Chapter 106

When learning that they were only ranked second,

Chen Gong Dong couldn't help but fall into deep thought:

"Could it be that my drainage speed isn't fast enough?"

He carefully recalled the scene at that time, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that his drainage speed indeed still had room for improvement.

"It must be that at the time I didn't exert enough force, and the fragments from the broken bathtub weren't enough, which caused the drainage speed to be slow."

Chen Gong Dong secretly regretted.

After some self-reflection, Chen Gong Dong realized the gap between himself and Ye Xiuxiu; he knew that to become a true expert,

he must continually learn and improve.

"Indeed, I still need to learn from Xiuxiu."

Chen Gong Dong secretly made up his mind,

He must definitely ask Ye Xiuxiu for advice on drainage techniques,

striving to achieve better results in the next evaluation.

When Ye Ruyan learned that she was only ranked third,

Her heart was filled with confusion and bewilderment.

She widened her eyes,

staring at the two people ranked first and second,

as if trying to see their inner thoughts through their appearance.

Regarding why, when dividing two loaves of bread among three people,

Ye Xiuxiu and Chen Gong Dong could each get two loaves of bread for themselves,

and this was still considered a reasonable distribution,

Ye Ruyan felt very puzzled.

What on earth is going on?

She repeatedly considered various possibilities in her mind, but could never find a reasonable explanation.

As for the drainage issue, Ye Ruyan found it even more unbelievable.

She had clearly pulled out the plug at quite a fast speed,

but compared to Chen Gong Dong and Ye Xiuxiu,

her speed was still far behind. Could it be that they were draining water through the outlet while using a ladle to scoop water?

But even then, it couldn't possibly be that fast!

Could it be that they broke the bathtub?

The more Ye Ruyan thought about it, the more she found it unfathomable; she simply couldn't figure out the reason.

The entrance examination finally came to a close,

All the new disciples were extremely excited.

They eagerly followed the sect's guidance,

arriving before a towering mountain that pierced the clouds.

This mountain peak towered into the clouds, like a giant standing upon the earth.

Mist and clouds swirled around the mountain peak,

like a white silk ribbon winding through the mountains,

giving a sense of mystery and solemnity.

The mountain peak was covered everywhere with lush trees,

These trees were tall and straight, with lush foliage, forming a dense forest.

The green trees provided shade, and sunlight filtered down through the leaves,

forming patches of dappled light and shadow, giving a sense of tranquility and harmony.

Ye Xiuxiu followed the sect elder leading the way ahead, walking on the stone slab path,

looking left and right, very curious,

giving the feeling that everyone was going on an outing.

At the mountain summit, there was a clear, see-through stream flowing gently down from the peak.

The river water rushed through the mountains, emitting a crisp, pleasant sound,

The river water was clear and transparent, allowing one to clearly see the sand and stones at the bottom and the swimming fish,

Ye Xiuxiu reached out and immediately caught a small fish,

and then waited to feed it to Little Gold.

"This place is really not bad,

Ye Xiuxiu sighed,

it really is a pure natural good place,

such a place is obviously most suitable for touring and playing in water.

On the mountainside, there is a cave dwelling area specially prepared for new disciples.

Although these cave dwellings are not large in scale,

but they are arranged very exquisitely, providing the disciples with a quiet and comfortable living environment.

Surprisingly, among this group of new disciples,

there are actually only three who are under twelve years old.

This is mainly because most families worry that the children are too young,

Lacking self-care ability, they cannot adapt to sect life.

Moreover, they would not be allowed to cultivate immortality early.

Some larger sects usually prefer to recruit disciples who have not cultivated before, so they can train them from scratch.

However, Ye Xiuxiu, Ye Ruyan, and Chen Gong Dong are an exception.

They had already begun cultivating before joining the sect and had achieved some results.

Nevertheless, they still chose to join the sect.

An elder in the sect swiftly handed out an identity jade tablet to each newly initiated disciple.

This jade tablet is not only a symbol of the disciples' identities,

but also the exclusive key to their cave dwellings.

The jade tablet is entirely crystal clear,

engraved with the disciple's name and the sect's emblem,

and emanates a faint spiritual aura.

Besides the aforementioned functions, the jade tablet

has many other uses.

For example, when submitting a mission at the Mission Hall,

it can serve as a tool for identity verification,

and it can also help disciples earn the corresponding point rewards.

