Chapter 23 The Sect Jade Token Test Reveals She Has No Talent
In Ji Mingran's eyes, the Jin siblings' disappearance without a word was as inexplicable as their sudden robbery.
Although they couldn't distinguish the differences between the outer disciples, inner disciples, and personal disciples they mentioned.
But judging from the fact that the Kim siblings disappeared without a word, the latter must be much better than the former.
But... Ji Mingran stared blankly at the meat bun in his hand.
The meat buns were prepared for her by Yu Tianxing when they were in the small world. They were delicious and could be stored for a long time. While eating them, she could feel wisps of spiritual energy entering her body, so they must have been made with spiritual food ingredients.
If she didn't reveal the affairs of the small world, her relationship with Boss Jiang would remain unknown. However, those who stand out always attract attention, and before knowing the past between Boss Jiang and Dingsheng Sect, it was best for her to keep a low profile.
Ji Mingran closed his eyes, guided the spiritual energy to be refined within his body, and then introduced it into his sea of consciousness.
The spiritual power remained completely gone.
Ji Mingran opened his eyes, his gaze bright and his lips curled into an uncontrollable smile.
There was a very slight ripple in her mind.
This is the first time in a long time that I have felt the changes that occurred in my empty sea of consciousness after spiritual energy entered my body.
Perhaps in a little more time, his stagnant cultivation will break through.
Thinking of this, Ji Mingran took a deep breath.
Clear, fresh oxygen, carrying a sense of vitality, fills the chest and lungs.
This air is fresher than in the small world.
Ji Mingran looked up at the star-filled sky.
A little more time.
In her previous life, how could she have dared to have such a wish?
Being able to have the time of an ordinary person in this small world is already a gift from heaven. She dares not waste a single second. Even sleeping and resting feel like a luxury. Like a miser who is stingy to the extreme, she wishes she could split every second and make the most of every moment, squeezing it dry.
But now, she will have more time, enough to wait patiently and take a breather.
It's possible to become powerful a little slower.
Ji Mingran slowly exhaled, lowered his head, and looked at the still endless, quiet steps in front of him.
There was no one else in sight; the Kim siblings were the only two people she encountered on her journey.
She is certainly not destined to be an inner disciple, but that doesn't matter. If she can successfully cultivate in the Dingsheng Sect, they can compete again in twenty years.
Thinking of this, Ji Mingran felt even more relaxed.
Humming a tune, I walked forward.
*
One month later, at the sect level.
The stone platform, shrouded in darkness, appeared especially vast and silent, with only a faint light emanating from its center.
Fifty-three mirror images, thirty frozen in time, and twenty-two dimmed.
Two disciples of the Dingsheng Sect, who were sitting at a distance guarding the mirror image, chatted idly, making small talk.
The disciple in green said, "I heard that the sect leader has left."
The disciple in blue sighed, "Is he running out of steam too?"
The disciple in blue robes sighed, propping his head up with his hand, and muttered a complaint: "Ugh, this year's new disciples are really boring. Such a simple competition took more than twenty days to complete, and several people even dropped out along the way. This competition is only held once every twenty years, so there are already few participants, and this is the level they're at. I bet in a few days, there will be more laughable stories outside."
The blue-robed disciple was good-natured, and he comforted him, saying, "Many of the participants in this inner disciple competition have shown great talent; they are comparable to those in other sects. If they further develop and promote our sect, countless people will flock to us."
"That would be good, of course." The disciple in blue robes still lacked enthusiasm: "First, Ancestor Zhu said there was something going on at the Disciplinary Hall and left with a group of people from Yaofeng. Then Ancestor Qi said there was an accident during the cultivation of the disciples from Kuangfeng and took them back. Next, Ancestor Liu suddenly went on a drunken rampage and ran back, and the people from Quanfeng swarmed after him. Even Uncle-Master Donglu eventually said he had to return to his peak to handle some matters and left."
“I think they clearly felt there was no hope for the rest of us, and they left under some pretext. What’s the point of us staying here?”
Seeing that the disciple in blue was not interested, the disciple in blue knew that he wanted to return to the peak to cultivate, but he could only comfort him by saying, "Wait a little longer, he might come soon."
