If Mu Yaruo had taken the match seriously, she would not have ended up in such a miserable state. Both of them were using ordinary swords for the contest, but she had her own Shenwu, which even Yun Shouxi could not break.

Today, she lost because of her arrogance and underestimation of her opponent.

Yu Xiu knew her temperament well and understood she would not let this matter rest. He stepped forward between the two and said gently, “The martial trial can be considered complete. The skill level with an ordinary sword is sufficient.”

He was giving Mu Yaruo a way to save face, but she refused to take it.

She tossed aside the sword in her hand and said coldly, “Again.”

Yu Xiu said, “If you wish to continue sparring, I will take her place.”

“Senior Brother Yu!” Mu Yaruo protested, dissatisfied. “She’s just a…”

Before she could finish, Yu Xiu interrupted her, “Since she is Master’s chosen disciple, she is my Junior Sister.”

Mu Yaruo gritted her teeth, very unwilling to accept this.

Hall Master Fan, who had been observing the match and had not yet left, spoke up at the right moment: “Song Yuanyuan.”

Song Yuanyuan, who had been watching the excitement from among the crowd, looked bewildered.

“Come here,” Hall Master Fan said cheerfully. “Follow me back to the Sixth Hall for the discipleship ceremony.”

Song Yuanyuan quickly ran over: “Yes!”

Hall Master Fan leisurely passed by the group and said, “Yu Xiu, you should hurry along too. The Third Sect Leader is still waiting. Everyone else, disperse.”

Yu Xiu bowed his head in respect and left the Three Trials Hall with Ling Luo.

The inner disciples and masters of each sect came to guide their junior brothers and sisters into the inner sect.

Sect Leader Mu led the Three Extremes Sect, with Mu Yaruo guiding them.

The atmosphere along this sect’s path was oppressive. The disciples didn’t dare to breathe loudly, fearing they might provoke Mu Yaruo and receive a violent beating.

In comparison, the atmosphere on Ling Luo’s side was much friendlier.

Yu Xiu led her across the Dingshan River to the main road of the inner sect, pointing out various locations as they walked.

In her previous life, Ling Luo’s favorite person had been this Second Senior Brother.

With a gentle temperament and clear judgment in handling matters, he often took care of the junior disciples, not only in cultivation but also in daily life.

His only flaw was that he listened too obediently to Yun Shouxi.

Even if Yun Shouxi asked him to die, Yu Xiu would do so without hesitation.

“Qingshi Manor is at the northernmost part of Tianji. There’s a barrier set up nearby. Ordinary people who approach will fall into a formation and won’t be able to reach the depths,” Yu Xiu explained. “Master will arrange your cultivation training. As you’ve just entered the inner sect, according to the rules, you can’t miss any other courses for at least a year.”

“Whether inner or outer, all Tianji disciples have the Tianwang mark. The sect leaders can see the location of each disciple on the jade plate through these marks, so don’t harbor any wishful thinking about trespassing into forbidden areas of the sect.”

As he spoke, Yu Xiu took out a small, square black object from his sleeve and gave it to her.

It was thin and small, only as large as her palm.

“This is a jade listener that has been linked to your Tianwang mark. It can be activated with a drop of blood,” Yu Xiu explained. “Each inner disciple has a jade listener. It has many uses—for communication within the sect, for masters to announce courses and publish grades, for some daily tasks, and news from various immortal sects.”

The jade listener was only given to inner disciples.

Ling Luo played with the thin jade listener in her hand. She certainly knew what it was for and was very familiar with it. In the past, it was because of the jade listener and the Tianwang mark that she was discovered when trespassing in a forbidden area and spent two months in the Discipline Hall. The experience—even now, just thinking about it made her feel pain.

After leaving the Discipline Hall, she had become somewhat deranged.

“The jade listener’s transmission range covers all of Tianji. If you leave Tianji, it becomes useless,” Yu Xiu said as he walked toward the quiet mountain path. The spirit tiger walked ahead, and the red torii gate could be faintly seen. “Senior Brother went out for training last month and will probably return at the beginning of next month.”

“If you have any needs or questions in your daily life, you can tell me.”

Ling Luo put away the jade listener and said, “Thank you, Second Senior Brother.”

