Chapter 2: First Meeting

Three days later, at Zhengyang Palace.

When Wen Xi arrived, Yu Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, facing the palace door. With his long gray hair and the wide-sleeved robe of the sect leader, he exuded an immortal aura.

“Master.” Wen Xi stepped into the hall and bowed respectfully.

Yu Xuan turned around at the sound of her voice, surprise flashing across his face. He then glanced at her with a hint of resentment and said, “Ah, it’s Xiao Xi’er. You finally came to see your lonely and helpless master.”

Wen Xi looked at the unruly Yu Xuan and replied seriously, “Master, you asked me to come here.”

“…”

Yu Xuan awkwardly glanced at his increasingly serious disciple, then skipped over the topic and asked, “I heard that you sent Wen Xue to the outer sect?”

“Wen Xue is old enough now; it’s time for her to learn some rules and morals.” Wen Xi paused and asked, “Master, did you call me here to tell me something?”

Yu Xuan had originally wanted to chat with her about family matters, but since his disciple refused to cooperate, he had to give up.

“Your body knows that you can’t delay the formation of the elixir any longer, so you must find the Little Netherworld Flame when you return to the Little Netherworld Secret Realm. The Little Netherworld Flame is a very yin fire, which counteracts the very yang fire in your body. Only in this way can you avoid the danger of the raging fire invading your body when you form the elixir.”

“Disciple understands.” Yu Xuan had told her this more than once. If not for this, she wouldn’t have to suppress her own cultivation so hard.

Seeing her serious expression, Yu Xuan relaxed and comforted her, “But you don’t have to worry. I asked Old Man Chang Ying to tell my fortune, and the hexagram shows good luck. Everything will go as you wish.”

Although Yu Xuan and Chang Ying did not get along well, he still believed in the abilities of the Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion. Since the other party said that the trip would go smoothly, it seemed that nothing would go wrong.

However, when he thought about the other party’s mysterious words at the end regarding some “unexpected surprise,” Yu Xuan couldn’t help but wonder. Given the old man’s character, was he referring to something good or something troublesome?

Thinking of this, Yu Xuan quickly changed his last sentence: “But don’t be too casual; there are some things that need to be considered carefully.”

“Yes, disciple will keep Master’s teachings in mind.” Wen Xi nodded.

Yu Xuan, still worried, gave Wen Xi many instructions for a long time, but her responses were either “Disciple knows” or “Disciple understands,” which was completely different from Ji Yun, who had left earlier.

Thinking of Ji Yun, Yu Xuan felt even more troubled.

His two disciples were polar opposites—one was passionate, and the other was ruthless.

Looking at the calm and self-possessed disciple in front of him, Yu Xuan thought for a moment and said, “I know you don’t spend much time with Ji Yun and don’t have much affection for him, but he is your fellow apprentice after all. You will be training with him on this trip. If he has any problems, remember to take care of him.”

When Wen Xi heard him say this, she suddenly recalled the gossip Wen Xue had mentioned before, so she replied seriously, “Master, don’t worry, I will definitely take good care of him.”

“Okay.” Yu Xuan was pleased to hear that. “The time is almost up; go ahead and don’t miss the departure time.”

“Yes, disciple will take my leave.”

After leaving Zhengyang Palace, Wen Xi turned and headed to the gathering square, found the leading elder, boarded the flying boat with the other disciples, and set off for the Little Netherworld Secret Realm.

—

On the flying boat.

Wen Xi once again entered that strange dream.

Last time, she only had time to remember that pair of eyes, but this time, Wen Xi followed the other person through half of the dream.

In her dream, she saw with her own eyes her philandering junior brother using sweet words to charm others, deceiving them into giving their true hearts, and even cheating them out of the treasures in their possession…

Outrageous!

Firstly, he was a playboy, and secondly, he was a fraud. These were not right behaviors. If the truth got out, it would only bring shame to the master.

Wen Xi clenched the sword in her hand, trying to fulfill her duty as a senior sister, but her mind was shaken. When she opened her eyes again, there was no one in front of her. It was clearly another dream.

“Knock, knock.” The door knocked twice, and after a pause, Ji Yun’s voice came from outside, “Senior Sister, are you there?”

