Not a Younger Brother, but a Younger Sister

After quickly completing the second stage, Xiao Ran and Chuyan arrived at the Mountain Waist Ring Road, directly below the Elder's Seat in the air.

Xiao Ran looked up blankly, his gaze penetrating the Clear Mist and thick clouds, and saw his Master looking at him with a strange expression.

She seemed to be muttering something to herself, as if she were saying he was handsome behind his back.

Chuyan noticed him laughing inexplicably to himself and felt a bit creepy about it.

What are you looking at?

Xiao Ran spoke the truth.

"Look at the beautiful women."

Chuyan pouted.

"Thinking and seeing are two different things. This is a high-level Magic Cloud set up by Master Boyun- Master Bo Yunzi with the power of the Mountain-Guarding Grand Array. If you can see Grandmaster and the others through this cloud, it means you can also see my body through my Golden Core Veil."

Xiao Ran turned his head, glanced at Chuyan from head to toe, and said in a calm tone, "How do you know I can't see her?"

"I can do that too."

Chuyan put her hands on her hips, pointed at Xiao Ran, and said with no small amount of pride:

"But you are completely transparent to me. I'm just not interested in men and don't bother to look at you. I have the ability to know your strengths and weaknesses, but you can't know my depths. If it weren't for the fact that you benefited from the Grandmaster's position, I would be the elder in any sect, and you would be the younger brother."

The words that had been building up in my heart for a long time were finally spoken out subtly, in the form of a bawdy joke.

After saying this, Chuyan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, admiring her own skillful words. Even if she hadn't come to Zongzhi Mountain to cultivate, she would have been a great ruler if she had stayed in the Blazing Fire Kingdom.

Until Xiao Ran casually said—

"You have a red mole on your inner thigh."

Red, red mole...

Chuyan's eyes widened for a moment, her face turning pale instantly, then flushing red. After thinking for a while, she finally snapped, "You peeked at me while I was taking a bath!"

She couldn't find any other explanation!

Xiao Ran, with his eyelids drooping, said listlessly, "There's a small wormhole in the back of your lower left baby tooth, left from when you ate candy as a child. You had it filled with amber."

"..."

Chuyan's voice froze, her eyes widened, and her face was filled with shock, anger, and a shy blush.

She was terrified, and it took her a while to remember to shrink herself down, cross her arms over her chest, and squeeze her legs together, turning to face Xiao Ran sideways.

"Don't come any closer!"

"When did I say I was going over there?" Xiao Ran pursed his lips, turned away, and didn't even look at her.

"Do you understand now who the elder and who the younger brother are?"

What kind of lecherous eyes are these! Chuyan was completely terrified, shrinking back, her voice soft and hoarse, barely audible.

"I'm not a younger brother, I... I'm a younger sister."

My younger sister is doing alright.

Xiao Ran was too lazy to waste time arguing with her about these pointless topics.

"Tell me about the third level."

Chuyan was taken aback, but her posture and expression instantly returned to normal.

After all, it's not easy to have knowledge that surpasses Xiao Ran's.

"You didn't even know the third level before rushing to Sword Succession? You haven't even read Elder Mo Xia's 'Ten Thousand Swords Compendium' yet? Are all men this impatient?"

One map-wide attack wiped out half the population of the True Spirit Continent.

Xiao Ran turned around and gave her a brief, indifferent glance.

"Um?"

It's the Eye of the Lustful Demon! Chuyan was so frightened that she immediately became obedient.

"The third and final level is called the Sword Fence Layer."

"It consists of short swords stuck upside down on the barren mountain. The short swords are imbued with Sword Intent. The person who Sword Succession must have Clear Sword Heart and a certain level of sword skills and spiritual awareness to pass the test."

"This test doesn't require a high level of remaining Spiritual Power from the Sword Succession, but it does have certain requirements for their Cultivation Level and physique. As far as I know, your Balanced Five-Elements Endowment elements might be a disadvantage."

Xiao Ran seemed to understand a little, and simply replied calmly:

"It's alright, let's prepare more resources first."

It wasn't that he was afraid the third level would consume too much Spiritual Power; Xiao Ran was afraid of encountering unexpected situations that might consume a lot of Spiritual Power.

He remained wary of Little Mist and the Primate.

According to the rules, the Sword Inheritance Assembly prohibits the use of Spirit Stone and pills to replenish Spiritual Power; these can only be used for healing.

However, the Golden Ringed Python that Xiao Ran hunted, and the Magma Swallowing Beast that should have appeared, are not included in this list. They are considered loot from the level and can be used to replenish Spiritual Power.

After all, hunting them also consumes Spiritual Power.

Pity.

Aside from the Spirit Beast at the checkpoints, the resources on the mountain are extremely scarce.

Xiao Ran, with Chuyan in tow, searched all over the mountains and fields.

Under the carpet search of their second-order Resonance Divine Sense, the two spent two full hours and finally only managed to dig up a few hundred wild ginseng roots...

A cluster of Rainbow Cloud Mushroom.

Three Red Warming Lotus Plants.

Five Spiral Pangolin, eighteen Hedgehog Cat, a piece of Raw Black Spirit Stone Chunk weighing over fifty kilograms, five rabbits, and three squirrels.

