The three of them received different amounts of spiritual energy rewards. Obviously, the reward varied according to their level of understanding and coordination just now. Without Lin Shuang’s Xiao’ai talisman, Meng Zi and Huangpu Yuan couldn’t have escaped their irritation. Therefore, Lin Shuang benefited the most. Meng Zi loved spirit stones, but at a critical moment, he was willing to give in the most, so he received the second largest reward. Huangpu Yuan had realized his own stubbornness and was willing to give in, although not much, so he received the third largest reward.
At the same time the spiritual energy descended, three Zhenchuan Ferry Leaves appeared. Lin Shuang curiously reached out and discovered that this Zhenchuan Ferry Leaf was about half the size of the Jiushen Ferry Leaf they had obtained in the “Ah, I’m dead” level, and also smaller than the one they had acquired from the Ten Thousand Volumes Study House.
Strange, were there differences among them?
Was it related to the layers?
As she was puzzled, she heard the elder’s voice.
“I am the supervisor elder of the 6000th layer of Zhenchuan. Because I appreciated your performance during the battle, I specially grant you three the 6000th layer battle—Ferry Leaves.”
“I am also very curious. Rest at the 6000th layer’s Xiujing Pavilion and wait for you. Let’s see how much you can grow into a team with such great synergy!”
The 6000th layer’s landlord?
The chief supervisor of layers 3000 to 6000 of Zhenchuan, with the same status as the pink-robed elder, just overseeing different layers?
Lin Shuang looked curiously at the front, only to see the pink-robed elder’s expression had turned extremely displeased.
The three Ferry Leaves descended.
A line of clear small characters was engraved on the dry leaves.
— Zhenchuan 6000: I’ll pay, you all don’t fight with me!
Meng Zi: “Oh my god.”
He didn’t even bother to absorb the spiritual energy on him, and immediately tried to throw the leaf away.
But the leaf stuck stubbornly to his palm and floated into his spatial pouch.
He froze instantly.
Who wants to pay?
He didn’t want to!
He really disliked the name of this layer and didn’t want to go there.
Beside him, Lin Shuang immediately wore a painful expression, covering her abdomen where today’s duty Dan Tian was located.
With the arrival of the Ferry Leaf, the granted spiritual energy forcefully rushed into her brow.
She wasn’t at the time for a breakthrough yet. She wished these elders would behave themselves and stop throwing spiritual energy at her randomly.
Lin Shuang locked the spiritual energy in her brow’s consciousness sea, gently stroking all the sleeping Dan Tians, before looking up at the sky with a sad expression.
Huangpu Yuan, within the spiritual energy cluster, had his body stiffened.
His long hair behind him rose strand by strand.
He took a half step back, seemingly wanting to refuse.
[???]
[Are they seriously taking a step back?]
[Damn, are we talking about the Duan Elder of the 6000th layer? Just casually giving spiritual energy rewards and Ferry Leaves???]
[How come I’ve never encountered that before? Lin Shuang and the others don’t even seem to want it?]
The pink-robed elder in front of the three was also looking complex and even somewhat displeased.
Her sharp gaze glared at the sky, piercing directly into the disciples watching the projection.
[She’s getting angry, she’s getting angry.]
[Ha ha ha—]
[What’s going on, senior brothers and sisters?]
[Fool, elders also have different factions. When they see promising seedlings, they want to snatch them as their personal disciples!]
[Shh… she’s conducting the trial, that’s why I’m saying it.
Lin Shuang and the three have always been below the 3000th layer, which is her jurisdiction. But these three were granted rewards by the 6000th layer elder, so why wouldn’t she be unhappy?]
[Moreover, didn’t your 3000th layer try to intercept Lin Shuang from the outer court? But the 6000th layer elder intervened and upgraded them…]
[This!]
[…Then why didn’t Meixin get one?]
[Elders have different personalities, so of course they prefer different disciples. It seems our 6000th layer landlord just likes disciples with personality like Meng Zi and Lin Shuang, the kind who are like surging waves.]
[…]
[Zhenchuan is a trial.
When disciples make great progress inside, the elders watching can’t help themselves.
Lin Shuang and the three had some understanding just now, their hearts and minds becoming more refined, with boundless potential.
Meixin… sigh, distributing Zhenchuan Ferry Leaves counts towards the elders’ performance evaluations, you know?]
[What???]
[Ferry Leaves are opportunities. Disciples who receive them will gain the sect’s resource support. For example, the sect might reopen Zhenchuan for them before the ten-year period is up, guiding them into related stone layers.
Therefore, Ferry Leaves aren’t issued casually.
