On the quiet and steady path of Jingdu Mountain, the sunlight is warm and the scenery pleasant. Three figures walk side by side.
The tall young man on the far left reminded, "Ah Man, this isn't home. If you continue to be spoiled and willful, no one will indulge you. Once you enter the Xuan Miao Sect, you must devote yourself to study. This is a hard-earned opportunity, and both Father and Big Brother are very pleased. Don't act recklessly and ruin it."
Gu Fuyou, with her arms crossed, retorted, "Pleased? Maybe they're just relieved to be rid of me, the troublemaker."
She grumbled impatiently, "Gu Huaiyou, I don't want to join the Xuan Miao Sect."
The sect is known for its strict rules.
Stepping out from the center, Gu Fuyou turned around and began walking backward, facing the other two, "You both definitely belong to the Xuan Miao Sect. But why should I? Just to be looked down upon?"
"You're talking nonsense again," said Gu Huaiyou. He has a naturally friendly face, which looks even more dignified due to the occasion. Dressed in a round-necked blue robe with his hair neatly tied up, his attractiveness is more pronounced.
"Don't even think about causing trouble. If you mess up again, once we're back in Xiaoyao City, I bet Uncle Gu will break your legs," Si Miao said lazily, glancing at Gu Fuyou. Her tone cut short any further mischief from Gu.
Wearing a blue lotus-colored silk dress, Si Miao sports a jade hairpin in her hair, with sharp eyes, pronounced brows, and a striking face. Her only perceived imperfection might be her slender, sharp lips. It's often believed that people with such lips can be rather stern. Gu Fuyou had been on the receiving end of Si Miao's sharp wit for years.
Internally sighing, Gu Fuyou thought how perfect the two of them looked together. Why couldn't they just let her go and be lovey-dovey with each other?
Though Gu Fuyou no longer voiced her complaints, she remained deeply unwilling.
Gu Huaiyou tried to reassure her, "Xuan Miao Sect is one of the few prestigious immortal sects. Cultivating here is beneficial in every way. Ah Man, you love arranging formations, right? The Elder Liu He in the sect is an expert in both ancient and modern formations. Under his guidance, you'll surely make significant progress…"
Gu Fuyou had a bitter look on her face, not listening to a single word.
She had been half-coaxed and half-threatened into coming to the Xuan Miao Sect. Any initial excitement had long been overshadowed by her discomfort.
…
Jingdu Mountain is a famous spiritual mountain in the Southern Continent, with gentle slopes and lush vegetation.
The three had reached the midpoint of the mountain. Disciples seeking entry were scattered in pairs or small groups.
Gu Fuyou noticed a wisteria plant by the side of the road, its clusters of flowers drooping beautifully like a purple waterfall. As she admired it, a breeze ruffled the petals, reminiscent of purple feathers.
She looked up to see three people flying on swords towards the mountain entrance. The leading woman had flowing white robes that seemed like clouds and mist surrounding her body.
Gu Fuyou gazed at the sky, her eyes shining like rippling waves. She was extremely envious.
Flying on a sword seemed so carefree. It's a pity her cultivation is still at the Qi Practicing stage. She wondered when she'd reach the foundation-building stage and be able to fly.
As Gu Fuyou was lost in thought watching the figure, she heard Gu Huaiyou say, "It's Nanzhu Jun. It seems she'll be overseeing the disciple initiation this year."
Gu Fuyou casually asked, "Who is Nanzhu Jun?"
Gu Huaiyou responded, "The head disciple of the sect leader, Zhong Michu. 'Nanzhu Jun' is her literary name. If we join the sect, all disciples of our generation must address her as Senior Sister." Filled with admiration, he continued, "She started Qi Practing cultivation at three, reached Foundation Building at five, underwent the Body Tempering stage at twenty, and now at ninety-eight, she's already entered the Golden Core stage. She's a once-in-a-lifetime prodigy of the Xuan Miao Sect. Such talent, when looked upon throughout the continents, is among the very best."
There was genuine reverence in Gu Huaiyou's voice.
Gu Fuyou expressed her doubt, "How come I've never heard of her?"
Gu Huaiyou explained, "She is humble and doesn't like to show off. I heard she has never descended the mountain, so she's not as famous as those disciples from great families. It's normal that you don't know her."
He had the good fortune of meeting her once during a previous visit to Xuan Miao with their father.
