Yun Xiaoyang was injured—no wonder the person assigned to escort the new disciples had been replaced this time.
Mu Zhaoran had only heard from Ye Lizhi that Yun Xiaoyang had gone to track down the ghost bandits. The cursed talismans had been destroyed, the bandits wiped out, and all traces erased. No one should have been able to track her down.
Still, she wondered who could have inflicted such an injury on Yun Xiaoyang.
Regardless of who it was, anyone capable of seriously wounding Yun Xiaoyang had, in a way, done her a favor.
Since Yun Xiaoyang was injured, she would not see him for a while. Hearing this good news lifted her spirits immediately; she was alert, awake, and no longer drowsy.
But her momentary relief vanished when she realized she still had to face You Guxue. Whether or not she saw Yun Xiaoyang, dealing with You Guxue was equally troublesome, and her cheerful mood evaporated instantly.
Sighing bitterly, she turned her dark eyes toward You Guxue, hoping to observe her senior brother’s reaction. To her dismay, he had already flicked his sleeve, turned, and rode his sword forward, leaving the disciples behind with an increasingly cold and forbidding silhouette.
“Now we move to the last location: the Five Elements Platform. At its center rests a chaotic primordial stone left from the opening of heaven and earth. It can measure the strength of your Five Elements affinity. Thereafter, you may select cultivation techniques suited to your natural talent.”
Mu Zhaoran guessed why he had been in such a rush today. Perhaps You Guxue also wanted to complete the task quickly so he could visit his injured junior brother.
In her previous life, when Yun Xiaoyang had escorted the new disciples, touring the entire Celestial Dao Palace had taken a full day. Only at sunset did they finally ascend the Five Elements Platform to test their talents.
This time, under You Guxue, they were herded like ducks, rushing through the palace in less than half a day, now arriving at the final procedure.
The mention of testing talents immediately revived the new disciples’ spirits. The chaotic primordial stone was unique, able to precisely assess the strength of one’s elemental affinity.
Outside the Celestial Dao Palace, cultivators normally determined their elemental affinities through trial and error, sensing which element’s spiritual energy resonated with them while absorbing it. Many began with mixed cultivation, leaving their internal energies messy. Upon entering the palace, some new disciples first soaked in the marrow-cleansing pools for three days to purge mixed energies and start anew.
But that was later. Right now, everyone’s focus was on the Five Elements Platform.
Mu Zhaoran, however, had little interest. She did not wish to approach the platform at all. She already knew her affinity results—another test would only make her frustrated again.
The rapid movement of the new disciples caught the instructors off guard. They hurriedly abandoned their tasks, running toward the platform.
One instructor ran, rubbing his forehead: “Isn’t it usually close to sunset when the new disciples are brought to the platform? It’s not even noon yet. Why so fast?”
Another answered: “This time, You Guxue is responsible for escorting them.”
Upon hearing this, everyone understood. They mounted their magical artifacts and rushed toward the Five Elements Platform.
The two disciples under the Sword Master were starkly different. You Guxue, the Xing Tian Sword Lord, never smiled, acted decisively, and volunteering to escort the new disciples was already remarkable. It was unrealistic to expect him to cater to everyone’s needs.
By himself, he compressed what had traditionally taken a full day into half a day, forcing both the instructors and the preparations of the various halls to accelerate.
Countless streams of light flew from the palace buildings, converging on the Five Elements Platform.
When You Guxue led the new disciples to the platform, the senior instructors were seated neatly around it, smiling warmly and watching their arrival.
Many disciples from other halls also gathered, scattering petals and shaping fireworks through their magic to welcome them.
The new disciples were astonished. Having endured You Guxue’s cold demeanor, they now felt the warmth and hospitality of the Celestial Dao Palace.
The cranes descended, carrying them to the platform.
Qiudao Yuan, uncomfortable in crowded situations, shrank toward the back. He overheard the Coral Clan young lady from Yingzhou whispering complaints: “Hurry and help your young master down. With so many watching, don’t embarrass the Eastern Isles.”
Looking at the young master of Penglai, who drew her disapproval, Qiudao Yuan noticed his expression was even worse than hers. As he jumped from the crane, his knees trembled, nearly causing him to fall to the ground—fortunately, someone supported him.
The Eastern Isles brought four golden tokens in total; Penglai and Yingzhou each had two, while Fangzhang Island sent no representatives.
