Chapter 101 Closing Remarks: Sect Master, why do you and that wicked woman look so alike?
After the preliminary competition, the disciples were invited to the Four Spirit Peaks at the hour of Si (9-11 AM) for the final closing ceremony.
For Shen Lixia, having to attend a meeting at 9 a.m. after a hangover was quite tiring. Fortunately, the hangover medicine was effective, and by the time she set off, her headache had disappeared, leaving only a slight feeling of weakness.
Qiao Yanshen had offered to take her along, but the young man earnestly refused, explaining, "If you always take care of me, then I'll never be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with you."
After all, she didn't want to always be the useless little snack behind her senior sister.
Hearing her say that, Qiao Yanshen naturally had no choice but to turn away and say softly, "But taking care of you is what a senior sister should do... Never mind, then junior sister, please be careful on the way. There is plenty of time now, no need to rush."
After saying that, she flew away on her sword, leaving Shen Lixia alone on the spot. Only then did she realize that her senior sister's tone seemed somewhat disappointed.
“But I don’t just want to be your fellow disciple.” The young man shook his head, sighed, and rode off on his sword to catch up.
The main hall of Siling Peak is magnificent and its front area is very spacious, capable of accommodating Taihui's disciples.
The air is fresh with the scent of early autumn, and a delicate fragrance already wafts across the main peak where the four seasons are distinct. The leaves haven't yet turned yellow, but the smog and dampness of summer have dissipated, and a dry, gentle breeze caresses the face, bringing a sense of tranquility and peace.
As the saying goes, the autumn sky is high and the air is crisp.
The young men and women standing before the hall chatted casually, awaiting the start of the assembly. After the sect's atmosphere had been rectified, most of the disloyal young men had been expelled from Taihui or had lost their place to live, huddling together like cockroaches in a corner. Their former support—the male elders—mostly feared that if they acted arrogantly, they would suffer the same fate as Lin He'an, their blood spilled in the hall, and thus dared not cause trouble again.
After all, even if Taihui had its rules, Yan Xueya was a Nascent Soul cultivator guarding Taihui, and all she needed to do to kill them was find a legitimate reason. Being a person with wicked intentions, she harbored the worst thoughts about others and felt that she would be plotted against.
At first, some students did not understand, but later they realized that the sect seemed to be gradually recovering from the severe damage left by the war a hundred years ago to a thriving state, and they understood the meaning of this grand and ruthless measure.
"Speaking of which, did you all see Junior Sister Lu's performance in the competition where she won the championship yesterday? I never thought a medical cultivator could make such a move!"
"Lu Changqing? Me too. I thought she would follow the same path as Senior Sister Jinyu, but I didn't expect her to mainly use silver needles and small swords to attack. Her movement skills are also quite remarkable."
"I wonder if there will be a chance to see her fight with Senior Sister Jinyu in the future. That would definitely be very exciting."
The teenagers discussed yesterday's grand occasion, starting with Lu Changqing, then moving on to Shen Lixia, Qiao Yanshen, and finally returning to Tang Huairou and others. Those with exceptional talent, including Xie Chunan and Yan Jueshu, also became the focus of attention. Xie Chunan himself was also chatting with his fellow students.
The young man was dressed in a sect uniform, adorned with a lotus-green jade pendant, and his long hair was tied up, resembling a pure and elegant flower in shimmering water.
One of her students said, "I wonder who will be giving the closing remarks this time? Shall we guess?"
Because the five immortals had a good relationship, they took turns presiding over each minor competition, and the same was true for the closing ceremony.
Another student laughed and said, "I hope it's True Lord Lanqiu. She always speaks concisely and interestingly."
The first disciple to speak chuckled, "But I'm quite looking forward to seeing True Monarch Mingji, after all, it's been so long. I wonder if it's because he's about to ascend..."
Speaking of ascension, Xie Chunan thought of someone and said calmly, "I wonder if I will be able to see Sword Lord Changyi this time."
There's been no news from the teacher for a while, and she's nowhere to be seen during this competition. I wonder what she's up to.
As they were discussing, they suddenly heard a burst of laughter, followed by the sound of several people greeting them warmly.
"Junior Sister Lu!"
"Junior Sister Lu is like a touch of spring in autumn."
Lu Changqing, dressed in a pale pink dress with intricate floral patterns, smiled and responded to her senior sisters. Today, she wore a peony in her hair, which matched her noble temperament, making her look like a princess from a mortal palace.
Today is the day she won first place and received the award. Although her mother can't see her, Lu Changqing wants to do it as usual, as if her mother is here with her, happy for her outstanding performance.
As he stopped under a flowering tree, someone gently tugged at his sleeve from behind. Lu Changqing turned around, and a familiar face came into view, less distant, as if dyed by the intense colors of azaleas, and finally showing a vitality between his brows that was quite different from that of a porcelain doll.
"Ah Yue, why did you come looking for me today?" Lu Changqing smiled. "I was just about to look for you."
Wu Zhuyue gazed at the soft eyes of the person before her, like the misty clouds in a painting or the spring blossoms in a poem, a beauty that bloomed freely and unrestrainedly.
She said, "I want to see you."
The situation was now reversed. Lu Changqing's eyes widened, he pointed at himself, and opened his mouth several times, but couldn't utter a word. The culprit himself seemed completely unaware, as if the words were merely a greeting, spoken and then forgotten, rather than something that weighed heavily on Lu Changqing's heart.
After a while, Lu Changqing gave up, pinched his burning earlobe, grabbed Wu Zhuyue's sleeve, and whispered, "Me too."
Her gaze fell on the warm-colored jade pendant around the other person's neck, and she thought that whether it was flowing clouds or cold jade, it was indeed very suitable for this person.
