Life had to go on without Yue Liangze.

This year, Ling Luo became obsessed with cultivation, spending her days in the Swallowing Heaven Tower with Song Yuanyuan and the others.

“What’s our goal?” she asked.

Song Yuanyuan raised her hand: “To surpass Senior Sister Mu?”

Ling Luo looked at her with disdain: “What does she have to do with anything?”

Song Yuanyuan thought to herself that Senior Sister Mu was constantly thinking about competing with Ling Luo, yet Ling Luo completely ignored her existence.

Chang Fei raised his hand, hesitating: “To clear the Swallowing Heaven Tower?”

Ling Luo glanced at him sideways: “Your ambition is too big. Eight thousand floors, something no one has accomplished in thousands of years, and you want me to take three burdens along to attempt it?”

Bu-burdens?

Chang Fei and Song Yuanyuan clutched their heads in despair.

Despite her words, they were outstanding among their peers even without comparing themselves to Ling Luo.

But they had already reached tower levels far beyond their capabilities, and the further they went, the less they could contribute, with Ling Luo doing most of the work.

After thinking for a moment, Xu Shen raised his hand: “To trigger the Myriad Demons Chaos?”

Ling Luo blinked at him, puzzled: “How come you’re not as stupid as those two?”

Xu Shen: “…”

The days of being mocked regardless of whether his answer was right or wrong had returned.

He deeply missed the days when Ling Luo targeted only Senior Brother Yue.

“The most valuable thing in the Swallowing Heaven Tower isn’t the cultivation levels, but the divine weapons from the Myriad Demons Chaos,” Ling Luo said. “There are four of us, surely we can’t all have such bad luck like Mu Ya last time who only got a medicinal herb.”

“Even if we don’t get divine weapons, we should at least get high-grade weapons, right?”

The three nodded in unison.

Ling Luo waved her hand confidently: “Then let’s go!”

In her previous life, she had terrible luck. Even after reaching over six thousand floors, she had never triggered a single Myriad Demons Chaos.

Occasionally, even Hall Masters would come to challenge the Swallowing Heaven Tower, with some getting stuck on certain levels for years.

Yet Ling Luo had cleared fifteen hundred floors in a single year, breaking dozens of records and leaving behind even Chu Yi, the head senior brother of Tianji.

When Chu Yi returned to the mountain the following year and learned of this, he brought Yu Xiu along to challenge the tower, determined to reclaim first place.

Working together, these two senior brothers quickly took back the top position and triggered a Myriad Demons Chaos along the way.

When Ling Luo came out and learned that Chu Yi had triggered the Myriad Demons Chaos: “?”

Why!

This is unfair!

Her jade token made a ‘ding’ sound.

Ling Luo opened it to find an image sent by Chu Yi.

It was a divine weapon gleaming with ethereal light.

Ling Luo: “…”

Her composure shattered.

She turned and berated her three companions: “Just the two of them triggered a Myriad Demons Chaos in three days and got a divine weapon, while the four of us have been challenging for a year without triggering even once!”

The three maintained solemn expressions, exchanging glances before pushing Xu Shen forward to answer: “Per-perhaps… we weren’t devout enough?”

Ling Luo gritted her teeth: “How devout should we be?”

She had already fallen into demonic cultivation, and with demonic energy still in her heart, she hardly understood what devotion meant anymore.

The four finally decided to show the highest reverence to the Swallowing Heaven Tower by performing a purification ritual following the ancestral worship ceremony, fasting for seven days.

During dinner, Yun Shouxi noticed Ling Luo’s absence and asked why.

Yu Xiu explained helplessly: “Junior Sister said she wanted to purify herself for seven days, abstaining from meat.”

Chu Yi snorted: “All to trigger the Myriad Demons Chaos.”

Yun Shouxi shook his head with a slight smile after hearing this.

That night, Yun Shouxi brought some food for Ling Luo, mostly nuts and sweets.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw a slender figure practicing Yingxi techniques under the moonlight, controlling a spirit.

The blood-colored fan she wielded displayed an image of cherry blossoms from the Western Sea’s Primordial Forest, causing cherry petals to appear and fill the garden.

Yun Shouxi stopped to quietly observe.

She had grown taller and matured.

The last trace of childishness had disappeared from her face, which now belonged to an exquisite jade-like beauty. Over these two years, under his silent control, the person before him wore the same hairstyle and makeup as in the painting.

