A stick of incense earlier, in a side hall of the Jade rity Sect''s main peak.


    Sect Leader Dao Xuan stood before a wooden incense table, on which rested a dusty, ancient incense burner. In his right hand, he held an incense spoon, while his left hand received an incense box respectfully handed to him by a disciple behind him. Carefully, he scooped half a spoonful of incense and added it to the burner.


    The faintly red charcoal burned quietly, and the elegant scent of sandalwood wafted through the air.


    He closed his eyes, savoring the moment, then asked, "Today is the entrancepetition, isn’t it?"


    "Yes, Master," the disciple replied, taking the incense box from Dao Xuan and walking alongside him into the hall. "This morning, when I passed by the martial arena, it was quite lively."


    "Oh?" Dao Xuan tilted his head. "Did something happen?"


    "A first-year disciple started a betting pool with a 500,000 spirit stone wager, attracting quite a crowd," the disciple exined, knowing that the sect leader had an interest in matters involving money, he added with a smile, "If not for Master''s usual teachings, I would’ve been tempted to ce a bet myself."


    Dao Xuan flicked his robe and sat on a cushion. "A 500,000 spirit stone wager? The other side must be confident. They wouldn’t let you win so easily."


    He shook his head, then asked with a smile, "Who ced the 500,000 bet?"


    "Disciple Jian Huan and Disciple Liu Qi. I heard there’s been some tension between the talisman and sword cultivators this year…"


    "Is that so?" Dao Xuan raised an eyebrow, pondered for a moment, and then instructed, "Go and investigate what’s really going on. If it’s just a harmless little dispute, there’s no need for a 500,000 bet."


    …


    A stick of incenseter, at the martial arena.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Qi had lost, and the crowd gradually dispersed, their faces filled with disappointment.


    "How could he lose? Liu Qi is at least a seventh-level Foundation Establishment sword cultivator. He’s really disgracing the sword cultivators!"


    "Don’t lump Liu Qi with all sword cultivators. We don’t associate with him."


    "Ugh, another loss! My luck has been terribletely. I lost at the gambling house in Approaching Immortal City a few days ago too."


    "Good thing I held back and didn’t bet. It was obvious something was off. Who would casually throw out 500,000 unless they were absolutely sure? Only fools like you would fall for it!"


    "We all know that, but there’s always a chance…"


    "Every gambler who’s lost everything started with that same thought."


    "Alright, alright, I get it. I won’t do it again. Luckily, I was cautious and only bet one spirit stone. Guess I’ll skip meals today."


    "…"


    Not far away, several first-year elders sat observing.


    Elder Wei’s face was dark as he nced at the gentle Yu Qing beside him. With a cold snort, he turned to leave.


    Liu Qi had borrowed 10,000 spirit stones from him!


    But he knew what kind of disciple Liu Qi was. Those 10,000 spirit stones were likely gone for good!


    Before he could leave, a personal disciple of the sect leader approached him, bowed, and said, "Elder Wei, the sect leader invites you for tea."


    As an elder, his duty was to teach and guide, yet he had stirred up conflict between the first-year sword and talisman cultivators, disrupting the unity of the Jade rity Sect. This was likely going to cost Elder Wei dearly.


    On the stage, Liu Qiy in a pool of blood, his body covered in cuts from Jian Huan’s talisman array.


    He curled up, biting his thick lips, silent, but his eyes burned with resentment as he red at Jian Huan.


    Jian Huan approached him, standing above him with her arms crossed, tapping her foot leisurely. "What’s the matter? Not satisfied?"


    "You used underhanded tricks," Liu Qi clenched his fists, enduring the pain. "You used underhanded tricks!"


    He finally realized why Jian Huan had been dodging—she had been cing talismans.


    If he hadn’t identally fallen into her trap, he wouldn’t have lost!


    "Talisman cultivators are all deceitful cowards!" Liu Qi spat. "If you have the guts, fight me fair and square!"


    Jian Huan chuckled. "Want to fight me again? Are you even worthy?"


    "You—!"


    "Me what? You can’t beat me in a fight, and you can’t out-talk me. You’re just useless all around," Jian Huan shook her head, cutting him off. "Well, considering the 10,000 spirit stones you lost, I’ll stop here. Take care of yourself."


    At the mention of "10,000 spirit stones," Liu Qi’s vision darkened, and he couldn’t hold back a mouthful of blood before passing out.


    Below the stage, a disciple from Medicine King Peak hurried over. She first nced at Jian Huan, confirming she was unharmed, then checked Liu Qi’s condition.


    Though Liu Qi’s injuries looked severe, they were mostly superficial and would heal in a few days.


    She fed him a Spirit Recovery Pill and turned to Shen Jizhi below the stage. "Senior Brother Shen, could you please take him to the infirmary?"