When disciples who receive Ferry Leaves become accomplished in the future, say they make it into the top ten of the Donghua Realm, the elders will also be recognized for their keen eye and receive an upper-level performance rating, gaining attention from the sect’s ancestors.
Conversely, if elders issue Ferry Leaves to unaccomplished disciples, wasting the sect’s spirit stones and resources, then their performance rating will be considered lower.]
[…If I were an elder, I would definitely give one to Lin Shuang from the outer court.]
[Junior brothers and sisters are advised to exchange for a copy of “Comprehensive View of the Current Elders of the Clearwater Sect” in Zhenchuan. It’s available at the 4000th layer for 10,000 spirit stones.]
“This Ferry Leaf seems somewhat different.”
In the projection, Huangpu Yuan had already suppressed his aversion to the spiritual energy and was reluctantly absorbing it.
At this moment, he was examining the leaf in his hand.
“Compared to the Jiushen Ferry Leaves we obtained before, the spiritual energy is much weaker.”
“It’s a second-grade spiritual treasure.”
The Ferry Leaves from above the 9000th layer were third-grade.
Lin Shuang nodded.
Upon hearing this, Meng Zi looked even more disgusted.
“It seems the 6000th layer isn’t that impressive.”
The pink-robed elder in front of them twitched her lips, “It’s not related to the layer.”
“That person…”
She looked toward the sky, her gaze extremely dissatisfied.
“She, like me, is the chief supervisor of every 3000 layers in Zhenchuan.”
She shifted her gaze back to Lin Shuang.
Rarely revealing a trace of appreciation.
“You, not bad. You’ve even made her unable to sit still, coming to my territory to grant rewards beyond her authority.”
The pink-robed woman snorted.
“These Ferry Leaves are naturally different from the ones you’ve received before. This second-grade leaf is a Ferry Leaf granted by the supervisors within their authority to the disciples, and it cannot exceed the stone layer they are guarding.”
“While the ones you received before, the Jiushen Ferry Leaf from the 9000th layer, was granted by the elder who created the trial of that layer, the question setter, as recognition of you.”
[!!!]
[What, did I hear that right?]
Seeing Lin Shuang still looked puzzled, the pink-robed woman couldn’t help but explain impatiently.
“Most disciples haven’t even reached the layers above the 9000th layer of Zhenchuan. Those trials have been preserved from ancient times for hundreds of years, created by the sect’s founding patriarch and twelve elders who were about to ascend.”
“In that case, do you understand the difference between that Ferry Leaf and the one you have now?”
[…]
[What, did they receive a Ferry Leaf from the elders who built Zhenchuan back then?]
[What does that mean?]
[The first-generation patriarch and first-generation elders, do you understand what first-generation means!]
[If in the future, they successfully pass through that ‘life or death’ layer, they might gain the attention of the closed-door ancestors?!]
[Being noticed by the closed-door ancestors, a mere Cultivation Stage disciple from the outer sect…]
[In that case, I understand. If I were the supervising elder of the 6000th layer, I wouldn’t be able to sit still either.
If you don’t snatch them now, when will you!]
In the future, when the closed-door ancestors ask, whose disciple is this?
The supervising elder of the 6000th layer will stand up!
Disciples from the 3000th, 6000th, and 9000th layers were all silent.
Especially in the Xiujing Pavilion of the 6000th layer, a group of disciples, even the leading Dao Fa, were looking at the jade table where the green-robed female cultivator was sitting with her legs crossed, all with twitching eyelids.
“What are you looking at!”
The green-robed woman straightened her neck, her cold and beautiful face huffed as she looked at them.
She didn’t sound like the dignified elder voice from the trial layer just now, just like the pink-robed woman from the 3000th layer.
She looked very young and beautiful.
But as she lifted her head, staring at her disciples, the entire wall of the cave behind her shattered instantly.
The disciples: “…”
You pretended to have an elder’s voice just to make Lin Shuang and the three feel respect, so they would join your sect in the future?!
Cunning and temperamental indeed!
Compared to the pink-robed elder of the 3000th layer, their side was truly hell.
Everyone had a copy of “Comprehensive View of the Current Elders of the Clearwater Sect,” all forced.
At the slightest mistake, stepping on her landmines, the Xiujing Pavilion would instantly become a hell.
This kind of elder style, combined with the strong and straightforward personalities of Lin Shuang, Meng Zi, and Huangpu Yuan…
They were indeed a perfect match!
[A word of advice to junior brothers and sisters: make good use of your time below the 3000th layer to train hard. Hurry up and improve.]
[The 6000th layer is waiting for you, hehe.]
[…]
The seniors’ cryptic advice was invisible to Lin Shuang and the three.
“Ninth question, when you face an unbeatable opponent…”
“Run.”
