Zhu Zhuqing's Apprenticeship Attempt Hits a Wall (Please Follow Along)

Night fell.

The stars shone brilliantly.

The evening breeze brushed softly past.

After her medicinal bath and dinner, Ning Rongrong finally had a brief moment of leisure.

But she was not exactly idle.

Only after joining Immortal Mountain did she realize just how terrifying those Immortal-Chasing Fans were.

Not only did they love rerolling Trait Entries beneath Immortal Mountain during the day, but some particularly eager girls even tried to sneak up the mountain under cover of darkness, hoping to stage a nighttime raid on the Immortal Residence.

I, the senior disciple of Immortal Mountain, had not even tried such a wonderful thing. How could I let those shameless hussies have their way?

I, Ning Rongrong, swore to defend Teacher's purity to the death!

Thus, aside from her daily cultivation, Ning Rongrong also actively took on the task of patrolling the mountain at night.

Under her dedicated patrols, Immortal Mountain's nights had been exceptionally peaceful lately.

Dressed in a little white skirt, Ning Rongrong sat atop the Stone Guardian on the mountain gate steps, legs crossed, her little feet swinging in the air as she held her teacher's flute.

She stroked the flute and found Teacher's flute wonderfully smooth and warm.

"Teacher really is all bark and no bite. He acted so domineering, dunking me upside down straight into the medicine barrel and making me swallow several mouthfuls of bathwater, even claiming that drinking the medicine would refine all five viscera and six bowels together."

"But in the end, he still kept his promise and silently left the Transcendent Immortal Flute beside me."

"Teacher's flute really is hard and long."

"It doesn't feel remotely like the strength of an auxiliary-type Martial Soul."

"They say a Martial Soul is a soul master's foundation. A person resembles their Martial Soul, and one's character is very similar to it. A soul master can also sense what their Martial Soul feels. Tonight, I'm going to get to know Teacher's flute inside and out."

Ning Rongrong studied the Transcendent Immortal Flute with great interest.

Then a spark flashed in her eyes.

"Why don't I try blowing Teacher's flute and see whether Teacher can feel it?"

If blowing the Transcendent Immortal Flute made Teacher feel like he was being blown, wouldn't that be interesting?

At that thought, Ning Rongrong's little devilish nature emerged.

Her cherry lips wrapped around the mouthpiece.

Imitating the way her teacher usually played, she pressed both hands over the flute holes.

She blew softly. No sound came out.

She blew harder. It made a whooshing sound.

Taking a deep breath, she blew with all her might, but all she produced was a messy buzzing sound, like wind fanning a fire.

After all those attempts, the flute was covered in glistening saliva.

Ning Rongrong propped up her chin, her cheeks feeling sore.

"Why is Teacher's Transcendent Immortal Flute so hard to blow?"

"Why does it sound like celestial music when Teacher plays it? It can attack and soothe people's minds."

"Why does mine just sound like a complete mess?"

"Could it be that I really have no talent for music?"

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was one of the Upper Three Sects, after all. Ning Rongrong had grown up surrounded by the arts. Though she was not particularly proficient in musical theory, she had been exposed to the four arts, flute music, orchestral music, and singing. Yet she had never encountered such a difficult flute.

"Forget it, forget it. I won't blow it anymore. I'll just go back and sleep hugging Teacher's flute. I still have training tomorrow morning."

Ning Rongrong checked the time. It was already midnight.

Just as she was about to return to the Immortal Residence—

She glanced at the mountain gate in surprise and discovered that a black-clad girl had somehow silently reached the Detection Platform.

The black-clad girl moved incredibly fast through the night. Had she not spoken to Immortal Mountain, Ning Rongrong would never have noticed her presence.

"This student is Zhu Zhuqing. I dislike crowds, so I came at night specifically to seek apprenticeship. I hope Immortal will not take offense."

After saying that, she placed her right hand on the Detection Platform.

The Trait Entry detection began.

As the Detection Platform's light flickered faintly, Zhu Zhuqing grew somewhat nervous.

She had heard that Immortal Mountain's Apprenticeship Standard was strict.

