Chapter 6

If Yue Wujiu had ever raised a child, he would know that the worst secret-keepers in the world are children’s mouths.

In a bamboo pavilion atop Changliu Mountain, Yue Wujiu—summoned back urgently via a Communication Jade Slip—sat quietly as several senior elders, led by those from Kunlun Ruins, lectured him.  

Yue Wujiu didn’t offer a single word in his defense the entire time. He even had the leisure to pour tea for the elders when they grew tired, exuding an air of “Scold me all you want—I’ll still do it again next time.”  

“—Truly worthy of the Ninefold Mountain Moon Sect. Only they would dare pull such an irresponsible stunt.”  

“At an event as significant as the Ascension to Immortality Assembly, a sect elder actually sent a Puppet in his place! If word of this spreads, won’t those old fossils from the Cultivation Families laugh at us Immortal Sects for lacking their refinement and heritage?”  

Standing behind a tree, a group of disciples clad in deep blue cloud-patterned sect uniforms—cultivators from Supreme Clarity Capital—whispered among themselves.  

“Of course the elders of Ninefold Mountain Moon Sect wouldn’t want to waste time at the Ascension Assembly. It’s not like they get first pick of disciples anyway. Aren’t they just left to scavenge the rejects after the Four Sacred Sects have taken their choices?”  

“They might want to scavenge, but plenty of those rejects wouldn’t even want to join their sect—”  

Before the words could fully leave his mouth, one of the cultivators felt something smack the back of his head.  

“Who—?”  

The group looked up to see two figures, one tall and one short, perched in the cherry blossom tree—none other than Ji Shu and Peng Peng, who had come to check on Yue Wujiu’s situation.  

“Big Sister, shouldn’t disciples from powerful sects have better manners? Why are they talking behind people’s backs like this?”  

“Because these people are nobodies in their sect. The only thing they have to boast about is the name ‘Supreme Clarity Capital,’ so of course they cling to it for a sense of superiority.”  

“Gossiping and being so petty—this isn’t how I imagined cultivators at all. Are all Supreme Clarity Capital disciples like this? Maybe I shouldn’t consider joining them when the time comes.”  

The Supreme Clarity Capital disciples immediately recognized Peng Peng.  

With that abysmal ranking of yours in the first round of the Dao Debate exam, who are you to be picky? Where does this confidence come from?!  

Just as they were about to retort, their eyes caught sight of someone approaching in the distance, and they eagerly called out:  

“Senior Brother Fu Chen! These two have been slandering Supreme Clarity Capital, calling us all petty and malicious! It’s outrageous—Senior Brother, you must stand up for us!”  

Turning back to Ji Shu and Peng Peng, they sneered:  

“Senior Brother Fu Chen is the head disciple under our sect leader’s personal guidance. He reached the third stage of the Golden Core realm at just twenty-five! Aside from that freakish genius Ji Shu, who formed his Golden Core at ten, our Senior Brother Fu Chen is one of the top talents in the entire Soaring Void Realm! He wouldn’t even need to draw his sword—a mere flick of his Spirit Pressure could reduce the likes of you to dust!”  

Ji Shu: “…Heh.”  

Sorry to disappoint, but the “freakish genius who formed his Golden Core at ten” is standing right here.  

Peng Peng seemed to recall something and tilted her head at Ji Shu.  

“Big Sister, didn’t you tell me your name was Ji… something?”  

The rest of her words were muffled by Ji Shu’s hand clapping over her mouth.  

“What’s going on?”  

After listening to his juniors’ embellished account, Fu Chen felt a flicker of displeasure.  

No one liked hearing their sect insulted.

But on the surface, he still maintained his refined and gentle demeanor, speaking softly to the two on the tree:

“Fair ladies may have some misunderstanding. Our Supreme Clarity Capital would never look down upon other sects. The Ninefold Mountain Moon Sect merely follows a different cultivation path from ours. The Dao has countless manifestations—how can there be superiority or inferiority?”

