Tick, tick.
Throughout the dilapidated temple, the only sound was the cold, wet dripping of blood flowing down from the shattered skull of the man in the purple robe.
Lin Shuang’s hand hovered just half a palm’s distance from the wooden edge of the temple door.
She looked toward the man in the temple.
No, more accurately, he should be called a demon.
His eyes were bright red, his ink-black pupils seeming stained with blood, giving him an extremely sinister aura.
His long black hair, originally hanging down to his waist, had once been simply tied with a jade crown. But now, every strand had turned silver and stood on end, trailing behind him to the floor, seemingly stained red at the tips with the blood of the man in purple.
Lin Shuang had only glanced once, but she felt a chill run through her. She couldn’t even bear to look closer—was this truly his natural hair color, or had it been dyed by the blood of the man in purple?
Because his blood-red pupils were now fixed on her without blinking, staring down at her.
His calm expression and bloodthirsty gaze sent a numb chill racing down her neck, as if she’d lost all sensation.
Lin Shuang lowered her gaze and bit her tongue.
He wasn’t just at the seventh stage of condensing Qi.
Even with her 97 condensed Dantian (energy cores) pushed to the limit, along with all her cultivation enhancements, she could barely contend with someone at the fifth stage of Qi Condensation.
Her current cultivation was inferior to his.
She probably couldn’t even escape.
Lin Shuang closed her eyes.
She thought of the snowy-white scarf she had caught today—so warm and soft, as if it had grown naturally from him.
And just moments ago, the scarf had entangled with her hairpin, refusing to be pulled loose…
Then two strands had even fallen, wrapping around her hairpin.
She had felt something was off.
And since arriving in Zhenchuan, they had seen through each other’s disguises…
So it was true—he had already become wary of her.
She looked at the man before her, dragging a corpse and seemingly in a frenzy, but his expression hadn’t lost its clarity.
Huangpu Yuan.
She regretted it deeply in her heart.
That incense stick—he had been testing her!
If her cultivation hadn’t reached the stage of condensing primordial qi, she wouldn’t have been able to defeat a Daoist boy enhanced by a blood pill within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, wouldn’t have arrived here in time, and wouldn’t have seen him in this state.
Then even if she had suspicions about his identity, he could still allow her to remain by his side, pretending not to know, continuing to ascend the Zhenchuan stone tiers.
Because if she hadn’t reached the stage of condensing vital energy, she was too weak to pose any threat to him.
But if she arrived within the time it takes for one incense stick to burn, it would mean her strength far surpassed the ability to gather vital energy, and could potentially pose a threat to him.
So this demon had deliberately set a one-incense-stick time limit.
He had intentionally exposed himself, letting her who arrived early witness his frenzied state.
And now, killing her would give him a reason.
It wouldn’t harm his Daoist path.
—Protecting himself and eliminating someone who discovered his secret! What was wrong with that!
So ruthless.
This male demon.
Lin Shuang helplessly opened her eyes, looking at the demon man before her, his silver hair swaying, his eyes and brows exuding an eerie beauty.
This seductive, beautiful demon had completely seized her lifeline!
One incense stick.
Why had she wasted one incense stick’s time chasing a thief for no reason?
Impossible!
She couldn’t help but come looking for him, to resolve things quickly and return to rest!
Lin Shuang sighed softly.
She looked at this demon, who now wore a mocking and scrutinizing expression.
If she said the wrong thing, he would kill her on the spot.
She sighed and lowered her head.
“Sorry… Senior Brother… I didn’t know you came here to do makeup.”
Huangpu Yuan’s lips twitched for a moment.
Lin Shuang’s right hand pressed down, supporting herself on the edge of the temple door.
“It’s my fault for not being considerate. I promised to wait one incense stick, so I shouldn’t have come to urge you. Oh, makeup steps are complicated, it’s normal to leave a bit late.
I should have been more patient. It’s my mistake, I’m late. How can you forgive me?”
Huangpu Yuan’s crimson eyes followed her gaze, landing on her right hand that had stepped forward.
Lin Shuang noticed his gaze shift, and cautiously extended her left foot into the temple.
Huangpu Yuan narrowed his eyes.
Lin Shuang paused her left foot mid-air, then cautiously extended her left hand toward him.
Huangpu Yuan raised his eyebrows, tilting his chin to look at her.
Lin Shuang turned her head away, coughed lightly.
“I read in a book that when encountering a strange dog, you should let it sniff you first.”
“So the dog knows I’m harmless.”
“…”
“Dabao, are you a wolf or a dog?”
“…………”
She thought he was from the dog or wolf clan.
Huangpu Yuan’s eyes lost half their red hue as he lowered his eyelids, silent.
“Junior Sister, if you ever call me by that name again, I might really want to twist your head off.”
Lin Shuang pressed her lips together.
Violent.
“Dabao, you pushed me into the lake last night, remember? My paper puppet drowned tragically at the Daming Lake shore.”
“Senior Brother, that counts as one. We’re even, right?”
