Chapter 37 Part 1
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This chapter is edited by Farouq Omileye. Thank you for your contribution!
Chapter 37: Bai Lian, Save Me! (1)
Xiao Jinse really wanted to stay.
The year-end is near, and even though she yearned for an adventure, now was not the right time.
When she saw the silhouette of her master stretching halfway up the hill, she felt a pang of embarrassment. The events that had unfolded recently still lingered in her mind.
If she stayed and waited for her master to return, who knew what kind of torture she might have to endure?
She decided to leave.
After seeing that the fourth Martial Sister had successfully condensed her Nascent Soul, Xiao Jinse finally found the courage to set out and gain experience for herself.
As the second oldest of Qiongming Peak, if she couldn’t hold her own, wouldn’t that be a cause for ridicule?
She didn’t mind being laughed at, though. After all, she had grown up in a harsh environment.
But she couldn’t bear the thought of others mocking Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian.
Damn.
She didn’t want her Elder Martial Sister’s reputation to have even a small stain.
But there was nothing to be done. Xiao Jinse knew that the haters of Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian could never be reasoned with.
“I can reach the Nascent Soul Stage too!”
Xiao Jinse gripped the Blowing Snow Sword tightly in her hands, feeling the passion rise within her.
Her blood was boiling.
After clearing the obstacles in her path, she even started jumping as she walked.
All in all, this misunderstanding has been surprisingly beneficial!
One, it had given her more motivation to practice.
Second, it had strengthened her relationship with Master An Lan.
Third, her status at Qiongming Peak had been greatly enhanced—the fourth Martial Sister was now grateful to her, and the fifth Martial Sister had grown closer to her.
As for Su Youwei…
Let’s not pay attention to that dwarf.
They were enemies for life, unable to even share a pot of water.
Now that they had both discovered each other’s weaknesses, they wouldn’t fight for the sake of Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian. But they were always keeping an eye on one another.
With this thought in mind, Xiao Jinse attended Su Youwei’s aunt’s wedding in mid-October, along with the other Elder Martial Sisters.
The wedding was simple, as both the bride and groom’s families had few relatives.
Even so, the wedding was lively.
What left the deepest impression on Xiao Jinse, however, was not the chef’s skill, but the moment when the bride appeared in her red bridal gown.
Under the bright lights, the sight of her was like stars gradually captivating her eyes.
Ah, people.
There are valleys.
There are peaks.
She had been through both, just like Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian.
In hindsight, both highs and lows have benefited her in many ways, and she reflects on them fondly.
After the wedding ceremony, Xiao Jinse changed into a white, lightweight robe, styling her long hair into a single ponytail. She placed the Blowing Snow Sword on her back.
In this moment, she shed her past innocence and took on a more heroic and graceful appearance.
Her destination was the Fire Spirit Mountain Range in the southern part of the Duxian Sect.
This was a wild land bordering an infinite sea, with a hundred thousand great mountains stretching continuously. Fierce beasts roamed free. It was the perfect testing ground for her, as she desperately needed fire-attribute spirit items.
However, just before she left, she encountered some minor inconveniences.
That afternoon, when she embraced the fourth Martial Sister, Su Youwei suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Xiao Jinse blinked. “What?”
Su Youwei had also changed into her gear.
She wore a black shirt, a small bucket hat, and the old Dirt Free Sword given to her by Bai Lian, slung around her waist.
She stood proudly amid the cold winds, with a quiet yet sharp aura.
Gone was the shy Su Youwei. She had transformed, her fighting spirit replaced with a stubborn determination.
Her sword no longer held that fire. It had faded with the winds.
What remained now was resolve.
Their eyes met, sparking a strong friction between them.
But…
Perhaps it was a good thing to have practiced so much.
Just as their spirits reached a peak, their emotions suddenly relaxed.
In some ways, their compatibility was shockingly high!
[This kind of rivalry may last a lifetime.]
Xiao Jinse found herself daydreaming.
If Su Youwei were to suddenly disappear, she would probably find it incredibly boring.
Yu Ying, turning her head in confusion, asked, “The Third Elder Martial Sister, what is this?”
Su Youwei clasped her hands together and coldly replied, “I want to go out and try my luck.”
