Gates of the Myriad Realms Chapter 386

The communication talisman hovered motionless in mid-air.

It was waiting for Shen Ye.

But Shen Ye was a little worried.

The Path to Heaven required him not to fight before reaching the eighth stage of the Dharma Realm.

Not to fight… how could he protect himself?

The power of the Dharma Realm in the ninety-nine universes was so immense that after a simple period of cultivation, he already felt an impending breakthrough.

—The power of the Dharma Realm here was simply too abundant and powerful!

If everyone could come here to cultivate, how wonderful that would be.

Shen Ye sighed.

It was almost impossible.

If Tu Fusheng hadn’t put in so much effort, providing cultivation techniques and spirit stone mountains, he wouldn’t have survived in the Taishang Dao Palace.

How could he possibly bring anyone else?

Let’s not get sidetracked.

Now he had to consider how to avoid conflict.

Although the Gate still had the ability to directly reach “Dusk Star,” should he really go to Dusk Star?

If others saw his Gate ability, wouldn’t it cause a lot of trouble again?

Forget it, he’d think about it again.

Shen Ye put away the communication talisman, moved his body, leaped into the air, and flew towards the Central Hall.

As he flew, he activated his Dharma Aspect.

At the same time, six figures emerged from the Dharma Aspect, summoned by him.

Big Skeleton Failun!

And—

The Four Kings!

The Demonic Beast!

The Demonic Beast formed an oval cocoon, bouncing charmingly on the ground.

The only one he hadn’t called back was Tu Fusheng.

—Because his identity was sensitive and unsuitable for appearing in the Dao Palace.

Big Skeleton and the Four Kings could be described as his Dharma Aspect deities.

The Demonic Beast was a battle pet.

What would Tu Fusheng be if he came?

Unless it was absolutely necessary to fight to the death, Tu Fusheng could not appear.

“What’s wrong?”

The Big Skeleton asked.

Shen Ye explained the situation.

“Then it’s no use for us to come,” the Big Skeleton spread his hands. “We are deities in your Dharma Aspect, bound by a contract. Once we act, it means you’ve joined the conflict.”

“Is there no other way?” Shen Ye asked.

“No, you can only find a way to avoid fighting,” the Big Skeleton said.

Shen Ye was helpless. He thought and flew, soaring over one mountain peak after another.

He suddenly sensed something and looked down.

He saw the statue standing in front of the Dao Palace, with no one guarding it.

He was getting closer and closer to it.

As long as he unleashed the Demon-Subduing Pestle and struck it, his contract with Yun Ni would be fulfilled.

Should he try it?

The Vajra Pestle could break through all the great arrays of the Dao Palace.

Shen Ye gently stroked his storage ring, then released his hand.

The Taishang Dao Palace seemed to be enveloped in mists, making it impossible to see what lay behind it.

When everything was unclear, should he act rashly?

—What would be the consequences?

Forget it.

Shen Ye withdrew his gaze and looked forward.

The Central Hall had arrived.

He saw that many disciples of similar age had already gathered here.

Everyone was a little curious and nervous.

Among the crowd, those stronger disciples showed excitement, as if they had finally seized an opportunity.

Before long.

Some people began to display high-level Dharma Realm power, especially those who had been there for three years.

These people threatened each other, clamoring to show off.

Shen Ye landed, quietly retreated a few steps, and stood at the edge of the crowd.

This wasn’t enough.

He thought for a moment and once again brought out the purple trait “Scourge,” placing it above his head.

—In these higher-tier universes, it seemed everyone had various ways to see the traits above others’ heads.

Unless the other party possessed some secret art that deliberately concealed their traits.

“Scourge” should be useful.

Soon.

A voice rang out:

“Junior Brother, your ‘name’ is quite imposing, but what Dharma Realm power do you possess?”

Shen Ye turned his head to look, and saw a tall, thin male Taoist priest looking at him, a condescending smile on his face.

The fluctuations of his power were approximately at the seventh or eighth stage of the Dharma Realm.

“Are you referring to my ‘Scourge’?” Shen Ye asked, pointing to his head.

“Precisely,” the tall, thin man said.

Shen Ye sighed and said, “Everyone who stays with me for too long will encounter bad luck, and a few have even died. Eventually, the Dharma Realm bestowed this name upon me.”

The man heard this, subtly took a few steps back, and bowed, saying, “Junior Brother is mighty.”

After speaking, he retreated back into the crowd.

“Hahahahaha!”

