Chapter 151: Entry Trial—Has Nothing to Do with My Junior Sister

True to her word, Ji Mingyue arrived within the White Tiger Western Territory in under an hour.

In just that short time, they had crossed blizzard-ridden snowfields and endured scorching winds and sandstorms. Ji Mingyue herself couldn’t hold out any longer. As they neared the Clear Thought Sect, she handed control of the silver kite over to Lian Mu.

Their timing was impeccable. As they flew over the Clear Thought Sect, they spotted a gathering of disciples from various sects below. The chief teams from each sect were all present.

In the center of the dueling arena, two figures were locked in combat. Judging by their silhouettes, one of them was Guan Huailin. The other… Lian Mu couldn’t recall his name.

The atmosphere was tense. All eyes were fixed on the two fighters below, and no one noticed the pair hovering high in the sky.

Lian Mu didn’t descend immediately. She hovered in place with Ji Mingyue, observing the situation.

“That’s Senior Brother Guan down there, and… who’s the other one?” Lian Mu asked. The opponent wore a yellow sect robe, clearly someone from the Clear Thought Sect.

Ji Mingyue replied coolly, “That’s Gong Rumei, the Clear Thought Sect’s chief sword cultivator. Like Senior Brother Guan, he’s a dual-sword cultivator.”

Lian Mu frowned. “Senior Brother Guan seems to be struggling.”

The fight had clearly been going on for a while. Neither side had gained the upper hand, each move balanced on a knife’s edge. But judging by their expressions alone, Guan Huailin was clearly at a disadvantage. Gong Rumei, on the other hand, looked calm and composed.

“Senior Brother Guan…” Ji Mingyue’s brow furrowed. “It must be the Crimson Sky Sect stirring up trouble again. They’ve always liked to mock him for his spiritual root aptitude. This year’s Immortal Sect Grand Competition only has two dual-sword chiefs—they’re constantly comparing Gong Rumei to Guan Huailin.”

Lian Mu was aware of this. But in the earlier rounds, Gong Rumei had clearly looked down on the Returning Immortal Sect’s sword cultivators. He often refused to engage when provoked. Guan Huailin, by contrast, was known for his mild temperament. So how had these two ended up fighting?

Just as she finished that thought, Gong Rumei suddenly sheathed his swords. Standing tall, he tilted his chin slightly upward, looking down at Guan Huailin with cold disdain. “You’re not worthy to be my opponent.”

Lian Mu: “?”

Ji Mingyue muttered, “…All these young masters from noble clans talk like they’re begging for a beating.”

Lian Mu asked, “Is he really that strong?”

Ji Mingyue replied, “He’s definitely not as strong as the top two on the Magnolia Ranking, but… the Gong Clan is the second most prestigious sword cultivator family, right after the Lu Clan of Lingchuan.”

Lian Mu: “…”

Not even number one, and he’s already this arrogant?

They continued watching. Gong Rumei blatantly ignored the rules of the duel. Without waiting for a result, he sheathed his swords and walked off.

For a sword cultivator to put away their weapon while the opponent was still able to fight—it was an open insult, a show of utter contempt.

“Chief Guan, don’t push yourself. If you force a breakthrough and injure yourself, how will you compete in the next rounds?”

“I heard Chief Gong rose to the top of the Clear Thought Sect’s elites in less than two months. A true prodigy.”

“Chief Guan, you’ve been with the Returning Immortal Sect for years now, haven’t you? They say you’ve traveled far and wide with a Venerable Elder since joining. And yet, you can’t even last ten moves without collapsing?”

The crowd outside the arena erupted into a noisy tide of voices, all overlapping in a chaotic roar.

Gong Rumei looked down at Guan Huailin, who was using his sword to support himself. “At first, I didn’t want to fight you. But since you’re the chief of the Returning Immortal Sect, I assumed you must be stronger than that Lian Mu.”

Guan Huailin was panting, sweat beading on his forehead. He looked up. “What are you trying to say?”

“If even the chief is this weak, then someone ranked below you—like Lian Mu—isn’t worth mentioning at all,” Gong Rumei said coldly. “From what I observed, that sword strike she used in the Illusion Realm… it didn’t seem real at all.”

Guan Huailin replied, “You can look down on me all you want, but this has nothing to do with my junior sister.”

Gong Rumei continued, “Your sect’s Chief Alchemist hails from the Poison Gu Clan of Mist Ridge, known for their countless secret arts. Maybe they gave her some rare pill to boost her strength temporarily—that’s the only way she could’ve shown such potential.”

The crowd gasped in shock. “……”

To be fair, the footage of Lian Mu slaying the flame beast had been watched over a dozen times by members of the Four Great Sects. After the kill, she had indeed consumed several unidentified pills. But in truth, she hadn’t sustained much damage at all.

At that moment, high above, the two eavesdroppers fell silent. “……”

Lian Mu and Ji Mingyue exchanged glances, both momentarily speechless.

Ji Mingyue muttered, “…Why don’t I remember ever giving you a strength-enhancing pill?”

Lian Mu shrugged. “Whatever. If he says I took one, then I guess I did.”

They looked at each other again. Suddenly, a mischievous idea sparked in Ji Mingyue’s eyes. She leaned in and whispered something into Lian Mu’s ear.

Lian Mu nodded, then guided the silver kite downward, calling out with a bright smile, “Chief Gong, gossiping behind someone’s back isn’t a very noble habit.”

The moment she spoke, everyone in the arena looked up in unison.

Xu Xianxing, who had been grinding his teeth in frustration, immediately waved when he saw her. “You’re back!”

Lian Mu landed the silver kite directly in the dueling arena, leapt down, and stepped between Guan Huailin and Gong Rumei.