Though the new disciples arrived together, it was still possible to see clusters forming according to their origin. Only the Buddhist disciple from the Western Zen Sect stood apart, alone among the bustling crowd.
Qiudao Yuan had often seen Zen disciples preaching outside before. Cultivation was widespread, and in the past ten years, the Buddhist path had seen growth in followers. This was the first time the Celestial Dao Palace accepted a Zen disciple.
Qiudao Yuan looked around, naturally moving back behind the Northern disciples. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of red. Upon focusing, it was Zhu Qinglan, gracefully bowing with a folding fan in hand, warmly responding to the senior disciples’ greetings.
Especially the beautiful senior sister.
“Did you craft these fireworks from sword energy? No wonder they shine so brightly, unforgettable at first glance. I am Zhu Qinglan from the southern territories. May I ask your name, sister? Might I have the honor of learning from you in the future?”
Ning Shuai, seeing this display, approached the Holy Maiden, frowning: “That sly fox is showing off everywhere, embarrassing our Southern Territories. Your Highness, won’t you say something?”
Mu Zhaoran ignored him. She leapt from the crane, immediately drawing countless gazes. She raised her hand, catching a few petals floating in front of her, cupped them gently, and released them toward the crowd with a sweet smile.
More petals rained down instantly.
Ye Lingyan, walking beside Mu Zhaoran, was completely overshadowed, lips pursed in silent displeasure. No matter how much admiration she received from others, in front of Mu Zhaoran, she was always the supporting role.
Rong Tingjue glanced at the radiant Holy Maiden, then at Ye Lingyan, silently noting her brief look of resentment.
The Holy Maiden of Nanrong, Yaoguang, lived up to her fame. Beautiful, with a sweet smile, dressed in vibrant attire, she was mesmerizing amid the swirling petals. Even the lecherous young master stopped his antics to gaze at her.
Mu Zhaoran, accustomed to attention, stood gracefully, returning every glance with a gentle smile. Having learned from her past life, she had refined her previously aloof and haughty demeanor, now able to put on a polished, approachable front.
In her previous life, she didn’t care about the opinions of these irrelevant bystanders, nor did she bother to show them any kindness. As a result, she had earned the comment from her peers: “Beautiful in appearance, but cruel in heart.” Whenever she stood next to Ye Lizhi, people assumed she was bullying him—even if she hadn’t done anything at all.
How laughable.
It was all just appearances. Who wouldn’t put on a show? A simple smile could earn more goodwill than any words.
You Guxue’s gaze fell on the curve of her smile. Beneath his jet-black eyes, an icy void stretched a thousand miles. He raised a hand and pinched a petal floating from her palm. From the sleeve of his robe, a frigid wind, laced with frost and snow, howled outward, sweeping away all the petals and fireworks in the air.
The festive atmosphere froze instantly, silence falling over the crowd. Everyone’s eyes turned to him.
It was undeniably a dampener on the mood.
Unbothered, You Guxue strode toward the chaotic primordial stone on the Five Elements Platform. The stone had rested atop the peak since the dawn of the world. Weathered and darkened, it would have looked like an ordinary rock if not for the heavy magical arrays etched into the pedestal that supported it.
Only when the arrays were activated could one see the Five Elements energies swirling within the stone.
You Guxue activated the arrays and said, “New disciples, step forward to test your talents. You go first.”
His gaze settled on the person beside Mu Zhaoran.
Ning Shuai was caught off guard. Stunned for a moment, he adjusted his sleeves, straightened his posture, and stepped forward. Placing his hand on the unassuming stone, ripples spread across its surface. The once-balanced energies within the stone began to shift. The colors representing metal, wood, and water grew brighter, while the other two dimmed.
“Metal, wood, and water—three elemental affinities. Metal opposes wood, so it seems he leans toward water.” The instructors of the Five Halls observed the stone, discussing casually among themselves.
Sure enough, shortly after, the three colors differentiated in intensity. The blue of water shone far brighter than the others, and metal slightly outshone wood.
He could cultivate a single element or two—metal and water—but he shouldn’t try to cultivate both metal and wood, which were opposed.
The instructors noted the sword at his waist. Their gazes toward You Guxue betrayed their admiration. Sword cultivation was highly popular in the Celestial Dao Palace; most cultivators practiced it, and a mastery of the sword was considered prestigious.
