Chapter 54: The Top Inner Disciple, Xiu Luo
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
Every small courtyard in the Inner Courtyard was shielded with restrictive spells, and with their gates tightly closed, it was impossible to tell from the outside whether a courtyard was occupied.
Yu Zhao didn’t care much about this.
Elder Hou had brought her here, clearly anticipating this exact moment.
It wasn’t that she wanted to humor him, but this particular courtyard happened to catch her interest. And since she was now part of the Inner Sect, it only made sense to follow the local rules, which often relied on strength to claim a place.
Elder Hou, who had been silently waiting for the drama to unfold, was finally about to see some action.
He squinted slightly, suppressing his glee. “I mentioned before that the closer you are to the mountaintop, the weaker the occupants tend to be. But let me add one more thing—there are always exceptions. The person living here is one of those exceptions.”
As he finished speaking, Elder Hou flicked his finger.
A beam of white light shot toward the courtyard.
Immediately, the courtyard’s restrictive spell activated, conjuring a hemispherical defensive array.
At the same time, the occupant of the courtyard was alerted to the intrusion.
Bang!
The wooden doors flew open with a loud crash.
A petite figure burst out of the room like a fierce demonic beast.
“Who?! Who dares disturb this lady’s cultivation? Tired of living, are you?!”
Yu Zhao’s gaze fell on a girl a head shorter than herself, dainty and adorable, standing with her hands on her hips as she roared in anger. Yu Zhao’s eye twitched slightly.
What an unexpected scene.
“Xiu Luo,” Elder Hou greeted.
Clearly used to the girl’s contrasting demeanor, Elder Hou waved cheerfully at her.
The girl, whose name was Xiu Luo, instantly shifted her expression. Her large eyes lit up as she puffed her cheeks and ran toward Elder Hou with small, quick steps.
“Hello, Elder Hou~” she chirped in a soft and sweet voice.
Her tone was as sugary as Ye Cong Xin’s, and just as endearing.
Elder Hou gave a warm smile and introduced the two.
“This is Xiu Luo, who has consistently ranked first among the Inner Sect Disciples.”
“And this is Yu Zhao, a newly admitted Inner Sect disciple.”
When Xiu Luo saw Yu Zhao, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. It wasn’t until Elder Hou said her name that Xiu Luo repeated it in her mind twice before suddenly widening her eyes in shock.
“Yu Zhao? You’re Yu Zhao? The Yu Zhao from Lone Moon Peak?!”
Even her triple barrage of questions couldn’t fully convey her astonishment.
Xiu Luo’s already large and expressive eyes grew even wider with shock, to the point that Yu Zhao worried they might pop out.
To avoid any mishaps, Yu Zhao calmly clarified, “Yes, that’s me. But I’m no longer part of Lone Moon Peak.”
“Hiss!”
Xiu Luo inhaled sharply.
Few people knew that among the many elders and peak masters of the Five Elements Dao Sect, the one she admired most was Master Qing Yan, and the place she longed to join most was Lone Moon Peak.
Her ultimate dream was to become Master Qing Yan’s disciple and enter Lone Moon Peak.
Of course, Xiu Luo knew this dream was impossible.
First, her aptitude fell short of the requirements for a personal disciple.
Second, Master Qing Yan had stated they would no longer take on disciples.
Lastly, Xiu Luo was realistic. While she could dominate the Inner Sect Disciples, she would rank only mid-tier among the monstrous personal disciples. She considered herself fortunate to have achieved so much through sheer hard work.
No matter how she looked at it, Master Qing Yan would never choose her.
Xiu Luo could only keep her dream buried deep in her heart, never revealing it to anyone.
But today, she unexpectedly encountered someone who once held the identity she yearned for, only to discard it so carelessly.
Xiu Luo’s eyes turned red with frustration.
Her voice carried a trembling edge as she questioned, “Why did you give up being a personal disciple? Do you even understand how important that is?”
Elder Hou chuckled inwardly.
He was one of the few who knew of Xiu Luo’s aspirations.
After all, she made it far too obvious, often probing for news about Lone Moon Peak whenever she saw him. It was hard for him not to notice.
It was no coincidence he had brought Yu Zhao here to meet Xiu Luo.
Elder Hou didn’t know why Yu Zhao had been expelled by Master Qing Yan, but he assumed she had committed a serious transgression and refused to repent.
He disliked rebellious disciples, so he intended to use Xiu Luo’s words to make Yu Zhao realize just what she had lost.
Yu Zhao, watching Xiu Luo’s emotional outburst, thoughtfully asked, “Do you want to become Master Qing Yan’s disciple?”
Xiu Luo’s face turned beet red.
For some reason, hearing this from Yu Zhao filled her with an inexplicable sense of embarrassment.
Her imposing manner instantly deflated as she stammered, trying to maintain a facade of confidence, “Y-Yes, so what?”
Yu Zhao shrugged and kindly advised, “Nothing, really. I’d just suggest you aim for the Main Peak or one of the other elders instead. Honestly, any of them would be a better choice than Master Qing Yan.”
Master Qing Yan was not known to be a responsible mentor. With the scheming Ye Cong Xin on Lone Moon Peak, anyone aspiring to join there was bound to be a fool in Yu Zhao’s eyes.
Having suffered firsthand, Yu Zhao believed her advice was entirely truthful. However, to Elder Hou and Xiu Luo, her words were absurdly laughable.
In the cultivation world, the strong were revered above all.
Choosing a master naturally meant choosing the strongest.
Besides, among Master Qing Yan’s disciples, apart from Yu Zhao and Ye Cong Xin, the other five were exceptionally talented and renowned throughout the realm. Only Zhou Jin Yue and Zhang Jun, disciples of the Sect Master, could compare to them.
For Yu Zhao to make such a claim was clearly a sign of resentment toward Master Qing Yan for expelling her—a deliberate attempt to tarnish his reputation!
Elder Hou’s expression turned icy.
Xiu Luo’s soft, cute demeanor vanished entirely. Her aura grew sharp and menacing, her lips pressed into a thin line, and a fierce glint flashed in her eyes.
In the blink of an eye, her demeanor underwent a complete transformation.
“Yu Zhao! Prepare to die!”
Among the Inner Sect Disciples, sparring didn’t require formalities or lengthy preparations. Battles began the moment they were declared.
Elder Hou quickly stepped aside, leaving ample room for the fight.
Yu Zhao and Xiu Luo, both at the late Foundation Establishment stage, had their respective strengths.
Yu Zhao’s advantage lay in her former status as a personal disciple, granting her access to superior environments and resources far beyond Xiu Luo’s reach.
However, Xiu Luo, despite her youthful appearance, had been part of the Five Elements Dao Sect for nearly thirty years. Her immense dedication and countless hours of effort had earned her current status. Her extensive combat experience and unwavering determination were her greatest assets.
Elder Hou anticipated a fierce battle. As an elder, he wisely decided to stay out of the way.
Though Xiu Luo’s movement speed wasn’t particularly fast, her bursts of power were astonishing.
With a forceful stomp of her right foot, she left a half-foot-deep indentation in the ground.
Then, like a thunderbolt, she surged toward Yu Zhao, a faint earthen glow radiating from her body.
“Take this punch!”
Just as Xiu Luo neared Yu Zhao, she abruptly halted her charge and leapt high into the air. With her right hand clenched into a fist, she descended from above, carrying an overwhelming momentum.
The air shrieked under the force of her strike.