“I heard that Bingbing fell into the manure pit on Black Chicken Peak a few days ago?” Sect Leader Wuya chuckled as he stroked his beard. “Let your uncle take a sniff—does it still stink?”
Jiang Bingbing exploded!
She stretched out her short little leg and stomped hard on the sect leader’s foot.
“Bingbing doesn’t stink at all!”
The people in the square went from whispering to bursting into laughter.
Wen Yuzhao pulled Jiang Bingbing behind him.
“Sect Leader, the Spirit Contract Ceremony is about to begin. I’ll take my junior sister aside first.”
“Alright, alright.” Sect Leader Wuya stroked his ethereal, sage-like beard once more and praised as he left, “Yuzhao has indeed advanced another level in cultivation.”
“Yes, I just entered the Golden Core Realm the day before yesterday.”
Jiang Bingbing obediently clung to her second senior brother’s sleeve, feeling immensely grateful to this great, saintly figure radiating an aura of benevolence.
Only her second senior brother understood that even a fool had pride and dignity.
She secretly glanced at his graceful, moonlit figure and sincerely thought he was a gentle, good person.
And while she was at it!
As Jiang Bingbing walked away, she yanked a handful of the sect leader’s beard.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the sect leader’s eyebrows twitch in pain, and only then did she grin with satisfaction.
“Hehe…”
Serves you right for bringing up my embarrassing moment in front of so many people!
Hmph!
Xie Yingnan was now certain that Jiang Bingbing was truly an idiot.
What disciple who couldn’t even achieve Guiding Qi into the Body would dare pull the sect leader’s beard?
It seemed that after over a decade of testing, he had been overly suspicious—there really was nothing special about Jade Immortal Peak.
What he didn’t know was:
Jiang Bingbing wasn’t an idiot at all. She was simply determined not to suffer any grievances in this second life. Living again was a bonus, and in her previous life, she had slaved away for the company.
Struggling to pay off car and mortgage loans every month, barely making ends meet.
She had had enough of that kind of life.
Now, she would do whatever felt good.
Who told the sect leader to embarrass her in front of the entire sect!
Just pulling his beard was letting him off easy!
The members of Jade Immortal Peak stood in the open space to the sect leader’s right. Before long, another Flying Ship arrived in the sky.
This Flying Ship was resplendent and magnificent, practically engraved with two big words: “Rich.”
Over a dozen people descended from the ship.
They all wore deep purple robes trimmed with gold, with the Sword Sect emblem pinned to their chests.
The man walking at the forefront had long hair cascading down.
His eyes were narrow and long, giving him an air of mystery and nobility.
Before Jiang Bingbing could even perk up her ears to hear what others were saying, she saw the sect leader’s old face blooming with smiles.
“Taixuan, if it weren’t for this Spirit Contract Ceremony, I wonder if I’d get to see you even once in a hundred years.”
The man in deep purple robes twitched the corner of his mouth slightly.
“Sect Leader, you jest.”
So this was Taixuan Zhenren from Heavenly Secrets Peak, who could rival her master in skill!
He was indeed just as stunningly handsome!
Huh?
Why did it suddenly get so cold?
Jiang Bingbing rubbed the goosebumps spreading on her arms and looked up to find the source of the chill.
Her master’s handsome face was expressionless,
but she could vaguely see him grinding his back teeth!
Why was Master so angry?
Jiang Bingbing’s small head was filled with big confusion!
“Taixuan, your peak can stand next to Qingxue.”
“Yes, Sect Leader Senior Brother.”
Amidst the gasps of admiration from the disciples, Taixuan Zhenren walked gracefully toward their side.
Then.
He stopped right in front of her master.
Jiang Bingbing peeked her head out from behind Wen Yuzhao.
Immortal Lord Qingxue adjusted his expression, forcing a smile as he prepared to speak, only to be preempted by Taixuan Zhenren across from him: “Ten years have passed, yet Senior Brother’s cultivation remains stagnant at the mid-stage Nascent Soul.”
“…”
Immortal Lord Qingxue gritted his teeth. “Ten years have passed, and Junior Brother, your forehead appears even darker.”
“Hmph~”
Taixuan Zhenren sneered coldly.
He led his disciples to stand aside.
The atmosphere between the two was tense and hostile.
Disciples from both sides lowered their heads in silence, even the usually noisy Xie Yingnan was unusually quiet.
“Click~”
A sudden sound broke the silence.
All eyes instantly focused on the source.
Jiang Bingbing blinked innocently, holding up her little snack pouch: “Want some?”
Taixuan Zhenren glanced down.
“Senior Brother, is this the infant you picked up?”
“Mm,” Immortal Lord Qingxue handed a handkerchief to Jiang Bingbing. “Little Bing, eat by yourself. Your senior brothers and sisters aren’t hungry.”
“Okay~”
“Got it!”
