Outside the Pill Room, there was absolute silence.
The Ice Sculptures formed by the Blood Dove Elder and Lin Yuan and others reflected a strange light under the sun. Their frozen expressions of terror silently recounted the horror of that single moment. The biting cold lingering in the air had not completely dissipated, reminding everyone that an unimaginably powerful expert was secretly guarding the Reincarnation Sect.
The surrounding crowd had long scattered like birds and beasts, fearing involvement. Only Yu Yin, Qing Xue, and the dumbfounded Song Jiaojiao remained.
Song Jiaojiao fiercely rubbed her eyes, then pinched her own thigh hard. The sharp pain made her grimace, finally confirming it wasn't a dream. She looked at the Ice Sculpture of the peak Late Foundation Establishment expert, then at the calm Yu Yin and the perpetually cool Qing Xue. Her heart pounded wildly—not from fear, but from extreme excitement!
"My heavens..." she muttered to herself, then abruptly turned to Yu Yin, her eyes shining terrifyingly bright. "Sister Yu Yin! Just now... was that an Elder from your Sect? Good heavens, that was too fierce! A Late Foundation Establishment expert! You froze him just like that?!"
Yu Yin nodded, her own heart surging with emotion. Although she knew Elder Leng was strong, witnessing the means of a Great Emperor firsthand was still incredibly shocking. "It was Elder Leng."
"Elder Leng..." Song Jiaojiao repeated the name, a look of infatuation spreading across her face. "So handsome! So domineering! This is the place where I, Song Jiaojiao, belong!"
She grabbed Yu Yin's hand, her tone more serious and urgent than ever before: "Sister Yu Yin, Sister Qing Xue, take me to your Sect! I want to become a disciple! I want to join the Reincarnation Sect! I beg you! I, Song Jiaojiao, swear absolute loyalty; if you tell me to go east, I will never go west; if you tell me to beat a dog, I will never chase a chicken!"
She thumped her chest to guarantee it, the immense force producing dull thudding sounds.
Qing Xue frowned slightly, scrutinizing Song Jiaojiao. This woman was straightforward, possessed extraordinary talent—as evidenced by her strange strength—and she hadn't hesitated to stand with them during the crisis, suggesting her character wasn't bad. However, accepting a disciple was no small matter for the Sect, especially one "bringing skills," so caution was necessary.
"Accepting a disciple requires the Master's approval," Qing Xue stated calmly. "Master is currently away; we cannot make the decision."
"That's fine! I can wait!" Song Jiaojiao immediately replied. "I can wait outside your Sect first! Or... I can be an outer disciple! Doing chores is fine too! As long as I can stay!"
Her resolute attitude and humble posture were a complete contrast to her usual fearless demeanor. It was the strength displayed by the Reincarnation Sect, coupled with Yu Yin's ability to soothe her violent power, that held a fatal attraction for her.
Yu Yin's heart softened, and she looked at Qing Xue: "Senior Sister, Sister Jiao Jiao seems to have an underlying condition with her physique, and she stood up for us just now. Why don't we take her to the outer perimeter of the Sect first and ask Elder Leng for instructions?"
Qing Xue pondered for a moment, recalling Master's instruction before leaving to keep an eye out for suitable seedlings. Perhaps this Song Jiaojiao was one of them. She nodded: "Agreed. But there must be three rules. First, you are not allowed to trespass into the Sect without permission. Second, you must not disclose any information about the Sect. Third, you must obey all arrangements."
"No problem! I will absolutely comply!" Song Jiaojiao was overjoyed, nodding her head rapidly like a chick pecking grain.
The three wasted no more time and quickly left that place of trouble. As for those few Ice Sculptures, the City Lord's Mansion personnel would handle them; this served as a silent deterrent from the Reincarnation Sect to the various powers in Qingyang City.
They returned to the outskirts of the Demonic Beast Mountain Range, before the mountain wall illusory projection created by the Formation Array.
Qing Xue performed a Hand Seal, and a gap opened in the Formation Array. She told Song Jiaojiao: "Wait here; we need to report to the Elder first."
Song Jiaojiao watched the mountain wall magically disappear and reappear, nodding repeatedly in excitement. Clutching her giant axe, she stood like the most loyal guard, eagerly watching Qing Xue and Yu Yin vanish behind the array.
Inside the valley, Leng Wei stood quietly atop the Scripture Conveying Hall, as if she had never left.
"Elder, that is the situation." Qing Xue reported in detail everything that happened in the city, especially Song Jiaojiao's circumstances.
Leng Wei's Divine Sense had already swept over the young woman outside, who felt as fiery and chaotic as a flame. Her cold face showed no emotion: "This woman has a special physique, a variant of the 'Ancient Desolate Battle Body.' She is born with divine strength and surging Qi and Blood, but her Divine Soul and Physical Body strength are mismatched, preventing perfect control. Thus, her power often runs wild, causing a Backlash against herself."
