Gelan blinked, suggesting that a certain someone could still participate in this year’s Great Competition.
Since there was only one disciple, she might as well just shove him in.
He should at least finish this year before leaving.
If he dared say no, she would lock the doors and spank him until his butt blossomed!
Yun Liu’s mouth twitched.
The Great Baldy had truly mastered the art of bureaucratic deflection.
Regardless, only the sixty-four inner disciples who ranked highest in the Yanding Sword Contest were qualified to cultivate in the depths of the Sword Furnace.
That was exactly what he needed right now.
Seeing that Yun Liu did not object, a spark of light returned to Yan Bingling’s eyes, as if she were grasping at a lifeline.
“Ahem, I sense a bit of Xingchen Zhi Qi and a faint Demonic Spirit on you. Did you run into trouble this time?”
Aunt Master’s injuries had yet to heal, but her senses remained sharp.
Yun Liu frowned and explained, “Quite the opposite. Fortunately, an expert from Star Isle helped us. Otherwise, the Vermilion Bird would likely be in dire straits. That mysterious expert seems to have a profound connection with Shiyu.”
“Hmph, that child’s background is special; she comes from the Palace of the Heavenly Pivot Star. It’s for the best if they don’t cause trouble. But if they think they can bully our Shenhua Sect because we appear defenseless, don’t blame me for being unkind.”
A cold light flashed in Yan Bingling’s eyes.
She remained wary of Ji Shiyu’s interest in the Extreme Destiny.
Ji Xingshu had clearly harbored ill intentions when she sent that girl over.
It had nearly ruined Yun Liu and indirectly caused the separation between master and disciple.
This debt would be settled sooner or later!
The two women lived in different worlds, one in the north and one in the south.
Though they were often compared, they had never truly faced off against each other.
“It’s not that serious. I think that silly child is actually quite well-behaved. Compared to Ji Shiyu, I’m more worried about Ah Lian. I don’t know how she is doing now. Surely she hasn’t fallen into a vegetative state?”
Gelan sighed, blaming Yan Bingling for being biased. She didn’t just have one rebellious eldest disciple.
“…”
The two elders fell silent at the mention of the Junior Sister of Heavenly Phenomena Peak.
The Divine Tree of Yingzhou had its own rules, and not all sacred spirits in the Nine Provinces were as gentle as the Vermilion Bird.
The mission of the Yushen family’s only daughter was particularly unique.
From the moment of her birth, her existence was meant to nurture the Divine Wood Fruit; she was destined to marry the Yinglong.
Serving the sacred spirit alongside the Divine Tree, much like the Golden Crow Attendants of the Jing Royal Family, sounded like a glorious honor.
In reality, it was a “curse” passed down through generations.
Everyone knew that the moment the Divine Wood Fruit matured, Ah Lian’s fate would be to be eaten—in the literal, physical sense.
It was all to secure the Yinglong’s favor so it would continue to guard the Divine Tree of Yingzhou, ensuring another century of prosperity for the Yushen family.
‘Isn’t this just a blatant ritual sacrifice?’
Yan Bingling’s forceful actions had failed to rescue her disciple and had instead provoked the Yushen family.
Now, the weakened Yinglong needed a new Divine Wood Fruit more than ever.
Ah Lian’s situation was precarious.
Gelan’s worry reminded Yun Liu of her.
His Junior Sister was one of the few people who truly cared for him, and he had always been protective of her.
There was no way he could just sit by and watch.
Ah Lian was the most heart-wrenching girl in the original story.
She was destined to either become a plaything for the Yinglong or for the “Yellow Hair.”
Yun Liu’s original reason for leaving the sect was to prevent the Little Yellow Hair from harming his Master’s Sect.
Now that the mission involving Ji Shiyu, which was supposed to be a classic story of a hero fighting a dragon, had been disrupted, he couldn’t expect to unlock the third main quest line for Fortune through Yan Bingling.
Therefore, he had to take responsibility.
He would bring Ah Lian back to be the Senior Sister.
Only then could he retire with a clear conscience.
***
The following period of time passed without much excitement.
The leisurely campus life of the young girls continued to develop, though they were secretly competing with one another.
This year, Jing Tan’er had been leading the pack.
She was originally the most anticipated dark horse, but since the Princess was absent, the popular new students from Evening Glow and Falling Cloud became the center of attention.
