Lu Xiuyuan didn’t know that during his two days of “closed-door cultivation and rest,” the whole online world had been in an uproar.
The cause was naturally that someone had uploaded the on-site videos of “splitting the sea to save people,” “Lincheng’s sky lighting up,” and “the giant beast in the villa” to the internet.
At first, all the young people took these videos as AI and special effects, and all the top comments were playing with memes.
“Maybe it’s a mirage, or maybe it’s holographic technology. Technology is so advanced now, we may well enter the sci-fi age next year.”
Not many people had seen Daoist Guanji with their own eyes. Lincheng’s sky lighting up had lasted only a short dozen or so seconds, and only a few thousand had seen the Wenxin Sect secret realm with their own eyes.
Apart from some elderly people and teenagers who had played games until they were obsessed, no one took the matter seriously, and what they said was light-hearted joking.
【Wenxin Sect? What little sect is this, is it as powerful as my Haotian Sect?! Send me 50 and join my Haotian Sect!】
【This was actually done by this poor Daoist. You actually found out, so send me 50 and this poor Daoist will teach you a Heaven-grade technique.】
“Little sect? What are you Haotian Sect even? 50 just to join, what a scam sect, reported!”
“Pah! Stop putting gold on your own face! My Master is the number one sword cultivator, handsome, kind-hearted, profound in cultivation, and peerless in swordsmanship. Don’t you look at what you look like, and you dare to cling to my Master?!”
At the most young and reckless age of eighteen, suddenly obtaining the trial qualification for a cultivation sect, their collective sense of honor was at its strongest. Who could stand insults and contempt from outsiders?!
Even Huang Ruihe, who was always quiet and reserved, couldn’t help arguing with people online.
But this only drew more mockery.
In a fit of anger, Huang Ruihe uploaded the related videos on her own account too.
She first got the clearest, steadiest videos from people, then, after some editing, cut the white-clothed sword cultivator to look like a god descending to earth, and it instantly became a hot hit with a million likes.
The eyewitnesses who had provided the original videos howled their declarations of loyalty in the comments section.
【Senior Sister Huang, don’t forget me when you get rich. If you can introduce me into the sect, I’ll be Senior Sister’s most loyal lackey!】
Although most people still sighed at how powerful AI was becoming, most were friendly passersby playing with memes and interacting with Huang Ruihe and the others, but as the popularity grew, the things it attracted also became strange and misshapen.
【Stop acting, even elementary school students don’t believe it.】
【You voice-acting cosplay circle people really treat Douyin as your home, huh? Why are you under every Wenxin Sect video?】
【Little sister, these waters are too deep for you. Tell Big Brother the AI model, and Big Brother will take you sword flying!】
Huang Ruihe’s account was originally an ordinary person’s account for sharing daily life records, with a few dozen followers, mostly classmates and friends, and before this it averaged only seven or eight likes. The comment sections of her few dozen videos, with no followers to defend them, fell almost instantly.
【So annoying, domestic high schools make students wear such ugly uniforms. Why not learn from Japan and wear more miniskirts!】
【I could play with high schoolgirls’ legs for a year and never get tired of it.】
【Little sister, when will you livestream? How much does the top donor have to give to go out with you?】
【You’re so pretty. Does little sister need money to spend?】
【I can give you money to spend. Add me on WeChat.】
Huang Ruihe had always been a good girl with excellent grades, and following a complete stranger, Jiang Yuhuai, to seek a chance to become a disciple was the boldest thing she had done in her life.
Seeing these comments and private messages, Huang Ruihe’s first reaction was anger, which then turned to disgust.
She was so angry her hands shook, and she typed away clattering to tell them this was wrong.
【Not going out with you. I just turned eighteen. Don’t you think it’s excessive and filthy to send these to a girl who has just become an adult? I see you have hands and feet, so why not do something beneficial to society?】
【You’re so cute.】
【Okay okay, anything you say, would 300 do?】
Huang Ruihe’s anger was soft like a coquettish tone, so cute that no one paid any attention to those words.
And as the video became more and more popular, the backend of her account received more and more such private messages.
Huang Ruihe was shaking all over with anger.
“Holy crap, what garbage, I’ll curse them out for you!” After learning about this, Tao Yuxiang rolled up her sleeves and started typing.
Then 0.6-scum was also so angry he nearly couldn’t breathe.
