Chapter 971

Zhou Zhiruo could not help but feel alarmed.

This world was already quite dangerous, and now that she had obtained the Immortal-level Yitian Sword, she had no idea how the people of Jiuzhou would treat her.

Precisely at this critical moment, her meridians were blocked, and her full strength could not even reach one-tenth.

Against ordinary martial artists, perhaps the sharpness of the Yitian Sword would still prevent any major problems.

But if someone from Jiuzhou came—even an Ultimate Daoist on the Heavenly Flower List of Jiuzhou's Daoist Battle Rankings—

how could she possibly fight them?

Thinking of this, Zhou Zhiruo dared not delay; she immediately gathered her Qi again, trying to expel this force.

Yet this force was by no means ordinary.

Zhou Zhiruo tried countless times, until she began to drain her own foundational roots.

Only then did she reluctantly stop, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"Zhiruo, Zhiruo…"

At that moment, Shangguan Haitang knocked on the door outside.

"What is it?"

Though Zhou Zhiruo was displeased, she still replied coolly.

"It's like this: two people have come to the temple gate—a nun and a Daoist Priest.

They say they are your fellow sect members and wish to see you."

Shangguan Haitang said.

"Fellow sect members? A nun? A Daoist Priest?"

Zhou Zhiruo's heart stirred, and immediately her mind conjured the identities of the visitors.

Could it be…?

Zhou Zhiruo's heart leapt with joy; she immediately rose from the bed, seized the Yitian Sword, and hurried to open the door.

"Where?"

"Right in the front courtyard. Could they be some senior elder of the Emei Sect? I've never heard of them before."

Having shared life-and-death trials with Zhou Zhiruo, Shangguan Haitang spoke more freely.

Judging by Zhou Zhiruo's actions, these two were clearly her fellow sect members.

Yet their ages suggested they were at least senior elders of the Emei Sect.

But Shangguan Haitang's intelligence records mentioned no such two elders from the Emei Sect!

What on earth was going on?

Zhou Zhiruo of course knew the truth, but how could she explain it to Shangguan Haitang?

She merely smiled lightly and said nothing.

She took Shangguan Haitang's hand and asked her to show the way.

Fortunately, Shangguan Haitang had only asked out of professional habit, not because she truly wished to know the reason.

After all, what could be stranger than an Emei Sect disciple, Zhou Zhiruo, defeating the Emei Sect Paizhang, Master Yeyu?

And throughout the entire battle, Master Yeyu had seemed not to recognize this Emei disciple at all.

At that time, Shangguan Haitang had known Zhou Zhiruo's identity was far from ordinary.

Now she led Zhou Zhiruo through several corridors, turned a corner, passed behind a screen wall, and entered the front courtyard.

Indeed, there stood a middle-aged nun and a middle-aged Daoist Priest, quietly waiting in the courtyard.

"Master, Senior Uncle! Zhiruo pays her respects to you."

Seeing them—her Master, Abbess Mei Jue, and Senior Uncle, Seeing Gu Hongzi—Zhou Zhiruo's heart leapt with joy, and she bowed gracefully.

Though her stay here had been brief, after a great battle, Zhou Zhiruo had suffered severe injuries.

She had been filled with anxiety, lost and helpless.

Just then, Abbess Mei Jue and Seeing Gu Hongzi had come to find her.

How could she not be moved?

"Zhiruo, what are you doing? There's no need for such a formal bow."

Abbess Mei Jue was stern and rigid, but she truly cared for her disciples.

Especially Zhou Zhiruo, whom she regarded as her rightful heir.

After wandering this strange world for some time and seeing no sign of Zhou Zhiruo, she had grown anxious.

Now that she had learned of Zhou Zhiruo's whereabouts, she had rushed here without delay.

Seeing Zhou Zhiruo now, she could not contain her joy and rushed forward to support her.

Seeing Gu Hongzi also stroked his beard and smiled, saying,

"Zhiruo, there's no one else here—why be so formal?"

Zhou Zhiruo allowed herself to be helped up by Abbess Mei Jue's support, slowly rising to her feet.

"Master?"

Shangguan Haitang, hearing Zhou Zhiruo's address, froze in stunned silence.

She had considered many possible identities for the nun and Daoist Priest, and many possible relationships with Zhou Zhiruo.

But she had never imagined the nun was Zhou Zhiruo's Master?

How could that be?

After all, this nun before her likely didn't even match Master Yeyu's strength—how could she have trained such a powerful disciple as Zhou Zhiruo?

Yet this question was clearly not the right time to raise.

After rising, Zhou Zhiruo began exchanging pleasantries with Abbess Mei Jue and Seeing Gu Hongzi.

Both sides shared what they had each seen and heard.

Abbess Extinguishing, Gu Hongzi, along with the founding masters Guo Xiang and Zhou Zhiruo — the four of them should have entered the gate of the Jixian Academy together.

But after entering, Abbess Extinguishing was only with Gu Hongzi.

The two found it strange, yet were powerless to do anything about it.

They could only travel together across this unusual jianghu, hoping to find the Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom.

Complete the court's mission sooner, claim the reward, and return to the Nine Provinces earlier.

But after wandering the jianghu for several months, during which they did quite a few chivalrous deeds,

they hadn't even caught the faintest shadow of the Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom.

The three of them chatted, without avoiding Shangguan Haitang.

Shangguan Haitang had wanted to step aside, but Zhou Zhiruo simply waved a hand at her, making her meaning clear.

Hearing the words of Abbess Extinguishing and Gu Hongzi, Shangguan Haitang finally understood why Zhou Zhiruo wanted the Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom so badly.

763 This Cao Zhengchun is really that powerful?

"Several months? How could that be?"

Zhou Zhiruo heard this and was stunned, asking without thinking.

"Right! At least three months, right? Senior brother."

Mie Jue smiled and asked Gu Hongzi.

"Yes! Three months and six days."

Gu Hongzi nodded and replied with a smile.

"Three months?"

Zhou Zhiruo's mouth fell wide open.

Ever since she had entered that gate, she had been on that stretch of barren mountains.

She had happened to stumble into the battle between Liaokong and Benefactor Guihai Yidao.

After the fight ended, she followed Shangguan Haitang to that nameless mountain hollow.

She was cornered by Cao Zhengchun leading the Eastern Depot troops and people of the Wu Lin.

For various reasons, she had recklessly stepped forward once.

After a vicious fight with Cao Zhengchun, she was gravely wounded and fell unconscious.

Although she hadn't yet had a chance to ask how long she had been unconscious,

no matter what, it couldn't have been three months, could it?

"What's wrong? Zhiruo?"