Huangpu Yuan looked down at her.
The Daoist heart cannot be deceived.
Whether human or demon.
She clearly had no intention of harming him at this moment.
To harm an innocent person who posed no threat, especially with karmic ties, would eventually bring retribution.
Seeing that he didn’t argue, Lin Shuang secretly retrieved the speed talisman she had been gripping in her right palm.
She quickly stepped forward, entering the dilapidated temple.
“Senior Brother, what did you find?”
She always knew how to skillfully change the subject with a double purpose.
Halting his thoughts of simply killing her, she forcibly redirected his attention to the dusty statue covered in cobwebs.
Huangpu Yuan lowered his gaze and tossed her a blood mirror.
Lin Shuang immediately wrapped it in a silk handkerchief, looking at the palm-sized silver mirror.
The mist covering the mirror surface did not reflect her face, but instead layers of shelves filled with treasures.
She activated her Fire Eyes and Golden Vision, instantly spotting a third-tier treasure sword, a Yuan-stabilizing needle, and other items.
There were also many shelves with casual tosses of disciple badges from the Qing Shui Sect.
Not only that, but also disciple badges from the Shan Hai Sect.
Hmph, what a big den of thieves.
Criminal acts among cultivators were truly troublesome; the method of transferring stolen goods was too simple.
To catch the culprit would require a great deal of manpower.
A personal mirror like this was like a portable storage room.
“Fourth-tier treasure…”
Lin Shuang turned her head, looking at the male demon beside her, who was now slowly washing his hands with water techniques.
His pupils seemed to have returned to black.
But his once-black hair was still mostly silver-red streaked, trailing to the ground, not yet returning to normal.
“Do dogs and wolves also have triple flowers?”
Huangpu Yuan paused in washing his hands.
“Don’t be angry, Senior Brother, just some information gathering.”
Lin Shuang spread her hands, continuing to inspect the temple for abnormalities as she spoke.
“Several demon cultivators have joined the Qing Shui Sect. We coexist peacefully.”
“Back when I was in the outer sect, my roommate was also a demon. You know the noble water creatures, right? The pearl-white clam.”
Huangpu Yuan raised one eyebrow high.
Noble water creatures?
Who?
The Bai clan of the demon clams?
He snorted.
The Bai clan’s overall strength didn’t even rank in the top three of the demon world’s waters.
“Junior Sister, you’d better not enter the demon world for now.”
Huangpu Yuan finished washing his hands, then took out a pill furnace, stuffing the corpse in purple into it, igniting a flame between his fingers.
A piece of black iron token fell to the ground—Tian Ji.
“…”
Lin Shuang twitched her eye as she picked up the token.
Her gaze lingered on the pill furnace that had just swallowed the corpse…
She would never be able to look at the pills he produced the same way again!
No wonder he always looked disgusted when mentioning the pill furnace!
You really do turn people into a crematorium!
“In the demon world, each clan has its own territory and hierarchy. Mixing them recklessly can get you torn apart by other clans.”
As Huangpu Yuan spoke, his usual composure returned to his face.
It was as if he wasn’t currently destroying evidence, but handling some noble, legitimate matter, his expression saintly.
Lin Shuang was impressed.
His emotional transitions were as smooth as hers.
She looked down and saw the storage bag of the man in purple robes lying on the ground.
With 108 strands of spiritual consciousness, she quickly unlocked it.
Soon she pulled out a jade slip.
She activated it with spiritual energy.
It was a long list of potential targets.
【Gang Yi: Failed to enter the cave dwelling, became alert during infiltration…
…
Bai Yu…
Chen Xingchuan: Not in the cave dwelling, suddenly sensed danger when approached.
…
Meng Zi: Array technique books, pending
Huangpu Yuan: Treasure cauldron, pending
Lin Shuang: Condensed Qi stage, possibly has treasures? Pending
…
Yuan He: Technique books, pending
…】
Lin Shuang suddenly understood.
She had been on the target list all along.
No wonder they had targeted her paper puppet.
But Bai Yu’s name wasn’t listed next to theirs.
They weren’t from the same batch of targets.
“So we three were already on their to-do list.”
Lin Shuang inhaled sharply.
The cafeteria performance had moved the Daoist boy to the top priority.
Without the performance, they would have come for her eventually.
Hmph.
She had been too showy.
If not for this mission, her progress in the Zhenchuan trials might have been slowed.
The list contained many names that seemed familiar—names she had seen on the Zhenchuan honor roll, with only a few being unfamiliar.
Lin Shuang raised her eyebrows slightly.
“Junior Sister, how do you plan to explain this to Junior Brother Meng and Senior Brother Xu?”
Beside her, Huangpu Yuan had already moved on to cleaning the cremation furnace.
His disdainful gaze shifted to her.
“What cultivation stage was this Venerable One that the Daoist boy mentioned, this purple-robed one…?” Lin Shuang asked curiously.
Huangpu Yuan gave her a half-smiling, half-serious look.
