◎ Time to comb your hair ◎
The spiritual energy bestowed upon the trio differed in scale.
Clearly, their earlier moment of silent comprehension had been rewarded in varying degrees.
Without Lin Shuang’s talisman, Xiao Ai, both Meng Zi and Huangfu Yuan struggled to break free from their restlessness.
Thus, she reaped the greatest benefit.
Meng Zi, though fond of spirit stones, had willingly yielded at the critical moment, and so received the second-largest reward.
Huangfu Yuan, having recognized his own obstinacy and shown a small degree of concession, came third.
As the spiritual energy descended—
Three Zhenchuan Transfer Leaves drifted down.
Lin Shuang reached out curiously and immediately noticed: this leaf was roughly half the size of the 9000-tier Transfer Leaves they had previously received in the “Ah, I’m Dead” level.
Even smaller than the ones they had obtained at the Ten Thousand Volumes Study Pavilion.
Strange—was there a difference?
Did size correspond to tier?
Just as she was wondering, an elderly voice rang out.
“I am the overseeing elder of the 6000th tier in Zhenchuan. Impressed by your performance in battle, I grant you a 6000-tier group trial Transfer Leaf.”
“I am most curious to see how far your coordination might one day grow. I shall await you at the 6000th tier’s Courtyard of Rest.”
6000th-tier property manager?
So the head inspectors of every three thousand tiers in Zhenchuan had the same status as the pink-robed elder—just managing different layers?
Lin Shuang looked ahead with interest, only to find the pink-robed elder’s expression turning quite displeased.
The three leaves descended gently.
Each bore fine, clear characters engraved upon the dried surface:
—Zhenchuan 6000: “It’s on me. Don’t you dare fight me for the bill!”
Meng Zi: “What the hell—”
He didn’t even bother absorbing the spiritual energy still enveloping him. With a flick of his wrist, he tried to fling the leaf away.
But it clung tightly to his palm and drifted straight into his mustard seed pouch.
He froze.
Who agreed to pay?
He didn’t want to!
He disliked this layer’s name and wanted no part of it.
Next to him, Lin Shuang grimaced, clutching her dantian with the expression of someone on shift today.
With the descent of the Transfer Leaf, a brute surge of spiritual energy crashed into her brow.
She wasn’t due for a breakthrough yet. Would these elders kindly restrain themselves?
Stop flinging energy at her so casually!
Lin Shuang locked the energy in her brow’s spiritual sea and gently passed through all her dormant dantians before glancing sadly toward the sky.
Huangfu Yuan stood stiff within the energy cloud, his long hair fluttering behind him.
He took a half-step back, clearly hesitant.
[???]
[They’re seriously trying to back out of this?]
[Damn, is that one of our 6000th-tier elders? Just handing out energy like candy, and even a Transfer Leaf?!]
[Why have I never run into that before? And Lin Shuang’s group even looks reluctant?]
The pink-robed elder before them now had a complicated expression—somewhat displeased.
She narrowed her sharp gaze at the sky, then turned it directly to the watching disciples in the projection.
[She’s pissed. She’s really pissed.]
[Hahaha—]
[What’s the matter, Senior Brothers and Sisters?]
[Use your brain! Each elder belongs to a different faction. When they spot talent, they’ll try to recruit them as their personal disciples!]
[Shhh… she’s still overseeing the trial. Keep your voice down.]
[Lin Shuang’s group had remained below the 3000th tier, which was under her jurisdiction. Now the 6000th-tier elder had cut in and handed out rewards, which explained her discontent.]
[Also, weren’t you trying to block Lin Shuang from entering the Inner Sect through the Outer Sect trials? Now the 6000th-tier elder just swooped in and upgraded her…]
[Damn!]
[…So why didn’t Mei Xin get one?]
[Different elders, different tastes. Clearly, our 6000th-tier supervisor likes bold, stormy types like Meng Zi and Lin Shuang.]
[……]
[Zhenchuan is a trial ground. When a disciple makes real progress, some elders can’t help but take notice.]
[Lin Shuang’s group showed both insight and sincerity earlier—their potential is enormous.]
[Mei Xin… well… you know that issuing Transfer Leaves affects an elder’s performance review?]
[Huh???]
[Transfer Leaves are opportunities. Disciples who receive them gain increased access to sect resources—sometimes even being led into new layers before the ten-year mark.]
[If that disciple later ranks in the top ten of the Donghua Territory, the elder who saw that potential is recognized for their foresight and rewarded by the Sect Patriarch.]