“Eh?”
“I can’t let Elder Martial Sister down at the Grand Contest next year!”
Yu Ying silently nodded, understanding.
She looked at her hands, realizing the thoughts of both the Second and Third Elder Martial Sisters were connected to the sudden breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Stage.
What could she say?
Sometimes, being candid was the best approach.
On the mountain path, Yu Ying bowed and said, “The Second Elder Martial Sister, the Third Elder Martial Sister, I’m here waiting for your return!”
Xiao Jinse waved, as did Bai Lian.
Her Martial Sisters were about to embark on a long journey, and Bai Lian couldn’t help but feel anxious about it.
Even though she knew her Martial Sisters were lucky, she still felt uneasy.
It was just like when she had gone to college in another province, and her mother had never stopped nagging.
It was noisy.
But within that noise, emotions flowed freely.
Bai Lian had given her two Martial Sisters a whole night of warnings the previous evening.
She reminded them, “If you run into trouble, be sure to inform me promptly.”
“Got it, Elder Martial Sister.”
And with that, they parted ways.
Outside the Duxian Sect, Xiao Jinse and Su Youwei set off on their journey of self-improvement.
It was Xiao Jinse who had inspired Su Youwei to go out for training, and so this time, Su Youwei was closely following her every step.
“Why are you following me?”
“Experience.”
“Experience is experience, but why are you following me?”
“Experience.”
“…”
After some back-and-forth, Xiao Jinse reluctantly allowed Su Youwei to follow.
But serious matters still lay ahead.
They could learn from each other.
At least when it came to strength, Xiao Jinse acknowledged the Third Martial Sister.
But when it came down to it, everything they accomplished needed to be accounted for—especially given the bad blood between them.
Su Youwei suggested, “Let’s split it seventy-thirty.”
“Only 70% for me?”
“No, 70% is mine, 30% is yours.”
Xiao Jinse asked angrily, “Why?”
Su Youwei tried to justify, “There are two of us here!”
Xiao Jinse pouted, saying, “Aren’t you two just the same person split in two?”
“After all, it’s two people!”
Xiao Jinse strongly disagreed, “That’s not fair at all! Let’s calculate by weight!”
“…”
Su Youwei opened her mouth.
Even when doubled, she didn’t weigh as much as Xiao Jinse!
After all, the essence of Hong Yi was just a pearl—how heavy could a pearl be?
“Humph. You deserve to be the Second Elder Martial Sister. Your formidable weight is remarkable!”
They bickered for half the day and almost got into a huge fight, but eventually, they both backed down and agreed on a classic fifty-fifty split.
Bai Lian had been standing at the intersection for a long time.
It wasn’t until the two Martial Sisters’ figures disappeared from the plains outside the Duxian Sect that she led the fourth Martial Sister back to Qiongming Peak.
That night, the fourth Martial Sister returned to her room to continue the Original Dragon’s trial.
The fifth Martial Sister, however, stubbornly held onto the jade rabbit, insisting that she wanted to ride it, but the rabbit fought back and sent her flying.
An Lan was not idle either. She was called away by the sect leader.
Qiongming Peak was quiet.
Qiongming Peak was empty.
Bai Lian caressed the crooked neck tree, which had revived.
This should have been a time for joy, yet an inexplicable sadness filled her heart.
The peace of the past could never be recaptured.
As the Martial Sisters grew, it seemed the days of them all attending classes together were becoming fewer and fewer.
Bai Lian carefully helped the second and third Martial Sisters tidy their rooms before returning to her own.
Her cultivation path now faced the greatest obstacle.
She was only separated from the Transcendency Stage by an invisible, thin membrane.
If she could break through this barrier, her strength would soar, and she would stand at the pinnacle of the East Divine Land.
But…
Bai Lian felt lost.
Only through insight into one’s own law could the gap between the Soul Changing Stage and the Transcendency Stage be bridged.
But her cultivation journey had been unlike that of others. She had advanced without understanding any of the laws of the world—only knowing how to act in a way that fooled others.
Now, she couldn’t even find the intersection, let alone break through the barrier that held her back from growing stronger.
Oh no.
“Is it only possible to become stronger by gaining more skill points?”