Lin Shuang understood—this was a level he couldn’t truthfully report to the exam supervisor Senior Brother.
So her intuition had been correct. This purple-robed man was at least above the seventh stage of Qi Condensation.
Huangpu Yuan, with his frail body, was only at the beginner stage of condensing primordial energy.
As for herself, she had genuinely reached the third stage of Qi Transformation.
What a crime, how had they managed to kill a seventh-stage Qi Condensation cultivator so thoroughly, leaving not even ashes behind?
“Hmm, just say I was about to transmit a message to call Senior Brother Xu, but scared him off—”
Tsk, Senior Brother Xu Rui, Senior Brother Xu Xiang.
The scapegoat.
Huangpu Yuan coughed lightly.
Instantly, a massive amount of blood gushed forth, his body staggered, and his cultivation level plummeted to the peak of Qi Transformation stage.
He fell backward.
Lin Shuang: “!”
Huangpu Yuan’s pale lips curved into a faint smile. “Then it’s all up to you, Junior Sister. I’ve exhausted myself.”
He said, his black lashes fluttering as he weakly closed his eyes and fell into her arms.
She reached out to feel his pulse—it was icy cold.
His energy was chaotic and rushing, his blood flowing in reverse.
His meridians also showed signs of old injuries, many broken.
“So it wasn’t fake after all.”
She had always thought he was pretending before.
So, just now, he had been risking his life to test her?
It seems that her extreme method of burning through 97 Dantian with CPU overload might now be something she could use to escape even in his presence.
Lin Shuang shook her head, then casually stroked the fluffy tips of his hair a few times.
“Junior Sister, I’m awake, just too exhausted to stand…”
“…”
【Xiao Ai reminder: Rest time ends in 39 seconds.】
“Senior Brother, let me pet you three more times, just three.”
“I’ll carry you back, and I still have to explain things to Supervisor Senior Brother, Meng Zi, and Xiao Bai. It’s hard work.”
“How about thirty-nine times?”
“…”
Huangpu Yuan’s black lashes fluttered.
Lin Shuang nodded in satisfaction, then gave him a hard rub before summoning her flying sword.
【Xiao Ai Navigation at your service, already locating Qing Shui Sect.】
【Activate autopilot mode?】
“Yes.”
Lin Shuang, who had promised to carry him, let the flying sword fly back to Qing Shui Sect on autopilot.
Upon landing at the inner sect, she immediately activated the Xiao Ai talisman voice function, recording a message for Meng Zi, Bai Yu, and Supervisor Senior Brother Xu Xiang, who were anxiously waiting at the inner sect office.
“It was like this—the Daoist boy used a teleportation talisman to send me and Senior Brother Huangpu away together. As soon as we opened our eyes, we were in a den of thieves.”
Everyone: “??”
“Wait, Junior Sister, how did that happen?” Senior Brother Xu wanted to ask more, but Lin Shuang quickly stopped him.
Clearly, she wasn’t prepared to answer that.
“It’s all because the enemy was too cunning.”
Lin Shuang said solemnly.
On her wide sword, Huangpu Yuan’s lips twitched.
Trying not to look at the unconscious Daoist boy.
Senior Brother Xu wanted to ask more, but Lin Shuang quickly shoved a fourth-tier treasure mirror into his hands.
“Senior Brother, you quickly check the stolen goods.”
Senior Brother Xu was instantly distracted.
Looking down at the treasure mirror, he inhaled sharply.
Heaven.
So much… messy arrangement!
Treasure swords and technique books were piled together, disciple badges leaning crookedly.
Yuan-stabilizing needles scattered about, not neatly arranged!
And the Shan Hai Sect and Qing Shui Sect badges were mixed together!
It was unbearable.
Just one glance made his spiritual sea tremble with discomfort.
Senior Brother Xu’s face turned grim as he performed a hand seal, instantly entering the treasure mirror and disappearing from their sight.
The mirror clattered to the ground.
He had gone inside to organize the stolen goods!
“Junior Brothers and Sisters, please wait a moment. Once I finish organizing, I’ll come out and give you your rewards for clearing this floor.”
Lin Shuang obediently nodded repeatedly. “Okay, Senior Brother.”
She turned around and saw Meng Zi, who was picking up the mirror with a pained expression.
“We should leave. Senior Brother won’t come out for at least half a day.”
“Four shelves, oh my, this organization will take time.”
“…”
“Wait, this isn’t right. Senior Brother Xu will definitely be picky about organizing, which will affect our speed going to the next floor of Zhenchuan.
I should send a transmission to Senior Brother Xu Rui to ask what he’s doing.”
Huangpu Yuan: “…”
Meng Zi and Bai Yu: “…”
Poor Supervisor Senior Brother, both outer and inner sect.
*
In the evening, Bai Yu returned to Zhenchuan with his two teammates.
Meng Zi was sitting cross-legged in the meditation room of the 1700th cave dwelling, polishing his blade, occasionally glancing at the two people sunbathing in the moonlight outside—one on a soft couch, one on a bamboo chair.
