If Mu Ya had been more serious, she wouldn’t have ended up so embarrassed. Both of them had used regular swords in the match, but she had her own divine weapon, which even Yun Shouxu couldn’t sever.

Today, her loss was due to her arrogance and underestimating the opponent.

Yu Xiu, who knew her temperament well, understood that she would not let this go easily. So, he stepped forward and positioned himself between the two of them, speaking gently, “The martial test has already been completed. A regular sword is sufficient.”

He gave Mu Ya an easy way out, but Mu Ya refused.

She threw aside her sword and coldly said, “Again.”

Yu Xiu replied, “If you wish to spar, I will take her place.”

“Senior Brother Yu!” Mu Ya protested, “She is just a…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Yu Xiu interrupted, “Since she is the disciple personally chosen by the Master, she is my junior sister.”

Mu Ya gritted her teeth, unwilling to accept this.

At this moment, Master Fan, who had been watching from the sidelines, spoke up, “Song Yuanyuan.”

Song Yuanyuan, who had been watching the commotion from the crowd, looked confused.

“Come here,” Master Fan said with a smile, “Come with me to the Sixth Hall to receive the formal disciple ceremony.”

Song Yuanyuan quickly ran over, “Yes!”

Master Fan leisurely walked past a few people and said, “Yu Xiu, you should go as well. The Third Elder is still waiting. Everyone else, disperse.”

Yu Xiu bowed his head respectfully, then took Ling Luo and followed Master Fan out of the Third Trial Hall.

Disciples from each sect’s inner hall and their juniors arrived to escort their new inner sect disciples.

Master Mu, who led the Three Extremes Sect, was accompanied by Mu Ya.

The atmosphere in their sect was heavy, with the disciples afraid to even breathe too loudly, afraid of provoking Mu Ya and suffering another violent reprimand.

In contrast, the atmosphere around Ling Luo was much friendlier.

Yu Xiu guided her across the Dingshan River and onto the inner sect’s main path, pointing out different places as they walked.

Ling Luo had always admired her second senior brother in her previous life.

He was gentle, clear-minded in his actions, and often took care of his junior brothers and sisters, both in their cultivation and in their everyday lives.

His only flaw was that he listened too much to Yun Shouxu.

Even if Yun Shouxu told him to die, Yu Xiu would do it without hesitation.

“The Qing Shi Fang is in the northernmost part of Tianji. There’s a barrier set up around it, and anyone who approaches will fall into the formation and won’t be able to reach deeper areas,” Yu Xiu explained. “As for cultivation, the Master will arrange it. Since you just entered the inner sect, according to the rules, you must not neglect any other courses for at least a year.”

“All disciples, both inside and outside, have the SkyNet mark. The sect leaders can track every disciple’s location on the jade plate using these marks, so don’t even think about sneaking into the restricted areas of the sect.”

Yu Xiu continued speaking, pulling a small black object from his sleeve.

It was thin and small, no larger than the size of her palm.

“This is a jade listening device that’s been linked to your SkyNet mark,” Yu Xiu explained. “Every inner sect disciple has one of these. It’s very useful for communication within the sect, to inform about courses, public announcements of results, and some daily tasks. News from various immortal sects is also often sent through it.”

The jade listening device was only given to inner sect disciples.

Ling Luo played with the thin jade device in her hand, well aware of its function.

She was quite familiar with it. It was because of the jade listening device and the SkyNet mark that she had been caught trespassing into the restricted area, which led to her staying in the Discipline Hall for two months.

The memory of that experience still caused her pain when she thought about it.

After leaving the Discipline Hall, Ling Luo had started to act a little mad.

“Yuting’s communication range covers the entire Sky Peak. If you leave the Sky Peak, it becomes useless,” Yu Xiu said, walking along the quiet mountain path.

Ling Hu walked ahead, faintly visible near the red torii gate. “Senior Brother was out for training last month. He’ll probably return at the beginning of next month.”

“If you need anything or have any questions, you can speak to me.”

Ling Luo put away her Yuting and said, “Thank you, Second Senior Brother.”

Although they had only known each other for a short time, Yu Xiu had been polite and distant. There wasn’t much intimacy between them.

