Chapter 21 The Sect Entry Competition: The elders will be recruiting members in this sect entry competition...
Chapter 21
It took Ji Mingran some effort to get back to where he was.
Ancient trees reach for the sky in the dense forest, each so thick that it takes more than ten people to encircle it. The trees are all similar and there are countless of them. The forest is vast and boundless, and people in it are as insignificant as ants.
Using her memory of the direction and the scattered branches, she finally found the tree from which she had fallen.
Ji Mingran looked up and squinted at the person in the tree.
Night fell, and all was quiet. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and the boy half-reclined, half-sitting on a thick branch, his back against the trunk, his head resting on his crossed arms, comfortably resting with his eyes closed.
Ji Mingran took a deep breath, cupped his hands around his mouth with his palms facing outwards, and roared, "Hey! I'm back."
Redhead twitched, but he remained unmoved.
Ji Mingran took another deep breath: "I'm back! I'm back! I'm back! I'm back..."
Before she could repeat the call dozens of times like a tape recorder, the boy opened his eyes and glared angrily.
From his red hair to the stalk of spiritual herb in his mouth, he exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay.
He frowned, his voice filled with the irritation of being woken up: "What's all the noise about?"
Seeing that the person was awake, Ji Mingran beamed with joy. He scurried to the opposite side, found a fairly clean spot, and sat down comfortably. As if announcing some good news, he raised his eyebrows and said loudly, "They say that every pot has a lid, so I came back to find you."
A heat wafted from her earlobe, and Ji Mingran quickly turned her head. A gust of hot air brushed past her hair with lightning speed.
"Boom!" A thunderous roar erupted from the ground.
My head was ringing from the loud noise, the air was filled with heat, and there was nothing behind me.
Ji Mingran steadied himself after stumbling and turned his head to look.
The tree trunk behind it collapsed and was reduced to charcoal in the flames.
Ji Mingran turned around.
The boy had teleported to her without her noticing, bending down and staring at her with furious eyes and a dark expression.
"I know what they mean." The boy's lips curled into a cold smile. "What do you mean that I don't understand? Dare to say it again?"
Ji Mingran glanced at the boy's fist, which was throbbing with sparks, and said with genuine sincerity, "I wouldn't dare."
This person is the complete opposite of Elder Ma. He will never use words if he can use his hands, and even if he has to use words, he will use his hands first. He is a tough nut to crack.
However, after a moment's thought, Ji Mingran still recklessly added, "I think they have a point."
The boy raised his index finger and poked Ji Mingran's forehead hard: "Are you deliberately picking a fight?"
Ji Mingran felt a burning pain and quickly leaned back to get away from the dangerous finger. "My forehead! My forehead! It's going to burn!"
I don't know if it can be restored after it's been burned.
"Indeed." A cold voice rang out above him, and a dangerous fingertip was about to land on Ji Mingran's forehead.
Ji Mingran covered his forehead with both hands, speaking rapidly: "I know that you initially rejected me because you thought I didn't know anything since I had just arrived here, and that I might regret making a rash decision later. So I went to them to learn more about it."
Her voice was filled with unwavering certainty: "The conclusion is that your sect's profound heritage and low-key style are very compatible with my simple and unassuming approach. Someone as talented as me should go to a sect with such a grand and dignified style."
"Oh?" The boy raised his eyebrows in surprise, and the overwhelming aura surrounding him vanished in an instant.
“Our clan is indeed generous in its dealings, unlike those petty scoundrels.” He plopped down, elbows on his knees and hands supporting his face, and said with interest, “You may not have much else, but you certainly have a good eye. No wonder they look like they’ve eaten dung.”
How did you know?
“Yes.” The boy didn’t hide anything, and pulled out a palm-sized mirror from his pocket with his other hand. “This thing can see things within a hundred miles. But it’s a defective product; it can’t hear anything.”
Ji Mingran leaned closer to look, but all he could see in the mirror was a dense jungle; there wasn't a single person in sight.
The boy asked with great interest, "I saw that those guys weren't happy before you left, and that old horse was jumping around a lot. What did you do to provoke them?"
"Old Ma?" The boy's description was strange, but Ji Mingran immediately understood. "Ah, Elder Ma."
She scratched her head: "I didn't say anything. I just told them what was on my mind."
Seeing the boy's doubtful expression, Ji Mingran carefully repeated the story to him.
"Hahahahahahaha!" The boy burst into wild laughter. "You really do have a mouth that can drive people crazy."
"Interesting." He grinned mischievously. "Come join our Dingsheng Sect."