Furthermore, disciples can also use the jade tablet to trade points among themselves,

facilitating resource exchange between them.

More importantly, when a disciple meets an unfortunate death,

the jade tablet will automatically shatter,

this signal will be swiftly transmitted back to the sect.

Likewise, if a disciple encounters an insurmountable deadly danger, they may also choose to actively destroy their identity jade tablet,

to send a distress signal to the sect.

Ye Xiuxiu casually hung her identity jade tablet at her waist,

then leisurely walked into her own exclusive cave dwelling.

Actually, she was full of curiosity about this cave dwelling,

eager to find out what it was like inside.

However, when she actually stepped into the cave dwelling,

she was stunned by the sight before her, and she couldn't help muttering to herself, 'When have I ever endured such hard days?'

All I saw was that the cave dwelling was extremely shabby,

containing only a clump of disordered weeds and a map of the Azure Cloud Sect.

"What a damned place!" Ye Xiuxiu couldn't help cursing,

clearly feeling very disappointed with the conditions of this cave dwelling.

This is the first time in her life she has stayed in such a harsh place,

we are not the type to endure hardship,

and moreover, this place is not only empty,

but also only she herself is here, making it increasingly boring.

Ye Xiuxiu suddenly had a thought flash through her mind,

she decided to summon her pet Jinhua cat Xiao Jin.

This adorable little companion has always accompanied her,

bringing her much joy and warmth.

On the journey to the Azure Cloud Sect,

Ye Xiuxiu sometimes felt it was inconvenient to bring Xiao Jin. After all,

she needs to deal with various complex situations and challenges,

while Xiao Jin might become a small burden.

However, she really cannot bear to part with Xiao Jin,

so she specially refined a Magic Treasure that allows Xiao Jin to rest and reside within it.

When Ye Xiuxiu released Xiao Jin from the Magic Treasure,

Xiao Jin curiously looked around at the surroundings.

Its round, big eyes were full of curiosity, as if full of questions about this unfamiliar world.

However, upon seeing the surroundings, it inevitably felt a bit dazed.

The environment here is completely different from the place it was previously familiar with.

All around are barren lands, without a hint of greenery,

only a stretch of withered yellow and lifeless stillness.

The air is permeated with a faint bitter taste,

making people feel somewhat oppressed.

"Meow!" Xiao Jin let out a dissatisfied cry, as if complaining about the harsh conditions of this place.

It is clearly not adapting well to such an environment,

How could this be a place fit for a cat to stay?

Ye Xiuxiu heard Xiao Jin's call and laughed as she said:

"Xiao Jin, you also think this place isn't good, right?"

She stroked Xiao Jin's head and gently said, "Come on, let's go out and play."

Hearing that, Xiao Jin's eyes lit up instantly, and it let out an excited cry,

then, like a flash of lightning, it swooshed onto Ye Xiuxiu's shoulder.

It seemed eager to leave this uncomfortable place and explore the wider world outside.

Ye Xiuxiu smiled, feeling the warm weight of Xiao Jin on her shoulder,

then she stepped forward and walked outside.

With Xiao Jin by her side, her heart felt much lighter.

Ye Xiuxiu and the Jinhua cat Xiao Jin were like two carefree children,

letting their feelings guide them as they strolled onward.

They passed through dense forests and crossed babbling streams,

the whole way filled with novelty and the joy of exploration.

Not knowing how long they had walked, Ye Xiuxiu's gaze was suddenly caught by a teleportation array ahead.

The teleportation array emitted a mysterious blue light, like stars in the night sky,

inspiring longing. Ye Xiuxiu's curiosity was fully aroused, and she hurried toward the array.

Upon approaching, Ye Xiuxiu saw seven or eight senior brothers and sisters busily maintaining the array's operation.

They occasionally poured bucket after bucket of blue liquid into the array, as if this liquid were key to keeping it running.

Ye Xiuxiu curiously watched all this,

wondering in her mind where this teleportation array would take her.

But she didn't think too much about it—after all, she was just out to play, so it didn't matter where she went.

So she stepped into the teleportation array without hesitation.

At the instant Ye Xiuxiu stepped into the teleportation array,

a strong light instantly enveloped her.

She felt only a blinding white light before her eyes, as if the whole world were lit up at that moment.

Immediately afterward, a familiar feeling welled up in her heart,

as if she had once passed through a barrier,

entering a world like rippling water.