He perked up his ears but didn’t hear them speaking.
“Cough.”
Meng Zi loudly cleared his throat.
Seeing they still didn’t react, he took his sword and quickly walked to the door.
“You two, are you really angry with me? I didn’t do it on purpose. At that moment, I just acted on impulse, I didn’t think about waiting to catch the big fish.”
“As soon as I saw him touching Xiao Bai’s ten-thousand-ling sword, my spiritual sea was about to explode with pain!”
Meng Zi said, his chest heaving, as if another ten thousand lings had vanished before his eyes.
Letting a thief take the sword right in front of him—he couldn’t bear it.
It was like being flayed alive.
“Ah, I admit, I was impulsive, which provoked him to teleport away immediately, nearly causing this floor’s trial to fail.”
“But you two don’t need to stay angry from the moment we returned, right?”
“So, next time, if any level fails because of you, I won’t scold you, okay?”
A faint blush appeared on Meng Zi’s ears.
He quickly responded solemnly,
“I’ll reduce the tea fee I charge you to fifteen spirit stones per person.”
“That’s the lowest I can go, really, it’s already my heartfelt price!”
“And in the future, in Zhenchuan, I’ll always be your driver, no, wait, your sword rider, okay?”
After he finished speaking, the two people on the couch and bamboo chair still treated him coldly, one expressionless, the other appearing ill.
Meng Zi gritted his teeth and lowered his shoulders before turning around.
“Tch, ignore me if you want to.”
He shouldered his sword and walked back into his cave dwelling.
[Ding, triggered reply keyword ‘ignore’.]
A twitch flickered at the corner of Meng Zi’s eyebrows, as if recalling something.
[Xiao Ai automatic response, at your service.]
[Hello, Lin Shuang is currently in a daze. She has applied a one-way mirror talisman on herself.]
“!”
Meng Zi took a step forward, reaching out his hand in front of the pale, moonlit figure of Huangpu Yuan.
He saw that his jet-black pupils didn’t move at all.
[Hello, Huangpu Yuan is also in a daze.]
“!!”
[Ding Xiao Ai, detected your spiritual energy. Born-and-die companion level II, Zhenchuan’s Meng Zi, it’s really you!]
Meng Zi twitched his lips, shouldering his sword while taking a deep breath.
“Got it, you just shut up!”
What the heck, they’re spacing out without him!
They went out together just once, and when they returned, they excluded him!
[Born-and-die companion exclusive: Daze shared equipment, would you like to use it?]
[Press 1 for one-way mirror talisman, 50 spirit stones per incense stick]
[Press 2 for noise-canceling celestial music headphones, 100 spirit stones per incense stick, types include Joyful Chapter Celestial Zither, Sad Chapter Erhu, Funny Chapter Suona…]
“…”
Grass.
Meng Zi turned his head.
Case solved.
Senior Huangpu wasn’t targeting him, and neither was Lin Shuang.
They just respected him too much!
They deeply understood he wouldn’t pay money.
In such an awkward rejection scenario, they simply didn’t want to involve him.
Meng Zi sighed in relief and smiled back into the house.
He was okay again.
Lin Shuang might have a weird mind, but she was still a decent person.
Huangpu Yuan’s body might be abnormal, but he was still a decent person.
[Xiao Ai No.1 (Lin): Senior Huangpu, I’ve been thinking, to avoid touching the taboo areas of the demon race in the future, could you answer some of my questions?]
The one-way mirror talisman on Huangpu Yuan’s bamboo chair vibrated at his waist.
Xiao Ai No.2 sent a divine sense message.
He was startled, having forgotten to return it to her.
[Xiao Ai No.1 (Lin) sent “Human-Demon Peaceful Coexistence Questionnaire WORD” to No.2]
Huangpu Yuan raised his brow.
She actually respected demons?
Out in the world, this was the first time he had seen this.
He didn’t move, but his divine sense operated to open it.
Instantly, a long list appeared in his consciousness.
[Your species is ____]
Huangpu Yuan’s breath abruptly stopped, he skipped this question directly and continued reading.
[Question: Are you incompatible with cats? Legend says dogs and cats don’t get along. In the future, if I raise a spiritual cat, can I still go to Zhenchuan with you?]
Huangpu Yuan’s temple twitched.
She actually liked cats?
Didn’t she say a few days ago that she wanted a spiritual dog?
His phoenix eyes narrowed, a sudden wave of inexplicable irritation.
Tch, what’s the big deal about the cat clan.
[Do you prefer canned food or dog food… how many times a day?]
[How many times do you defecate a day?]
[What is your normal coat color? When is shedding season?]
[Do you have any bald spots?]
[Should I walk you every day?]
[What is your normal body temperature?]
Huangpu Yuan: “…”
He wanted to drag the person lying beside him and throw him into the pill furnace.
But soon another line of wavy text popped up.
(These questions are very important, please do not skip any.)
