Several more years passed, and Liu Shuang now appeared as a girl of twelve or thirteen years.

Like other sects, the Azure Feather Sect recruited disciples only once every thirty years. Shao You picked up the roster and frowned as he noticed the number of people had changed from one hundred and six to one hundred and seven.

His disciple, knowing his master’s dislike for favoritism and backdoor entries, proactively explained: “Sect Leader, for this assembly of talents, there were indeed only one hundred and six disciples who passed the initial selection. A few days ago, when you went down the mountain, Sect Leader Ji abandoned a child at the foot of our mountain. Sect Leader Ji said the Azure Feather Sect could take him or not, and if not, the child could go wherever he pleased.”

“A child…”

Shao You contemplated these words, and then heard the mention of Sect Leader Ji. “You mean Ji Xianghan came here? That child was abandoned by Ji Xianghan at the foot of the mountain?”

“Yes, this disciple wouldn’t dare lie.”

“Very well, I understand.”

Shao You’s typically righteous face took on a peculiar expression.

After the great war between immortals and demons, Ji Xianghan had merged spirits with a demon. The couple’s affairs had caused quite a stir in the cultivation world. It was said that Ji Xianghan had wronged him in her youth, abandoning him for thousands of years. Now that they were together, the man was very angry and found various ways to trouble her.

Yet Ji Xianghan, with her clever heart, not only wasn’t upset but actually enjoyed it, smilingly coaxing her partner and even following him to live in the demon realm for decades.

When the leader of the Ji clan ran off with a demon, all the disciples of the Ji clan spent that period with tearful faces, searching everywhere for their sect master. In the end, several elders had to forcibly drag her back.

The demon man followed closely behind.

Since then, everyone knew that Sect Leader Ji’s partner was said to be an ancient demon called Zhan Xueyang. Although the relationship between immortals and demons no longer had the deep friction of the past, and the status of demons had risen, as long as they didn’t harm people, they could walk openly in the world, Ji Xianghan was the first to form a union between an immortal and a demon.

Others aside, even among the surviving members of the Ji clan, many stood up to oppose them. Later, they were subdued by Zhan Xueyang’s masterful medical skills. Many ended up shamelessly seeking medical help, gradually forgetting the difference in their backgrounds.

Shao You wasn’t interested in worldly gossip. He learned of these matters hundreds of years ago when he was searching for the remaining fertile soil in the world, determined to make the seed left by Liu Shuang sprout.

Feng Caiyi accompanied him, and they nearly became experts at growing flowers and vegetables.

Finally, a hundred years ago, that seed showed signs of life, sprouting tender shoots. After more careful nurturing, it finally took the form of an exquisite little girl.

Shao You was rather proper and not well-suited to looking after little Liu Shuang. It was Feng Caiyi who, upon seeing the soft little girl, had her eyes light up. Shao You, being rather carefree, allowed Feng Caiyi to take Liu Shuang and raise her in her quarters.

After all these years of care, she grew up safely. Shao You occasionally taught her some spells and carefully fed her charm water, fearing that Liu Shuang, having transformed from an immortal grass, might be tainted by demon energy. Liu Shuang and Feng Caiyi got along extremely well. Having heard something somewhere, she thought Shao You was her master and kept calling him “Master” all along.

The first time Shao You heard this, his hand holding a book paused momentarily, but then he let it be.

He knew that the knot in his heart, which had remained tied for many years, was untied from that moment. The little girl was extremely lovable. Shao You gradually found it impossible to see her as the immortal lady of the past and instead regarded her as a child of the Azure Feather Sect, letting her live this life as she wished.

She and Yan Chaosheng had both sacrificed themselves for all living beings. After the little immortal grass transformed, she completely forgot her past life.

Shao You saw her happy every day, loved by the senior brothers and sisters of the Azure Feather Sect, and felt happy for her. As for Yan Chaosheng, there had been no news of him since that tragic battle.

Now, hearing that Ji Xianghan had sent a half-grown child, a youth, he couldn’t help but think more about it. After all, Ji Xianghan’s partner Zhan Xueyang had once been Yan Chaosheng’s subordinate.

Those ancient demons always had some secret methods, perhaps able to save their master. But why send him to their Azure Feather Sect?

The disciple, seeing Shao You silent, thought he had done something wrong and became very anxious: “This disciple will drive him away immediately.”

