Chapter 032

Chapter 32: Junior Sister Is the Most Impressive

Ye Wan Wan stared straight at Shen Nan Zhou. She did not dodge. She looked right at him. Their eyes met in midair, one calm and steady, the other sharp and searching, but Ye Wan Wan still could not tell if he carried memories from a past life: [Does he remember? If not, why is he walking toward me?]

Shen Nan Zhou’s movement drew many looks. Ji Chang Huai and Ye Qian also turned in surprise, their attention fixed on his path. Step by step, Shen Nan Zhou reached the area beside Ye Wan Wan’s group, then sat down at the empty table next to them. A few people let out awkward chuckles. So he only wanted a seat. It made sense. The main hall was packed with disciples, and the best spots had been taken by disciples from the big sects who arrived early. If you wanted an open place, you would naturally head for the corners.

Li Wan Zhi, Bai Jian, and Fang He An stared at Ye Wan Wan instead. When had Junior Sister started wearing a veil? Ye Wan Wan gave them a small smile: “Senior Brother, have some tea.”

After a year together, they knew each other’s tempers well. Ye Wan Wan never did anything for no reason. At once, one by one, they kept straight faces and pretended not to notice. Only Li Wan Zhi let his gaze slide, casual but pointed, toward the Supreme Sect’s side. It was them. Fang He An and Bai Jian understood too. It was them. The former sect that had bullied their Junior Sister.

Qi Ming Lu and his companions had not looked closely at Ye Wan Wan before. Even now, with her changed face, they might not recognize her. Even if they did, they would not care. They had more urgent things to worry about. A Dark Nether Sect Elder had used city folk for Puppet Refining. That was a huge matter. If an Elder acted like that, then what would the soon to open secret realm be like? Could they still enter it? Would there be traps inside? This was the most important problem.

So everyone contacted their own sect Elders, retelling what had happened to ask for guidance on what to do next. As for the one who exposed the truth about the Puppet Construct, Ye Qian, she received praise and goodwill from all sides. People remembered how the young woman had noticed every detail and revealed the truth in time.

Several whispered, eyes bright: “She must be the youngest Core Formation Stage cultivator in Supreme Sect, the one with a Supreme Grade Heavenly Spiritual Root, who formed her core at sixteen, and she is direct line Ye Clan. She really is the pride of heaven.”

Others agreed: “A Heavenly Spiritual Root is one in ten thousand, almost never seen. Out of ten thousand cultivators there might not be a single Supreme Grade Heavenly Spiritual Root. And Junior Sister Ye formed her core while still so young. How could her future be bad? Maybe Supreme Sect will soon welcome the youngest Divine Transformation cultivator again.”

The one who set the previous youngest Divine Transformation record was Yan Ding. The next might be his disciple. Envy filled the room. A house full of geniuses.

Ye Qian said humbly, voice soft but firm: “My master is a heaven sent talent. As a disciple, if I can reach even one ten thousandth of him, I will already be very happy. How could I dare compare with my master.”

Her modesty made them like her even more. Dou Ming, full of pride, thought to himself: [This is our Junior Sister, not like that Ye Wan Wan who did not dare make a peep for half a day. So annoying.]

Li Wan Zhi clicked his tongue twice: “What is so great about a Heavenly Spiritual Root? Our Junior Sister has five. Five!”

Fang He An snorted in agreement. It was true that a single spiritual root was called a Heavenly Spiritual Root, and having many roots usually meant more impurity and slower progress. But Ye Wan Wan’s roots were different. Young Senior Uncle and Sect Master Senior Uncle had said before that all five of Junior Sister’s roots reached the quality of a Heavenly Spiritual Root. Because she had so many, most people overlooked their quality. As long as Ye Wan Wan Self Sealed four, the one left would be a Heavenly Spiritual Root.

