Chapter 415: Join the Immortal Sect

"What is it?" The middle-aged woman regarded Wen Zhixi for a moment, then asked coldly.

Wen Zhixi knew this was her only chance to join the Chiyunu Sect; she hurriedly said, "Disciple wishes to join the Chiyunu Sect, and humbly begs the elder's approval."

Before the middle-aged woman could speak, the two female disciples beside her already flickered with disdain.

Anyone who comes along wants to join the Chiyunu Sect? Then the Chiyunu Sect must be worthless.

"Our Chiyunu Sect is not accepting disciples now. If you wish to join, come after the Dao Discourse Assembly for a qualification test," the middle-aged woman said calmly.

Having spoken, the middle-aged woman turned to walk away.

Wen Zhixi cried out urgently, "Elder, I am a Level-Three Immortal Array Master, just one step away from breaking into Level-Four Immortal Array Sage. Moreover, I am also a Void Array Pattern Master…"

"You are a Level-Three Immortal Array Master? And you can lay Void Array Patterns?" Hearing this, the woman immediately halted, staring at Wen Zhixi in astonishment.

"Yes, disciple does not lie," Wen Zhixi replied at once.

"Good. Demonstrate a Spirit Gathering Immortal Array for me," the middle-aged woman said at once.

Spirit Gathering Immortal Arrays are forbidden to be laid, so few cultivators now specialize in constructing them.

Even if one learns them, they are useless: within an Immortal Sect, there is no need to lay Spirit Gathering Arrays; outside an Immortal Sect, learning them holds no meaning.

Hearing she was to be tested, Wen Zhixi swiftly raised her hand and began carving array patterns into the void.

At this moment, she genuinely felt Ding Huan's strength, and was grateful to him.

Ding Huan taught her arraying differently from other masters—he did not even guide her hand by hand, but instead helped her perceive the laws of Void Array Patterns through array flags, then used her understanding of these law flags to construct Void Immortal Arrays.

Thus, she mastered the Void Array Pattern method in the shortest possible time.

Ding Huan cultivates the Great Cosmic Art, perceiving and absorbing the genes of all things in the universe—essentially, the laws of all things in the universe.

His arraying techniques had long surpassed ordinary methods, forming an independent system.

That system enables extremely fast array construction, and because it builds arrays through law flags, the resulting array effects far surpass ordinary formations.

In less than half a stick of incense, surrounding Immortal spiritual energy surged wildly toward her—astonishing in effect.

The middle-aged woman's eyes brightened—this was unquestionably an arraying genius.

The Chiyunu Sect currently lacked talent like this most of all.

Among Chiyunu Sect disciples, aside from a tiny few who specialized in pill refining and talisman crafting, almost no one practiced arraying or artifact crafting.

After the Immortal Realm Dao Discourse Assembly ends, the rankings of the Great Immortal Realm's major sects will immediately be contested.

In the sect ranking contest, besides Dao techniques, pills, artifacts, arrays, and talismans are all major scoring categories.

In recent years, the Chiyunu Sect has been declining year by year in all areas except Dao techniques.

If they do not push harder, they risk falling out of the top tier.

The Spirit Gathering Array Wen Zhixi constructed via Void Array Patterns was unquestionably among the highest-tier Level-Three Immortal Arrays, and in her eyes, the traces of the Void Array Patterns were extremely faint.

If Wen Zhixi's arraying advanced further, this Void Array Pattern formation might leave no trace at all.

She raised her hand and swept it—then was even more astonished.

In that sweep, she had failed to erase Wen Zhixi's Spirit Gathering array patterns.

The only explanation was that this girl's arraying was slightly stronger than hers.

"Erase this Spirit Gathering Array," the woman nodded, clearly satisfied.

"Yes," Wen Zhixi quickly erased the Spirit Gathering Array she had constructed with Void Array Patterns, watching the middle-aged woman with hopeful eyes.

"Good. Very good," the woman said two "goods" in succession, then reached out and seized Wen Zhixi's wrist.

Immediately, her expression grew increasingly delighted.

Wen Zhixi had reached the peak of the Profound Immortal Realm, yet her body carried almost no impure Dao resonance, and her Immortal energy was purer than anything she had ever seen.

Even without seeing Wen Zhixi's Dao techniques, she could imagine Wen Zhixi must be an exceptionally strong combatant.

With such pure Immortal energy, the same spells would manifest far greater power than those of others.

"Your name is Wen Zhixi?" The woman lowered her hand, her tone now gentle.

Wen Zhixi replied, "Yes, disciple Wen Zhixi. I have trained under my father all along; he passed away recently."

"Before he died, he told me the Chiyunu Sect is a prestigious great sect of the Immortal Realm, and he hoped I could join the Chiyunu Sect. I humbly beg the elder's approval."

The woman glanced at Ding Huan—his disciple robes clearly marked him as from Qingxu Dao.

Of course—without a Qingxu Dao disciple to guide her, Wen Zhixi could never have entered here.