After saying that, he took off the obsidian bracelet that was around his wrist, and the bracelet became seven inches long.
The boy tossed the mirror into the bracelet, and the mirror passed through and vanished instantly. He then reached into the bracelet, and his arm passed through and disappeared as well. Afterward, he pulled his arm out, still clutching a long-tailed paper kite with red and gold iridescent patterns.
The kite was carelessly tossed on the ground, and after a moment, it suddenly grew larger.
The boy stood on the kite, stepped on it, and muttered, "That rascal Zhongzhi, I hope he doesn't end up like the Xuan Guang Mirror, lacking in functionality." He turned to Ji Mingran and said, "Let's go, the internal examination is about to begin. If we're lucky, you might become my junior sister."
Ji Mingran stood up and stood on the kite like the boy. As soon as she stepped on it, the kite shot straight into the sky with the force of thunder and lightning. She stumbled and fell backward. Just as she was falling and tumbling down, she grabbed the tail of the kite and barely managed to hang in the middle of the air.
The boy's reminder then drifted on the biting wind: "Hold on tight."
The kite accelerated instantly, soaring higher and stronger.
Ji Mingran's mouth was suddenly filled with a large amount of wind, causing his facial features to fly wildly.
"Hahahaha, you're so ugly." The boy gloated.
"If this happens again, you'll be in trouble."
The boy scoffed, "You think you can?"
Ji Mingran had no time to pay attention to him. She used all her strength to successfully grab the kite's tail with her other hand, and then used both her hands and feet to tightly wrap the kite's tail around herself, finally stopping her from being thrown off and falling several times, and hanging steadily below the kite.
Mountains and rivers unfold beneath your feet, and the vast, secluded forest stretches as far as the eye can see, with its undulating peaks and valleys.
This forest was far too vast for her to imagine.
Where is this?
The boy said lazily, "The outer edge of the western side of Dingsheng Zonglin Peak Guancang Forest."
Dingshengzong.
Ji Mingran looked up and glanced at the boy's robes fluttering in the wind. Starlight fell on a corner of the robes, illuminating the patterns and designs.
Five peaks form a star, surrounded by cloud patterns, where two rivers meet.
She not only recognized him, but was very familiar with him.
This pattern is engraved on the shop sign that has been polished for three years, and on the funerary objects that have been made for three years, in the small corner at the bottom right.
That was the mark of Jiang's Coffin Shop.
What is the relationship between Boss Jiang and Dingshengzong?
"You mean this?" the boy said. "The former leader of the Dingsheng Sect, Jiang Xiaoyi."
What?! Her master was the former sect leader? Ji Mingran was shocked. Then wouldn't he be...?
"He betrayed the sect, absconded with the treasure, and his whereabouts are unknown. The entire Dingsheng Sect has been pursuing him for hundreds of years. It's an old story." The young man had obviously been asked this countless times, and said impatiently, "There's no other inside information."
Ji Mingran: "Huh? She really..." But the words just started to come out before suddenly disappearing without a trace.
"You're so noisy." The boy retracted his two fingers, glaring at her angrily. "I'm sleepy."
Ji Mingran couldn't break the boy's spell, so he could only stare longingly at the person sleeping on the kite.
But the boy ignored her.
Ji Mingran looked down at his feet.
High in the sky, it's not easy to escape. Oh well, let's see how things go.
After flying for a long time, Ji Mingran was exhausted and tired hanging under the kite, so he simply climbed up and was not stopped even when he climbed onto the back of the kite.
The wound on her back from when she was overthrown had not yet healed and had been aggravated several times since. She felt blood slowly seeping out from her back again, and the pain of her skin tearing stimulated her nerves in waves.
Fortunately, his clothes were covered in mud, so it wasn't noticeable.
However, for superficial wounds, just wait patiently for them to heal.
With a sense of peace, Ji Mingran sat cross-legged and slowly absorbed spiritual energy.
They flew for three days and three nights.
The mountains and forests rise and fall, still stretching endlessly.
On the fourth day, Ji Mingran, who was sitting cross-legged in meditation, was suddenly kicked off the ground.
Ji Mingran, who was falling in mid-air: "..." If she had known she would be kicked down today, why didn't she jump down herself four days ago?
Without any trees to cushion the fall, Ji Mingran crashed straight to the ground, creating a crater.
One person looked down from the pit and exclaimed in admiration.
"Fellow Daoist, you descended from the sky with impressive momentum!"
