Entering the Outer Sect

"Xu Chunniang, water, wood, and earth Three-Element Spiritual Root, average aptitude. Enter the Carefree Sect's Outer Sect."

Even after Xu Chunniang boarded the immortals' Flying Ship, she still felt dazed, unable to believe any of it.

She had actually passed the immortals' assessment?

Xu Chunniang fiercely pinched her own thigh. The pain made her bare her teeth, yet her eyes grew ever brighter. It was real!

She had passed the assessment. From now on, she would no longer go hungry, and she might even have the chance to learn the immortals' abilities!

Just as her heart swelled with excitement, a voice dripping with malice came from behind her.

"Where did this filthy little beggar come from? She actually dares sit with us. How unlucky."

Xu Chunniang turned at the sound. The speaker was a little girl about her age, dressed in luxurious clothes. She was beautiful and dignified, clearly born into wealth and status.

The girl eyed her sideways, her gaze brimming with undisguised disgust and lofty contempt, as though she had seen something filthy.

That look stabbed Xu Chunniang deeply. She instinctively avoided the girl's gaze and lowered her head.

But the person behind her had no intention of letting her off so easily. When she saw the birthmark on Xu Chunniang's face, she cried out, "She's even an ugly freak! Who knows how someone like her snuck in!"

Xu Chunniang bit her lip tightly, tears welling in her eyes. Ever since childhood, she had been mocked countless times because of the red birthmark on her face, even given the nickname Ugly Girl. But none of those times had hurt as much as this one.

She had only just passed the immortals' assessment and thought her life would finally improve, yet this voice wiped away every scrap of her joy.

So even after passing the assessment, nothing had really changed. She would still be called an ugly freak.

The other half-grown children who witnessed this all shrank back, pretending not to see.

After all, the little girl in fine clothes clearly had an extraordinary background. No one was willing to risk offending her by speaking up for Xu Chunniang.

The girl in fine clothes issued her orders as though they were only natural. "Ugly freak, go to the stern. Looking at your face makes my eyes hurt."

Wei Dawu had just stepped out of the cabin when he heard those words. His brows drew together slightly, and his gaze fell on Xu Chunniang.

The skinny little girl wore clothes washed pale with age, with a patched bundle on her back. She stood there with her head lowered, looking embarrassed and at a loss.

Wei Dawu was from Wei Family Village, next to Xu Family Village. The two villages were close, and their people were connected by kinship. Seeing Ugly Girl bullied like this, he could not stand by any longer.

He turned and said flatly, "We'll be fellow disciples from now on. Isn't it a little wrong for you to bully someone?"

As though she had never expected anyone to dare talk back to her, Huangfu Yao flew into a rage. The corners of her beautiful eyes sharpened. "How dare you! Do you know who I am? How dare you defy my words?"

But Wei Dawu was not afraid of her. His voice remained steady. "I don't care who you are. In any case, we'll all be members of the Carefree Sect from now on. Bullying others is wrong."

Huangfu Yao was about to speak again when the young master in brocade beside her tugged at her and whispered, "This person just came out of the cabin. He should be an Inner Sect Disciple."

The little girl in fine clothes froze. In the Carefree Sect, the status of Inner Sect Disciples and Outer Sect Disciples was as far apart as heaven and earth. She could order Outer Sect Disciples around at will, but she did not dare use that same manner with an Inner Sect Disciple.

After all, she herself was only an Outer Sect Disciple for now. She would still need her elder brother's help to enter the Inner Sect. Before joining the Inner Sect, it would be unwise to offend other Inner Sect Disciples. Huangfu Yao was merely spoiled, not foolish.

Her face darkened. She shot Xu Chunniang a vicious glare, then turned and stormed toward the other side of the cabin. The young master beside her hurriedly followed.

"Brother Dawu!" Xu Chunniang looked up at Wei Dawu, sniffing excitedly. "Thank you for speaking up for me."

She had truly been panicking just now. If she had been bullied in the village, Xu Chunniang could curse back or fight back. But this was not the village. This was the immortals' Flying Ship.

Xu Chunniang was only an eight-year-old village girl who knew nothing of the immortals' world. What if she angered an immortal, and they no longer wanted her and sent her back to Xu Family Village?

"What are you thanking me for?" Wei Dawu shook his head. "We came from the same place, and I'm older than you. It's only right that I help. But once I become an Inner Sect Disciple, the Inner and Outer Sects will be different worlds. I'm afraid I won't be able to look after you much."

"Is there a difference between the Inner Sect and the Outer Sect?" Xu Chunniang asked curiously.

The arrogant little girl from earlier had immediately stopped troubling her as soon as she heard that Brother Dawu might be an Inner Sect Disciple. This "Inner Sect" had to be very impressive.

"I don't know much either. I've only heard that those with good talent enter the Inner Sect. Inner Sect Disciples have abundant cultivation resources. Not only do they have a chance to take a master, they can also listen to the elders' lectures every day.

"The rest can only enter the Outer Sect. Outer Sect Disciples are less talented, their status cannot compare to that of Inner Sect Disciples, and their treatment is worse as well. But as long as an Outer Sect Disciple can cultivate to Foundation Establishment, they can enter the Inner Sect."

Wei Dawu carefully told her everything he had heard.

"Someone like me, with a Dual-Element Spiritual Root, can generally enter the Inner Sect. Those with Three-Element Spiritual Roots can only enter if their spiritual roots are especially good. Four- and Five-Element Spiritual Roots are too mixed and chaotic, making cultivation very slow, so they usually cannot enter the Inner Sect."

Xu Chunniang nodded as though she understood, firmly committing Wei Dawu's words to memory.

So the fewer spiritual roots one had, the more formidable one was. She remembered that during the test, the immortal had said she possessed water, wood, and earth Three-Element Spiritual Roots. They probably were not especially good, but they were not especially bad either.

"In short, whether it's the Inner Sect or the Outer Sect, our goal is cultivation."

Wei Dawu patted her head reassuringly. "New disciples have a three-year protection period. You need to make good use of those three years to learn your skills. If you don't work hard, you might even be expelled from the sect. Immortal sects have no use for trash."

Xu Chunniang nodded heavily. She had to cultivate diligently and not be expelled from the sect!

After giving her a few more instructions, Wei Dawu returned to the cabin. After all, he had been selected for the Inner Sect, so it was not appropriate for him to linger outside.

Xu Chunniang watched him leave with admiration, and much of the tension and unease in her heart faded.

At least she had someone she knew in the immortals' world. If Brother Dawu could do it, then she... could definitely do it too!

Once she relaxed, she felt a fierce hunger. Xu Chunniang carefully took a dried flatbread from her bundle and nibbled at the white-flour cake, her eyes growing damp.

Her Household was terribly poor, nearly unable to keep the pot boiling. Her mother had used the very last bit of white flour to make these cakes and packed them all for her.

Fortunately, once someone was chosen by an immortal, the immortal would give one hundred taels of silver in return. To her Household, that was an enormous fortune.

With this money, her father, mother, younger brother, and younger sisters would no longer have to go hungry. They could even build several spacious brick houses and find her elder brother a good match.

Xu Chunniang swallowed the flatbread, feeling a little happy. Though she still did not understand the immortals' world, being able to eat her fill and earn silver for her Household was already an amazing thing.

But Brother Dawu had said her talent was ordinary and that she was only an Outer Sect Disciple. There were many people as impressive as Brother Dawu who had become Inner Sect Disciples.

A trace of determination flashed through Xu Chunniang's eyes. She would cultivate well and become the Foundation Establishment Brother Dawu spoke of as soon as possible, then enter that Inner Sect!

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