Seeing his martial nephew rarely take the initiative to ask about unrelated trivial matters, Song He felt delighted and couldn’t help pulling him aside to say a few more words.

“Such a good little girl with five spiritual roots, being pampered by everyone in Yunhua Sect, yet still reading these vulgar story books—how can this benefit her Dao heart?” Song He couldn’t bear to speak too harshly. “However, this child has good character and is well-behaved, truly endearing.”

Song He said more about how Yunhua Sect treated this little junior martial sister. Seeing his martial nephew’s expressionless face, he thought he had no interest in hearing more and was about to stop talking and let him go rest, when unexpectedly his martial nephew spoke again.

“Martial uncle, could I read this story book?” After saying this sentence, he covered his mouth and coughed lightly a few times. A few traces of color appeared on his pale face.

Song He said nothing more and simply handed the story book to his martial nephew. The other party extended a hand as white as jade, received the book rolled into a cylinder, gently smoothed it flat, not even missing the curled corners. “Thank you, martial uncle.”

“What’s there to thank? It’s just a story book.” Song He looked at his martial nephew’s pathologically pale face, wanting to say something but not knowing what would be appropriate. This martial nephew was almost the most outstanding genius in the cultivation world in the past few hundred years. From Qi Refining to Spirit Severing stage, it was as if he had divine assistance—never making a single mistake. Even he, this martial uncle, was only at the Out-of-Body Stage.

The Out-of-Body Stage and Spirit Severing Stage seemed to differ by only one level, but how arduous and difficult it was to cross this threshold. Currently in the entire cultivation world, there were fewer than ten cultivators above Spirit Severing stage. They had thought his martial nephew would be the cultivator most likely to undergo tribulation and ascend in nearly a thousand years, but unexpectedly, at the Spirit Severing stage, inner demons had appeared.

When he had broken through to Nascent Soul realm back then, there had been no warning signs. Who knew the great calamity would come later?

“Zhong Xi…” Song He wanted to tell his martial nephew not to indulge in this kind of lowbrow story book. But when his martial nephew turned around and those glazed eyes like calm, waveless pool water looked at him, he was momentarily stunned and couldn’t say anything. “It’s nothing. When you have time, go out more and relax. Lingyou Realm has many interesting places.”

“Thank you for martial uncle’s advice. This junior takes his leave.” Zhong Xi slowly nodded, bowed to Song He, turned sideways to summon a crane, and departed standing on its back.

White clouds rolled, quickly drowning out his figure.

Song He sighed and shook his head as he left.

After Kong Hou returned to the sect, she was too embarrassed to mention that she’d been caught secretly reading story books by Liuguang Sect’s peak master. She obediently studied divination for half a month, but she seemed particularly unsuited for this—even after studying for a long time, she still couldn’t divine very accurately. After a period of time, she stopped reading story books and held divination books every day instead.

“Three yin, three yang, six energies, the alternation of sun and moon…” Kong Hou yawned while reciting and using a brush to draw back and forth on paper, her mind becoming a tangled mess.

“Junior martial sister.” Tan Feng walked in and saw Kong Hou listlessly sprawled on the table. He handed her the hairpin he’d bought. “Why so listless?”

“Thank you, senior martial brother.” Kong Hou’s lifeless eyes finally showed some luster as she held the hairpin box. “I’ve recently had to accept a reality.”

“What?” Tan Feng poured himself a cup of water to drink and sat cross-legged across from Kong Hou. He picked up the small notebook in front of Kong Hou and glanced at it twice—the densely packed hexagram diagrams made his eyes dizzy.

“Maybe I don’t have the luck of story book protagonists.” Kong Hou wrinkled her face, her delicate fingers tapping on the jewelry box. “Protagonists are all naturally intelligent and learn whatever they study. I’m having such a hard time just learning divination.”

“Where in the world are there perfect cultivators? Story books are all lies.” Tan Feng saw Kong Hou had two large dark circles under her eyes. “What does not being good at divination matter? Master and I aren’t good at it either. In our Qiyue Peak, only eldest senior martial brother is rather outstanding in divination.”

Otherwise, little junior martial sister’s divination lessons wouldn’t have been handed over to eldest senior martial brother to handle.

