Chapter 100

Chapter 100: Ninghua Sect’s Gift and the Contest Begins

On the other side, Shen Sang Ruo returned to Ninghua Sect.

The trouble caused by Shen Dao Chen and Bai Mu Mu had already faded. Her thoughts stayed on Bai Mu Mu’s change of spiritual root. Ice Spiritual Root is a variant of Water Spiritual Root, so this change looked somewhat reasonable. She had also just sensed that Bai Mu Mu’s cultivation was at the Peak of Early Golden Core and might soon break through. Shen Sang Ruo rubbed her chin and wondered: [What secret is Bai Mu Mu hiding?]

While she was thinking, Su Xi Yu and the others hurried over and surrounded her. Shen Sang Ruo asked with a small smile: “Senior Sister Su, what are you all doing?”

Su Xi Yu only tugged her sleeve and spoke in a mysterious tone: “Come with me, you’ll know when you get there.”

Still confused, Shen Sang Ruo let them lead her to the spirit herb field near Su Xi Yu’s courtyard. She felt puzzled, because ever since the last time the people of Ninghua Sect helped plant in her field, Su Xi Yu had not allowed anyone to go near this place. Shen Sang Ruo glanced around and asked: “Senior Sister Su, why did you bring me here?”

Su Xi Yu waved her hand as if keeping a secret and said: “You’ll know in a moment.”

They soon reached the field. The sight before them made Shen Sang Ruo pause. The once empty spirit field was now full of many kinds of spirit plants. Each plant was covered with plump buds of all colors, as if someone had cared for them day and night.

Su Xi Yu raised her hand and snapped her fingers; in the next instant, all the buds opened. The spirit field turned into a sea of flowers. Waves of sweet fragrance rolled out and lifted the heart. It was even more stunning than what Shen Sang Ruo had seen on the Immortal Mist Plain.

Su Xi Yu’s voice was light and bright as she asked: “Is it a good surprise?”

Song Wei Yan laughed and added: “We prepared all this for you.”

Bai Ruo An asked gently: “Junior Sister, do you like it?”

Ye Huai said nothing, but he moved quickly and picked a few blossoms, placing them in her hand.

So, on the day she first came to Ninghua Sect and saw them in the fields, they had not been farming for themselves at all. They had been getting ready for this sea of flowers. From that time on, they had been planning this surprise. And the reason Su Xi Yu kept everyone away from the field was to hide it from her.

Warmth rose in Shen Sang Ruo’s heart. Seeing that she did not speak for a long time, they thought she did not like it. Song Wei Yan’s smile drooped as he muttered: “I told them we should arrange the flowers into the character ‘Sang,’ with this side red and that side purple. Bright red and purple would look great, and Junior Sister would like it for sure.”

Su Xi Yu could not read Shen Sang Ruo’s mood and sounded less sure of herself as she explained: “We’ve been trapped in Ninghua Sect, and you keep helping us. We cannot help you much, so we wanted to give you a surprise as a thank-you gift. It may not be useful, but at least it could make you happy.” She pointed toward the beds and added softly: “We used up every flower seed stored in the sect for this.”

Then she sighed: “But now it looks like it cannot even cheer you up.”

To be honest, planting flowers as a surprise did feel a bit childish for someone like their Junior Sister. After a long silence, Shen Sang Ruo finally spoke, and her smile bloomed as bright as those carefully tended flowers: “Thank you, Senior Brothers and Senior Sister, I really like this birthday gift.”

Su Xi Yu stared and blurted out: “A birthday gift? Today is your birthday?” Then she slapped her forehead and admitted: “Oh no, that’s our fault. We’ve known you for so long and never even asked your birthday.”

Shen Sang Ruo waved it off and said: “It’s fine.” She had not spent much time in Ninghua Sect, and each visit had been for urgent business, so she had never paid attention to something like her own birthday.

Song Wei Yan’s grin returned as he asked: “Then our timing was perfect, wasn’t it?” The most important thing was that Junior Sister said she liked it.

The group, already excited, got even more excited when they learned it was her birthday. No matter how she tried to decline, they dragged her off to find Immortal Lord Chang Li and the others, saying they would celebrate properly. Shen Sang Ruo could only let herself be escorted to the Sect Master’s Hall, though her heart filled slowly with warmth. [Maybe this is why I want to join Ninghua Sect.] Here, everyone made her feel that if she offered true feeling, she would receive true feeling in return.

After her birthday, Shen Sang Ruo went back to her usual pace and prepared for the Young Sect Master contest. As Bai Mu Mu’s cultivation rose quickly, Shen Sang Ruo trained even harder. She was not aiming to simply defeat Bai Mu Mu; she wanted to crush her completely.

Time flew, and the day of the Young Sect Master contest arrived. Shen Sang Ruo arrived at Flying Cloud Sect as planned. Because of the contest, crowds packed tightly in front of the arena. All the events would be held there. This contest involved the future of the sect and was especially important, so every Elder and every Peak Master came. They sat in seats set up beside the stage, with Shen Dao Chen in the center and Master Ling Xiao next to him. The Disciples, who needed to vote, also filled the stands.

Relying on the fact that their own Master was Master Ling Xiao, Feng He Yun and his friends sat in the front row among the Disciples and had the best view. All four of them had come, even Lu Shi Qing, who had not left his room for a long time. They stared at the entrance to the arena, hearts tight with nerves, unsure whether they were more eager to see Shen Sang Ruo or Bai Mu Mu.

Shen Sang Ruo and Bai Mu Mu arrived almost at the same time. Their joint appearance lit up the crowd at once, and the noise swelled. With who they were, and with all the stories about them lately, there was plenty to talk about.

Someone whispered: “It’s only been a few days, but why does Junior Sister Bai feel even stronger?”

Another said with awe: “Junior Sister Bai’s life is truly legendary. She’s the Sect Master’s daughter, but she was lost outside for years. After she finally returned, her body was weak and training was hard. Then she found the Fire-Scale Vine and recovered. After that, her spiritual root even changed in a miracle, and her cultivation has soared ever since.”

A third voice praised: “So inspiring. She’s a model for us Flying Cloud Sect Disciples.”

A fourth added: “With someone like that as Young Sect Master, Flying Cloud Sect will shine even brighter.”

Bai Mu Mu’s story had already spread through the sect, and everyone praised her. But when talk turned to Shen Sang Ruo, the tone flipped.

One person scoffed: “She’s Master Ling Xiao’s discarded disciple. How does she have the face to join the Young Sect Master contest?”

Another protested: “How can our future Sect Master be someone her own Master drove out?”

A third muttered darkly: “Who knows what awful thing she did to get kicked off Thunder-Scale Peak.”

A fourth snorted: “A fake is still a fake. She took Sect Master Shen’s daughter’s place for so long. Good thing Junior Sister Bai was finally found.”

Others said it even more bluntly: “Shen Sang Ruo can’t match Bai Mu Mu at all.”