In the quiet wilderness, a gentle breeze swept across the ground without moving a single blade of grass. After an unknown amount of time, Luo Jin Xiao coughed softly and slowly regained consciousness.
When she opened her eyes, all she could see was the gray sky. Taking a deep breath, she endured the discomfort in her entire body and slowly stood up.
She noticed that the three young members of the Gate of Life and Death were scattered around her, all unconscious. One of them was in a particularly tragic state, with blood gushing from seven orifices, very vivid and noticeable. Chi Yi was lying on the other side with her back to Luo Jin Xiao, making it impossible to tell if she was alive or dead.
Luo Jin Xiao’s head still felt heavy and cloudy. She stood up and staggered over to Chi Yi’s side. She turned her over and gently checked her breathing with her fingertips, feeling a slight relief when she found out that she was still alive.
She vaguely remembered that before she lost consciousness, Qu Wei Yin seemed to have appeared. Now, however, everything felt like a dream, except for the lingering scent of flowers on her sleeves, which reminded her that it wasn’t just a dream.
“Little Sweetie?” she called out, her throat feeling uncomfortable and rough.
No one answered.
Her thoughts gradually became clear, absurd yet real. Could it be that Qu Wei Yin had truly transformed into a Qiongqi, always guarding her by her side? No wonder today’s Qiongqi was behaving so strangely.
Luo Jin Xiao shook her head, feeling a whirlwind of emotions. She was both moved to tears and flushed with embarrassment. Was she really kissing her young martial uncle?
Luo Jin Xiao hastily rubbed her cheeks and couldn’t help but sink back into contemplation. Had Qu Wei Yin been following her all this time to protect her?
At that moment, Chi Yi, who was lying down, suddenly coughed and opened her eyes, interrupting Luo Jin Xiao’s thoughts. Luo Jin Xiao quickly got on his knees and helped her up.
Chi Yi wiped her face with a dirty sleeve, looked around, and shouted, “Did you kill her?”
Luo Jin Xiao shook her head at the question, not knowing how to answer. Fearful thoughts arose in her mind, so she quietly approached the others and used her spiritual energy to check their conditions.
The person bleeding from seven orifices had more serious injuries, but there was still a flicker of life. The other two had milder injuries, but it seemed like they would also be incapacitated once they woke up.
For Qu Wei Yin, this was definitely mercy. Luo Jin Xiao felt a hint of joy in her heart when she realized that Qu Wei Yin could hear her words.
She didn’t want Qu Wei Yin to kill again.
æ± æ„ hobbled over and viciously kicked the fallen figures. Then she said, “What do we do now? You’ve destroyed the third challenge. How will you enter the fourth challenge?”
“I don’t know,” Luo Jin Xiao sighed. She suddenly had a moment of inspiration. She crouched down and searched the three people, and indeed, she found an unopened letter in one of their pockets.
She exchanged a look with Chi Yi and they both smiled. They opened the letter only to find it blank. At that moment, a stone door suddenly opened in front of them, emitting a blinding white light that illuminated the dark wilderness.
“We…” Luo Jin Xiao started, but Chi Yi interrupted her.
“Luo Xiaoxian, the fourth challenge is a duel. With my current condition, I’m no match for you, so I won’t challenge you. Now it’s just you. Go in, get the elixir, and then we can all leave,” Chi Yi said with a smile.
Luo Jin Xiao was speechless for a moment. She couldn’t shake the feeling that it would be dishonorable to enter like this.
“Don’t overthink it. Not everything in this world is fair. I won’t compete with you, not out of modesty, but out of self-preservation. Besides, having more friends is always much better than having more enemies,” Chi Yi slightly raised her eyebrows and pushed Luo Jin Xiao through the door.
“Wait for your good news, Luo Xiaoxian,” Chi Yi waved at her.
Luo Jin Xiao felt a surge of emotion and waved back. As the white light flashed, the world spun around and a grand hall appeared in front of her.
The style was reminiscent of the Unforgiving Palace, with a white jade platform in the center. On top of it was a small, old-fashioned wooden box that emitted a faint light.
Luo Jin Xiao cautiously walked forward, afraid of any unexpected accidents on the way. Fortunately, everything was calm, and she easily grabbed the wooden box.
