Chapter 32

She looked up and saw Xu Xing watching her.

Chi Jiuyu scratched her head: "I'm having a friendly chat with my netizens."

Yes.

Very "friendly."

"Jiuyu, do you really want to become the Sect Master?"

"Uncle, you're spying on me!" "Yeah, so will you support me?" Chi Jiuyu immediately climbed right up the pole.

A few years ago, her master accidentally learned of her dream and mocked her mercilessly for running two alternate accounts to stage her own drama.

Back then, she was so embarrassed she nearly rolled on the ground—and then became immune.

The same trick won't work on her twice.

Xu Xing didn't answer; he stood up: "Let's go. We should return."

Chi Jiuyu glanced at the arena, puzzled: "Aren't we not done yet?"

"The outcome won't change."

"Oh."

She obediently followed Xu Xing.

Before they came, her master had told her to find her uncle and return with him.

Their departure drew no attention from anyone, including Zhenjun Zihuan, who had just returned above the school.

"Uncle, can't they see us at all?"

"Mm. There's a junior up there—I don't want to cause a big stir yet, so I must avoid being noticed by him," Xu Xing explained.

As for how he went to the principal's office and took a crystal card containing the "Basic Cultivation Method," there was no need to mention that.

Chi Jiuyu looked around, but saw nothing.

She didn't care much: "So when do we go back?"

"It'll take a while longer."

This answer was no answer at all—Chi Jiuyu mentally grumbled.

"Tell me about you—how did you become your sister's disciple?"

"Can't you figure it out, Uncle?"

"That'd be boring."

"… " Chi Jiuyu fell silent for a moment. "Actually, it's nothing special—I was picked up by my master, and when I grew up, I naturally became her disciple."

Her origins weren't complicated: her parents were from the Righteous Alliance, but after the Saint Emperor's Abyss vanished, factions within the Alliance began fighting endlessly.

During one Alliance mission, her parents accidentally entered the cultivation chamber of an ancient demonic cultivator and perished.

As a child, she nearly starved to death—but by chance, the Sword Sovereign found her and brought her back.

Later, her master also calculated it for her: that mission was truly ordinary, with no interference.

"So your current name was given to you from the start?" Xu Xing asked again.

"No—it was given by my master. Back then, she kept a pond of spiritual fish, and only nine survived, so she named me that."

Chi Jiuyu felt a pang of reflection—she'd survived this long, truly against all odds.

As for why it was "Yu" instead of "Yu," she guessed her master chose it to make the name seem less haphazard.

"After I reached Jin Dan, my master gave me those nine fish."

"Oh? How are those fish doing now?"

If nurtured well, they should have become spirits by now.

"Red-braised, steamed, fried, hot-pot… No wonder they were my master's fish—every way of cooking them tasted amazing!"

After that, she bought some fish of the same breed, but none matched the taste of those original nine.

"… "

This girl always surprised him.

…………

At noon, the combat trial ended. Zhang Yunlu unsurprisingly took first place; Xiao Fan, with his pseudo-Foundation Establishment, came second, followed by Fang Lin and Hou Xiang.

Though they lost to Zhang Yunlu, their strength was still considerable… at least among these students.

Fifth through seventh place were all at Qi Condensation Ninth Layer, each with a unique specialty.

Eighth through twelfth place had no one left—they all failed to survive the arena battles.

This was still because Xiao Fan didn't go too far; otherwise, with his Qi Condensation Ninth Layer pseudo-Foundation Establishment, Zhang Yunlu might not have beaten him.

After the combat trial ended, the reward distribution began. Li Fengping, as a special guest, awarded everyone.

"This girl is quite impressive—I should report her to the sect upon returning," he glanced at Zhang Yunlu several times.

Yet the next moment, Li Fengping felt a deep malice, prickling his spine like he'd returned to that alley where he'd been beaten.

The feeling came fast and vanished fast; the principal beside him glanced toward the spectator seats.

An illusion? Above the clouds, Zhenjun Zihuan saw everything clearly.

When he saw Zhang Xiu reveal malice toward Li Fengping, he nodded unconsciously.

This young man, a Soul Transformation cultivator, must disguise himself as a Jin Dan—clearly showing the arrogance of the Xiang Jianzong's sword cultivators.

To reach Soul Transformation at his age, his talent is certainly exceptional.

Alas—he's just a brute who cultivates the body.

But his sister, so young, has already perfected a supreme sword technique, and her main cultivation is the school's "Basic Qi Refinement Scripture."

With such talent, her path still uncertain—if later confirmed she has no connection to that awakened ancient cultivator, then bring her into the sect.

I'm trapped by my inner demon, unsure when I'll break free—I need to find a successor.

…………

After the award ceremony ended, the two siblings left the school together.

Both were somewhat silent. Zhang Yunlu didn't know how to explain her perfected sword art, and Zhang Xiu didn't know what he should say right now.

Under normal circumstances, he should be chatting about the spell-combat test just now…

But the senior seemed to forbid Xiao Lu from revealing it—wasn't that purely making things hard for her?

"You performed well today. How about we go eat something nice to celebrate?"

Huh? Big bro actually didn't ask about her sword art!

That couldn't be better.

"Sure, I want to go to…"

"You two young friends, pardon the interruption." A gentle voice rang out beside their ears.

Purple mist swirled, and a figure stepped out from within—dressed in the manner of an ancient cultivator, with an ethereal bearing, black hair cascading over the shoulders, purple light swirling in both eyes, every inch an immortal of transcendent poise.

Putting everything else aside, the appearance of a high-rank law cultivator was quite something—altogether a different style from a sword cultivator.

Zhang Xiu shielded Zhang Yunlu behind him, his gaze wary: "So it's a senior. May I ask what the senior wishes to…?"

"This one's Daoist title is Zhenjun Zihuan, a person of the Grand Supreme Dao Sect. There are some matters I wish to inquire about with you two young friends."

"Please go ahead and ask, senior. I will certainly tell you everything I know."

"Recently an ancient cultivator has come out of seclusion. Have you two young friends seen them?"

As he spoke, his divine soul power had already silently begun probing the memories of the two.

Flowing Cloud Sword Art, family-inherited, practiced from childhood, parents perished in a Secret Realm.

So that sword art was their family inheritance—no wonder he hadn't seen it before. These two siblings had nothing to do with that ancient cultivator who came out of seclusion from the Xiang Jianzong either.

He did not look at the rest of their memories—after all, everyone has their own privacy.

"Everything has already been recorded in detail in my work report. After that, my sister and I didn't encounter anything either."

"Sorry to trouble you two young friends." Zhenjun Zihuan took out a thread-bound yellow-covered book and handed it to Zhang Yunlu. "This Purple Wall Qi-Contemplation Method shall be a gift to you, young friend. If you gain anything from it, I can grant you a stroke of good fortune."

Purple mist rose again, and Zhenjun Zihuan retreated into it and vanished.

From appearance to departure, one had to say the bearing was fully maxed out—completely the image of an accomplished sage.

Zhang Yunlu held that thread-bound yellow-covered book exuding an air of antiquity, feeling very strange inside.

Wait, opportunities can really come in clusters? Begging for favorites, begging for follow-up reads!! (End of this chapter)