Ling Luo wasn’t in a hurry. There was plenty of time.

Ling Hu reached the stone steps ahead of them. When he saw the man standing by the torii gate, he howled.

Yu Xiu was slightly surprised. As he approached, he saw that Yun Shouxi was actually standing in front of them. He was momentarily taken aback.

Their master was waiting directly at the torii gate?

Yun Shouxi still wore the same clothes as last night, though his long hair was tied up, giving him a slightly less lazy appearance. He stood there with a smile in his eyes, watching the two of them approach.

“Master.” Yu Xiu bowed his head in greeting.

“Well done.” Yun Shouxi smiled, “I’ll take her from here. You can go back to your duties.”

Although Yu Xiu was curious, he didn’t show it on his face. He nodded, turned, and left.

Ling Hu also transformed and disappeared. In a moment, the sound of wind whistling through the torii gate was the only noise, leaving just the two of them.

This was just like in her past life. After Yu Xiu led her to the torii gate, Yun Shouxi had called him away and personally took her to Qing Shi Fang.

Ling Luo pretended to be shy, lowered her head, and softly said, “Disciple greets the Third Elder.”

“Hm?” Yun Shouxi chuckled, extending his hand from in front of him, gently lifting her chin with his red folding fan. “What did you call me?”

Ling Luo looked at him with wide eyes, “Yesterday, disciple made the mistake of intruding into Qing Shi Fang… I have already broken the rules—”

“Now that you’re my disciple, you can enter and leave Qing Shi Fang as you wish,” Yun Shouxi leaned closer, lowering his voice as he asked, “Or are you saying you don’t want to?”

“Disciple has no such intention!” Ling Luo hurriedly shook her head, her face and eyes filled with pure sincerity. “It’s just… just—”

“Just what?” Yun Shouxi asked patiently, his eyes on her.

Ling Luo whispered, “I was just wondering if I truly have the qualifications to be the Third Elder’s personal disciple.”

Hmph, you’re not even qualified to be my master!

“You have excellent results, abundant spiritual energy, and outstanding swordsmanship. Why wouldn’t you be qualified?” Yun Shouxi smiled at her, handing her the folding fan and signaling for her to hold it.

Ling Luo reached out and lightly placed her hand on the fan as she walked with him toward Qing Shi Fang.

“Besides, not many people can run faster than Ling Hu,” Yun Shouxi teased, his tone full of jest.

Ling Luo lowered her head, smiling shyly.

“This fan is called ‘Sakura Delight.’ I had it specially crafted in the West Sea when I went there last time. It’s a high-quality weapon,” Yun Shouxi continued, his voice as clear as a gentle stream, smooth and pleasant. His pace was neither too fast nor too slow, and just listening to him was an enjoyable experience.

Ling Luo studied the red folding fan connecting them. It was similar to Yu Xiu’s jade flute, adorned with tiny glowing fireflies.

This fan had a cool touch, made from the rare and precious Tianqiong wood. Its frame had sixty sections, and when fully unfolded, it formed a half-circle. Even though it wasn’t opened now, Ling Luo knew exactly what the red fan face looked like.

It was a deep red color, but when infused with spiritual energy, a stunning West Sea cherry blossom pattern appeared on the fan.

One side showed flowers in full bloom, while the other side depicted fallen petals.

She had even predicted Yun Shouxi’s next words.

He would give her the fan.

“The West Sea Taichu is home to the largest cherry blossom forest. When the flowers bloom, the entire mountain is covered in vibrant colors, yet it remains elegant and delicate. This fan is a woman’s fan, and it’s not something I’d give to your two senior brothers. Today, I’ll give it to you as a gift for joining the sect,” Yun Shouxi said, standing on the steps and turning back to look at her, his dark eyes filled with a faint smile.

Ling Luo received the folding fan with both hands, slowly knelt, and said, “Disciple thanks Master for the generous gift. I will work hard to study and live up to Master’s expectations.”

The smile in her eyes was genuine, but there was also a trace of softness that made Yun Shouxi feel enchanted.

Ling Luo couldn’t help but smile to herself when she remembered that she had killed Yun Shouxi using the bones of the very same Sakura Delight fan.