Chapter 22: Issuing a challenge is wrong. It hasn't been long, and she's already broken through? ...
The next day at noon, the three returned to the town where the laborers lived. The small town was bustling with people, and they found a noodle shop to sit down, chatting in the steaming heat before their noodles were served.
Shen Lixia bought a large jar of milk from a nearby shop and placed it on the table. Noticing Tang Huairou's hesitant expression, she found it somewhat amusing: "Senior Sister, is there something you want to say?"
After their conversation on the way, Tang Huairou realized that the rumors she had heard earlier were true. They had also gotten to know each other better through this incident. Now, returning to the sect, she couldn't help but worry about the troubles they would face, and felt guilty for not having offered help sooner. Hearing Shen Lixia's question, she bit her lower lip and said in a low voice, "Weren't you two junior sisters harassed by some scoundrels in the sect? I wonder if I should..."
"It's alright, we'll handle it ourselves," Qiao Yanshen interrupted her, "Senior sister, there's no need to worry. Things are never smooth sailing. Besides, if we can punish him, it will serve as a warning to others not to cause trouble like this."
She has just broken through to a higher level, and it's time for her to find someone to spar with.
Although her opponent was supposed to be in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, while she herself had only entered the early stage a couple of days ago, Qiao Yanshen had a strong intuition—she could win. Her opponent was nothing more than an ignorant fool, with unstable spiritual energy fluctuations and no defenses around him; he was probably just a pampered young master raised on elixirs.
There was really no need to ask Tang Huairou for help.
However, there is indeed something I need to ask Tang Huairou.
"Senior sister, it is said that a small competition within the sect will be held soon, at which time outer disciples can take this opportunity to become inner disciples. Is this true?"
After a moment's thought, Tang Huairou organized the information and said, "It's true. The inner and outer disciples are classified according to their cultivation level. They first enter the secret realm to compete. The top outer disciple can compete against the bottom inner disciple. If the top disciple wins, the top disciple will take the inner disciple's place. As for the servants... they are considered outer disciples when they register and compete with the outer disciples."
So it's an elimination system. It sounds like the best way to get rid of those good-for-nothings who just talk and eat.
Shen Lixia stroked her chin, thought for a moment, and then said, "Then Senior Sister will go to the Foundation Establishment group, and I will stay in the Qi Refining group. That way, we can both become disciples of the inner sect."
"There are many diligent students in the outer sect, so let's not be too sure of ourselves." Qiao Yanshen smiled and shook his head. "Thank you for taking care of me along the way, Senior Sister Tang. I hope we can meet again in the inner sect in the future, and I can be your true junior sister."
Tang Huairou nodded, and when she heard her say the words "real junior sister," the image of Ruan Luoying's smile hiding a knife flashed through her mind, and she shivered.
I wonder what Master is doing right now. Since that group of people were injured, he certainly won't let things end so easily. In addition, given the atmosphere of the aristocratic families, Ruan Luoying and the other True Monarchs are probably being entangled in a lot of trouble.
I need to go back and give them a good talking-to, telling Master not to listen to these scoundrels—it would be best if I could get a chance to teach them a lesson and rectify the sect's atmosphere, so that my junior sisters' reputations wouldn't be tarnished by those gossipy young men.
As they were thinking, the hand-pulled noodles were served, and the rich broth wafted out its aroma. Shen Lixia picked up her chopsticks first, and the others stopped talking. For a moment, the only sounds in the noodle shop were the clinking of cups and plates and the sounds of eating.
While eating, Shen Lixia glanced at Qiao Yanshen and noticed that he also maintained an elegant eating habit, chewing slowly and occasionally tucking his hair behind his ear. But there was something quite interesting—Qiao Yanshen patiently picked out all the finely chopped scallions, piled them up in a small heap, and then carefully avoided this pile of white and green things, as if afraid they would soak back into the soup.
My senior sister ate thin noodles. This time, there was no red color, so it looked rather bland.
Just as she was engrossed in watching, Qiao Yanshen's voice suddenly rang out in her mind through divine sense, containing a hint of helplessness: "Don't look."
Okay, I'm not watching anymore.
