Stop pretending, the seemingly useless junior sister is the real boss.

On the other side, Shen Ji did not go back to catch up on his sleep, but instead took Ling Tian and hid on the other side of the Purple Bamboo Forest.

A hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the master and disciple when they saw Bai Xiaobai swing his sword.

"Master, Junior Sister was able to wield the Longling sword, which means she should be more than just a Qi Refining level one cultivator. But even with the help of the Spirit Testing Stone and the Demon Core, and even with the Spirit Spring and top-grade Spirit Liquid, her cultivation is still stagnant. This is unreasonable."

Shen Ji's gaze was indifferent, and his face lacked its usual smile.

He stared at the small figure nimbly wielding a sword as it moved through the bamboo grove, and after a long silence, he finally spoke.

"Besides the spiritual energy she unintentionally absorbed from the sect leader and several elders that day, there was also a portion of spiritual energy that I transferred to her. It seems that the spiritual energy she cultivated herself was swallowed up by something."

Upon hearing this, Ling Tian doubted whether he had misheard.

"So, is there really something else inside Junior Sister's body?"

Shen Ji did not deny it.

"Perhaps this existence even terrifies the natural disaster, which is why it willingly submits to Little White's control. Otherwise, the Heavenly Disaster Sword, which was born with the power of slaughter, would never have signed a soul contract with an unformed demon in the Thousand Treasure Cave."

"Furthermore, Xiao Qi also told me that Xiao Bai's aura is very special. Right now, we can only confirm that there is something else inside Xiao Bai's body, but we can't tell exactly what it is. We also don't know if this being has any other effects on Xiao Bai, which is why we brought Xiao Qi back. With him, this ancient divine beast, there shouldn't be any major problems with the being inside Xiao Bai."

The master and apprentice stared at the little dumpling whose sword-wielding speed was getting faster and faster, and a doting smile appeared on their faces.

"It seems your junior sister and Changling are working together quite well."

"That's true, Master. So you brought Xiao Qi down the mountain for Junior Sister's sake. But should we still keep Xiao Qi's identity a secret from the other junior brothers and sisters?"

After hearing what Ling Tian said, Shen Ji remained silent for a while before continuing.

"Let's keep it a secret for now. They're not as composed as you and need more time to hone their skills. As for your junior sister and Changling, we can't keep it from them. Although Xiaobai has only recently taken human form, she's more mature than Fengling and the others, and she's full of clever ideas. Xiaoqi is simple-minded; cultivating with her might help her grow a lot."

Ling Tian nodded, a smile spreading across his eyes.

"Indeed, Junior Sister's little mind is quick. She and Changling are getting along quite well now. Although her strength is still at the first level of Qi Refining, I think she will bring us unexpected surprises in the sect's minor competition."

Seeing that Bai Xiaobai and Changling worked together seamlessly, Shen Ji was completely relieved.

He raised his hand and patted Ling Tian on the shoulder.

"Alright, now we can all rest assured. The old hag from the Hehuan Sect will definitely come to the sect competition this time. Ling Tian, ​​as my eldest disciple, the task of stopping that old hag and keeping her away from me is entrusted to you."

Upon hearing the name of the Joyful Union Sect, Ling Tian felt a headache coming on, a bitter smile appearing on his usually aloof and handsome face.

"But Master, this is a mess of romantic entanglements you brought upon yourself. Shouldn't you deal with it yourself? Besides, the sect leader of the Joyful Union Sect is at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage. How can I possibly stop her?"

"Besides, she's quite pretty. Why don't you just go for her?"

Hearing his usually calm and aloof eldest disciple say that he would obey her, Shen Ji silently raised his hand to cover his face.

"Good, good, good. You've only been here a short time, and you've already led my obedient and well-behaved eldest disciple astray. That little Bai Xiaobai is truly remarkable. But Ling Tian, ​​as the senior disciple of Xiaoyao Peak, you naturally have to share the burdens of your master. That old hag from the Hehuan Sect will definitely prefer someone younger and more promising, like a genius like you from the Qingxiao Sect, who might be more to her liking."

After saying that, she turned and left without waiting for Ling Tian.

"Master, you said you didn't like them, so why did you provoke them in the first place? Now look what's happened, they finally have a chance to come to our Qingxiao Sect to arrest people, so you shouldn't hide, you should explain things to them clearly."

Shen Ji waved his hand: "What do you mean by 'provoking'? How could your master possibly provoke the people of the Hehuan Sect? It's clearly that old hag who's coveting my good looks, that's why she's been pestering me. No matter what, you have to stop her for me."

Ling Tian looked helpless, but there was nothing he could do.

After all, there have been quite a few female cultivators who have coveted his master over the years.

In short, as the eldest disciple of Xiaoyao Peak, he held many positions.

For example, he would drag her out to ward off unwanted romantic advances.

Now that he knew his junior sister and Changling were getting along well, Ling Tian finally felt relieved. He caught up with Shen Ji and asked him a question that still puzzled him.

"Master, you said you'd take us on a training expedition after the sect's minor competition. Why did you suddenly make this decision? And is Xiao Qi really leaving the mountain for Junior Sister's cultivation? Master, are you hiding something from us?"

Shen Ji stopped in his tracks, his smile vanishing.

He knew that his eldest disciple was not easily fooled, but he did not want to tell these disciples who had been by his side and witnessed his growth about himself.

After thinking for a while, he finally spoke.

"Since the ancient war, the spiritual energy of the Tianyan Continent has been depleted, making cultivation even more difficult for cultivators. Although the Qingxiao Sect is a major sect in one region, it is only a mid-level sect in the entire Tianyan Continent. If you stay in the Qingxiao Sect, it will be difficult for you to make significant breakthroughs in your strength. Therefore, I want to take you out to find secret realms to help you improve your cultivation speed more quickly."

After hearing Shen Ji's explanation, Ling Tian still felt something was wrong.

Previously, their master was not strict with his disciples' cultivation. Instead, he guided their cultivation according to their individual personalities and characteristics, and did not require them to cultivate quickly.

But what he just said clearly meant he wanted them to increase their speed as soon as possible.

Moreover, even if you want them to improve their strength, you shouldn't take them all out for training.

Besides, the junior sister has only been in the sect for a short time, less than ten years.

So why is our own master in such a hurry?

No, to be precise, he seemed to be worried about something.

Their master's origins are shrouded in mystery; to this day, no one in the entire Qingxiao Sect knows where he came from.

Given his cultivation level and age of less than a thousand years, everyone speculated that he might be a genius from a certain cultivation family.

However, since he came to Qingxiao Sect, he has never mentioned his origins, nor has he ever been seen to have any dealings with other cultivation families.

Seeing Ling Tian's furrowed brows, Shen Ji knew that with his intelligence, he must have sensed something.

In order to dispel Ling Tian's doubts, he had no choice but to explain.

"As for why I'm in such a hurry to take you out for training, it's because I promised Li Qingshan that I would ensure the Qingxiao Sect has a few more Nascent Soul experts within a hundred years."