(In case something happens during our joint trials, since humans and demons are different, your companions can use this to determine if your current physical condition has triggered an alarm, so they can provide appropriate medical assistance.)
Huangpu Yuan was stunned, so that’s what she was thinking.
But seeing the question about how many times a day you defecate… his expression became dark and unclear.
Great. He’d rather die on the spot.
[I heard dogs can only see in black and white and can identify blue and yellow, what about you? If you’re of another race, please also fill in your color identification situation.]
[Your sense of smell\\taste…]
[I heard dogs’ urine is highly corrosive?]
Huangpu Yuan: “…”
With a bang, the spare Xiao Ai No.2 in his hand made a fragile sound.
(These questions are all for the sake of joint trials, since humans and demons are different, we can better coordinate with you.)
(If in one trial we need to pick red flowers, but you identify them as green flowers, the same applies to other issues like taste, smell, and vision.)
Huangpu Yuan’s spare Xiao Ai No.2 came back to life.
He fell into deep thought.
[I heard that a dog’s nose pattern is unique and can be used for identification.]
[Could you please leave your nose pattern in the blank space of this questionnaire? (If you’re a wolf clan, the same applies?)]
Huangpu Yuan lowered his eyelids and snorted.
She actually knows a little about demons.
But he clearly refused to cooperate.
(In case someone impersonates you in Zhenchuan, we can identify them accordingly.)
Huangpu Yuan raised his brow.
Lin Shuang soon felt Xiao Ai No.1 vibrating.
Her divine sense quickly received information.
[Xiao Ai No.2 (Huangpu): Then how about you? How can I identify you?]
Lin Shuang hissed and sat up abruptly.
“With my big intelligence, who could possibly imitate me?”
“You have her recite the Rail Transit Cultivation Method first, then memorize the Learning Pyramid.”
“…”
Huangpu Yuan sent his answers that night.
He wasn’t Da Bao, neither dog nor wolf.
He was from the cat clan.
Lin Shuang instantly sat up in shock from her sickbed, “How could that be?”
He’s such a dog-like temper…
That night, she saw the answers to the questionnaire.
[The cat clan’s sense of smell is worse than that of dogs, wolves, and foxes.]
[Defective sense of taste.]
[Poor vision. Only useful at night, compared to dogs, wolves, and foxes, it’s simply not worth mentioning.]
[Weak physical strength, completely inferior when compared to dogs, wolves, and foxes.]
[Cats shed hair, often and anytime… hehehe, compared to dogs, wolves, and foxes, they’re practically bald!]
“…”
Lin Shuang pressed her forehead.
The next day, when Senior Xu Xiang invited them to the management office to settle the reward, she couldn’t help but look at Huangpu Yuan, this great demon.
“Senior Huangpu, I have some newly developed dog food here, want to try it?”
“…”
“I know you’re a cat, a canine type cat.”
“…………”
Lin Shuang, a master of efficiency, always had reference books in her qianzi bag.
“Comprehensive Guide to Demons Friendly with Human Cultivators”
“The great canine demons are divided into four branches: dogs, wolves, jackals, and foxes.”
“A century ago, the great canine demons were the first major direct race under the previous demon king, the Nine-Tailed Fox Immortal, ranking first among more than 6,000 branches.”
“But since the previous demon king, the Nine-Tailed Fox, went mad and was killed by the current demon king, the tiger clan, and human cultivators’ experts working together, the four canine branches lost their former glory.”
“The original king of all demons, the Nine-Tailed Fox lineage, after the previous demon king’s death, his son was attacked by evil cultivators when he was still underage, six tails severed, and died weak and sick, completely erasing the bloodline and perishing from demon history.”
“Since then, the four canine branches have had extremely poor relations with the current demon king’s tiger clan, especially the lynx, leopard, tiger, and lion clans of the cat family.”
“If you encounter great canine demons outside, remember, never mention in front of them things like ‘you want to raise a spiritual cat’ or ‘that cat is so cute’, and so on…”
“Although spiritual cats are weak and not fond of fighting, they look too similar to tigers, lions, lynxes, and leopards.”
“Canines also hold grudges easily. They are still among the top three combat forces in the demon race. If you don’t want to offend them, or if you want to befriend them, start by complimenting how cute dogs are!”
“Once a great canine demon becomes your true friend, they will be your most loyal adventure companion.”
“They will never abandon you for life.”
“Of course, spiritual cats are not bad either. Don’t believe the demon dogs’ slander about cats.”
“If you want to understand tiger demons, jump to ‘How to Win the Favor of Tiger Demons, Starting with Approaching a Little Kitten.'”
Lin Shuang skimmed through it at lightning speed and looked up.
Looking at Huangpu Yuan beside her, calmly drinking spiritual tea.
He had a well-proportioned figure, long limbs, suitable for fast running.
His face was long, with a prominent nose bridge.
Last night, he discovered the intruder, with excellent hearing and a sensitive sense of smell.
The hair tied with a simple jade crown had now turned black again, thick and long, with abundant hair and a developed tail!
