"Senior Sister Yan, let's go back and apply the medicine."... Moonflower Wreath
The Mingde Sect was the sect that spearheaded the establishment of the Sky Patrol Bureau. It was located in a range of gentle, rolling mountains in the Central Continent and was one of the major sects of the time.
At this important time for the sect, every disciple of the Mingde Sect pays extra attention to their words and deeds than usual, and the etiquette for entertaining guests is meticulous.
While waiting for the test before entering the Cold Winter Secret Realm, Yan Huanyue received a test guide in addition to the incense and cinnabar paper delivered to her door every day.
As the guide states, the reason for this test is that the Cold Winter Secret Realm is extremely close to the real world, and the suppression of demons and evil formations within it is weak. If one enters without passing the test, it is extremely easy to encounter danger.
The guidelines list the various assessment criteria for the trial examinations.
Yan Huanyue glanced at it and saw that it consisted of a treatise, a basic array formation test, and a test on spirit manipulation and spell manuals. The test required participants to recite the best response spell for various situations based on the spells they practiced.
There is also the flexible application of basic elixirs, and a small solo trial after passing the written test.
The guidelines also mention that everything gained in this Cold Winter Secret Realm belongs to the individual.
The Secret Realm of Winter Solstice is naturally formed and enduring. After Emperor Mingde sealed it away, it was opened once every ten years.
The various small worlds within are unpredictable and difficult to fully monitor. Therefore, all entrants must remain highly vigilant at all times and bring their cultivation to its fullest potential.
The naturally growing secret realm also means that it will grow some objects that are extremely helpful for cultivation. These unknown spiritual objects that evolve every ten years are a great temptation for many people.
Based on her weaknesses during her daily cultivation, Yan Huanyue reviewed the array formations and talismans for several days.
Disciples from various sects preparing for the exams would often guess what the essay topics would be when they met.
Although Yan Huanyue stayed in her room without going out, she did not completely set up a barrier to isolate herself from external sounds.
She couldn't resist preparing essays on several topics in advance and spent many days buried in books and papers in her room.
Because of the large number of test takers, Emperor Mingdezong posted a large list showing the seating arrangements for the written examination.
The day before the exam, Yan Huanyue finally went out, carrying the table name card given to her by the disciple in charge of guests in the Mingdezong Palace that morning, and went to Duanyang Hall to check the area layout.
Now that everyone is preparing for the written exam, most of them only go out during mealtimes. Yan Huanyue avoided going out until the afternoon, but she didn't expect there to be so many people.
Interestingly, she actually saw Lu Shenchu, a rogue cultivator from Xuanjiang, here.
Lu Shenchu was talking to a woman dressed in fine clothes and adorned with precious ornaments, while Zhou Jiao and another timid woman stood quietly behind her.
Yan Huanyue had seen the woman a few times before; she was Zhou Jiao's cousin, named Zhou Pingyi.
Zhou Pingyi said to Lu Shenchu with a half-smile, "Fellow Daoist Lu, you didn't just drop copper coins everywhere, did you?"
Lu Shenchu scratched his head and said rather dejectedly, "I'm so poor I wear the same pair of pants on both sides. How can I compare to your family's wealth and fortune? Where would you get the money to throw around like that?"
Zhou Pingyi smiled and said, "If you're short of money, come to Xiling, and I'll give you more money."
Lu Shenchu waved his hand and said, "No, I'll go after the Zhou family of Xiling truly accepts the Xuanjiang, so I won't be investigated eight times a day."
Zhou Pingyi smiled and said, "Twenty taels a month."
Lu Shenchu said wearily, "I like to be free, to move around, and to fight evil."
Zhou Pingyi held up five fingers and shook them. "Fifty taels for you, and three high-grade spirit stones for your demon immortal every month, not counting mission rewards."
Lu Shenchu looked up at her with a hint of reproach, and said smugly, "Look at what you're saying, testing me with this? Do you think I care about that little bit of money? I mainly like Xiling, the people are warm and it's safe there. Checking me more often is for my own good."
Zhou Pingyi smiled and said, "Then this is the best."
As they were talking, Pei Xuanzhi followed Feng Ye and an elder of the Mingde Sect out, passing by them calmly.
Lu Shenchu assured him, "The little immortal has been very responsive lately. I'll go back and discuss it with him."
The timid woman following behind Zhou Pingyi stared blankly at Pei Xuanzhi as he passed by.