“Retreat temporarily.”
“See how much spirit stones he’s worth… well,” Meng Zi looked at the two people on either side, “then run, let Senior Huangpu make up for my spirit stone loss.”
“Tenth question, the next layer… do you want to go to layer 3211, 3212, or 3213?”
“Either is fine.”
“3212.” Lin Shuang flipped through her schedule and calculated an arithmetic sequence.
Instantly, Meng Zi and Huangpu Yuan changed their minds. “Listen to her.”
Who could doubt the master of guessing answers?
Meixin’s ten questions ended.
The pink-robed woman stood solemnly and soon announced.
“In the ten questions testing synergy, Meixin’s group answered six correctly.”
“Lin Shuang’s group answered… six correctly.”
[!]
[…]
[They caught up! Unexpectedly!]
[Meixin’s group actually got four wrong? Unbelievable.]
In the projection, Meixin’s group’s faces all showed a moment of stiff surprise.
But soon they regained composure and nodded in acceptance.
“This round is a tie. Both groups have three seconds to advance.”
“Follow my command!”
The pink-robed woman instantly made a hand seal with her fingers.
Water splashed and exploded into droplets in the air!
In an instant, Meixin and her group rushed toward the spiritual spring ahead.
Lin Shuang’s group was not to be outdone.
Meixin, Gangyi, and Gang’er had all reached the pinnacle of the fourth stage of Ningyuan.
They moved at full speed, far surpassing the weakened Huangpu Yuan, the exhausted Lin Shuang, and Meng Zi, who had expended a great deal of spiritual energy in the previous battle.
But when the three of them set off, they were holding a erhu and a pipa, and began to play at the same time.
Like pearls falling onto a jade plate, they launched a spiritual attack against Lin Shuang’s group!
Lin Shuang froze instantly.
Meng Zi’s body tilted, and Huangpu Yuan’s sword faltered.
Their speed of rapid movement dropped sharply.
[Meixin is so ruthless, so ruthless!]
[Sorry, I just thought Meixin’s group intentionally got four questions wrong to let them win.]
[Wow, so this is what she meant earlier when she said she didn’t want to take advantage of their exhaustion to strike hard?]
[She had no choice, bearing the punishment of all the inner sect disciples below the 3000th layer.]
[Sigh.]
The projection was filled with reluctance.
[I am Meixin’s senior brother. If Lin Shuang becomes an inner sect disciple in the future, I will take her on an A-level mission to make up for today.]
The watching disciples’ hearts tilted toward Lin Shuang.
But just as everyone was discussing how to compensate Lin Shuang’s trio in the future, the situation in the projection changed in an instant.
In just a breath, Lin Shuang’s body recovered from its stiffness and became supple again.
Huangpu Yuan’s eyelids moved.
Both of them showed signs of regaining consciousness.
“Xiao’ai reminds you, full-speed flight is about to begin!”
“Please open the side wings and put away the small table, we are about to accelerate—”
Startled by the soft and cute voice of Xiao’ai, Meng Zi was instantly awakened.
He swore.
Immediately, he made a hand seal.
Huangpu Yuan’s phoenix eyes slightly opened, and the million spirit stone sword he had used to split the arena earlier flew out from his spatial pouch.
It hovered closely beside Lin Shuang’s two wide swords.
Meng Zi’s blade was again placed on top of the three swords.
“Lin Shuang, speed table!”
Almost as he spoke, Lin Shuang immediately threw out a square wooden table with a reluctant expression, placing it under the four swords.
Then came the Gathering Table!
[??]
[??]
[What the… ]
[This table…]
It was like a stacking game; the three of them stood on the swords, the swords lay on the table, one table stacked on another.
Huangpu Yuan sat cross-legged on his sword, distributing elixirs to Lin Shuang and the others.
Lin Shuang instantly pulled out a strange item, resembling a transparent mask.
She put it on herself and then placed it on Meng Zi’s face, who was fully focused on controlling his sword.
Huangpu Yuan hesitated slightly before putting his on as well.
In a flash, the gleam of a sword flickered, and the elixir shattered into mist within their masks, which they immediately inhaled through their mouths and noses.
The three of them simultaneously tilted their heads back, took a deep breath, and continued making hand seals without affecting their full-speed flight.
Their faces gradually turned rosy in the elixir’s mist.
[!]
[…]
The three of them were simultaneously absorbing spiritual energy, flying at top speed, consuming elixirs, and resisting the mental assaults from Meixin.
The spiritual assaults they endured were gradually healing as they inhaled the mist of the elixir.
In a flash, they were like peak-speed arrows, rushing toward the spiritual spring!