[But if they gave it to someone who turns out to be mediocre? Waste of spirit stones, waste of resources. The elder’s performance grade tanks.]
[…! If I were an elder, I’d give one to Lin Shuang too.]
[You all should consider redeeming a copy of The Complete Roster of Current Clearwater Sect Elders, available at the 4000th tier for just 10,000 spirit stones.]
“This Transfer Leaf seems different,” Huangfu Yuan said, having finally suppressed his rejection of the energy and begun absorbing it.
He studied the leaf in his hand. “The spiritual energy feels much weaker than that from the 9000th-tier leaves.”
“It’s a second-tier spiritual treasure,” Lin Shuang replied.
The earlier 9000-tier Transfer Leaf had been a third-tier treasure.
Meng Zi’s face twisted in disdain. “So the 6000th tier isn’t so great after all.”
The pink-robed elder’s eye twitched. “It has nothing to do with the tier.”
“That one…” She looked to the heavens, her expression bitter. “She’s just like me—one of the general inspectors every three thousand layers.”
Her gaze returned to Lin Shuang, showing a rare flicker of appreciation.
“You’re quite something. Even she couldn’t sit still—came all the way to my turf to poach you.”
She chuckled coldly.
“This Transfer Leaf differs from the ones you’ve received before. As a second-tier treasure, it was granted under an inspector’s authority, limited to layers they oversee.”
“But the one from the ‘Life or Death’ trial—layer 9000—was bestowed by the elder who designed that tier. The trial’s creator.”
[!!!]
[Did I hear that right?!]
Seeing Lin Shuang still dazed, the pink-robed elder explained with a sigh.
“Most disciples never even reach the 9000th tier of Zhenchuan. That trial was designed during Clearwater Sect’s founding by the Sect Master and the twelve elders before they ascended.”
“So now you understand the difference between those leaves?”
[……]
[Wait, did they just receive a Transfer Leaf created by the founding elders?!]
[What does that even mean?!]
[First-generation! The original Sect Master and elders!]
[If they complete that ‘Life or Death’ tier, they might catch the eye of a secluding ancestor!]
[If someone in Qi Refinement from the Outer Sect catches an ancestor’s attention…]
[Yeah, I get it now. If I were the 6000th-tier elder, I’d rush to claim them too. Better now than never.]
One day, if a secluding ancestor asks, “Who trained this disciple?”—
The 6000th-tier elder will proudly rise and say: “I did.”
Disciples from the 3000th, 6000th, and 9000th tiers fell silent.
Especially those in the 6000th-tier Courtyard of Rest. Even the lead disciple stared nervously at the green-robed woman reclining behind the sales jade table, one leg crossed casually.
“What are you staring at?”
The green-robed woman craned her neck with an aloof snort.
She wasn’t some awe-inspiring elder, but rather looked quite young and beautiful—just like the pink-robed elder of the 3000th tier.
But as she raised her head to glare at her disciples, the entire wall of the courtyard behind her crumbled into dust.
The disciples: “…”
So she faked an old voice just to inspire reverence in Lin Shuang’s group and coax them into becoming her disciples?
Scheming and short-tempered.
Compared to the 3000th-tier elder, their side was hell.
Everyone owned a copy of The Complete Roster of Current Clearwater Sect Elders, out of sheer necessity.
One wrong move and the Courtyard of Rest became a living nightmare.
And this elder’s fiery personality… was a perfect match for Lin Shuang, Meng Zi, and Huangfu Yuan’s bold and unyielding nature.
Birds of a feather, truly.
[One last word of advice—make the most of your time below the 3000th tier. Grow quickly.]
[The 6000th tier awaits you. Heh.]
[……]
Lin Shuang and her companions remained oblivious to these senior warnings.
“Ninth question: When faced with an unbeatable opponent…”
“Run.”
“Retreat for now.”
“See how many spirit stones they’re worth—er,” Meng Zi glanced at the others. “Let’s just run. Senior Brother Huangfu can cover my losses.”
“Tenth question: Which layer do you wish to enter next—3211, 3212, or 3213?”
“Any is fine.”
“3212,” Lin Shuang said, flipping open her planner and calculating the arithmetic progression.
At once, Meng Zi and Huangfu Yuan agreed. “We’ll follow her lead.”
Who wouldn’t trust a master guesser?
Mei Xin’s ten questions concluded.
The pink-robed elder stood solemnly and declared:
“Mei Xin’s team answered six correctly.”
“Lin Shuang’s team also answered… six.”
[!]