Finally, the light gradually faded, and Ye Xiuxiu realized she had arrived at the teleportation array's destination.

Yet she knew nothing about this place, completely unaware of where she was.

But this didn't affect her mood, after all she was just out to play.

Ye Xiuxiu continued walking, admiring the unfamiliar yet beautiful scenery around her.

As she walked, she suddenly saw a child who looked about one or two years older than her sitting under a tree ahead,

happily gnawing an apple. The apple was bright red,

emitting a tempting fragrance that made Ye Xiuxiu's mouth water.

Ye Xiuxiu had to admit that after walking so long,

she was indeed a little hungry. Looking at the apple in the child's hand,

she felt it must be the most delicious apple in the world.

"That senior brother,"

Ye Xiuxiu cautiously walked up to the little boy sitting under the tree and softly said,

"Could you give me a bite of your apple?"

The boy heard this, lifted his head and glanced at Ye Xiuxiu,

the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a teasing smile,

"You want to eat it? That's absolutely impossible!"

"Tch, this is my apple—I won't give it to you."

His tone was firm and left no room for negotiation.

Seeing this, Ye Xiuxiu couldn't help but feel a little annoyed,

she glared at the boy with puffed cheeks,

then turned and sat down under the tree,

and pulled two Jinhua peaches from her storage bag.

She first handed one to the Jinhua cat Xiao Jin beside her,

Xiao Jin let out a happy cry and promptly took a bite. Ye Xiuxiu didn't back down,

she picked up the other peach and bit into it with a crisp "crack."

The sounds of the person and cat eating peaches were clear and pleasant,

as if they were performing a wonderful concert.

This sound, like wings, drifted to the boy's ears.

The boy had been happily chewing his apple,

upon hearing the sound,

his gaze was involuntarily drawn over.

All he saw was Ye Xiuxiu and Xiao Jin happily munching away,

The juice of that peach trickled down from the corner of the mouth, making anyone who saw it unable to help but drool.

The little boy watched them,

Suddenly he felt the apple in his hand become bland and uninteresting.

He couldn't help swallowing his saliva, and muttered to himself:

"This peach looks like it might be tastier than my apple..."

That little boy had a sly smile playing at the corner of his mouth,

He slowly moved his feet forward, as if concocting some scheme. He walked up to Ye Xiuxiu's front, hesitated a moment,

then spoke in a slightly coaxing tone: "Hey there, junior sister, hehe..."

Ye Xiuxiu looked at the little boy, and couldn't help feeling a bit curious.

She blinked her big eyes, waiting for his next words.

The little boy took a deep breath, as if gathering his courage,

then softly said: "Can you give me a bite of your peach?"

Ye Xiuxiu tilted her head, thought for a moment, then shook her head,

"I want to eat it too."

Seeing that, the little boy hurriedly pulled an apple from his bosom,

handed it to Ye Xiuxiu, saying: "Then let me give you my apple to eat."

Ye Xiuxiu looked at the apple, furrowed her brows, made a face, and said: "I don't want it—what a lousy apple, not tasty at all."

Hearing that, the little boy's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a look of shock and displeasure.

"I'm going to eat it!"

The little boy suddenly shouted loudly, then reached out to snatch the peach from Ye Xiuxiu's hand.

Ye Xiuxiu never expected him to do that; she froze for a moment, and the peach in her hand almost got taken away.

"You still want to grab it?" Ye Xiuxiu came to her senses,

She instantly flared up. She shoved him hard, pushing the little boy back several steps; he staggered, almost falling to the ground.

"If I don't give it, that's fine, but you still want to snatch it?"

Ye Xiuxiu said angrily, raising her little fist at the same time,

"If you grab my stuff, I'll beat you up!"

The little boy was startled by Ye Xiuxiu's action, but he didn't back down; on the contrary, he became even more arrogant and shouted:

"Let's see who beats whom!"

Saying that, he charged at Ye Xiuxiu like a little bull, full of fierce momentum.

"Yo ho!"

Ye Xiuxiu saw that, quickly put the peach and the apple the little boy had just eaten into her storage bag together.

Then she thrust both hands forward with all her strength, knocking the little boy to the ground in one move.

The little boy fell heavily to the ground,

in pain, he burst out crying with a "wah."

Ye Xiuxiu looked at his sorry state,

and laughed triumphantly, saying: "Your strength is so weak."