When she accompanied him down the mountain, she wore the clothes from the painting and even used the fragrances he prepared for her baths.

All of it belonged to him.

The night breeze carried cherry blossoms outside the courtyard. Chu Yi wiped his face where a cold petal had touched him, looked up, and saw Yun Shouxi standing at the courtyard entrance.

He was about to speak but stopped when he inadvertently caught sight of his master’s gaze.

“Senior Brother?” Yu Xiu, walking behind him, asked in confusion when he stopped.

Chu Yi moved aside to hide, gesturing for silence.

Yu Xiu remained quiet.

After a moment, Chu Yi carefully peered out again, but Yun Shouxi had already entered the courtyard.

“What’s wrong?” Yu Xiu asked softly.

Chu Yi shook his head, saying quietly: “Nothing.”

As the two left, Chu Yi thoughtfully glanced at Ling Luo’s courtyard.

The Myriad Demons Chaos in the Swallowing Heaven Tower would trigger at least once every half year.

Logically, the higher the floor, the greater the chance of triggering it.

But Ling Luo found it absurd.

She was over six thousand floors up—wasn’t that high enough?

How had she not triggered it even once?

Tianji truly seemed incompatible with her!

After seven days of purification, Ling Luo and the others entered the Swallowing Heaven Tower again, leaving behind bold words: “We won’t leave until we trigger it!”

Their determination was evident.

Three days later, Xu Shen triggered it.

Unfortunately, it was a simultaneous trigger with someone else.

Rare, but not unheard of.

The Swallowing Heaven Tower promptly sent a message to both parties: “Xu Shen and Jiao Xiu have simultaneously triggered the Myriad Demons Chaos. According to the rules, whoever slays the demon first claims the reward.”

Song Yuanyuan cursed loudly, while Chang Fei quickly left the tower to find the demon’s spawn point.

Ling Luo silently cursed that she was indeed incompatible with Tianji.

Why couldn’t they just have a normal trigger? Why did it have to be a dual trigger? What was wrong with this place?

Ling Luo turned back to glare at the Swallowing Heaven Tower.

“Yuanyuan and I will search the outer gates, you two check the inner gates,” Chang Fei had just finished saying when Ling Luo interrupted, “Don’t panic, I’ve already asked Second Senior Brother to watch for spawn points on the celestial network. He’ll tell me as soon as the demon appears.”

Just as she finished speaking, she received a message from Yu Xiu: “Inner gates, western corner of Cloud Garden.”

“Let’s go,” Ling Luo waved her sleeve and flew on her sword.

Upon landing, Ling Luo discovered that this time it was a several-hundred-year-old python demon. Just as she was admiring its profound cultivation, a sword light flew toward the demon that had raised its head and curled its tail.

It was Wangshu again!

Ling Luo felt disgusted and blocked the sword light with a swift fan movement.

Mu Ya arrived with Jiao Xiu and others, and upon seeing Ling Luo beside the python demon, she said coldly: “Ignore her, attack directly.”

“Senior Sister Mu, what a coincidence,” Ling Luo said.

As the other two moved to attack, Song Yuanyuan and Chang Fei simultaneously drew their swords to intercept.

This dual trigger of the Myriad Demons Chaos allowed for legitimate competition.

Mu Ya had long disliked Ling Luo. Since Ling Luo joined the inner gates, Mu Ya had been constantly overshadowed. The title of genius that once sat atop her head had been taken by Ling Luo. In the past two years, Ling Luo had gone down the mountain to train, slaying demons and evil spirits, and her sword skills now surpassed even several Hall Masters.

Thus, she earned the title of First in Swordsmanship.

How could she claim the title of First in Swordsmanship when she didn’t even have a divine weapon, and her only high-grade weapon was a fan?

It was her Wangshu that was truly the supreme sword!

Mu Ya grew increasingly intolerant of Ling Luo, and today, with an excellent excuse to fight, she showed no restraint.

Wangshu gathered power and slashed down, its sword wind ripping through the air, even tearing off a corner of the pavilion’s roof behind Ling Luo.

Ling Luo mocked: “Why is Senior Sister so angry? Just because you have Wangshu but still can’t surpass my sword techniques, can’t be first… just practice more. Why take it out on innocent flowers and plants?”

Hearing this, Mu Ya grew angrier. “Shut up! Stop talking nonsense!”

Ling Luo stood on the pavilion, opening Yingxi, looking down condescendingly: “You want to compare swords with me, but besides that divine weapon Wangshu in your hand, how are you qualified?”