    Shen Jizhi didn’t refuse, lightly stepping onto the stage.


    He looked at Liu Qi on the ground, his brow slightly furrowed.


    Due to Jian Huan’s earlier evasive tactics, her match with Liu Qi had endedter than most of the other matches.


    Shen Jizhi had been helping out today and had already carried three or four injured disciples to the infirmary, each time using his hands to lift them and flying them over on his sword.


    But this one was covered in blood, and it looked messy. He hesitated for a moment, pursing his lips, and nced at Jian Huan.


    Jian Huan wasn’t looking at him, fully engaged in conversation with the Medicine King Peak senior sister. "Senior sister, are you sure I’m okay? Liu Qi kicked me in the chest earlier, and it still hurts a bit."


    The girl clutched her chest, batting her big eyes and speaking softly, "Senior sister, I have another match this afternoon. Could you please check me thoroughly? Do you have any good pills? What did you give Liu Qi just now? Can I have one too?"


    "It’s a Spirit Recovery Pill," the senior sister couldn’t resist such a charming junior sister and handed her one, then carefully examined Jian Huan’s condition, even more thoroughly than she had with Liu Qi. Finally, she said, "Don’t worry, junior sister. You’re fine. It’s probably just temporary pain and will go away soon. If it doesn’t,e find me. I’ll be at the martial arena all day."


    "Thank you, senior sister. You’re the best!" Jian Huan pocketed the Spirit Recovery Pill, taking full advantage of the sect’s resources. She walked a few steps with the senior sister, seeing her off.


    Shen Jizhi let out a soft scoff.


    Hmph, she’s quite good at acting cute.


    Hearing the sound, Jian Huan turned to him, her sweet smile gone, her eyebrow raised. "What are youughing at?"


    "Nothing," Shen Jizhi averted his gaze, looking at Liu Qi on the ground, his tone indifferent. "Couldn’t you have left fewer wounds?"


    Jian Huan followed his gaze to Liu Qi. "Well, it was a 500,000 spirit stone bet. I had to be thorough."


    This hidden talisman array, the Golden Sea Talisman, was rtively the most painful but wouldn’t cause serious injuries.


    After all, Liu Qi would be healed by the sect regardless, so the most painful minor injury was the most fitting. She didn’t want Liu Qi taking advantage of the sect’s resources.


    "But there’s no clean ce for me to hold him," Shen Jizhi said.


    "That’s not eptable," Jian Huan patted Shen Jizhi’s back, scolding him. "You can’t just ck off when you’re earning 100 spirit stones a day. Hurry up and carry him away. What’s with the dy?"


    "…" Shen Jizhi extended his hand, a ripple of spiritual energy lifting Liu Qi off the ground, his expression cold. "It’s not cking. I was just observing someone spouting nonsense earlier. Maybe I’ll learn to trick a Spirit Recovery Pill out of someone someday."


    Jian Huan looked at his icy face and shook her head with augh. "Don’t bother. You’ll never learn."


    Shen Jizhi: "…"


    Shen Jizhi flew away with Liu Qi on his sword.


    The snowy sword rose higher and higher, almost touching the clouds.


    Suddenly, the spiritual energy supporting Liu Qi vanished, and he plummeted downward.


    The sudden free fall jolted Liu Qi awake from his semi-conscious state.


    He had just opened his eyes when he saw arge rock right in front of him. Before he could react, he crashed into it.


    Stars exploded in his vision, blood gushed from his forehead, and Liu Qi passed outpletely, some of his bones now misaligned.


    Amidst the drifting clouds, Shen Jizhi calmly watched the entire scene before slowly descending on his sword, stopping in front of Liu Qi.


    He extended his hand, examining his jade-like fingers, and said indifferently, "My apologies. My hand slipped."


    Jian Huan had another match in the afternoon, this time against a Qi Refinement Stage opponent.


    She gave her opponent plenty of opportunities to show their skills, and after a few exchanges, the opponent conceded, ending the match.


    With that, the entrance examination came to a close. In three days, the sect would announce the list of new disciples.


    When the list was announced, disciples who had won both matches in thepetition could voluntarily continue to participate in the contest, vying for the reward of one hundred thousand spirit coupons.


    As evening approached, the sunset hung at the corner of the sky.


    Unlike the intense and passionate evening glow of summer, the spring sunset was neither too strong nor too faint, exuding a soft and graceful charm.


    In a secluded peach grove behind the Jade rity Sect, five people gathered together, while a lively and beautiful deer roamed nearby. This was Gong Feihong''s spirit beast.


    The spirit pig asionally trotted over to the deer, grunting and snorting, and at other times ran to Yang Ye, grunting and snorting.