She took Wen Zhixi's hand and spoke kindly, "Zhixi, I am Hua Xiaoqian, External Affairs Elder of the Chiyunu Sect, residing on Yaoyu Immortal Peak."

"Your father raised you to this level—he was an extraordinary man. I intend to take you as my final disciple. Will you accept?"

Wen Zhixi was overjoyed and immediately knelt down: "Disciple pays homage to Master. Disciple accepts."

"Good. Rise. Once you join the Chiyunu Sect, you must not entertain any romantic feelings. Do you understand?" Hua Xiaoqian's tone grew slightly stern.

As she spoke, she glanced again at Ding Huan.

Ding Huan sneered inwardly—he saw Wen Zhixi's qualifications and knew she would surely join the Chiyunu Sect.

Logically, Elder Hua Xiaoqian should have recommended Wen Zhixi to the sect's patriarch or a higher-ranking elder. Yet she was unashamedly claiming her as her own disciple first.

Clearly, the saying was correct: spend little, gain much.

"Yes, disciple understands," Wen Zhixi replied quickly.

Hua Xiaoqian told the two female disciples beside her, "Go inform Uncle Jun—I won't be attending today. Zhixi, come with me."

Wen Zhixi hurriedly said, "Master, let me bid farewell to Brother Ding. Without Brother Ding, I would never have had the chance to stand here."

Hua Xiaoqian thought it over—without a Qingxu Dao disciple to guide her, Wen Zhixi could never have entered here.

"Go. I'll wait for you," Hua Xiaoqian nodded.

The two other disciples quickly called out, "Senior Sister Wen," then took their leave.

Not long ago, they had looked down on Wen Zhixi, thinking her presumptuous for daring to seek entry into the Chiyunu Sect.

Yet fate is unpredictable—in an instant, Wen Zhixi had not only joined the Chiyunu Sect, but become Hua Elder's final disciple.

The change in status was too great, leaving them unable to react for a moment.

"Brother Ding, thank you. I, Zhixi, will never forget this kindness for the rest of my life. If in the future there's anything I can help you with, Brother, please send word, and I will be there." Wen Zhixi looked at Ding Huan and said firmly.

Though her tone was calm, the firmness in her eyes had already told Ding Huan.

So long as he, Ding Huan, had need of her, even if she, Wen Zhixi, knew it meant certain death, she would come to repay him.

Ding Huan smiled, took out a ring and handed it to Wen Zhixi, saying: "Zhixi, this is for you. Perhaps you'll have use for it later. After you arrive at the Chiyunu Sect, remember to work hard at your cultivation.

If you run into difficulties, no matter what it is, don't forget—you still have a friend named Ding Huan. I'm leaving now. Until we meet again."

Having said this, Ding Huan nodded to Wen Zhixi, then cupped his fist in salute to Hua Xiaoqian, and only then turned and left.

"Your friend is quite decisive and clean-cut." Seeing that Ding Huan had not lingered with Wen Zhixi, Hua Xiaoqian nodded appreciatively.

"Mm. Brother Ding is the first noble person in my life. Without Brother Ding, I would have died long ago, and there would be no today."

Wen Zhixi's emotions were fairly stable, but as she spoke these words, her voice still caught a little.

How many days and nights, she and Ding Huan had wandered on the edge of life and death.

Ding Huan had saved her, and she had saved Ding Huan; the two had supported and helped each other all the way here. The hardships along the way truly cannot be spoken of to outsiders.

Hua Xiaoqian understood Wen Zhixi's feelings well enough. Many disciples who came to the Chiyunu Sect had gone through such partings of life and death.

But once they entered the Chiyunu Sect, they would soon forget the past.

Because in the Chiyunu Sect, one either advances or falls back—who has time for love and sentiment day after day?

Bringing Wen Zhixi to a room, Hua Xiaoqian took out an array token from Gu Gu Xian and handed it to Wen Zhixi, saying: "Zhixi, go in and rest a while, then come find me. I'll be right next door."

She knew Wen Zhixi needed to calm her heart now. Back when she herself had joined the Chiyunu Sect and had to part from her lover, she had been even more heartbroken than Wen Zhixi.

"Thank you, Master." Wen Zhixi knew her emotions were unsteady now; her tears welled at the rims of her eyes, as if about to fall at any moment.

Her master saw this, and only then let her go in to rest for a while.

The moment Wen Zhixi walked into the room and closed the door, she finally could no longer hold back, and tears slid down.

She remembered she had never cried before, but since being with Ding Huan, she didn't know how many times she had cried.

Clearly, everything Brother Ding taught her was meant to make her more independent and strong, to teach her to discern human nature and the hearts of people, to teach her how to survive in this world.

Yet she had become so easily moved, so quick to weep.

If she could, she would absolutely not join the Chiyunu Sect; she would rather wander the immortal domains with Brother Ding.

She didn't know how long passed before Wen Zhixi finally calmed down from those uncontrollable emotions.

She took out the ring Ding Huan had given her. Inside the ring was only a jade box and a jade slip.