Ji Shu, holding Peng Peng, leaped down from the tree.

Peng Peng clung to Ji Shu’s neck and snorted lightly:

“Immortal Yue is my savior! If you look down on him, you look down on me! Your Supreme Clarity Capital has completely lost any chance of having me, Gongyi Peng, as a disciple!”

The Supreme Clarity Capital disciples: Who even wants a disciple who scored zero?!  

Fu Chen, however, couldn’t stop staring at Ji Shu:

“This fair lady seems familiar. Have we met somewhere before—”

Peng Peng’s eyes widened at these words, and she immediately shielded Ji Shu’s face.

“The hatred of stealing a wife is irreconcilable! Are you trying to steal my wife?!!”

Fu Chen: “…Huh?”

Peng Peng raised her voice:

“Disgusting pervert! Homewrecker! Shameless! Senior Brother Fu Chen of Supreme Clarity Capital is harassing an innocent fairy!!!”

Fu Chen and his junior brothers: !!!

The child’s voice was piercingly loud, instantly drawing countless gossipy gazes.

Holy shit?

Fu Chen of Supreme Clarity Capital?

Even the epitome of propriety could do something like this?

Initially, people were skeptical, but one look at Ji Shu opposite him—even with only his eyes visible, it was clear he was an ethereal, stunning beauty.

Credibility skyrocketed instantly!

“Who would’ve thought the usually aloof Fu Chen could be so outrageous.”

“Even hitting on female cultivators at the Ascension to Immortality Assembly—isn’t this just using his reputation as Supreme Clarity Capital’s head disciple to seduce naive junior sisters?”

“Never imagined Senior Brother Fu Chen was this kind of person.”

Fu Chen was dumbfounded: “I didn’t—”

Ji Shu watched Fu Chen frantically defending himself to the crowd and couldn’t help but find it absurdly amusing.

He recalled how Fu Chen had once framed him for practicing demonic arts and slaughtering fellow disciples.

The scenes from back then were now replaying before his eyes in such a ridiculous manner, with their roles reversed—truly lamentable.

“Are you feeling happier now, sister?”

The little girl in his arms suddenly looked up and asked.

Ji Shu lowered his gaze: “Why do you ask?”

“Because… ever since that senior brother appeared, you’ve been giving off a really scary aura.”

Ji Shu sniffed.

Aside from the faint fragrance of cosmetics from the veil borrowed from a Celestial Music Twelve Palaces disciple, there was no other scent.

He tapped Peng Peng’s head.

“If I’m so scary, why aren’t you afraid of me?”

Peng Peng grinned, eyes crinkling: “I’d never be afraid of a pretty sister!”

Ji Shu realized he’d been subtly brainwashed by Peng Peng.

Now, not only did he feel no psychological burden wearing women’s attire, but he’d even grown accustomed to being called “pretty sister” by Peng Peng—and it even gave him a sense of… contentment?

Then, the next second, Peng Peng clasped his hand and declared earnestly:

“Even if I marry other pretty sisters in the future, you’ll definitely always be my favorite one!”

Unable to tolerate it any longer, Ji Shu decisively dropped the fickle little girl back onto the ground.

Meanwhile, in the bamboo pavilion, the elders who had drunk their fill of tea had dispersed, leaving only a disciple from Kunlun Ruins standing beside Yue Wujiu, observing the commotion around Peng Peng.

“Seems like there’s quite a spectacle over there.”

Yue Wujiu yawned.

It was time for his usual afternoon nap, and he was very sleepy.  

“What did Kunlun Ruins send you here for?”  

The disciple from Kunlun Ruins carefully retrieved a wine jar from his Mustard Seed Pouch and placed it on the stone table in the pavilion.  

“The Sect Leader said the Spring Encounter brewed five hundred years ago is now ready. He sends it to the friend who buried it with him, as a distant tribute to old companions.”  