She had just seen him in her dream, and now he was actually in front of her.

Wen Xi opened the door with a wooden expression: “What’s the matter?”

Ji Yun’s face was filled with a warm smile: “Sister, I just saw the beautiful sunset in the sky, and the fellow disciples and sisters outside were all surprised. I thought that since you have lived in the snowy peaks for a long time, you may not often see such a scene, so I came here to invite you to watch the scenery together.”

Wen Xi looked at the smile on his face and couldn’t help but think that he was also such a liar in the dream, which made her feel a little unhappy. However, the matter in the dream needed to be investigated, so she couldn’t vent her anger on him. Instead, she said coldly, “No need to wait for me; go by yourself.”

After Wen Xi finished speaking, she raised her hand and closed the door, leaving Ji Yun outside. He thought to himself that his senior sister was still as cold as ever and was not interested in anything. He felt disappointed for a moment before leaving.

Although she rejected Ji Yun, Wen Xi did not refuse to watch the view. After the others left for a while, she restrained her breath and secretly went to the deck.

The flying boat was sailing in the clouds, and in the distance was the sky and clouds dyed with various colors—orange-red, misty blue, light purple… all connected together, forming a magnificent and breathtaking picture.

All things in the world are magical. Wen Xi felt one sensation when facing the vast snow on Xuefeng Mountain every day, and now she felt another as she gazed at the endless rays of light in the sky.

Just as she was immersed in the beauty, a faint sound of a piano drifted from afar.

When the two Golden Elixir brothers on the boat heard the sound, their brows furrowed. One of them looked seriously in the direction of the sound, while the other quickly went into the cabin to report to the leading elder.

The flying boat was moving at an extremely fast speed. In a short while, Wen Xi saw a larger and more ornate flying boat appear before them, blocking their path.

The Golden Elixir senior brother in front of the boat halted their vessel and called out loudly, “Song Jun of Yiyuan Sect, may I ask if the Taoist in front is from the Demonic Sound Sect?”

“Little guy, you have good eyesight.”

As the voice rose and fell, the sound of the piano abruptly stopped, and the speaker appeared before everyone.

The newcomer was a woman, around sixteen or seventeen years old, with skin as white as snow and a face so beautiful that it was hard to look directly at her. The purple, shark-like gauze skirt she wore was thin and transparent, and as she walked, her straight and slender calves and bare feet were faintly visible. The small golden bells on her ankles jingled softly with her movements.

In a righteous sect like Yiyuan Sect, the disciples all wore uniforms and hats. They had never seen anything so revealing and bold, and their faces immediately flushed with embarrassment. They wanted to turn their heads away, but they found themselves captivated and unable to look away.

Wen Xi, however, remained unfazed and scrutinized the woman carefully.

From the golden bell ornament on her forehead to the small golden bells in her hair, wrists, and ankles, and the white pearls under her eyes, Wen Xi recognized her as the person who had appeared in her dream.

Feeling a bit nervous, Wen Xi subconsciously glanced at Ji Yun in the distance. Sure enough, she saw him staring at her blankly.

Perhaps sensing it was inappropriate, she held his gaze for a few seconds before looking away.

The woman noticed this change and a look of surprise and amusement appeared in her eyes.

Wen Xi’s hand instinctively moved to the hilt of her sword, but fortunately, the elder leading the team interrupted her with a cold snort, waking the other disciples on the flying boat.

“What happened to me just now?”

“Hey, when did this fairy arrive?”

…

The elder glared at the group of useless disciples, his face dark. “Be quiet! Aren’t you ashamed enough? Except for Wen Xi and Ji Yun, everyone else will copy the Qingxin Law two hundred times and hand it in to me after returning to the sect. Song Jun and Xing Tong will double it.”

In contrast, the woman opposite them was relaxed and smiled. “Oh, this brother has a really bad temper. I was just joking with them; why get angry?”

The leader, named Hong Ri, had only one fire spirit root. Not only was he hot-tempered, but he was also very conservative. He despised the behavior of demon cultivators the most and immediately shouted angrily, “Who is your brother? Stop talking nonsense, you evil girl.”

