My junior sister sees everyone as a heretical cultivator.

Chapter 247 Su Ling'er understands!
Some disciples even wore only a towel around their waist, were shirtless, had a towel loosely draped around their necks, and wore a pair of clattering wooden clogs. They mingled with the frenzied crowd and raised their arms, shouting, "Let Guixi Sect be great again!"

Su Ling'er's gaze swept over the figures in terror, a chill creeping up her spine inch by inch, making her feel icy cold all over.

Many things here... are not human!
Is it a magical beast? Is it an alien race? This sect is indeed deeply connected to the legendary demonic creatures!
My initial guesses about the cult rituals were indeed correct! The Guixi Sect was merely a facade; this celebration was nothing more than a carnival of a hundred ghosts roaming at night! Aren't these living, breathing demonic creatures?

Her gaze trembled as it fell upon some of the disciples who still retained their human form. However, her fear did not lessen; instead, it intensified dramatically, as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

Some people's faces look like failed creations arbitrarily kneaded by the gods: the left nostril occupies half of the face, large enough to fit a fist; the right nostril is so small that it is just an almost invisible black dot; one eye is located in the center of the forehead, rolling upwards in despair; the other eye has fallen onto the chin, the pupil contracting inwards in terror.

Some disciples even had their facial features squeezed together, twisted into a pretzel, while their mouths were torn to the roots of their ears, forming a grotesque smile.

"Ugh..." Su Ling'er felt her stomach churning and almost vomiting.

Indescribable... These things are beyond description, even the term "demonic" cannot capture them! They exude a madness that defies words!

What is this?! Is it the final product of practicing some forbidden and evil technique, resulting in a qi deviation and demonic possession?

Or perhaps... they sacrificed their bodies and even their souls to some unspeakable, terrifying being, which is why they were twisted into this repulsive form?!

This is terrifying... This is absolutely terrifying!

How could she have been completely unaware before? No, she must have noticed some clues, but these disciples usually concealed them with sophisticated illusions or magical artifacts! Now they have finally torn off all pretenses and revealed their true colors at this celebration!
Her gaze finally settled on a few animals mixed in with the crowd.

A bear, a deer, and a tiger were pounding their chests and stomping their feet, uttering incoherent shouts.

In this extreme madness and distortion, these animals actually gave Su Ling'er a sliver of breathing space. A memory buried deep in her heart resurfaced.

The Five Animal Frolics... This... This must be because something went wrong while practicing the Five Animal Frolics, causing him to temporarily transform into a beast and appear like this! I myself almost lost control when I was practicing it back then...

This thought, like the last straw a drowning person grasps, gave her a foothold, a foothold that could barely explain the hellish horror before her.

That's right... that must be it! This sect's cultivation techniques may all have irreversible hidden dangers!

On the high platform, Lin Qingfeng looked at the chaotic scene below and nodded with satisfaction. He even commented on a strangely shaped disciple with great interest: "Tsk, your character creation data is a bit outrageous. It's like a fifth-generation fighter jet."

Wang Xiedi's gaze slowly shifted from Shen Jiaye's swollen and pale face beside him to the twisted and broken fellow disciples in the square. He remained silent for a long time.

In the end, his gaze returned to Shen Jiaye's face, which was so close to his. Compared to her, Shen Jiaye's face actually looked quite handsome and well-proportioned.

At least, her eyes, nose, and mouth are still in their proper places.

Just then, Lin Qingfeng, who had finished his speech, stepped down from the platform and returned to their side.

"How's it going? The atmosphere's great, isn't it?"

Su Ling'er was already deathly pale. Her lips trembled, and she managed to squeeze out a sentence with all her might: "Senior...Senior Brother...what...what exactly is this...?"

She was ready to listen to a terrifying secret about bloodlines, curses, or some kind of evil pact—a secret that could overturn her entire view of cultivation.

Lin Qingfeng looked at her and Wang Xiedi's terrified expressions, scratched his head, and seemed to be thinking about how to explain it in a language they could understand.

He pondered for a moment, then clapped his hands: "Oh, you mean this? A kind of... well, a relatively advanced form-changing technique, you can think of it as a kind of 'disguise,' understand?"

Disguise...?
Wang Xiedi and Su Ling'er were completely blank. Could a disguise really look like this? Wasn't the point of a disguise to resemble someone? You look like a bunch of monsters. Are you planning to disguise yourselves and infiltrate the demon or monster race?
You look like a bunch of monsters. Are you planning to disguise yourselves and blend in with the demons or monsters?
The two didn't understand at all, but seeing their senior brother's matter-of-fact expression, Su Ling'er's survival instinct made her nod frantically as if she really "understood," afraid that if she was a second slower, she would be "disguised" like that.

Lin Qingfeng seemed too lazy to explain any further, and smiled, saying, "Forget it, it's impossible to explain to you. I'll just demonstrate it for you and you'll understand."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Qingfeng, who was standing in front of them, began to undergo a dramatic change in his appearance.

One second, he was the carefree senior disciple; the next, he transformed into a wealthy and elegant traveling merchant; then, his scholarly image crumbled, turning into a demon; the demon shrank instantly, becoming a strange creature with colorful mushrooms growing on its head...

In just three breaths, Lin Qingfeng had already transformed into four or five completely different forms, with completely different auras, appearances, and even races.

Wang Xiedi and Su Ling'er were dumbfounded.

Is this the transformation technique that the evil cultivators in this sect know? It is indeed unfathomable... But is this the kind of divine power you use for all this? Making yourselves into such bizarre shapes, aren't you afraid of being mistaken for demons and killed when you go out?
The revelry in the square lasted for a full hour before the deafening noise gradually subsided.