One instructor, a specialist in water-element sword techniques, narrowed his watery eyes with a smile as he looked at Ning Shuai, clearly marking him as a prospective disciple.
“Next,” You Guxue said, his gaze sweeping past Mu Zhaoran to a disciple from the four northern sects.
Mu Zhaoran stared at the ever-changing lights of the chaotic stone with boredom. Most new disciples were like Ning Shuai, with dual- or triple-element affinities, able to choose their cultivation paths accordingly.
Quadruple-element disciples were rare; quintuple-element even rarer. While five-element talent allowed for more paths, the affinity was usually weaker, and progress slower. She had only ever seen one outstanding five-element talent—Ye Lizhi.
Finally came the single-element disciples, with no choice but to follow one path exclusively.
Mu Zhaoran was the only single-element disciple among the new recruits. A muted yellow light burst from the stone, casting a dusty hue across her pale, smooth face.
Yes, she was earth-element, the path most cultivators avoided.
Earth techniques were unglamorous—digging into soil or endlessly handling stones—and far less elegant than other elemental arts.
Take You Guxue, for example. Even with his cold, forbidding face, he looked flawless astride his sword, perfectly composed and mesmerizing. Even if cultivators feared him, they couldn’t help sneaking glances.
But if he cultivated earth techniques, Mu Zhaoran thought, it would be a pity: “A beauty such as him, reduced to digging in the earth.”
Earth cultivation relied on long-term accumulation, often only becoming powerful at the Divine Transformation stage. Few had the patience for it, making renowned earth-element masters exceedingly rare—most of them in the Celestial Dao Palace.
When the chaotic stone radiated its brilliant light, the instructors of the Earth Hall practically jumped in disbelief. The previous disciples with earth affinity had never excited them so.
Single-element earth talent! There was no escaping it—she was naturally destined to be the Earth Hall’s new prodigy!
One overexcited instructor lost control of his power. A surge of yellow sand burst from his sleeves, covering the entire Five Elements Platform.
Coughing erupted among the disciples: “Run! It’s Master Cen’s sandstorm! Get out before you’re buried… cough, cough, cough!”
Green lights flickered in the sand, growing into thick vines that shielded the disciples. Somewhere, another instructor shouted curses: “Old Cen! Not again! Control your sandstorm!”
Master Cen flustered: “Stay calm! I’m tightening my sleeves!”
“Quick! Ah! My eyes—”
Chaos reigned—except around the chaotic stone, where all was calm. The sword suspended above the pedestal, the Xing Tian Sword, radiated lightning and formed a solid barrier. The storm of yellow sand could not touch the stone, nor the disciple beside it—Mu Zhaoran.
The sand beat against the sword barrier like a torrential downpour.
Within that small protected space, she stared wide-eyed at the sword, a shiver crawling from her soul to her fingertips.
She had seen the Xing Tian Sword before—when You Guxue had led them around the palace—but it had stayed obediently at his feet. She had never entered the sword’s domain.
Now, she was completely enveloped by its radiance.
Her scalp tingled. The lightning racing along its blade felt as though it might strike her neck. She instinctively thought of the dense lightning scars on Yan Luo’s chest, and her heart tightened. Every nerve screamed to flee—to escape beyond the sword’s reach.
Staggering backward, she tried to run, but collided with a solid chest.
Above her came a questioning voice: “Afraid of my sword?”
Mu Zhaoran lifted her head and met You Guxue’s deep gaze. Before she could answer, he leaned down slightly, scrutinizing her eyes. His thin lips moved enigmatically: “The last time I saw such fear was on the face of a criminal who had forsaken the Dao.”
Mu Zhaoran stiffened. Suddenly, her system chimed a warning in her mind:
“Host, your soul still bears the sins of your past life. You are a target for the Xing Tian Sword. Keep your distance from You Guxue. If he discovers you, I cannot save you.”
Mu Zhaoran: “…” Damn it. Why didn’t the system warn me of this before binding? Didn’t it see I was already planning to run? I know to stay away!
Not just because of the sin mark—but every time she saw You Guxue, she panicked, as if she owed him a hundred lives.
Now was not the time to argue with the system. Her pupils trembled. Under his gaze, which seemed to pierce her soul, she forced herself to say: “I’m not afraid of your sword. I’m afraid of thunder and lightning. Since I was a child, whenever it storms, I hide.”
