Lin Shuang, who had just fought against an evil couple, was briefly awakened by the elders and soon fell asleep again on the couch.
Throughout the night, she had been busy creating forgeries, inflating items, drawing arrays, and crafting teleportation talismans.
It had taken a significant toll on her.
At this moment, light-blocking talismans, noise-dampening talismans, and defensive arrays were all activated around the couch.
The Xiao Ai automated response talisman activated on its own, detecting that all of her 108 consciousness threads had fallen asleep.
Even if several elders at the transcendence stage arrived, it would be the same.
Xiao Ai’s voice was soft, cute, yet merciless.
“Sorry, Lin Shuang has entered sleep mode.”
“If it’s not urgent, the earliest available time slot for Lin Shuang will be the morning of tomorrow.”
“Will the first-ranked cultivator confirm an appointment for this time slot?”
The elder from Qingmu Sect, who stood at the front, twitched his lips.
The other sect elders were speechless.
Shui Qiantan nearly melted into a puddle of water again, but after glancing at the yellow paper talisman in his hand marked with the number six, he couldn’t smile anymore.
He turned to look at Xiaohong and Xiaolv.
“Did you two teach her this?”
Li Min and Duan Wufang: “…”
Unfair.
That guy, Li Daowei, had been in seclusion for the past few days!
His cultivation had been galloping forward like a runaway horse. As Lin Shuang advanced rapidly through the outer and inner sect competitions, his Dao heart also became more solid and proud, and his cultivation speed was incomparable to the past.
At this moment, he was in seclusion and wouldn’t come out.
Leaving these two to take the blame.
Unfair, it really wasn’t them who taught her this.
“Lin Shuang, Lin Shuang.”
Seeing the elders about to be driven away by Xiao Ai’s relentless rejections, Meng Zi finally couldn’t stand it anymore. He put down the spirit stones he had been preparing to count and shouted her name into the air.
“Wake up! This is a critical moment; we came to express our gratitude for helping us retrieve our sect’s disciples!”
“Countless treasures, twelve sects, twelve items! Hey hey hey, wake up!”
The elders of the twelve sects: “…”
If we don’t bring out treasures, we won’t be able to leave?
This brat.
Shui Qiantan looked back at Xiaohong and Xiaolv with a complicated expression. This time, he silently nodded in approval at them.
This, they taught well.
Li Min and Duan Wufang: “…”
The Shuishui Sect’s sneaky demeanor is passed down through generations.
Meng Zi couldn’t wake Lin Shuang at all.
Her noise-dampening ear talisman worked well.
Once her sleep was interrupted, her 108 consciousness threads would be awakened from deep sleep.
To fall back into deep sleep again, she would have to go through the cycle of cultivating the mood for sleep, light sleep, and entering dreams again.
And even if she was woken up, she wouldn’t get up.
With the one-sided mirror talisman inserted, even if she opened her eyes, she couldn’t see anyone.
She turned over and could continue sleeping.
“Lin Shuang… This is a rare opportunity, didn’t you say that special situations require special handling?” Meng Zi helplessly scratched his head.
Huangpu Yuan, who had just vented his frustration by repeatedly attacking the toxic shadow, also stood in the air with a complicated expression.
They had all been summoned out of their caves by the reward from Yuanhe River.
At this moment, Huangpu Yuan swept his gaze around the various sect elders standing among the clouds or riding beasts.
He lowered his eyelids and flew his sword to the edge of Lin Shuang’s couch.
He looked at her sweet sleeping face.
“Junior Brother Meng, don’t bother calling her. No matter how loud you shout, she won’t wake up.”
“…”
“Xiao Ai, continue scheduling appointments for the elders.”
“…”
[…]
[Watching the competition today was worth every spirit stone spent.]
[Exactly, where else can you usually see transcendence elders getting the short end of the stick?]
[Gradually developing respect for Lin Shuang.]
[If there were a courage ranking, Lin Shuang would be the top under the Shenshen stage.]
[… Baihua Sect, oh, here comes business for the new rankings!]
[Baihua Sect’s Bian Boxing: Worth the trip.]
“Fine, we’ll come back to you after the competition ends. Since the competition isn’t over yet, it wouldn’t be fair to other sects if we focused on Shuishui Sect now.”
The elders shook their heads and prepared to leave.
“Just let her sleep.”
But with a beep, the dog-shaped Xiao Ai talisman instantly lifted its two paper feet.
“Lin Shuang has been called five times.”