Having won the Golden Core competition, Qiao Yanshen, who had previously been unknown, naturally gained even greater popularity. Almost as soon as she arrived at the main peak, she was recognized and became the focus of attention for the other disciples.
These discussions were all well-intentioned, reflecting an admiration for those with exceptional abilities. Qiao Yanshen smiled as he heard a few of them.
In the chilly autumn, people's hearts were not cold. Here, she experienced much warmth that she had never imagined before.
"I've met Senior Sister Qiao before. At that time, she seemed to be taking classes with the outer disciples... but afterwards she would chase after the instructor to ask questions!"
"Speaking of which, she's actually a disciple of True Monarch Mingji? Why haven't they held apprenticeship ceremonies lately? I really want to see this."
"So she's a direct disciple of True Monarch Mingji... Then the senior sister who challenged her yesterday has a style very similar to True Monarch Lanqiu, could it be...?"
"The first to grab a bite is the fastest. It's been said that True Lord Mingji and True Lord Lanqiu have been locked in a love-hate relationship for many years, and now this disciple is the same way. They're practically a pair of sworn enemies from a storybook!"
"Alright, alright, we should all learn from our senior sisters. Let's run twenty laps around the town today!"
Yesterday's challenge between Shen Lixia and her, which was beyond their level, seems to have become quite a topic of conversation in Taihui. A disciple skilled in painting even sketched a booklet, which was printed by outer disciples and yielded hundreds of copies, earning a large sum of spirit stones. The author of the storybook she had unintentionally bought earlier seems to have been inspired by this, and has been writing the first three chapters of a new novel, "Gentle Senior Sister, Don't Flirt With Me."
...As long as it's not written exactly as she wrote it.
This time, the junior sister seemed to listen to her, leisurely making her way to the main peak at the last minute. The main hall doors opened, and the disciples entered. The deacons and immortals of Taihui were sitting in the hall.
For some, one of them was a stranger. Upon recognizing the person seated in the center of the hall, Xie Chunan couldn't hide her excitement, but her words were cut off by someone next to her—
"metropolitan!"
The young man remained dressed in his signature dark green outfit, the color of bamboo after rain, exuding a cool, vibrant life force. His smile was gentle, and strange golden light flickered in his eyes, just as everyone remembered him.
Unlike the immortality brought by cultivation, it was as if time had truly stood still on her, and her soul had never been broken.
Even though she was the same age as the people around her, Si Changxi's eyes and brows exuded the purity and vigor of a young person. Noticing the surprised Tu Sheng, she raised her hand and waved as if to greet him.
Shen Lixia was naturally surprised to see her. She followed Qiao Yanshen, staring intently at him, and received a wink in return.
Such friendliness is a source of warmth for some, but a warning, or even..., for others.
"How could this be..."
Wu Zhuyue's blood rushed back to her head like a tidal wave. The instant their eyes met, she felt as if struck by lightning, her whole body turning ice-cold. She stumbled back several steps, bumping into Lu Changqing.
Wu Zhuyue only came to her senses when the boy noticed that something was wrong with her, reached out and took her hand, and warmly enveloped her numb fingertips.
For a fleeting moment, she did indeed see the shadow of her master, far away in some unknown place. But upon closer inspection, the familiar aura was gone, and the smile was no longer full of hidden meaning; it was merely a normal, composed smile.
From her perspective, at least from her point of view, Si Changxi and Si Liuhua are completely dissimilar, with little resemblance in their facial features.
When she first learned that the sect leader's surname was Si, she had some doubts. But how many people in the world share the same surname? Although the surname Si is rare, there must be more than two people with it.
The more Wu Zhuyue thought about it, the more confused she became. In the end, she could only confirm one thing: there must be a relationship between Si Changxi and her master that went beyond what was known to the world. Whether it was good or bad was beyond her ability to guess.
Now that the sect leader has returned, she will naturally speak and preside over the meeting. The closing ceremony ended just as lunchtime approached. The disciples dispersed, and Shen Lixia and the others were about to leave when they heard someone say:
"Young friends, wait a moment."
Si Changxi appeared before them in an instant and said with a smile, "Do you have anything important to do afterward? As the leader, you can go to the cultivation technique section of the library to choose a cultivation technique, and then come with me to choose a magic weapon."
All three shook their heads. Seeing this, the young man continued, "Then let me take you there."
After saying that, she turned to look at Yan Xueya and asked, "Is it alright, Xueya?"
Yan Xueya waved her hand: "Whatever you say."
So Si Changxi led them to experience the leap technique, which could only be comprehended by those at the Nascent Soul stage.
Upon landing, Shen Lixia was drenched in cold sweat, only to realize that she had unknowingly clung tightly to her senior sister's arm, causing several wrinkles in her white robes.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." The boy awkwardly let go, but instead of being scolded, Qiao Yanshen gently patted the top of his head and took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
She said gently, "It's alright, Li Xia."
That's too much... Shen Lixia tried to calm her breathing and control herself so that others wouldn't see through her thoughts.
Si Changxi led them up the stairs to a level that was not usually open and required a special token to enter. He then reached out and infused his spiritual power into the intricate carvings on the gate.
Dragons roared and tigers howled, the Vermilion Bird sang, and the Dark Abyss fell silent. The central door knocker was bronze in color. Si Changxi pulled it and knocked, and then a mechanism clicked, and the door slowly opened by itself.
Inside, there was a dazzling array of cultivation techniques. Several bluebirds formed from spiritual energy flew in the air, seemingly guarding the place. When they saw Si Changxi, they all affectionately landed on her shoulders.
"Come on, my friends."
The young man stepped aside, raised one hand, and made way for them.
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Author's Note: I think it's already clear that the two people with the surname Si have a close connection.
This is a transitional chapter! But I quite like everyone's daily life and the little details, haha.
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