Huang Ruihe felt it wasn’t worth ruining her health with anger like this: “Maybe I should just delete the video.”
Tao Yuxiang: “Don’t you dare delete it! It’s not your fault, so why should you delete the video?!”
But fortunately Tao Yuxiang was a bit stronger than Huang Ruihe. She knew she was weak, so she started a group fight: “Trash trash trash, I’m calling for reinforcements!”
Tao Yuxiang roared: “If I can’t curse them to death, it damages my Dao heart!”
Huang Ruihe shook all over: “Right. If I give up so easily now, will I give up right away when I meet difficulties in cultivation later?! No, I’m going to start learning how to curse people right now!”
Huang Ruihe not only no longer thought about deleting the video, but also publicly exposed the foul users who had sent her private messages.
【What kind of trash dares to covet our Senior Sister? Brothers, charge!】
Immediately some mouthpieces with outstanding fighting power arrived at the comments section.
【I’ve seen this guy in Red Grandpa’s videos. Filth, don’t come harassing little sister.】
【This kind of man is the most desperate. I saw him last time at the supermarket poking himself with a rolling pin. The owner was so miserable, he went bankrupt because this guy’s stuff wouldn’t sell.】
【@XX your husband @xy your son @ss your uncle @yy your brother… the trash flirting with a little girl, come claim him, everyone come take a look!】
Tao Yuxiang and Huang Ruihe learned and practiced at the same time, and the more they cursed, the more satisfied they felt, as if they wanted to vent all their pent-up anger.
The two exchanged a glance and couldn’t help smiling: “Tonight, do we go for a family bucket or spicy hot pot?”
“I think we could do both—”
“Ding-dong!” A message that suddenly popped up on their phones interrupted the two’s dinner plans. Huang Ruihe instinctively picked up her phone to look, and her anger, which had already dispersed, erupted like a volcano, out of control.
【System Notice】 Your account has been permanently banned for repeatedly posting inflammatory and provocative remarks, in violation of community guidelines. If you object to this ruling, you may appeal through the Help Center.
Tao Yuxiang was so angry she jumped up: “Holy crap, on what grounds?! Why aren’t those trash accounts banned, but your account is?!”
“Knock knock—”
The room door was knocked on, and Dad Huang’s voice came from outside: “Ruihe, some police officers have come to the house and say they want to learn about some things. Are you alright? Don’t be afraid, if anyone bullies you, Dad will back you up.”
Lu Xiuyuan opened his eyes, feeling refreshed, his spiritual power surging. Regulating his breath and recovering shouldn’t have taken two days. The reason Lu Xiuyuan had sat motionless on the treetop was that this round of cultivation went so smoothly that he couldn’t bear to stop.
“Sect Master, you’re awake!” The paper fox huffed and puffed as he threw fallen leaves off Lu Xiuyuan’s hair. Noticing the change in Lu Xiuyuan’s aura, he was so shocked he stammered: “You, you, you didn’t use immortal fate, so how can you cultivate even faster than a Heavenly Spiritual Root!”
Although he hadn’t managed a breakthrough this time, he could clearly feel that he was separated from the Foundation Establishment barrier by only a thin layer of window paper, which could be poked through at any time.
“Probably this technique suits me better.” The paper fox didn’t understand, and Lu Xiuyuan even less. His spiritual root had been tested again and again; it was truly just barely at the threshold level for cultivation. Anyone with a root messier and worse than his could not cultivate at all.
“Gurgle~”
Lu Xiuyuan’s stomach protested.
“How many days have I been cultivating?” Lu Xiuyuan took out his phone to check the time, but found it had run out of battery and shut off.
“Three days.”
“Zzzt…” Lu Xiuyuan used spiritual power to send a tiny current into the phone to charge it, and as soon as it turned on, he saw over a hundred missed calls.
The number that called every few hours was probably from the Jiang family; the calls from the Public Security Bureau and the Anti-Fraud Center numbered well over a hundred.
Lu Xiuyuan wasn’t surprised.
While ordering takeout, he went over in his head once more the explanation he had prepared, and only then called back the Anti-Fraud Center.
“Yes, I also only found out a few days ago that my ancestors were the descendants of the Wenxin Sect’s Sect Master. In these past few days, under the Sect Master’s guidance, I have already successfully drawn qi into my body. The matter of Wenxin Cultivation University is also true. The Sect Master has handed the university’s external affairs over to me to handle.”