Dong Yuner stared at Lin Huanhuan with some exasperation, her voice laced with a hint of resentment as she said, “Miss, in the future when you encounter this kind of situation, please explain yourself. There is no benefit to starting a conflict for no reason.”
Lin Huanhuan huffed. “That guy came at me with so much malice from the start. If I had responded with a smile, who knows how much further she would have pushed her luck?”
“Since we’ve just arrived, we should observe first.”
“Fine, I get it.”
Lin Huanhuan didn’t continue to be stubborn and nodded in agreement.
Dong Yuner shook her head and looked at their surroundings. “This place is quite nice. It’s much better than where we used to live. Time really flies. In the blink of an eye, it’s time for the entrance ceremony again. Is Miss interested in going to see it together? Seeing the energetic looks on those newcomers might be a form of joy.”
Dong Yuner sighed with emotion and then extended an invitation. A lot had happened recently, and both she and Lin Huanhuan had been very busy. Aside from nighttime, they hadn’t spent much time doing things together.
Coupled with the fierce offensive from Ye Jinxi, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of crisis. To increase Lin Huanhuan’s favorability, she decided to take some action. The upcoming entrance ceremony was a good opportunity.
‘The entrance ceremony, it’s about time…’
‘Going together, hmm…’
Lin Huanhuan murmured to herself, a flash of hesitation crossing her face.
‘According to the original work, the second heroine makes her first appearance at this entrance ceremony. I should go and threaten her to make things easier for my future plans.’
Lin Huanhuan had intended to refuse, as bringing someone along to threaten the heroine wasn’t exactly convenient. However, when she saw the look of anticipation on Dong Yuner’s face, she felt a bit of guilt. She realized she really hadn’t accompanied her little maid much lately.
‘At worst, I’ll just say I need to use the restroom halfway through and then go threaten the heroine.’
Lin Huanhuan nodded. “Fine, let’s go together then. I also want to see the jubilant faces of those new disciples.”
Lin Huanhuan gave an evil smile. “Today should be the happiest time for them. Once they truly join the sect and witness the terrifying talent of those prodigies, realizing they can’t catch up no matter how hard they work, their expressions should be very interesting. I’m really looking forward to it.”
When it came to talent, the world of immortal cultivation wasn’t much different from the world of physics. Even if profound and mysterious techniques were placed before ordinary people, they wouldn’t understand them. They would struggle to even begin for their entire lives, just like physics.
“Great! Then I’ll go prepare first. Does Miss need anything?”
“I don’t need anything. You go ahead and get ready.”
“Then please wait for me, Miss. It won’t take long.”
Dong Yuner cheered and then went to tidy up.
Lin Huanhuan walked outside the small courtyard and observed the Cloud Bamboo. Looking at the patterns on the bamboo, she wondered what the bamboo shoots would taste like.
Lin Huanhuan never quite understood why it took girls so long to get ready. Was it makeup? It didn’t seem like it. Fortunately, her Yun’er wouldn’t waste too much time on that and was quite efficient.
After about fifteen minutes, Dong Yuner walked out.
Dong Yuner had changed into a set of green and white clothes. Her hairstyle hadn’t changed, but she looked much more youthful. The moment she saw Lin Huanhuan, she called out sweetly, “Miss, I’m ready.”
She didn’t ask a question like “Is there anything different about me?” mainly because she knew Lin Huanhuan wouldn’t be able to answer, which would only ruin their good mood.
Lin Huanhuan nodded. “Alright, let’s go.”
The bamboo shadows moved slightly. The intertwining of pale yellow and green-white gradually disappeared along the mountain path.
—
The Lingyun Sect’s entrance ceremony was, as the name suggested, for recruiting newcomers. Every year, a massive number of mortals came to seek apprenticeship, numbering in the thousands and tens of thousands. Although most were sent back due to insufficient talent, there was still a steady stream of people.
Stepping onto the path of immortal cultivation, traveling the world, looking down on the masses, attaining longevity, and becoming invincible — which mortal could resist such a temptation?
Of course, the Lingyun Sect didn’t just recruit mortals. Those from clean backgrounds who were under twenty years old and in the Qi Refining stage were also accepted, provided they had enough talent.
As for the Foundation Establishment stage, there was a different channel for them.
By the time they arrived, the place was already a sea of people. It was impossible to see the end of the crowd. To snag a good position and leave a hardworking impression on the Lingyun Sect staff responsible for recruitment, most people arrived before dawn.
With so many people gathered, they naturally started asking around.
“Li Si, why are you here too? Didn’t you say you didn’t want to cultivate and just wanted to inherit your father’s several hundred acres of land to be a local landlord?”
“Sigh, don’t mention it. My old man forced me to come. I just want to spend the rest of my life in peace; I’m not interested in fighting and killing. But if my talent is high and the people from the Lingyun Sect beg me to join, I might consider staying.”
“I think you’re dreaming!”
The people nearby who heard this cast looks of disdain. It was rare to see someone so shameless.
“There are so many people here. It’s much more than when we arrived. With so many people squeezed together, don’t they feel hot?”
Lin Huanhuan couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise. Dong Yuner explained, “Miss, did you forget? Because of our status, we entered the sect directly. We intentionally arrived late to avoid the crowds; it’s just a matter of going through the motions.”
“That’s true. It’s been a while, so I don’t remember very clearly.”
The two of them stood together. They were of similar age and dressed similarly. They didn’t look like master and servant, but rather like a pair of sisters.
Standing there, they seemed out of place, their style completely different from those around them. Seeing the two of them, the people nearby began to speculate. They strongly suspected these two were staff members sent specifically by the Lingyun Sect to secretly observe their character.
‘Ooh, I didn’t expect to run into such a good thing. I have to perform well. With my outstanding performance, I’ll definitely get ten points. Even if my talent isn’t enough, I might still be able to join.’
Almost everyone who saw them had this thought.
Consequently, nearly everyone present suddenly became polite. They did their best to look well-dressed and proper, and all uncivilized behavior was hidden away. When they saw the girls approaching, the crowd forcibly cleared a path for them, even if it meant squeezing the people beside them frantically.
Although Lin Huanhuan and Dong Yuner were a bit puzzled, they were happy for the convenience.
They walked up to the viewing stand and looked down from above. Lin Huanhuan suddenly spotted someone familiar. “Oh, it’s actually her. With that girl’s personality, I wonder what she’ll do. It should be quite interesting.”