Mo Lanyi's heart was full of cruel thoughts, but her face bore a sweet smile.
"Wonderful, little junior sister! I was worried something had happened to you since you hadn't been out in so long. Did you manage to draw qi into your body?"
Although Mo Lanyi hid her malice well, in front of Ji Wushuang, it was as transparent as a sheet of paper.
Her methods were crude, her intent obvious, and she didn't even bother to conceal her killing intent.
Ji Wushuang was never one to strike unless provoked. But since Mo Lanyi had chosen to act this way, Ji Wushuang decided to play along. However, with so many people around, it wasn't the right time to act.
Ji Wushuang smiled faintly. "No."
Feigning surprise, Mo Lanyi covered her mouth and apologized, "Oh, I didn't know you hadn't succeeded yet... But aren't you the sect master's last disciple? How come..."
At this moment, Lian Yuan recognized the strikingly beautiful young woman before him as the one who had clasped his hand that day.
He had only learned of Ji Wushuang's identity later.
A girl with an exceptional dual fire and wood spiritual root, though there seemed to be instability in her root. Even so, their old ancestor had taken her in as their last disciple.
While he wasn't fond of her "impulsive" actions that day, she was still their old ancestor's student—practically family.
Lian Yuan spoke up to defuse the situation. "That's enough, Senior Sister Mo. We're going to be late for the introductory classes."
But Mo Lanyi wasn't about to let Lian Yuan interfere with her plans. She stepped forward with mock intimacy and grabbed Ji Wushuang's hand.
"Junior sister, will you join us for class? Come, I'll introduce you to the new disciples. It'll be harder for everyone to gather together once cultivation levels start diverging."
Mo Lanyi's words were a constant attempt to belittle Ji Wushuang.
If Ji Wushuang were truly a naive twelve- or thirteen-year-old, she would've long since been ashamed to the point of wanting to hide.
But Ji Wushuang, with her thick skin, readily agreed.
"Sure."
Mo Lanyi was briefly stunned, then her smile grew even sweeter. "Then let's go."
"Wait." Lian Yuan suddenly interrupted, stopping Ji Wushuang. "Perhaps it'd be better if you waited for the next class? Today's lesson is..."
But before Lian Yuan could finish, Mo Lanyi yanked Ji Wushuang forward.
"Come on, junior sister, we're going to be late!"
Her mind was preoccupied with her plan, oblivious to the fact that Ji Wushuang's divine sense had already enveloped her.
Yet, even with Ji Wushuang's *Tian Yan Diagram*, she couldn't fully analyze Mo Lanyi.
Ji Wushuang rarely experienced such a limitation. Though the *Tian Yan Diagram* could foresee the fate of beings, it was ultimately restricted by its user's strength. Ji Wushuang's spiritual sense was formidable, but she was still mortal, incapable of perceiving the future of the truly powerful or those blessed by destiny.
Destiny itself had varying degrees.
At its lowest, it ensured a life of peace and happiness without major illness or misfortune.
A moderate destiny granted exceptional talent, wealth, or influence.
A higher destiny brought great fortune and success in endeavors.
The greatest destinies, however, created "Children of Fate"—heaven's favored, blessed by the Dao, destined for an unrivaled path to immortality or supreme power.
A powerful figure?
Mo Lanyi was certainly not one of those.
In other words, was Mo Lanyi chosen by the heavens as a Child of Fate?
Ji Wushuang glanced up at the sky and rolled her eyes dramatically. Choosing someone like *this*? The heavens must be blind.
Transmission Pavilion, Huangfa Tower.
The class today was the final session of the introductory alchemy course, taught by a Nascent Soul elder from Danxia Peak.
Ji Wushuang, having "been in seclusion," had missed the first four sessions. She hadn't bothered with this one either, choosing instead to sit and flip through a manual.
The introductory handbook was a daunting thousand pages long, no wonder even brilliant cultivators needed several days to study it thoroughly.
After skimming through the book, Ji Wushuang listened to the elder's monotonous lecture from the podium. Her eyelids grew heavy.
Why not... take a quick nap?
Leaning her chin on one hand, her long lashes cast shadows on her cheeks, giving the impression of deep concentration. In reality, she had already dozed off.
Lian Yuan, seeing her fast asleep, was torn between worry and exasperation. He wanted to wake her but feared the elder's reprimand.
Mo Lanyi, noticing Ji Wushuang's peaceful slumber, couldn't help but smirk.
This fool is doomed!
Today's class would end with a test, and the top scorer would receive a special reward.
The test consisted of 100 base points and an additional 30 bonus points.
A score of 60 or higher allowed students to officially begin alchemy studies.
Those scoring below 10, however, would be deemed talentless and barred from ever learning alchemy again.
For Ji Wushuang, who had missed all prior classes, failure seemed inevitable.
She's a dual fire and wood spiritual root, right? Without alchemy, what else does she have to be proud of?
As the Nascent Soul elder finished his lecture, he waved his hand, and the test papers floated gracefully onto everyone's desks.
"The test begins now. You have half an hour. And you, little disciple, stop sleeping."
The test paper hovering over Ji Wushuang tapped her lightly on the head, waking her up. Yawning delicately, she picked up the paper and began answering.
Lian Yuan: "???"
Seriously?
You've attended one class, slept through it, and now you're actually answering the test?
He considered pleading on her behalf but was silenced by the elder's spiritual pressure.
"Focus on your own test. Talking or looking around will be punished severely."
Lian Yuan sighed. Fine, he'd plead for her afterward.
The results were announced on the spot after grading.
As expected, Mo Lanyi scored the highest due to answering one of the bonus questions, with Lian Yuan and a few others following close behind. No one had been eliminated—yet.
Mo Lanyi's score was thanks to the ghostly elder in her jade pendant feeding her answers.
But when the elder reached Ji Wushuang's paper, his expression turned odd.
"Ji Wushuang."
Hearing her name, Mo Lanyi's eyes lit up.
It's happening!
Ji Wushuang is about to be kicked out of alchemy forever!
"Full marks on the base questions. Full marks on the bonus questions. A total of 130 points. First place. Come up and claim your reward."
"Yes, elder."
Ji Wushuang rose, her leisurely pace and serene expression in stark contrast to Lian Yuan's shocked face and Mo Lanyi's twisted one.
"This is your prize."
The elder handed Ji Wushuang a fire spirit stone.
The moment it touched Ji Wushuang's hand, Mo Lanyi felt a pang in her heart as if something that should have been hers was taken away.
Ji Wushuang immediately noticed the unique nature of the stone. It wasn't an ordinary fire spirit stone but one imbued with a trace of "fire essence"—a top-tier aid for cultivating alchemy fire.
The Yunlan Sect truly had deep pockets to give such a valuable reward.
Watching Ji Wushuang claim the stone, the ghost elder in Mo Lanyi's pendant suddenly appeared.
[Mo Lanyi! No matter what, you must get that stone!]