    But Yang Ye was too busy to pay attention to it. He simply grabbed the pig by the scruff of its neck and tossed it away.


    The five of them were dividing the money.


    Their initial five hundred thousand spirit stones had ultimately yielded around thirteen thousand spirit stones in winnings.


    Jian Huan counted out two thousand two hundred spirit stones and handed them to Wen Jiu with a sweet smile, "Senior Sister, this is yours!"


    Wen Jiu had contributed some spirit stones and had also been persuading people around the Xuantian Mirror, acting as the publicity manager for this betting pool.


    Wen Jiu smiled and epted them, saying softly, "Thank you, Junior Sister."


    Jian Huan then counted out another two thousand two hundred spirit stones and handed them to Gong Feihong, "Brother Feihong, this is yours."


    Gong Feihong had contributed the majority of the spirit stones. Without him, there wouldn''t have been the enticing bait of five hundred thousand spirit stones, making him the biggest investor in this betting pool!


    Jian Huan counted out another two thousand two hundred spirit stones, bypassing Shen Jizhi, who was sitting beside her, and handed them to Yang Ye, who was sitting across from her.


    Shen Jizhi''s gaze lingered on the spirit stones, following them from Jian Huan''s side to Yang Ye''s side, almost as if his eyes were tracing a line.


    He had already repeated this action three times, and Jian Huan still hadn''t given him his share.


    Everyone else had received theirs before him.


    Yang Ye epted the spirit stones with a smile, "What a pity Senior Brother Yin isn''t here."


    Shen Jizhi withdrew his gaze and silently looked at Jian Huan.


    Jian Huan nced at him and, with deliberate slowness, counted out another two thousand two hundred spirit stones and handed them to him.


    Shen Jizhi had also contributed some spirit stones and, leveraging his position as an on-site staff member, had discreetly arranged for Jian Huan and Liu Qi to be at the ninth betting table closest to the arena, which was no small feat.


    "Alright," Jian Huan gathered the remaining four thousand two hundred spirit stones in front of her and asked, "These are all mine. Does anyone have any objections?"


    She, the initiator of the betting pool and the one who had won the race, deserved an extra two thousand spirit stones, and no one had any objections.


    For a moment, everyone in the peach grove was quietly caressing their spirit stones.


    Only Gong Feihong seemed indifferent, casually tossing a spirit stone up and down as he asked, "Hey, shall we go to the Gathering Spirit Pavilion? My treat tonight."


    The Gathering Spirit Pavilion in Approaching Immortal City was located by the river, upying arge area.


    From a distance, the pavilion looked majestic, with its flying eaves and vermilion tiles.


    There weren''t many customers inside, but each one was dressed exquisitely. As the five of them walked through, they saw many elders and senior brothers and sisters from various sects.


    Gong Feihong knew them all and exchanged nods and smiles with them.


    The melodious sound of string and wind instruments filled the air, and graceful waitresses carried trays of spiritual dishes into the private rooms, cing them on the tables, "All the dishes are served. Please enjoy your meal."


    Jian Huan was already eager to start.


    She grabbed her chopsticks, stood up, and quickly picked up a rabbit''s head, "Everyone, I''m starting!"


    The others didn''tg behind, and for a while, the chopsticks on the table moved so fast they left afterimages, asionally shing with each other, as if engaging in a small duel.


    Of course, it was mainly Jian Huan and Yang Ye who were dueling.


    When Wen Jiu encountered such a situation, she would let others take the first bite.


    Shen Jizhi barely touched his chopsticks.


    Jian Huan knew his habits. In the Lotus Square Secret Realm, where the spiritual dishes were unimed, he would eat.


    But since Gong Feihong was treating, and Shen Jizhi didn''t want to get too close to him, he refrained from eating.


    Jiang Mian had also arrived and was chatting with Gong Feihong about the uing Nine Provinces Conference. The two of them were chattering away, seemingly more interested in gossip than in the meal.


    "Someone actually climbed onto your bed in the middle of the night?!" Jiang Mian picked up a piece of candied lotus root, her face filled with shock as she took a bite.


    "Yes," Gong Feihong''s expression turned slightly bitter, "I was so scared at the time. Luckily, my deer was alert and managed to subdue him. It was a rogue cultivator, a senior brother. He didn''t have many spirit stones, and when he heard I was the young master of the Gong family, he decided to take a chance. After all, our family is quite wealthy."


    "It was actually a senior brother!" Jiang Mian was even more shocked, her mouth wide enough to fit an egg, "What happened after that?"


    "I lent him some spirit stones and let him go," Gong Feihong replied seriously, "This senior brother told me about his past the whole night, and I thought he was quite impressive. He should be able to repay the spirit stones to our family in the future, so I thought it would be good to form a positive connection."


