in the north were the cheapest and that his beloved little disciple might be able to use them when he met him again after completing the trial.

He smiled so gently, like a kind and lovely old mother. The group was so moved that their eyes were red. When they returned to the inn, it was already midnight.

Zheng Weiqi was very creditable in business and honestly followed the agreement. As soon as she returned to the inn, she sold Pei Ji a copy of "Records of Cultivation".

The book was as thick as a brick and as hard as a hammer. If you hit someone with it, it would definitely make a big hole.

He took it and quickly put it in his storage bag. Before saying goodbye to Zheng Weiqi, he asked in a muffled voice: "Sister, which chapter do I appear in?"

"You?"

Zheng Weiqi really didn't expect that he would ask such a question.

In her impression, Pei Ji was gloomy and aloof, always cold and indifferent. It seemed that there was only sword intent in his eyes, and everything around him had nothing to do with him.

Not to mention this kind of ridiculous and clichéd love triangle drama, which had nothing to do with him. Now they were forced together, which was weird no matter how you looked at it.

But she still answered honestly: "You just became Master's disciple, so you have fewer roles. Turn directly to the second to last chapter, where you make your first appearance."

So Pei Ji thanked him and returned to his room. The first thing he did was to sit on the edge of the bed and open the thick leisure book, and then turn to the second to last chapter.

He read very quickly, almost ten lines at a glance. When he saw his name, his eyes froze for a moment, and he read slowly and patiently.

The paragraph he was looking for was not long after.

Pei Ji pursed his thin lips, and as his eyes wandered left and right, he subconsciously slowed down his breathing. For some reason, at this moment, he actually felt a little nervous and hesitant for no reason, and his heartbeat quietly accelerated.

["Is that Master's new disciple?"

Ning Ning leaned against the door, looking at the boy's back going away, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

She looked deep, like a predator waiting for its prey to take the bait, and licked her lips with the tip of her tongue: "He looks really cute, the type I like... Look at him, does he look like a little wild cat?"

Zheng Weiqi said lazily: "He's a troublemaker, I think he's quite tricky."

"So what if he's a troublemaker?"

Ning Ning just smiled: "I think I've fallen in love with him a little."]

After that, there was no more description of Pei Ji. As the whole book is still being serialized, this scene that is comparable to a passerby is his only chance to appear in the current "Record of Cultivation and Romance".

"No way, my god! What a crappy name 'little wild cat' is? And that 'licking lips with the tip of the tongue', this is too hard to accept!"

This article is simply pouring greasy black dog blood directly into people's mouths. Cheng Ying sneered at it. Halfway through, he looked at Pei Ji. After a brief daze, he couldn't help but screamed:

"Pei Xiaoji! You, you, you actually blushed because of this? And you're still laughing! God, do you know that your mouth is about to reach your ears?"

Damn it, how can this brat be so useless!

It thought Pei Ji had found out something and wanted to use this book to join in other people's conversations. However, it never expected that the reason he bought "Records of Cultivation" was just because He Zhizhou mentioned to Ning Ning, "I remember you seem to have some interest in Pei Ji."

Pei Ji looked cold and said without hesitation, "No."

Cheng Ying relied on the fact that no one else could hear except him, and shouted unconvincedly, "Obviously there is! You just want to see what it would be like if Ning Ning liked you!" It

didn't get any response after it finished speaking. The spirit body bounced a few times in the sea of ​​consciousness, and probably guessed Pei Ji's thoughts: "Hey, you don't want to refute? Give up resistance? Why is your face redder?"

Pei Ji still didn't respond, and fell back, with his upper body lying on the bed.

He used the book to cover his entire face. Others could not see his expression. They could only see that the slender young man did not move. His fingers holding the pages of the book turned gray because he was holding too tightly.

After a long while, he moved slightly, put the "Record of Cultivation" on the side of his head, and then turned sideways to look at the small words again.

A few strands of messy black hair were scattered on the pages. Pei Ji's pupils were also dark, but they were no longer as sinister and cruel as usual. He was cautious and had a subtle fear.

Chengying thought this boy was cute and pitiful, and asked him dryly: "If you really like Ningning, why don't you tell her directly?"

Pei Ji didn't say anything, buried most of his face in the pillow, stretched out his right hand without saying a word, and touched the pages of the book.

The paper was cold and a little rough.

And his index finger moved slowly, gently crossing the sentence said by "Ningning" in the storybook, as if touching a precious treasure, and was very nervous.

[Ningning just smiled: "I seem to have fallen in love with him a little."]

Ningning said she liked him.

Liked him.

Even if it was such a pale text, when Pei Ji saw it with his own eyes, his ears couldn't help but burn violently.

Although I kept telling myself that those were just ridiculous lies, my eyes were drawn to them uncontrollably, and I repeated those words in my mind countless times.

In my confusion, I also felt a little happy and joyful.

"It's good like this now."

The tip of his nose was filled with the faint fragrance of trees. He looked at the words, a hint of self-mockery flashed in his eyes, and finally responded to Chengying: "Friendship between fellow students... For someone like me, what else can I ask for?"