Si Miao teasingly told Gu Fuyou, "Ah Man, she's the definition of a true genius."
Gu Huaiyou sincerely commented, "She has an unparalleled beauty, a noble status, and a gifted talent in cultivation. Such grace and elegance can be described as — flawless white jade."
Gu Fuyou remarked, "Indeed, flawless white jade."
With a teasing expression, Si Miao quipped, "Ouch, the sourness! How many years of aged vinegar is this?"
With her arms crossed, Gu Fuyou laughed, "I'm just jealous, so what?"
Gu Fuyou stared towards the mountain gate. The figures at the edge of the sky had already gone far, and she felt disappointed in her heart.
She deeply envied such innate talent, something she could never attain.
The sages said: The way of heaven is greatly benevolent, not biased or leaning.
But it was clear that the way of heaven had favored this senior sister.
Born into such different circumstances. Sigh.
Before long, the three arrived at the top of the mountain.
Despite her resistance, Gu Fuyou eventually stepped through the gates of Xuan Miao.
The disciples entering Xuan Miao Sect this time had already been chosen. Those present were all qualified.
They were here to register. After verifying their cultivation levels and getting their identification jade tablets, they could reside within the sect. The next day, they would be divided into classes based on their level and follow their teachers for lessons.
The main square was bustling. On the left, they were assessing cultivation levels and collecting documents, and on the right, they were registering and distributing jade tablets.
Gu Fuyou was at the very end of the line. She watched the people lined up neatly, handing over documents, receiving jade tablets, all in an orderly manner.
The sect had strict rules down to every word and gesture. Among the outstanding disciples present, she felt out of place, feeling frustrated to her core.
Why did she come here? To be mocked and ridiculed?
She pondered how she might make Xuan Miao reject her.
As she was scheming, someone joined the line behind her, examining her from head to toe.
"Who do I think it is? Third Gu, it really is you. What, are you here to send your second brother to join the sect?"
She turned to see who it was. Ah, the pioneer of mockery had arrived.
The man wore a black brocade robe, his slanted eyes full of mischief, and his brows arrogantly raised.
With a smirk, Gu Fuyou said, "Yuan Sheng, why do I keep running into you everywhere?"
Truly a twist of fate.
In noble households like theirs, it's customary for young ladies and young masters who are close in age to be tutored together by a chosen teacher. Both of them once studied under the same teacher.
Until the teacher could no longer endure Gu Fuyou's temperament and expelled her back home, frankly stating, "This humble scholar is incompetent and unable to undertake this great responsibility," vowing to never teach Gu Fuyou again. The two of them had been classmates for several years.
After all these years, they now found themselves in the same sect.
Yuan Sheng, courtesy name Yuan Changsui. Among peers, it was deemed disrespectful to address someone directly by their given name. Since Yuan Changsui had called Gu Fuyou by a nickname, so Gu Fuyou reciprocated by calling him by his given name.
Yuan Changsui's face darkened. The line had moved forward, and it was now Si Miao's turn. Next was Gu Fuyou.
Yuan Changsui sneered, "I came to join Xuan Miao to cultivate, which is different from you. Given your qualifications, you probably won't even make it into Xuan Miao in this lifetime."
He gave Gu Fuyou a friendly pat on the shoulder and laughed, "Still, it's good for you to explore a bit. Soak up the spiritual energy here, and who knows? Maybe in a decade, you'll hit the Foundation Building stage."
Gu Fuyou brushed off his arm, smiled faintly at him, and chose not to respond.
Smugly assuming she had no comeback, Yuan Changsui felt a surge of satisfaction. He'd always looked down on her since they were children. In his eyes, she lacked notable skills, was too arrogant, quirky, and only held her current position due to the influence of her father and brothers.
Back then, it wasn't just him who considered her an oddity. All the students who learned with them despised and avoided her. Once there's disdain, everything the person does seems wrong.
Every time their paths crossed, Yuan Changsui always sought to upset Gu Fuyou.
The more defiant and proud she acted, the more satisfaction Yuan Changsui derived from tormenting her, just like today.
It was now Gu Fuyou's turn in line. Gu Huaiyou and Si Miao moved to another side to get their jade tablets. As they were leaving, they saw Yuan Changsui behind and sensed trouble.
The disciple guiding them was rushing them along, so Gu Huaiyou quickly greeted Yuan Changsui and reminded Gu Fuyou not to cause any trouble.