Their speed was almost equal to Meixin’s group, who were attacking while distracted.
[…]
[Meixin is at the fourth Ningyuan level. Although a music cultivator isn’t known for speed, she still can’t outrun them?]
[Meixin’s group is slowing down, their speed keeps increasing!]
[??]
“Hu—”
Lin Shuang’s team arrived just before the time limit, and thanks to the boost from the third-grade Swift Talisman, they experienced a sudden burst of additional speed.
When the three seconds were up, they couldn’t help but dash a little further toward the visible end of the spiritual spring!
“Ah, Elder, it’s not that we broke the rules and started early. It’s all because Senior Sister Mei attacked our spiritual senses, and we didn’t have the extra focus to stop using the Swift Movement Talisman.”
Mencius raised his hand with a wronged expression.
[…]
[Shameless.]
[Shameless against ruthless… well, it’s okay.]
Under the mediation of the elder in pink robes, Meng Zi reluctantly took a few steps back.
Stopping at the place where he should have stopped.
—About a hundred meters away from the spiritual spring, just three seconds away.
Looking up, they had already seen Meixin’s group, and Meixin had seen them too.
They hadn’t put away the Gathering Table yet.
Their spiritual energy was ↑↑↑
Meixin’s surrounding spiritual energy was ↓↓↓
Meixin’s group: “…”
The pink-robed elder: “…”
Meixin took a deep breath, her face pale, and reached into her sleeve to pull out a jade bottle of elixir.
Before she could even remove the red clay, she was the first to sway unsteadily.
Gangyi and Gang’er both bent their knees weakly.
[?]
[!What’s going on!]
[…Judging from the projection, it seems like a backlash of consciousness?]
[??What, one of Lin Shuang’s group has a consciousness far superior to Meixin’s trio!?]
Meixin and the others hurriedly took their pills, their pale complexions gradually returning to normal.
Gazing at the distance between Lin Shuang and the Spirit Spring, it was nearly identical to theirs.
Meixin’s expression slightly stiffened, “Didn’t expect, junior apprentice sister and junior apprentice brother are so formidable.”
“The second round, it’s our turn to set the question.”
Lin Shuang spoke thoughtfully.
She took the opportunity to recover her spiritual energy.
After thinking for about five breaths, Lin Shuang smiled, “The second question, I’ll ask senior apprentice sister Meixin, how did your group lose to us in sprinting speed just now?”
[??!]
[…This is really hitting below the belt.]
Meixin’s lips stiffened instantly, she looked up at Lin Shuang, her gaze heavy.
Her expression… actually showed a hint of bewilderment.
Gangyi and Gang’er also frowned.
The pink-robed elder closed her eyes, unable to bear watching their pitiful ignorance.
She glanced at Huangpu Yuan’s dark, focused eyes despite his frailty, then at Lin Shuang’s rosy face.
At the Li Family Village level, ten rogue cultivators at the first stage of Ning Yuan had their consciousnesses directly shattered.
Meixin’s trio used consciousness attacks against these two—it was like lifting a stone only to drop it on their own feet!
If they had focused on sprinting, they wouldn’t have lost.
The pink-robed elder shook her head, “Meixin didn’t answer correctly. If the last three rounds end in a tie, then Huangpu Yuan, Meng Zi, and Lin Shuang win.”
Lin Shuang blinked in confusion toward her.
The pink-robed woman’s temple twitched, “Lin Shuang, the question you just asked isn’t within the scope of group battle recognized by Zhenchuan.”
“Rephrase the question.”
Lin Shuang: “!”
Huangpu Yuan: “…”
Meng Zi: “…”
Three country bumpkins, never entered Zhenchuan, only stayed in the five-hundredth layer, rushed to the thousandth layer ten years ago, completely clueless about Zhenchuan’s group battle rules.
“Brother Gui, didn’t you tell the master about this?”
Baiyu, outside the projection, couldn’t help but look toward the sturdy man with scales on his forehead.
The man also looked confused as he touched his head, “Ah, didn’t I tell the master about this?”
“I should’ve told him.”
“Hey, what was it I should’ve told him?”
Baiyu: “…”
Enough, you seven-breath man!
Back in the projection.
The pink-robed woman tossed a jade slip to Lin Shuang and the others.
[Group Battle Categories]
1. Mission Assessment
2. Cultivation Knowledge Evaluation
3. Team Coordination
4. Three-on-Three Free-for-All
5. Appoint One Combatant
Five major categories in total.
Lin Shuang glanced through them, instantly curious.
Returning to the outer sect competition for the spiritual spring, what she ultimately encountered was an unofficial version of the nine cultivation trials.
After all, during the Lingquan competitions, there was no time to leisurely conduct all these events.
