Chapter 32: Can Blessings Really Come in Bunches?

She looked up and saw Xu Xing watching her.

Chi Jiuyu scratched her head: “I’m having a friendly chat with my online friends.”

Yes.

Very friendly indeed.

“Jiuyu, do you really want to become the sect leader?”

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

Several years ago, her master had accidentally learned of her dream and mocked her mercilessly for running two alternate accounts to stage her own performance.

Back then, she had been so embarrassed she nearly rolled on the ground—and then became immune to it.

The same trick would never work on her twice.

Xu Xing did not answer but stood up: “Let’s go. We should return.”

Chi Jiuyu glanced at the arena, puzzled: “Isn’t it still going on?”

“The outcome won’t change.”

“Oh.”

She obediently followed Xu Xing.

Before coming here, her master had told her to find her uncle and return with him.

Their departure drew no attention from anyone, including the Zi Huan True Person who had returned above the school.

“Uncle, can’t they see us at all?”

“Mm. There’s a junior up above—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 come to join your sister’s sect?”

“Can’t Uncle figure it out?”

“That’d be too 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 members of 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 seclusion 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 took her home.

Later, her master also calculated it for her—the mission had been perfectly normal, with no interference.

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

“No, my master named me. She was raising a pond of spiritual fish, and only nine survived—so she gave me this name.”

Chi Jiuyu felt a pang of reflection—she had 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 Golden Core, my master gave me those nine fish.”

“Oh? How are those fish now?”

With proper cultivation, 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—certainly among these students.

Fifth through seventh place were all Qi Refining ninth layer, each with a unique specialty.

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

This was still because Xiao Fan hadn’t gone too far; otherwise, with his Qi Refining ninth layer pseudo-Foundation Establishment, Zhang Yunlu might not have beaten him.

After the combat trial ended, the award ceremony began. Li Fengping, as a special guest, presented the prizes.

“This girl is truly impressive—I should report her to the sect upon returning,” he thought, glancing at Zhang Yunlu several times.

Yet the next moment, Li Fengping felt a deep malice prickling his back, as if he had returned to that alley where he’d been beaten before.

The feeling came and went quickly; the principal beside him glanced toward the spectator seats.

An illusion? Above the clouds, Zi Huan True Person saw everything clearly.

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

This young man is a Soul Transformation cultivator yet disguises himself as a Golden Core—clearly, the Jianzong sword cultivators are arrogant.

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, yet she has perfected a sword technique, and her main cultivation is the school’s “Basic Qi Refining Scripture.”

With such talent, her path still uncertain—if she proves unrelated to the ancient cultivator who emerged, I’ll bring her into the sect.

I’m trapped by inner demons, unsure when I’ll break free—I need to find a successor.

…………

After the awards, the two siblings left the school together.

Both were silent. Zhang Yunlu didn’t know how to explain her perfected sword technique; Zhang Xiu didn’t know what to say.

Normally, he’d talk about the combat trial just now...

But the elder forbade Xiao Lu from revealing anything—isn’t that just making things hard for her?

“You did well today. Let’s go celebrate with a good meal?”

Huh? Big brother didn’t ask about her sword technique!

Perfect.

“Sure, I want to go...”

“Young friends, forgive the interruption.” A gentle voice sounded beside them.

Purple qi swirled, and a figure emerged—dressed as an ancient cultivator, ethereal and floating, black hair cascading over his shoulders, eyes glowing with violet light, radiating immortal grace.

Regardless of anything else, this high-level magic cultivator had an impressive appearance—very different from sword cultivators.

Zhang Xiu stepped in front of Zhang Yunlu, eyes wary: “So it’s an elder. What do you wish to ask us?”

“I am Zi Huan of the Tai Shang Dao Sect. I have some questions for you two.”

“Elder, please ask—I will answer truthfully.”

“Recently, an ancient cultivator has emerged from seclusion. Have either of you seen him?”

As he spoke, his soul force quietly probed their memories.

"Flowing Cloud Sword Technique," a family inheritance, practiced since childhood; parents perished in a secret realm.

So that sword technique was their family’s—no wonder he hadn’t seen it before. These two siblings had no connection to the ancient cultivator from Jianzong.

He didn’t look further into their other memories—everyone had their own privacy.

“My official report details everything. After that, my sibling and I encountered no one else.”

“Apologies for disturbing you.” Zi Huan True Person pulled out a bound yellow leather book and handed it to Zhang Yunlu. “This ‘Zi Yuan Observing Qi Scripture’ is a gift to you. If you gain anything from it, I may grant you a great fortune.”

Purple qi rose again; Zi Huan True Person retreated into it and vanished.

From appearance to departure, he was pure prestige—utterly the image of a transcendent immortal.

Zhang Yunlu held the ancient-looking bound yellow book, feeling strangely uneasy.

Wait—can blessings really pile up like this?