He wasn't worried about Gu Fuyou being bullied by Yuan Changsui; he was afraid she might intentionally stir up trouble.
Yuan Changsui took a step to the left, intending to bypass Gu Fuyou and hand in his documents. However, Gu Fuyou also stepped to the side, blocking him, "Hey!"
Yuan Changsui raised an eyebrow, "What, not convinced?"
Gu Fuyou shook her head, "I think you're right."
She leisurely pulled out her documents, opening them in front of Yuan Changsui, "I should properly admire and absorb the spiritual energy here."
Yuan Changsui frowned. When he saw the three characters "Gu Fuyou" on the documents, he was shocked. Only disciples selected by the Xuan Miao Sect had such documents. How could Gu Fuyou have one?
But the document in her hand couldn't be fake.
Yuan Changsui couldn't believe it. He reached out to grab the documents from Gu Fuyou's hand, "Third Gu, how dare you! You even dare to forge the Xuan Miao Sect's documents?"
Swiftly, Gu Fuyou dodged and slapped the document on the table in front of the elder, smiling, "Junior Brother Yuan, since we'll be fellow disciples in the future, we should look out for each other."
Gu Fuyou was wearing a light sky-blue outfit, the same color as the sky. Her hair was tied up in a neat ponytail, with two jade beads woven into the end of the ribbon, vibrant green and glistening. When she turned her head, her long hair and the ribbon flew together, her spirit soaring.
When she smiled at Yuan Changsui, dimples appeared on her cheeks, bright and cheerful. Others who saw her found her even more amiable.
However, to Yuan Changsui, this felt like provocation. His eyes reddened as he watched the elder nod at Gu Fuyou.
The document was genuine.
A surge of frustration filled Yuan Changsui. He had worked hard for years to join Xuan Miao. If Gu Fuyou, who was inferior, could join, what did that make his efforts?
If she joined Xuan Miao, wouldn't his hard work be seen as worthless, like a joke?
He approached the table, demanding to see the document, "The Xuan Miao Sect is the top immortal sect under the Four Immortal Sects. They have always been strict in selecting disciples. This person is just a waste with poor spiritual roots and only at the Qi Practicing stage. How can you accept her as a disciple?!"
The elder held the document away from him. Yuan Changsui angrily retorted, "What qualifies her to enter the immortal sect? Everyone says the Xuan Miao Sect's selection is fair, but now they're using backdoors too. What benefits did Gu Wanpeng promise you? Name a price in spirit stones. I want to buy an inner sect disciple position!"
The elder spoke gravely, "Young man, watch your words."
Yuan Changsui opened his mouth but, in the end, he could only snort in discontent.
He had a loud voice and, yelling as he was, drew the attention of many disciples.
Gu Fuyou had already extended her hand, allowing the elder to check her cultivation.
Upon feeling it, the elder glanced at Gu Fuyou with a hint of surprise and then said with a hint of regret, "Four spiritual root, Qi Practicing Stage is at its peak."
This statement set off murmurs among the crowd. Gu Fuyou felt the eyes of many on her.
The number of disciples wanting to join the Xuan Miao Sect was countless. They had always been selected based on excellence. Even three spiritual roots could only be considered mediocre here. Someone like Gu Fuyou was even more unremarkable. If her cultivation was higher, it would be fine, but she was only at the Qi Practicing stage.
In the Xuan Miao Sect, even the disciple with the lowest cultivation had already built a foundation.
These disciples didn't know why the Xuan Miao Sect wanted to accept Gu Fuyou, but it was nothing more than what that man said about someone pulling strings behind the scenes.
While they couldn't influence the decisions of Xuan Miao, they could look down upon Gu Fuyou.
Feeling their disdainful stares, Gu Fuyou, although accustomed to it, still felt uncomfortable.
She thought it would have been better to stay home and avoid all this.
Yuan Changsui said, "I told you so!"
The elder calmly looked at him and explained, "She is a specially recruited disciple of Elder Liuhe. Her acceptance is not based on the level of her cultivation."
Yuan Changsui gritted his teeth, "What do you mean not based on cultivation? She's just a waste at the Qi Practicing stage, and you still want her?"
Gu Fuyou didn't expect that a mere document would provoke Yuan Changsui to jump up and down, but it was somewhat useful. Her thoughts turned. Just as she was worried about having no way to escape, this was perfect!
