Chapter 408

At that moment, Chi Jiuyu stepped out of her cave dwelling, holding a potted plant, her hair messy, her feet shod in fluffy blue slippers shaped like sharks.

"Mmm~"

She stretched lazily as she walked toward the sunlit spot.

She placed the potted plant on the custom-made wooden rack she'd set up earlier, then picked up the watering can beside it and began to irrigate.

She had relaxed for two days; her headache was gone, so after grabbing a meal at the cafeteria, she planned to begin meditating on the Form Experience her master had previously imparted.

It would be best to perfect the Form before the Grand Assembly, and meanwhile master the basic sword techniques in the *Slaying Annihilation Sword Scripture*.

Hmm…

According to the group divisions of past Xian Sect Grand Assemblies, barring any surprises, she'd be placed in the Nascent Soul group…

Nascent Soul group…

Chi Jiuyu couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Hehehe!

Nascent Soul novices, are you ready to endure the torment of Elder Jiuyu?

In high spirits, she hummed a little tune as the specially formulated growth elixir drizzled onto the crystal-like branches, finally sliding down the jade-white leaves.

Three glowing white fruits, resembling tiny lanterns, hung from the branches, their delicate skins glistening with droplets of elixir.

They were the very branch of Xuanzhu Fruit that Ning Ruo had given her when she visited Ling Yin Fang.

But after all this time, it had only grown a little taller, gained one more leaf, and still bore only the original three fruits.

Of course, Elder Jiuyu was no one to give up halfway!

One day, she would cultivate an entire Xuanzhu Fruit cave realm!

Now, what should she buy with her reward from this Xian Sect Grand Assembly…

She was just daydreaming about a bright future.

But in the next instant, her husky-eyed gaze sharpened as she snapped her head toward a streak of cultivation light descending from the sky.

Yes, it was cultivation light!

Not sword light!

The arrival was not a swordsman.

Under Chi Jiuyu's gaze, the pale blue cultivation light slowly settled not far before her cave dwelling, from which stepped a young woman clad in a loose Daoist robe, her features as delicate as a painting.

Her black-and-white distinct eyes fixed on her, swirling with an unusual emotion.

A vast, heavy, terrifying aura of magic power lingered unseen, stirring her sword intent, which instinctively rose to oppose it.

Oh ho!

She's a skilled one!

Chi Jiuyu raised an eyebrow, about to speak…

"You're Chi Jiuyu, the Nascent Soul rank champion of the last Xian Sect Grand Assembly who beat my brother into a dog?"

Zhao Ruohan held a phone in her hand, its screen still lit, as if she were still on a call.

But since she spoke those words, the other side had fallen completely silent.

"…"

Wait, do people greet each other like this nowadays?

That single sentence left Chi Jiuyu speechless; all the words she'd prepared stuck in her throat…

Who the hell is this person?

Come to think of it, the last Xian Sect Grand Assembly…

"Lots of people got beaten into dogs by me in the last Xian Sect Grand Assembly— who's your brother?"

The phone line: "…"

"Who my brother is doesn't matter."

"Huh?"

Didn't you just say it yourself? How can it suddenly not matter?

Chi Jiuyu felt she couldn't keep up with this person's train of thought.

"What matters is that my brother was beaten into a dog by you in the last Xian Sect Grand Assembly and ended up crying—so I'm here to avenge him!" Zhao Ruohan said seriously.

At these words, the person on the other end of the call could no longer hold back.

"Who the hell cried! I was just…" A furious voice erupted from the phone.

Beep.

Zhao Ruohan hung up the call.

"Oh, so it's that guy."

Hearing the voice from the phone, Chi Jiuyu finally remembered.

That guy was one of the few in the last Xian Sect Grand Assembly who posed a real threat to her, always yelling about proving himself…

But after realizing he couldn't beat her, he cried while unleashing a powerful divine technique.

Still, in the end, Elder Jiuyu outclassed him, of course!