“Hehe, how can you be so shameless, old man? You have no shame. You are old with a scruffy beard, yet you still have the nerve to ask others to call you brother.” The woman covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes sparkling. “It was obviously this person who was called…”

As she spoke, her voice paused, and her gaze, which was supposed to fall on Ji Yun, suddenly shifted to Wen Xi in the corner.

“It’s my fault for being so short-sighted that I almost missed such a stunning beauty hiding on the boat.” The woman closed the distance in two steps and approached Wen Xi.

Wen Xi’s eyes narrowed slightly. This woman was actually a senior in the Nascent Soul stage. No wonder she dared to speak to Elder Hong like that.

“Let me see, this look, this demeanor—there’s no one else but Binghunxuepo.” The woman tilted her head, revealing a hint of cuteness. “From this perspective, the beauty guide that Shang Fanghua created does make some sense.”

Beauty mirror.

When Wen Xi heard this, the words that Wen Xue had whispered in her ear immediately came to mind. She looked at the woman’s attire again, and a name instantly surfaced in her thoughts.

“Wu Lingling, the Saintess of the Demonic Sound Sect.”

Wu Lingling had always topped the list of beauty judges until two years ago when Wen Xi’s name appeared, causing her to fall to second place.

Since ancient times, there have always been idle people who indulge in external appearances, even compiling lists of beauties.

However, what most cultivators truly valued was talent in cultivation. That’s why Wen Xi remembered this name partly because of the ranking of beauties that Wen Xue had talked about, but more so because she respected the other person’s talent.

It was said that this Saintess of the Demonic Sound Sect had exceptional talent for cultivation. She established her foundation at the age of sixteen, formed her elixir at twenty-five, and reached the Nascent Soul stage at fifty. Not to mention in the Central Continent, even across the entire cultivation world, her reputation as a genius had never been matched.

So it turns out that the person in my dream was her.

A strong fighting spirit suddenly ignited in Wen Xi’s eyes. She wanted to surpass this person.

Wu Lingling, unaware of Wen Xi’s thoughts, smiled and said, “I’m so happy that the beauty recognized me.”

Wen Xi admired her talent for cultivation, and seeing her innocent demeanor at this moment, she couldn’t help but think of what she had seen in her dream.

She thought it was a pity that such talent was wasted on her junior brother, so she reminded her, “It is best to find a Daoist partner when both of you are in love with each other.”

If possible, it would be better to give up love and dedicate oneself to the Tao. But Wen Xi also knew that not everyone was willing to practice the ruthless path like her, so she didn’t push it.

???

“What do you mean, my beauty?” Wu Lingling frowned, thought for a moment, and suddenly realized, “Are you asking me for marriage? This union between immortals and demons is indeed a happy event, but it’s a pity that my father probably doesn’t want me to get married. So I can only let you marry into the Demonic Sound Sect. Our Demonic Sound Sect is full of flowers blooming all year round, with a pleasant fragrance. The flowers complement the beauty, and the scenery is even better…”

Wen Xi was slightly taken aback. This was not her intention. “Senior, I think you have misunderstood. I don’t have any personal feelings for you.”

Elder Hong, who was standing nearby, saw that this witch had already begun to charm the talented disciples in their sect and couldn’t help but shout angrily, “Enough! We still have to hurry on our way, and this witch should not block our path.”

Wu Lingling glanced at him and said with a curled lip, “Boring old thing.”

After that, she turned back to Wen Xi with a smile and said, “Love is the easiest thing to cultivate. If you don’t have it now, you can have it if the beauty comes to my boat as a guest.”

Wen Xi, emotionally indifferent and not used to socializing with others, felt uncomfortable in the presence of someone as extroverted as Wu Lingling. She immediately refused, saying, “Wen Xi thanks you for your kindness, but Wen Xi is a disciple of the Yiyuan Sect and must abide by the sect’s rules.”

This cold look doesn’t show that she likes her at all.

Wu Lingling was just teasing herm a few times, so she didn’t feel too disappointed.

“Well, such a beautiful girl, why does she learn such old-fashioned things?” Wu Lingling pouted and glanced at her with a lack of interest, then looked at Ji Yun, who had been ignored by her for a while. “How about this little brother, do you want to go back with me to play for a few days?”