“Ling Luo, don’t be too arrogant!” Mu Ya tightly gripped Wangshu, sending sword intent sweeping across, raising violent gusts of wind.

Divine weapons were indeed not to be underestimated.

Ling Luo glanced at Xu Shen who was fighting the python demon, the corner of her eyes lifting as she revealed a malicious smile.

“Senior Sister, you don’t even have the strength to be arrogant.”

Completely provoked, Mu Ya even unleashed a killing move.

The divine weapon Wangshu’s sword intent was inherently sharp and domineering, and when it swept across, its range was vast, forcing Song Yuanyuan and the others to hide far away. Being hit by it would result in serious injury if not death.

Ling Luo’s movement technique was mysterious, skillfully avoiding every attack from Wangshu, allowing Mu Ya to chase after her.

She led the battle to the python demon, using Wangshu to severely injure it, allowing Xu Shen to finish quickly.

“Xu Shen has taken down the python demon!” Chang Fei shouted to Ling Luo, “Stop fighting, you two!”

Ling Luo replied: “When did I fight her? From beginning to end, it was Senior Sister chasing after me!”

“You’re utterly despicable!” Mu Ya realized Ling Luo’s intentions and, consumed by anger, her sword movements grew fiercer. She blocked Ling Luo’s path and brought her sword down from above without any hesitation.

The killing intent remained.

If Ling Luo couldn’t avoid it, she would certainly die.

The threat of Wangshu made her serious too. Yingxi’s spirit manifested, growing branches to block the sword, but after a brief moment of resistance, they were cut. The sword wind reached her first, and Ling Luo formed hand seals to summon a flower tide for defense.

When Mu Ya struck again and Wangshu clashed with Yingxi once more, a domineering, sharp golden light shot toward them, separating the two.

Chu Yi landed in front of Ling Luo, cutting off her flower branches and deflecting Wangshu.

“The Myriad Demons Chaos demon has been eliminated, and the competition is over. If you continue fighting, I’ll consider it a challenge to the disciples of the Third Breath Gate, and I will fight you myself.”

Mu Ya said angrily: “Senior Brother, that’s not what I meant!”

Chu Yi said expressionlessly: “If you strike again, that is what it will mean.”

Mu Ya was furious but sheathed her sword and left.

The others exchanged meaningful glances before hastily paying respects to Chu Yi and saying goodbye to chase after her.

The elder who came to supervise lamented: “What about this Cloud Garden? A patch of flowers and plants have died, and even the building collapsed.”

Chu Yi glanced at Ling Luo, who fearlessly said: “Whoever did it should fix it!”

Then she turned to ask Song Yuanyuan: “Who did it?”

Song Yuanyuan’s eye twitched slightly: “Wangshu!”

Chang Fei nodded repeatedly: “Yes, yes, I saw it with my own eyes!”

Chu Yi then told the elder: “Since Wangshu did it, the Elder should ask it to pay compensation.”

Elder: “…”

Over the years, Ling Luo had become increasingly unrestrained. After all, with Yun Shouxi covering for her, what did she have to fear?

Not to mention that she didn’t particularly like Tianji anyway.

She turned to look at Xu Shen and saw him holding a small, light black scroll.

Xu Shen said: “High-grade weapon, Jiangxi.”

“Although it’s not a divine weapon, Jiangxi specializes in incantations, perfect for him,” Chang Fei rubbed his hands, still excited. “Let’s go again! We’re just one Myriad Demon Chaos away from a divine weapon!”

Ling Luo felt that her luck had finally turned, so she nodded in agreement, deciding to challenge the Swallowing Heaven Tower again.

After walking just a few steps, they were stopped by Chu Yi.

“Where are you going?”

“Swallowing Heaven Tower,” Ling Luo invited kindly. “Would Senior Brother like to join us?”

Considering you’ve also triggered a Myriad Demons Chaos before.

“The Western Sea Primordial Golden Luan Pool Banquet, held once every three years, has announced its opening today. Aren’t you going?” Chu Yi looked sideways at his junior brothers and sisters. “Everyone else is rushing to go see the world, yet you spend all day in the tower.”

After a brief silence, his junior brothers raised their hands in succession, shouting: “I’ll go! I’ll go!”

Only Ling Luo pouted with a bored expression.

Hmph.

Why go?

If she didn’t attend that silly Golden Luan Pool Banquet, she would remain First in Swordsmanship forever!