His name was Zhao…

What was his name again?

"He's your brother—he cried while fighting me."

That much of a psychological wound?

Today's young cultivators are so fragile.

Clearly, only I, after years of enduring beatings from my senior brothers and sisters, and challenging Nascent Soul uncles in Xuanjian City, have forged an invincible Dao heart!

"I am Zhao Ruohan, Dao Child of the Supreme Dao Sect." Zhao Ruohan spoke to herself.

Dao Child?

In that case, doesn't that mean she's the future successor of the Supreme Dao Sect's Sect Master?

"Pleased to meet you, pleased to meet you. I'm the future Sect Master of Xiang Jianzong." Chi Jiuyu introduced herself, "But you don't seem to be Nascent Soul, do you? How old are you?"

Twenty-five years old is a watershed.

If one is below twenty-five and at Soul Transformation, according to the division method of the Suanshixian Sect Grand Competition, they would be placed in the Nascent Soul category.

Of course, contestants who have already reached Soul Transformation but are older will face certain restrictions when fighting cultivators of the same Soul Transformation realm who are younger.

This can also be considered a kind of compensation mechanism by the Suanshixian Sect Grand Competition for those younger contestants.

Zhao Ruohan didn't answer, but clenched her fist: "A peerless prodigy like you, are you really prepared to go to the Nascent Soul category and bully those Nascent Soul cultivators?"

Not bad, not bad, this little sister who got beaten into a dog actually sounds quite pleasant to hear.

"The rules are just like this, who told me to reach Soul Transformation at twenty-two? I can't just have an advantage and not use it, right?" Chi Jiuyu spread her hands.

As for whether participating in the Nascent Soul category would bully those Nascent Soul cultivators too much...

What does that even count as!

Her Jiuyu Laozu just loves fighting across realms!

Compared to the reward for first place, all of this is floating clouds.

"If anyone reaches Soul Transformation at eighteen, our Xiang Jianzong will acknowledge it too!"

If one reaches Soul Transformation at eighteen, according to the rules they would be placed in the Jin Dan category...

But under normal circumstances, that's basically impossible.

"Alright, alright! Come in first, I'll change clothes and we can chat more." This little sister who got beaten into a dog is actually quite interesting to talk to.

And she's also the Dao Child of the Supreme Dao Sect.

To a certain extent, this can also be considered the first meeting between herself, the future Xiang Jianzong Sect Master, and someone who might become the future Supreme Dao Sect Sect Master.

Seems to be called a summit meeting...

That's right, it's the first summit meeting!

So it's still best to be a bit formal.

Zhao Ruohan pressed her lips together, but ultimately nodded: "Alright."

Chi Jiuyu rubbed her messy head, put down the watering can in her hand, then turned and walked into the cave dwelling, but didn't close the door.

Zhao Ruohan stepped forward, her gaze quickly drawn to the potted plant on the shelf.

Just now she was only thinking about Chi Jiuyu, she hadn't paid much attention.

The pot was of a green jade color, translucent and lustrous, inscribed with intricate array patterns.

'Jishi Series, seventh-generation personal spiritual plant cultivation container.' Zhao Ruohan recognized it at a glance.

As the flagship series of Jishi Valley, this generation of spiritual plant cultivation container hasn't been officially released yet. She herself relied on special channels and paid extra to buy one from Jishi Valley.

Spiritual soil and spiritual liquid...

The specific model couldn't be identified, but it wasn't simple either; it should also be a new type of spiritual soil that hasn't been officially released yet.

But the important thing isn't these, but rather...

Could the spiritual plant cultivated in it be the Xuanzhu Tree?!

But this is a specialty of Ling Yin Fang!

Even Xuanzhu Fruits are only circulated in small quantities, truly 'hard to come by even one fruit,' and the branches of the Xuanzhu Tree have never been heard of anyone obtaining.

