Chapter 116 Escaping Surveillance and Switching Puppet Masters
"This...this is indeed a good question!" The masculine cultivator from the Hehuan Sect suddenly slapped his forehead and chuckled, "Who knows? But since he was able to escape from there, perhaps the Ten Daoist cultivators were worried that even the Demon Sacrifice Abyss couldn't hold him!"
"Perhaps? Is this just a guess? So the ten cultivators of the Dao Sect didn't explain the reason back then?" Ji Mingran asked.
The members of the Hehuan Sect shook their heads: "No."
The Ten Cultivators of Daoist Sect did just that back then, without mentioning the reasons.
“But it’s the most obvious reason,” the alluring male cultivator said. “It’s very reasonable; the ten cultivators of the Dao Sect don’t need any further explanation.”
“That’s true,” Ji Mingran replied casually.
She asked the question because she subconsciously felt something was wrong. Although they gave her an answer, she still felt that something was off.
However, those present were all young disciples, and the events of two hundred years ago were merely hearsay to them; they knew little more about the inside story than others.
Perhaps I can ask the sect elders or senior brothers later.
Ji Mingran made up his mind.
If it weren't for the mention of the abyss and the fact that it coincided with the spiritual cultivation competition, the cultivators wouldn't have been interested in discussing a fallen cultivator who had long since disappeared.
Those were just stories I'd heard, and the people in those stories—no one really investigated them.
The topic quickly shifted.
"Where are you going next?" Shi Jinle asked.
Guan Wangzhen shouted loudly, "Of course we'll gather with our fellow disciples and then head back to our sect soon."
Shi Jinle: "Aren't you going to continue your training outside?" The disciples who can participate in the Spiritual Cultivation Competition all have a certain level of strength. After the competition ends, not all of them will return to the sect.
Most people, once they've set out, will continue to gain experience and grow in the world for a while longer.
It's actually quite rare to see sects as eager to return as Dingsheng Sect and Buming Sect.
“Let’s go back first, and then we’ll see!” Guan Wangzhen said.
Fu Daolan said, "We're not in a hurry to go back. Hey, could we also go to Dingsheng Sect for a look? I heard that your sect occupies almost half of the sect, and even the terrain and climate of each peak are different. How interesting."
“Sure.” Guan Wangzhen glanced at him. “Anyway, there are quite a few cultivators loitering around the outer perimeter of the sect’s Lin Peak. You can come over and help us clear out the rampaging demonic beasts.”
Fu Daolan was indeed intrigued: "May I take this opportunity to spar with you, Miss Shen? You're quite skilled with weapons, let's have a contest!"
Shen Qinglu smiled slightly and said, "Alright, Fellow Daoist Fu, if you don't mind, I'll take the opportunity to learn from you."
The group laughed and joked, and the four members of Dingsheng Sect, who were already in the limelight, now attracted even more attention from the people in the room.
The cultivators of Xiaosu Pavilion were not far from the gate. Ye Wentang glanced at them with a gloomy expression. The beautiful woman's figure was not far away, but he did not go forward.
Defeated by Ji Mingran, a formation cultivator, with a single sword strike, Ye Wentang's dignity as a sword cultivator was shattered. She had no face to face Shen Qingluo, a weapon cultivator, and she no longer mentioned marriage.
Moreover, both Ji Mingran and Shen Qingluo are ranked far higher than him on the Elite List.
If he were to step forward, he would be no different from a clown.
His gaze returned unmistakably to Hong Qizong Mu Huanhui.
The latter's eyes narrowed, and one corner of his mouth curled up, "Fellow Daoist Ye, aren't you going to congratulate Fellow Daoist Shen?"
Ye Wentang gave a forced smile: "Why didn't Fellow Daoist Mu go and congratulate Fellow Daoist Ji? Didn't you just spar with her?"
Hong Qizong. It was Hong Qizong who took advantage of his predicament and eliminated him from the game.
Ye Wentang showed them no kindness whatsoever.
Mu Huanhui was also her defeated opponent, yet he had the audacity to bring this up in front of her.
Don't you even look at yourselves!
Mu Huanhui's sore spot was hit, and his expression darkened: "Same here."
Having been subdued by Ji Mingran with a single sword strike, Mu Huanhui and Ye Wentang tacitly kept the matter a secret from others.
The projection stone happened to not project the scene at that time, so onlookers assumed that the two of them had fought to the point of mutual injury.
Only Meng Yingyang and Ji Mingran, who were present at the scene, knew about this.
In front of others, the two maintained the dignity of sword cultivator prodigies.
But how could the two of them not know that Ji Mingran's top ranking was partly due to their contributions?
Mu Huanhui tried his best to control his emotions and turned his gaze back to Ji Mingran.