Few in the Soaring Void Realm knew that the peerlessly powerful Sect Leader of Kunlun Ruins was acquainted with Yue Wujiu, the elder of the Ninefold Mountain Moon Sect.  

These two, who seemed worlds apart in status, had once been life-and-death sworn brothers. In their youth, they had roamed the mountains with like-minded friends, wielding their swords and settling grievances with righteous fury.  

Yue Wujiu remembered how, back then, their small group of friends had buried this wine after brewing it, naming it “Spring Encounter” and vowing to unearth and drink it together five hundred years later.  

Yue Wujiu’s perpetually lazy, half-lidded eyes finally lifted slightly.  

The disciple from Kunlun Ruins didn’t know that this wasn’t the first time the Sect Leader had sent him to deliver wine.  

In Yue Wujiu’s nine repeated lifetimes, every single time, he had smashed this jar of wine to pieces with a single palm strike. The disciple himself had even been caught in the backlash of Yue Wujiu’s lingering fury, breaking two ribs.  

He truly didn’t want to accept this wine.  

But he was also truly tired of smashing it.  

Yue Wujiu sighed inwardly. “Leave it here.”  

Seeing this, the disciple thought there might be hope and pressed on:  

“The Sect Leader also entrusted me with one more task—he wishes to invite you back to Kunlun Ruins to serve as the Tenth Peak’s elder…”  

“…Young man.”  

“Huh?”  

“Do you really not care about your two ribs?”  

“???”  

The next day, during the Spirit Root measuring ceremony, Peng Peng counted the Kunlun Ruins delegation and tilted her head to ask Qiuqiu:  

“Qiuqiu, don’t you think Kunlun Ruins seems to be missing a senior brother?”  

Qiuqiu: “I know! They said a senior brother tripped and broke his ribs! Hmph, even the cultivation world has clumsy cultivators!”  

“Those two up there—they’re the kids you know, right?”  

Ji Shu looked at the siblings Sang Chuan and Sang Yue on the platform:  

“Both of them have Dual Spirit Roots, decent talent. Their performance in the first two rounds was good too. They shouldn’t have any trouble joining the Four Sects.”  

Peng Peng’s eyes reflected the enormous Spirit Measuring Plate, filled with longing.  

“What kind of Spirit Root will I have?”  

Qiuqiu, Peng Peng’s number one hype-woman, cheered her on:  

“The Young Mistress is definitely a Single Spiritual Root genius! Only the noble Single Spiritual Root is worthy of the Young Mistress’s noble heritage!”  

Peng Peng also psyched herself up. Gongyi Lang was such an idiot, yet he had a Single Spiritual Root—and a Mutated Thunder Spiritual Root at that. Why couldn’t she have a Single Spiritual Root too?  

Hmph.  

Just watch! Today would be the moment her genius, Peng Peng, would shine—  

“Gongyi Peng of Pingchuan, step forward.”  

At this call, everyone present who had heard of Peng Peng’s recent exploits turned to look at her.  

Under the weight of countless curious gazes, Peng Peng strode confidently toward the Spirit Measuring Plate without a trace of fear.  

A senior sister from Kunlun Ruins said to her, “Please place your palm at the center of the Spirit Measuring Plate.”  

Peng Peng obeyed.  

The moment her palm made contact, the plate spun wildly, and a beam of intense light shot into the sky. A pure, blazing crimson flame danced in everyone’s eyes.  

—A Fire-attribute Single Spiritual Root!  

Gongyi Lang’s first thought was, Holy shit.  

Though he also had a Single Spiritual Root—and a Mutated Thunder Spiritual Root at that—Peng Peng’s Spiritual Root purity was clearly even higher than his. She really was… Huh? Why did it suddenly fizzle out?

The light extinguished abruptly, leaving many in the crowd with expressions twisted between shock, envy, and jealousy.  