Surprisingly, the wooden box felt warm, probably emitting heat from the elixir. As soon as she held the elixir in her hand, a warm sensation spread throughout her body, bringing great comfort.
Truly, it was an elixir left by the head of the Unforgiving Gate. She marveled at how much spiritual power it would increase once consumed.
In the next instant, the surrounding scenery suddenly disappeared. The white jade floor beneath her feet turned into hard bricks, and a cool breeze from the outside world blew in, clearing her mind. Cheers erupted all around, and someone rushed forward to hug Luo Jin Xiao.
“Sister! It’s really you!” Luo Ning jumped around excitedly, tears welling up in her eyes, causing Luo Jin Xiao to almost lose her balance.
On the other side, Lu Fanzhi patted her on the back and laughed, showing her gums. “It really is you, Jin Xiao!”
“You said earlier that sister would have failed the first challenge.” Luo Ning looked at Lu Fanzhi with disdain.
The cheers surrounding her were almost deafening. Despite her physical discomfort, Luo Jin Xiao forced a smile. The crowd had only increased compared to the morning. Some people rushed forward to make friends with the rising stars of the Ten Directions Gathering, but they were soon dispersed by the elders of Mount Sumeru along with Luo Ning and Lu Fanzhi.
“Truly remarkable, truly remarkable, they are the Rising Stars!” the elder who had searched them earlier said, trembling as he approached Luo Jin Xiao and nodded in agreement.
“Thank you, Elder. How about the others?” Luo Jin Xiao was still a bit worried.
“The healers have already been sent. Every year there are injuries at the Ten Directions Gathering. It’s nothing serious. However, this time there seems to be more injuries,” the elder shook his head helplessly. “A girl inside has already reported the incident. The Gate of Life and Death sought the elixir, violated the rules, and injured fellow immortals. Her actions are unforgivable. We will discuss and handle it, no need to worry.”
“Thank you, Elder,” Luo Jin Xiao forced a smile.
“You are injured as well. Go and rest quickly. This elixir not only enhances cultivation, but is also extremely effective at healing. Take it,” the elder reached out and placed his hand on Luo Jin Xiao’s shoulder, and with the sound of the wind, she found herself back in her own room.
Separated from the outside commotion, Luo Jin Xiao finally sat on the bed and felt the severity of her internal injuries. Even if others couldn’t see it, she could feel it.
She crossed her legs and sat upright, silver-white spiritual energy enveloping her body and carefully smoothing out the broken meridians. After a stick of incense burned, she finally felt some relief. Only then did she open the box in her hand.
Inside was a spirit pill. At first glance, it looked simple, but upon closer inspection, one could feel the surging energy inside.
Luo Jin Xiao couldn’t help but admire the head of the sect’s cultivation level, as only such an extraordinary pill could be refined.
As she held the Spirit Pill to her mouth, she hesitated. Her eyelashes trembled, and finally, she lowered her hand and carefully put the Spirit Pill back into the box, protecting it in her pouch.
She went to find Qu Wei Yin. When she entered the room, she saw the Qiongqi lying on the bed with a sad expression. As soon as it saw Luo Jin Xiao, it began to frantically wag its tail, whimper, and jump into her arms, making incomprehensible sounds.
“Little Sweetie, so you are here. Where is Young Martial Uncle?” Luo Jin Xiao asked.
The Qiongqi immediately started roaring indignantly.
“Did she threaten you?” Luo Jin Xiao guessed, and the Qiongqi nodded as it rubbed against Luo Jin Xiao’s leg, seeking attention.
Of course, he wouldn’t tell Luo Jin Xiao that Qu Wei Yin had used all kinds of promises to get him to surrender.
“Young Martial Uncle?” Luo Jin Xiao held the Qiongqi in her arms and searched the whole room, but she couldn’t see Qu Wei Yin’s figure. Finally, she found a note on the table with a delicate handwriting that said, “Family business, I’ll leave first.
The note only contained those eight words and nothing else. It was indeed Qu Wei Yin’s style – cold and distant, lacking any warmth.
