“Little Junior Sister!”
Bu Hongyu's jaw was set in a tight line.
“Didn't we agree that you wouldn't speak?”
Interrupted, Gu Lianxue was stunned for a moment. She instinctively asked, “Second Senior Brother, when did I agree to that?”
But Kang Heng didn't give her a chance to continue.
“Master, Fei Bai is only at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. A Foundation Establishment cultivator's lifespan is five hundred years at most.”
“To be imprisoned for two hundred years on the Cliff of Reflection—a place devoid of spirit energy—would turn even the most talented cultivator into a cripple. Moreover, without the nourishment of spirit energy, Fei Bai might not even survive those two hundred years.”
“Now that Little Junior Sister can cultivate normally, the sect has granted a slot to Third Senior Sister.”
Bu Hongyu rose from his seat, swept his robes aside, and knelt.
“I beg Master to release Third Senior Sister so she may attend the Dao discussion meeting with us.”
“Hongyu, what are you doing?”
Qingxu intended to use his spirit energy to lift him, but he was suddenly met with the young man's resolute gaze.
Kang Heng followed suit immediately. “Master, please release Third Senior Sister.”
Qingxu's outstretched hand paused, eventually dropping weakly onto the table.
He looked silently at his two disciples kneeling in a row, then suddenly turned his head to look at Gu Lianxue, who remained seated.
“Xue'er, what do you think?”
“Master, I...”
The words she had intended to say—“Compared to Third Senior Sister's hardships, my struggles over the years are nothing”—could no longer leave her mouth.
She had barely spoken two words when two gazes, sharp as needles, fixed upon her, as if trying to gouge holes into her body.
Her body instinctively leaned back. A chill rose from her spine, slowly seeping into her heart.
The words changed at the tip of her tongue, and what came out was, “I... I also miss Third Senior Sister very much.”
“In that case.”
A black token floated before Kang Heng. “Kang Heng, take your junior brother and sister and bring Fei Bai out.”
“This disciple thanks Master!”
As if afraid he would change his mind, Kang Heng snatched the token.
The two of them bowed to Qingxu and rushed out.
Gu Lianxue sat where she was, watching the last flutter of their robes disappear through the door, momentarily unsure how to react.
Gray qi surged in the depths of her eyes, noticeably denser than it had been in the secret room of the Gu Manor.
A flash of light passed over the jade pendant on her chest, concealing all abnormalities.
“Xue'er, your third senior sister is broad-minded, pure, and kind. She won't resent you.”
Qingxu waved his sleeve, and the surrounding buildings seemed to recede.
When Gu Lianxue steadied herself, she was already at the entrance to the Cliff of Reflection.
A voice drifted from afar, fading away. “Do not be willful. Get along well with Fei Bai.”
Why is Master praising Third Senior Sister?
Why did he tell me not to be willful?
Her heart panicked for a moment, followed by a wave of terror.
Could Master... know that her spirit root wasn't stolen because of Third Senior Sister?
No, impossible.
If he had known, why would he have imprisoned her on the Cliff of Reflection without a second thought back then?
He definitely didn't know.
Gu Lianxue composed herself, smoothed her expression, and walked toward the entrance.
But as soon as she took a step, the smile froze on her lips.
On the mountain path ahead, Kang Heng and Bu Hongyu were walking on either side of Zhan Fei Bai, flanking her protectively.
As the three of them drew closer to the exit, they didn't spare her a single glance.
See? As long as Third Senior Sister is here, First and Second Senior Brother's greatest concern will never be me.
Beneath the jade pendant, the gray qi in her eyes invaded her sea of consciousness and meridians.
The three of them emerged from the Cliff of Reflection and walked straight into the distance.
Gu Lianxue's steps faltered as she drifted along behind them.
Why has it turned out like this?
Ever since she was a child, she had always been the center of attention.
Why was she treated with such coldness after coming to the sect?
Was it because she couldn't cultivate before?
If Gu Ningyun hadn't run away...
If she weren't a high-grade water spirit root, but a top-grade wind spirit root—a top-grade wind spirit root that could cultivate immediately upon entering the sect...
First and Second Senior Brother's favorite sister definitely wouldn't be Third Senior Sister.
Third Senior Sister only has a high-grade wood spirit root. How could that compare to a top-grade wind spirit root?
If she were a top-grade wind spirit root, the most talented disciple in the Star-Moon Sect, she wouldn't be in this situation.
There would definitely be a slot for her at the Penglai Dao Discussion Meeting.
She couldn't attend such an important event, yet Third Senior Sister could.
First and Second Senior Brother even begged Master like that for her sake.
And they looked at her with those eyes.
That look... as if they were looking at an enemy.
Since when did her senior brothers despise her so much?
It was because of Third Senior Sister.
They wanted to get her out of the Cliff of Reflection.
Because of Gu Ningyun.
Gu Ningyun took her wind spirit root.
Third Senior Sister...
Gu Ningyun...
Gu Ningyun... Third Senior Sister...
A sharp pain shot through her forehead.
Gu Lianxue clutched her head and shook it.
The jade pendant flickered faintly, and the pain was suppressed along with it.
A few steps away, Bu Hongyu's tone was gentler than it had ever been.
“Third Junior Sister, we'll go to Penglai together in two months.”
...
Two months later, East Sea, Donglin City.
A massive spirit boat flew over the city and came to a halt at the edge of the East Sea.
“The sect's spirit boat has arrived. Change into your disciple robes and gather in the courtyard.”
Perfected Person Shen's voice, amplified by spirit energy, rang out from the courtyard. Gu Ningyun finished her last Minor Orbit and rose from her bed.
After a month of recovery in Donglin City, Gu Ningyun's hair had grown back to waist-length.
She changed back into her Xiaoyao outer sect disciple robes and hung her identity jade token at her waist.
Pushing open the door, she saw Shen Banxi standing under the dove tree.
The sound of doors opening echoed as Wen Xuan and the others stepped out.
“Perfected Person, the Dao discussion meeting doesn't start until next month. Why are we leaving so early?”
Gu Ningyun was a bit puzzled. Was it so they could arrive early and pick a meditation courtyard with more spirit energy?
“Since you are going to observe the Dao discussions between the great experts of the Daoist and Buddhist sects, how would you fifty observing disciples understand anything if you've never been exposed to the Buddhist path?”
“The sect is doing this so you can live in a Buddhist environment for a month and experience the Buddhist dharma in advance.”
So that was the reason.
The group left Donglin City and arrived at the seashore.
A spirit boat, larger than the Ruiyu Pavilion plaza, was suspended in mid-air. The flowing cloud patterns on its side were clearly visible.
Shen Banxi raised his hand and conjured a whirlwind, lifting the five of them onto the boat.
“Junior Sister Yang, Junior Brother Lu, I'm returning these five little ones to you.”
A young man and a young woman stood on the deck, both dressed in Xiaoyao disciple robes with blue inner sect belts and blue identity jade tokens at their waists.
Familiar features and warm smiles—they were undoubtedly their guides, Yang Churan and Lu Heyun.
“Martial Aunt Yang, Martial Uncle Lu!”
Gu Ningyun ran over in a few steps and grabbed Yang Churan's sleeve, almost hanging off her arm. “What are you doing here?”
“Just like your batch, our generation was given ten slots.”
“Oh, right!”
Gu Ningyun slapped her forehead. “How did I not think of that?”
“Silly girl, you must be dizzy with excitement.”
Yang Churan gave her a smiling glance, then turned to bow to Shen Banxi. “Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother Shen. I won't see you off.”
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