Mother and Father both said that Lingzu Senior doesn't concern herself with worldly affairs, lives in seclusion, and without her permission, no one in the world dares to touch the Xuanzhu Tree at all. She had once bought some Xuanzhu Fruits intending to plant one, but all attempts failed.

Who would have thought Chi Jiuyu would have one here!

She took another look at the treasure pearl buried in the spiritual soil; amidst its five-colored radiant light, it seemed to be brewing a world of cave heaven.

A prototype of a cave heaven...

Although it hadn't been fully nurtured yet, its potential was even higher than her own cave heaven.

……

……

Several minutes later, Chi Jiuyu changed back into her usual attire.

A white t-shirt on top, a pair of black cargo pants on the bottom, and her previously messy hair was tied up into a high ponytail.

Given the situation where this little sister who got beaten into a dog was quite interesting to talk to, Chi Jiuyu specially poured her a glass of water.

Zhao Ruohan picked it up and took a sip, found it was just ordinary water, then put it down.

"Is that outside a Xuanzhu Tree?"

!

"Yes."

"……" After hesitating for a while, "Can you tell me where you bought it? I'm willing to pay three hundred thousand spirit coins."

Three hundred thousand spirit coins to buy a Xuanzhu Tree?

How could the value of a Xuanzhu Tree be measured by spirit coins? You're way too naive...

"Consider it an introduction fee."

Chi Jiuyu: "……"

Is this little sister who got beaten into a dog really this generous?

"Four hundred thousand."

Hiss~!

Chi Jiuyu's expression didn't change on the surface, but inwardly she drew a sharp breath of cold air.

He was a disciple of the Master Jianzun, so how come compared to her he looked like a pauper?

Four hundred thousand spirit coins...

For her it wasn't really that much — any random mission would pay more than that.

But that didn't mean she could just toss them around willy-nilly!

"It's not that I won't tell you, but that Xuanzhu Tree was a gift from Senior Ling Zu, so I don't really have any channels for it."

Hearing this, Zhao Ruohan couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed: "I was being presumptuous."

It was a gift from Senior Ling Zu — then there's nothing to be done about it.

"Legend says Senior Ling Zu pays no heed to worldly affairs and lives in deep seclusion — how did you manage to meet her?"

This question, he was afraid, would not be easy to answer.

Just as he was about to refuse, he saw Zhao Ruohan hand over a card that looked as if carved from crystal, a glowing violet, its surface inlaid with four translucent pure-gold crystals.

Four hundred thousand spirit coins!

What on earth is the background of this dog-beating little sister?!

"This matter isn't easy to explain." Chi Jiuyu didn't reach out to take it, but instead looked at her strangely. "Who is your master?"

"I don't have a master — it was my mother and father who taught me to cultivate."

"Oh, oh."

Looks like the parents of this dog-beating little sister have quite the extraordinary background.

Chi Jiuyu didn't intend to keep probing.

The fact that he was a disciple of the Master Jianzun was already common knowledge — asking further would only seem deliberate.

"My mother is Cave Truth realm Dao Lord Zhao Chengmeng, and my father is Venerable Hong." Zhao Ruohan added on her own.

"Oh." Chi Jiuyu responded instinctively.

But the next second she felt something was off.

Venerable Hong... wasn't that the founding patriarch of the Supreme Dao Sect?!

This dog-beating little sister — is she actually the daughter of an immortal?!

For a moment, Chi Jiuyu's feelings were a little complicated.

Usually it was she who showed off in this regard, but today she had been shown up by someone else...

"Exactly how old are you this year?"

The daughter of an immortal — she'd probably be grouped with her, it seems this Xian Sect Grand Competition wouldn't be as easy as she'd imagined.

Zhao Ruohan clenched her fist: "Twenty-five years old."

"Huh?"

Already twenty-five?

"Then when did you advance to Soul Transformation?"

Hearing this, Zhao Ruohan pressed her lips tightly together again: "Half a year ago."

Half a year ago...

That means she was twenty-four and a half!