She replied like a young child.
Disciples of Heavenly Secrets Peak, like their Peak Lord, spent most of their time in seclusion.
They had never seen Jiang Bingbing before.
They were quite curious about this little girl.
Everyone in the sect wore the same style of sect robes, but this delicate, jade-like little girl was dressed in bright, colorful clothes, with a tiger-head hat perched on her head.
She stood out starkly from everyone else in the sect.
Yet she appeared exceptionally lively and unique.
However, they had heard.
This little junior sister… was a bit simple-minded?
What a pity.
The Heavenly Secrets Peak disciples withdrew their pitying glances one by one.
…
The Sect Leader stood at the center of Kanlie Platform, speaking incessantly.
Jiang Bingbing stood below, drowsy and nodding off.
Everyone else stood rigidly straight on the platform.
Disciples with aching knees and numb feet secretly envied this little simpleton of the sect.
The Spirit Bonding Ceremony was held once every ten years.
Sect Leader Wuya would always start from the creation of heaven and earth, recount the founding of the Sword Sect, and detail its current scale.
The disciples had come mentally prepared, but they never expected the old man to be so long-winded!
He spoke from morning until noon.
The scorching sun hung high in the sky, baking every disciple.
Jiang Bingbing woke from a nap, wiped the drool from her mouth, lazily stretched, and saw that the people around her were already drenched in sweat and swaying unsteadily.
She scooted closer to her master.
Hehe…
It really was much cooler!
She turned her head to look around.
Eldest Senior Sister Liu Zheng stood ramrod straight, her eyes focused intently, listening very seriously.
Second Senior Brother stood quietly with lowered eyes, also appearing perfectly at ease. Looking further back, she immediately spotted Xie Yingnan slacking off.
Xie Yingnan’s eyes were wide open.
Jiang Bingbing observed for a while and realized this guy hadn’t blinked at all.
He was probably using some kind of technique.
He looked awake, but was actually resting.
“…”
So sneaky!
Jiang Bingbing reached out a finger to poke him. Xie Yingnan swatted her hand away, mumbling indistinctly, “Let me rest a bit more, Junior Sister. Wake me when it’s time to enter the secret realm.”
Tsk!
She was really bored. This was even more tedious than the principal’s assemblies back in school.
The Sect Leader’s impassioned voice still echoed above, and the disciples below could no longer hold out.
They began dozing off one after another.
“All disciples must know that the Lifebound Spirit Sword in the hands of every Sword Cultivator is what will accompany you the longest.”
“If a Spirit Sword is infused with a soul, its power goes without saying. Within our sect’s Sword Tomb lies a trace of Spiritual Sense left behind by various predecessors of our Sword Sect before they transcended their tribulations and ascended.”
“If any of you are fortunate enough to be chosen by the seniors and form a pact, receiving their guidance, you will benefit for a lifetime! Once inside, it will depend on your own destiny.”
The crowd below erupted in murmurs.
Spiritual Sense left behind by seniors who underwent Tribulation Transcendence and ascended!
If one could truly be lucky enough to form a pact, it would be like directly securing a position as a sect elder.
Jiang Bingbing watched everyone whispering excitedly with great interest when she heard Xie Yingnan yawn.
This guy was finally awake.
Xie Yingnan: “Forming a pact isn’t that simple. It would be considered good if even one person gets chosen.”
That—difficult?
Seeing her look dazed and foolish, Xie Yingnan, bored anyway, kindly explained: “Inside the Sword Tomb, compared to the Spiritual Sense left by those who underwent Tribulation Transcendence and ascended, there are far more inner demons left behind by Sword Sect ancestors. Even Elder Sister Liu, who is already one of the top experts in the sect, still hasn’t formed a pact.”
“Wow!!”
Jiang Bingbing’s mouth formed an “o” shape.
Liu Zheng smiled bitterly: “Third Junior Brother is absolutely right.”
She gripped the sword in her hand, her fingers tightening, and said calmly: “This is my second time entering the Sword Tomb. At the Pact Spirit Assembly ten years ago, over thirty thousand people entered, and not a single one formed a pact.”
Xie Yingnan found Jiang Bingbing’s bewildered expression quite amusing, so he continued with interest: “In the entire Sword Sect, fewer than ten people have formed a pact.”
“Among them are the Sect Leader, our master, Taixuan Zhenren, as well as several peak masters from the other five peaks.”
“There is also a Grand Elder who is in secluded cultivation in the back mountain, whom no one has ever seen.”
During Xie Yingnan’s friendly explanation.
The Sect Leader was still on stage, passionately and fervently giving his speech. Jiang Bingbing watched as these young people’s faces flushed red and their fists clenched tightly, clearly having swallowed this grand promise.
Truly worthy of the Sword Sect Leader!
A leader who can’t paint a grand vision isn’t a good leader!