She lowered her head dejectedly and focused on the food in her bowl.
In the mountains and forests, suddenly the leaves rustled as they fell to the ground, and all the birds took flight in fright.
In front of the deserted courtyard, a man retrieved the sword he had just swung at the tall tree in front of the courtyard. Looking at the mark left on it, he felt a little relieved, but then he was covered in some kind of translucent powder, and immediately coughed and sneezed violently.
He coughed until his face was covered in snot and tears, not caring about his appearance, and quickly wiped it with his sleeve, only to be covered in more pollen. The people nearby saw this and immediately dared not approach, only watching his disheveled appearance from the side.
"So...cough cough, back then it was..." Another sneeze interrupted him, "You're the one who did this!"
As he finally wiped his nose and used his spiritual power to resist the pollen, he heard familiar voices from not far away.
"Senior sister said that as long as a spiritual power imbued with divine thought is injected into the token, the message of declaring war within the sect can be conveyed. Although the other side has the right not to accept the challenge, this will inevitably be remembered by the other disciples."
Shen Lixia, biting into a plump fruit, walked one after the other with Qiao Yanshen. Qiao Yanshen listened as she recounted the rules of the arena, nodding slightly from time to time.
But as soon as they reached the courtyard, they saw Lin Fenghua's face, red and swollen, looking like a roasted anglerfish. Beside her were the same troublemaking boys and a boy watching indifferently.
Shen Lixia clicked her tongue dramatically and chuckled, "As expected of those bastards, their injuries healed quickly. What, want to be blown up again?"
One of the boys, provoked by her, felt his blood boil and was about to unleash his spiritual power when he was stopped by the other boy.
“There is a spiritual energy fluctuation in her body.”
He paused, then used his divine sense to perceive the pure spiritual energy emanating from Shen Lixia, which was scorching and sharp, like a piece of metal that was being forged and refined day by day.
It's only been a few days?
However, he was, after all, an inner disciple at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, and not very bright. He was not intimidated by the opponent's astonishing cultivation speed and still turned his spiritual power into a wind blade to slash at him.
However, the spiritual energy was intercepted halfway by a beam of blue light and shattered in the air. Before the young man could recover much, he was also jolted back, his face pale as he took a few steps back.
Qiao Yanshen slowly walked forward under Lin Fenghua's horrified gaze, her body shrouded in azure spiritual energy. Her gaze was somber, her usual gentleness vanished, leaving only an icy chill. The man, unaware of her intentions, instinctively retreated in fright. She was clearly only at the Foundation Establishment stage, yet her aura intimidated him.
Wait, she broke through in just a few days?
Lin Fenghua's face instantly darkened, wrinkling like burnt dough. His previous air of otherworldly elegance vanished, replaced by a surge of jealousy and fear. This weakling, whose Foundation Establishment cultivation relied on elixirs and was extremely unstable, glared at Qiao Yanshen with bloodshot eyes. He pointed a trembling finger at her and said, "You...Junior Sister, please don't do anything against the sect rules. My elders hold positions of authority in the sect. If you harm me here..."
Even at this point, they still haven't forgotten to gain an advantage verbally; their sense of superiority is truly ingrained in their bones.
Qiao Yanshen lowered her eyes and only stopped when Lin Fenghua and the other young men were all drenched in sweat, her hand still resting on the long sword at her waist. Without further hesitation, she sent a sharp divine thought into the token, and immediately a stone tablet in the sect resounded with a deep, dull sound like the tolling of a bronze bell, jolting all the disciples awake.
"Qiao Yanshen, an outer disciple, intends to have a contest with Lin Fenghua, an inner disciple, on Wanjian Peak to determine who is superior."
Lin Fenghua felt a surge of heat from the token at his waist, which hummed slightly.
He actually wanted to avoid the fight, but if he did, all the disciples would know that he was wary of those whose cultivation level was lower than his own and who were outer disciples, and that he refused to fight. At that time, he would lose all face.
Thinking of this, the man lost control of his mind and gritted his teeth to channel a stream of spiritual energy into the token.
"Lin Fenghua, accept the challenge!"