“Really?” Kong Hou felt this was somewhat unscrupulous of her, but thinking about having two close people accompanying her in not being excellent gave her a feeling that was still… very happy.

“Of course. Actually, eldest senior martial brother’s excellence is also from horizontal comparison within our sect. The sect truly skilled at divination is Yuexing Sect.” Tan Feng said while drinking water. “In the entire cultivation world, the most skilled at this is Yuexing Sect. For disciples entering their sect, spiritual roots aren’t most important—most important is the ability to perceive heaven and earth.”

“The one that’s the only sect propping us up from the bottom among the ten major sects?”

“Cough, cough, don’t say it so bluntly.” Tan Feng patted his chest. “Within the sect, we only need to mention that we’re one of the ten major sects. Rankings aren’t important.”

“Oh.” Kong Hou obediently nodded. “Then what is our sect most skilled at?”

“What our sect is most skilled at…” Tan Feng felt somewhat troubled. Their sect seemed to have everything. Chenxia Peak was most skilled at pill refinement, Wuyang Peak excelled at artifact forging and swordsmanship, Xizhao Peak excelled at beast taming, Ziwu Peak excelled at talisman drawing and formation arrays, their Qiyue Peak… their Qiyue Peak was skilled at knowing a bit of everything, but as for what was most formidable, it relied on the disciples’ natural abilities.

After hearing Tan Feng’s explanation, Kong Hou’s eyes brightened with understanding as she clapped her hands. “I understand! Our Qiyue Peak must be the most formidable. We know and excel at all of these, right?”

“Yes… I suppose so.” Tan Feng smiled with the corners of his mouth twitching. Having dreams was always remarkable, after all.

On Yunhua Sect’s Sect Leader Peak, after Heng Yan finished teaching Wu Chuan new sword techniques, he pointed in the direction of the Treasure Hall. “Tomorrow, take Kong Hou to select her magical artifact.”

“Master, Junior Martial Sister Kong Hou is still young…”

Heng Yan slowly shook his head and smiled. “Though her age is young, she’s already a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator. It’s time for her to obtain her own weapon.”

Wu Chuan hesitated for a moment, then clasped his hands. “This disciple obeys.”

Within Yunhua Sect, disciples without destined magical artifacts all belonged to the category of those being protected. If external enemies attacked, they belonged to the disciples protected in the innermost layer. But once they took up their destined weapons, it also represented that in life they were people of Yunhua Sect, in death they were ghosts of Yunhua Sect. If external enemies came, even if they died, they must protect the sect.

Receiving the message sent from the main hall, Wang Tong sat in his room for a full two hours before finally sighing lengthily and replying to the main hall with an affirmative.

“Master…”

“Go tell your junior martial sister that tomorrow you’ll accompany her.” Wang Tong waved his hand, dismissing Cheng Yi.

“Yes.” Cheng Yi clasped his hands and withdrew, riding his flying sword to Kong Hou’s cave dwelling. Seeing his junior martial brother and sister testing each other on hexagrams, his face couldn’t help but show a smile.

“Eldest senior martial brother.” Kong Hou saw Cheng Yi and stood up from the ground with a smile. “Why did you come?”

“I came to tell you that tomorrow I can take you to the Treasure Hall to select your destined magical artifact.”

“Really?” Kong Hou’s face showed a brilliant smile. “That’s wonderful!”

Looking at the smile on Kong Hou’s face, Cheng Yi said, “Then do you know what rules disciples who possess destined magical artifacts must observe?”

“I know.” Kong Hou answered affirmatively without thinking, her face with baby fat written full of solemnity. “All Yunhua Sect disciples must remember: upright heart, straight body, guard the sect and its people. Those who betray the sect will surely die without a burial place.”

“Good.” Cheng Yi nodded. “These words can never be forgotten, understand?”

“Mm!” Kong Hou nodded heavily.

**Author’s Note:** Yunhua Sect: You say your swordsmanship is good? I know pill refinement. You say your beast taming is formidable? I know swordsmanship. You say your talisman drawing is impressive? I know beast taming. You say your pill refinement is powerful? I know talisman creation.