“No need. Has his spiritual root been tested?”

“Yes.”

The disciple said, “He can cultivate, but… his spiritual roots are quite chaotic, hard to tell what talent he possesses.”

“Did Ji Xianghan leave any other message?”

The disciple replied: “Sect Leader Ji said she is currently with child and not convenient to look after a child. Both she and her husband have rather unpleasant temperaments and cannot raise someone noble and upright. She said you… You would be more suitable for cultivating a gentleman.”

Shao You pressed his lips together and rubbed his temples: “Alright, I understand. Let him participate in the entrance test as well.”

In Shao You’s mind, he had already formed a conclusion. If it truly was Yan Chaosheng, without proper guidance, he might become another demon lord in the future. Yan Chaosheng had saved the entire Eight Wildernesses and had done a favor to his Kun Lun. Shao You didn’t mind raising another person, but would it be good to let him meet Liu Shuang?

On the day the immortal sect opened its gates, mortal disciples seeking immortality all entered the sect’s small realm.

Shao You sat at the head, and after his disciples had announced all the rules, he asked: “Where is Liu Shuang?”

None of the direct disciples answered him, but Feng Caiyi said, “We were short one guardian disciple for the test checkpoints. Liu Shuang volunteered, and I agreed to let her go.”

Hearing this, Shao You’s eye twitched.

Feng Caiyi had grown adept at reading his expressions over the years and immediately said with grievance: “What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong? Liu Shuang has grown up now. Her spiritual power is not low, and those mortals are just children. She can certainly manage them.”

She had changed the guard on her authority. Shao You sighed and said softly: “No, I’m not blaming you.”

Feng Caiyi felt sweet inside. The disciples secretly laughed—Miss Feng was at it again, yet the Sect Leader always yielded to her ways.

Who knew if Miss Feng would eventually succeed in becoming the Sect Leader’s wife?

“Ahem, let’s begin.”

What appeared before everyone was a vibrant scroll painting. Those mortal children were like ink dots within the painting. With Shao You’s command to begin, the painting started to move.

The children on it began to make noisy sounds that were transmitted.

Liu Shuang was assigned to guard the third checkpoint. Currently, the children were all passing through the first checkpoint, so she wasn’t needed yet. She lay on a tree branch early to watch them.

She rarely saw so many children her age. In the sect, even the youngest senior brothers and sisters were much older than her.

The tender yellow tassels in her hair swayed gently with the breeze. These children were all still in mortal form, and she was well-hidden, so they couldn’t discover her.

The Azure Feather Sect was very strict about accepting disciples, only taking children between eight and twelve years old. Those beyond this age range would not be admitted.

Among the group of half-grown youths, the most eye-catching was the one at the front. While others carried their bundles and walked silently, he alone was dressed in fine clothing, surrounded by three or five people who flattered him in various ways.

Liu Shuang heard them say: “Second Prince, I heard from my father at home that you have an extraordinary talent. This test of the Azure Feather Sect will surely be no challenge for you.”

Another said: “Second Prince, Your Highness is divine and incomparable. Seeing you today, you are indeed even more profound than rumored.”

After listening, the Second Prince raised his chin, almost looking down at people through his nostrils. Mortal children matured early; most understood many things by around ten years of age. Mortals arranged betrothals early—some at twelve years already had serving girls teaching them adult matters.

Liu Shuang tilted her head, trying hard to figure out what official position a “Second Prince” held and why the other young boys needed to curry favor with him.

However, whatever his position, it would be useless, Liu Shuang thought. They would soon learn their lesson. The entrance test of the Azure Feather Sect had nothing to do with status or position, only with character and innate talent.

Before the children stood a towering giant tree, with all other paths blocked.

Over a hundred children chattered noisily for quite a while. Liu Shuang noticed only one young boy who didn’t fit in with the group.

He stood at the back of the crowd, not speaking to anyone, not engaging in conversation. Even when others tried to talk to him, he had little reaction.

He appeared to be about eleven or twelve years old, his face stained with blood, his lips pressed tightly together, only looking at the giant tree.

Liu Shuang’s gaze swept over his thin face and landed on his abdomen. He cared about no one, was very, very hungry—his stomach was flat, almost concave, clearly not having eaten for days.

At that moment, the youth’s gaze, sharp as an eagle’s, looked directly toward Liu Shuang, frightening her into quickly ducking her head and hiding among the giant tree’s branches.