[……]
[They caught up! Unbelievable!]
[Mei Xin’s team got four wrong too? That’s hard to believe.]
In the projection, Mei Xin’s trio showed a flicker of shock before quickly regaining composure and nodding in acceptance.
“This round is a tie. Both teams receive three breaths’ worth of forward movement.”
“Await my command!”
The pink-robed elder formed a hand seal, and water exploded into the air with a splash!
In an instant, Mei Xin’s trio surged toward the spiritual spring.
Lin Shuang’s group was right behind.
Mei Xin, Gang Yi, and Gang Er were all Peak Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.
At full speed, they easily outpaced the frail Huangfu Yuan, Lin Shuang at Qi Refinement, and the spiritually drained Meng Zi.
But as they took off—they began to play the erhu and pipa, launching a mental assault on Lin Shuang’s group!
Lin Shuang froze.
Meng Zi swayed, and Huangfu Yuan’s flying sword faltered.
Their speed dropped sharply.
[Mei Xin’s so vicious! So vicious!]
[I just thought she got those answers wrong on purpose…]
[Wow, so this is what she meant when she said she wouldn’t strike while the others were exhausted?]
[She had no choice—carrying the expectations of all Inner Sect disciples below the 3000th tier.]
[Sigh.]
Viewers in the projection could only watch with sympathy.
[I’m Mei Xin’s Senior Brother. If Lin Shuang enters the Inner Sect, I’ll take her on an A-class mission to make up for today.]
Public favor tilted heavily toward Lin Shuang.
And just as they were discussing how to compensate her group—
The situation in the projection shifted in an instant.
In the span of a breath, Lin Shuang’s frozen posture began to loosen.
Huangfu Yuan’s eyelids twitched.
The two were regaining control.
“Xiao Ai reminds you: Full-speed flight is about to commence!”
“Extend both wings, stow away your tray tables—we’re preparing for launch—”
At the soft and adorable voice of Xiao Ai, Meng Zi snapped awake.
“Damn it,” he muttered.
Immediately, he formed a hand seal.
Huangfu Yuan’s phoenix eyes opened slightly. From within his mustard seed pouch flew out the million-spirit-stone treasure sword that had earlier split the arena platform.
It aligned precisely beside Lin Shuang’s two broad swords.
Meng Zi’s saber came down horizontally atop all three.
“Lin Shuang! The Rapid Travel Table!”
Almost the moment he called out, Lin Shuang, with a grimace of bitter reluctance, flung out a square wooden table and slid it beneath the stack of blades.
Next came the Spirit Gathering Table!
[??]
[What… is this…]
[That table…]
Stacked like a game of Jenga, the three of them stood on swords, the swords rested on a table, and one table stood atop another.
Huangfu Yuan sat cross-legged amidst the swords, distributing pills to Lin Shuang and Meng Zi.
Lin Shuang instantly pulled out a strange-looking item—some kind of transparent face shield.
She strapped one onto herself, then fitted one over Meng Zi’s face as he focused fully on sword flight.
Huangfu Yuan, with a flicker in his eyes, also put his on.
In that moment, swordlight flared. The pills within the trio’s masks shattered into mist, turning to vapor and entering their nostrils in an instant.
All three tilted their heads back and inhaled deeply, without disrupting their continuous hand seals or rapid advance.
Their complexions flushed rosy in the pill mist.
[!]
[……]
They were flying at full speed, gathering spiritual energy, consuming pills, and resisting Mei Xin’s spiritual consciousness assault—all at once.
The damage to their minds from Mei Xin’s attack gradually mended through the medicated mist.
In just three breaths, they shot toward the spirit spring like arrows loosed from the peak of a mountain.
Their speed rivaled that of Mei Xin’s group—even with their mental attacks in play.
[……]
[Mei Xin’s at Peak Fourth Stage Foundation Establishment. She’s an auditory cultivator, not known for speed—but they still can’t outrun those three?]
[Mei Xin’s group is slowing. Lin Shuang’s group is still accelerating!]
[??]
“Whew—”
When Lin Shuang’s team’s three breaths expired, the momentum from their third-rank speed talisman was still carrying them forward.
They couldn’t help but dash another short stretch toward the visible edge of the spirit spring.
“Ahem, Elder, it wasn’t that we broke the rules and sprinted ahead—it’s just that Senior Sister Mei attacked our divine sense, and we didn’t have any left to stop the speed talisman.”
Meng Zi raised his hand in aggrieved protest.
[……]
[Shameless.]