As they spoke, their gazes simultaneously turned to the central image. They were too far away to see the reflection clearly, but they could sense that the atmosphere there was calm and undisturbed.
The two looked away, exchanged a glance, and both could see the other's helplessness.
In the central town of the sect's territory lies an ancient spirit stone, a place where the spiritual energy of this realm converges. Anyone who arrives using magic or wielding a spiritual artifact will surely appear in that vicinity.
The air currents remain unchanged, and there is no sign of any cultivators arriving.
The two of them couldn't help but sigh, knowing they could only wait a little longer.
Just then, a voice echoed softly behind them:
"Excuse me, is this the end?"
Both of them jumped up and turned to look at the source of the sound.
Between two towering stone pillars stood a thin girl, simply dressed, with messy hair, a pale face, and a pair of eyes with dark circles under her eyes, who were smiling at the two of them.
The disciple in blue then realized that the place where the little girl was standing was the entrance to the Dingsheng Sect, the end of the endless steps of Linfeng.
Over the years, people have become accustomed to using magic to reach the center or simply passing through the air. This gate here is more like a decoration, and almost no one remembers its true meaning.
He was stunned.
Someone actually walked all the way here?
Those are four thousand miles of steps!
The two stood there, stunned.
Seeing that neither of them had moved, the little girl smiled, her upturned eyes seemingly filled with glittering starlight, and asked again, "Excuse me, is this the end?"
Before she could finish speaking, a beam of light flashed by, and the little girl seemed to sense it as she reached out her hand, the light landing steadily within it.
It is a lustrous, smooth, and creamy jade plaque in the color of mutton fat, depicting a landscape of mountains and valleys.
The blue-robed disciple reacted and, while calling out, walked towards the center of the sect's territory: "Junior sister, come with me." He then instructed the green-robed disciple: "Inform the sect leader that the last disciple has arrived." The green-robed disciple hurriedly responded and then cast some kind of spell, which Ji Mingran could not see clearly.
As she followed, she looked down at the jade pendant in her hand. It felt warm and cool to the touch, soothing her body and mind, and bringing her peace of mind.
Without stopping, when I looked up, what came into view was a square mirror image, the frozen image of my own face.
“You are the last one. The others who arrived earlier have already gone to cultivate with their respective peak masters. The two of us are waiting here to receive the disciples who have finished the competition.” The disciple in blue robes walked alongside her and, seeing her gaze pause, said, “Now that you have finally arrived, this competition is finally over. According to the rules, the newly initiated disciples should go ahead to pay their respects to the sect leader.”
Upon hearing this, Ji Mingran looked around, but all he could see was a vast platform and the distant, faintly visible mountain range under the starlight. Where were any other people or houses?
Just as they were wondering, a familiar fluctuation of spiritual energy came from them.
"This is..." Ji Mingran's gaze followed the direction of the spiritual energy flow. The senior brother in blue who was walking in front stopped at this moment, and the flow of spiritual energy was coming from where he was standing. "A teleportation array?"
Seeing this, the disciple in green pulled her along and quickened his pace: "The sect leader's Yujing Hall is on Quanfeng. Even if you fly straight there, it's thousands of miles away. If you keep going like this, it'll take forever to get there! Once you learn to control artifacts or use other talismanic techniques, you can go whichever way you want. Don't waste any more time now."
As Ji Mingran walked into the array, the almost transparent array patterns appeared in the air and expanded layer by layer. The breeze caused by the flow of spiritual energy gently lifted the bangs that covered half of her eyes.
She paid close attention and observed very carefully.
This is a powerful array, its array intent surging and profound. In comparison, the teleportation array she can use, which can only teleport more than ten miles, seems like a child's game.
As I was sensing this, my eyelashes snapped open, and before my eyes stretched layer upon layer of mountains, towering cliffs, and a dozen waterfalls cascading down from the peaks, merging into the endless blue pool before me, the roar of the rushing water filling my ears.
The vast platform beneath our feet has vanished, replaced by a rock formation barely large enough for a dozen people to stand on. A few meters away, there is another floating rock, and so on, forming a secluded path leading directly into the depths of the waterfall.
"Come on over." The senior brother in blue was already outside the five floating stones, and the disciple in green responded by quickly leaping onto the second and third floating stones.