“Is this an urgent matter?”
The elders from the various sects froze instantly.
The elders at the very back, Xiaohong and Xiaolv, both covered their eyes.
“Detected keywords: ‘special situations require special handling,’ ‘other sects,’ ‘competition’…”
The first-tier dog-shaped talisman, Xiao Ai’s eyes glowed with spiritual energy.
“Would you like to ask – about special methods to defeat other sects during the competition?”
[Shock!]
[…? What.]
The elders who had been preparing to leave now stopped turning around.
Especially the elders from Baihua Sect, Wanseng Sect, who were likely to enter the top three, and the elder from Shanhai Sect, who had been in conflict with Shuishui for a hundred years…
Meng Zi and Huangpu Yuan’s eyes gleamed.
Meng Zi took a step forward, wanting to retrieve the Xiao Ai talisman.
But even faster than him, the elders from Baihua Sect and Wanseng Sect, the transcendence monks, instantly grabbed the Xiao Ai talisman from the air!
“Oh? How do you defeat Baihua Sect during the competition?”
“I’d like to ask how to beat my Wanseng Sect?”
The two transcendence elders’ expressions changed, complexly looking at this fragile talisman that couldn’t even withstand a single strike.
In an instant, a torrential wave crashed down on the Xiao Ai paper talisman!
“Shui Qiantan!”
“Why is the Sect Leader attacking the disciple’s talisman?”
The elders from Wanseng Sect and Baihua Sect acted together, blocking the surging waves.
Shui Qiantan’s white hair dripped into water, “This is a disciple of Shuishui Sect! You better return it quickly!”
Instantly in the air, flowers bloomed everywhere, and countless wooden fish surrounded them.
Towering waves surged from all directions toward these two.
And a low, hoarse voice soon followed, “Do the three of you consider my Shanhai Sect a playground? Transcendence elders attacking in my inner sect, what does it mean?”
Shanhai Sect’s Yue Zhi actually raised his hand.
Immediately, mountains and rivers extended, cutting through the waves and shattering the falling flowers and wooden fish!
The elders from other sects all changed expressions, “Stop!”
“You old Yue Zhi, shameless…”
“Could it be that Elder Yue doesn’t want to know how your sect’s techniques were deciphered by the Shuishui Sect disciple?”
“Oh? Doesn’t Elder Mingzhong want to know?”
“That’s right, Mingzhong Sect is hopeless for the top three!”
Several transcendence elders actually started fighting in the air.
[…]
[The elders from Baihua Sect and Wanseng Sect wanted to know if Lin Shuang really discovered the weaknesses of their techniques, so they grabbed the response talisman.]
[This response talisman contains Shuishui Sect’s secrets to counter the other eleven sects. How could the water elder of Shuishui Sect let them have their way! So he wanted to destroy it!]
[Other sects didn’t want this paper talisman destroyed… because if Lin Shuang really had methods to counter their sects, they needed to know how to counteract those counters.]
[After the mid and low-level battles, there are still high-level Shenshen battles… After the competition, the twelve sects’ confrontations will be everywhere! Other sects all want to know the answers Lin Shuang set in the response talisman, whether their sects really have weaknesses…]
[So now on the surface, Shanhai Sect is neutral, stopping transcendence elders from acting. Actually, it’s eleven against one? Gang up on Elder Shui?]
The text had just floated by.
Then in the air, a bunch of flowers, wood, and array patterns flew around.
Surging waves and water pillars splashed in the air.
The voice of Senior Sister Lihua took a long time before appearing in the projection, “Since the other five sects have not completed their mission of capturing the demonic cultivators, the competition projection will continue.”
“But now… the elders from various sects have started fighting.”
“All for a low-level talisman. It’s only first-tier, and its master, Lin Shuang, is already asleep.”
[…]
[…]
[“Isn’t Pear Blossom supposed to be sleeping?”]
Sister Pear Blossom, with a complicated expression, dug into her sleeve and pulled out a yellow bamboo scroll.
“On the way here, my master gave it to me. I originally thought I would never use it for this commentary.”
“But just now when I was meditating, I felt the transcendence elders’ moves. Not waking up made me think of it.”
She opened it, and a line of spiritual grass script appeared.
——《A Comprehensive Guide to Transcendence Elders of Various Sects》
[! This is the 7,000-layer redemption scroll? Worth up to 200,000 spirit stones?]
[Legend says that each page has a elder’s divine consciousness attached, capable of releasing low-tier versions of transcendence elders’ moves.]