If it weren't for the sect leader's order for him to keep a close eye on the four members of Dingsheng Sect, especially Ji Mingran, he wouldn't want to see those eyesores, let alone take the initiative to get close to them.
Unfortunately, Meng Yingyang seemed completely lost and listless. This meant he had to carry out the surveillance mission alone.
Ji Mingran is simply his nemesis on his path of cultivation!
Mu Huanhui stopped being polite to Ye Wentang, and Ye Wentang had no intention of standing with Hong Qizong. With a tight smile, he led the disciples of Xiaosu Pavilion to another corner.
How could it be that as soon as he turned around, he was facing Shen Ningzhuang head-on?
Shen Ningzhuang's eyes were also filled with gloom. He didn't expect to run into Ye Wentang. His expression froze for a moment, and then he turned his eyes away. There was no trace of the intimacy he had shown when he called Ye Wentang "brother-in-law" before.
Treating Ye Wentang as if he were invisible, Chen Ningzhuang followed the Shen family forward.
The direction they were heading...
Ye Wentang frowned and turned to look.
"Chen Qingluo!" A powerful voice resounded throughout the hall.
The lively chatter inside the hall suddenly subsided, and those who were already near the gate turned around in unison.
This includes the individuals whose names were mentioned in full.
Her smiling, rosy face instantly turned as cold as ice.
All the cultivators looked toward the person who had spoken.
Shen Jia led the team, including Shen Ting.
Leaning on his cane, head held high, the old man from the Shen family stood three zhang away from the four members of the Dingsheng Sect, his eyes stern.
Ji Mingran broke the silence: "Grandma Shen is looking for you. We'll be going now. Come over later."
After saying that, the others, except for Shen Qingluo, actually left gracefully in front of everyone.
The other person became anxious after he left.
"Shi Bai!" Zhu Shengli shouted, and the Zhu family disciples who were participating in the test stood around him, looking at him expectantly.
The upright and elegant figure paused as he reached the doorway.
"Huh?" Ji Mingran said to the person standing beside him, "Master Zhu is looking for you. Wang Zhen and I will go first. You and Qing Luo can come back after you've finished dealing with this."
Zhu Shibai nodded.
Shi Jinle grinned and pressed close to her, saying, "Me too." Hehuan and Xuwu followed suit.
Ji Mingran led the others, continuing their journey without stopping.
Seeing this, the cultivators couldn't help but wonder. This little ancestor of Dingsheng Sect really didn't care at all. As an elder of the sect, he actually abandoned his juniors and left without a care.
The Hongqi Sect disciples, who were watching the movements of the four from Dingsheng Sect, quietly split up, with half staying where they were and the other half about to step out the door.
Unexpectedly, the cultivators inside the hall instantly surged to the gate, crowding together to catch a glimpse of the excitement between the Shen and Zhu families.
The disciples of the Hongqi Sect inside the hall were unable to escape for the time being.
Shen Ting led the Shen family disciples to stand directly in front of the gate, ignoring the gazes of others. Shen Ting said, "Now the Shen family is willing to give you a chance. As long as you admit your mistake, the Shen family can accept you back."
Just as Shen Ningzhuang was about to walk to his grandmother's side, he stopped, his expression changed, but he quickly recovered and smiled, saying, "This is really a good opportunity, sister."
The onlookers were in an uproar.
Everyone knows that the Shen family and Shen Qingluo had fallen out.
It's unheard of for a woman in the traditionally rigid and strict Shen family to be willing to compromise.
This must be related to Shen Qingluo's ranking in the top ten of the elite list. Her talent forced the Shen family to make some concessions.
The Shen family offered a way out: Shen Qingluo only needed to admit her mistake to be able to return to the aristocratic family and receive their protection.
That's incredibly high treatment.
All the cultivators envied Shen Qingluo's fate and were eager to see the two sides shake hands and make peace in harmony.
"Admit your mistake," Shen Ting said impatiently.
Shen Qingluo's gaze swept over the Shen family cultivators one by one, lingering on Shen Ningzhuang's face for a few seconds before fixing her eyes on Shen Ting: "Master Shen, there's no need."
"What did you say?" Shen Ting asked suspiciously.
Shen Qingluo's voice was crisp and cold: "I said, no need."
Shen Ting sneered: "Didn't you say you wanted to become the head of the Shen family? Now the opportunity to be accepted by the Shen family is right in front of you, are you sure you want to give it up?"
"Elder Shen," Shen Qingluo's voice was not loud but clearly audible, "it is the Shen family that should apologize to me, not the other way around."
"Shen Qingluo!" Shen Ting's face hardened, and he slammed his dragon-headed cane to the ground, the golden jade humming as it struck the ground. "Listen carefully to what you're saying. The Shen family will not give you a second chance!"