Ji Mingran was stunned by the scene before her. By the time she came to her senses, the two people had already disappeared.
She crouched down and looked down at the pool of water beneath the rocks.
The fog floated, its depths unseen.
Since that's the case... Ji Mingran tilted his head, and a burst of light appeared. In the blink of an eye, he appeared on the rocks below the waterfall.
The surging spring water did not fall on her.
It seemed as if some kind of magic had enveloped this place, dividing the mighty water into countless streams that cascaded down and merged with the rest of the water. From a distance, it looked like an ordinary waterfall, and it was hard to tell the difference.
She stepped forward, passing through the cascading waterfalls, and suddenly her eyes were opened up to a breathtaking view.
As if the scene had just been reversed, she now stood on a suspended wooden bridge. Below the bridge, the pool was wide and deep, and the clear water rippled in circles, overflowing in all directions. The overflowing water then cascaded down the mountainside, forming the dozen or so waterfalls that she had seen earlier.
Two senior brothers stood in front of the wooden door of the pavilion and waved to her, "Come here quickly." The senior brother in blue exaggeratedly mouthed the gesture.
Ji Mingran crossed the bridge and stood in front of the door. The senior brother in blue knocked three times, and the wooden door slowly opened: "Grandmaster, the last disciple has arrived."
The senior brother in green then entered and bowed, saying, "Sect Leader." He introduced Ji Mingran, "This is our Dingsheng Sect's Sect Leader, Yuan Liu."
The Kim siblings, who appeared to be standing properly but were actually trying to wink at her.
Ji Mingran raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over the Jin siblings without hesitation before settling on the handsome young man in white robes behind them.
The young man was only in his early twenties, but he possessed a maturity beyond his years. His eyes were kind, and he smiled slightly: "So you're the one who hiked up the mountain?"
Ji Mingran: "Yes."
"Not bad." Sect Leader Yuanliu's eyes showed approval as he announced loudly, "Of the fifty-three participants, Ji Mingran has passed the Dingsheng Sect's entrance examination."
Sect Leader Yuan Liu's voice was loud and clear, and invisible sound waves rippled outwards, carrying the message to all regions of the sect.
The Jin siblings cheered and ran to Ji Mingran's side in a flash: "We've been waiting for you for so long, we were really afraid you wouldn't come." Their warm and affectionate attitude was as if they had met their favorite friend.
The sect leader, Yuanliu, said kindly, "The two of them have been waiting for you here, saying they couldn't rest easy without seeing you. It's truly remarkable that you've formed such a bond so soon after entering the sect."
Feeling the intense gazes fixed on her, Ji Mingran smiled back at the Jin siblings and said slowly, "I was going to come anyway, and this coincidence is quite interesting." She knew perfectly well that the two of them were afraid she would run away halfway and then have to search for her for a long time.
With fifty-three mirror images playing simultaneously, it was perfectly normal for the sect leader, who was extremely busy, not to notice her friendly interaction with the Jin siblings during the competition.
"To climb the mountain on foot with such composure is no small feat, it is no longer just about finding someone. Now that you are an outer disciple, if you work hard and diligently in the future, you will surely become a great talent." The sect leader's tone was calm, but his eyes revealed his expectation.
Upon hearing what the sect leader said, the senior brother in green cast a surprised glance at Ji Mingran, while the Jin siblings remained expressionless, displaying an unfathomable "I knew it" demeanor.
The senior brother in blue said to Ji Mingran, "You should calmly hold the jade tablet in your hand. The jade tablet can reveal your talent, and the sect can arrange a suitable path of cultivation for you based on it."
"Um?"
Ji Mingran opened his eyes and found himself surrounded by a group of people with different expressions.
Jinlu looked at her younger sister with a worried expression, while Jinyu stared at the mutton-fat jade tablet with a gloomy face. The senior brother in green robes cautiously and suspiciously glanced back and forth between the jade tablet and the sect leader, while Sect Leader Yuanliu's expression remained unchanged. However, after a moment, his gaze turned to the senior brother in blue robes.
The senior brother in blue understood and said tactfully to Ji Mingran, "Normally, the jade tablet should respond to a disciple's cultivation talent. But there's been no reaction..."
The jade pendant will sense one's innate talent; if one has no talent, then naturally there will be no response.
