Chapter 596: The Xiang Jianzong Is Actually Still Considered the Orthodox Path

Lin Xuanxuan thought about it briefly in her heart, then quickly pressed the related thoughts to the bottom of her mind.

Ye Shijie Jiuyu is so powerful, how could she possibly not be chosen as Sect Master.

Mm!

That's right!

But when it comes to the Sect Master election, the combat strength factor only seems to account for a small portion…

Lin Xuanxuan stopped overthinking and immediately began explaining to Chi Jiuyu the matter of Senior Ye Shijie's master.

Although she had no real connection with Senior Ye Shijie, she had studied the *Ming Sect Pill Canon* written by that senior.

Back then she had even wondered why it had such a name, since it had nothing whatsoever to do with the contents of the canon…

Now she understood.

"*Ming Sect Pill Canon*…" Chi Jiuyu laughed too upon hearing it.

Wasn't this one of the names she had prepared for her natal sword?

Great minds truly think alike…

Just as she was thinking, she suddenly paused, then caught herself.

That's not right!

She seemed to have not been chosen as Sect Master!

Thinking of this, Chi Jiuyu shook her head again, a touch of lament in her expression.

Though they shared the same aspiration, the outcomes were ultimately different.

Noticing the change in Chi Jiuyu's expression, a flicker of curiosity flashed through Ye Zhiwei's eyes.

Although through chatting over this period she had roughly figured out that Sister Jiuyu was a very free-spirited person, this "lament" came far too out of nowhere, didn't it?

Lin Xuanxuan, on the other hand, was used to it.

After all, Ye Shijie Jiuyu would always have these inexplicable bouts of sentimentality from time to time, and she had long grown accustomed to it.

Not long after, the three of them arrived at a park called "Autumn Scenery."

Looking inward from the park entrance, withered yellow leaves had already piled up in a thick layer, even covering the few benches along the path.

Only a few withered leaves remained on the branches of the trees on both sides, not yet fallen.

A cool breeze drifted by, suddenly lending the scene a bleak air.

Autumn Scenery was one of the "Four Seasons" scenic spots of the Xiang Jianzong's Outer Gate.

It had been formed when a Xiang Jianzong sword cultivator practicing the "Four Seasons" leaning toward sword arts had his conceptual domain manifest and infect the surroundings.

Leaves fall at sunrise, return to the branches at sunset.

It contained within it an extremely brilliant sword art, which the Xiang Jianzong offered open access to.

Unfortunately, over all these years, only a very few had comprehended it.

At this moment, Ye Zhiwei had just followed Chi Jiuyu into the park, and the moment one foot stepped onto that thick layer of fallen leaves, her whole person froze.

Whooosh~!

The autumn wind swept in, carrying an indescribable air of bleakness.

Every leaf it whirled up seemed like a sharp sword, slicing the air into a mournful whine!

In a daze, Ye Zhiwei felt as if ten thousand sword shadows flickered before her eyes, and the sword intent within her body resonated, emitting a clear ringing.

Evening rain patters, tempering the sword's edge.

The ten thousand sword shadows converged into one, dividing withering from flourishing, silencing the cold cicadas and withering the grass and trees.

Where the sword shadows swept, all the myriad sounds of a frosty sky fell silent, the grass and trees withered away!

After a long while, Ye Zhiwei felt the strange visions before her eyes fade, only to find a sword art circulating within her Sea of Consciousness.

Every single character seemed condensed from morning dew, harboring a cold gleam within.

*Four Seasons Flowing Form Sword Canon* — Autumn Scenery.

"*Four Seasons Flowing Form Sword Canon*…" Ye Zhiwei unconsciously murmured these words.

When she came back to herself, she found Chi Jiuyu watching her with a beaming smile.

"Little Xiao Ye."

"Sister Jiuyu."

"This *Four Seasons Flowing Form Sword Canon*, don't cultivate it. It's not suited for you."

"Huh?"

Ye Zhiwei was stunned, not knowing why Chi Jiuyu would say that.

"You're a very meticulous person, and you think a lot. I suggest you learn *Heavenly Net Sword Latitude* — that sword art is especially suited for you."

The smile on Ye Zhiwei's face faded a little:

"Sister Jiuyu… why do you say that?"