“The Shen family doesn’t need to give me a chance.” Shen Qingluo’s eyes were calm. “In the future, I will give the Shen family a chance. One day, I will step into the Zhu family’s gate again, and you will all welcome me. I am determined to get the position of family head.”
Chen Ting remained silent, his cane planted firmly on the ground, his gaze cold and stern.
Shen Ningzhuang's face turned deathly pale, his eyes fixed on Shen Qingluo as if she had uttered some outrageous words.
Shen Qingluo glanced at him with a half-smile, then turned and walked towards the door without looking back.
At the side gate of the main hall, the Zhu family and their disciples surrounded Zhu Shibai.
Overjoyed, Zhu Shengli placed his hands on Zhu Shibai's shoulders and said with satisfaction, "My son, you've worked hard."
Zhu Shibai took a step back without showing any emotion: "Patriarch, the Grand Competition is a rare opportunity for training. It is the young disciples of the Zhu family who have worked hard. It was not easy for them to make it all the way to the final competition."
Zhu Shenglin waved his hand dismissively, "Like you said, these are all opportunities for training." He then turned to Zhu Shibai and said, "Shibai, this time you're ranked in the top ten of the Elite Ranking, so taking over the Zhu family is perfectly legitimate. You're already a Golden Core cultivator; you mustn't delay your cultivation any longer..."
“Patriarch, I have no intention of leaving the sect,” Zhu Shibai interrupted calmly.
“I know, I know you’ve always been a sentimental child. I haven’t made you leave the sect. I will speak to Yuan Liu myself.” Zhu Shenglin said to Zhu Shibai in a gentle tone, “You will just go home to focus on your cultivation, but you will still be a disciple of Dingsheng Sect.”
"Patriarch," Zhu Shibai said calmly, "I need to repair the artifact."
"Shibai!" Zhu Shenglin said in a trembling voice, as if he had just been dealt a heavy blow, "You have finally reached the Golden Core stage, but if you continue to cultivate two more paths, how will you smoothly advance to the Nascent Soul stage? Yes, you and your fellow disciples who cultivated two paths have all successfully established your foundation, but what about the future? There are no predecessors to follow, and no one knows whether this is feasible. It is better to be cautious!"
Zhu Shibai bowed deeply and said, "Father, I have figured it out. The Zhu family's magic is indeed valuable, but I must also uphold my own path. I have seen clearly the path I must take in the trial of inner demons."
"Shi Bai!" Zhu Shenglin roared, "Do you really not care about the position of head of the Zhu family?!"
“Precisely because I care.” Zhu Shibai’s gaze swept over the young disciples of the Zhu family, “therefore my path is firm.”
"Shi Bai!" Zhu Shengli shouted angrily, "You're confused! Do you know what you're saying?"
"What the Zhu family needs is a powerful patriarch." Zhu Shibai bowed respectfully and stepped away, saying, "I will become strong, Father, rest assured."
The two people who were called down by the aristocratic family ignored the calls behind them and instantly appeared outside the door, where they joined the people who had just stepped out.
"Are you all done chatting?" The gray-clad figure who had stepped out of the doorway asked the people who had gathered around him. "Family gathering, and you're done chatting so quickly?"
“Hmm.” Shen Qingluo and Zhu Shibai exchanged a glance, and she said cheerfully, “You’re right.”
Ji Mingran pointed to himself: "Me?"
Zhu Shibai said softly, "Yes, in the world of the strong, the future is naturally bright, what is there that cannot be achieved?"
Ji Mingran's words carried on the wind from the main gate to the ears of the cultivators inside the hall: "Did I say such a thing?"
"Yes," they both said in unison.
Guan Wangzhen stamped his seal to confirm: "Although I have never heard you say this, it is not surprising that these words came from your mouth."
"Alright then. Let's take it as what I said!" said the slender figure surrounded by several people. "The strong are invincible, I've always agreed with that."
Holding up the sect's jade token that transmits sound, Ji Mingran looked up.
The stars are shining brightly. This is the real night sky, not just separated by a dome.
There was no noisy hall behind him, nor were there any people gathered around him.
Under the night sky, deep in the forest, she was all alone.
"Grandma, we've stepped out of the main hall." The sect's jade tablet transmitted Guan Wangzhen's thoughts, "We're counting down in sync with you."
"three."
Inside the main hall, the cultivators, still savoring the spectacle, gazed at the group of people leaving the hall.
"two."
The disciples of Hongqi Sect finally managed to squeeze out of the crowd.
"one."
At the entrance of the main hall, the group of people who had just stepped out of the threshold had only taken two steps before their figures suddenly disappeared.
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