Ji Mingran was protected by the Vajra Formation and was not seriously injured, but he was a little dizzy and disoriented: "Where am I?"
"Are you participating in the sect trial? State your name," the man said.
"Ji Mingran." Ji Mingran was dizzy and confused, and gave his name without thinking.
The man nodded and wrote something on a wooden sign with a pen.
"You are the last one, so you are lucky to have made it. The competition will begin after three bell rings. Those who successfully reach the sect will be selected as outer disciples, and the top ten will be selected as inner disciples."
The man threw down the wooden sign, which Ji Mingran caught and looked down at.
Fifty-three.
Ji Mingri looked up, intending to ask more questions, but the person had vanished.
In an instant, the surrounding spiritual energy became denser.
A dozen or so shadows flashed by above the pit opening.
Has the competition begun?
Ji Mingran crawled on his hands and feet, climbed out of the pit, and looked up.
The mountains rise one after another without end, and the wide and magnificent stone steps, like a ladder to heaven, hang diagonally down from the clouds, quietly waiting for people to climb.
There was no end... She looked behind her.
The jungle is lush and verdant, with no paths everywhere, yet paths appearing everywhere as well. The tranquility conceals unknown dangers.
It seems there's no end to it.
It seems that Dingsheng Sect has some kind of ill-fated relationship with Boss Jiang, so going there rashly seems inappropriate.
However... Ji Mingran narrowed her eyes. If she didn't say anything, who would know about her relationship with Boss Jiang?
Ji Mingran squatted down and wrapped his injured leg with a mournful expression.
Why do I always have to climb mountains?
*
Dingsheng Sect, Quanfeng, Yujing Hall.
"The number of participants is pitifully small. Is there any need to hold back in this competition?" The Jurchen woman at the head of the left-hand side, with her long hair tied up high and dressed in a neat and tidy outfit, asked with her arms crossed and her brows furrowed.
"The rules cannot be broken. No matter who it is, everyone must go through this." An old man with a wrinkled face beside the Jurchen man stroked his long, white beard and said slowly and deliberately.
"Come on, out of the fifty-three, two have already been registered under your names. This is just a formality. There are still twenty-two outer disciples vying for the remaining inner disciple spots, so there are only twenty-nine truly outsiders. Why waste time and energy on this show?" The Jurchen said impatiently.
Even purification techniques couldn't eliminate the smell.
The Jurchen wrinkled her nose in disgust and glared at the blue-robed Jurchen who was drunk and slumped in a chair opposite her.
"Zhu Huo, rules are rules, and they must be respected!" The blue-robed master raised a finger, his face serious. "We're being very fair!"
The speaker's eyes were glazed over. He raised a finger and scratched his disheveled hair, slurring, "If one of them—no, two of them—can't get there, then we'll do what we have to do." He waved his hand haphazardly and stumbled to the side, "Don't even mention the inner sect, the outer sect, the outer sect isn't allowed, not allowed..."
Before he could finish speaking, the blue-robed master had already passed out drunk and was snoring loudly.
"Hahahaha!" The old master burst into laughter.
Zhu Huo snorted coldly, "I think he's the one who disrespects the rules the most."
"Master has lost his composure; please forgive me, fellow disciples." The refined and handsome master, sitting upright in the center, sighed softly, cast a spell to silence the snoring, and gently persuaded Zhu Huo: "I hope you, Uncle Zhu, will watch patiently. This competition coincides with the opening of the Heavenly Gate, which may allow us to recruit talented disciples."
Something flashed in Zhu Huo's eyes, he pursed his lips, and then remained silent.
Why is he being so agreeable this time? Seeing Zhu Huo's unusual behavior, the refined gentleman's heart skipped a beat, and just then, something came to mind. He immediately turned to the cheerful old man and said with a forced smile, "I heard that Wang Zhen has been sent to recruit those who have transcended the world?"
The old man's smile froze, and the hand that had been stroking his beard moved to his nose, his eyes darting around: "Anyway, he's registered under my Kuangfeng name, so let him get some experience."
“Although Wang Zhen is registered under the name of Kuangfeng, he still needs to pass this competition to become a formal disciple. Strictly speaking, he is not even an outer disciple. How can he represent the sect to recruit those who have transcended the world?” The refined and elegant master said solemnly.
The old man who had just advocated adhering to the sect's rules now looked guilty: "Well, everyone outside knows that it was only a matter of time before he became a disciple of Kuangfeng. He is somewhat representative of the sect."