Ji Mingran looked down at the jade pendant in his palm. The jade was translucent and of the finest quality.
Her gaze swept over the jade pendants on the waists of the Jin siblings. The pendants shimmered with a faint light, displaying images of a starry sky, waterfall, and spirit pavilion—the very scene she had just witnessed. Gazing at them for a long time, the images seemed to come alive like miniature 3D projections seen in the apocalypse, vividly presenting the twinkling stars and flowing waterfall.
The jade tablets belonging to Senior Brother Lan and Senior Brother Qing were inscribed with scenes of five peaks and two rivers with cloud patterns, their radiance flowing, revealing the blue sea, forests, peaks, and shimmering waters between the rivers.
Ji Mingran closed his eyes and calmed his mind to enter a meditative state once again.
"Alright, stop wasting time," Jin Yu interrupted.
Ji Mingran opened his eyes and lowered them.
The white jade lay quietly in my palm, unchanged.
"Didn't my sister say..." Jinlu hesitated before speaking, looking at her younger sister with a sense of unease.
Jin Yu's face was gloomy, but soon she seemed to understand something. She glanced at Ji Mingran and smiled sweetly, "Very well." She turned to Yuan Liu and said, "Sect Leader, my brother and I have been delayed for a long time. It's time for us to return to the peak to report."
Yuan Liu nodded: "Go."
Jinlu, who immediately understood her sister's thoughts, also smiled and said, "Goodbye, Sect Leader; goodbye, everyone; goodbye, Sister."
Ji Mingran looked up and met the greedy gazes of the Jin siblings.
With their cards revealed, the two of them were confident they could easily defeat themselves.
Ji Mingran's gaze was indifferent as he looked away and continued to focus intently on the jade tablet in his palm.
Upon seeing this, Senior Brother Lan and Senior Brother Qing exchanged a glance, both understanding what the other was thinking.
After all, they had witnessed the confrontation between Ji Mingran and the Jin siblings a month ago.
The junior sister lacks talent, and no matter how hard she tries, she will hardly amount to anything. Now that the two mischievous children know this, they have no more scruples and will try every means to bully her.
Junior sister is going to have a lot of trouble ahead of her.
The two were thinking about finding an opportunity to report this matter to the sect so that the sect would keep a closer eye on the Jin siblings, but at this moment, Ji Mingran suddenly spoke up: "This thing is broken."
The senior brother in blue robes, who was pondering a solution, was taken aback: "Huh?"
"So it didn't react." Ji Mingran said with certainty.
"Impossible." Senior Brother in Green Robes immediately retorted: "This is an ancient spirit stone, which has never been wrong in thousands of years."
“Even if it has been used for thousands of years, it’s normal for it to fall into disrepair over time.” Ji Mingran weighed the jade pendant in his hand.
The senior brother in green frowned deeply: "Junior sister, accept the facts. It's not good to blame the ancient spirit stone." He had just been slightly worried about her future cultivation path, but she turned out to be a stubborn mule who refused to accept the facts and even tried to shift the blame. The sect leader had just thought she was talented, but he had truly misjudged her.
"Junior sister, don't be discouraged. Since you have passed the sect's competition, the sect will not expel you because of this. Just focus on your cultivation in the future." The senior brother in blue felt that it was understandable that his junior sister couldn't accept it for the time being. She was indeed a person with composure, and it was a pity that this was the result.
Sect Leader Yuan Liu confidently affirmed himself, then gently encouraged her: "As long as you cultivate diligently, you will surely achieve something. First, master the outer sect techniques, and then gradually work your way up. You will always make progress." He then said to the two inner sect disciples: "Take her to Lin Peak to report."
"Thank you, Sect Leader. I'm grateful for your help, Senior Brothers." Ji Mingran didn't care whether others believed her or not; her goal was to enter the outer sect for cultivation, and she would worry about other things later.
After bidding farewell to the sect leader, the two senior brothers took Ji Mingran away. Ji Mingran followed behind them. As he stepped over the threshold, he heard a soft "snap". The group stopped and turned to look at the sound.
The small bag, which had been tightly stuffed inside the clothes, somehow rolled out and fell to the ground.
It was a brocade pouch given to her by Boss Jiang.
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