The Cultivators presiding over the ceremony were equally surprised. After careful examination, they announced to the assembly:  

“Fire-attribute Single Spirit Root coupled with Celestial Deficiency Physique—”  

The envy and jealousy in the crowd’s eyes turned to pity.  

Such rare talent, yet alas, it was the Celestial Deficiency Physique—a wasted opportunity for the hard-earned Single Spirit Root.  

As Peng Peng stepped down from the Spirit Root testing platform, Ji Shu, Sang Chuan, and Sang Yue approached her.  

Sang Chuan said, “If you want to cry, go ahead.”  

Sang Yue added, “If it’s really hopeless, maybe we can see if you can still become an Outer Sect Disciple?”  

Before Ji Shu could figure out how to console her, Peng Peng waved her hand dismissively:  

“I won’t cry. In all the stories, the path of a genius is never smooth—this is my destiny. I understand.”  

“…”  

“…”  

“…”  

This little girl was utterly unlucky yet brimming with confidence.  

By the time the Spirit Root testing ceremony concluded, dusk had fallen.  

Sang Chuan, Sang Yue, and Gongyi Lang had all submitted their applications to Kunlun Ruins. An hour later, after deliberation, the elders of Kunlun Ruins issued Entry Jade Tokens, officially accepting the three as disciples.  

Naturally, Ji Shu had not submitted an application. In the first round, he had turned in a blank paper; in the second, he deliberately exceeded the time limit to score zero; and in the third, he had excused himself and was disqualified from the Spirit Root test. Even if he had applied, no sect would have taken him.  

Ji Shu was still preoccupied with Peng Peng’s Celestial Deficiency Physique.  

He possessed Water and Wood Dual Spirit Roots, excelling not only in swordsmanship but also showing remarkable talent in alchemy.  

In his past lives, he had never left Supreme Clarity Capital. To avoid Fu Chen, he had deliberately secluded himself to cultivate immortal herbs and study alchemy. Though he had ultimately still clashed blades with Fu Chen, he had inadvertently mastered some alchemical skills along the way.  

If he had a place to quietly research elixirs, the Celestial Deficiency Physique might not be entirely incurable.  

“Little girl, have you decided which sect to join? If not, would you consider our Penglai Island?”  

The elder from Penglai Island smiled kindly at Peng Peng, who stared at him blankly.  

His words drew surprised glances from many around them.  

Though Penglai Island wasn’t as sought-after as Kunlun Ruins, among the Four Sacred Sects, it stood equal to Supreme Clarity Capital and Celestial Music Twelve Palaces. Those with fewer than three Spirit Roots couldn’t even qualify as Inner Sect Disciples there. Yet here they were, extending an olive branch to someone with a Celestial Deficiency Physique, doomed to never tread the Path to Immortality?  

Peng Peng shook her head. “I have a Celestial Deficiency Physique. None of them want me—though I think they lack vision. I’ll definitely grow stronger someday. But… you don’t mind?”  

The Penglai Island elder stroked his white beard.  

“I was present during the sealing of the Evil Demon. Though you have a Celestial Deficiency Physique, you might just have the makings of a Demon Tamer—”  

Hearing this, the other elders who had been eavesdropping suddenly understood.  

This old man’s mind worked fast indeed!  

Ever since the fall of Nether Capital five hundred years ago, the Spirit Demons had been left leaderless. Some had retreated deeper into Nether Capital to hide, while others had scattered across the Soaring Void Realm.  

Though some Cultivators chose to hunt Spirit Demons to enhance their cultivation, most preferred not to walk the path of slaughter. If powerful Spirit Demons could be tamed and fought alongside, wouldn’t that instantly grant a sect an overwhelming force?

Alas, spirit demons are wild and untamed, making cultivators favored by them exceedingly rare. Thus, none of the elders had initially considered this possibility.  

When the elder from Penglai Island brought it up, everyone’s gaze toward Peng Peng instantly changed.  