Someone burst out laughing and jumped out, standing beside Shen Ye, patting him on the shoulder and saying,

“This is clearly a joke, isn’t it?”

“Pitiful, someone is so timid, even afraid of this—Friend, don’t you agree?”

This person had a pockmarked face, a fat physique, and his small eyes were filled with ferocity.

Shen Ye fell silent for a moment, then looked again at the void.

The requirements for the trial of the Path to Heaven quietly appeared:

“Using the power of cultivation, raise your strength to the eighth stage of the Dharma Realm. During this process, you must not engage in conflict with others.”

“Once you are found to be in conflict with others, the Path to Heaven will immediately close.”

Cannot engage in conflict with others…

“Speak up, are you mute?” The pockmarked face gripped Shen Ye’s shoulder.

Cannot fight.

Then he wouldn’t fight.

Shen Ye said amicably, “Friend, if you stay with me for too long, disaster will surely follow.”

Before the other party could speak, Shen Ye continued:

“This ‘name’ of mine has truly killed countless people. If you don’t believe it, just keep standing here.”

As his words fell.

The trait “Scourge” activated!

“Scourge.”

“Fate-type trait, purple trait (one in a million).”

“Description: Designate a place you’ve been in and cause a catastrophic disaster to befall it.”

That’s right.

This trait targeted “places,” not “people”!

How could that be “fighting with people”?

After activating the trait, Shen Ye stood still.

The pockmarked man sneered, his triangular eyes glaring, and he said ferociously:

“Are you bluffing me?”

In the next instant.

Shen Ye’s figure flashed, suddenly leaping seventy or eighty meters away.

The others also instinctively scattered around.

Boom!!!

A fiery pillar descended from the sky, striking the exact spot where Shen Ye had been standing.

The crowd was blown away, stabilizing themselves haphazardly to avoid falling into a ten-thousand-foot abyss.

They looked at the spot where Shen Ye had been standing.

Only a meteorite crater, dozens of meters deep, remained.

A white-haired Taoist stood in mid-air, shouting:

“There was a minor accident activating the restriction, fortunately no casualties—Alright, hurry to the great hall and enter the ruins through the teleportation array.”

He noticed that the disciples were staring at him blankly, feeling quite baffled.

“What’s wrong?”

The white-haired Taoist subconsciously looked at the meteorite crater.

“…Someone, identify the body, then bury it. Tsk—this was an accident, no one could avoid it.”

Immediately, several cultivators came up to move the body.

This seemed to be just a minor interlude; the death of the disciple did not affect the overall progression of the event.

Soon everyone was led into the great hall.

But this time.

The area around Shen Ye was completely empty.

Everyone looked at the “Scourge” trait above his head and instinctively moved away.

The white-haired Taoist stood in the center of the hall, declaring loudly:

“These ruins fell here from an unknown, higher-tier universe.”

“After countless years of exploration by my Taishang Dao Palace, it has been confirmed to be a combat training system of a higher civilization, but it is incomplete.”

“—It is only suitable for you new disciples to use.”

“Work hard; I hope you all make progress inside.”

“Finally, I must say, you must keep your wits about you and pay attention to safety, because—”

“The death rate inside is five to one.”

Everyone, upon hearing this, felt a chill in their hearts.

One in five people might die.

Who dared to be careless?

“Teleport!”

The white-haired Taoist shouted.

Overlapping runes of light glowed within the great hall, constantly swirling around the group.

These newly initiated disciples disappeared one by one.

…

When the teleportation array lit up, everyone stood silently, waiting.

Until all the light disappeared.

Inside the great hall.

The white-haired Taoist was gone.

The other enforcers were also gone.

On the walls, the shining flames emitted by the bright spirit jades quietly extinguished.

Darkness and silence.

The great hall was still a great hall, but upon closer inspection, it was filled with antiquity and decay.

Everyone gradually realized.

“We have arrived at the ruins!”

Many people quickly walked out of the great hall.

Shen Ye, however, stood still, examining the entire hall.

—The layout, beams, ceiling, and decorations of this hall were identical to those of the Central Hall of the Taishang Dao Palace.

Why would these ruins, which fell from a higher universe, have exactly the same architectural style as the Taishang Dao Palace?

Did the Taishang Dao Palace mimic the ruins in its construction?

Or was there some other reason?

By this time, almost all the cultivators had left the great hall.

Shen Ye was in no hurry; he leisurely walked around the great hall once.

In the middle, a few people returned to the hall to check the situation.