After making this foolish movement, she remembered she was using an invisibility charm, and they couldn’t see her. Sure enough, when she slowly peeked out, the boy had no additional reaction and had withdrawn his gaze.

By this time, the children had finally realized that the first test probably required them to climb the tree. To seek the Way of Heaven, one naturally had to keep ascending.

This wasn’t difficult. Once they realized it, they began to scramble upward, afraid of being eliminated for being too slow.

Liu Shuang saw that the young boy had also begun climbing. His speed was very fast. Although he started being squeezed at the back, he was agile and quickly moved to the front.

“Ah—” Someone screamed, falling from the air. The children looked over in fearful uncertainty and saw that the giant tree was suddenly covered with barbs like small hooks that could easily tear their skin and pierce their flesh.

The enthusiastic climbers froze and hesitated. They looked at the child who had fallen from such a height; was he dead?

The youth’s movement also paused momentarily. His pupils were pitch black as he gritted his teeth and continued upward without stopping.

Liu Shuang saw the barbs tearing his fingers, yet he seemed to feel no pain, hugging the trunk tightly and continuing upward.

The Second Prince was more composed than the others. Before setting out for the immortal gate, the Imperial Preceptor had reminded him that the immortal sect tests often involved illusions and wouldn’t cause deaths. He was told to remain calm in any situation to stand out.

So he steadied his heart, his eyes flickering as he stepped on the shoulder of the child behind him and continued upward.

The boy he stepped on was only a merchant’s son who dared to be angry but not to speak out as he watched him.

Perhaps it was a psychological effect of the Second Prince, but although the barbs tore into his flesh, it didn’t hurt much anymore. Using his underhanded methods, he moved to the front.

A snake hissing and flicking its tongue coiled down at that moment. The Second Prince nearly let go of his handhold, but then saw the youth next to him, expressionless, extend two fingers and insert them into the snake’s vital point. The snake immediately fell down the tree, causing a series of screams.

Everyone finally noticed the silent youth in black clothes.

He didn’t acknowledge anyone and continued upward, as if nothing could be an obstacle to him. The Second Prince gave him a dark look, then came to his senses, also afraid of falling behind.

Soon, they were about to climb to Liu Shuang’s hiding place.

Upon closer view, Liu Shuang saw that the Second Prince had practiced some magic for a time. There was a wind force at his feet, and his body wasn’t pressed against the trunk. In contrast, the other boy in black had learned nothing and was climbing upward purely on determination and spite.

Even so, the Second Prince was more than a step behind. His expression wasn’t pleasant as he reached out and viciously pulled the boy in front of him.

Yan Chaosheng hadn’t guarded against him and, being only a half-grown child after all, was about to fall straight down.

However, what he expected didn’t happen. A delicate white hand grasped his, and from behind the dense foliage, an exquisitely carved young girl’s face emerged.

Peach-like cheeks and apricot eyes, her eyes were moist and bright.

She hesitantly held him, then immediately regretted it, quickly releasing his hand with some frustration and retreating back into the thicket.

Yan Chaosheng paused. When he looked again, she was gone.

Below, the Second Prince, seeing nothing had happened, was very puzzled. However, during Yan Chaosheng’s distraction, he had already surpassed him by quite a distance and felt it was worth it.

Yan Chaosheng withdrew his gaze, his bloodied fingers curling slightly as he continued to climb.

Looking at the Second Prince ahead, he had a dagger tied to his leg. Yan Chaosheng seemed to recall something, paused briefly, but did nothing to the Second Prince. Instead, he fell behind the Second Prince, moving at an unhurried pace.

The tree was so tall it seemed endless. The children sweated and bled, with many giving up halfway.

Many others were frightened into letting go by sudden situations. In the end, only fifty people passed the test.

When they reached the top of the great tree, their feet touched solid ground, and all their wounds were instantly healed without medicine. The children’s faces lit up with joy. Yan Chaosheng looked back—the great tree had vanished.

His face showed nothing, neither happy nor sad, as he slowly lowered his head.

That fleeting glimpse earlier was like a dream appearing after being starved.

He looked at his emaciated hand. The youth’s knuckles were distinct, not yet fully developed, his whole body carrying a medicinal smell. His fingertips were rough—hands accustomed to handling weapons from years of following forest demons. At that time, they were still dripping with blood—who would voluntarily hold such a hand?