As he passed by a woman dressed in a misty pink dress, he was clearly looking at her, but the woman was focused on bowing to the two elders and didn't glance at him much.
Zhou Jiao followed her gaze and said, "Qingpei, why are you looking at them?"
Wei Qingpei suddenly lowered her head, pursed her lips, and shook her head. After a moment, she raised her head again to look at his back.
After Pei Xuanzhi had no choice but to leave with the two elders, he said softly, "There are indeed many handsome people in the spiritual cultivation world."
Zhou Jiao chuckled and said, "Are you talking about the two elders, or Junior Brother Pei? The two elders are indeed extraordinary, but as for Junior Brother Pei, he has half succubus blood, so it's normal that he's much better looking than ordinary people."
"Was that the lady you mentioned earlier the one who refused to see him?"
"Yes, it's that one over there looking at the rankings, the one in the misty pink dress, Senior Sister Yan."
Wei Qingpei said in a low voice, "But... his wife doesn't seem to treat him very well, and I'm afraid she doesn't like him either?"
Zhou Jiao gave her a deep look, and said with a half-smile:
"While that is true, it actually has nothing to do with us. Since you met me halfway, why have you been paying so much attention to Junior Brother Pei?"
Wei Qingpei glanced at Yan Huanyue, then lowered her head and said:
"Cousin, I just feel sorry for Brother Pei. Didn't he buy a lot of things for his wife on his way here? But he couldn't even get in the door. Does his wife look down on him?"
Zhou Jiao said in surprise, "Huh? The son of the Tianyan Sect leader is pitiful? Then you might as well give him all your family property. I'm pitiful too. I've been in the outer sect for several years and I can't even get into the inner sect. You should give me some money too... I just said that the feng shui of the place I live in is bad and I need to switch places with Junior Brother Mu when I get back."
Wei Qingpei was not the type to be subservient to others, and only said in a low voice:
“How can I make decisions at home… Cousin, I think Yu Zhao and Tan Guiyi are getting too close. If my eldest sister is really engaged to him, she might be bullied.”
Zhou Jiao's eyes widened instantly, and he asked, "Huh? When did this happen?"
Wei Qingpei lowered her eyes and remained silent.
Zhou Pingyi turned around and said calmly, "It seems that the matter between the Yu family and the Wei family has not even been discussed. How does Qingpei know that your eldest sister is going to get engaged to Yu Zhao?"
Wei Qingpei clutched her sleeve and said cautiously, "No... I only said I heard... I didn't mean to say it, I..."
Seeing the little girl's trembling appearance, Lu Shenchu couldn't help but say, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, why are you scaring her? This is just idle chatter."
Zhou Pingyi said, "Fellow Daoist Lu may not know, but there are some unwritten rules. These kinds of things that are understood but not explicitly stated by both families are the most difficult to discuss openly. Otherwise, it will either hurt the face of one family or the other, and it will be difficult to meet again."
Lu Shenchu, who came from the mountains, understood immediately and simply laughed, "I've never been familiar with the rules of aristocratic families; I was just being presumptuous."
Wei Qingpei looked at Lu Shenchu, then lowered her eyes sadly.
He came from a very humble background...
Just then, Yan Huanyue finished looking at the arrangement and passed by several people. She then took the opportunity to greet Zhou Ping.
Zhou Jiao chimed in, "Senior Sister Yan, you've been learning some unparalleled martial arts technique in your room all this time. Are you finally ready to come out and see people?"
Yan Huanyue said, "If you used that energy from your tongue on cultivation, you'd probably have ascended to immortality by now, right?"
Zhou Jiao said, "Tell this to your husband."
Lu Shenchu cupped his hands and said, "Fellow Daoist, we meet again. Do you have any companions traveling together in the secret realm?"
Yan Huanyue said, "It's not certain whether I'll pass the test. If we form a team first, it would be a bit awkward if I'm the only one who fails the test."
Finally, Wei Qingpei mustered up her courage and said to Zhou Pingyi, "Cousin, that's exactly what I'm worried about. I'm afraid if I don't pass the test, I'll be too ashamed to face anyone, and people might look down on me..."
As he spoke, his face grew paler and paler, and his whole body trembled. "What will I do if I'm not qualified to enter the secret realm? Everyone else passed, but I didn't. I'll fall even further behind them..."
Zhou Pingyi's lips twitched slightly. How was she supposed to tell her cousin, who had gone through so many twists and turns, that Yan Huanyue clearly didn't want to team up, right after Yan Huanyue had said those words?
