Chapter 522: I Also Won't Go

The night was cool as water, the moon bright and pure.

Floating Capital, inside the Ninth Province's separate courtyard.

In the main hall, the silver-haired man sat at the head, while Song Yan, Xiao Lingwei, Cang Li, Xue Jin, and Ying Wuji sat on either side.

Cang Li rose abruptly, brow furrowed, "Master, you said they want to cancel Yao Yao's qualification to enter Tian Jiaocheng!"

The silver-haired man let out a soft 'hng'.

"Does Yao Yao still not know about this?" Cang Li asked, a hint of worry in his brows.

Qian Jueshan said, "She still doesn't know."

"Master, what exactly is Tian Jiaocheng?"

Qian Jueshan lifted his eyes slightly, his gaze deep: "Tian Jiaocheng is the frontier stronghold where our cultivation world borders the demon and monster realms. Every hundred years, demonic and monster qi invade the city. If the city falls, the entire cultivation world will face the danger of being assimilated by the demon and monster realms."

"I see." Cang Li nodded, then frowned and sat down, puzzled: "Tian Jiaocheng already has thirteen virtuous and prestigious City Guard Elders guarding it; they should be able to hold it like an impregnable fortress. Why go to the trouble of summoning our cultivation world's Tianjiao? Moreover, why create a Tianjiao List?"

Qian Jueshan explained slowly, his voice tinged with gravity: "This is because within Tian Jiaocheng lies a forbidden ground called the Realm Abyss. To enter the Realm Abyss, one must meet a specific age restriction: only cultivators aged thirteen to twenty-five."

"Realm Abyss?" Xiao Lingwei murmured, her brows slightly furrowed; she had never heard of that name.

Qian Jueshan continued: "Within the Realm Abyss grows a strange flower known as the Rest Flower. Planting the harvested Rest Flower throughout Tian Jiaocheng allows its nature to absorb the drifting demonic and monster qi, strengthening the city's defenses."

"Oh—" Cang Li exclaimed in realization, then curled his lips: "All this fuss is just to have us labor as flower-pickers?"

Qian Jueshan glanced at him, his tone growing more solemn: "Within the Realm Abyss, dangers lurk everywhere. Those who seek to seize the Rest Flower are not only our cultivation world's disciples; the demon and monster realms will also send experts to infiltrate. They take the Rest Flower first to prevent the opposing side's qi from eroding their own realms, and second, to weaken Tian Jiaocheng's defenses, creating an opportunity for a large-scale invasion of our cultivation world."

He paused, then continued: "After you arrive at Tian Jiaocheng, you will first receive careful guidance from the thirteen City Guard Elders, training together with the other Tianjiao for a period to adapt. During this time, the thirteen City Guard Elders will select from the Tianjiao based on their performance one Chief Commander and two Vice Commanders; the Chief Commander is called the Human Tianjiao Leader, and the Vice Commanders are called the Human Tianjiao Vice Leaders."

"As the Human Tianjiao Leader, one needs not only formidable strength but also leadership, strategic planning, and wisdom."

Ying Wuji listened, then lowered his gaze.

He recalled his past life.

In his past life, the person who became the Human Tianjiao Leader was—Qian Yunzhou.

The Vice Leaders were Lu Xiangxiang and Ying Wuhuan.

At that time, both Qian Yunzhou and Ying Wuhuan fell for Lu Xiangxiang, taking her as their leader. Thus, the true commander was Lu Xiangxiang.

Furthermore, the Eldest Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, and Fourth Senior Brother all loved Lu Xiangxiang and felt deep guilt toward her, so they also obeyed her words.

In his past life, the Second Senior Sister was crippled in the Realm Abyss, her cultivation plummeting, ultimately becoming a useless person.

Ying Wuji recalled his past ordeal in the Realm Abyss, feeling only a sweet-salty taste welling up in his throat.

He couldn't understand why so many people liked that hypocritical, selfish Lu Xiangxiang!

Cang Li's voice suddenly came: "Then at least we, Wuji, can compete for the Vice Leader position."

Ying Wuji's thoughts were pulled back; he lifted his head and met Qian Jueshan's gaze.

Xiao Lingwei's face turned cold: "Yao Yao cannot enter Tian Jiaocheng; that's not fair to her."

Song Yan raised his head, brows furrowed with worry, and asked: "Master, is it truly impossible for Yao Yao to enter Tian Jiaocheng?"

Qian Jueshan pressed his lips, about to speak, when he sensed something and sharply lifted his gaze toward the hall's entrance.

All that could be seen was a slender figure in white robes standing still there—Yuan Yao.

His heart gave a sudden 'thump'; he silently cursed—she had actually come, and who knows how much she had heard.

Song Yan and the others also noticed the master's oddity, all turning to look; upon seeing Yuan Yao at the doorway, they froze.

"Yao Yao..." Song Yan was the first to regain his composure, his tone mixed with surprise and a barely perceptible worry.

Under their astonished gazes, Yuan Yao walked straight in; her small face still bore a sickly pallor, yet her eyes were clear and bright.

She walked to the center of the hall, stopped, slightly raised her head, and looked directly at Qian Jueshan; though her voice was soft, it was unusually clear: "Master, am I... not allowed to enter Tian Jiaocheng?"

Qian Jueshan's heart softened; instead of answering directly, he gently asked back: "Yao Yao, do you... really want to go?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao lightly inhaled with her delicate nose, her long lashes drooping to veil her emotions, the corners of her mouth turning down slightly, showing an expression of extreme sorrow and grievance, as if she were about to burst into tears any second.

Qian Jueshan's brows furrowed slightly, a flicker of heartache flashing in his eyes.

Just as he was about to speak, he saw Yuan Yao blink, revealing a mischievous glint.

"Actually, I'm not particularly eager to go."

As her words fell, a voice from the 250 System echoed in her consciousness: 【Ding! The system has detected that 'Tian Jiaocheng' and 'Realm Abyss' are important plot points in the original story; please, host, go there and alter these key plot points.】

Yuan Yao: "... 250, you won't make a sound until I finish speaking—I really want to stab you with a sword!"

250 System: 【Broadcast complete.】

It quickly went offline.

Yuan Yao took a deep breath, looked up at Qian Jueshan, and asked: "Master, do they not want me to enter Tian Jiaocheng?"

"Mm."

"Then..." Yuan Yao was about to say something when Ying Wuji's voice came through.

"I'm not going either."

Yuan Yao stared at him in shock: "Why?"

"If I don't want to go, then I won't." Ying Wuji said lightly.

Song Yan and the others were also somewhat surprised.

Yuan Yao frowned: "Youngest Senior Brother, are you choosing not to go because I can't?"

Ying Wuji nodded, lifting his head to meet Yuan Yao's gaze: "That is one reason."

Yuan Yao, meeting his gaze, instantly recalled that the Youngest Senior Brother possessed memories of his past life, so he must have a reason for not going to Tian Jiaocheng.

Cang Li instantly chuckled: "If the two of you aren't going, then neither am I! For a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator like me to go would be courting death."

"Boring." Xue Jin said: "I'm not going either."

"But this concerns the safety of the cultivation world..." Song Yan spoke with some difficulty.

Xiao Lingwei took a sip of tea: "Since they won't let Yao Yao go, her absence makes no difference, and adding a few more of us doesn't matter either. I'm not going either."