[Shameless versus ruthless… hmm, balanced enough.]
Under the impartial direction of the pink-robed elder, Meng Zi reluctantly backed up a few steps.
He stopped exactly where they should’ve halted.
—Roughly a hundred meters from the spirit spring. With three breaths, they could reach it.
Looking up, they saw Mei Xin’s trio. Mei Xin also spotted them.
They hadn’t packed away their Spirit Gathering Table yet.
Spiritual energy around them: ↑↑↑
Spiritual energy around Mei Xin’s group: ↓↓↓
Mei Xin’s group: “……”
Pink-robed elder: “……”
Mei Xin inhaled deeply. Her face pale, she reached into her sleeve for a jade pill bottle.
She hadn’t even uncorked the red seal when she swayed visibly.
Gang Yi and Gang Er both buckled at the knees.
[?]
[! What’s going on?!]
[……Just from the projection, this looks like spiritual backlash.]
[?? What—someone in Lin Shuang’s group has stronger spiritual sense than Mei Xin’s team?!]
Mei Xin’s trio quickly swallowed pills, their pallor slowly returning to normal.
They looked to the distance between themselves and Lin Shuang’s group—it was nearly the same.
Mei Xin’s expression faltered. “I hadn’t expected such strength from Junior Sister and Brother.”
“For round two, it’s our turn to pose the question.”
Lin Shuang mulled it over.
While recovering her spiritual energy, she thought for five full breaths before smiling gently.
“Second question—Senior Sister Mei, can you explain how your rapid advance just now fell short of ours?”
[??!]
[……A blow straight to the heart.]
Mei Xin’s smile froze. She looked up at Lin Shuang with a heavy gaze.
Her expression… actually showed a flicker of confusion.
Gang Yi and Gang Er frowned as well.
The pink-robed elder closed her eyes, unable to bear their pitiful ignorance.
She glanced at Huangfu Yuan’s deep, focused black pupils, then at Lin Shuang’s healthy, rosy cheeks.
Back in the Lijia Village trial, the spiritual senses of ten first-stage Foundation Establishment bandits had been directly shattered.
For Mei Xin’s team to launch a spiritual attack on those two was the same as lifting a rock only to drop it on their own feet.
Had they simply focused on running, they wouldn’t have lost.
The pink-robed elder shook her head. “Mei Xin failed to answer. If the final three rounds result in a tie, the win goes to Huangfu Yuan, Meng Zi, and Lin Shuang.”
Lin Shuang blinked in confusion. “But… Elder, my question wasn’t within the scope of officially recognized Zhenchuan team battle questions?”
The pink-robed woman’s temple twitched. “Lin Shuang, your question does not qualify under the accepted team trial categories.”
“Pose a new question.”
Lin Shuang: “!”
Huangfu Yuan: “……”
Meng Zi: “……”
The three country bumpkins—who had never entered Zhenchuan, only stayed below the 500th tier, and had reached just past 1000 ten years ago—knew nothing of Zhenchuan’s team trial rules.
“Did you not tell the master, Brother Gui?”
Outside the projection, Bai Yu looked toward the muscular man with a scaly brow.
The man touched his forehead, perplexed. “Huh? I didn’t tell the master?”
“I thought I told him…”
“Wait—what was I supposed to tell him again?”
Bai Yu: “……”
Enough of you and your seven-second memory!
Back in the projection—
The pink-robed elder tossed a jade slip to Lin Shuang’s team.
[Team Battle Question Categories]
- Mission Assessment
- Cultivation Knowledge Evaluation
- Team Coordination
- Three-on-Three Free Combat
- Single Combat Duel
Total: Five categories.
Lin Shuang skimmed it, eyes lighting with interest.
In the Outer Sect’s Spring Scramble, she had only ever encountered informal versions of the Nine Disciplines of Cultivation Combat.
After all, no one had time for formal assessments when scrambling for springwater.
“So that earlier test of coordination falls under Team Coordination?”
The pink-robed elder nodded.
Each category expanded into subrules:
[1. Mission Assessment]
—Choose any Sect Mission
—Choose any Foundation Establishment–level wanted list target from the Evil Cultivator Capture List
Lin Shuang immediately leaned back in protest.
Denied.
Huangfu Yuan was running on fumes—he could only go all-out once a day. Now his dantians were hollow, and pills weren’t enough to replenish him.
And as for her—if she had any say in it—she’d rather not work her 98 dantians into overtime again today.
Forcing a second shift in one day? That was her dantians’ absolute limit.
Pass.