Sister Pear Blossom already had a solemn expression as she flipped the bamboo scroll.
——Elder Yu Lu of Baihua Sect, mid-transcendence stage. She was the first to fully understand the four seasons’ flowers.
——Elder Wunan of Wanseng Sect, mid-transcendence stage. “If I don’t go to hell, who will?”
——Elder Yue Zhi of Shanhai Sect, mid-transcendence stage. “I am the mountain itself. Mountains come, mountains without end…”
——Elder Shui Qiantan of Shuishui Sect, late-transcendence stage. “The highest good is like water. Water can carry the boat…”
——…
[Shuishui Sect is the strongest!]
[No wonder they can take on eleven alone.]
[Isn’t Elder Yue Zhi of Shanhai Sect the leader of the twelve sect elders in this session?]
[Tan Elder likes to turn into water. If he becomes the leader, everyone would report to a puddle and ask water for judgment?]
[…]
[Understood.]
[In the past hundred years, Shuishui Sect has never served as the leader of the twelve sects’ council. Everyone should know that water is always unpredictable, while mountains are more stable. If matters of various sects are entrusted to Tan Elder, it might end in disaster.]
[…]
Sister Pear Blossom hadn’t flipped for long when crystal tears slid from the corners of her eyes.
Her body trembled, and she staggered, supporting herself with one hand on the ground.
Clearly, reading this book had brought her great pain.
—Elder Yue Zhi, I am the mountain itself. Intricate maneuvers, beep beep wailing…
The spiritual essence condensed from the aura suddenly became indistinct.
[Warning: The reader is at the mid-Shenshen stage. Directly viewing transcendence moves may cause the consciousness sea to shatter.]
[This book contains thirty-eight transcendence moves, each reduced to one-thousandth to two-thousandths of a transcendence expert’s power, but still not something a Shenshen disciple can casually read.]
Sister Pear Blossom’s face changed drastically, instantly turning pale as she closed the book.
“I’m sorry, everyone. I’ve reached layer 8,500 out of 9,000 trials, but in front of transcendence experts, I still can’t withstand even one-thousandth to two-thousandths of their power.”
“No, not even resistance,” she smiled bitterly, “but not even having the qualification to look directly.”
She lifted her pale face, her tired eyes filled with weariness, looking at the disciples watching the projection.
Letting everyone see the backlash she suffered from reading beyond her level.
[This…]
[Layer 8,500? I was still cursing her commentary before…]
“By the way, this book was created by Elder Yu Lu of Baihua Sect fifty years ago.”
Sister Pear Blossom added.
“It doesn’t represent the latest situations of the various elders today.”
“If everyone wants to read the new edition, don’t forget to support the official version. When cumulative purchases reach one thousand copies, a new fifty-year detailed guide on transcendence elders will be released.”
Sister Pear Blossom smiled at the projection and then put away the book.
[…]
[As expected, another money-making scheme.]
[Why did I still read it with genuine emotion…]
Meanwhile, in the air, the battle among the elders had already determined the outcome.
Fifty years ago, Shui Qiantan was at the late-transcendence stage, the most powerful among the various sect elders.
But now, fifty years later.
Under the combined attack of the eleven sect elders, Shui Qiantan was soon pushed back.
The Xiao Ai talisman ultimately ended up in the hands of Yue Zhi of Shanhai Sect.
He solemnly looked at the other elders, “Enough, stop here.”
Saying so, his aged eyes were stern as he looked down at the first-tier response talisman in his hand.
Meng Zi looked up, Huangpu Yuan’s phoenix eyes flickered.
A first-tier response talisman was hard to escape the gaze of transcendence elders.
“Beep, sorry,” Xiao Ai the lion dog placed its two paper feet on Yue Zhi’s transcendence hand, “you are not Lin Shuang’s life-and-death companion level I…”
Yue Zhi raised his eyebrows.
“Nor are you Lin Shuang’s life-and-death level III, Meng Zi, Huangpu Yuan.”
Meng Zi and Huangpu Yuan both trembled.
Level III?
They upgraded?!
Yue Zhi’s gaze swept over their surprised expressions before quickly focusing on the low-tier talisman in his hand.
Suddenly, Xiao Ai the lion dog’s spiritual energy flickered in his hand, “Detected spiritual consciousness intrusion, automatically activating firewall function.”
Meng Zi, Huangpu Yuan: “!”