"It's fine — although she's two and a half years later than me, that's already quite impressive." Chi Jiuyu said seriously.

Though that's what she said, inwardly she was already laughing her head off.

Aiya, nothing to be done about it.

Who asked her to reach Soul Transformation at twenty-two?

As expected, her Hehuan Laozu was still the more impressive one!

At the same time, inside the Hehuan Sect's Patriarch Grotto-heaven.

After two days with still no progress whatsoever, Xu Xing was preparing to leave.

"It's only been a few short days and Dao Brother already wants to leave — this one truly can't bear to part." Master Mei Zu had now changed back into her earlier attire, an unparalleled beauty of matchless grace and allure.

She said that on the day of parting she must leave him an impression deep enough.

Though that's what she said, her whole person was lazily leaning against the soft couch, her entire being radiating an indolent air.

"After the Xian Sect Grand Competition, if there's still no way, I'm afraid I'll have to come find you again." Xu Xing couldn't help sighing.

Having said this, his gaze fell forward, passing straight through layer upon layer of obstruction, landing on a special grotto-heaven within the Hehuan Sect, where he saw three figures sitting in meditation and breathing.

All cultivators who had comprehended the Hehuan Sect's 'True Self' lineage's supreme inheritance.

One Soul Transformation, two Nascent Soul.

Just like Chi Jiuyu, they were seeded contestants who could participate in this Xian Sect Grand Competition without needing to go through selection.

"Ji Yin Xue has always wanted to rename the Hehuan Sect to 'Mingwei Sect', but this one felt that name was too ugly to hear, so I didn't agree."

She'd even specially listed the ten great advantages of the name change, but she still didn't agree, and as time went on, Ji Yin Xue stopped bringing it up.

"What rank does Dao Brother think the Hehuan Sect can achieve this time?"

"Hard to say — after all, I don't really know the juniors of the other sects."

"What about the Master Jianzun's disciple?"

"That one still falls a bit short."

Jiuyu's Current Realm, temperament, divine techniques and methods, and sword cultivation were all beyond reproach.

"As expected..." Master Mei Zu sat up. "Even compared to Dao Brother's former third disciple, the Master Jianzun's disciple is no worse, right?"

Dao Brother's once-third disciple.

That one was hailed by the world as the sword cultivation genius most likely to inherit the Xiang Jianzong's mantle.

"..." Xu Xing was silent for a moment. "Judging by her current performance, it's indeed not bad. We'll just have to see how things go from here."

Seeing him like this, Master Mei Zu did not press further: "Speaking of which, according to the usual group divisions, the Master Jianzun's disciple would likely be placed in the Nascent Soul group."

The group chat had also been discussing this matter these past few days.

After all, if Chi Jiuyu were really sent to the Nascent Soul group, it would be like releasing a tiger into a flock of sheep — there'd be no contest at all!

Even if all the contestants were tied together, whether they could withstand two of her sword strikes was still a question.

"This Grand Competition is very special — a lower realm isn't necessarily unable to achieve a cross-realm defeat." Xu Xing paused. "Still, Soul Transformation compared to Nascent Soul is simply too much. When the time comes, she should still be arranged in the Soul Transformation group."

"The Master Jianzun won't agree to that."

Who is the Master Jianzun?

The whole thing is like a little yellow duck that just ate dynamite.

When she's in the wrong she still has to make a fuss — now that she's in the right, you think she'll compromise?

"I'll go talk to Ye Shijie myself." Xu Xing smiled. "Actually, Ye Shijie also knows that sending Jiuyu to the Nascent Soul group won't give her any real tempering. She wouldn't really let her go."

"That's not what she said in the group chat." Master Mei Zu curled her lip.

"Just give Jiuyu some compensation — best not lower than the reward for first place in the Nascent Soul group."

Master Mei Zu paused at those words, then chuckled lightly: "So one of you plays the good cop and the other plays the bad cop, is that it?" (End of this chapter)