Before Ji Yun could say anything, he noticed the gazes of Elder Hong Ri and the senior sister beside him—one was angry, the other was cold.

Ji Yun’s expression trembled for no reason, and he said righteously, “Senior, I’m sorry that I can’t follow your wishes.”

After being rejected for the second time, Wu Lingling still had a good temper. She only glanced at Wen Xi and Ji Yun, then looked at Hong Ri, who was furious. Finally, she sighed and said to Wen Xi, “Okay, beautiful lady, I’m leaving. See you again if we’re lucky.”

Wu Lingling came suddenly and left suddenly.

During the whole process, the other party’s behavior was leisurely and casual, and there was no discernible purpose, as if she really did it on a whim.

Wen Xi stood by the fence, looking at the gorgeous flying boat not far away, feeling puzzled.

“Sister, don’t you want to come out?”

Wen Xi heard the voice and turned to look at the person who spoke. “I didn’t say that.”

Hearing this, Ji Yun said in annoyance, “I misunderstood. Senior Sister, please don’t be angry with me.”

As soon as Wen Xi saw Ji Yun’s face, all the doubts she had just now were instantly answered. Perhaps the other party did this just to see Ji Yun.

Putting aside other emotions, Wen Xi looked at her junior brother seriously for the first time.

Frankly speaking, Ji Yun was born with a good appearance, both handsome and charming, which blended perfectly into one. The white clothes made his gentle temperament appear more prominent.

Wen Xi had seen him communicating with people in her dreams. His gentle eyes and brows when he smiled gave people a sense of solidity and stability, making it easy for him to win the other person’s trust.

Even at this moment, his humble look in front of her did not make people feel timid, but rather a natural, peaceful, and calm state.

It is really hard to dislike such a person if you don’t know his inner nature.

However, most of the things in the dream did not happen, and it was not completely unsalvageable. Thinking of this, Wen Xi was determined. She had promised her master that she would take on the responsibilities of a senior sister, so she should practice it.

“Junior brother.” Wen Xi looked at Ji Yun in front of her and advised earnestly, “When you are looking for a Daoist partner, you should be single-minded.”

Ji Yun was stunned for a moment after hearing this and asked cautiously, “What do you mean, Senior Sister?”

Wen Xi was more straightforward: “If you already have a crush on someone, you should treat her well and stop flirting with other people.”

The “other person” that Wen Xi mentioned mainly referred to Wu Lingling. When she thought of that person’s sad look in the dream, Wen Xi’s heart inexplicably tightened.

But Ji Yun understood it differently after hearing it and hurriedly explained, “Senior Sister, please don’t misunderstand. I only treat Xiaozhu as my sister. As for Junior Sister Zhong, I don’t have any feelings for her that go beyond the limit.”

Ji Yun glanced at Wen Xi shyly and said in a deep voice, “If I have someone I like in my heart, I will naturally be devoted to her alone.”

“Oh.” Wen Xi had no expression on her face.

Had she heard these words seven or eight times in her dream?

If she wasn’t in a clear mind, then it was her junior brother who was not in a clear mind and still hadn’t realized his mistake.

I can’t kill him, and I can’t cripple him for now, so…

Wen Xi looked at the sky, which had darkened, and took out a talisman that Wen Xue had stuffed into her storage bag, and stuck it on her unconscious junior brother.

“Senior Sister?” Ji Yun felt a little uneasy as he was suddenly frozen in place.

Wen Xi replied calmly: “Junior brother, wake up.”

Ji Yun didn’t even have time to ask what he was awake for or how he would awaken. He saw his cold and self-sustaining senior sister digging a hole in the formation in front of him. The night wind poured in through the hole, fiercely washing Ji Yun’s handsome face.

Wen Xi looked at the other person’s face, which was gradually distorted and deformed. The depression that had accumulated due to the dream instantly dissipated. She went back to the house to meditate in a relaxed mood, leaving Ji Yun standing there doubting his life.

No, this is definitely not his senior sister.

His senior sister Wen Xi was as cold and aloof as a banished immortal, and it was impossible for her to do such a thing.

Also, can anyone tell him whether it is normal to dig holes in the defensive formation?