Five Heaven Grade Spiritual Roots were rarer than rare. You might not see that even once in a million. But the training path would be very hard. Do not be fooled by how Junior Sister seemed to reach Core Formation in a year. Everyone knew Pei Xuan Senior Uncle had set a Level Seven Spirit Gathering Array in the Snow Mountain Range. The hidden resources it consumed, along with the spiritual food provided for Junior Sister every day, were all paid for by Pei Xuan Senior Uncle himself. Of course, the senior uncles had not told Junior Sister. Junior Sister also seemed not very clear on it.

Hearing Li Wan Zhi’s childish brag, Ye Wan Wan held back a laugh: “More roots is not always better, Senior Brother.”

He waved it off: “Who cares. She is still better than that girl.” Most people formed one core at Core Formation. Junior Sister formed five at once. Was that not amazing?

Ji Chang Huai did not join in the excitement around Ye Qian and Dou Ming. He looked out of place. He only tied up Zhao Jian Ming with an Immortal Binding Cord, then sent up a signal, waiting for Supreme Sect to send people. Ye Wan Wan did not want to have contact with Supreme Sect, so when she found a chance, she left the main hall. Li Wan Zhi and Fang He An stayed to watch how things turned out.

That evening, Li Wan Zhi hurried back together with Fang He An. The moment they entered, Li Wan Zhi called out, breathless: “Tea, tea, hurry and give me tea, I am dying of thirst.”

Ye Wan Wan handed him a cup. He took one sip and paused: “Is this spirit tea?”

Ye Wan Wan smiled and asked: “Senior Brother, you do not like it?”

“So fancy, Junior Sister,” Li Wan Zhi smacked his lips, then rushed into the news: “After you and Senior Sister left, people from Dark Nether Sect came. Azure Cloud Sect arrived too, since they are the closest.”

Ye Wan Wan raised a brow: “How did it go?”

“They argued,” Li Wan Zhi said, eyes shining with excitement. “Turns out those Elders, when they argue, are no different from street brawlers.”

Bai Jian tilted her head: “Brawlers?”

“They almost started pulling hair,” Li Wan Zhi said, taking another big gulp of tea. “This time, because of an Elder’s selfishness, Dark Nether Sect almost offered up all the disciples sent by other sects as a living sacrifice. They say they never meant that, but if someone had not noticed first, who knows what would have happened.”

“Elders from several sects condemned Dark Nether Sect. Dark Nether Sect knew they were in the wrong and did not dare say much. They could only apologize.”

Bai Jian frowned: “A verbal apology? They would not agree to that.”

Li Wan Zhi chuckled: “As expected of Junior Sister. Of course those Elders would not accept that. Anyone can talk. What matters is sincerity.”

He rubbed his fingers together. Ye Wan Wan understood at once: “How much did they give?”

“This time every disciple who came for the secret realm can claim ten thousand Spirit Stones,” Li Wan Zhi said. “If you were injured, you get thirty thousand. You also get a Third Grade Beast Core. And whatever you gain inside the secret realm belongs to you. You do not have to hand over the thirty percent to Dark Nether Sect like they said before.”

Ye Wan Wan showed a hint of surprise: “That is a real bleed.”

Every time the Illusory Dream Secret Realm opened, Dark Nether Sect took thirty percent and earned enough to keep their sect supplied for half a year. Now they were paying all of it out. They were even adding extra.

“Right? The faces of Dark Nether Sect Elders were green,” Li Wan Zhi said. “If there had not been so many people around, they might have started a fight.”

Fang He An rolled his eyes as he stepped through the door and said lazily: “You think they are you? They would not fight.”

He added, tone cool: “Dark Nether Sect is buying peace with money. That is cheap for them.”

Ye Wan Wan was about to ask why Fang He An had not returned with Li Wan Zhi when he suddenly grinned: “Look who came.”

Standing beside him were Yan Ju and an old man. Ye Wan Wan had never met Xun Yin, but from the blue long robe, the wooden hairpin, the immortal bearing, and the faint herb scent around him, she guessed at once who he was: “Third Senior Uncle.”