    Jian Huan listened while eating, and when she heard this, she asked with a mouthful of food, "Was that senior brother good-looking?"


    Beside her, Shen Jizhi was holding a cup of water.


    Hearing this, he looked up at Jian Huan, took a sip, and said nothing.


    "He was alright? I didn''t pay much attention to that aspect. I''m not interested in men..." Gong Feihong blushed.


    Everyone burst intoughter.


    The mealsted for an hour and a half, andter Jian Huan even started drinking with Gong Feihong and Yang Ye.


    Gong Feihong was a bit drunk, but Yang Ye was still fine.


    He was responsible for taking Gong Feihong back to the sect, while Wen Jiu took Jiang Mian, who couldn''t yet fly on a sword.


    Jian Huan had drunk the most and was so drunk she could barely stand, staggering along the riverside path,ughing to herself.


    Jiang Mian quickly called out, "Hey, Ah Huan, where are you going?!"


    "It''s fine," Shen Jizhi, wearing the white disciple robe of the Jade rity Sect, said to the others, "You all go ahead. I''ll take care of Jian Huan."


    The four of them nodded and left together.


    The night breeze was cool, brushing against the willow trees by the riverbank that had just sprouted green buds, and ripples formed on the river surface, reflecting the rednterns.


    The faint sound of string and wind instruments came from the opposite shore, and the songstress''s melody was mournful and intive, softening hearts and making them feel tender.


    Jian Huan hummed a tune, swaying and staggering along the riverside path, dancing to the music.


    Her white skirt fluttered in the wind, drifting into someone''s eyes, someone''s heart.


    Shen Jizhi followed quietly, his hands sped behind his back, walking behind her all the way.


    Although Jian Huan was heavily drunk, she still remembered to return to the Jade rity Sect and knew which direction it was in.


    She even remembered that flying on a sword was forbidden within Approaching Immortal City, so she took a detour, circling around to the outskirts of the city before mounting her sword and flying unsteadily back to the sect.


    Several times, she almost plunged headfirst into the dark forest below, but Shen Jizhi pulled her back each time. Finally, he simply confiscated her sword and pulled her onto his own.


    Jian Huan swayed slightly and asked warily, "Who are you?"


    Shen Jizhi: "..."


    He didn''t really want to answer, so he remained silent.


    Jian Huan poked him with a finger, "I''m asking you, who are you? If you don''t tell me, I''m going to jump off."


    Her mother had told her when she was young not to get into a car with strangers.


    He sighed, "...Shen Jizhi."


    Jian Huan tilted her head and asked again, "Who is Shen Jizhi?"


    Shen Jizhi: "..."


    Jian Huan was puzzled, "What''s wrong with you? Do I have to poke you to get you to speak?"


    Shen Jizhi: "..."


    Shen Jizhi nced back at her.


    Under the moonlight, the girl''s cheeks were flushed, her soft lips were red, and her eyes sparkled like stars.


    He asked nonchntly, "Then who are you?"


    The dense forest ahead was quite tall, so the sword ascended higher. Jian Huan instinctively grabbed Shen Jizhi''s belt with both hands, tilted her head, and thought for a while before seriously replying, "I''m Qian Duoduo."


    Shen Jizhi: "..."


    He roughly understood how her mind worked when she was drunk.


    Jian Huan urged, "Your turn, who are you?"


    Shen Jizhi: "Who owes you one hundred thousand spirit stones?"


    Jian Huan''s eyes lit up with an unusual brilliance, "It''s Shen Jizhi!"


    Shen Jizhi nodded, "That''s me."


    "Oh, you should have said so earlier!" Jian Huan was reassured, grabbing both sides of his belt and swaying her body from side to side.


    Shen Jizhi''s belt was being tugged back and forth, almosting loose.


    After a moment, he reached out, grasped her slender wrists, and gently pulled her hands away.


    Jian Huan bit her lip and protested, "I wasn''t touching you, I was touching your clothes. Is that not allowed? If I don''t have something to hold onto, I''ll fall off."


    As she said this, she looked down and eximed, "Wow, it''s really high up here."


    Shen Jizhi lowered his gaze, his eyshes casting shadows over his eyes as he slowly pulled the person behind him closer.


    Jian Huan followed his movement, pressing her body against his broad back.


    He intertwined her hands around his waist and asked calmly, "How about this? Will you still fall off?"


    Jian Huan instinctively held him tighter, her long, fluttering eyshes brushing against his back now and then. She spoke with a hint of hesitation, "But, I remember Shen Jizhi—he’s quite possessive and doesn’t like to be touched. Are you sure this is alright?"


    Shen Jizhi gazed at the mountains shrouded in the moonlight and gave a faint hum. The smile on his lips was as subtle as his tone. "Tonight, I suppose I can allow Miss Qian to touch me—just this once."