“Was the previous tacit understanding assessment part of the team coordination?”
The pink-robed elder nodded.
Each of the five categories then displayed detailed rules.
[1. Mission Assessment]
–Choose any sect mission
–Select any demonic cultivator captured from the Ningyuan rankings
Lin Shuang immediately tilted her head back.
Refusing.
Huangpu Yuan was already running low on energy; it seemed he could only muster his strength once a day. His dantian was now depleted, and not even pills could replenish it.
As for her today, if given a choice, she wouldn’t want her 98 Dantian to work overtime again, running at full capacity.
That would be a sin; working overtime once a day was already the limit for these dantians.
Next item.
[2. Cultivation Knowledge Evaluation]
–120 questions on common cultivation knowledge, possibly involving alchemy, sound cultivation, sword cultivation, techniques…
–120 questions covering the geography of the four realms, secret location distributions, potential regional hazards, wanted lists for evil beasts and rogue cultivators, identification of celestial treasures, route recognition, etc…
–120 questions on the common knowledge of sects in the four realms, including their specialized techniques, taboos, etiquette…
Lin Shuang’s eyes lit up.
Wasn’t this a written test?
But within three breaths, Meng Zi beside her silently stepped back three paces.
Her temple twitched.
“Junior apprentice sister, perhaps skip this category.”
Huangpu Yuan suggested.
“Even if we answer many correctly, with Meng junior apprentice brother involved.”
Lin Shuang pressed her temple, could only continue looking ahead.
The pink-robed elder couldn’t help but speak, “These questions may appear in group battles during both inner and outer sect arena matches in Donghua.”
Her gaze fell on Lin Shuang’s outer sect disciple badge.
Lin Shuang would certainly represent Qing Shui Sect in the outer sect arena matches; during such matches, this knowledge evaluation might be selected in group battles.
The more information one possesses, the higher the success rate in missions, cultivation journeys, and eliminating evil cultivators.
Group battles are designed precisely to evaluate this aspect, hence its inclusion in the assessment criteria.
“Each category in group battles must be mastered by elite disciples of the sect; none are allowed to have weaknesses when representing the sect in the future,” the pink-robed elder advised.
Meng Zi stiffened, “Then count me out.”
The pink-robed elder: “…”
Huangpu Yuan chuckled, “Let’s look at the next category.”
Lin Shuang had no objections, but silently instructed Xiao Ai to record all the questions, planning to give her junior apprentice sister practice exams later—not to mention, she’d personally tutor her.
[3. Team Coordination]
–Evaluate tacit understanding.
[4. Three-on-Three Group Battle]
–No need to say more, let’s just fight together.
[5. Appoint One Combatant]
–You are the one we’re counting on!
Lin Shuang quickly flipped through all of them.
Her gaze landed on the last category, “Appoint One Combatant,” her eyes flickering.
She glanced at her next schedule.
It was almost evening; time to loosen her hair, which had been tied all day, and brush it.
Ancients really did braid and bun their hair every day.
Their hair was long and thick.
After some time, her consciousness, being sharp, clearly felt her scalp being pulled, aching and tightening with fatigue.
Although cultivators’ bodies were sturdy,
their hair and scalp were equally strong, causing mutual harm.
Thus, every evening, she reserved a time slot to loosen her braid, let her hair down, and give her scalp a break.
This also helped sharpen her primordial consciousness and relax her sea of awareness.
Such a comfortable routine, she never wanted to miss a day.
Thinking briefly, Lin Shuang’s eyes instantly filled with longing, “How about we appoint one person to fight?”
Then she’d have time to brush her hair.
“Junior apprentice sister and I, truly like-minded heroes.”
Huangpu Yuan’s long fox-like eyes also flashed with satisfaction.
The pink-robed elder, presiding over Zhenchuan,
had at least the Void-Entering cultivation stage.
Observing up close like this was completely different from watching through the projection earlier.
If he used overly forceful techniques, revealing even a hint of nine-tailed fox aura, she might discover it.
That would lead to unexplainable trouble,
far more complicated than failing this layer and temporarily retreating three hundred layers.
Meng Zi was also delighted, “Sure, appoint one person, I’ll go.”
“Don’t you guys take it from me; this kind of solo opportunity should be left to me, a sword cultivator who excels in aggressive attacks!”
Lin Shuang and Huangpu Yuan simultaneously displayed a satisfied expression, as if saying, ‘What a good senior apprentice brother/junior apprentice brother.’
[Didn’t expect this. Meng Zi is indeed an inner sect disciple, responsible.]
But as the words flew by, the projection showed Meng Zi couldn’t help laughing out loud.
[?]
