—The first incense after Senior Sister’s ascension, thinking of her.
—The second incense after Senior Sister’s ascension, thinking of her.
—The third incense after Senior Sister’s ascension, still thinking of her…
A disciple among the Nine Thousand Trials had finally climbed to the 8,000th floor after great effort, exchanged for the cultivation notes of Sect Leader Zhao Keran, at a cost of 150,000 spirit stones.
It was said to contain the essence of her cultivation techniques and the secrets to rapid breakthroughs.
This was the only copy in the entire world.
Yet upon opening it, on the first page of the preface, the entire page was filled with the words “thinking of her,” and water kept seeping from the yellowed paper.
Accompanying this was a terrifying sound, like someone bursting into tears.
From loud weeping to soft whimpering… the sound reverberated endlessly.
The disciple also burst into tears and threw away the notes worth 150,000 spirit stones.
“What kind of thing is this? It’s too scary!”
The discarded book was just caught by Zhou Xuanwu, who was in charge of the rest area of the Nine Thousand Trials today, with one hand.
He wore an expression clearly saying the other party couldn’t recognize quality goods.
The embarrassed disciple then crept over secretly, hesitantly asking, “Elder Zhou, this ‘her’—does it refer to Elder Lin Shuang, who has already ascended?”
As is well known, official records state that Zhao Keran’s success was inseparable from Lin Shuang, the lifetime honorary elder of Qing Shui Sect.
The relationship between the two senior and junior disciples was rumored to be even deeper than that of soulmates.
“Mm. It refers to Lin Shuang.” Zhou Xuanwu nodded, giving a concise reply, wearing the look of a high-level cultivator.
“Then what happened later? It’s said that after Elder Lin ascended, Sect Leader Zhao was devastated, secluded herself for ten years, and no longer managed worldly affairs. Is that true?”
Zhou Xuanwu looked at the growing crowd of disciples around him, his expression complex.
—[False]
A large water-wave character solidified between his fingers.
The onlookers were dazed, especially those familiar with the history of Qing Shui Sect. Soon, they pulled out the sect’s historical records from their spatial pouches. “But after Elder Lin ascended, Sect Leader Zhao no longer appeared in any major events recorded by the sect. Later, Elder Meng Zi took over management for ten years… After Elder Meng ascended, Zhao Keran finally emerged from seclusion, passed on the position of sect leader, and then she herself ascended.”
Zhou Xuanwu opened his eyes and sighed.
The water characters between his fingers kept forming.
[False.]
[On the day Lin Shuang ascended, your sect leader lit the fourth incense for her, longing so intensely that it moved heaven and earth, summoning fire lightning to shape her body. That very night, she ascended together with Lin Shuang.]
“!”
“!!”
What?
“The official records of the sect are false?!”
Zhou Xuanwu’s expression turned complex again.
[Ten years ago, it was Sect Leader Zhao’s dream visit to the Elder Council after her ascension, appointing the next leader of Qing Shui Sect.]
[The sect claimed she was in retreat rather than ascended, also out of fear that her ascension might not be officially recognized, and she might be sent back by the heavenly realm after some time. Thus, the position of sect leader was kept for her for several years.]
“Then later, did Elder Lin have any dream visits?”
“What about Elder Meng Zi who ascended later?”
Zhou Xuanwu coughed lightly, looked at the disciples, and scolded, “So many questions, why don’t you go cultivate?!”
The disciples were greatly disappointed and could only leave, murmuring, “Most likely there were no dream visits. Elder Zhou was touched on a sore spot and became unhappy.”
Zhou Xuanwu had extraordinary hearing and had already heard this, unable to help but smile bitterly.
Indeed, there were no dream visits.
The dream visit came from Elder Wunan of the Wanseng Sect.
He had told him to ascend quickly and manage things above.
But how could he manage?
Zhou Xuanwu sighed.
Elder Wunan was also unreliable; even in his dream visit, he didn’t explain exactly what happened to the old generation of immortals in Qing Shui Sect.
The heavenly realm was filled with fragrant mist, and immortal mountains were surrounded by auspicious clouds and fragrance. Occasionally, divine birds pulling chariots or immortal oxen carrying refined immortals passed by.
The immortal realm had about a hundred heavenly pools, large and small, each managed by different newly ascended immortals and old-generation immortals after passing examinations.
From the Pool Master—the Grand Immortal, to the second-in-command, the Vice Pool Master, and officials responsible for different affairs such as the Jiaoyu, Xundao, Jianxiao, and Zhubu.
Further down were the patrol immortal teams, which were annually replenished with new members and retired the old ones.
At this moment, two old men riding oxen were chatting while handling official documents in a pavilion managing the records of the Yi Yun Immortal Pool.
“Recently, why have so many senior and junior immortals from Lü Yao Immortal Pool transferred to our Yi Yun Immortal Pool? Sigh, it’s made us work all night.”
“Ah, haven’t you heard about the tragedy at Lü Yao Immortal Pool?”