Upon seeing this “Scourge,” they lost all interest in conversing and quickly turned to leave.

The ancient hall fell silent.

Shen Ye stood for a while longer, feeling very satisfied.

The hall had ample space, and there were clearly some places to rest.

There was even a martial arts training stage.

Most importantly, it was not covered by the Taishang Binding Fate Refining Soul Palace!

This meant it couldn’t be spied upon.

This was extremely important.

Given such an environment, rather than participating in some new disciple trial, it would be better to cultivate in this hall.

Cultivate until the eighth stage of the Dharma Realm.

—Compared to the new disciple trial, the Path to Heaven was definitely more important.

Of course.

First, he had to understand the situation clearly.

Shen Ye strolled out of the great hall and came to the plaza outside.

A statue, missing its upper half, stood here—

It only had its heavily armored legs remaining, with a cut as smooth as a mirror at the waist, as if severed by an incredibly powerful blow.

Beside these two legs stood a broken sword.

As soon as Shen Ye appeared, the half-body statue hummed:

“We have seven items in total: attribute growth, Dharma Aspect adjustment, skill enhancement, trait acquisition, treasure hunting, exploration and knowledge, and team command and collaborative combat.”

“Choose, what kind of trial do you wish to complete, and what goal do you wish to achieve?”

“Which one doesn’t require me to fight others?” Shen Ye asked.

The half-body statue replied:

“Basically, all of them require combat—only the team collaborative combat option allows you, if you insist on being lazy, to let your companions handle all the fighting.”

“Can I not choose?” Shen Ye asked.

If he didn’t have to choose, he could just stay in the hall and cultivate, without worrying about anything.

The statue said,

“No!”

“You must choose one option to enter here. If you don’t choose, a random selection will be made after five minutes.”

Shen Ye had no choice but to say,

“Then I choose team collaborative combat.”

Before he finished speaking.

A ball of light emerged from the ground and enveloped him.

A sudden realization dawned on him.

In the “team collaborative combat” trial, he could initially summon a comrade whose strength difference did not exceed three stages of the Dharma Realm.

The prerequisite was that he could establish contact with them through certain items and obtain their permission.

This was to prevent casually teleporting people in and disrupting the entire trial process.

Who should he summon?

Big Skeleton?

Shen Ye’s mind stirred, and he established a connection with the contract.

A line of small characters in faint light immediately appeared:

“Collaborative combat partners cannot be your attendants; they must be comrades of equal status.”

Contracts were out.

Then—

Shen Ye pulled out his card and flipped through his contacts for suitable candidates.

A strength difference within three stages of the Dharma Realm…

Xiao Mengyu was a swordsman, wielding a divine artifact, and had just comprehended a new sword art; she was quite fierce in battle.

But she was receiving some inheritance from the Earth Mother.

If he interrupted her, it would be counterproductive.

Nangong Sirui…

He could do it!

This kid had countless tricks, sufficient knowledge, and powerful equipment, perfect for this trip.

Shen Ye activated the playing card.

Nangong Sirui immediately appeared on the card, holding a paper fan, dressed in ancient attire, looking elegant and refined.

Tarot cards could do it!

He could be found across multiple universes.

Shen Ye had intended to summon him using the Immortal Kingdom if necessary, as someone who had passed the trial, but it seemed unnecessary now.

“Little Three.”

Shen Ye called out.

“Hmm? Aren’t you in love? How do you have time for me?” Nangong Sirui asked.

“I’m being bullied over here, are you coming?” Shen Ye asked.

Nangong Sirui closed his fan and uttered, “Coming.”

Shen Ye looked up at the statue:

“My brother says he’s coming.”

The statue buzzed one word: “Good.”

Swish—

The void flashed.

Nangong Sirui appeared before Shen Ye.

He held a Yaksha mask in his hand, and a phantom-like divine shield appeared around him, as if he was ready to strike at any moment.

“Where’s the enemy?” Nangong Sirui asked.

“…” Shen Ye.

He turned to look at the statue.

The statue buzzed, saying:

“In the initial stage of the trial, you can only summon one comrade.”

“You have one hour to discuss tactics and practice coordination.”

“What is this thing? Where are we?” Nangong Sirui asked, looking up and down at the statue.

“This is the reward grotto-heaven of the Immortal Kingdom, a special trial ground,” Shen Ye bluffed.

If word got out, it would be an irreversible disaster.

So it was better not to say.

“Reward grotto-heaven?”

