Refusal

Three years is neither long nor short.

Wei Dawu had grown considerably, shedding his youthful immaturity and becoming more composed, though a familiar spark remained in his eyes.

Meeting Xu Chunniang's gaze, Wei Dawu offered a slight smile.

He hadn't expected that after three years apart, they would meet in this manner.

He walked directly towards Xu Chunniang, his tone earnest. "Will you come with me to the Inner Sect? Retainers are very important to me, and the Spiritual Plants major isn't without its merits. Besides... we're from the same hometown, which makes us closer than others."

Xu Chunniang paused. She was determined to enter the Inner Sect, but she didn't want to do so in this way.

She had considered refusing such an offer, but she hadn't anticipated that the person making the offer would be Wei Dawu.

Seeing that she didn't immediately agree, Wei Dawu's smile faded slightly, and his tone became advisory.

"The immortal sects are not like the mortal world. Without cultivation resources, you'll merely waste your time. Given our connection, as long as you do your best for me, I won't forget your assistance once I reach Foundation Establishment.

There's a world of difference between the Inner and Outer Sects. You wouldn't want to remain stuck at Qi Condensation your entire life, would you?"

Xu Chunniang certainly didn't want to be stuck at Qi Condensation, but she had her own path to follow, not to become someone's subordinate and trade loyalty for a chance at Foundation Establishment!

She didn't understand what "one's true heart" meant, but she refused to force herself to do things she disliked.

Xu Chunniang raised her head, looking directly at the elder brother from the neighboring village who had joined the immortal sect with her and had looked out for her on the Flying Ship.

"I want to enter the Inner Sect through my own efforts. Didn't you say it yourself? Whether it's the Inner or Outer Sect, our goal is cultivation."

Wei Dawu's expression flickered for a moment. Had he really said that?

Perhaps he had been too naive then to utter such words.

Let alone the vast difference in resources between the Inner and Outer Sects, even among the nine peaks of the Inner Sect, each had its own specialties.

Excluding the most powerful main peak, Carefree Peak, Pill Peak, Weapon Peak, and Beast Taming Peak each had their strengths and were considered relatively better peaks.

Talisman Peak, Thousand Mechanisms Peak, and Mystic Sword Peak had considerably weaker overall strength, and fewer disciples joined these three peaks.

Hundred Flowers Peak was rather unique; although it had few people, they were skilled in using poisons, and their influence within the Inner Sect was not to be underestimated.

As for Nameless Peak, it was merely a name, with almost no new disciples joining in recent years.

He came back to his senses and spoke lightly, "I take back those words now. After stepping onto the path of cultivation, I realized how ignorant I was in the past.

You are like I was back then, just a frog trapped in a well, with no chance to see the vastness of the outside world.

When you realize your own insignificance, you'll use every means to become powerful."

Xu Chunniang felt a chill in her heart, and her expression grew cold, extinguishing the joy of reuniting with an old acquaintance.

It was precisely because she knew how insignificant she was that she strived forward relentlessly.

She had thought that since Wei Dawu had been chosen to join the sect from a small place along with her, he would understand her persistence.

But she never expected him to lose his original aspiration for cultivation so easily.

Xu Chunniang's feelings were complex, filled with disappointment in Wei Dawu and a determination to prove herself. However, she understood that they were no longer on the same path.

She no longer wished to explain. She stated directly, "Brother Dawu, I'm very sorry to tell you that I refuse to be your retainer."

Wei Dawu had tried to persuade her for a long time, only to receive this response. He felt a sense of dissatisfaction.

Everything he had done was for her immortal path.

Yet, she didn't appreciate it at all. How could such a stubborn nature go far on the path of cultivation?

If it were someone else standing here today, that person would likely have already accepted this great fortune with joy and wouldn't have required him to expend so much effort and words.

Xu Chunniang had truly disappointed him.

His expression turned somewhat cold. "Have you truly thought this through?"

"I have."

Ultimately, Wei Dawu chose another outstanding female disciple.

He greatly valued this opportunity to recruit retainers. Although Xu Chunniang's performance had deeply disappointed him, Wei Dawu was rational and would not carelessly waste the retainer slots.

The disciples standing on the stage were the most promising among all the newly admitted disciples and would be his support in establishing himself in the Inner Sect. They could not be lost.

Seeing this, the others began to discuss, their faces showing amusement.

Without listening, Xu Chunniang knew they were all mocking her for not appreciating the offer and refusing the recruitment of an Inner Sect disciple.

After all, among these more than a hundred Inner Sect disciples, Wei Dawu ranked thirty-seventh. Not everyone could catch his eye.

But more people chose to become retainers; was that path the correct one?

Cultivation in the Outer Sect was arduous. Every year, some "shortsighted" disciples refused recruitment, unwilling to take this so-called shortcut, and chose to test their luck in the Outer Sect Grand Competition!

She was like that, and so was Su Chen. There were also senior disciples from previous years who had made similar decisions.

These people had chosen a more difficult path, but only by overcoming obstacles and forging ahead could they walk more steadily and further on the path of seeking the Tao.

Xu Chunniang took a deep breath and told herself, "Even a frog in a well has the right to jump out of it! They all think I can't do it, but I'll show them that what others cannot achieve, I can!"

At this moment, Xu Chunniang felt her resolve for cultivation was stronger than ever before.

Before, she didn't know why she cultivated; she was just lucky to be chosen by the Carefree Sect.

After joining the sect, she had wanted to cultivate diligently and not be kicked out. If she could enter the Inner Sect, that would be even better.

If you were to ask Xu Chunniang why she wanted to cultivate diligently and enter the Inner Sect, she couldn't even answer.

But now, she had clarified her goal for cultivation: to leap out of the well and see a wider world.

And to show everyone that she could!

Even if this path was fraught with difficulties and dangers, she would only face them head-on and advance with a song; even if she died and her soul was annihilated on the path of seeking the Dao, she would have no regrets!

Xu Chunniang's heart finally calmed. As her state of mind changed, her cultivation gradually showed signs of loosening, a precursor to a breakthrough.

However, now was not a good time to break through. Xu Chunniang took a deep breath and temporarily suppressed the restless Spiritual Qi within her body.

The fifty people on the stage were quickly reduced to two, namely Xu Chunniang and Su Chen, who had refused the recruitment.

The two exchanged a glance and a smile, actually feeling a sense of mutual appreciation.

Steward Mu glanced at the two, a rare smile appearing on her face. "Since you two refused the recruitment, don't stand up here anymore. You can go down."

"Then what about our assessment results?" Xu Chunniang quickly asked.

After a week of continuous extra updates, the manuscript reserves were depleted extremely quickly. I'll take a breather and post just one update today. I'd like to ask everyone, do you prefer a single update each day until the book is listed on April 1st, or should it be listed as soon as possible? After it's listed, there will be two updates daily, with occasional extra updates, and on the day of listing, there will be a massive 10,000-character release. (Thanks to fellow Daoist Huang Yueping for the reward, and fellow Daoist 20210301106610829852 for the monthly pass support.)