“Oh?” You Guxue beckoned the sword closer, retracting the lightning along the blade. He held it in front of her, expressionless: “Then touch it.”
Mu Zhaoran froze. “What?”
Patiently, he repeated: “Please, touch it.”
The sword gleamed sharply, its brilliance reflecting in her eyes.
Her heart raced. The yellow sand continued pounding the barrier, drumming like heavy rain, yet could not mask the sound of her thudding pulse.
You Guxue, tall and elegant, stood firmly before her. Surely he had heard her heartbeat. He edged the sword closer, insisting: “The Xing Tian Sword only strikes demons. It will not harm the innocent. Why are you so nervous, Junior Sister Mu?”
She was nervous. How could she not be?
In her past life, she had been infamous on the Sin Stele—a criminal in the eyes of both the Dao and men—not innocent in the slightest.
Seeing suspicion deepen in You Guxue’s eyes, she swallowed and, forced, lifted her delicate fingers toward the blade.
She could feel his gaze fixed on her fingertips, almost as if it could burn them.
She imagined how the lightning on the blade would shred her skin, pierce her soul, and leave ugly scars.
At that moment, the sandstorm’s assault abruptly ceased. The yellow sand dispersed, revealing the clear sky, green trees, and the flustered disciples on the platform.
Mu Zhaoran’s finger trembled. She quickly withdrew it into her sleeve, lifting her eyes—already glistening with tears, her expression pitiful.
“I’ve heard that a swordmaster’s weapon is linked to their soul,” she whispered. “Even close partners seldom touch it. Why, Senior Brother, would you let me touch your sword? Is this part of the Five Elements Platform test too?”
The people busy brushing the yellow sand off themselves all froze at her words, their eyes turning to the Five Elements Platform, where the scene unfolded in full view.
A sword-light barrier had descended over the chaotic stone. You Guxue stood at the edge of the pedestal, blocking the Southern Rong Holy Maiden behind his tall figure and the stone. In his hand, the unsheathed Xing Tian Sword glinted as he held it firmly before Mu Zhaoran, its sharp blade pointing directly at her.
It was a posture that screamed “I intend to force this through!”
The Southern Rong Holy Maiden appeared thoroughly intimidated. Tears clung to her lashes as she steadied her expression and spoke resolutely: “Senior Brother You, my heart already belongs to someone else. I will not touch another’s sword except for his.”
“Someone my heart belongs to.”
You Guxue chewed over those four words in his mind, crushing them and swallowing them into the molten core of his chest. His frost-and-snow expression remained unchanged, emotionless. The Xing Tian Sword snapped with a sharp “crack”, a fierce arc of lightning flashing along its blade.
Mu Zhaoran shivered, tears falling from her lashes as she involuntarily stepped back half a pace. Her brows knitted, her voice trembling: “Please, Senior Brother, don’t trouble me further.”
The spectators below could not help but feel pity, anger rising toward the domineering figure before them.
The Earth Hall had finally gained such a prodigious talent—how could they stand by while she was forced like this? Several instructors immediately stepped forward, slamming a palm against the sword-light barrier. They shouted, “You Guxue! What do you think you’re doing? Withdraw that barrier at once!”
“If you dare act recklessly, I’ll report you to Swordmaster!”
Others tried reasoning gently: “Lord Xing Tian, you’re confused. This is the Holy Maiden’s first day at the Celestial Dao Palace. It’s your first meeting. Feelings can grow over time—this isn’t something to force! Withdraw the sword!”
Even the Southern contingent pleaded on her behalf. Ye Lingyan called anxiously, “Your Highness!” Rong Tingjue bowed respectfully and said to You Guxue, “Lord Xing Tian Sword, please do not harm our Holy Maiden.”
Ning Shuai, covered in sand, looked around in shock. “Holy Maiden… Lord Xing Tian Sword…”
Amid the chaos, You Guxue remained unbothered. His gaze swept past the tears on her cheek, and with a flick of his hand he performed a sword flourish, sheathing the Xing Tian Sword. He withdrew the barrier and strode through the murmuring crowd without looking aside, leaving the Five Elements Platform behind.
Mu Zhaoran’s lips curved slightly, her hand brushing away the dampness at the corner of her eyes.
You want me to touch your sword? Next lifetime!