Nangong Sirui was startled, closed his eyes slightly, and carefully sensed his surroundings.

“Unbelievable… such powerful Dharma Realm energy could completely help me break through my realm!”

He said in surprise.

“That’s right, this is a good place, that’s why brother called you over,” Shen Ye said.

“I’ll treat you to a meal when we get back—oh, and anything else I should pay attention to?” Nangong Sirui said excitedly.

“I can’t fight with anyone; if I do, we’ll have to leave here,” Shen Ye said.

“Understood. I’ll handle anything that comes up. As long as I protect you, it means we retain our right to stay here.” Nangong Sirui understood immediately.

“Full marks for comprehension. There’s one more thing you need to know.”

“What?”

“My alias here is Nangong Wantu, and I’m your elder brother.”

“Why an alias?”

“The Immortal Kingdom has many projections across multiple universes, and it summons people to complete tasks every now and then, just like us—everyone who comes calls each other fellow disciples of the Dao Palace.”

“The Immortal Kingdom is truly unbelievable, to be able to summon across multiple universes,” Nangong Sirui said with reverence.

“Yes, this is called the infinite flow,” Shen Ye said.

“Alright, no matter what you’re called, as long as we can stay here to cultivate, we’ve hit the jackpot.”

“Indeed.”

“Then I’ll start cultivating.”

“Wait a moment, the law fluctuations on your body are a bit strange and need to be dealt with!”

Shen Ye called Tu Fusheng, hid him in his Dharma Aspect, and used means to eliminate the foundational cosmic power fluctuations on Nangong Sirui’s body.

“What’s this for?” Nangong Sirui asked curiously.

“Nothing, just a standard procedure,” Shen Ye said vaguely.

—That works now.

Hm, there shouldn’t be any issues.

“Then I’ll cultivate.”

“Me too.”

The two sat cross-legged, each practicing their cultivation methods diligently.

Nearly an hour passed.

Nangong Sirui suddenly opened his eyes and shouted:

“Spirit-master!”

From the illusory great shield behind him, two celestial maidens flew down, attaching themselves to his left and right.

Nangong Sirui instantly transformed into a three-headed, six-armed being. The two celestial maidens on either side each held a spear and double knives, while he held a Yaksha mask in both hands.

“Finally done—Shen Ye, I am now a master of the fourth stage of the Dharma Realm, and you—”

“I’m sorry, I am at the sixth stage of the Dharma Realm.”

“…Seriously?”

Nangong Sirui lost his spirit, but quickly cheered up and said, “It’s fine. I am the person with the highest resonance with the Dharma Realm Yaksha in the Nangong family for thousands of years—”

“I can use Spirit-masters, so my strength is several times greater than ordinary professionals. I’m not competing with you in terms of realm.”

Shen Ye replied, “That’s good. The stronger you are, the safer I am.”

Time was finally up.

The statue buzzed:

“Oh, you who chose team collaboration, your trial has come.”

The void flashed.

A female cultivator dressed in a Taoist robe quietly appeared.

The female cultivator quickly observed the two.

The two also observed her.

“She also works for the Immortal Kingdom; you should call her senior sister,” Shen Ye transmitted.

“She looks pretty good,” Nangong Sirui also transmitted.

“Eighth stage of the Dharma Realm, be careful.”

“Understood.”

At this moment, the female cultivator spoke:

“Two junior brothers, my mission is to find treasure, but the statue says I must defeat you first before it can guide me to the next coordinates.”

Shen Ye remained silent.

Nangong Sirui stepped forward, smiling gently, “This junior sister, meeting is缘 (yuan, fate). Why don’t you spend some time with us? Don’t worry, whatever treasure you’re looking for, I can give it directly to you.”

“You?” The female Taoist priest sized him up.

Nangong Sirui was born and raised as the successor of an aristocratic family; his every move exuded a certain charisma.

He was handsome like Pan An, elegant and refined.

His words were also perfectly delivered.

The female Taoist looked at Shen Ye again, and hesitated, “I remember now, you’re that Scourge.”

Shen Ye quietly reached up and pushed his head.

The trait “Scourge” immediately disappeared.

In its place appeared a pink trait:

“Songstress.”

“A songstress, of all things! The sect finally has a songstress,” the female Taoist exclaimed in surprise, her eyes instantly becoming enthusiastic.

In fact, even “Scourge” was a quite powerful name.

Looking at the way the other party changed “names,” it was possible that the previous scene was intentional.

This was impressive.