They signed up for the Yanding Sword Contest one after another.
Since returning from Yudu, Ji Shiyu and Xiao Xinran had demonstrated incredible potential in the Sword way.
They injected vitality into the stagnant Shenhua Sect, building anticipation for the Great Competition.
Their bickering echoed through every corner of the Four Institutes.
Gradually, everyone grew used to the pair of little rivals, and excitement for the rumored Three-Year Promise grew.
Yun Liu did not care at all about the struggle for Extreme Destiny.
Occasionally, he would flirt with his secretary, though he still had to hide from Miss Lin.
He was no longer satisfied with just holding hands and kissing; he wanted to officially form a bond with his dear Sister and do the things lovers do.
To this, Qin Xing only responded softly, saying that the time was coming soon.
It wasn’t just the newcomers who were preparing for the Great Competition.
The restless nights at Heavenly Phenomena Peak had also quieted down.
Recently, Yan Bingling had been cultivating peacefully, and there were no further relapses of Magic Corruption.
Yun Liu breathed a sigh of relief.
In his spare time, he tempered his body and mind, balancing the Sacred Fire while collecting spirit materials for Realm Breaking, waiting for the next eruption of cold energy.
One day, Ji Shiyu emerged from the Spirit Gourd Paradise, having just finished a Five-Phase Trial.
Her Qi Sea shifted slightly, and her Spirit Breath rose to a new level.
Ao Tian nodded in satisfaction.
Perhaps it was because the Blood Gu had been neutralized, but Shiyu had gained a slight advantage over Xiao Xinran.
The scales of Fortune were tipping.
“Foundation Establishment Level 6! As expected of me!” Ji Shiyu said, beaming with pride.
She was about to strike while the iron was hot and head to the Dao Arena to test the more profound Void-Breaking Form, but Ao Tian doused her excitement with a cold reality check.
“The Xiao girl is at the peak of Level 4 and is close to a breakthrough as well. Combined with that strange flaming aura of hers, do you think you’re certain to win if you get matched against her in the first round?”
“Uh, I… I guess?”
Ji Shiyu scratched her head.
The Little Yellow Hair and her companion both knew very well that simply using Flame Princess to mimic her would not be enough to defeat Xiao Xinran.
A battle between two fires would be a toss-up at best.
Her greatest trump card was still the Xuantian Nine Transformations, but unfortunately, there was no sign of the next thread of Fortune.
Her progress was frustratingly slow.
“Shiyu, remember this: you are different from others. Do not waste your time studying sect manuals and secret techniques.”
“But the Great Competition is coming up! What about my results?”
“Is that something you should be worrying about?”
The Yellow Chicken pecked at the girl’s forehead.
‘What does a ranking reward even matter? You should spend more time catching up with your father. Even if you can’t help him, at least don’t be a drag on your mother.’
‘Look at how diligent the Xiao girl is. She’s always asking questions. Her Skyfall Opening situation improved significantly after the Shengyu Festival. Teachers love students like that—hardworking kids who learn from their mistakes.’
It was a simple logic.
Ji Shiyu did not need to outrun everyone; she only needed to be better than Xiao Xinran.
And “winning” did not necessarily mean a fair victory on the arena stage!
The Little Yellow Hair only half-understood, but she rubbed her forehead and scurried back to the Fang Street, first rewarding herself with a massive feast.
Shanhai Pavilion was bustling with people, but the white-robed youth was nowhere to be seen.
He was likely with Lin Shu, gathering medicine in the Sea of Clouds Peaks Forest.
Ji Shiyu returned in disappointment.
Passing by the Rosy Fragrance Pavilion, she patted her stomach and dove inside.
Seeing the Lady Boss busy running back and forth, she put on a daisy-patterned qipao and enthusiastically began to help.
She could already refine basic spiritual medicines on her own.
She was not very proficient with Second Grade ones yet; they were mostly low-quality Yellow or Black rank products.
Even so, her cleverness and natural talent put most of the Yaolu maidens to shame.
Not long ago, she had just been a Night Fragrance Girl who knew nothing at all.
As Qin Xing quietly advanced toward becoming a Third Grade Earth-rank alchemist, she introduced several new products based on the recipes and pill formulas Yun Liu had provided.
Business at the Rosy Fragrance Pavilion became even more explosive, with demand far exceeding supply.
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