The woman stood on the competition stage, and after the hues dispersed, her original appearance was revealed. Her gray robe was stained with blood from the whip marks, her hair disheveled, looking even more bedraggled than the defeated.
However, her gaze remained calm, without a hint of wavering.
Duan Xiangrao, who had been knocked down to the ground by Zanxing’s staff, struggled to get up for a while. After a moment, she was helped up by fellow disciples, looking at Zanxing with disbelief. “How is this possible…”
With her cultivation at the late Foundation Establishment stage, how could she be defeated by Yang Zanxing?
“The match is over,” Zanxing said to her, “I am the one going to the inner sect.”
This competition was unfair to begin with, and the rules were not very reasonable. Luck played a significant role in the draw, and theoretically, someone like Duan Xiangrao, with her level of cultivation, should have had no problem entering the top thirty. Yet, she ended up paired with Zanxing. If two strong individuals were matched together, there could only be one winner, leaving the other feeling regretful.
In the path of cultivation, besides cultivating one’s heart and practice, one also needs to cultivate opportunities. Sometimes, it’s just the slight difference that makes one miss the chance to align with the Dao.
Even if Duan Xiangrao was unwilling, the assessment had ended.
The list of the top thirty inner sect disciples had been announced. Tian Fangfang came over to help Zanxing off the stage. As she stepped down, Zanxing realized her back was soaked with blood.
Ziluo instructed on the next steps, including the reassignment of accommodation. Of the 120 new disciples, only thirty became inner sect disciples. The remaining ninety had to move out of their previous lodgings in the small wooden buildings.
When Zanxing returned, Duan Xiangrao had just finished packing and was preparing to leave. Seeing Zanxing hobble in, she didn’t say anything, just gave Zanxing a glance filled with resentment and unwillingness, then walked past her.
Duan Xiangrao had tried every possible means to enter the Taiyan Gate, all in the hope of breaking through in cultivation. Stopping here today naturally filled her with endless regret. But Zanxing had no choice either.
Tian Fangfang helped her fill the tub with hot water, and Zanxing took off her clothes, submerging her entire body into it.
The mountain stream water was rich in spiritual energy, though it couldn’t be considered a medicinal bath, it still had benefits for her freshly injured body. Zanxing had never been beaten before in her life, and the pain from the whip strikes on her back gradually dissipated at this moment, causing her to inhale sharply.
With the room now empty, Zanxing sat with her arms resting on the edge of the wooden tub, sighing deeply.
Now, she had become a variable in the book “Nine Heavens”, and the original work would spare no effort to erase her existence. But… as she touched the Xiao Yuan Pearl, belonging to the male lead, nestled in her chest, she knew it would instinctively protect her.
So, it was under the protection of the Xiao Yuan Pearl that she made consecutive breakthroughs, found the “Qing’e Flower Picking Staff”, and even quickly comprehended “Mirror Flowers and Water Moon” with its guidance.
The Xiao Yuan Pearl would instinctively protect its owner, whether she was Mu Cengxiao or Yang Zanxing. And because of the protection from the Xiao Yuan Pearl, the original work would spare no effort to erase her existence.
This was an unsolvable cycle of death.
Zanxing suddenly remembered something and looked down at the palm of her hand. Earlier in the dining hall, a red mark had appeared in the center of her palm, and now, upon closer inspection, the mark seemed slightly deeper.
What was this?
She rubbed it vigorously, but it wouldn’t come off. The mark somehow made her feel uneasy.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Zanxing stood up, threw on some clothes, and went to answer it. Outside, Ziluo walked in carrying a stack of clothes.
“Junior Sister Zanxing,” Ziluo placed the clothes on the table and smiled, “Now that you’re an inner sect disciple, there’s no need to wear the outer sect disciple’s gray robe anymore. Here are some clothes. If you don’t like them, you can use spirit stones to buy different styles in Pingyang Town at the foot of the mountain. Teaching arrangements are also different. These are the usual arrangements for inner sect disciples. If you have some free time, you can take a look.”
Zanxing thanked Ziluo and then said, “Senior Sister Ziluo, about the injury on my face…”
“I asked Master before,” Ziluo explained, “the demonic energy in the ‘Yu’ is particularly dense, compared to other demonic beasts. Ordinary high-grade spiritual medicines may not necessarily be effective. Don’t worry, I came today precisely to tell you about this. Change into some clothes first, and come with me to see someone.”
“Alright,” Zanxing agreed.
The attire for inner sect disciples was indeed different from that of outer sect disciples. The original gray robe was already quite soft, but this new robe was practically weightless. The fabric was finer, and the color was a beautiful shade of sage, with a hint of gray added to the light green, giving it a dreamy, ethereal quality.
Overall, it exuded a minimalist style.
The embroidery on it still depicted the phoenix, and the hairband of the same color was adorned with a few more delicate pearls, adding to its refinement.
After Zanxing changed, she left with Ziluo.
The coolness of the autumn night enveloped them as they walked on the mountain path, shrouded in mist. The fragrance of the cinnamon trees permeated the air, making every step a delight, even if they weren’t on a spiritual retreat.
Ziluo explained to Zanxing as they walked, “In our Taiyan Sect, the headmaster has seven disciples in total, so we have seven martial uncles. Senior Brother Yueguang you saw earlier is one of them. You’ll see the others when they teach. The one we’re going to meet now is the fourth martial uncle.”
Passing through an outer courtyard, they arrived at a small temple.
The temple didn’t appear large, with a big red character “丹” (dan) written on the plaque above the door. Two small incense burners were placed at the entrance, with flames flickering underneath. As soon as they entered the courtyard, they felt warmer than outside.
A young child wearing a hat at the door spotted Ziluo and exclaimed loudly, “Master, Sister Ziluo is here!”
“Come in,” came a slightly hoarse voice from inside.
Zanxing and Ziluo entered the hall. It was sparsely furnished, with not even a single table or chair, giving it a humble and simple appearance. In the center of the hall, there was a huge alchemy furnace, about the height of a person, emitting smoke with a crackling fire burning below it.
Seated in front of the alchemy furnace was a man dressed in a yellow robe, wearing a black veil hat embroidered with a round Taichi
1 symbol in the center. His face was marked with patches of black and purple, as if scorched by fire. He appeared to be around forty or fifty years old, with a head of graying hair tied into small braids at the back of his head. He also had a piece of grass dangling from his mouth as he casually tossed spirit fruits into the furnace while chanting and singing enthusiastically, swaying his head and body so much that it seemed he might topple into the fire at any moment.
“This is Fourth Martial Uncle Li,” explained Ziluo.
The black-and-white yin-yang circular symbol