Chapter 26

Chapter 26: What, Your Quality Dares to Be Worse Than Mine?

Yujing, Changsheng Hall.

Xiao Zhuochen walked to the front of the hall and asked the gatekeeper:

“Has Master returned from seclusion?”

Gatekeeper: “Not yet.”

Xiao Zhuochen nodded and was about to turn around and leave when a sigh suddenly came from inside the hall.

“Zhuochen, you’re back.”

Xiao Zhuochen stood with his hands lowered: “Master, four days ago, the demon in the Xumi Realm was subdued.”

There was silence for a long time inside, then a question came:

“Before she died… did she leave any words?”

Xiao Zhuochen: “This disciple did not hear anything.”

“…Alright.”

Another sigh came from inside. “Who was it that entered the Xumi Realm?”

“Two passersby. They were originally going to the Xiaoyao Sect to participate in the selection. The demon’s lifespan was coming to an end, and she wanted to possess a new body and be reborn, so she pulled them into the Xumi Realm.”

“Since that’s the case, you may leave.”

“Yes.”

Inside the hall, Wei Shengyu slowly opened his eyes and coughed up a mouthful of crimson blood.

Time flew by, and five hundred years were just a blink of an eye, a fleeting moment in the vast ocean of time.

He thought.

But there wouldn’t be another five hundred years.

Never again.

At noon, three bells rang out in the square of Luoxian City, signaling the start of the selection.

Sang Nian hurriedly took Xie Chenzou towards the square. As soon as they went downstairs, the bruised and swollen innkeeper suddenly rushed over.

She was startled, “What’s wrong with you?”

The innkeeper dared not look at Xie Chenzou. He just put the money he had received yesterday into Sang Nian’s hand, trembling and forcing a smile that looked more like crying:

“Miss, I observed the celestial signs last night, and it’s not a good time to exchange money with people lately, otherwise it will bring bad luck. Please take these spirit stones back. Consider the talisman and the sword as my gift.”

Sang Nian hesitated: “That’s not good. I’m taking advantage of you. It’s not easy for you to run a business.”

“Good! Very good!” The innkeeper was so anxious he almost cried. “Don’t worry about me, I’m fine, really.”

Sang Nian was about to decline again, but Xie Chenzou said casually:

“The selection is about to start.”

She had no choice but to give up, “Then thank you, innkeeper.”

The innkeeper nodded frantically: “Go quickly.”

Sang Nian: “Huh?”

Innkeeper: “I mean, take your time, gentlemen, take your time, haha.”

Sang Nian thanked him and hurried towards the square with Xie Chenzou.

When they arrived at the square, it was already packed with people, a vast sea of heads stretching as far as the eye could see.

Sang Nian really didn’t want to squeeze in with them, so she gestured to Xie Chenzou to stay behind the crowd.

Some people wanted to be at the back, but others wanted to be at the front.

“Get out of my way!”

A young man in brocade robes forcefully pushed aside the person in front of him, “You dare to block my path? You’ll regret it!”

The other person was not easy to get along with either. He was about to retaliate when the young man’s bodyguard stepped forward, intentionally or unintentionally releasing his aura.

The other person’s face turned pale, he swayed, and immediately knelt down.

“Here, take this.” The young man in brocade robes casually threw a bag of spirit stones, raised his chin high, and continued walking.

The crowd fell silent, then began to whisper among themselves.

“He actually has a Golden Core stage bodyguard. This guy must be someone important.”

“No wonder he’s so arrogant and still has all his limbs intact. If he didn’t have protection, he would get beaten up at least eight times a day.”

“Heh, this kind of ill-mannered brat wants to enter the Xiaoyao Sect? He’s delusional!”

…

Sang Nian was also looking at the young man, “Who’s this brainless idiot?”

Liu Liu replied in her mind: “Shen Mingchao, the original owner’s mortal enemy.”

Sang Nian slapped her forehead, “It’s him.”

Shen Mingchao, sixteen years old, a prince of a certain country, with a personality as arrogant and domineering as the original owner.

He met Sang Yun Ling at the Xiaoyao Sect. Two second-generation rich kids who would beat up anyone they disliked crossed paths, and their inner thoughts were probably something like this:

What, your quality dares to be worse than mine?

No way, there can only be one person with the worst quality in one sect!

“From now on, I’ll beat him/her up!”

So, they would fight every two days, and have a big fight every five days. Finally, they successfully won the championship in the Xiaoyao Sect’s new top spinning competition.

Sang Nian: “…”

My god.