Furthermore, if you try to form a team after the exam is over, no one will want you to join anymore.
As for whether it's embarrassing to fail the exam, so what?
Face is sometimes important, but sometimes it is not important at all. It is best not to be too arrogant when you should not be arrogant, and it is best not to be obsequious when you should respect yourself the most.
If you can pass the test and enter the secret realm, the benefits you will receive are real.
If you fail the exam, there are countless opportunities and paths in life. What is the point of grieving over this failure other than wasting your own life?
If a person only worries about things that are of no use, what can he accomplish in this life?
They're still young and haven't seen enough. They can't even get over a small stumbling block and think it's the end of their lives.
Yan Huanyue hadn't expected that a casual remark would actually be interpreted in such a way, and couldn't help but offer words of comfort:
"Actually, it's nothing. There are many people who can pass and many who can't. Since you're here, you're either going to pass or you won't. Don't worry too much."
Wei Qingpei's face turned pale. She glanced at Yan Huanyue but did not respond to her words.
She thought, "You are the Daoist partner of the son of the Tianyan Sect's leader. The Mingde Sect would never let you fail."
As for me, a helpless concubine's daughter, I was only able to return to the Wei family thanks to the pity of Madam Wei...
Seeing that she didn't speak, Yan Huanyue lost the will to continue the conversation.
Zhou Jiao said, "This is my cousin, the second daughter of my third aunt's sister, Wei Qingpei. She did not start practicing from a young age, so she is a little timid. Senior Sister Yan, you don't need to worry about her."
The Zhou family of Xiling was known for its female members, so Zhou Jiao's third aunt's husband must have married into the Zhou family. Zhou Jiao then addressed the girl from that relative's side as his cousin.
Yan Huanyue made a hand seal and said, "Greetings, Miss Wei."
After saying this, he bid farewell to everyone and went back to his room to continue reciting his lessons.
Taking two exams in a row is extremely mentally taxing.
On the last afternoon, Yan Huanyue was almost skinned alive before she finally broke through numerous obstacles, obtained the Moon Soul Flower by the spiritual vein of the small secret realm, barely completed the task, and climbed out of her own solo trial small secret realm.
This small secret realm for solo trials is similar to the Heavenly Stele Secret Realm, except that her current cultivation level is different from when she left the sect.
She used to be able to spend several days processing the latest developments in the Heavenly Stele, but today she only had an hour.
Fortunately, it was completed.
The return journey from the spiritual vein is also fraught with danger. The Moonflower will wither and die once it is separated from spiritual energy, so it cannot be put into the treasure pouch. If it is put into the small black box, it will easily absorb blood energy and turn red.
Therefore, Yan Huanyue wove the branches of the Moon Soul Flower into a wreath, put it on her head, and charged out with her sword.
After she emerged from the secret realm wearing an ice-blue Moonflower wreath, Tan Guiyi also walked out from the other side with a Moonflower in her hand, indicating that she had also endured a fierce battle.
Upon seeing her, Tan Guiyi wiped the bloodstains from her lips with her sleeve, glanced at the wreath, and said, "Fellow Daoist Yan, since we parted in Chang'an, there are still many things we haven't explained."
Three days later, they would be entering the Suihan Secret Realm. Yan Huanyue had no intention of arguing with her about the fight that happened in Chang'an that day. She simply made a hand seal and said, "I have other matters to attend to. Fellow Daoist, please wait."
On the way back, they ran into Ning Wuyang, who was holding a flower branch and telling Feng Ye about the situation in the small secret realm that day. As soon as Feng Ye saw her, he said, "Did you get this?"
Yan Huanyue bowed respectfully and said, "Indeed, it took a lot of effort to obtain the Moon Soul Flower."
Feng Ye said, "Alright, starting tomorrow, come to my place every day for scripture listening and training."
Yan Huanyue replied, "Yes."
Feng Ye then said, "Go and find Xuanlang. He hasn't taken his medicine today."
"yes."
.
The terrain where Emperor Mingdezong was located was relatively flat, and one could descend the mountain after a few turns.
Due to the shortage of guesthouses, most of the later arrivals were assigned to rooms with two or even three people. Pei Xuanzhi shared a room with Ning Wuyang.
Considering that Ning Wuyang might return earlier and find him sleeping soundly during the day, she wondered if he would come to check on her and interrupt her.