This is a cat?
Ridiculous.
“Da Bao, I get it now, the dog clan is the best, okay?”
“…”
Huangpu Yuan slightly moved the teacup in his hand, his phoenix eyes flashing a hint of obvious agreement.
Lin Shuang smiled lightly.
This is what Grandma Dean said, right?
When making friends, you shouldn’t be afraid from the start.
Boldly go and talk to the other party, understand them. Even if there’s a temporary argument and you touch on their taboos, it doesn’t matter.
An argument means you understand each other better.
Next time, you’ll know their preferences and what they care about more.
That’s a real friend, not just superficial politeness.
-Meng Zi, loves spirit stones, hates most when others cause him to lose spirit stones.
But he’s righteous, speaks directly, and his limbs are more developed than his brain. (Not implying he’s not smart.)
-Huangpu Yuan, from one of the four canine clans, exact clan unknown.
Possibly dislikes cats, likes blanket decorations and small animal decorations. (Seriously suspects this is the same as Grandma liking fruit-decorated plates. Are they both food-related? Wolves, jackals, foxes?)
Lin Shuang silently recorded.
After finishing, she paused.
“Oh, Senior Huangpu, Senior Meng, I really hate it when others waste my time.”
Exchanging what you care about can promote understanding.
“Just letting you know.”
Meng Zi, the ‘driver,’ instantly wavered on his sword.
What does that mean?
Is she implying his sword riding speed is too slow? She’s hinting at him!
Come on, he’s carrying three people, it’s taking a lot of effort, and she’s being picky now!
Meng Zi rolled his eyes but still accelerated…
“You should eat less for breakfast, bring fewer snacks, I can go faster.”
“And Senior Huangpu, half of your blanket is dragging behind the sword, it’s really slowing me down.”
Huangpu Yuan drank his tea expressionlessly, pretending not to hear.
Lin Shuang awkwardly put down the snack in her hand.
“The snacks aren’t even over forty jin, no need for extra luggage fees. Senior Meng, you shouldn’t be too stingy.”
“…”
Meng Zi was stunned.
So there’s even a luggage fee?
How come he never thought of that before? Charge extra based on weight!
While calculating, the three of them instantly landed at the inner sect management office.
At the entrance of the management office, Senior Xu Xiang was already waiting, smiling as he held a fourth-grade small mirror looking at them.
As Meng Zi was about to take his fourth step, Senior Xu Xiang’s expression suddenly changed, and he flicked his fingers, releasing a spiritual technique.
In an instant, three flying leaves landed in the palms of the three of them.
“Lin Shuang, Huangpu Yuan, Meng Zi, the inner sect’s eight-tenths of valuable lost items in this mission have all been recovered.”
“This mission is rated as a C-level difficulty for the inner sect.”
“All the disciples who lost items have voluntarily offered a total reward of twenty-three thousand spirit stones.”
Meng Zi’s eyes instantly lit up, but he couldn’t take his fourth step.
He stopped at the position after his third step.
Senior Xu Xiang’s face showed a hint of relief.
He continued, “This reward will be given to the breakthrough team as this level’s reward.”
“This level’s trial: Senior, your treasure is missing. You’ve passed the assessment.”
“Time taken: one day.”
“Recovered lost items: a total of one hundred and ninety-seven pieces.”
“Congratulations to the layer masters of this level: Lin Shuang, Huangpu Yuan, Meng Zi, juniors!”
Senior Xu Xiang smiled.
Especially when looking at Lin Shuang, his eyes were filled with relief and appreciation.
When he turned to Meng Zi, it was slightly more severe.
“Junior Meng, the outer sect’s Lin junior is not inferior to you. As a healthy inner sect senior, you need to work harder.”
“…”
Meng Zi, shouldering his sword, pressed his forehead.
Great, an outer sect disciple, a sickly one, he’s the one doing all the hard work, and he’s the one getting scolded!
Grass.
Well, for the sake of twenty-three thousand spirit stones, he wouldn’t hold a grudge against them.
Meng Zi was momentarily sad but then grinned.
“Senior, can we go to collect the spirit stone reward now?”
“…”
No hope for the inner sect.
Senior Xu Xiang pursed his lips, expressionless.
Instantly, he formed a hand seal, and red notices filled the entire Zhenchuan and the high sky above the inner sect.
[Layer 227, Senior, your treasure is missing. This layer is about to close.]
[Layer masters have been determined, with eighty percent of the lost items recovered.
Disciples with progress, please come to the management office to complete the task within three incense sticks, otherwise it will be considered a trial failure, and you will be immediately expelled back to the three hundredth layer of Zhenchuan!]
“You all can return to Zhenchuan.”
Xu Xiang nodded to Lin Shuang and Huangpu Yuan, then turned and left along a straight line.
*
“Senior, we found the suspicious person, the cafeteria Daoist boy!”
Chen Xingchuan’s group, who were also taking the ‘Senior, your treasure is missing’ test, quickly received good news.
