I courted death and then tried to escape, so the whole sect wants to get rid of me.

Moreover, because she was monitored by the system in her previous life and did bad things every day, she rarely got a good night's sleep.

Now she can sleep soundly with her eyes closed, which is probably a good thing for her.

The path of alchemy cultivation has become arduous and long...

Although she didn't think anything of it, the Seventh Elder became more and more worried and couldn't help but send a message to the Sixteenth Elder, who was traveling abroad, saying that there was an extremely urgent matter and that he should come back immediately.

Song Yao couldn't help but shudder when she heard the name of the Sixteenth Elder.

This person is the head of the Nine Saints Hall's Healing Pavilion, known as the Savior of the World. He has an extremely upright and dignified appearance, yet he is just like the teaching elder, whose righteousness is monstrous.

After being driven to the point of vomiting blood several times by Song Yao in his previous life, he became convinced that Song Yao was possessed by evil spirits and made up his mind to exorcise them for her.

Every time they met, he would menacingly grab a handful of silver needles and try to stab her, as if he wouldn't give up until he killed her.

What's even more alarming is his senior brother who traveled with him.

She can deal with her second senior sister and fourth junior brother for now, but if her eldest senior brother comes back with her, she might be exposed.

Unfortunately, the Seventh Elder mistook Song Yao's resistance for embarrassment and comforted her with a smile: "It's alright, it's alright. I'm on good terms with Sixteenth, and he happens to live not far from here, so it's very convenient for him to come back."

Song Yao was on the verge of tears: "I'm not available..."

After two days of living in fear, on the day the Sixteenth Elder returned, Song Yao had just gotten out of bed and opened her eyes when she was dragged out of her room.

The Ninth Elder, carrying her by the arm, his plain robe billowing in the wind, asked urgently, "Have you forgotten what day it is today?"

Song Yao was being lifted so high she could hardly breathe, her legs struggling in the air: "Wh-what day?"

The Ninth Elder tossed her onto his sword: "On the day Foundation Establishment disciples go to Dark Sword Mountain to choose their swords, I will personally escort you there."

"Wait, I haven't had breakfast yet!"

The Seventh Elder hurriedly caught up from behind, stuffed two hot steamed buns into Song Yao's hands, and couldn't help but urge her, "Be careful in the Dark Sword Mountain, and whatever you do, don't read. We'll arrive by the evening of the sixteenth. Come back early and let him check you out."

"Stop nagging."

The Ninth Elder lightly touched the ground with his toes, and his longsword shot through the air. "We sword cultivators don't stand on ceremony!"

Song Yao struggled to eat her steamed bun amidst the howling mountain wind, retorting, "I am a cultivator of alchemy."

-

Outside Mingjian Mountain, thirty or forty disciples gathered together, each with barely suppressed excitement on their faces.

There were only six or seven new disciples among them; the rest were mostly senior brothers and sisters who had entered the sect earlier and had only recently reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

Zhu Zhao stood in front of the crowd, his face cold and stern: "Once inside, do not be greedy."

The voice was not loud, but every word clearly reached the ears of everyone present: "The swords in the Sword Tomb of Mingjian Mountain have spirits and will choose their own masters. Only by passing the selection of the sword spirits can a contract be formed. If a contract is forcibly formed, there will be a backlash, and one's life may be in danger."

"Furthermore, there is a barrier deep within the Sword Tomb. Those with the right affinity may enter, but those without will be punished if they trespass..."

"One is responsible for one's own life and death."

As soon as he finished speaking, a sword aura attacked from afar, its sharp sound of cutting through the air interrupting Zhu Zhao.

Everyone looked up and saw a plain-colored longsword piercing through the clouds, with two people on it.

The Ninth Elder stood in front, his robes fluttering in the wind, while behind him sat Song Yao, who was nearly choking on her steamed bun.

As they approached, the Ninth Elder waved his Taoist robe, throwing Song Yao off the sword, and then swiftly flew away on his own sword.

Cheng Yue, who was standing nearby, was startled and reached out to catch it.

Looking down, he saw that Song Yao in his arms had a bluish-purple face and looked half-dead. She struggled to reach out her hand: "Water, I need water..."

Cheng Yue: "..."

While they were frantically trying to save people, Zhu Zhao glanced at her without any expression, then looked away and continued explaining the rules.

A disciple next to Jiang Jin frowned and lowered his voice in dissatisfaction: "Why did even the Ninth Elder personally go to pick her up? She hasn't come to study for several days. We go every day, but the Ninth Elder never even glances at her."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jin glanced slightly at Song Yao and said with a faint smile, "The Ninth Elder cherishes talent; hasn't he often praised her during her sword practice these past few days?"

He paused, then added, "She's very talented, so it's only right that she gets attention."

The disciple muttered, "She has high talent? She's only at the third level of the Heavenly Realm. You're at the maximum level of the Heavenly Realm, and you also have a Golden Spiritual Root and Chaotic Void Flame. She only has a Wood Spiritual Root."

Jiang Jin shook his head helplessly: "Junior Sister Ming has practiced swordsmanship for so many years, yet she still can't get the Ninth Elder's attention. Junior Sister Lin must have some extraordinary talent."

These words were spoken casually, but they took on a different meaning when they reached Mingran's ears.

She and Jiang Jin are now both disciples of the Second Elder, but recently the Second Elder has been busy with affairs, so they are studying together with the outer disciples.

Logically speaking, she was outstanding enough among these people, but she lost to a pill cultivator who was late for class, skipped class, and couldn't even lift an iron sword.

Today, the alchemist was personally brought over by the Ninth Elder.

Mingran gripped the sword hilt tightly, her knuckles turning white.

Someone nearby whispered a comforting message: "It's alright. What good things can a mere alchemist pick out when choosing a sword? The divine sword will definitely be yours."

Ming Ran didn't reply, but her gaze towards Ming Jianshan became even more intense.

As the eldest daughter of the Ming family, she was already equipped with a mid-grade Heaven-level spiritual sword before entering the family, while the Second Elder gave Jiang Jin a low-grade Heaven-level spiritual sword.

The two of them came here today solely for the ancient divine swords deep within the Sword Tomb.

If they could obtain the divine sword, both the Ninth Elder and the entire Nine Saints Hall would certainly look at them with more respect.

Song Yao was still unaware that she was about to become a thorn in the side of several Heavenly-level disciples.

It took her a long time to recover from the shock, and she angrily stuffed the leftover steamed bun into her pocket.

Flying on a sword without eating, eating without flying on a sword.

This is the way to survive.

Cheng Yue looked at her bulging bundle with mixed feelings: "Don't you have a storage bag?"

Song Yao: "No."

Cheng Yue: "...Didn't your master give you one?"

"hold head high."

Song Yao nodded. "He was afraid I would sell it, and he didn't have the money to buy me a mustard bag."

Fearing discrimination from her, Song Yao explained, "Actually, this kind of bundle is quite useful. My senior brother said it only costs two spirit stones and can hold a lot of things."

Cheng Yue: "..."

What a stingy and unassuming genius.

I really don't know why those idiots are so afraid of her.

Cheng Yue paused for a moment, then said, "My master really wants to take you as his disciple. If you follow him, he will buy you a mustard seed bag, and he will also find a way to get you any sword you want."

Song Yao remembered that her master was the Ninth Elder.

She shook her head: "He won't buy it for me."

Why?

"He was also afraid I would sell it; he didn't give me the spirit stones he promised me last time if I won."

"..."

Speaking of this, Song Yao became very melancholy.

I should have known better than to alert them in the first place.

Now, everyone's on guard against her running away after she pays off her debts.