Feeling an inexplicable sense of disappointment, Luo Jin Xiao sat on the bed, holding the Qiongqi in her arms. She lowered her head to kiss its nose, and the Qiongqi purred and snuggled closer.
Seeing this, Luo Jin Xiao retreated in disappointment; indeed, this was the real Qiongqi.
For the next few days, Luo Jin Xiao occupied Qu Wei Yin’s room. She no longer had to share a bed with Lu Fanzhi and the others, which was quite comfortable. Her injuries were also gradually improving. The only thing that bothered her was that ever since she became the leader of the Ten Directions Gathering, people kept coming to visit her and fraternizing with her, which annoyed her endlessly.
On top of that, she had encountered the members of the Gate of Life and Death several times at the mansion, all of whom wore gloomy expressions and hostile gazes. Luo Jin Xiao knew that she had made enemies with this sect.
After several days, the representatives of various sects left one by one, and the Unregrettable Gate also arranged for their return. Luo Jin Xiao bid farewell to the injured Chang Siyu and Chi Yi, and set off on her journey home. The return journey felt longer than the journey there, and she didn’t even get a chance to see the Exiled Sea that she wanted to visit, leaving her with a hint of regret.
Perhaps due to Qu Wei Yin’s absence, Chang Siyu remained silent throughout the journey.
Besides arguing with Ting Yanyan and Luo Ning, Luo Jin Xiao spent her time listening to Lu Fanzhi’s endless chatter. According to her, there was a sect called the White Moon Sect, which was rumored to be the second most influential sect in the martial world and had countless experts.
For Luo Jin Xiao, this sect was extremely familiar; in her past life, her only friend was a member of the White Moon Sect. When she thought about it, she felt a sense of nostalgia.
Besides, if the members of the White Moon Sect had arrived, getting the elixir might not have been so easy.
They made their way back in fits and starts, taking a total of five days to return to the Unregrettable Gate. The news of Luo Jin Xiao’s acquisition of the elixir had already spread throughout the sect, and her reputation had soared once again. Those who had previously questioned whether she had used some means to win the competition were now left speechless.
Upon her arrival, several elders came to personally greet her. Elder He, a small individual, was particularly excited and jumped up to pat Luo Jin Xiao on the shoulder, his face breaking into a wide, wrinkled smile.
“Luo Jin Tain, you are remarkable, truly remarkable!” he shouted repeatedly.
Luo Jin Xiao coughed and reminded him, “Elder He, it’s Luo Jin Xiao.”
For some unknown reason, Qu Chengzhou did not show up this time. Luo Jin Xiao noticed his absence, and when she looked around, she happened to catch the gaze of Elder Liu, who waved at her before walking away.
Seeing this, Luo Jin Xiao quickly exchanged a few words with Elder He, and then said goodbye to Lu Fanzhi and the others before rushing to catch up with Elder Liu.
“Master,” Luo Jin Xiao greeted respectfully.
Elder Liu looked at Luo Jin Xiao for a moment, and to her surprise, he smiled with satisfaction and said, “Well done. Has your cultivation level been revealed?”
Luo Jin Xiao hesitated for a moment before replying, “It hasn’t been.
“Good,” Elder Liu nodded. However, his smile was soon replaced by seriousness. “There is something I think you should be aware of.”
Upon hearing this, Luo Jin Xiao’s heart tightened and she instinctively straightened her posture.
“That girl, Qu Wei Yin, is in trouble.”
“Young Martial Uncle?” Luo Jin Xiao took a few quick steps forward, her nervousness obvious. “What happened to Young Martial Uncle?”
“Don’t panic,” Elder Liu shook his head, “In the past few days, there has been a dispute within the Qu family over the position of head of the family. She has faced opposition from within her own clan, and under the leadership of Qu Chengzhou, the Qu family has collectively turned against her and is preparing to administer family discipline.”
Upon hearing this, Luo Jin Xiao’s brow furrowed, feeling a sense of frustration at the mention of Qu Chengzhou. The man just wouldn’t go away.
“As the leading family, the Qu family has always been strict in their family traditions. That girl has always been stubborn, and no one has been able to convince her. I can see that she has a certain fondness for you. If you talk to her, she might soften,” Elder Liu’s expression turned melancholy as he sighed deeply.
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