The disciples dispersed in twos and threes. Some seemed to have accepted some mission and couldn't wait to leave the sect together to begin their first exploration after the sect's advancement. Others went straight back to their respective cabins, probably planning to wait until the next time they "logged in".

The commotion subsided, and the celebration came to an end.

Lin Qingfeng stood in the empty square, pondering to himself. Although he had secretly formed his Nascent Soul in a specially made cave during the secret realm trial, a problem arose: while he was away from the sect, someone had to keep an eye on things in the sect.

His gaze inadvertently fell on Su Ling'er, who was looking uneasy not far away.

Got it!

Lin Qingfeng raised his hand, and a light screen unfolded in front of him. He quickly tapped a few times on the screen and skillfully created a temporary position called "Sect Guide," setting the permissions just right. Then, without hesitation, he transferred it to Su Ling'er.

Done! Next is the issue of the gate guards. It would be bad if some clueless NPC or other player barged in and caused trouble while I was away.

So Lin Qingfeng brought up the management interface again, assigned several idle "Elder Qian" to guard the mountain gate, and set new rules of conduct for them.

"First, anyone entering the mountain gate must present a disciple's token of the sect."

"Secondly, if there is no token, then the sect's guide, Su Ling'er, must personally lead the way."

"Third, if the sect leader is not registered as a disciple of Guixi Sect while he is away from the sect, he is allowed to enter the mountain gate but not leave. Anyone who wants to leave must show his or her token or be approved by the sect's guide."

"Fourth, anyone who violates the above provisions shall be detained immediately."

He paused for a moment and then added details about the detention.

"The detention status is: hands behind head, squatting in place. Provide a minimum amount of food each day to ensure that they do not die."

Lin Qingfeng was very satisfied after doing all this.

He turned around and walked up to Su Ling'er, reaching out to pat her shoulder.

"Junior sister Su."

Su Ling'er stiffened and quickly bowed: "What are your orders, Senior Brother?"

"After that, I have some business to attend to outside. While I am away from the sect, I will leave the entire sect in your care."

"You are now the new mentor of the sect. You must guide the new disciples well from now on, understand?"

Having done all this, Lin Qingfeng was extremely satisfied. The rules were logically sound and practically perfect.

He turned around, strolled over to Su Ling'er, a relaxed air about him as if he had just handed over a task, and patted her shoulder with a "smack".

"Junior sister Su."

Su Ling'er's body stiffened abruptly, as if struck by lightning. She quickly bowed and saluted, her voice trembling slightly: "What... what are your orders, Senior Brother?"

"I have to go on a long trip to take care of some important business." Lin Qingfeng's tone was as casual as if he were saying, "I'm going out to buy a bag of salt." "While I'm away from the sect, the entire sect will be temporarily in your care."

He pointed at Su Ling'er, his face showing an expression that said, "I have high hopes for you."

"From now on, you are the sect's new 'Guide.' You must guide the new disciples well and help them familiarize themselves with the environment as soon as possible, understand?"

A guide? A guardian of the sect?

Su Ling'er's mind went blank with a "buzz," and she even wondered if she was hallucinating from the shock she had just experienced.

Senior Brother... what does this mean? You're going to hand over this sect, which harbors a group of indescribable monsters, to me, a mere Foundation Establishment stage cultivator, and this so-called Holy Maiden?
Are you kidding me? In the entire sect, any disciple who looks oddly shaped could have a higher cultivation level than me!
"Senior Brother... are you sure?" Su Ling'er asked cautiously. Although she had developed some affection for her senior brother, his behavior was still too strange. She was unsure and afraid that if she said the wrong thing, she would be doomed.

Lin Qingfeng nodded as if it were a matter of course, as if it were no big deal at all.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm planning to go to Anhe City next, so I'm leaving everything here to you! Don't worry, I have a good eye for people!"

His relaxed tone and approving gaze made it seem as if he were truly entrusting someone with an ordinary task.

Su Ling'er's wildly beating heart calmed slightly, without her even realizing it, because of this "trust." Perhaps... her senior brother really just wanted someone to look after the sect? Perhaps, her senior brother truly valued her? She even began to consider how she should begin if it was simply about managing the sect...

However, the words "Anhe City" instantly shattered the psychological defenses she had just built up, exploding in her mind!

Her home is in Anhe City!
In an instant, all the blood in Su Ling'er's body rushed to her head, making her vision go black; then in a flash, all the blood receded.

Senior Brother... he's going to Anhe City?! Why?! There are countless cities in the world, why does he have to go there?!

Countless thoughts, ten thousand times more terrifying than the chaotic dance of demons she had just witnessed in the square, began to frantically grow, linger, and roar in her mind!
Is he trying to eradicate me completely? Because of my existence, he wants to erase all my past, including my family and hometown?! But there's no need! What have I done to deserve such high regard from my senior brother?

Or is it that he has his eye on that city? Does he intend to turn the entire city of Anhe into a sacrifice for his demonic arts?! To use the lives and souls of hundreds of thousands of mortals to pave a bloody path for him to summon those unspeakable demonic companions?!

Something's not right... something's not right.

If he really wanted to do this, he could have done it quietly. Why did he... so casually mention the three words 'Anhe City' in front of me?
Su Ling'er's breath hitched, and her brain began to work frantically under extreme fear, trying to understand the deeper meaning hidden behind it.

and many more!

A sudden flash of inspiration struck Su Ling'er, and she understood!

(End of this chapter)