Chapter 564: The Sect Is Really Playing It Safe!

After hesitating for a moment, Chi JiuYu still typed out a message.

Future Master of the Xiang Jianzong: "Little Yunlu, can you tell me about the mission you're doing tomorrow? / Very straightforward"

Most Revered Sister to Me: "It's the Ascension Envoy mission."

Most Revered Sister to Me: "I saw your name on the third batch list—didn't you already guess?"

Boom!

Though she had suspected it, seeing Zhang Yunlu confirm it sent a thunderclap through Chi JiuYu's mind.

Little Yunlu…

So she's also a second-batch Ascension Envoy!

For a moment, Chi JiuYu felt her phone grow impossibly heavy, her whole hand trembling.

She herself was only a third-batch Ascension Envoy, yet her junior sister Yunlu was second-batch…

Crack!

Something inside her seemed to shatter—its name was—

"Sister's Dignity!"

Even Xiao Zhao was two years older than her, but Yunlu was genuinely younger, and had only joined their master's sect halfway through.

The more Chi JiuYu thought about it, the more defeated she felt.

Though she usually acted carefree, her competitive drive far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators—otherwise she wouldn't go to such lengths to outdo everyone.

Most Revered Sister to Me: "Too bad you cultivated so fast—if you hadn't been granted special entry into the Soul Transformation group, you'd have been first batch."

Oh?

Seeing this message, Chi JiuYu's dimming eyes brightened again.

That's right!

The Ascension Envoy selection is based on the Xian Sect Grand Competition, and since I entered the Soul Transformation group by special dispensation, I was placed in the third batch!

Good thing Yunlu reminded me—I almost forgot.

Sigh~

What can you do? Who else but me has such a fierce competitive streak?

After all, I carry the honor of being the number one prodigy across all realms—the pressure is something ordinary people can't understand.

She immediately typed back.

Future Master of the Xiang Jianzong: "Actually, I just haven't accumulated enough yet."

She first humbled herself.

Future Master of the Xiang Jianzong: "By the way, Yunlu, do you need any other talismans?"

Future Master of the Xiang Jianzong: "I can't get you powerful ones right now, but basic ones are no problem."

Even if Yunlu needed talismans she didn't know, she could learn them!

Basic talismans aren't hard—just one look and she'd get most of it.

Future Master of the Xiang Jianzong: "Use Divine Machine Express—delivery will arrive before 3 PM today."

Most Revered Sister to Me: "No need to trouble yourself—I've already prepared everything."

And…

Didn't the value of those basic talismans barely equal the cost of one Divine Machine Express delivery?

Of course, Zhang Yunlu would never point this out.

She understood her sister's mindset perfectly.

It was simply that she'd learned something new and couldn't resist showing off to someone familiar.

Their master had complained about this exact thing just a few days ago when chatting with her.

Most Revered Sister to Me: "Just focus on your studies, Sister—I'm leaving tonight for my mission."

Future Master of the Xiang Jianzong: "Fine, fine. Next time you need talismans, just tell me—don't waste money buying them outside."

Most Revered Sister to Me: "Mm, okay, Sister."

The two chatted for a while longer before Chi JiuYu put down her phone and took a fruit from her storage ring, biting into it.

Crunch!

Chewing the fruit, she glanced at her friend list—more precisely, the new nickname she'd given Zhang Yunlu.

Hmm…

This nickname had been changed before the Xian Sect Grand Competition, inspired by the labels their master had set for them.

She thought it was amusing, so she'd changed hers to something similar.

On the other hand, it was also to commemorate that she was no longer the youngest junior sister among the Xiang Jianzong's "Sword Lord" and "Xiang Jianzong" lineages.

She remembered that when she first changed it, it had been "Most Most Most Revered Sister to Me."

But their master had seen it.

Because their master had told them to label each other "My Most Most Revered Master Lord."

So the master ordered her to delete one "Most"…

Crunch!

She took another bite of the fruit and stared blankly at the sky.

o_o

By the way…

What was I just thinking about?

…

……

As night fell, mystic light wove across the heavens, like countless colored ribbons.

A white spirit-jade stairway stretched upward, piercing through the clouds illuminated by the mystic light, connecting to a small island that hung silently in the high sky.

One could see dense clusters of figures lined up in a long row, like a colony of migrating ants, climbing upward along the steps paved with white spirit jade.

A portion had already passed through the clouds and arrived upon the small island.

There stood a golden archway, majestic and sacred, bearing three bold, vigorous characters—

Ascension Hall!

Neatly arranged cyan spirit jade formed a long stairway—eighty-one steps in all—rising straight upward.

On either side of the jade steps, immortal qi curled gently, auspicious grasses stayed evergreen, wondrous blossoms exhaled dawn-light, like a paradise on earth.

And at the top of the jade steps stood a grand, sacred palace. Its pristine white walls overflowed with radiance, profound runes appearing and disappearing in subtle glimpses.

One figure after another passed through the pale-gold, semi-transparent curtain of light where the inscriptions flowed, walking into the hall.

That's right—the time had come for the second batch of Ascension Envoys to depart on their mission.

Because of this year's reform of the competition format, the Supreme Dao Sect had achieved the best overall results at the Xian Sect Grand Tournament, so the number of people becoming the second batch of Ascension Envoys was also the largest!