That's all.

Xiao Ran spread his hands, saying, "That's all."

Immortal Boat hovering atop the mountain, members of the Discipline Hall patrolling the mountainside, three elders halfway up the mountain, disciples, instructors, Subsidiary Sect leaders, and elders below, and National Teacher from various countries—

The entire audience erupted in uproar!

There was a lot of discussion, with all sorts of rumors circulating in private.

"Why are they even conducting a mountain search?"

"Isn't this cheating?"

"Didn't Sword Mound Mountain say they had already cleared out the spirit plants Spirit Beast?"

"We didn't know there were so many things up the mountain."

"He wants to empty Sword Mound Mountain?"

"The third level clearly doesn't require this many resources, so are they trying to make a quick buck during the Sword Succession process?"

"What kind of people live on Sword-Wielding Mountain?!"

Even True Person Moxia couldn't stay awake any longer, so he coughed twice and addressed the crowd:

"That's not entirely true. Junior Nephew Xiao's act of clearing out these excess Spirit Beast beasts and plants created a fair and just environment for the next Sword Succession, which is commendable."

True Person Moxia usually a man of few words, and every word he spoke was worth a thousand pieces of gold, so everyone subconsciously shut up.

But in my heart I was thinking—

Is this even human language?

Lingzhou Yue was drinking when she heard the commotion around her and realized what Xiao Ran had done. She casually blurted out what everyone wanted to say but dared not:

"Is this guy a dog?"

Suddenly, she frowned.

He wondered if his Art of Resonance had reached the second level.

In the mountains.

Xiao Ran looked up at the sky once.

Thinking:

Master is saying I'm handsome behind my back again...

Chuyan was also frightened by Xiao Ran's thorough search. From now on, following her Master would at least ensure she wouldn't have to worry about food.

After eating more than a dozen wild ginseng roots, taking a few slices of Red Warming Lotus, and meditating for a while, he quickly recovered his lost Spiritual Power.

"Can we proceed to the third level now?"

Xiao Ran shook his head, revealing a barely perceptible, insatiable look.

"These things are at most at the Foundation Establishment Realm; they're not high enough."

This state of insatiable desire is exactly the same as that of her father and Imperial Brother before their deaths! Chuyan was truly convinced.

What else do you want?

Xiao Ran began to recount the story in detail.

"Didn't you say there was supposed to be Magma Swallowing Beast in the second level? I'm thinking that, like the Golden Ringed Python, although it wasn't set as a level monster, it must have been kept in a nearby cave. After all, other places in Zongzhi Mountain are not suitable for them to live in."

"You--"

Sword Mound Mountain wept!

If it has a soul.

Chuyan seemed to hear the sobbing of Sword Mound Mountain.

You're more than just a Wraith demon; you're a reincarnation of the underworld, your heart is a chaotic dance of demons!

Even so, Chuyan was inexplicably looking forward to what kind of trouble Xiao Ran would cause.

"There is a powerful Golden Core Realm Magma Swallowing Beast. It should have appeared at the exit of the second level as the end of the level, but it was probably removed today because it had increased the difficulty for us. If I'm not mistaken, it should be in some Sealed Underground Cave."

The Sealed Underground Cave was no wonder even he hadn't discovered it.

Xiao Ran thought to himself, then looked at Chuyan in front of him with some surprise.

"I didn't expect you to know so much about things other than men and women."

Chuyan's eyes sparkled as she couldn't help but recall:

"Back then, I wanted to apply for the Sword Succession independently so that my Grandmaster would notice me. I did a lot of preparation in private. However, before I even Sword Succession, my Grandmaster noticed me because of my application and came to Little Qiong Peak to visit me."

At this point, Chuyan's big, watery eyes shone with a sweet glow, and her face showed a look of deep nostalgia.

Xiao Ran, however, couldn't wait to say:

"Take me to the location of the underground cave quickly."

Chuyan was somewhat embarrassed.

"This is definitely against the rules!"

Xiao Ran said, "Have you forgotten the rules of the Sword Succession that Senior Brother Zhang mentioned? As long as you don't use your own Spirit Stone and pills to replenish your Spiritual Power, any other behavior is allowed. My hunting of the Magma Swallowing Beast only increases the difficulty of the Sword Succession Inheritance. It is a noble act of self-discipline, and the elders should praise me."

"I can't fight city hall," Chuyan sighed and said, "Fine, you're the boss. If anything goes wrong, you take the blame. I'm just a pitiful, weak, clueless guide."

Just make sure it's not with bad people.

Let's go.

Afterwards, Chuyan led Xiao Ran over mountains and ridges, and finally found a cave entrance on the north side of the mountain.

After entering the cave, passing through a maze of tunnels, they finally discovered a cave dwelling at the Earth Fire Core.

Sure enough, there was a Magma Swallowing Beast inside the cave.

It stands three zhang tall, covered with thick rocks, and resembles a blood-red lion.

Unlike when it was sleeping, the Magma Swallowing Beast was standing upright in the center of the cave today, staring straight at the entrance, as if waiting for someone.

As soon as Xiao Ran entered the cave, he looked up.

A layer of Gray Mist suddenly appeared in those fiery red eyes.

—It's you!