Seeing the stern gaze of the refined gentleman, his eyes gleamed even more: "Moreover, I originally thought that he wouldn't do it given his personality, but I didn't expect him to actually bring someone back." As he spoke, the old man's guilty expression vanished, and he sat up straight, his eyes shining: "You see, after this incident, isn't his personality much more obedient?"
“It’s really inappropriate for an uninitiated disciple to act in the name of Dingsheng Sect.” The refined master rubbed his forehead, his brows furrowing even deeper: “Uncle Qi is becoming increasingly biased towards him.”
Zhu Huo pointed at the image in the center and said, "That kid has been wandering around the border of Linfeng for more than half a month. Is this the girl he found? He probably just randomly picked her to fill in the gaps because he was afraid you would nag him."
“In the past, he wouldn’t even do something like filling in the numbers,” the old man smiled kindly. “I think he’s become much more obedient.”
The refined gentleman's gaze lingered on the two people as they chatted back and forth, his sense of frustration growing stronger.
Therefore, Master Zhu knew about it all along.
No wonder.
He turned to his right, his gaze falling on the man who had remained silent until now.
Her quiet and delicate face was composed, but when she met his pleading gaze, her eyes involuntarily looked away.
"Senior Sister Dong, you know about this too," the refined and elegant master stated the truth without any expression.
The woman in the light blue dress sat silently in the chair.
The already mature face of the refined gentleman looked even more tired.
That's true, Lin Feng is under her jurisdiction, how could she not know?
He closed his eyes and resigned himself to his fate: "Fine, do whatever you want. I don't care anymore." With a flick of his sleeve, he got up to leave.
"No, wait. We're all sitting here properly." Zhu Huo, who had been looking impatient, was the first to react, and his attitude changed completely in an instant.
Immediately afterward, Master Qi stood up abruptly and said in a strong voice, "Sect Leader Yuan Liu, I was wrong. I will accept my punishment later. Oh, and one more thing!" He raised his right hand tremblingly, then slammed it down hard.
"Smack!"
The drunk person opposite was slapped from a distance, causing him to bounce up and fall heavily to the ground, making him even more unconscious.
"I'll teach him a lesson for you!" the old man said indignantly, displaying an air of righteous indignation and a determination to put aside family ties and rectify societal norms.
If he hadn't immediately winked at Zhu Huoqi across from him and whispered, "To save you from getting your hands dirty, tell the disciplinary hall to go easy on me later," one would have truly believed his stern demeanor just now.
Yuan Liu: "......" Does he think he's blind or stupid?
Annoyed by the frivolous and irreverent elders, Sect Leader Yuan Liu, for the 108th time, turned stern and said harshly, "You all always act so capriciously. I am not fit to be the sect leader. You should find someone else to help you."
Master Qi finally lost his temper and hurriedly took two steps forward, his beard trembling: "How about this, I will select my personal disciples from among them in this competition, is that alright?"
Yuan Liu paused, his gaze lingering on Zhu Huo.
Zhu Huo glanced at the image and reluctantly raised one index finger: "At most."
The drunkard suddenly woke up: "Great!" He rolled over and went back to sleep. What he had just said was more like nonsense.
Yuan Liu remained silent. How could he not know what they were thinking? This farce was just a pretense to make their intention to take on disciples clear; they already had a suitable candidate in mind.
but.
Yuan Liu calmed down. For the disciples of the sect, wasn't this also an opportunity?
"It is a blessing for the sect that our senior uncles are willing to take on more disciples."
He nodded towards the east road: "Thank you for passing on the message, senior sister."
*
Linfeng, a realm of sects.
Fifty-three mirror images were projected onto the flat, vast rocky ground, providing a clear view of the fifty-three participants in the competition. Over a hundred young men had been watching with great interest.
"The patriarchs of Quanfeng, Kuangfeng, and Yaofeng are going to accept disciples in this sect entry competition? Heavens! What have I missed!"
"So this time someone will become our senior uncle?"
"What 'Junior Uncle'? He's 'Grandmaster Uncle'!"
"I hate it! I should have signed up!"
"Forget it, everyone knows those two are participating this time. I think the spots were reserved for them."
Everyone's gaze shifted from the fifty-three mirror images to two of them.
The mirror marked "One" is placed before all the mirrors. The person reflected in the mirror is elegant and graceful, with a warm smile on his slightly upturned thin lips, walking calmly among the mountains and forests.
The mirror image marked "Fifty-Two" followed closely behind, with the person inside yawning, their sharp, deep phoenix eyes utterly bored as they watched the drifting clouds.
The latter's striking red hair was particularly eye-catching.
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