Yue Zhi: “…”
“Beep, firewall activation failed, the gap in spiritual consciousness is too large.”
“If you don’t let go of Xiao Ai, Xiao Ai will immediately enter self-destruct mode!”
The lion dog talisman’s eyes immediately displayed a countdown.
—Three!
—Two!
Shui Qiantan: “…”
[She! She’s definitely a high-level talisman master!]
[High-level storage bags will self-destruct if opened by others.]
Yue Zhi narrowed his eyes and finally, under the regretful gazes of the other sect elders, let go of his hand before Xiao Ai self-destructed.
The Xiao Ai response talisman instantly returned to Lin Shuang’s pillow, crouching beside her snow-white skin.
Her long black eyelashes fluttered with her steady breathing.
The transcendence battles outside didn’t even wake her up.
She had no idea what Xiao Ai had just gone through.
But everything was already part of her plan.
From the moment she created the Xiao Ai talisman, it already had the ultimate firewall function that would self-destruct if probed by spiritual consciousness or forcibly queried for answers.
“This old man,” Yue Zhi stood high in the sky, “will schedule the second day after the inner sect competition ends.”
As he spoke, his yellowed but sharp gaze swept toward Lin Shuang.
But soon, Meng Zi and Huangpu Yuan blocked him from left and right.
Yue Zhi’s gaze fell on the two of them.
“After you three finish your competition and have rested, this old man will personally… come to find you.”
[!]
With that, he took a step and disappeared into the mountains.
Shui Qiantan pressed his forehead and looked at Meng Zi and Huangpu Yuan, “Rest well.”
Before disappearing, he left one more sentence.
“When Lin Shuang wakes up, tell her to pass on the message.”
[…]
After several elders left, Meng Zi finally slumped onto the edge of the bed.
Huangpu Yuan extended the hand hidden in his sleeve, his expression hard to discern as he put away “The Princess Disguised as a Man.”
Looking at the sleeping face on the bed, sweet and peaceful.
If not inspired by her, he would hardly have controlled his emotions today.
Huangpu Yuan looked inwardly into his spiritual sea, gazing at his nine-tailed scorpion braid intertwined.
The hatred from just now made his spiritual consciousness restless.
But for now… he could not make a move.
Huangpu Yuan’s lips twitched as he stood beside the couch, lowering his eyes.
“Query, Lin Shuang’s ultimate techniques.”
Meng Zi: “!”
Xiao Ai’s talisman instantly shimmered with spiritual light. “Born and Died III level, meets the query conditions.”
“Lin Shuang’s latest martial arts rank—Refined Transformation Realm martial arts include…”
Huangpu Yuan lowered his brows, lips curving upward.
Meng Zi also beamed, finally hearing what he wanted.
But half a teacup later, his expression gradually turned stunned, lips stiffening.
…Xiao Ai was still playing.
After one teacup, Xiao Ai was still playing.
Meng Zi: “…”
Not finished yet?
“If you don’t want to continue listening, say stop.”
“There are still 351 Refined Transformation Realm martial arts… estimated playing time is another two incense sticks.”
Meng Zi: “…”
Huangpu Yuan: “…”
Level three was required to listen—it was indeed for their own good!
Huangpu Yuan pressed his forehead, looking at the Shih Tzu talisman.
“Stop.”
“Wait, is there level four above this? What is level four?”
Meng Zi’s eyes sparkled.
Xiao Ai’s talisman also sparkled. “Born and Died level four and above authority: Lin Shuang’s secrets. Detected encrypted sentences in Lin Shuang’s diary, 1029…”
Meng Zi: “!”
Huangpu Yuan: “!”
“Born and Died level four and above authority: Lin Shuang’s fears. Detected encrypted sentences in Lin Shuang’s diary, 829…”
In Meng Zi and Huangpu Yuan’s expressions, a trace of inquisitive desire neither noticed appeared.
They wanted to continue upgrading!
*
At the resting ark within the Sea-Mountain Sect’s Yuan Chuan Nine Thousand.
Supervisor Elder Wang Heng sat cross-legged, observing the incoming disciples.
Soon, he awaited Lin Shuang, Meng Zi, and Huangpu Yuan.
[Disciples entered Yuan Chuan Five Thousand layers, completed reward collection.]
Elder Wang Heng, his aged eyes hidden in darkness, immediately looked toward the teleportation array, the direction the disciples emerged.
Soon, he saw three substitutes from the Clear Water Sect.
Not Lin Shuang.
Elder Wang Heng: “?”