Though they had just met, Yu Xiu’s attitude toward her could be considered polite, without much closeness.

Ling Luo wasn’t in a hurry—there was still plenty of time.

The spirit tiger went up the stone steps ahead of them. Upon seeing the man at the torii gate, it let out a growl.

Yu Xiu was slightly startled. When he went forward and saw Yun Shouxi standing ahead, he was surprised.

Master was waiting for them directly at the Torii gate.

Yun Shouxi was dressed as he had been the previous night, except his long hair was tied up, making him appear less languid.

He stood there, looking at the approaching pair with a smile in his eyes.

“Master,” Yu Xiu bowed respectfully.

“Thank you for your trouble,” Yun Shouxi smiled. “I’ll take her the rest of the way. You may attend to your other duties.”

Although Yu Xiu was curious, his face showed no questions. He nodded and turned to leave.

The spirit tiger also dispersed its form. In an instant, only the sound of the wind remained at the torii gate, with just the two of them left.

This was just like her previous life—Yu Xiu had led her to the Torii gate, only to be sent away by Yun Shouxi, who then took her to Qingshi Manor himself.

Ling Luo pretended to be timid, lowering her head and saying in a small voice, “Disciple greets the Third Sect Leader.”

“Oh?” Yun Shouxi let out a light laugh. He extended his hands, which had been folded in front of him, and used the red folding fan in his hand to gently lift her chin. “What did you call me?”

Ling Luo looked at him eagerly and said, “Yesterday, disciple trespassed in Qingshi Manor, already breaking the rules—”

“You are now my disciple. You may enter and exit Qingshi Manor as you please,” Yun Shouxi bent slightly toward her and asked, “Or are you unwilling?”

“Disciple would never dare think such a thing!”

Ling Luo hurriedly shook her head, her thoughts written on her face and in her eyes with pure innocence. “It’s just… it’s just…”

“Just what?” Yun Shouxi patiently watched her.

Ling Luo said softly, “It’s just that I was wondering if I truly deserve to be the Third Sect Leader’s disciple.”

Hmph, you’re the one who doesn’t deserve to be my master!

“You have excellent grades, abundant spiritual power, and outstanding swordsmanship. How could you not be qualified?” Yun Shouxi teased her, lowering his folding fan, and gesturing for her to hold onto it.

Ling Luo extended her hand, lightly touching the folding fan, and followed him toward Qingshi Manor.

“Besides, few people can run faster than a spirit tiger,” Yun Shouxi said, his words full of playful mockery.

Ling Luo lowered her head, smiling as if embarrassed.

“This fan is named Yingxi. I had it made when I went to Taichu in the Western Sea to find someone. It is a superior-grade weapon,” Yun Shouxi said as they walked. His voice was like clear jade, clean and bright, neither too fast nor too slow. Simply listening to him speak was a pleasure.

Ling Luo examined the red folding fan that connected them. Like Yu Xiu’s jade flute, it was adorned with specks of floating light.

The fan felt cold to the touch, made from the extremely precious Tiangong wood for its ribs, with sixty segments that opened into a semicircle, yet it was delicate and exquisite. Even without opening it, Ling Luo knew what the red fan surface looked like.

It was a sheet of blood-red, but if spiritual power was infused, one would see the exquisite cherry blossom picture of the Western Sea on the fan’s surface.

Blossoms opening on one side, falling on the other.

She even anticipated Yun Shouxi’s next words.

He was going to give Yingxi to her.

“The Western Sea’s Taichu has the largest cherry blossom forest. When the flowers bloom, the mountains are filled with vibrant colors, yet they remain elegant and subtly beautiful. Also, this is a woman’s fan, so it wouldn’t be suitable for your two senior brothers. Today I give it to you as an entrance ceremony gift.”

Yun Shouxi stood on the steps and looked back at her, with a faint smile in his ink-black eyes.

Ling Luo accepted the folding fan with both hands, slowly knelt down, and said, “Disciple thanks Master for this gift. In the future, I will certainly work hard in my cultivation and not disappoint Master’s expectations.”

The smile in her eyes was genuine, with a touch of tenderness that made Yun Shouxi fascinated.

Ling Luo couldn’t help but smile inwardly when she thought about how she had killed Yun Shouxi with the very ribs of the Yingxi fan.