“Do you mean the Lü Yao that recently accepted a batch of newly ascended immortals? I heard there was a senior immortal with three blossoms gathered at the crown. How did it turn tragic?”
“It seems you’ve been in retreat for a long time and haven’t kept up with the news. There was a junior immortal who had just ascended; she had no blossoms between her brows, only a single petal. She was assigned to the regular patrol team at Lü Yao Immortal Pool.”
“That’s normal. The lower world has thin spiritual energy and lacks cultivation techniques. In recent years, ascended immortals have almost become extinct. Even over a hundred years ago, many newly ascended immortals were only one-petal junior immortals. It’s appropriate for junior immortals to join the patrol teams.”
As the old man spoke, the other old man riding an ox sighed deeply.
“I haven’t finished yet. This was just the beginning. On her first day of work, repairing the damage at Lü Yao Immortal Pool, her single petal transformed into two blossoms gathered at the crown.”
He said that these people from Qing Shui Sect had scared the old generation of immortals in the heavenly realm.
“??”
“It turned out she had the potential of a mid-level grand immortal. But she believed in conserving her energy, only giving her all when it was crucial. Thus, on her first day of work, her performance surpassed that of the patrol leader—a grand immortal with two blossoms.”
“On that day, the patrol leader of Lü Yao felt so humiliated that he went to report to the Pool Master of Lü Yao, saying either he would leave or he couldn’t stay, as his subordinate soldier was stronger than him…”
As the two old men riding oxen talked, around the pavilion where they handled the records of Yi Yun Immortal Pool, other immortals handling affairs gradually gathered around.
The more they listened, the more colorful their expressions became.
“What happened next?”
“Later, the Pool Master of Lü Yao transferred her to the Main Clerk’s Office, directly under the command of the Vice Pool Master, an upper immortal with three blossoms who had a century of experience.”
That made sense.
The immortals nodded.
Who would have thought that the old man suddenly changed his tone, “Who would have thought, on her first day of work, during a major census of Lü Yao’s records, she gave her all again. This time, it was truly a big disaster.”
“?”
“Between her brows, the single petal suddenly transformed into three blossoms gathered at the crown—the mark of an upper immortal. On that day, the second-in-command of Lü Yao Immortal Pool, the Vice Pool Master, was not as powerful as her displayed immortal energy… The Vice Pool Master submitted an application to transfer to another immortal pool that very day…”
“…!”
“No wonder so many immortals from Lü Yao Immortal Pool have transferred their immortal records to our place.”
The old generation was outcompeted by a newcomer like this.
You thought she was one petal, but she was actually three blossoms!
Her abilities were equivalent to those of a Pool Master.
Who the hell could manage her?
The patrol leader, the clerk… the vice pool master… all were outshone by her, left with no face to stay, so they had to leave themselves.
The immortals of Yi Yun Immortal Pool exchanged glances, their faces showing relief.
“Fortunately, we’re still relatively peaceful here.”
“Indeed. We’re a bit farther from Lü Yao.”
As they spoke, two newly hired junior immortals who handled records came to the pavilion carrying the sorted immortal records.
These two immortals resembled twin sisters, one radiant and bright-eyed, the other innocent and cute, with a round face and a naive look.
Between their brows, one had one petal, the other two petals, both typical junior immortals.
The immortals discussing the matter saw them and immediately smiled.
“Xiao Shuang, Xiao Ran, you’re here.”
“Did you finish sorting the records of the past hundred years so quickly?”
Although these two immortals had one and two petals respectively, which were ordinary abilities, they worked quickly and efficiently, making them hard to criticize.
They had only been here for two days, but already the two grand immortals in charge of the records department loved them dearly.
Since their arrival, everyone’s working hours had ended half a day earlier!
Not because they were slacking off, but because all the tasks were completed ahead of schedule!
“Come, just talking about the Lü Yao Pool incident. Xiao Shuang, Xiao Ran, I remember you two transferred from there, right?”
The two-petal grand immortal from the Main Clerk’s Office smiled gently.
“Coincidentally, we’ve been assigning positions for the newly transferred immortals lately and need to submit them for review by the senior immortals. Could you give us some opinions?”
Among them, the radiant one smiled slightly at the sight of the thick piles of immortal records and scrolls in the clerk’s hands.
“Don’t be too hard on them. With so many documents, when would they ever finish reading them?”
A one-petal immortal had weak spiritual energy.
And here, each immortal’s record was extremely thick, documenting everything from their birth in the mortal world to their latest status in the immortal realm.
Thus, a senior immortal might have a mountain of records to their name.
That was definitely not something a junior immortal could finish reading in a short time.
“I know,” the two-petal grand immortal in charge of the Main Clerk’s Office kindly nodded at Lin Shuang, “I’m just saying. In Lü Yao, did you hear any rumors? Not really expecting you to finish reading all these…”
But before he could finish, spiritual energy swirled, gradually forming waves like a storm, rushing toward the pile of documents in front of him.