She said, “If Chief Gong wants to know something about me, why bother pestering my senior brother? I distinctly remember saying before—if you have questions, you can come ask me directly. Sneaking around and stirring up trouble behind my back—is that the Gong Clan’s way?”

Ying You, standing below, heard her words and blinked, his lashes trembling slightly as he turned his gaze away.

Azure Profound Sect’s lead team: “……”

They had just returned, and with her very first words, she managed to throw shade at two people at once—without even sparing their families.

Gong Rumei remained expressionless. “I said it openly, in front of everyone. That’s not sneaky or underhanded. Lian Mu, there’s clearly something off about you. That sword strike in the Illusion Realm—there’s no way someone with just three Spiritual Roots could pull that off.”

Lian Mu smiled. “Then how about… Chief Gong, why don’t we exchange a few moves right now?”

She reached into her spatial pouch and pulled out a small jade bottle.

Seeing this, the crowd started to believe her words a little more.

“You Returning Immortal Sect people really do have some strange pills, huh?” Shen Wuxie shouted. “Looks like Gong Rumei wasn’t wrong after all.”

Over on the Crimson Sky Sect’s side, Lu Feishuang frowned slightly.

Ji Mingyue said, “So what if we do? It’s all about using what you’ve got.”

Lian Mu fixed her gaze on Gong Rumei. “Chief Gong, are we fighting or not? Just give me a straight answer.”

Gong Rumei let out a cold snort. “I won’t fight someone like you. Without those pills, your real strength wouldn’t even earn you a deputy seat in our sect.”

With that, he turned and walked off the dueling platform without so much as a backward glance.

The disciples of Returning Immortal Sect immediately crowded around Guan Huailin to check on his injuries.

Bai Li Que swept his gaze across the crowd and barked, “Well, well, I didn’t realize everyone cared so much about Returning Immortal Sect’s affairs. The match is over, and this dueling ground is designated for our sect. Don’t you think it’s time you all left?”

Lu Feishuang gave Lian Mu a glance, then turned and left with her people.

Ying You didn’t say a word, simply turned and walked back to Azure Profound Sect’s dueling ground. With him gone, the rest of Azure Profound Sect naturally dispersed as well.

“Tch, what’s with the attitude?” Shen Wuxie rolled his eyes. “Bai Li Que, you’re the young master of the Baili Family, yet you’re hanging around with people who cut corners and slack off. If you ever really become the family head, I wonder how long the Baili Family will last.”

Bai Li Que’s face was blank. “At least I’m qualified to become the family head. Some people can’t even get close to the young master’s seat.”

“You—!” Shen Wuxie started to shout, but before he could get the words out, Bai Li Yu punched him in the gut, shutting him up and dragging him away.

At last, the crowd dispersed.

“Senior Brother, are you okay?” Lian Mu turned to him.

Guan Huailin spat out a mouthful of blood, his face pale. He gave a faint smile and shook his head. “I’m fine. Thank you for standing up for me, but you didn’t have to…”

He trailed off.

Lian Mu knew he was referring to the pill. She said quietly, “Senior Brother, I have my reasons. Don’t worry about it.”

Ji Mingyue handed him a pill and said, “Senior Brother, with your strength, there’s no way you couldn’t take even ten of his moves, right?”

“They’re targeting the Returning Immortal Sect,” Guan Huailin said. “If I didn’t lose to Gong Rumei, they wouldn’t let it go. This isn’t the Illusion Realm—there’s no need to win a momentary fight. We need to save our real moves for the end.”

Xu Xianxing added, “Senior Brother Guan, you knew Gong Rumei was going to challenge you—why didn’t you tell us? If you’d said something, we could’ve helped curse him out. No need for you to step up yourself.”

Guan Huailin shook his head. “As your senior brother, I can’t let my juniors take the hit for me.”

He sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to regulate his breathing.

Seeing this, Xu Xianxing didn’t disturb him further. He turned and said, “You’re finally back… Lian Mu, how’s your body holding up?”

“Nothing serious. My master already checked me over,” Lian Mu replied.

Wen Yun asked, “Your master… who? Isn’t Venerable Murong still stationed in White Tiger West?”

Lian Mu coughed lightly. “I took on a new one when I returned to the sect.”

She thought for a moment. With so many people around, it was best not to mention Master Feng.

“In any case, someone very powerful,” Lian Mu said. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

Xu Xianxing nodded. “Good to hear… Still, you came back just in time. The first round of trials starts tonight.”

Lian Mu blinked. “What first round of trials?”

“The next Illusion Realm Entry Trial. You probably haven’t heard yet,” Xu Xianxing said. “The Venerable Elders have already decided—the next Illusion Realm will take place on Penglai Immortal Island. Before we go, each disciple will undergo a trial arranged by the Venerable Elders.”

“This Penglai Immortal Island Illusion Realm happens every cycle, but I’ve heard that if you can’t pass this stage, you’re out of the competition,” Xu Xianxing added, pointing to the bruises on his face. “I’ve been spending the past few days learning self-defense from Venerable Murong.”

Lian Mu looked at the colorful bruises on his face. Clearly, he’d taken quite a beating.

“…”

Just how desperate do you have to be to ask Murong Yi for help…

So the “good news” Murong Yi mentioned earlier was tonight’s trial?

Ji Mingyue said, “It’s probably just for sword cultivators, right? I’m a delicate little alchemy cultivator—no way I can take a beating.”

Xu Xianxing gave her a long, mournful look. “Why do you think I went to Venerable Murong?”

Bai Li Que’s face was expressionless as he pressed down on the two of them. “Relax—none of them are getting away.”