The pink-robed elder: “?”
Meng Zi, holding his blade, grinned.
He threw his head back in a hearty laugh.
“After searching for him a thousand times in the crowd, suddenly turning back, finally found a place to earn spirit stones!”
“…”
[…]
[……….]
“If I win, each of you give me a thousand spirit stones.”
“If I lose, causing you to drop three hundred layers. Then I’ll charge a service fee, five hundred spirit stones, including compensation for healing pills, how about?”
Mencius couldn’t help but burst into hearty laughter as he said joyfully.
It seemed like he’d profit no matter the outcome.
The pink-robed elder: “…”
[…]
Lin Shuang and Huangpu Yuan also grinned.
“Junior apprentice brother’s price is fair.”
“Senior apprentice brother is practical.”
Both didn’t care about spirit stones.
They were already happily taking out their spatial bags!
[I really…am impressed!]
[Don’t you have any respect for Meixin at all!?]
[A blade cultivator against a sound cultivator…Meng Zi, are you sure you can beat Meixin?]
[Luckily, luckily, these three aren’t inner sect elites needing to represent Qing Shui Sect in the twelve sects’ competition. Otherwise…unthinkable!]
[What about twenty years from now?]
[…]
[Twenty years later, eleven sects in Donghua: How about giving you spirit stones, you leave? Meng Zi: Sure.]
[Don’t make me laugh!]
[Don’t laugh, these three are relaxed and confident, victory or defeat won’t become century-long heart demons. Such disciples are truly promising.]
You can always trust our elder from the six thousandth layer; after all, she personally fought for these disciples.
[Stop talking, the elder from the three thousandth layer is about to lose his temper.]
Indeed, the pink-robed elder seemed to sense something, sharply scanning toward the projection area.
She huffed, looking toward the joyfully excited Lin Shuang and the others.
“Are you sure you want to appoint one person to fight?”
The three nodded simultaneously.
The pink-robed elder nodded.
Suddenly, a wooden sign appeared.
The expressions of the three instantly stiffened.
“This round will draw lots to decide the fighter!”
Instantly, the sign glowed.
Falling on Lin Shuang.
Huangpu Yuan immediately relaxed.
Meng Zi was thunderstruck.
Lin Shuang opened her mouth.
“Lin Shuang, you’re the one to fight!”
The pink-robed elder waved her hand, and the sign instantly disappeared.
“This round allows the question-setting disciple to specify the battle details, such as prohibiting talismans, high-tier treasure artifacts, spirit beast assistance, etc.”
“You have the right to specify the battle details, or you can remain silent.”
“But in twelve breaths, your battle with Meixin will begin.”
[Nearly forgot, this challenge was originally because of Lin Shuang…]
In the projection, Lin Shuang’s face also flashed with a trace of helplessness.
“Alright.”
But instantly, her gloom vanished, unlike Meng Zi’s colorless face, she nodded calmly.
“I should’ve known, with the Elder entering this round, I couldn’t escape, but I still wanted to try.”
Lin Shuang said with a smile, shaking her head.
“Looks like I still couldn’t escape it.”
Moreover, the elder allowed the inner sect disciples from the three thousandth layer to challenge the three of us. In reality, this was intended to push me, an outer sect disciple, out of the ranking of Zhenchuan’s three thousandth layer.
Lin Shuang said, reaching out, taking out an intricately carved peachwood comb from her spatial bag.
Holding it in her palm.
“All of this was aimed at me.”
“Huangpu senior apprentice brother and Meng senior apprentice brother were dragged in because of me.”
Huangpu Yuan’s gaze was complex, looking at her smooth black hair.
Black silk strands flowed beside her snow-like face.
She stepped forward, stopping in front of him and Meng Zi.
“This battle was originally mine to take.”
“So let me, win it for both senior apprentices!”
As she spoke, Lin Shuang’s spiritual energy suddenly surged, her jet-black hair almost brushing Huangpu Yuan’s nose.
Huangpu Yuan’s eyes couldn’t hide the surging emotions.
Since entering Zhenchuan, she and he had often acted in unison.
Hiding their strengths, protecting their cultivation secrets.
This time when the elder entered, he thought she would be the same as him.
No matter what, she wouldn’t fight, hiding behind Meng Zi, even pushing him forward.
‘Yuan’er, the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan was born to fulfill the fate of heaven and earth.’
‘We Nine-Tailed Foxes will eventually enter the world, becoming part of the heavenly fate.’
‘But this doesn’t mean we cannot choose our own path.’
‘I hope before your nine tails grow, like when I was young, you can find your father, your master’s elder brother, and cultivate together for a hundred years.’
