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

These days, news of Song Yao's close relationship with her second senior sister and her favoritism towards the Ninth Elder has already spread.

They already harbored many prejudices against Song Yao, and even harbored some resentment towards her.

If she also cannot summon the sword, then we will drag her down with us and give her a title that is not worthy of her name.

Cheng Yue saw through their thoughts at a glance and clicked her tongue, "Extremely childish."

Trying to outsmart someone who can choke on a steamed bun is just a waste of their time.

Mingran choked, then glared back angrily: "What? You don't dare?"

Jiang Jin took half a step forward, trying to smooth things over, saying, "Junior Sister Ming meant well. Besides, Junior Sister Lin must have some extraordinary abilities, otherwise she wouldn't be so favored by her senior brothers and sisters. Why not give it a try?"

Cheng Yue: "..."

That's what I meant.

If Song Yao cannot summon the sword, wouldn't being favored mean that other means were used?

Before she could say anything more, Song Yao grabbed her wrist from behind and led her toward the Sword-Guiding Platform.

Cheng Yue was taken aback, then lowered her voice and said, "What are you doing? This is bad! Don't you know they want to see you embarrass yourself?"

She wasn't one to meddle in other people's business, but Song Yao was just too intriguing to her.

He displayed a Heavenly-level spiritual root on the day he became an apprentice, but then cried out that he wanted to leave the sect.

He defeated Mingran in one move, but was injured and had to rest for several days.

I almost choked to death on the steamed bun twice just now...

This little girl inexplicably aroused her protective instincts.

Without turning her head, Song Yao walked up to the sword-testing stone in a few steps: "I know."

"Knowing you still..."

"It's okay."

She released Cheng Yue, decisively placed her hand on the sword-testing stone, her eyes crinkling, "You saved me twice today, so choose which sword you like."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a sword's cry suddenly rang out from deep within the grotto, making one's chest tremble.

Dozens of swords fell from the stone wall, their sword light like a waterfall, whistling as they flew towards the Sword-Guiding Platform.

The sword trailed streams of light of various colors, drawing dazzling arcs in the dark cave.

In a flash, the swords were all suspended in front of the sword-drawing platform, their tips pointing upwards and trembling slightly, as if waiting for something.

The entire grotto was so quiet that you could hear the faint humming of the sword's cry.

The disciples, who were all waiting to see a good show, stared in disbelief, their faces filled with shock.

Even the smile that had been lingering on Jiang Jin's lips vanished completely.

So many swords.

So many precious swords.

Did she summon them all?

Didn't they say the sword-testing stone was broken?

The protagonist, however, seemed completely unfazed. Her eyes, as clear as a moonlit spring, were now smiling as she stared intently at Cheng Yue: "Choose."

These swords were all selected and are of high quality.

As long as she is more impressive than Jiang Jin, Cheng Yue will not fall for Jiang Jin, nor will she become love-struck.

Consider it a debt of gratitude for the steamed bun she gave me.

Cheng Yue: "..."

In this situation, her heart pounded like a drum, and she involuntarily took half a step forward, before she could even look.

A long sword with dazzling brilliance approached her, flew into her palm with a whoosh, and hummed affectionately.

It's not easy to find a sword that fits so well, and Cheng Yue made a decision almost immediately: "This one."

"it is good."

Song Yao nodded, her gaze sweeping across the group of swords before finally settling on the depths of the cave.

She could clearly sense that several divine swords were eager to break through the seal and come to her side.

Unfortunately, she only wanted to be an ordinary alchemist in her life, and since the divine sword was difficult to sell, she had to politely decline.

After careful selection, a long sword with a pure blue-green body landed steadily in Song Yao's palm.

The sword hilt was warm and smooth, of superior Heaven-grade quality, and of the Wood element, perfectly suited to her current spiritual root.

It's not heavy, so you can sell it for a good price.

With a thought, the other dozens of swords automatically flew back to the wall, their light receding and the sound gradually fading.

She carefully put her sword away and said to Cheng Yue, "Let's go back for lunch."

Cheng Yue, still somewhat dazed, replied, "...Okay."

The two walked out of the cave one after the other, and the crowd behind them suddenly erupted in a commotion as if waking from a dream.

One disciple stammered, "What's wrong with her? Isn't she a wood spirit root? How can she summon so many swords!"

The person next to him quickly chimed in, "Maybe, maybe the Sword Testing Stone has been restored..."

"Even if they recover, they shouldn't be able to summon this many, right? Is there any precedent for this?"

"It seems that some of my senior brothers and sisters who were my direct disciples had this before."

"No wonder, no wonder the Ninth Elder said she was talented, it seems it's true..."

"There's another problem: can the summoned sword be given away? That doesn't seem right, does it?"

"..."

As they were whispering and discussing amongst themselves, Jiang Jin's eyes turned cold. He suddenly leaped onto the sword-drawing platform and slammed his palm against the stone surface.

This time, the testing stone reacted.

A flash of inspiration, and several sword cries echoed from the depths of the stone wall.

Five or six swords flew out from the wall, all of good quality, their blades shimmering with a faint light.

"The Sword Testing Stone has truly been restored!"

"Junior Brother Jiang, congratulations! These swords are all of very good quality! Quickly choose one!"

Jiang Jin stared at the sword, his expression still unpleasant.

The quantity of his swords was less than that of Lin Mu's, the quality of his swords was also less than that of Lin Mu's, and they were not even as good as his own swords.

He took a deep breath, randomly picked one, and jumped down.

A group of disciples surged forward again, eager to try.

This time, things returned to normal, and more than half of the people summoned their sword spirits, making the cave lively again.

Jiang Jin gripped his sword and walked out without saying a word.

As I approached the door, a terrible thought suddenly flashed through my mind.

Could it be that the testing stone never broke?

Because of the presence of the forest, these sword spirits looked down on everyone else.

Lin Mu left, leaving the sword spirit with no choice but to settle for second best...

That's...that's unlikely, isn't it?

How could a wood-elemental spiritual root and a pill cultivator be so close to a sword spirit?

You're probably overthinking it.

If she were truly that powerful, the divine sword deep within the barrier would have been summoned long ago.

-

Song Yao was the first to leave Mingjian Mountain.

As soon as she stepped out of the mountain gate, she caught sight of the Sixteenth Elder standing next to Zhu Zhao. Her instinctive urge to run away was to stop her in her tracks.

calm.

calm.

She is no longer the Song Yao she once was.

The Sixteenth Elder wouldn't just grab her and exorcise the evil spirits for her.

She stepped forward, obediently cupping her hands in greeting. Before she could speak, her second senior sister coldly grabbed her wrist and looked at Cheng Yue behind her: "How come I didn't know that Junior Sister Lin was such a kind-hearted person?"

Song Yao was startled.

If you're just being kind, why are you getting physical?

This stance is clearly one of accusation.

Even giving the sword away isn't allowed?

Cheng Yue quickly cupped her hands in greeting: "This disciple is terrified. This sword was indeed summoned by Junior Sister Lin, but Junior Sister Lin did it for my sake. If you want to blame someone, Second Senior Sister, then blame me."

Zhu Zhao's voice was even colder: "What's so strange about it? Helping a fellow disciple is something that should be rewarded."

Song Yao: "......"

A reward is warranted, so why is the grip tightening...?

Her wrist hurts a lot.

Has Zhu Zhao gone mad?