“If you need any cultivation technique or skill derivations, feel free to come to me,” Shen Ye said with a grin.

“You can just get treasures from me; I have too many, can’t use them all, it’s quite bothersome,” Nangong Sirui said.

The female Taoist priest stared blankly at the two.

“I heard that a new disciple joined today, and he is the descendant of Tu Fusheng, the Saint Martial Artist of the 108-layer universe.”

She probed.

“That would be me, my name is Nangong Wantu,” Shen Ye said.

“I am Nangong Sirui, his… younger brother,” Nangong Sirui also said.

“Meeting by chance is better than meeting by design; please come and chat, Senior Sister!” the two said in unison.

The female Taoist held her breath.

These two had strength, good looks, backing, and talent.

—And they were rich and generous.

If she could forge a connection with them, it seemed more valuable than a mere new disciple trial.

The female Taoist bowed, her voice softened:

“Two junior brothers, I am Chu Manshu, a true disciple of the Heavenly Gate. I joined the sect two years before you, so my strength is slightly higher.”

“Junior sister? You look clearly younger than me. By the way, can I call you Manshu?” Nangong Sirui’s eyes were bright, his voice gentle.

He was truly a graceful young master, whose words and deeds only inspired a feeling of closeness.

If someone else had said this, the effect would have been completely different.

“Fellow Daoist Sirui, I still remember what you just said. If you make good on it, I’ll let you call me Manshu.” The female disciple covered her mouth and chuckled.

“What’s so hard about that? Manshu, tell me what treasure you want,” Nangong Sirui said without hesitation.

He was accustomed to generosity and never refused a girl, so his demeanor at this moment appeared natural and sincere.

—Completely devoid of the nouveau riche arrogance.

Chu Manshu’s impression was even better, and she said, “To be honest, I’m actually missing a thousand-year Vajra Thunder Bamboo. If I can get it, my magical artifact can advance.”

“Just a thousand-year Vajra Thunder Bamboo? That’s very simple,” Nangong Sirui said casually.

He seemed to not care about this at all, and with a wave of his sleeve, he conjured a table, then placed a teapot and teacups, and began to brew tea.

Shen Ye immediately placed a few cushions upon seeing this.

The three sat around the table.

Nangong Sirui then had the celestial maidens gather around, lightly plucking the pipa to add to the atmosphere.

Seeing such an indulgent display, Chu Manshu felt even more at ease and spoke:

“Simple? I’ve been searching for a long time and haven’t found it. The sect doesn’t sell it either, and I was starting to lose hope recently.”

Nangong Sirui glanced at Shen Ye.

—What is a thousand-year Vajra Thunder Bamboo?

Shen Ye lowered his head.

—How would I know?

“First, have some tea, this matter is easy to discuss,” Nangong Sirui said with a smile.

“Hmm! I can’t believe one of you is a songstress and the other can brew tea and play music; how elegant,” Chu Manshu said.

Nangong Sirui handed a cup of tea to Shen Ye.

“Try the tea.”

—She’s at the eighth stage of the Dharma Realm. The two of us together wouldn’t be able to beat her.

“Okay.”

Shen Ye took the tea and drank it in one gulp.

—You stall her; I’ll figure something out.

He quietly activated the contract.

Tu Fusheng immediately sensed it.

“Thousand-year Vajra Thunder Bamboo? That’s a pretty ordinary thing—Is it for flirting? Then never mind.”

Through the contract between them, he casually took out a Vajra Thunder Bamboo from his spatial ring.

“Here, this one is a ten-thousand-year Vajra Saint Thunder Bamboo. It’s barely considered a treasure, so take it.”

Tu Fusheng said generously.

—He had realized something.

With Shen Ye’s power, he could freely enter his Dharma Aspect.

What did this mean?

A life.

In battle, if he encountered an unbeatable opponent, he could immediately call Shen Ye and have him hide himself in his Dharma Aspect.

That would be safe.

—Where else could he find such conditions!

So he absolutely had to uphold his image and stand loyally by Shen Ye’s side.

Then he could do whatever he wanted!

Shen Ye, hearing him say this and seeing him produce the ten-thousand-year Vajra Saint Thunder Bamboo, offered a word of thanks.

The ten-thousand-year Vajra Saint Thunder Bamboo was immediately sent into the Dharma Aspect.

—But how to give it to Nangong Sirui in front of Chu Manshu?

Got it.

Little Three was someone who had passed the Immortal Kingdom’s trial.

