Chapter 108: The Smooth Path to 'Ranking Up'
The two quietly waited for a while.
Fortunately, Bie Xuening did not appear before them, nor were they suddenly teleported to the Sword Reverence Great Hall.
Emm...
Perhaps Master (Mistress) didn't see it, or didn't pay attention?
For a moment, it was incredibly quiet. Ultimately, Chi Jiuyu was the first to speak, breaking the silence.
'Let go of me first. I won't report you to the Si Lv Hall.'
'You promise?'
'Why would I lie to you? Calling the people from the Si Lv Hall and then having Master take you back – would that benefit me in any way?'
If Master's sword was taken back because of this, she would definitely expose me without hesitation.
That seems to make sense...
If I were taken back by Mistress, she would definitely not be able to escape either!
After understanding this point, Yue Ling also released the hand that was holding her down.
Chi Jiuyu scrambled up from the ground and then took a few steps back.
Yue Ling stared at her, feeling a bit complicated inside.
She hadn't expected her first meeting with Mistress's Disciple to turn out like this; it differed slightly from her expectations.
The two faced each other from a distance for a while.
'...Yue Ling, right?' Chi Jiuyu asked tentatively.
This was the first time she knew the name of Master's life-bound sword.
'You should call me Yue Ling Adult!' the little loli emphasized.
However, Chi Jiuyu directly ignored her words: 'Speaking of which, aren't you supposed to maintain the Sword Sect Battle Network? Why did you run over to find me?'
Are you bored?
'Because the shift changed. I've been doing it for over a thousand years, so now Yue Ying sister is taking over.'
'Yue Ying sister?'
Oh!
She's talking about Shishu's sword...
Wait!
Something seems wrong.
'Aren't you Master's sword? Logically speaking, Shishu's sword should be calling you sister.'
'Because my spiritual consciousness was born relatively late.'
Understood. Shishu's sword is smarter.
After complaining in her heart, Chi Jiuyu suddenly remembered something very serious.
'Can you read minds?'
'Yes.' Yue Ling nodded.
Such a small matter was incredibly simple for her.
Chi Jiuyu's expression changed. She wouldn't get angry and beat me up, would she?
But Yue Ling's next words reassured her.
'However, I won't abuse this ability.'
'Why?'
'Mistress said that everyone's inner thoughts are their privacy and cannot be peeked into casually.'
Couldn't tell, this Ancestral Sword, who looks like a child, has quite high moral standards.
'Mhm, Master is right.'
'Moreover, Mistress also said that what some people say out loud is different from what they think in their hearts. Maybe they praise you verbally, but are talking about you inwardly. Not prying allows you to not see and not be bothered.'
Because she was Mistress's Disciple, she spoke very sincerely.
Although Mistress is a terrible woman, her Disciple is innocent, at least for now...
...
Who is she talking about?
Anyway, it's definitely not me. I'm the most honest!
Chi Jiuyu suddenly found that Master's life-bound sword was quite interesting. No matter what she asked, she would answer obediently.
Opening the cabinet beside her, she took out two cans of drinks and handed one to Yue Ling.
'When did you start following Master?'
'Always followed.'
'Always followed?!'
Chi Jiuyu quickly sat down: 'Then don't you know a lot about Master and Shishu's past?'
'Not much... I only started remembering things after Mistress reached the Golden Core Stage.'
'When you started remembering, who was more powerful, Master or Shishu?'
'Mistress was more powerful. Sword Ancestor only caught up to Mistress when he was at the Yuanying Stage.'
Master was actually more powerful?
Emm...
Chi Jiuyu suddenly remembered what she had learned in Shishu's trial space when she was in Xuanjian City before.
'Then who was the first to reach the Celestial Transformation Stage? Shishu or Master?'
'Mistress reached the Celestial Transformation Stage first, but she wasn't the very first.'
'Huh?'
It wasn't Master and Shishu!
'Who was it then?'
'Don't know.'
