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Some disciples who did not know what was going on came over, ready to plead for Ran Zirou.

But they heard Fu Chaoqing say, "Staying in the sect is only holding you back. With your talent, you have no future as a servant disciple in the Inner Sect. You might as well acknowledge Immortal Ziyang. The two of you really do look alike."

His words opened quite a few disciples' eyes.

Many disciples had seen the Hehuan Sect members barge into the sect this time.

"Now that you mention it, Junior Sister Ran really does look like Immortal Ziyang. Their faces could have been carved from the same mold."

"Immortal Ziyang is a beauty famed throughout the Cultivation World. If Junior Sister Ran really is her daughter, I'd be so jealous."

"Why are you crying, Junior Sister Ran? Uncle Fu is only looking out for you."

The onlookers fanning the flames made Ran Zirou more and more irritable.

She wiped away her tears and rose to her feet, making no effort to hide the contempt in her eyes.

"If you think that woman is so wonderful, then go ahead and call her your mother. My parents are the emperor and empress. I'm a Little Princess of the Mortal World's royal family, not the daughter of some woman who's been in a thousand beds and ridden by ten thousand men."

Her words stunned everyone present.

The disciples gathered around her were dumbstruck.

Immortal Ziyang, who had just arrived, was dumbstruck too.

What kind of person was Immortal Ziyang?

She was the very embodiment of strength and beauty.

Once someone stepped onto the path of Cultivation of the True Path, their past was like clouds drifting away. Only the present mattered.

At fifteen, Immortal Ziyang had climbed the Heavenward Ladder step by step, making her way up in a Mortal body.

In five thousand years, she was the only Mortal to have done it.

Born without an Immortal Bone or Spiritual Root, she had to pass through the Heavenward Ladder to cultivate, shaving away her mortal bones and forging an Immortal Bone anew.

Unlike the disciples born with Immortal Bones or Spiritual Roots, she had truly begun in hell.

It was true that Immortal Ziyang's private life was rather messy.

But that did nothing to diminish their admiration and reverence for her.

And this was how Ran Zirou saw Immortal Ziyang?

High above them,

Immortal Ziyang hovered motionless.

Her hands were clasped behind her back, her red robes brighter than blood.

Though the long stagnation of her Cultivation had allowed time to leave its marks on her face, it had not diminished her allure. Instead, she resembled a mature, brilliant rose, all the more captivating for it.

She recognized her daughter at a glance.

After giving birth to Ran Zirou, she had discovered that the girl had a Mixed Spiritual Root. She had made the difficult decision to leave her daughter to be raised in the Mortal World.

With luck, Ran Zirou would live as a princess of a kingdom, cherished and happy all her life.

She had never expected Ran Zirou to take part in the Sect Disciple Selection, much less end up at the Spirit Sword Sect.

Beside her, the Second Elder's brows drew tight. "That's your daughter? How did she turn out like this?"

A clear tear rolled down Immortal Ziyang's cheek. "Perhaps she listened to someone's slander and developed a grudge against me as her mother."

The Second Elder gave a cold snort. "A grudge? Does that give her the right to say something so vile?"

The Second Elder was kind by nature. After hearing Li Zi's thoughts, he had suddenly come to understand Immortal Ziyang better. Much of his resentment at having been deceived had faded, leaving him quite calm.

Ji Zheng had sent him a message asking him to bring Immortal Ziyang back to acknowledge her daughter.

He had not expected them to hear such an explosive declaration the moment they arrived.

Immortal Ziyang finally covered her face and began to sob. "Is this how everyone sees me? Do you all truly think I'm a..."

A woman who would sleep with anyone?

The rest was so filthy she could not bring herself to say it.

"Of course not," the Second Elder said quickly.

Li Zi's furious inner voice suddenly crashed into their ears.

[Is Ran Zirou blind? Immortal Ziyang is a legend in the Cultivation World! Every sect holds her up as an example at its disciple rallies. She's the perfect example of a small-town student who had to study her heart out, but she succeeded through her own efforts. How inspiring is that? When someone's heart is filthy, everything they look at seems filthy too.]

For some reason, that angry tirade lifted Immortal Ziyang's spirits considerably.

She did not know what a small-town student who had to study her heart out was, but her story was indeed inspiring.

When she had first entered the Cultivation World, she had been merciless with herself.

She was the first woman to pass the Heavenward Ladder and cultivate all the way to the Nascent Soul Realm.

Who was speaking?

Her gaze swept across the crowd before settling on Li Zi, who stood on tiptoe watching the spectacle, fists clenched and face full of anger.

Her pupils abruptly contracted.

It was her.

Both in the Main Hall and here, she had heard the little girl's voice.

Was this the person who understood her so well?

Suddenly, Li Zi turned her head.

Those clear, almond-shaped eyes met hers.

Immortal Ziyang felt as though she were looking at the purest sight in the world.

Li Zi gave her a shy smile.

Immortal Ziyang's heart melted.

She nodded.

[Wow! Immortal Ziyang is such a beautiful lady. Did she just smile at me?]

[I have a Mixed Spiritual Root too, and I cultivate slowly. Immortal Ziyang is my role model!]

[What did Ran Zirou ever do to deserve a mother like her?]

It really was her!

After Ran Zirou's earth-shaking declaration, silence fell for a moment. Then the disciples around her all stepped back together, putting some distance between themselves and her.

Fu Chaoqing looked at her as though he were seeing her for the first time, his gaze utterly unfamiliar.

"Junior Master's Niece Ran, how could you think that? Immortal Ziyang is a senior I deeply admire. That view of yours..."

The change in their looks and attitudes made Ran Zirou suddenly realize she might have said the wrong thing.

But so what? She had spoken from the heart. Besides, almost all these people thought the same thing deep down. They had in her previous life.

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