Mei Xin held three disciple badges, smiling lightly as she said, “Come, let’s return them. Fortunately, we arrived half an incense stick before the deadline.”
Elder Wang Heng: “…”
Disciples couldn’t substitute for each other in exams.
But they were only substituting to collect rewards.
“Elder Wang, is this okay?” Mei Xin keenly noticed his gaze.
Wang Heng remained silent, slowly closing his eyes.
He returned to his shadowy guarding seat.
“Yes, go ahead.”
*
After the elders of the Twelve Sects left Lin Shuang’s dwelling, they soon appeared in the Sea-Mountain Sect’s inner hall for discussions.
All traces of their earlier fighting and joking vanished, replaced by solemnity.
“It’s the Heaven Scheme Association.”
“All those captured while unconscious are disciples who performed exceptionally well in the past ten years.”
“Both Virtual-stage experts from the Auction House are dead; the trail has gone cold again.”
“Disciple duels will continue, but each sect must heighten defenses! Contact disciples outside, confirm everyone’s location!”
“Has the Heaven Scheme Association started moving again? Is that person about to awaken?”
The elders’ expressions turned grave.
Shui Qiantan slowly emerged from a puddle on the ground, his white hair dripping.
“Every time a disciple vanishes, the evil cult strengthens its power even more.”
“From today on, not a single elite disciple can be missing! The closed-door elders of each sect should awaken, and for each disciple with Spirit Refining talent outside, a senior should be dispatched for protection.”
As he spoke, Elder Yu Lu beside him frowned.
“Dispatching elders for escort? Won’t this play right into their hands, leaving our sects vulnerable?”
“Besides, not all elders have crossed the Tribulation. If a Virtual-stage elder goes out and is ambushed by them, used to cultivate that person, wouldn’t it be even worse!”
The Elder from Green Wood Sect also slammed the table in opposition.
Shui Qiantan fell silent, eventually transforming back into water, dripping onto the ground.
“Don’t you all understand yet?”
“It’s not us, nor even the Virtual-stage elders who can oppose that person!”
As he finished, he vanished like vapor.
But his solemn voice lingered.
All sect elders remained silent.
It’s not the elders or the Virtual-stage ones who can oppose.
It’s the disciples.
Therefore, it’s worth sacrificing elders to protect disciples.
“Bai Hua Sect…”
Elder Yu Lu closed her eyes. “From today on, elders will be dispatched to protect Spirit Refining disciples.”
Elder Wu Nan sighed, spinning his prayer beads. “Ten Thousand Monks Sect, same.”
“…”
“Green Wood Sect… likewise.”
“This duel will continue, especially the final team battle must proceed.”
Elder Yu Lu added.
“Only by entering the final layer of Nine Thousand can one confront that person.”
“And the Nine Thousand Trial, only Foundation Building and Spirit Refining disciples may enter.”
“Even if this generation of Spirit Refining disciples isn’t up to it, in ten or a hundred years, as long as our Twelve Sects remain, we will surely find disciples capable of reaching layer Nine Thousand Nine Hundred Ninety-Nine!”
The puddle on the ground bubbled, as if silently agreeing.
*
The next day, when Lin Shuang awoke refreshed and invigorated, she met Huangpu Yuan and Meng Zi’s subtle, complex gazes.
She looked puzzled.
But this wasn’t the first time.
After a brief moment of confusion, she turned surprised eyes toward Xiao Ai by her bedside.
Had Xiao Ai made her ‘socially die’ again while she slept?
“Senior apprentice sister.”
Zhao Keran, who had meditated all night, happily ran over to share breakfast with Lin Shuang.
She had chased eastward after yesterday’s Auction House incident, missing her senior apprentice sister’s heroic moment in front of the Annihilation Pavilion.
In the end, she could only watch the battle projection.
Zhao Keran took a few bites of plain noodles before vividly recounting to Lin Shuang the duel between the Twelve Sect elders from yesterday.
Lin Shuang listened with a horrified expression. “What? I slept through one night and gained twelve appointments?”
Twelve sects wanted to guide her?
No way.
Meng Zi and Huangpu Yuan: “…”
Then, Zhao Keran mentioned the cultivation manual from the Seventh Thousand Layer.
Huangpu Yuan nodded. “Once we reach the Seventh Thousand Layer, we’ll switch to this manual.”
Short-term unsolvable issues were added to the medium-term plan.
No need to worry about them for now.
Lin Shuang nodded vigorously.
