At that moment, Ning Yu walked into the hall and addressed the people on the high platform: “Greetings to Sect Master, Master, and all the Peak Masters and Elders. Everything has been prepared.”
Sect Master Chang said, “Very good. A total of fifty-nine people passed the test this time. The Steward Hall has been too busy recently, so the Disciplinary Hall will temporarily assign people to manage them.”
“If you encounter anything you don’t understand, just go find Ding Sang Sang… Actually, forget it. Just see who’s available in the Steward Hall and ask them.”
Ning Yu cupped her hands again: “Understood.”
She then turned to Yun Miao and the other disciples, her tone still cold but no longer as distant as it had been on the immortal ship.
“My surname is Ning, given name Yu. I apprentice under Elder Shui of the Disciplinary Hall and also hold a position there. I will be taking care of you for the next few days. Now, follow me.”
The new disciples obediently followed Ning Yu out. Most of them relaxed their originally stiff postures as they stepped out of the hall, their steps becoming livelier.
Although the Sect Master, Peak Masters, and Elders were not harsh, the pressure emanating from them was so strong that it naturally put everyone on edge.
Yun Miao noticed Huaxin and others waving to her and immediately went over to join her friends. She didn’t notice that many people in the crowd were quietly turning their heads to study her.
Most of them were mentally exhausted after passing the test and had been led by Xuantian Sect disciples to rest instead of staying in the hall to watch others’ test footage.
They had only been brought back to the main hall this morning.
So, they were unaware that the top-grade magic treasure Dengtianti had recently changed hands, or of the turbulent events that had taken place until dawn last night.
All they knew was that this girl before them had ranked last, yet was personally brought back into the hall by the Sect Master.
Even though her Spiritual Root was measured as the lowest rank Five Elemental Root, the Sect Master still personally declared his intent to accept her as a disciple—the very last one.
This stirred complex emotions among many.
Out of the fifty-nine, only six disciples had been accepted by the Peak Masters and Elders to enter the Inner Sect for better guidance and resources. The rest would fall to the Outer Sect.
Among the six accepted, five were the top five scorers of this test, who had won their places with clear merit. But she was dead last—that stirred a bitter feeling inside.
Still, the crowd only stole complicated glances, and no one dared to provoke her. After all, they all remembered the fierce look the Sect Master gave just now.
Anyone who dared mock her would be beaten into fish balls and thrown into the lake to feed the fish!
Meanwhile, Tan Xiaobai immediately took a spot to Yun Miao’s right, his tone excited and curious:
“Boss! I’ve missed you to death these three days. By the way, what exactly happened when you were on the Dengtianti…?”
So many things had happened these past three days that Tan Xiaobai felt he had a belly full of things to say and questions to ask.
But before he could finish, Ning Yu spoke up from the front.
“The Sect provides every newly admitted disciple with lodging and essential items. Next, I will take you all to receive them and also familiarize you with the nine peaks of Xuantian Sect.”
“The nine peaks are divided into Main Peak, Fu Peak, Qi Peak, Fa Peak, Ti Peak, Shou Peak, Jian Peak, and Dan Peak. The floating mountain we stand on now is the Main Peak.”
“The palace you just saw is Xuantian Palace, where the Sect Master, Peak Masters, and Elders hold their meetings.”
“Outside the hall is the Cloudview Platform. Look closely—those nine stone pillars there were personally forged by our Patriarch, and the characters carved on them were also engraved by his own hand.”
Everyone turned to look at the pillars. They were covered in wild cursive script, dense and dizzying to the eye, with not a single character clearly distinguishable.
Just as they tried to examine them carefully, they suddenly saw the characters shift, transforming into magnificent or fierce extraordinary beasts that roared as they charged toward them!
“Snap out of it.”
Ning Yu’s voice was like a bucket of ice water awakening everyone:
“The actions of a great cultivator always carry Dao Rhyme. These characters contain some of the Dao Rhyme left behind by the Patriarch.”
“To powerful cultivators, this Dao Rhyme is a chance; but to weak cultivators, it’s a death warrant.”
“So remember, before you reach the Jindan Stage, never look at these characters for too long, and don’t think of studying them.”
“At best, you’ll become a drooling fool. At worst, your head will explode with a bang.”
Tan Xiaobai grabbed his head in terror: “Then why did you just let us look at those characters, Senior Sister?”
Ning Yu replied coldly, “Because every year, there are always a few overconfident people who come trying to rub the Patriarch’s calligraphy to comprehend its Dao Rhyme and achieve a sudden breakthrough.”
“I’m giving you a lesson in advance, so you know how dangerous it is.”
Tan Xiaobai wanted to say more, but then Huaxin’s shocked voice interrupted: “Senior Sister, look at Yun Miao!”
Ning Yu and the others turned to see Yun Miao staring intently at one of the pillars, two streams of bright red blood flowing from her nostrils.
Huaxin stood nearby, frowning deeply, wanting to approach but afraid that any sudden movement might disturb Yun Miao and cause her head to explode right in front of her.
Ning Yu was startled too, initially thinking Yun Miao had been bewitched.
She raised her hand to channel spiritual power to cover her eyes, but Yun Miao suddenly wiped her nose with her sleeve calmly and reassured Huaxin.
“I’m fine. I was just casually looking.”
Ning Yu’s expression turned cold as she grabbed Yun Miao’s hand that was still wiping the blood and scanned her body with her divine sense. She found no major problems except for one—
“When did you reach the seventh layer of the Qi Refining Stage?”
Yun Miao blinked: “After a nap.”
Ning Yu let go of her hand and waved her palm, causing the blood on Yun Miao’s face to turn into tiny ice shards that drifted down.
“Can you see those characters clearly? But do you understand them?”
“I can see them clearly, but I don’t understand.”
Yun Miao stroked her chin:
“Do they have to be in wild cursive script? Can’t you try communicating with our Patriarch and have him change it to neat regular script?”
“Also, I prefer Small Regular Script with Flower Insertion—it’s elegant, pretty, and easier to read.”
Everyone was stunned. She could actually read those characters? Was this for real?!
Ning Yu said, “…”
“…The Patriarch has long since passed away. You’ll have to find time to communicate with him yourself.”
Yun Miao said faintly, “Senior Sister, when you say that, aren’t you afraid I might one day hang myself with my belt right outside your door?”
Ning Yu turned away casually: “Many want to hang themselves at my door. You’re just a Qi Refining Stage cultivator. I doubt you’d even make the queue.”
What? Senior Sister actually has this kind of personality?
Yun Miao looked at Ning Yu’s back, her tone resolute: “Senior Sister, I’ll work hard!”
Ning Yu paused for a moment, then quickened her pace.
Tan Xiaobai looked back and forth, timidly saying, “Um… Boss, maybe this isn’t the kind of thing you need to work so hard on?”
“I want to.”
Huaxin saw Yun Miao about to say something else, so she raised her hand and pinched her lips into a duckbill, her tone icy: “You’re not allowed to even think about this kind of thing.”
Yun Miao: =3=