"Well, about that…" Chi Jiuyu smiled mysteriously, "From the moment we met just now, you've been observing me the whole time. If I'm not wrong, you've been trying to guess what I'm thinking."

If it were anyone else, she, Jiuyu Laozu, couldn't be bothered to care.

But this was Little Ye's younger sister, so she had still paid a little attention.

"…"

Ye Zhiwei fell silent.

"Given the cultivation you've displayed so far, passing the final round of examination won't be a problem." Chi Jiuyu continued.

She had seen it at the very first glance they met.

Little Ye's younger sister had already reached Foundation Establishment, and it was Fortune Foundation Establishment at that. Even if the difficulty of the "Xian Sect Special Recruitment" doubled again, she could pass it with ease.

"Don't worry, I won't form any prejudice against you just because of these things." Saying so, Chi Jiuyu even patted her shoulder. "You personally witnessed Little Ye going through something like that, so wanting to keep some things hidden is completely normal."

She wasn't the type to blithely ask, "Why don't they just eat meat porridge?"

She had always understood that not everyone in the world was like her, blessed with a master who was a true immortal and fiercely protective of their own.

The vast majority of people, most of the time, had to face choices they were unwilling to make.

"Sister Jiuyu, I…"

Chatting online during this period, and also picking up information from her older sister, had left Ye Zhiwei's impression of Chi Jiuyu stuck on the points of 'unrestrained,' 'cynical,' and 'brash.'

She had even overlooked the fact that she herself could perfectly well be counted as the number one person of the younger generation of the Qidaxian Sect.

Having her inner thoughts seen through after walking together for just a short stretch of road was something she had not anticipated at all.

"Aiya! Once these things are laid out, that's enough—what's there to be all shy and awkward about?" Chi Jiuyu waved her hand, appearing extremely nonchalant.

In reality, her heart right now was brimming with the excitement of a successful show-off!

Hehe!

Didn't expect that, did you!

Bow down before my supreme wisdom!

Hahaha!

Compared to Ye Zhiwei's silence, Lin Xuanxuan beside her was genuinely very surprised.

Although she had always thought Sister Jiuyu was amazing, the 'amazing' she had in mind had always been about cultivation.

But judging from today's performance, Sister Jiuyu wasn't just amazing in cultivation—her brain was equally useful.

If she wanted to, she could definitely become Sect Master!

Lin Xuanxuan was absolutely certain of this in her heart!

Not long after, the three of them sat down on a bench by the road.

The nonchalance on Chi Jiuyu's face had vanished without a trace, replaced by curiosity.

"So do you really like Dog Bro, or were you just teasing him?"

"…" Ye Zhiwei was silent for a moment, pressed her lips together, and said, "Brother Ruoming is a very simple person."

Chi Jiuyu nodded in agreement.

Dog Bro really was a bit of a dimwit.

"When I saw Brother Ruoming get beaten to tears by Sister Jiuyu at the Xian Sect Grand Competition, I was actually very happy."

Because of childhood matters, she loathed all second-generation immortal cultivators.

Chi Jiuyu was also one, but since she was comparatively more down-to-earth, by contrast she still hated Zhao Ruoming, that true second-generation cultivator, even more.

"At first I really did just want to trick him, but later I discovered he wasn't what I had imagined."

This Dog Bro really was a tragic figure.

Chi Jiuyu couldn't help but mutter a snarky remark to herself.

"So you really do like him?"

"I don't know." Ye Zhiwei gently shook her head.

"Mm?"

Ye Zhiwei looked at her and blinked: "I'm only seventeen this year."

Chi Jiuyu: "…"

Dog Bro really is a walking calamity.

……

……

Inside the Xiang Jianzong's inner gate, the Hall of Inheritance.

In other words, the inner-gate version of the Transmission Tower—any Xiang Jianzong disciple who wished to obtain the inheritance of Mystic Arts, True Arts, or Supreme Arts had to come to this Hall of Inheritance and pass the corresponding trial.

A registration fee of one hundred contribution points.

Regardless of whether the trial was passed, it would not be refunded.

However, because the trials were very difficult and one could get injured during the process, not too many people came to register for trials each day.

Inside the Hall of Inheritance.

Two figures were walking side by side, heading toward the depths of the Hall of Inheritance.