“Hmm, I always felt this girl’s spirit root was extraordinary—she’s bound for greatness. Our Celestial Music Twelve Palaces has abundant resources, and our elders are dedicated teachers. If you join us, we’ll nurture you properly.”  

“Don’t listen to her nonsense! Penglai Island is vast and rich in resources, the most suitable place to train a Demon Tamer. If you come to our island, I’ll personally let you choose any master you want!”  

“Ha! Step aside! Little girl, listen to me—enroll in our Kunlun Ruins. Not only will we provide you with rare treasures to nourish your body, but we’ll also reward you with a hundred spirit stones for every cultivation realm you advance!”  

Holy crap!  

Kunlun Ruins, you’re shamelessly throwing money around just to snatch a disciple!  

Seeing Kunlun Ruins flaunt their wealth with spirit stones, the other sects quickly followed suit, sparking a chaotic bidding war. Some sly elders, knowing Peng Peng was close to Ji Shu, even slipped him spirit stones on the side:  

“…If you can convince your little sister to join our sect, we’ll take you in too!”  

Ji Shu: “…Honored elders, please control your disgraceful, money-grubbing adult behavior.”  

Peng Peng was still standing there in a daze.  

Though being sought after should be a good thing, she felt utterly lost. Just days ago, she had been a little beggar sneaking around the Immortal Market Food House for scraps, and even the Gongyi family had considered her an embarrassment.  

She had never read about this kind of scenario in storybooks—it all felt too unreal.  

Just as Peng Peng was questioning reality, a senior sister from the Ninefold Mountain Moon Sect squeezed into the crowd of recruiters.  

They had no choice.  

The Ninefold Mountain Moon Sect hadn’t recruited a single proper disciple in fifty years. Even for the Ascension to Immortality Assembly, their sect had sent an elder who was only interested in playing mahjong.  

At this rate, their sect was doomed!  

“Junior… junior sister… Our Ninefold Mountain Moon Sect is also quite good. The scenery is beautiful, the air is fresh, and we even have an elder of peerless beauty… Would you consider joining us…?”  

Perched on Ji Shu’s shoulder, Peng Peng looked down at the senior sister before her.  

“Is the Ninefold Mountain Moon Sect… very poor?”  

Senior Sister: “…N-not *very* poor, just a little…”  

“Does everyone lack ambition and just live casually?”  

Senior Sister: “Well… it’s just that our sect advocates a more… Zen approach to cultivation. Sure, at first glance, we might seem like we’re just sunbathing and napping all day, but it’s actually a profound and unique cultivation method…”  

“One last question.” Peng Peng’s expression turned more serious than ever. “Does your sect… provide enough food?”  

The senior sister wept internally. If she wasn’t interested, why twist the knife? She was sacrificing so much for her sect.  

“…Junior sister, no matter how poor our sect is, we wouldn’t let anyone go hungry.”  

The moment she finished speaking, Peng Peng’s eyes lit up, and she pointed at the Ninefold Mountain Moon Sect’s senior sister.  

“Starting today, I’m a disciple of the Ninefold Mountain Moon Sect!”  

The noisy crowd fell silent instantly.

Under the stunned gazes of everyone thinking, “Is this child out of her mind?” Peng Peng flashed a confident smile—  

What kind of top-tier sect would fight over recruiting her as a disciple? That was a script reserved for those spoiled young masters destined to be crushed by the protagonist!  

“Maybe… maybe you should think it over again…”  

The senior sister had only been testing the waters—she never expected this silly little girl to actually agree!  

“No need to reconsider!”  

Peng Peng gazed at the conflicted senior sister with an air of profound mystery.  

“Before, the Ninefold Mountain Moon Sect was nothing in their eyes—but that was only because I hadn’t arrived! From now on, I will lead our sect to greatness, strength, and glory! Senior Sister, let’s work hard together!”  

The senior sister, who wasn’t particularly eager to dive into this mess, fell silent for a moment.  

…Was it too late to return this junior sister?