“Alright, then let’s prepare for the next team battle final.” She put down her chopsticks.
Everyone perked up their ears.
That evening, as the sun set on Yuan River Nine Thousand.
[Queen, tonight, which green head token will you flip—Trial ends.]
[Sea-Mountain Sect second departure, third completion, 350 points.]
[…]
[Foundation Building Mid-Low Stage, Twelve Sects Duel, three rounds of point matches concluded.]
[Top three sects: Clear Water Sect, Bai Hua Sect, Ten Thousand Monks Sect!]
[As expected.]
[Sigh.]
[The three rounds of point matches tested six sects’ comprehensive strength in response, analysis, cultivation, and pursuit.]
[The final event of the annual Twelve Sects Duel: three-on-three team battle will commence in one day.]
[Five Three Four Six Layer: you came, yes I came too.]
[Ultimately, who will be the top sect in this Foundation Building Mid-Low Stage War, wait and see!]
[Is it necessary?]
[I thought they’d cancel this team battle, Clear Water Sect is clearly stronger.]
[But although Lin Shuang’s group has powerful combined techniques, they also have significant flaws. In arena battles, neither Bai Hua Sect nor Ten Thousand Monks Sect will give them the chance to inflate to Foundation Building Ninth Stage.]
[Can you stop using ‘inflate’ please?]
[… Clear Water Sect’s two tasks utilized many external factors. If it’s just arena battles, facing Bai Hua Sect’s Full Four Seasons Blossoms, Time Flow, I don’t think Clear Water Sect will necessarily win.]
[All martial arts counter each other; there’s no absolute best sword or knife. We’ll see who wins the deer after the hunt, the three-on-three team battle!]
[Exactly, in arena battles, there’s no illusion. Although Lin Shuang is clever, she might not defeat Bai Hua Sect.]
[Bai Hua Sect is only strong in words.]
[…]
[I want to see if Lin Shuang’s response talisman really means she has a secret to counter eleven sects?]
[Looking forward to it.]
Most observing disciples didn’t leave but instead continued renting dwellings in Sea-Mountain Sect.
Even more, many flew swords toward the dwellings of Lin Shuang’s group, wanting to see how Clear Water Sect prepared and make connections.
But Clear Water Sect remained closed.
Until the day of the team battle, the three finally pushed open their dwelling door, spirited and energetic, mounting three mighty immortal cranes at the door under the crowd’s gaze.
Lin Shuang held a storybook, Meng Zi counted spirit stones, and Huangpu Yuan was flipping through “Elder Sword Technique Notes.”
Each of them was absurd in their own way.
The gathered disciples all shook their heads, following them to Yuan River Nine Thousand.
Here, disciples from various sects had already taken seats around the viewing mountains.
Sects competing for the top three spots crowded the entrance to Yuan River Nine Thousand, shoulder to shoulder.
The Twelve Sect elders sat in a circle.
But now, several elder seats were empty.
At the entrance of Yuan River, flowers of all seasons fell from trees and crowns.
Elder Yu Lu stood at the forefront.
Behind her were Bai Hua Sect disciples in colorful robes.
Each held different flower petals, tossing them toward the Bai Hua Sect participants Zhu Jiao, Bian Bocai, and Kong Miaoke for the final battle.
“In February, spring plowing begins, apricot blossoms bloom in abundance, as a hundred flowers vie to emerge one after another!”
Disciples in floral robes, flowers in hand, chanted in unison.
“Hundreds of flowers bloom like brocade, water fills the pond, splashing joyfully!”
Zhu Jiao and the three: “…”
Lin Shuang opened her mouth, shifting her gaze from the storybook to this cultivation world cheerleading scene.
Meng Zi scratched his head awkwardly for them.
Huangpu Yuan reached out, catching three falling petals.
Dududud—
The wooden fish sounds from Ten Thousand Monks Sect soon drowned out the floral chanting.
Instantly, a golden Buddha image slowly formed in the air, its majesty overwhelming countless flowers.
“Ultimate Nirvana.”
“Three Lives Buddhas.”
The Ten Thousand Monks Sect elder chanted in the sky.
Dududud, the wooden fish sounds doubled!
Lin Shuang blinked.
Following Bai Hua Sect’s Zhu Jiao and the three, the Ten Thousand Monks Sect’s three battle disciples quickly bowed their heads, fleeing like escaping, faces flushed as they hurried into Yuan River Nine Thousand!