‘Before the irresistible heavenly fate arrives, enjoy it. Mother believes, you will surely find someone willing to stand before you, protect you, and be protected by you, both human and demon.’
‘Then, the Nine-Tailed Fox bloodline will awaken completely.’
Huangpu Yuan closed his eyes.
No, human cultivators are all deceitful.
The one who betrayed his mother was her human cultivator friend back then.
Besides him, no one else knew his mother’s weaknesses.
A hundred years of companionship was just a deception, ultimately for her assassination, to obtain the Nine-Tailed Fox born of heavenly fate!
Behind trust was the price of annihilation!
The extinction of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan, the fall of thirteen elders who supported the Nine-Tailed Fox, the sudden downfall of the dog and water clans who followed the Nine-Tailed Fox!
Huangpu Yuan’s jet-black pupils revealed a trace of faint agitation.
The pink-robed elder looked at him suspiciously.
Huangpu Yuan’s fingers clenched tightly in his sleeves, ready to erupt if she suspected—Lin Shuang, however, bizarrely attracted the pink-robed elder’s attention even more.
Lin Shuang took out an intricately carved peachwood comb, actually untying her red-rope-bound braid in front of everyone.
Her peachwood comb with no trace of spiritual light, yet surpassing treasures, smoothly combed through her black silk hair, adding a lustrous sheen.
“Let’s get started quickly, Elder. My scalp is unbearably itchy.”
The pink-robed elder: “…”
Angry Huangpu Yuan: “…”
Mother, some human cultivators are indeed very strange.
[!]
[What is she doing?]
[Seriously, what’s ‘head itching’?]
The pink-robed elder’s mouth twitched, instantly waving her hand.
Lin Shuang and Meixin instantly stood facing each other from afar.
“Lin Shuang, state your battle rules for this round.”
Lin Shuang nodded, holding the comb, “I heard Senior Apprentice Sister Meixin’s ultimate move puts people into dreams. Alright, let’s have a combing hair contest.”
[?]
Meng Zi: “?”
Huangpu Yuan: “…”
No wonder it’s her.
The pink-robed elder’s eyelid twitched continuously.
Meixin instantly stunned.
Lin Shuang smiled sincerely, “The battle rule I set is, Senior Apprentice Sister Meixin can only use her ultimate move to put me into a dream for 120 breaths.”
“Sorry, because I only comb my hair 120 times daily, I really can’t give Senior Apprentice Sister any more time.”
“!”
[!!]
“If within 120 breaths, I complete 120 strokes of combing, Senior Apprentice Sister Meixin’s dream-inducing move has no effect on me, and Senior Apprentice Sister loses.”
Lin Shuang’s expression was both solemn and sincere.
“Otherwise, I lose.”
“Senior Apprentice Sister hurry, I’m starting.”
Saying so, she already took the peachwood comb and began combing her hair.
[…!]
Everyone was speechless.
Meixin looked doubtful.
The pink-robed elder, however, nodded with a strange expression.
“Specifying the battle technique and time, this rule is reasonable.”
“Begin!”
[What technique, combing hair?]
[Ah, Elder means the ‘Erhu Dream Induction’ technique!]
The words had barely faded from the projection when Mei Xin gritted her teeth in determination. Though she didn’t understand the meaning, she immediately picked up her erhu and began playing passionately.
The erhu’s mournful, melancholic tones, its dream-inducing melody, slowly flowed forth like water.
Under everyone’s gaze, Lin Shuang, who had nodded off twice already and appeared visibly relaxed, smiled faintly, closed her eyes, and began breathing slowly. Gradually, her head tilted sideways and she softly leaned against Huangpu Yuan’s shoulder.
Huangpu Yuan’s breath instantly froze.
Meng Zi stared wide-eyed.
[!]
[This… scene is unexpectedly beautiful.]
[Ancestor, 120 breaths, and she fell asleep in the first one!]
[Even though her hair-combing behavior is strange, and it’s even more picturesque leaning on Huangpu Yuan’s shoulder, Mei Xin’s Dream Inducement is her ultimate skill.
What is Lin Shuang thinking? Presenting this challenge is practically self-destruction!
Does she think it’s the same as the previous sprint? Mei Xin is now fully unleashing her Dream Inducement, pouring out her spiritual consciousness. Even cultivators at the fifth layer of the Condensing Yuan stage could fall prey to it if they’re not careful.
[This scene of the two leaning together is quite beautiful; I’ll take another look.]
But just as this text appeared, Lin Shuang, who had been sleeping with a smile, suddenly lifted her face from Huangpu Yuan’s shoulder.
She opened her eyes, which were surprisingly clear.
Not the least bit sleepy.
“Huh, did I just have a dream?”