[2. Cultivation Knowledge Evaluation]
—120 questions on common cultivation knowledge, covering pill refinement, auditory cultivation, sword arts, mental techniques…
—120 questions on the geography of the Four Realms and secret realm locations, including dangerous beasts, wanted evil cultivators, identification of heavenly treasures, and route navigation…
—120 questions on common knowledge of the Four Realms’ sects, including specialized techniques, taboos, etiquette…
Lin Shuang’s eyes lit up.
Wasn’t this… a written exam?
But barely three breaths had passed when Meng Zi silently took three steps back from Lin Shuang’s side.
Her brow twitched.
“Junior Sister… let’s skip this one,” Huangfu Yuan said.
“No matter how many questions we get right… with Junior Brother Meng on the team…”
Lin Shuang pressed her fingers to her temple and looked back again in resignation.
The pink-robed elder couldn’t help but speak up. “These questions may appear in team battles on both Inner and Outer Sect arenas throughout the Donghua Territory.”
Her gaze landed on Lin Shuang’s waist badge—Outer Sect disciple.
Lin Shuang would undoubtedly represent Clearwater Sect in future Outer Sect arena matches. In such battles, the team may select knowledge-based challenges.
The more information one masters, the higher the success rate in missions, survival against rogue cultivators, and dangerous excursions.
Team battles were designed with this in mind, and the sect had incorporated it into the assessment framework.
“In team battles, elite disciples of the sect must be proficient in every category. There must be no weaknesses when it comes to bringing honor to Clearwater Sect.” The pink-robed elder emphasized.
Meng Zi froze. “Then forget it. I’m out.”
The elder: “……”
Huangfu Yuan chuckled. “Let’s see the next category.”
Lin Shuang had no objections. Silently, she instructed Xiao Ai to record all the questions. She’d compile mock exams for her Junior Sister later… no—give her a thorough explanation.
[3. Team Coordination]
—Testing group synergy.
[4. Three-on-ThreeTeam Battle]
—No need to say more. All in.
[5. Appoint a Single Combatant]
—Yes, you, the chosen one.
Lin Shuang quickly reviewed them all.
Her gaze fell on the last category—Appoint a Single Combatant—and her eyes lit up.
She glanced at her schedule.
It was nearly dusk—time to unwind her hair, which had been tied up all day.
Ancient cultivators really did redo their braids and buns daily.
Her hair was long and thick.
After so many hours, with her heightened spiritual sensitivity, she could distinctly feel the taut ache of her scalp being pulled tight.
Even though a cultivator’s body was resilient, hair and scalp were equally so—and they harmed each other over time.
That’s why she reserved this timeslot every evening to untie her braids, let her hair down, and comb it through.
It helped her clear her mind, sharpen her spiritual awareness, and relax her sea of consciousness.
It was such a comforting routine—one she never wished to skip.
With that thought, her eyes filled with longing. “Why don’t we select just one person to fight?”
That way, she’d have time to comb her hair.
“Junior Sister, you truly think like a heroine,” Huangfu Yuan said, his fox-like eyes glinting in approval.
The pink-robed elder was now physically present in Zhenchuan overseeing the battle.
Her cultivation was at least at the Nascent Void stage.
This close, her observation was entirely different from when she had only been watching remotely through projection.
If he used excessive force and accidentally let slip a trace of his Nine-Tailed aura, she might detect it.
That would be trouble—far more trouble than failing this level and being forced to retreat three hundred tiers.
Meng Zi beamed with joy. “Sure, appoint one person—I volunteer!”
“Don’t even try to stop me! Single combat is clearly meant for a saber cultivator like me—pure offense!”
Lin Shuang and Huangfu Yuan exchanged a look and both offered that rare “what a good brother” expression of admiration.
[Didn’t expect that. Meng Zi really lives up to our Inner Sect disciples—he takes responsibility.]
But even as the text flew by, Meng Zi couldn’t help it—he burst out laughing in the projection.
[?]
The pink-robed elder: “?”
Meng Zi slung his saber over his shoulder, grinning ear to ear.
He laughed loudly to the sky.
“Searching through the crowd a thousand times—at last, I’ve found my way to earn spirit stones!”
“……”
[……]
[…………]
“If I win, each of you gives me a thousand spirit stones.”
“If I lose, and drag you both down three hundred levels, then I’ll just collect a hardship fee—five hundred each. That includes injury compensation and pills. How’s that?”
He spoke with such delight, glancing down mid-laugh as if he’d just struck a fortune—win or lose, he profited either way.