Gu Fuyou leisurely tugged at her sleeves and glanced at Yuan Changsui with a smile. "A waste at the Qi Practicing stage is more than enough to beat you."
Yuan Changsui glared at her, laughing in extreme anger. "Good! Very good! More than enough? Come and let me see how you're more than enough!"
That was exactly what Gu Fuyou was waiting for.
In Yuan Changsui's mind, he had the advantage. He was at the Foundation-Building stage, while she was only at the Qi Practicing stage. He couldn't believe she could pose any threat.
"If you have the guts, don't call your second brother for help."
"If you have the guts, don't cry for your father!"
As soon as the words fell, Yuan Changsui launched his attack.
Yuan Changsui practiced internal cultivation, tempering his spiritual roots, nourishing his soul, strengthening his spirit, specializing in techniques to summon wind and rain.
Gu Fuyou's body flew back, her fingers already holding a talisman. She shouted, "Wind, come forth!"
Suddenly, a gust surrounded Yuan Changsui.
He shouted, "Childish tricks!" But then he felt his spiritual energy dissipate and saw a talisman on his sleeve. Enraged, he shouted, "Third Gu, you're cheating!"
However, in the moment he hesitated, the wind trapped him, ruffling his clothes and hair, making him look disheveled.
Feeling humiliated and resentful, Yuan Changsui's spiritual power surged, burning the talisman, ready to retaliate against Gu Fuyou.
But Gu Fuyou was ready. Smiling, she said, "You never said I couldn't use talismans." She had stuck that talisman on him earlier.
Their back-and-forth happened in a matter of moments. Just as they were about to strike again…
Suddenly, wind rose from the flat ground. In the blink of an eye, a figure gracefully landed between them, holding a scroll in her hand, "Fighting is forbidden within the sect."
The voice was cold and steady.
Gu Fuyou looked at the newcomer, her eyes widening in surprise. She hadn't gotten a good look before, but now she did.
The person was dressed in a frost-white robe. The hair at her temples was neatly combed, even tucked behind her ear tips. Her attire was impeccable.
Her demeanor was refined, and her beauty was unparalleled, even more, dazzling than the moonlit night.
It was the flawless white jade Senior Sister Gu Huaiyou had mentioned.
Gu Fuyou sighed in her heart: The heavens are truly biased.
Yuan Changsui was still enraged and couldn't stop his momentum in time. Gu Fuyou was deliberately looking for trouble.
Even with someone standing in between to block them, both of them didn't stop. But after taking a step, they both felt an immense force pressing down on their backs.
Both of them collapsed to their knees at the same time, dripping with cold sweat, and their calf muscles were cramping.
Gu Fuyou looked toward the one responsible. Zhong Michu stood tall and poised, her sleeves fluttering in the wind, without moving a finger.
Just the pressure from a Golden Core stage made her feel this overwhelmed.
Yuan Changsui was panting. Even though he had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, under such pressure, he wasn't much better than Gu Fuyou.
Faced with this intense pressure, Yuan Changsui finally calmed down. Showing off in front of the main hall on his first day at the sect was a great disrespect.
Yuan Changsui wanted to stop. But Gu Fuyou felt that the commotion wasn't big enough and worried that this minor incident wouldn't be enough for Xuan Miao Sect to expel her.
An idea popped into her head, targeting Zhong Michu.
Fighting fiercely with a fellow disciple, only to be forcibly stopped by a senior sister, becoming angry and embarrassed to the point of attacking the Senior Sister—a perfect excuse!
If she succeeded, she would have three crimes: being rash and violent, being competitive and eager to fight, and disrespecting her seniors! Enough for her to be expelled from Xuan Miao Sect!
This idea was absurd, and upon further reflection, Gu Fuyou realized that not only did she want to leave Xuan Miao Sect, but she also had a bit of a rebellious streak.
She knew she was just a small insect, but she still wanted to challenge a giant tree.
Gu Fuyou struggled to get up. When Zhong Michu let her guard down, she suddenly attacked.
Gu Fuyou was quick, but Zhong Michu was even faster. With a burst of pressure, Gu Fuyou was directly pressed flat on the ground.
She fell right at Zhong Michu's feet, her hand just a step away from touching her dress hem.
Before passing out from spitting blood, she thought— a genuine Golden Core Elder is truly not to be trifled with!