“We found a second-grade sword on him.”
“Good, good, good, hurry to the management office to complete the task—fastest, we have a great chance to be the layer masters!”
Chen Xingchuan was delighted, finally not letting an outer sect disciple overshadow the inner sect.
But just as they reached the management office entrance.
They saw the red notice in the sky.
Chen Xingchuan was stunned, did they arrive too late again?!
He rushed into the management office to find Xu Xiang.
“Senior! Wait, we found a second-grade sword worth fifty thousand, it should be worth more than what Lin Shuang and her group recovered.”
“The layer master in this level shouldn’t only be determined by time, it should be based on the spirit stone value of the recovered lost items.”
Xu Xiang put down the book in his hand and turned his head.
“Yes, junior, what you said is correct.”
“Lin Shuang recovered eighty percent of the lost items, a total of one hundred and ninety-seven spiritual treasures. Junior, how many swords did you say you found?”
Chen Xingchuan: “…”
What… what?
How was that possible?
“It’s impossible, that cafeteria Daoist boy, when I chased him, he just teleported away! How did they find one hundred and ninety-seven items?”
Xu Xiang paused, his expression subtly strange.
“They teleported there together.”
“…”
*
In the resting cave palace, a red notice floats.
[Congratulations to Huangpu Yuan, Meng Zi, and Lin Shuang, who have successfully claimed the position of floor masters of layer 2271.]
[Please go to the Resting Scenic Courtyard to collect your rewards.]
Many disciples resting nearby noticed this.
Looking up, they were left breathless.
“Again? Why them again?”
“What’s going on? How many have they gotten now?”
“Let me count. From the Meditation Layer to this theft investigation, they’ve already obtained five floor master titles!”
“Does this outer sect disciple ride a sword? How is she moving so fast? She clears layers faster than someone sprinting!”
“What’s going on with this layer? Can we get a playback projection to watch?”
Every 3,000 layers, there is a floating Resting Scenic Courtyard—between layers 1-3,000, 3,001-6,000, and 6,001-9,000. These courtyards provide disciples a place to rest, replenish pills and treasures, and exchange cultivation insights.
But now, everyone was stunned, and most discussions revolved around Lin Shuang and the others.
Initially, watching Lin Shuang break through layer after layer was somewhat entertaining.
Her unique and insightful approaches, as an outer sect disciple, had even provided many high-level disciples with new strategies for breaking through difficult layers.
But that was below layer 2,000.
Now, she had reached above layer 2,000 and claimed the fastest floor master title—she was on the verge of breaking through layer 3,000 of Zhanchuan.
All inner sect disciples, except Meng Zi and Huangpu Yuan, felt uneasy.
Every 3,000 layers in Zhanchuan marked a major turning point.
If an outer sect disciple were to reach the 3,000th layer and claim another floor master title, it would be akin to dragging the faces of inner sect mid-level disciples across the ground with a sword.
All mid-level inner disciples from layers 4 to 5 felt anxious.
If an outer sect disciple defeated all of them and claimed all six floor master titles, the inner sect would lose all dignity.
“I’m telling you, this generation of juniors just isn’t good enough.”
“I thought Dao Dong’s three lost due to unfavorable heaven, earth, and man conditions, a momentary slip-up… Could it be that our middle and lower-level juniors are all just not up to par?”
“I really don’t understand—why hasn’t anyone gone to the layers where she’s been tested and taken back the floor master titles?”
“If this continues, will the names of outer sect disciples hang on Zhanchuan for the next ten years?”
At this, everyone’s expressions changed.
Originally, when inner sect seniors visited the outer sect, the younger outer sect disciples showed them great respect.
Now, though… Ah, you’re from the inner sect? The one who lost to outer sect disciple Lin Shuang?
Yes.
Heavens, it was too shameful to even think about.
“What about Chen Xingchuan, who is at the peak of the fourth stage of Yuan Condensation?”
“Where is Meixin? Also at the peak of the fourth stage of Condensing Yuan?”
[Zhanchuan Day Two Rankings:]
[Top Ten Teams Below 3,000 Layers Updated:]
[1 Xu Ming, Luoyang, Yuan He, highest at 2910, 4th floor master]
[2 Bian Xing, Cao Lu, Ma Wenchuan, highest at 2999, 3rd floor master]
…
[9 Sima Shao, Kong Ling, Xie Yun, highest at 2810, 3rd floor master]
[10 Huangpu Yuan, Meng Zi, Lin Shuang, highest at 2271, 5th floor master]
[The above rankings are based on performance in Zhanchuan.]
[Considerations include: layers cleared, whether a floor master was claimed, whether additional commendations were received, and challenge outcomes.]
[Final interpretation rights belong to Zhanchuan.]
[The top-ranked team will have their names engraved in the Resting Courtyard from layer 1 to 3,000, to be revered by disciples for years to come.]
“…”
Everyone looked and was left breathless.
Reaching layer 2271, Lin Shuang’s team had already entered the top ten.