The pink-robed elder: “……”
[……]
Huangfu Yuan and Lin Shuang both smiled wryly.
“Junior Brother, your terms are reasonable.”
“Senior Brother, such fair rates.”
Neither cared for spirit stones. Without hesitation, they reached for their mustard seed pouches.
[Unbelievable.]
[Do they not take Mei Xin seriously at all?!]
[A saber cultivator against an auditory cultivator… Meng Zi, are you sure you can beat Mei Xin?]
[Thank goodness these three aren’t elite Inner Sect members sent to compete in the Twelve Sect Tournament on behalf of Clearwater Sect. Otherwise… I can’t imagine.]
[What about twenty years from now?]
[……]
[In twenty years, the Eleven Sects of Donghua: “We’ll give you spirit stones if you just go home.” Meng Zi: “Deal.”]
[Stop, you’re making me laugh out loud!]
[But seriously—these three know when to relax and when to fight. Win or lose, it won’t become a heart demon for the next century. That’s the kind of disciple with boundless potential.]
[You can always trust our 6000-tier elder. After all, she personally went out of her way to recruit these three.]
[Say no more. The 3000-tier elder’s about to throw hands.]
True enough, the pink-robed elder’s sharp gaze swept toward the projection, clearly sensing something.
She snorted and looked back at the three disciples, who seemed to be celebrating like it was a festival.
“You’re sure—choosing to appoint a single combatant?”
All three nodded simultaneously.
The elder inclined her head.
In an instant, a wooden lot-drawing tube appeared.
All three froze.
“For this round, lots will decide the fighter!”
With a flash of spiritual light, the drawing tube activated—
And pointed straight at Lin Shuang.
Huangfu Yuan let out a long breath.
Meng Zi looked as though he’d been struck by lightning.
Lin Shuang opened her mouth.
“Lin Shuang, you’ll be the one to fight.”
With a wave of the elder’s hand, the tube vanished.
“For this match, the challenged disciple may specify combat conditions: such as no talismans, no high-grade treasures, no spiritual beasts, and so on.”
“You may choose to set these conditions—or say nothing at all.”
“But in twelve breaths, your battle with Mei Xin begins.”
[Almost forgot—this entire challenge started because of Lin Shuang…]
In the projection, Lin Shuang’s face showed a trace of resignation.
“All right.”
But the frustration vanished in a heartbeat. Compared to Meng Zi’s ashen face, she looked entirely composed.
“I should’ve realized—since the elder entered the trial herself, there was no escaping this.”
“But I was still in denial, hoping to get away with it.”
She shook her head with a smile.
“Looks like there’s no escaping after all.”
“After all, the elder allowed Inner Sect disciples from the 3000-tier to challenge us. Clearly, it was all aimed at forcing me, an Outer Sect disciple, out of the 3000-tier rankings.”
As she spoke, she reached into her mustard seed pouch and pulled out a finely carved peachwood comb.
She held it gently in her palm.
“All of this… was meant for me from the start.”
“Senior Brother Huangfu, Senior Brother Meng… this is all because of me.”
Huangfu Yuan looked at her with a complex gaze, his eyes drawn to her smooth, ink-black hair.
Dark strands brushed gently against her cheek—skin like snow, hair like silk-drenched ink.
She stepped forward, halting just in front of him and Meng Zi.
“This round was mine to fight.”
“Then let me win it—for both of you.”
As she spoke, Lin Shuang’s spiritual energy surged forth. Her dark hair fluttered, nearly brushing the tip of Huangfu Yuan’s nose.
A tide of emotion stirred in his eyes.
Since entering Zhenchuan, she had often moved in lockstep with him.
Hiding her strength, guarding the secrets of her cultivation.
He had thought—especially now that an elder had entered the trial in person—that she would choose as he had: stay hidden behind Meng Zi, do everything possible not to act.
“Yuan’er, the bloodline of the Nine-Tails was born in harmony with the will of Heaven.”
“We are destined to return to the world and become one with its fate.”
“But that does not mean we cannot choose our own path.”
“Before your Nine-Tails awakens, I hope you’ll find your father, your uncle, and walk the world as I once did—with them, side by side, for a hundred years.”
“Before fate becomes unavoidable, savor the journey. I believe you’ll find someone willing to stand before you, to protect you—and to be protected by you.”
“When that time comes, your Nine-Tails bloodline will fully awaken.”
Huangfu Yuan shut his eyes.
No.
Human cultivators are cunning.
The one who betrayed his mother… had once been her closest human friend.