Lin Shuang exhaled in relief, fortunately—
But before finishing her thought, she had a bad premonition.
Sure enough, she heard splashing water sounds all around her.
Lin Shuang, Meng Zi, and Huangpu Yuan stiffened their necks, turning their heads.
Behind them stood Clear Water Sect Elder Shui Qiantan, Xiao Hong and Xiao Lv, along with many Qing Yi disciples from Clear Water Sect, and Mei Xin’s three substitutes.
All were performing the Water Spirit Technique.
In an instant, the sky and earth were shrouded in a vast water curtain.
Lin Shuang, as an outer sect servant, toiled diligently for ten years and finally welcomed today’s triumphant duel…
Lin Shuang’s scalp prickled.
No way?
A pre-battle contestant review?
‘Lin Shuang, outer sect talisman class performance, outstandingly excellent, monthly rain or shine, advancing one place, currently ranked 10,332 in Clear Water Sect outer sect.’
[…?]
[Hmm?]
[…]
Lin Shuang pressed her head, actually playing this embarrassing retrospective stuff!
Elder Shui, are you okay?
How much award ceremony script have you eaten?
Toes curling the ground.
“Lin Shuang, outer sect Water Spirit Technique performance, every two months, steadily advancing two places, currently ranked 10,293 in Clear Water Sect outer sect…”
[…?]
[All bottom, laughing to death.]
Shui Qiantan: “?”
He also briefly showed a toe-curling expression.
What’s going on?
Why is the talented disciple’s outer sect score so bad?
He turned back to glare at Li Daowei, not finding him, could only glare at Xiao Hong and Xiao Lv, no one told him about this in advance.
Awkward.
Shui Qiantan hastily coughed, changing the technique with a hand seal.
Expectantly looking at Meng Zi.
‘Meng Zi, entered inner sect twenty-one years, mingled with inner sect disciples.’
‘Known as ‘Spirit Stone Urging Junior Brother,’ senior brothers and sisters unwilling to associate with him…’
[…]
Shui Qiantan: “…”
He expressionlessly turned to Huangpu Yuan.
On the water curtain, Huangpu Yuan directly appeared, lying dog-like on the Rong Bao Zhai bamboo chair, coughing blood weakly.
Huangpu Yuan: “…”
[…]
Shui Qiantan remained expressionless, cutting the technique with a hand seal, instantly the water curtain disappeared.
Several water flowers exploded in the sky.
Shui Qiantan raised his wine pot, and instantly water splashed from the hands of all Clear Water Sect disciples.
“Clear Water, Clear Water, this session’s first.”
“Anger Bai Hua, make monks cry, mess with Sea-Mountain.”
“Draw sword to cut water—water flows more!”
A neat chant instantly arose.
Disciples from various sects listened, mouths twitching.
Lin Shuang, Meng Zi, and Huangpu Yuan patted their immortal cranes’ butts, rushing headlong into Yuan River Nine Thousand without looking back.
Meeting Bai Hua Sect’s Zhu Jiao trio and Ten Thousand Monks Sect’s three similarly fleeing inside.
In their eyes, instead of the alertness and hostility before team battles, there was a trace of mutual understanding.
—Your sect elders are also this ridiculous.
—Yes, no problem, ours are too.
—Sigh.
[Five Three Four Six Layer: you came, yes I came too.]
Three sect disciples’ eyes twitched.
This title, really not deliberately chosen by the elders?
Too fitting.
Suddenly, Sea-Mountain Sect’s Yuan River Nine Thousand supervisor, Elder Wang Heng, appeared before them.
As Lin Shuang entered Five Three Four Six Layer, seeing the classroom scene, she saw him.
“This round’s team battle involves three sects together.”
Lin Shuang’s sleeve moved slightly.
Huangpu Yuan pulled her.
She slightly nodded.
Meng Zi did the same, sweat dripping from his forehead.
The nine-tailed fox’s keen sense of smell, once detecting the scent of thunder talismans, tugged their sleeves.
This Yuan River supervisor was indeed corrupt!
Lin Shuang looked at this white-bearded Wang Elder.
Wang Elder was also watching her.
“The team battle involves three parties, each to propose one round of challenges.”
“The first round, proposed by Clear Water Sect, the highest-ranking sect!”
Hmm.
Same as competing for the spring in Li Village.
Lin Shuang nodded, immediately advancing a step toward Bai Hua Sect.
Two broadswords in hand, she came roaring in!