Saying that, she began combing her hair again.
[!]
Huangpu Yuan’s thin lips twitched.
Before he could speak, Mei Xin’s mournful erhu sounds came continuously again.
Lin Shuang’s face once again showed delight as she leaned on his shoulder.
Huangpu Yuan stiffened, forced to stop the movement of stepping back half a step.
If he moved, she would fall.
But barely half a breath later, Lin Shuang opened her eyes again.
“Huh, did I dream again?”
Immediately after speaking, she resumed her smooth hair-combing.
Huangpu Yuan: “…!”
Mei Xin, three steps away, was filled with shock. “How… how is this possible… she clearly fell asleep…”
One beautiful dream, how could it end in just a breath?
Within a single breath, what kind of dream did she experience?
[How did she do it?]
On the projection, the erhu’s sorrowful melody continued.
Mei Xin gritted her teeth, drawing blood as she played the strings.
Lin Shuang tilted her head to sleep, leaning on Huangpu Yuan, opening her eyes one moment, closing them the next.
She combed her hair once, twice… ten times… twenty times…
How was this possible!
She clearly fell asleep multiple times, struck by Mei Xin’s attack, yet how could she break free within a single breath?
All the observing disciples were confused.
The pink-robed elder wore a complex expression; her gaze toward Lin Shuang had finally changed.
The elder in green robes at the sixth thousand level, watching the projection, suddenly swept her green robes and appeared at the resting cave dwelling at the third thousand level.
Upon seeing Zhao Keran and others in deep meditation, she flicked her finger, shooting out a beam of spiritual energy that instantly awakened Zhao Keran and the others.
The spiritual energy entering their bodies immediately helped them breakthrough to the next level!
The disciples at the third thousand level were shocked.
Zhao Keran opened her eyes in confusion.
The green-robed woman smiled at her. “Get up and work. Li Min is off to Zhen Chuan for supervision; I’ll temporarily take over as chief supervisor for the third and sixth thousand levels.”
The disciples at the third thousand level looked at her.
The green-robed woman raised her head and suddenly shouted, “What are you looking at!”
Everyone: “…”
“Your senior sister’s spiritual consciousness is quite interesting, indeed.”
Turning back to Zhao Keran, the green-robed woman’s anger had completely vanished, her expression now gentle and kind.
She had bet correctly.
Lin Shuang, without mastering any profound techniques in the outer sect, had already managed to resist Mei Xin’s Dream Inducement at the fourth layer of Condensed Yuan.
This was a once-in-a-century genius disciple.
Within twenty years at most, she would surely become an elite inner sect disciple!
At that time, she herself would be recognized for identifying such a talent, and her position among the elders would rise.
Joyful, extremely joyful.
Even Lin Shuang’s junior sister Zhao Keran seemed pleasant to her.
Zhao Keran had just awakened, still dazed and confused, but upon hearing her senior brothers whispering, she quickly understood.
“Oh, spiritual consciousness.”
She immediately caught on, hastily pulling out the second edition of “The Fastest Learning.”
Zhao Keran’s eyes sparkled. “So that’s how you defeat an inner sect senior sister! My senior sister already wrote about this in ‘The Fastest Learning’ to let me know!”
“?”
Zhao Keran excitedly covered her mouth tightly.
The latest edition of “The Fastest Learning”—my senior sister has 108 spiritual consciousnesses!
So what if Senior Mei Xin put Senior into a dream?
Spiritual consciousness 1 sleeps, spiritual consciousness 2 comes out.
Spiritual consciousness 2 sleeps, spiritual consciousness 3 comes out.
Spiritual consciousness 3 sleeps…
Spiritual consciousness 4, who wasn’t supposed to be on duty today, irritably pushed spiritual consciousness 3—hey, what are you sleeping for? Get up and comb your hair!
Instantly, numbers 1 through 3 were all woken up by number 4…
Zhao Keran tightly covered her mouth to suppress her inner roar.
Meanwhile, on the projection, Mei Xin, who had continuously used Dream Inducement six times, watched Lin Shuang growing increasingly alert, her Dao heart becoming unstable, her spiritual consciousness going mad.
She frantically played her erhu.
The mournful sounds were even enough to put Gangyi and Gang’er beside her into dreams!
Mei Xin furiously poured spiritual energy into her musical techniques, rapidly consuming her spiritual consciousness, her sea of consciousness increasingly exhausted.
Yet Lin Shuang was waking faster and faster, her eyes growing brighter and brighter.
“Sounds pretty good.”
But her hair-combing was about to finish.
“Senior sister, is this song not over yet—your time is almost up.”
[!]
[…!]
[Provocation…!!!]
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