About to Emerge from Seclusion

Evening.

Supreme Dao Sect, the venue for this Immortal Sect Grand Competition.

In a corner of the stands, Xi Li approached carrying two bottles of juice and handed one to Chi Jiuyu.

"Want some?"

Chi Jiuyu froze for a moment at the juice offered before her, but still reached out and took it.

"Thanks."

Xi Li smiled and sat down beside her.

"The Immortal Sect Grand Competition is in a week. Shouldn't you be preparing properly?"

"I've prepared everything that needs preparing."

For the past half month or so, she had been comprehending the Extreme Sword.

But that in itself was an extraordinarily taxing undertaking.

With the Immortal Sect Grand Competition drawing near, all she needed to do in the coming week was rest well and bring herself into peak condition.

"Have you finished dealing with all your matters?" Chi Jiuyu asked tentatively.

Before Senior Sister arrived, she had instructed her to behave herself.

So until now, Chi Jiuyu had only quietly watched Xi Li's every move. All the words she had exchanged with Xi Li today added up to fewer than five sentences.

"Mm." Xi Li opened her juice and took a sip. "The procedure isn't complicated. I remembered it after looking through it once. When the time comes, I just need to follow it."

As for what she ought to say when the time came...

She had been given considerable freedom in that regard. What to say would be entirely up to her.

Chi Jiuyu silently opened her juice and took a sip.

"I heard some rumors that you want to run for the next Sword Sect Master?" she asked, seemingly casually.

"Um..." Xi Li pondered briefly, then smiled. "It's not exactly a rumor."

Not a rumor—then it was true!

Though she had known long ago, hearing Xi