No one else understood her weaknesses so well.
A century of companionship—just a trap, ending in a single betrayal, the ruthless slaughter of a being born of Heaven’s will!
Behind trust had lain annihilation.
The extinction of the Nine-Tails line.
The fall of the thirteen elders who once swore loyalty.
The ruin of the dog clans and water tribes that once followed her.
From his obsidian pupils, a subtle unrest began to spill.
The pink-robed elder cast him a puzzled glance.
Huangfu Yuan’s fingers clenched tightly within his sleeves—ready to strike the moment suspicion fell on him.
But Lin Shuang, with spectacular absurdity, once again stole the elder’s attention.
She pulled out a carved peachwood comb and, before the eyes of all, began to undo the red cord tying her braid.
The comb bore no spiritual light. Yet, as she ran it through her dark silk-like hair, it glowed with a satin sheen—shimmering with grace greater than any treasure.
“Let’s begin, Elder. My scalp’s been itching all day.”
The pink-robed elder: “……”
Irritated Huangfu Yuan: “……”
Mother… some human cultivators are truly strange.
[!]
[What is she doing?!]
[No wait—what does scalp itch even mean?!]
The pink-robed elder’s mouth twitched violently. She raised her hand in resignation.
Lin Shuang and Mei Xin instantly faced each other from a distance.
“Lin Shuang, state the rules for this round’s duel.”
Lin Shuang nodded, comb in hand. “I’ve heard Senior Sister Mei Xin’s signature technique sends opponents into dreams. Very well—let’s compete in hair combing.”
[?]
Meng Zi: “?”
Huangfu Yuan: “……”
Ah, yes. That’s so her.
The elder’s eye twitched uncontrollably.
Mei Xin stood stunned.
Lin Shuang smiled. “The rule I’ve set is this: Senior Sister Mei Xin must use her dream-inducing technique on me—for 120 breaths.”
“I’m sorry, but I only ever comb my hair 120 times each evening. I simply can’t give you more time than that.”
“!”
[!!]
“If I finish 120 strokes within 120 breaths, and her dream spell fails to affect me, then she loses.”
Lin Shuang’s expression was earnest, sincere.
“If she succeeds, then I lose.”
“Let’s begin quickly, Senior Sister. I’ve been dying to comb my hair.”
And with that, she lifted the peachwood comb and began.
[……!]
The crowd fell utterly silent. Speechless.
Mei Xin stared in disbelief.
The pink-robed elder, after a moment of silence, gave a peculiar nod.
“Specifying the technique and time limit—rule accepted.”
“Begin!”
[What technique—combing?!]
[No no, the elder meant Mei Xin’s Dream-with-the-Erhu technique!]
Even as the words scrolled across the projection, Mei Xin had already bitten her lip, confused but resolute. She raised her erhu and drew the bow across the strings with emotion.
Weeping and mournful, the erhu’s unique timbre flowed out like a river, slow and sorrowful, gently pulling all who heard into slumber.
As all eyes watched—
Lin Shuang, after just two comb strokes and a pleased expression, smiled faintly, eyes fluttering closed.
Her breath slowed.
Her small face tilted slightly—then rested with a soft thump against Huangfu Yuan’s shoulder.
His breath instantly seized.
Meng Zi’s eyes widened.
[!]
[That… was actually beautiful.]
[Oh heavens—she fell in the first breath of 120!]
[Even if her combing ritual was bizarre, and the image of her asleep on Huangfu Yuan’s shoulder is achingly poetic—Mei Xin’s dream technique is her ultimate move.]
[What was Lin Shuang thinking? Setting this condition is practically suicide!]
[This isn’t like the earlier sprint—Mei Xin is using her full power now. With all her spiritual consciousness focused, even a Fifth-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator could fall prey.]
[The two of them leaning together like that… is actually quite beautiful. Let me savor it a moment longer.]
But just as that line floated across the projection—
Lin Shuang’s serene, sleeping face suddenly lifted from Huangfu Yuan’s shoulder.
She opened her eyes—clear and bright, with not a trace of drowsiness.
“Huh? Did I just… dream?”
She blinked, then resumed combing her hair.
[!]
Huangfu Yuan’s lips twitched.
Before he could say a word, Mei Xin’s erhu began to wail again—mournful, uninterrupted.
And once more, Lin Shuang’s delicate face slackened, dreamily collapsing against his shoulder.
Huangfu Yuan froze. He tried to step back, but had to hold still.
If he moved, she’d fall.
