Chapter 215: Third Senior Sister Pei Yunshang

Lian Mu stood quietly to the side, appearing rather inconspicuous. She glanced at all the senior brothers and sisters seated at the head and took a moment before responding.

Baili Que stepped directly over to Xiao Jin. “Senior Brother Xiao, I’m Baili Que, a new disciple this year. Can I team up with you?”

Xiao Jin’s cold expression finally softened a bit. He nodded. “We’re all talisman cultivators here, no need to be so formal.”

Qiu Heng from Fragrance-Attracting Peak didn’t rush or compete. Seeing that others had made their choices, he nodded towards the remaining Wen Yun. “I heard you’re the only body cultivator in this batch. Coincidentally, I’m the only alchemy cultivator from mine. Care to join me?”

Wen Yun agreed without a second thought. He didn’t care who the Team Leader was; anyone would do.

Lian Mu was still pondering when someone called out to her.

“Junior Sister Lian, how about you and Junior Brother Guan join my team?”

Ye Minghe smiled gently, his tone exceedingly calm.

Ye Minghe was currently the strongest sword cultivator disciple of Cold Arrival Peak. He had been in the Shifang Nether soil for many years and wielded a renowned sword. His demeanor was always courteous and polite, and it was often said that he had the makings of a sect leader in a few hundred years.

Lian Mu’s impression of Ye Minghe was based on rumors; she didn’t know him personally, and there was also that dream…

Guan Huailin also smiled, trying to persuade her. “Junior Sister, your skills are impressive. With Senior Brother Ye leading, I can take it easy this time.”

Lian Mu replied, “Senior Brother Guan, you’re joking. I’m just a new disciple with Three Spirit Roots. I wouldn’t dare show off in front of you two.”

Ye Minghe said, “I’ve heard about your performance in the Illusion Realm, Junior Sister Lian. Even with Three Spirit Roots, you rival the Sword Bone Genius of Azure Profound Sect. With diligent cultivation, you might surpass many senior brothers and sisters.”

“Senior Brother, you’re too kind. But I’ve already made my choice.” Lian Mu glanced at the silent figure. “I want to choose Senior Sister Pei Yunshang.”

As soon as she spoke, the disciples couldn’t help but look at her, and Pei Yunshang slowly shifted her gaze.

Pei Yunshang was the quietest among the senior disciples. She wore a white veil that covered half her face, revealing only a pair of clear, watery eyes and a red mark at her brow. No Spirit Artifacts were visible on her.

Lian Mu asked, “Senior Sister Pei, would you team up with me?”

If her assumptions were correct, Pei Yunshang was the mysterious Third Senior Sister of the Returning Immortal Sect, a disciple of the sect leader.

Pei Yunshang pondered for a moment, her cool voice emanating from beneath the veil. “Are you sure? I’m a sound cultivator.”

A sound cultivator?!

The disciples were surprised. Sound cultivators were rare, much like the bow cultivator Qian Songshi from Azure Profound Sect, both being uncommon among the Immortal Sects.

“I won’t hold you back, Senior Sister,” Lian Mu immediately stood beside Pei Yunshang.

Seeing that she had chosen another team, Ye Minghe smiled helplessly and stepped back.

The other Second Seats also selected their Team Leaders, completing the first round and moving on to the second round.

Without hesitation, Lian Mu pulled Guan Shize into her team. Pei Yunshang had no objections; she was even more indifferent than Qiu Heng, caring little about who her teammates were.

Sensing her composure and confidence, Lian Mu felt assured.

Once each team had four members, they needed to choose a team name for easier record-keeping of their exploration areas.

A team could have at most two Second Seats or Chief Disciples. Pei Yunshang’s team included Lian Mu, Guan Shize, and Qu Ruotian.

Pei Yunshang left the naming to the three of them.

Guan Shize suggested, “Let’s go for something bold.”

Qu Ruotian, being more reserved, said, “How about ‘Returning Immortal Sect’s Four Talents’?”

Guan Shize replied, “Chief teams don’t even use names like that. It’s too embarrassing for us.”

“We should go with something more fitting. Based on our previous rounds, we should be called the ‘Trickster Team,'” Lian Mu suggested.

Guan Shize agreed, “That’s good. No one would dare mess with us after hearing that.”

Qu Ruotian was speechless.

With two votes in favor, Lian Mu submitted the name. Xin Wanbai glanced at it, and her expression turned peculiar.

As the teams stood together, other sects also finalized their names. The sect leaders displayed them all for everyone to recognize the members of each team.

When the list was revealed, the names from Returning Immortal Sect stood out prominently.

“Bandit Team, Robber Team, Chop You All Team, Auspicious Team, Trickster Team…”

Lian Mu thought she was the only one with such a name, but there were others. She could already guess who named them.

The Bandit Team was surely Xu Xianxing’s, the Robber Team was Baili Que’s, the Auspicious Team was Ji Mingyue’s, and the most aggressive Chop Team was undoubtedly Wen Yun’s.

At this moment, the Team Leaders of these five teams were silent. They had let their junior brothers and sisters name the teams, but hadn’t expected them to…

“Heh, those are some loud names,” someone chuckled.

“Dear young friends, tonight you’ll receive maps for this exploration. You can plan your routes with your teammates in advance,” Hua Qiuxin announced from above. “Whether you get the Golden Core Flower map depends on your performance this month.”

“Of course, I personally encourage cross-sect cooperation. The Golden Core Flower map isn’t an indivisible treasure; its contents can be shared.”

As soon as she finished, the disciples glanced at members from other sects.

Shareable? But who would willingly share such a thing? Everyone wanted their sect to have the advantage.

After the preparations were explained, each team returned to their camps to get ready.

Lian Mu’s team received a map of the Shifang Nether soil and gathered with her three teammates to discuss it.

Upon receiving the map, Lian Mu first glanced at the markings, but there were no words beneath them. They needed a knowledgeable Team Leader to explain.

Seeing the three of them eagerly looking at her, Pei Yunshang, who initially didn’t want to speak much, felt obliged to explain.

She pointed at the map, her veil gently fluttering. “The outer circle of Shifang Nether soil needs no introduction. You should be familiar with it from your journey here.”

“We’re at the junction of the outer and inner circles. The spiritual energy here is stable, and there are fewer Demonic Creatures, making it suitable for setting up camp. Further in is the first layer of the inner circle, called the Abyssal Circle. The demon race here is mostly low-level and unintelligent, but they’re resilient and numerous.”

“The second layer, the Flat Earth Circle, has Demonic Creatures with spiritual awareness. They select their prey, and with your abilities, handling the Demonic Creatures of the Flat Earth Circle should be just right.”

“The third layer, the Red Scorched Circle, is already considered a danger zone. Disciples with a Heavenly Spiritual Root or a single Spiritual Root may attempt to explore it. Without profound cultivation, a special constitution, or a high-grade Spirit Artifact, it’s challenging to even enter this area.”

“The fourth layer, the Inner Source Circle, is one of the origins of the Demon Nurturing River. Typically, only elders can enter this area. The Illusion Realm of the Immortal Sect Grand Competition will also involve this circle. However, rest assured, the Illusion Realm will ensure safety, and within its designated range, this area will be sealed with formations.”

“Our exploration range is limited, so I hope the three junior brothers and sisters will stick closely with me starting tomorrow. Don’t fall behind.”