The grand immortal was startled, and the other immortals in the pavilion were also greatly surprised.
They heard the radiant woman speak, “Xiao Ran, help me a bit.”
“Okay, Senior Sister!” The round-faced junior immortal’s eyes sparkled. “I’ll take the left, Senior Sister the right…”
In an instant, the two junior immortals’ one and two petals between their brows, like spiritual mist condensing, formed a brilliant peony, blooming layer by layer—
One had crimson petals faintly glistening with dew, three blossoms gathered on her snowy forehead.
The other had water-colored petals, the leaves faintly green, two blossoms plus half a flower, appearing between her brows, as if with time, it would fully bloom.
The mountain of documents in the pavilion floated one by one.
Under their bright yet golden gaze, the words flew past in an instant.
Finished reading in a flash.
“Senior Immortal, do you want me to write it out now, or just tell you the results verbally?”
Lin Shuang quickly dimmed her glowing three blossoms, suppressing the high-pitched immortal music in her ears, smiling as she stepped forward.
Between her brows, the brilliant three blossoms gradually faded, leaving only a single petal.
The two-petal grand immortals of Yi Yun Immortal Pool: “!”
Oh my god.
“You… you are that…”
Lin Shuang smiled, Zhao Keran pursed her lips and tilted her head.
“Yes. If you’re referring to the one who made the immortal staff at Lü Yao Pool more united, motivated, and upwardly striving, helping them realize their shortcomings… yes, that’s indeed my Senior Sister.”
Zhao Keran spoke cheerfully.
She also slowly faded her two blossoms back to two petals.
The grand immortals of Yi Yun Immortal Pool: “…”
Save…
Damn it!
“Senior Sister, can we consider our visit to Yi Yun Pool completed now?”
“Mm, I suppose so.”
“Alright, then the next target on our tour of the hundred immortal pools is the Eighth Immortal Pool. Let’s go!”
The two-petal grand immortals of Yi Yun Pool stared with wide eyes.
They called this a tour?
He’s a grand immortal, but this clearly looks like challenging every pool!
*
Lin Shuang walked out of the Records Department and casually glanced at this week’s schedule.
“Junior Sister, are you going to have dinner with your brother-in-law tonight?”
Zhao Keran nodded, relieved. “Thank goodness my brother-in-law didn’t come this time. Also, Meng Zi, they’re too conspicuous, which is not conducive to our travel and experiencing the original scenery. This is much better.”
The passing grand immortals, Chen Wu Shui and Shui Qian Tan, fell silent together.
If you reveal your disguises, you can’t experience the authentic local flavor anymore?
That’s true, who would dare let a senior immortal with three blossoms go on a covert visit?
Three blossoms gathered at the crown, the mark of a senior immortal, wherever they go, they would receive the highest treatment, making it hard to see the original appearance and customs of each immortal pool.
“Cough.”
Chen Wu Shui looked at his immortal realm official chat group.
[Yi Yun Pool Anonymous: Can you guess what we just went through?]
[Lü Yao Pool Anonymous: Don’t tell me…]
[Yi Yun Pool Anonymous: Exactly, it was too scary. Who would have thought, boom, three blossoms suddenly appeared, even scaring my ox so it wouldn’t move.]
[Boundless Pool: ? This is already the seventh immortal pool encountering this junior immortal. So, what’s going on with him? What’s his name? Let us also prepare.]
In perfect unison, the victim pools like Yi Yun and Lü Yao chose to remain silent.
And soon after, they all gave a vague response.
[Yi Yun Pool: You’ll understand when you meet them. How can we casually discuss the name of a senior immortal?]
If they said it, wouldn’t they be the only victims?
…
At night, Zhou Xuanwu had another dream.
This time, it was again Elder Wunan of the Wanseng Sect, who had already ascended. In the dream, Elder Wunan silently showed Zhou Xuanwu a gesture of seven fingers.
Zhou Xuanwu immediately woke up.
What does it mean?
Has Lin Shuang already caused trouble for seven senior immortals!
“Seven immortal pools, tsk tsk.”
Meng Zi counted his immortal realm rent while knocking down the seventh sign.
He then raised his wine cup and clinked it with the nine-tailed man beside him.
The next moment, two graceful and delicate figures outside lifted the curtain of the upper room of this tavern.
“Should we wait for Elder Zhou, or finish all these hundred immortal pools in one go?”
“Hmm, good question, should we send him a dream visit today?”
Not long after, Xiao Bai, Xiao Qi, and others rode in on immortal cranes.
Each had two blossoms between their brows.
“Cheers!”
“To commemorate our completion of the seventh pool!”
From sword immortal challenges, golden tear competitions, a visit to the immortal court, property purchases, to the opening of a branch of Rong Bao Zhai…
A series of terrifying legends of the new immortals from Qing Shui Sect continued to spread across the map of immortal pools.
(The End)
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