If they climbed another 500 layers and claimed another floor master title, they might surge to first place!
Then, an outer sect name would be engraved in the inner sect Zhanchuan’s Resting Courtyard at layer 3,000?
Just thinking about it was unbearable.
“They’ll probably head to layers 2,700 to 2,800 next.”
In the resting cave palace at layer 6,000, a senior brother wearing a robe embroidered with the character “Dao” on his headpiece stood up.
He carried a bamboo basket strangely on his back and held a wooden staff in his hand—completely different from others who wielded swords or blades.
“Brother Dao Fa, what do you mean?”
East, West, North, South, and Middle Fa Bai… Dao Fa, one of the Ten Sons of Dao Mountain.
If Lin Shuang’s team were here, they would definitely be on high alert.
Dao Fa looked over the disciples as if he were the top figure below layer 6,000.
“Who among the current trios below layer 2,700 is at the peak of the fourth floor?”
His face was as smooth as jade, and his voice seemed to carry thunder.
No one dared to meet his gaze directly and lowered their heads upon hearing his words.
“Chen Xingchuan’s team. They just finished a bit later because your treasure was lost and are now at layer 2,300.”
“Hmm,” Dao Fa raised his eyes, his gentle expression laced with a sharpness, “Then let them challenge Lin Shuang’s team.”
Everyone was breathless.
Your juniors, Dong, Xi, Bei, have already lost.
Yet you still want to send more to challenge…
But everyone remained silent, no one dared to object.
Yes, if they didn’t challenge now, once Lin Shuang reached the top spot, they would never have another chance to bring her down.
Currently, high-level disciples cleared layers fast but didn’t have as many floor masters as her.
Those with slower progress were mostly low-level and couldn’t claim many floor masters to surpass her.
If they didn’t stop her now, it would soon be too late.
“I’ll talk to Chen Xingchuan.”
A disciple in green robes, carrying a zither bag, stood up.
“No matter what, we must protect the inner sect’s 3,000 layers.
Otherwise, once word spreads, the Shanhai Sect will surely mock us. How could we face them in the spring equinox duel next year?”
By then, we would already be at a disadvantage before the fight even began.
The inner sect of Qingshui Sect isn’t good enough—not even as good as the outer sect.
Come on now.
Disciples from all the resting cave palaces stood up in tension.
“I’ll also ask around—besides Chen Xingchuan’s team, who else has techniques that can counter Meng Zi.”
[Layer 828: Do You Even Care to Look at Me?]
[Latest record broken: Day 1111.]
[Floor Master: Zhou Xuanwu, Li Sixin, Zhao Keran.]
The inner sect disciples discussing were stunned.
They usually wouldn’t pay much attention to such low layers, but the number 1111 stood out.
Even more shocking was a follow-up moderator notice.
[Are you all dreaming in broad daylight?!]
[Again and again! Inner sect records broken by outer sect disciples! What are you good for?!]
“What? Are the three from ‘Do You Even Care to Look at Me’ also from the outer sect?!”
All inner sect disciples were left breathless.
[All inner sect disciples below layer 3,000, take notice! Moderator 1 of Zhanchuan issues a temporary mission!]
[Intercept outer sect disciples from climbing higher within two days!]
[If outer sect disciples climb another 500 layers in Zhanchuan, all inner sect disciples will lose 10,000 contribution points!]
[If an outer sect disciple becomes the top of layer 3,000, all inner sect disciples will be punished with 99 days of meditation in the Zhanchuan Wanshe Valley and must write 9,999-character confessions.]
The Zhanchuan moderator, the current inner sect supervisor, was furious!
Baiyu, sitting in the resting cave palace at layer 6,000, trembled with shock and quickly lowered his head.
No wonder… her.
Fortunately, he had already reached the fifth stage of Yuan Condensation and exited the first 3,000 layers of Zhanchuan before she joined the inner sect.
Otherwise, he would also be in trouble!
What a relief!
“Let’s go, Brother Yu? Time to cultivate.”
Baiyu turned to a disciple whose forehead bore fish scales.
Yu Lian, the senior brother, was taken aback. “Aren’t we just watching the commotion? You’re leaving already after just resting a bit?”
“Yeah,” Baiyu felt relieved for a moment but didn’t dwell on it long. “I need to hurry and reach layer 6,000.”
“Before she arrives at layer 6,000.”
“…”
*
As soon as Lin Shuang’s trio entered Zhanchuan, they sensed something was off.
“Ugh, my eyelid is twitching again,” Lin Shuang held her forehead.
Upon hearing this, Meng Zi grinned. “Want a cup of spiritual tea? Fifteen spiritual stones a cup.”
Huangpu Yuan, holding a hand warmer, paused slightly in his steps.
[Chen Xingchuan… has issued a challenge!]
[Mu Yunhe… has issued a challenge!]
[Ruoshan… has issued a challenge!]
[Yuan Bian… has issued a challenge!]
Challenge messages flooded Lin Shuang’s team in an instant.
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