[Coin inserted successfully]

[Detecting the student's Trait Entries]

[Trait Entry grades, from lowest to highest: Inferior White, Ordinary Yellow, Good Purple, Excellent Black, Top-tier Red, God-tier Gold]

[This student's detected Trait Entries are:]

[Trait Entry 1: Hell Spirit Cat (Purple)]

[Trait Entry 2: Excellent agility-attack-type soul master potential (Black)]

[Trait Entry 3: First-rate speed among peers (Black)]

[Trait Entry 4: Taciturn (Yellow)]

[Trait Entry 5: A first-rate family, a third-rate status (Purple)]

[Trait Entry 6: Above-average talent (Purple with Black)]

[Trait Entry 7: Top-tier diligence (Black with Red)]

[Trait Entry 8: Supreme-grade figure (Red!)]

[Trait Entry 9: Cold eyes like snow, jade poise light; a charming shadow treads the night like stars. Aloof by nature, she hides her troubled thoughts; steadfast in heart, she tempers her bones and faces hardship. Old alliances lock away a maiden's resentment, yet beneath her cold bones remains a pure heart. If she can cast off the power struggles of princes and noble daughters, her sharp shadow will climb the mountain peak. (Black)]

[Choose three out of nine Trait Entries. The highest three Trait Entry grades are: Red, Black with Red, Black. Regretfully, you do not meet the Apprenticeship Standard.]

"So it really won't work?"

"Immortal Mountain's Apprenticeship Standard truly is stringent."

When the Top-tier Diligence and Supreme-Grade Figure Trait Entries appeared, a faint hope had risen in Zhu Zhuqing's heart.

Could it be... am I the chosen one?

In the end, she only had one Supreme-Grade Trait Entry.

Moreover, the Supreme-Grade Figure and Top-tier Diligence Trait Entries she had rolled were not good Trait Entries in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes.

It was practically saying that her talent was insufficient, and that only her figure and cultivation attitude were worth mentioning.

To someone as proud as her, that was actually an insult.

"Sigh, even that guy couldn't meet the Apprenticeship Standard. How could our Hell Spirit Cat clan possibly pass this test?"

Zhu Zhuqing said regretfully.

"Whoa! You're almost like me. You actually have two Supreme-Grade Trait Entries too. Not bad!"

Ning Rongrong jumped down from the Stone Guardian, spinning the Transcendent Immortal Flute once in her hand.

As she approached and confirmed Zhu Zhuqing's Trait Entry results, her gaze drifted between her own chest and Zhu Zhuqing's proud snowy curves and slender waist. Unable to help herself, she looked down at her own chest and muttered.

"Her figure really is great, but I'm not bad either. I'm definitely not bad..."

"You... are Immortal Mountain's only disciple, right? Doesn't the Apprenticeship Standard require at least three Supreme-Grade Trait Entries? How did you successfully become an apprentice with only two?"

Zhu Zhuqing asked in confusion. She was both envious of and impressed by Ning Rongrong.

She had seen Ning Rongrong, an auxiliary-type soul master, defeat Dai Mubai, a power-attack-type soul master, despite being a level below him. That was why she had decided Immortal Mountain was a good place for cultivation and come to have her Trait Entries tested.

As for the exaggerated tales outsiders spread about Immortal being incomparably handsome and otherworldly, she was not particularly interested.

No matter how good-looking or handsome someone was, could that be more important than cultivation?

"That's right. I only had two Supreme-Grade Trait Entries at first, but Trait Entries can be reorganized. I directly rerolled another Supreme-Grade Trait Entry, then successfully became an apprentice."

"But don't think about rerolling yours. Big Sis spent a fortune back then, and ordinary people can't afford it."

"Junior Sister, work hard. Cultivate well and be a good person. Maybe one day, you'll also reroll three Supreme-Grade Trait Entries. After all, you're the person with the best Trait Entries I've seen since I became an apprentice."

Ning Rongrong earnestly advised Zhu Zhuqing.

Zhu Zhuqing asked, "May I ask whether there are any other ways to improve Trait Entry quality?"

Ning Rongrong twirled the Transcendent Immortal Flute in her hand and tapped Zhu Zhuqing's shoulder with it.

"That, I don't know."

But at that very moment, a leisurely voice drifted down from Immortal Mountain beneath the starry sky.

"Good question."