When she gets back, she must avoid this author. What kind of garbage is this? It’s obvious he wrote it while closing his eyes and randomly typing during a rush to meet the deadline.

“Dong——!”

The bell rang again, and the crowd in the square held their breath, all looking up at the sky.

Sang Nian quickly stopped her random thoughts and followed their gaze.

In the center of the square, a pillar of light shot up into the sky, and a giant screen unfolded above everyone’s heads.

An old man with white hair and beard appeared on the screen:

“The Xiaoyao Sect’s new student selection officially begins. The selection consists of three stages. Only those who pass all three stages can become disciples of the Xiaoyao Sect.”

His voice echoed to every corner of the square:

“The first stage, testing spiritual roots.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his sleeve, and a giant black crystal flew into the air above the square.

The crystal vibrated violently, sending out translucent ripples in all directions.

Sang Nian curiously watched it.

Suddenly, two lights shone beneath her feet.

One was light blue, and the other was light green.

The blue was the original owner’s Water Spirit Root, so what was this green one…?

“Host, this is your own Wood Spirit Root,” Liu Liu said. “With the Wood Spirit Root, you will find it easier to learn healing techniques than others.”

Sang Nian understood.

Her talent was to be a support, a healer.

She scanned the square.

About half of the people had tested their spiritual roots, and only a handful of people, like her, had dual spiritual roots, which made the people around them envious.

Sang Nian withdrew her gaze and finally looked at Xie Chenzou’s feet.

Nothing.

?

She suspected she had seen wrong, rubbed her eyes, and looked again.

A dark purple light shone beneath Xie Chenzou’s feet, the Thunder Spirit Root described in the original book.

She let out a sigh of relief.

She really had seen wrong.

Xie Chenzou glanced at her calmly, his face expressionless.

The test was over.

Some were excited, while others sighed in disappointment.

“Those who pass the first stage will be automatically teleported to the second stage exam secret realm,” the old man said. “Those who are using the teleportation array for the first time may experience mild dizziness. This is normal, don’t panic.”

Sang Nian wasn’t very nervous. She whispered to Xie Chenzou:

“I heard from Chu Yao that the second stage test will have very scary scenes, but they’re all illusions. Don’t be afraid.”

Xie Chenzou said nonchalantly: “There’s nothing in this world that I’m afraid of.”

Sang Nian thought about it, and it was true. Xie Chenzou was the first one to pass in the original book.

Although there was no specific description of how he passed, he succeeded in the end.

She quickly stuffed a paper crane into his palm, “Take this. We might get separated when we go in. With this, we can find each other.”

Xie Chenzou casually put it away.

As they spoke, the teleportation array carved beneath the square was activated. Countless intricate patterns floated into the air, gradually combining into one.

Those who had tested their spiritual roots disappeared one after another, and the square was empty in the blink of an eye.

Sang Nian felt her body lighten, as if she was on a roller coaster plunging from a high place.

Space folded and changed rapidly. When everything calmed down, her head was dizzy.

“Host, are you alright?” Liu Liu transformed into a little parrot and flew out.

Sang Nian opened her mouth and almost vomited.

She waved her hand, taking a deep breath, “I’m fine.”

Liu Liu flew beside her: “Then let’s go.”

Sang Nian nodded and looked around.

It was a bamboo forest, shrouded in thick fog, with low visibility. Even the sound of birds was absent, it was so quiet that she could hear her own breathing.

Being in such a depressing environment, almost everyone would feel uneasy.

Something floated past in the fog, shadowy and unclear, but it gave her goosebumps.

“What’s that in the fog?”

“It’s an illusion randomly created based on your fears. Just disperse it,” Liu Liu said. “Don’t worry, the candidates are all ordinary people. The Xiaoyao Sect won’t let you die. At most, they’ll scare you a little.”

“So the core of this stage is courage.” Sang Nian took out the sword she had bought with a lot of money, being extra cautious. “What will my fear be?”

Liu Liu: “You’ll have to ask yourself. I’m a chick, not a mind reader.”

Sang Nian was both curious and nervous.

The fog became thicker.

A rustling sound gradually arose, like a television screen turning into static, a hissing sound.

Sang Nian held her breath.

A woman in white, on all fours, crawled out of the fog in a strange posture. Her long black hair covered her face, hiding her features.

The hissing sound intensified. She let out a strange laugh and slowly crawled towards Sang Nian, her exposed arms were pale and her fingertips were covered in mud and moss.

Sang Nian: “…”

She calmly closed her eyes.