At that time, her spiritual consciousness was still very weak; she only remembered things around her. As for who the Human Clan's first person to reach the Celestial Transformation Stage was...
Are you kidding? She's just a sword!
All she needed to think about was how to help Mistress chop down opponents. Why remember things like that?
............
Meanwhile, within the virtual illusion.
【Name: Zhang Yunlu】
【Realm: Qi Refining Ninth Layer · Enlightenment of Principles】
【Position: None】
【Current Combat Ranking: Nine (Qi Training)】
Zhang Yunlu stood by the roadside.
Currently, besides her, there were no other Sword Cultivators who had reached the Enlightenment of Principles, so the path to 'ranking up' was incredibly smooth.
Because of her winning streak, her ranking quickly rose to ninth.
The number at the two gold coin icons at the bottom also changed as a result—11199.
Entering the top hundred on the Qi Training Ranking for the first time grants a thousand contribution points, entering the top ten for the first time grants ten thousand contribution points, and as for reaching the top spot for the first time, it grants a hundred thousand contribution points.
Not bad. The reward for first place is just enough to pay the fine for the Preaching Hall once.
Moreover, this was just the first-time reward. There was also a monthly ranking settlement reward. Although it wasn't as much as the first-time reward, if she could maintain her rank, the income would still be considerable.
But what Zhang Yunlu was thinking about at this moment wasn't this.
'The Sword Cultivators of the Sword Sect are indeed extraordinary.'
Because she wasn't as pressed as during the trial in Xuanjian City, she would deliberately suppress her spiritual energy and physical attributes that had surged due to Enlightenment of Principles during battles.
Moreover, before each battle, she would first exit and consume three stalks of the trial-specific tongxuan grass, hoping to achieve the maximum possible improvement.
Zhang Yunlu was very clear about where her shortcomings lay.
Asking herself honestly, if she were just an ordinary person at the Qi Refining stage, it would be absolutely impossible to defeat the last opponent she encountered in the trial.
Compared to these Sword Sect Disciples who had started early or could enjoy the resources of the Sword Sect from birth, she was merely a lucky person who, by chance, gained the favor of a major figure and then reached Enlightenment of Principles.
If she were to develop arrogance because of this, she probably wouldn't be able to catch up to Chi Jiuyu in this lifetime.
Cases were mentioned in Chi Jiuyu's Foundation Establishment experience.
There were a few Qi Training cultivators who, due to the great improvement brought by Enlightenment of Principles, neglected the accumulation of their own Foundation.
The result of doing this was...
They could still surpass other cultivators during the Foundation Establishment Stage, but this advantage wasn't very obvious by the Golden Core Stage, and as for the Yuanying Stage, they were directly lost among the crowd.
Of course, those Enlightenment of Principles cultivators who ended up like that were only a very small minority.
However, this also shows that cultivation cannot be slackened for a moment. A temporary Enlightenment of Principles doesn't represent anything.
If she still wanted to investigate the truth and see the scenery from a higher place, she had to fight more opponents and solidify her Foundation.
'Combined Dao...'
According to what Ge said, only after reaching Combined Dao could she investigate the truth behind her parents' demise.
【Match successful!】
A line of text popped up on the light blue translucent panel.
Zhang Yunlu suppressed her fluctuating thoughts.
【Your opponent is...】
【Name: ??】
【Realm: Qi Refining Ninth Layer】
【Current Combat Ranking: Five (Qi Training)】
Another anonymous opponent.
More than half of the people on the combat ranking list were anonymous to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Even Zhang Yunlu chose to be anonymous.
However, it wasn't of much use. Qi Refining Ninth Layer after Enlightenment of Principles was specially marked, and coincidentally, she was the only Qi Training cultivator who had reached Enlightenment of Principles during this period.
More than ten seconds later, another line of text popped up on the light blue translucent panel.
【Your opponent has conceded. Congratulations on directly winning this match!!!】
Huh?
Conceded?
First update.
The holiday is over. Wishing everyone smooth studies, successful work, and a happy life!!!