She raised her eyebrows high, glancing toward Zhu Jiao of the Hundred Flowers Sect.
“You still remember our agreement, Hundred Flowers Sect?”
“A team battle, give us one breath.”
Ceng——
Meng Zi drew his sword.
Imperial scholar Yuan held a scroll of sword techniques.
[!]
[Start fighting in the first round?]
The three members of the Hundred Flowers Sect immediately became serious, their floral branches solidifying. Books dropped from their folding fans, and an embroidery frame slammed onto the ground.
Zhu Jiao, Bian Bo Cai, and Kong Miao Ke instantly gathered their magical artifacts, standing shoulder to shoulder!
“We remember!”
Zhu Jiao solemnly nodded.
On the left, three disciples of the Ten Thousand Monks Sect held their Buddhist prayer beads and opened their eyes one by one.
A wooden fish appeared.
Lin Shuang slashed out a sword qi, leaping over Elder Wang.
As Elder Wang nodded and solidified the martial arena, her sword qi suddenly transformed into a dragon-siphoning-water technique, swirling around his feet before returning to her side.
*
At the general store, a base for the Annihilation Pavilion.
The shopkeeper, tallying the month’s profits, was busily working his abacus.
He turned to communicate with a masked Yuan Ning assassin.
“Why are you here today?”
The assassin was holding a projection stone, watching Lin Shuang’s team battle unfold. Just as the action got exciting, he straightened his posture.
The gentle gaze behind his mask revealed a helpless expression toward the shopkeeper.
It was none other than Zhao Ming.
That guy Zhao Yi Bai went for training in the Northern Regions but still hasn’t returned.
Although the Duan family’s academic mission of encouraging learning had concluded, he insisted on remaining there to study swordsmanship.
It forced him to leave the Shan Hai Sect and take over the surveillance here.
Family rules of the Zhao clan require ten disciples to be stationed at the ten major outposts at all times.
They, as Yuan Condensation and Shen Refinement cultivators on the periphery, are tasked with relaying messages back to the Xu and Jie cultivators within the clan.
Otherwise, if they encountered someone familiar from a century ago, the Zhao clan’s Jie cultivators would struggle to remain hidden.
“What does her sword qi passing by Elder Wang mean?”
Zhao Ming watched Lin Shuang on the projection stone with great interest.
“Is this a drawback of the dragon-siphoning-water sword technique, that it must be so circuitous?”
Zhao Ming didn’t understand.
But just as he was crouched beside the shopkeeper, hiding under the counter watching the projection stone—
Suddenly, a rustling paper sound echoed at the entrance of the general store.
Zhao Ming immediately put away the projection stone, gripped his mask, and stood up seriously.
Who is it?
At this crucial moment of the mid- to low-level battle, someone dares to come in with a commission!
The twelve sects of the Eastern Regions were all busy waiting for the battle results!
Zhao Ming raised his eyes unhappily and saw a black-robed figure wrapped entirely in a shield.
“?”
“I have a commission.”
As the black-robed figure spoke, a sound of paper rubbing emerged.
Zhao Ming’s temple twitched.
“I want the Annihilation Pavilion to capture alive the elder Wang Heng of the Shan Hai Sect currently overseeing this battle!”
“That’s right, the one just affected by that female disciple’s sword qi.”
With a clatter,
Zhao Ming’s projection stone, still masked, fell to the ground.
“In about five incense sticks, the team battle will end, and he will leave.”
“No problem, right, Annihilation Pavilion?”
“!”
…
On the projection, Lin Shuang seemed to sense something, holding her broadsword.
[Little AI No.1 (Lin): Arrived. Five incense sticks, end the team battle on time.]
Huangpu Yuan and Meng Zi silently gave a hand signal indicating five.
—Acknowledged, assassins 5, 6, 7.
Lin Shuang smiled, looking toward the Hundred Flowers Sect and the Ten Thousand Monks Sect.
She suddenly retracted her broadswords and placed them into her spatial bag.
Hundred Flowers Sect and Ten Thousand Monks Sect: “?”
Lin Shuang paused slightly, glancing at her tomato-shaped countdown timer—five incense sticks.
“For this first team battle, we choose—”
“Esoteric knowledge assessment.”
[???]
“A hundred and twenty common esoteric knowledge questions.”
Lin Shuang smiled, pulling out an ink brush.
“Four incense sticks as the time limit.”
Hundred Flowers Sect: “!”
Ten Thousand Monks Sect: “!”
Elder Wang: “?”
[???]
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