Meanwhile, on White Dew Peak, the woman in black robes, who was arranging various items in the hall, raised her head and looked at the window frame that was being repeatedly struck and making noise.
In her hands, an unassuming little wooden box seemed about to be disassembled, just one last wooden strip away from falling apart. Yet, upon closer inspection, one could see that there was more than one strip; the various confusing parts remained tightly connected. The secrets it contained could probably only be understood when it was actually opened.
With a thought, Chi Yueying released part of the seal, and a bird formed from spiritual energy flew in and landed on her knuckles.
“Nine Branches True Lord, your disciple Lin Fenghua will be participating in a special competition. He was nominated by an outer disciple, so I have come here specifically to invite you to watch.”
Upon hearing the name, it took Chi Yueying a moment to recall the person's details, and a feeling of annoyance welled up inside her.
However, this bird was not something that could be easily manipulated. It was sent by the fearless elder who was determined to send her to take the place of this student whom he barely knew.
Chi Yueying felt a headache.
Just as Yi Xiaohan said, it's a mystery how someone as cold-hearted and averse to noise as Chi Yueying always manages to end up with the most troublesome students. If you invite her to play cards one day, she'll probably draw the worst card in one hand.
The spirit bird was sent out the window, and she learned that the duel between the two was scheduled for the afternoon, and they had to fight before sunset. With a premonition, Chi Yueying felt that the duel would be decided soon.
Chi Yueying carefully placed the small wooden box on the table. The woman eventually rose and walked out of the hall.
The palace doors opened, but unexpectedly, there was another person standing outside.
Chi Yueying opened her eyes wide, looking at the person in front of her dressed in simple white with sharp features, and asked in surprise, "What are you doing standing here... Yan Xueya?"
Yan Xueya nodded slightly and said calmly, "I have a request regarding array techniques. However, your sudden departure from the hall suggests you have important business to attend to?"
"It's nothing, we can talk as we walk." Chi Yueying waved her hand. "The sect took a bunch of troublesome things on my behalf, without my knowledge. I'm about to clean up the mess, it's not an urgent matter."
"It was really tough."
Chi Yueying suddenly felt something was off.
Including this year, she has not seen Yan Xueya for more than a hundred years, but her memory of her has never faded. Now, the other party can truly be described as having undergone a "complete change in temperament".
As for the reason, she probably knows it.
"Will you watch with me? I heard that the outer disciple is a newcomer. He was originally very talented, but I don't know why he has only reached the Qi Refining stage now." Chi Yueying asked.
"That's exactly what I was thinking. Ruan Luoying just told me that the student seems to be troubled by inner demons, and his cultivation has been interrupted for a long time."
Yan Xueya swept a lock of hair that was hanging over her shoulder back. Chi Yueying was somewhat dazed. Now, her long, snow-white hair made her seem even colder, like a sword that had lost its scabbard and could hurt someone at any moment.
"But just a few days ago she was still practicing Qi cultivation, but when she returned today she had successfully established her foundation, with a stable cultivation level and pure spiritual power."
"Many cultivators need elixirs to reach the Foundation Establishment stage, yet she successfully did so amidst a crisis," Chi Yueying continued. "You have high hopes for her; are you planning to..."
"Let's see how she performs this time." Yan Xueya nodded gently.
If it were anyone else, they would probably be astonished by the veiled meaning in her words by now. But Chi Yueying simply remained silent and walked slowly with her.
This is not a good thing for Yan Xueya.
She had never forgotten that it was after the news of that person's death in the demon realm that Yan Xueya, with her black hair tied up high, sharp eyes and flamboyant and eccentric personality, went insane, venturing alone deep into the heart of the demon army and wiping out a million soldiers, her white clothes stained with blood.
After the war subsided, Yan Xueya went into seclusion, hiding in Maoyue Valley and detached herself from worldly affairs. She was indeed injured that day, perhaps damaging her foundation.
But whether the wounds healed over the past century were physical or emotional remains unknown. From then on, Taihui lost a world-renowned sword master to guide his students.
It's like a bright pearl covered in dust.
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Author's note: I posted in too much of a rush yesterday, and as a result, I still missed the check-in.
Many modifications have been made.
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