Therefore, Pei Xuanzhi went down the mountain and found an inn to sleep.
After waking up, they continued swimming and sightseeing as they headed up the mountain.
The boy, with unsteady, light steps, slowly made his way back home.
Occasionally, one would stop and gaze into the distance, only to find the sky clear and the air crisp, with green shepherd's purse and wheat growing everywhere.
The sycamore grove in the distance is newly green and shimmering with golden light, with orioles occasionally flitting among it, creating a vibrant scene full of life.
A soft, lingering clump of willow catkins drifted in from who-knows-where. Perhaps the cat imprisoned in his heart was a little excited, and his gaze couldn't help but be drawn to that light and carefree movement.
He took two quick steps, grabbed her, his eyes were calm, and a smile spread across his lips.
A voice laughed from above behind them, "I was wondering if you were going to catch it."
The boy's smile froze for a moment, then he turned around and looked up.
Above the long sword suspended in the air, the woman stood with her hands forming a hand seal, like a wisp of ethereal, misty gauze.
She wore an ice-blue floral wreath on her head, and her dark hair was half-tied back with a long, crimson ribbon.
A red ribbon draped her black hair, which swayed gently in the wind, casual and serene.
Even in such a youthful and spirited situation, her expression remained calm, without a trace of arrogance or madness.
Between those stubborn brows and eyes, there always seemed to be a wisp of unknown clarity and composure.
Like the rosy clouds filling the sky at sunset, even as they dissipate day after day, they remain vast and magnificent.
Pei Xuanzhi looked at the willow catkins floating on her fingertips, then let go of her hand. The willow catkins in his hand immediately struggled and escaped into the wind.
Yan Huanyue twitched her index finger slightly, and the willow catkins, freed from their restraints, fluttered around her. "Elder Feng said you haven't taken your medicine yet, so he caught these on his way to find you."
She pressed down on the hilt of her sword and landed in front of him, accompanied by a fragrant breeze.
She took off the flower wreath and gently placed it on his head, smiling as she looked him over.
"These are the ones I picked today, woven from Moonflowers growing near the spiritual veins of this secret realm. They can slightly replenish pure spiritual energy. You can hang them in your room when you get back, or use them as sachets."
The fragrance of moonflowers wafted down, and Pei Xuanzhi looked at the scars on the back of her hand. "You're injured again."
Yan Huanyue smiled nonchalantly, "It's nothing to worry about."
Pei Xuanzhi took out a small white porcelain medicine bottle from his treasure pouch to apply medicine to her, and said calmly, "You still haven't found any companions from the secret realm?"
Yan Huanyue said, "You should read more books and ask some questions here. You don't need to worry about anything else."
Pei Xuanzhi said softly, "I can't ask anything... Senior Sister, what if I become an apprentice here and stay?"
Yan Huanyue said in surprise, "That's naturally a good thing, but can you directly enter the inner sect?"
Pei Xuanzhi shook his head. "I was just saying that if I stay here, I won't have to ask you anything anymore."
As he spoke, he put away the medicine bottle, took her hand and brought it to his lips, then lowered his head and gently blew on the medicine applied to her wound.
The warm breath, like soft down, gently sprinkled onto her flesh and skin, causing a slight tingling sensation.
This is not a step required for applying this medicine. Yan Huanyue looked into his lowered eyes and saw that his expression was calm and without any distracting thoughts.
After blowing on it a few times, he gently lifted her sleeve, following the scent of blood, and looked at a wound on her arm.
His gaze inadvertently fell on a small, dark mark on her collarbone. "Senior Sister Yan, you have many injuries. Go back and apply medicine."
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 01:11:32 on December 9, 2023 and 23:04:00 on December 10, 2023!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: 1 Far Spirit Warlock;
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: 37322544 50 bottles; Xiaoshui 32 bottles; Maple Leaf 30 bottles; 772 24 bottles; Yiyeweirui and Bucai 20 bottles; 27614243 15 bottles; Toumatou Raccoon 10 bottles; Susu Loves Sugar and Chopped Pepper Eggplant 6 bottles; Xichen and Cute Cheese 2 bottles; If You Don't Change, It's Cucumber; kurosakiiji; Bujie; Want to Sleep; momo; ☆Candle Under★; Life Like This; summer; Zhouman's Sword Bone; Osmanthus Horseshoe; Pigsy; 42293163; and Immortal Gate Crazy 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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