But not even half a breath passed before Lin Shuang’s eyes fluttered open again.
“Huh? I dreamt again?”
She resumed her combing, sighing in satisfaction.
Huangfu Yuan: “……!”
A few steps away, Mei Xin stared in shock. “How… how is that possible? She clearly entered the dream…”
For humans, a beautiful dream wasn’t something you woke from in half a breath.
What had she even dreamed about?
[How is she doing this?!]
In the projection, the sorrowful music continued.
Mei Xin gritted her teeth, drawing her bow with bloody determination.
Lin Shuang tilted her head as if dozing again, leaning softly against Huangfu Yuan—then opening her eyes in the next instant.
One comb stroke… two… ten… twenty…
How was this possible?
She was clearly falling into the dream spell again and again—why could she shake it off so quickly?
The disciples watching were all bewildered.
Even the pink-robed elder’s expression shifted—her gaze toward Lin Shuang finally beginning to change.
At that very moment, the green-robed elder of the 6000-tier, who had been watching through the projection, stirred. Her robes fluttered as she appeared in the 3000-tier rest pavilion.
Noticing Zhao Keran and the others meditating, she flicked her fingers, sending out a beam of spiritual light—instantly awakening them.
And the moment the light entered their bodies, they advanced to the next level of cultivation.
The 3000-tier disciples were stunned.
Zhao Keran opened her eyes in a daze.
The green-robed woman smiled kindly at her. “Up. Time to work. Li Min has gone to Zhenchuan to supervise—I’ll be temporarily overseeing both the 3000- and 6000-tier.”
The 3000-tier disciples all stared at her.
The green-robed elder looked up, suddenly bristling. “What are you staring at?!”
Everyone: “……”
Then she turned back to Zhao Keran—calm and composed again.
“Your Senior Sister’s spiritual consciousness is fascinating. Very well done.”
She had bet right.
Even as an Outer Sect disciple, Lin Shuang had never learned high-tier mental techniques—yet could still resist a Fourth-Stage Foundation Establishment dream spell.
A genius like this came once in a hundred years.
In twenty years, she would surely become an elite Inner Sect disciple.
When that time came, the green-robed elder’s foresight in spotting her early would earn her higher seniority among the elders.
She was thrilled. Beyond thrilled.
Even Lin Shuang’s little junior sister—Zhao Keran—now looked extremely pleasing to her eyes.
Zhao Keran, freshly awakened and utterly confused, quickly pieced things together from the murmurs of her senior brothers.
“Ah… spiritual consciousness.”
She understood instantly, pulling from her sleeve the second edition of Learning at Lightning Speed.
Her eyes sparkled. “So the method for defeating an Inner Sect senior sister was already written here by Senior Sister herself!”
“?”
Zhao Keran clamped her hands over her mouth in excitement.
In the latest edition of Learning at Lightning Speed—Senior Sister Lin had 108 strands of spiritual consciousness!
So what if Mei Xin made her dream?
Consciousness #1 falls asleep—then #2 steps up.
Consciousness #2 nods off—#3 takes over.
Then #3 starts drifting—and #4 slaps it awake: “Hey! Don’t sleep! It’s time to comb!”
Suddenly, 1 through 3 were jolted awake by 4…
Zhao Keran struggled to muffle her internal scream.
Back in the projection—
Mei Xin had already attempted six successive dream spells. Watching Lin Shuang grow clearer, more focused, her own spiritual resolve began to crack.
Her consciousness frayed, her inner sea strained—yet she dragged the erhu bow again and again, heedless of the cost.
The mournful tones grew so intense… even her own teammates, Gang Yi and Gang Er, fell into dreams.
Mei Xin’s spiritual energy was vanishing rapidly. Her sea of consciousness trembled under the strain.
And Lin Shuang?
Was more awake than ever—her eyes bright, her gaze sharp.
“That’s a lovely tune.”
But her hair routine was almost done.
“Senior Sister—your song’s not over yet? You’re almost out of time.”
[!]
[……!]
[That’s a taunt!!!]
Author’s Note:
“Zhao Sect Master’s Notes, Entry 43”
It’s said that after that day, many disciples went to find Senior Sister Mei Xin just to experience her dream spell firsthand.
They thought her powers had weakened. But then…
—Inner Sect disciples: From now on, never mention the words “honor” or “dignity.”
—Outer Sect disciples: Don’t ever say “comb,” “combing,” or “silky hair” in front of Inner Sect seniors again. Ever.
—Inner Sect disciples: ……………
See you tomorrow.