By the name of the Immortal Kingdom bestowing it upon him, it could go directly into his hands.

“Put your hand under the table.”

Shen Ye transmitted.

Nangong Sirui handed the clear tea to Chu Manshu, then retracted his hand, letting it hang beneath the table.

Chu Manshu took the tea and took a small sip.

She suddenly frowned.

This tea was wrong!

It couldn’t even be considered spirit tea.

If these Nangong brothers were truly refined individuals, why would they use such inferior tea?

Shen Ye was astute enough to immediately notice the beauty’s displeasure.

Nangong Sirui, having been educated by his family since childhood, also possessed some skill in discerning people’s expressions.

Tea!

The tea was problematic!

Right, this was tea from an unstable cosmic layer; its natural growing environment was inferior to that of the ninety-nine cosmic layers.

The other party would suspect it upon tasting.

“My apologies,” Shen Ye sighed, “Our mischievous younger brother loves playing pranks and swapped out the tea leaves—I imagine he’s secretly pleased somewhere right now.”

“Indeed, my younger brother is mischievous. Next time, I will treat Manshu to some top-grade rare tea.”

Nangong Sirui also said.

He appeared perfectly nonchalant, placed the object that had appeared in his hand on the table, and pushed it towards Chu Manshu.

This scene was completely natural—

As if he had simply taken something out of his storage ring.

Chu Manshu was still processing the two’s explanation when she saw a golden bamboo pushed towards her.

“Ten thousand years old, even better,” Shen Ye transmitted.

Nangong Sirui naturally understood, picked up the teacup from the table, listened to the celestial maidens playing the pipa with narrowed eyes, and slowly said:

“I see Manshu as so refined and unworldly, far beyond what ordinary female disciples can compare to. I secretly believe a thousand-year Vajra Thunder Bamboo is unworthy of Manshu, so I prepared a ten-thousand-year one.”

“—Manshu won’t blame me, will she?”

Chu Manshu picked up the golden bamboo and performed seven or eight incantations, verifying it. Joy gradually spread across her face.

This bamboo was ten thousand years old!

Ten thousand years to become sacred.

The Sacred Thunder Bamboo’s enhancement to weapons was even stronger, increasing weapon power by at least four or five times!

—A thousand-year one was hard to find, yet the other party gave her a ten-thousand-year one!

What generosity.

To casually produce such an item, the tea incident must indeed have been for a good reason.

“No mistake, this is a ten-thousand-year Vajra Saint Thunder Bamboo… Brother Sirui, thank you so much.”

Chu Manshu rose and bowed solemnly.

Shen Ye and Nangong Sirui looked at each other, mutually transmitting:

“Hiss—”

This was a sharp intake of cold air.

When did an eighth-stage Dharma Realm strong sister call a fourth-stage Dharma Realm brother “brother,” accompanied by such a solemn bow?

“Are you happy?” Shen Ye transmitted.

“I am very happy,” Nangong Sirui said.

He quickly rose, supported Chu Manshu, a sincere smile on his face:

“Manshu, we hit it off at first sight, why be so distant?”

His hand just vaguely supported her before quickly retracting, showing no intention of taking advantage of the girl.

Chu Manshu’s impression improved greatly, and she sat down with a smile, saying:

“But I wonder what your two younger brothers are called? If they have time, they can come to the sect to play, and I will personally host them.”

Nangong Sirui smiled without speaking.

Shen Ye, however, cupped his hands and said, “My younger brother is named Nangong Gou. He might come to play later, and there’s a possibility of him joining the sect.”

“Wantu, Sirui, Gou?” Chu Manshu murmured.

“Yes,” Shen Ye affirmed, meeting Nangong Sirui’s puzzled gaze.

“Keep a spot for Yunye,” he secretly transmitted.

“But why Gou?” Nangong Sirui transmitted, asking.

“What do you think?”

“…Indeed, very evocative.”

At this point, Chu Manshu asked, “Wantu, Sirui, what are your trial missions?”

“Defeat you—but we don’t want to fight a girl. We’d rather listen to music and chat about life here,” Shen Ye said.

“Then what about your mission?” Chu Manshu asked.

“Whatever, we’ll have our fun, then concede to you and leave,” Nangong Sirui said nonchalantly.

Chu Manshu looked at their indifferent expressions, then at the ten-thousand-year Vajra Saint Thunder Bamboo in her hand, and her gaze gradually softened.

She said softly:

“There’s no need for that. It’s fine if I, your little sister, concede.”