Ancient Desolate Battle Body! Both Yu Yin and Qing Xue were startled; this was another legendary, powerful physique!
"Her desire for the Dao is extremely firm, and she defended us just now. We ask the Elder to decide." Yu Yin pleaded on her behalf.
Leng Wei was silent for a moment, then said: "Let her come in."
The Formation Array opened again. Upon receiving permission, Song Jiaojiao practically scrambled in on all fours. As soon as she entered the valley, the dense, pure Spiritual Qi, the magnificent Scripture Conveying Hall in the distance, and the medicinal fragrance wafting from the Pill Pavilion once again left her too shocked for words.
When she saw the figure atop the hall—aloof and transcendent, like an Ice Sculpture goddess—she felt a reverence rising from the depths of her Soul. Without a word, she dropped to her knees with a thud:
"Disciple Song Jiaojiao pays respects to the Elder! I beg the Elder to take me in! This disciple wishes to join the Reincarnation Sect and never betray it!"
Her voice was loud and filled with immense piety.
Leng Wei's gaze fell upon her, seemingly substantial, as if trying to see through her inside and out. Song Jiaojiao felt an icy power sweep over her entire body. The violent power within her became as docile as a kitten under this pressure, not daring to show the slightest agitation.
"Do you know what joining our Reincarnation Sect means?" Leng Wei spoke, her voice clear and cold.
Song Jiaojiao looked up, her eyes burning with fervor and determination: "This disciple knows! It means having a place to belong, having hope of becoming stronger! It means never having to worry about being killed by this strange strength of mine one day! This disciple does not fear hardship or exhaustion, only a life of mediocrity and confusion!"
"Your physique is special; ordinary Cultivation Methods will be like drinking poison to quench thirst for you. While the Sect possesses methods to teach, the cultivation process will involve far greater pain than ordinary people endure, even carrying the risk of death. Do you still agree?" Leng Wei asked again, her tone flat but carrying a power that pierced the heart.
Song Jiaojiao did not hesitate in the slightest; she bowed deeply, her forehead touching the cold ground: "This disciple agrees! As long as I can control this power and reach the peak, I will charge through mountains of knives and seas of fire!"
Her resolve and her yearning were displayed without reservation.
Leng Wei nodded slightly and looked at Qing Xue and Yu Yin: "What do you two think?"
Qing Xue replied: "Her character is sincere; she is worth cultivating."
Yu Yin also nodded: "Sister Jiao Jiao genuinely wants to join."
"Since that is the case," Leng Wei's gaze returned to Song Jiaojiao, "until your Master returns, you may temporarily be an outer disciple, residing in the outer Separate Courtyard of the Sect. Qing Xue will teach you the basic Body Tempering methods to refine your Qi and Blood and stabilize your foundation. A final decision will be made upon the Sect Master's return."
Although she wasn't immediately made a formal disciple, being allowed to stay was already an immense favor!
Song Jiaojiao wept with joy and kowtowed heavily again: "Thank you, Elder! Thank you, Elder! This disciple will certainly work hard and never disappoint the Sect's expectations!"
She knew she had finally found her true home. From this day forward, she, Song Jiaojiao, belonged to the Reincarnation Sect! This untamable, wild strength finally had hope of being tamed and controlled!
Willing to follow, until death.
And at the very moment Song Jiaojiao kowtowed, Chu Yang, who was exploring that special Reincarnation fluctuation based on the Guidance Map countless miles away, heard the System's prompt chime in his mind:
【Ding! Target matching the 'Hidden Dragon in the Abyss' destiny, 'Song Jiaojiao,' has reached the standard for Sect belongingness and loyalty, voluntarily following! 】
【Do you wish to pre-register her as the third disciple （ outer disciple ） of the Reincarnation Sect? 】
Chu Yang was slightly stunned, a curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"Yes."
He hadn't expected that shortly after his departure, the Sect would gain another hidden dragon.
It seemed it was time to speed up, finish the matters at hand, and return to see his increasingly prosperous Sect.
Meanwhile, deep within the Qingyang City Lord's Mansion, Murong Bai listened to his subordinate's report regarding the brief yet shocking confrontation outside the Pill Room. He looked at the Supreme Grade Qi Recovery Pill in his hand, which still emitted a faint fragrance, his eyes deep.
"Reincarnation Sect... Wood Spirit Sacred Body... a Protector suspected to be above Nascent Soul..."
He murmured softly, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table.
"It seems the plan needs to change. Perhaps... cooperation is more advantageous than confrontation."
"But that Chu Yang... did he really die in the Demonic Beast Mountain Range?"
A trace of doubt, and a barely perceptible... apprehension, flashed in his eyes.
（Chapter Twenty-One End）