It's just that… "Isn't this a bit too many?"

Near the small island, Chi Jiuyu sat cross-legged on her natal sword, holding a large chicken leg roasted to a golden hue in her hand.

Seeing the exaggerated scene before her, she couldn't help muttering a line.

Although the Supreme Dao Sect's quota was indeed large, at a single glance there seemed to be nearly a hundred people!

"Most of them are avatars," a voice came from the side.

Beside Chi Jiuyu, a girlish figure sat suspended in the air.

She wore a pair of cargo pants, an orange short-sleeved shirt, and a white baseball cap with two round, plump characters printed on it—Invincible.

And in her hand she also held a large chicken leg identical to Chi Jiuyu's, munching away with great relish.

It was Hong Qianqian.

"I really don't know why, but the cultivators of their generation all seem to lack a sense of security…"

Daddy's been having quite the headache over this.

"See, that's what I'm saying—there's no way there could really be this many!" Chi Jiuyu nodded.

But very soon, she spotted a familiar figure in the line.

"Sister Qianqian, look, isn't that Little Zhao over there!"

"I see her." Hong Qianqian replied casually.

Soon, Chi Jiuyu squinted her eyes and looked toward the opposite side.

"Huh?! Isn't that the guy… Little Zhao's brother over there?"

Hong Qianqian: "……"

Don't think I don't know what you're trying to say.

Ren Xiaoruoming—that's two people who like each other, not some simp, got it!

In a few more days, you're probably going to give me a nickname too, aren't you!

Thinking this, Hong Qianqian swept another glance around.

Apart from her and Chi Jiuyu, there were also some disciples on the third batch Ascension Envoy list lingering nearby.

But they were all controlling puppets, with avatars hiding in the shadows, quietly observing the situation.

Honestly, if this trend could be changed, it really ought to be…

"Tch! Little Ye's sister still hasn't replied to me!" Chi Jiuyu grumbled.

Hong Qianqian paused at this, turned her head back, and discovered that she had actually taken out her phone.

"Little Ye's sister?"

"Sister Qianqian, didn't you know?" Chi Jiuyu looked at her strangely. "Little Ye's sister is Little Zhao's brother's online dating partner, you know?"

"You know her?"

"I don't, but I know her older sister."

"……" Hong Qianqian pondered for two seconds, then suddenly grew a bit interested. "Recommend her to me, I'll have a chat with her."

"Huh?"

……

……

Not long after, before the Ascension Hall.

Zhao Ruohan had already walked past the eighty-one steps of cyan spirit jade and arrived before the Ascension Hall.

Through the pale-gold, semi-transparent curtain of light at the entrance of the Ascension Hall—flowing downward from above with inscriptions coursing through it—one could faintly glimpse the scene within.

The Supreme Dao Sect disciple in front of her paused, seemingly weighing something.

But after hesitating again and again, he finally mustered his courage, took a step forward, and entered the Ascension Hall.

Hiss~!

Like ice water poured onto a red-hot branding iron.

The instant that Supreme Dao Sect disciple before Zhao Ruohan passed through the pale-gold curtain of light, his body shrank at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Amid the rising white mist, the entire person transformed directly into a wooden figurine the size of a palm.

*Plop*—it fell to the ground.

Zhao Ruohan watched all this calmly, then raised her head to glance at the side of the Ascension Hall, her gaze shifting slightly.

After lightly nodding in response to the figure sitting cross-legged on a sword body, continuously waving at her, she stepped into the Ascension Hall.

He only felt a cool sensation wash over his body, as if passing through a thin film of water, and his vision suddenly opened wide.

The space inside was far more expansive than what could be seen from outside.

The hall within was vast and bright.

The surrounding walls were carved with scenes of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, and plants, recording the deeds of the sages who blazed trails through thorns and hacked through brambles.

The grand resonance of the Dao echoed, expounding the supreme principles of the Great Way, manifesting scenes of countless worlds being born, perishing, rising, and sinking.

Right at the very center stood a magnificent, resplendent sacred structure of gold and white.

It was a building like an 'altar,' dozens of zhang tall, suspended above a floor paved with spirit jade, with layer upon layer of steps extending to the altar's peak.

Every step flowed with star-galaxy-like gorgeous patterns, and mysterious golden runes circled the four sides of the altar, flickering on and off.

Because this was her first time entering since the Ascension Hall was built, Zhao Ruohan couldn't help feeling a bit dazed at this moment.

Not until a 'squelch' sounded from behind again and a paper figure fluttered down did she suddenly come back to herself.

But she saw scattered all around her a mess of 'odds and ends.'

Paper figures, wooden figures, copper pellets, golden beans, and so on...

It was obvious that the detection mechanism before the Ascension Hall had caused many people's avatar techniques to fail.

Having understood this, Zhao Ruohan looked up toward the heights and nodded in greeting to Cheng Junming, whose expression was calm atop the cloud platform.

Then, under the watchful gazes of numerous Tongxuan Supremes and a single Dongzhen Dao Lord, she made her way to the side of the Ascension Hall.

Besides her, four people had already arrived.

Yet every one of them wore an utterly weary-of-life expression.

The sect really is devious!

They even specifically mentioned that avatar techniques could be used, only to pull this stunt right before the Ascension Hall! (End of this chapter)