With a whoosh, Lan Yue plummeted in free fall into World One Hall. Only after she landed did a Spirit Tortoise slowly fly over and nudge her with his head.
"Er Dan, by the time you come to my rescue, I'll already have kicked the bucket." Lan Yue hugged an ancient-looking tortoise shell, sighing endlessly.
That morning, she had not even had time to enjoy the gossip before her master dragged her off for more training. Only now had she been tossed over here.
After hearing that, Er Dan covered his eyes with his front claws, pretending he had seen nothing.
Lan Yue: "..."
"You've even learned to dodge the issue! That won't do. We have to face things bravely!"
When she turned her head again, she discovered that Silver Snow had quietly landed beside her at some point. Compared to Er Dan, however, Silver Snow was clearly much quieter.
Before Lan Yue could question Silver Snow, the sword transformed into a snow-white spirit cat and began meowing.
Lan Yue wiped a hand over her face and resigned herself to picking up the cat.
"Huh? I only just noticed-what's this thing in my hand?" Lan Yue belatedly realized she was holding an extra tortoise shell.
She stroked the mysterious patterns on the shell, unknowingly sending her spiritual energy into it. Then line after line of golden text emerged, pressing against the space between her brows before quickly disappearing.
"Is this... Divination?" Lan Yue's face lit up with excitement. She had never expected these days of grueling training to earn her a Divination inheritance. At the thought of her master, she suddenly found her much more pleasing to the eye.
Her training methods might have been a little ruthless, but who could turn down an all-capable master?
She decided to forgive her master!
"Junior Sister Lan Yue? It really is you!" A gentle female voice came from beside her.
A woman in a dark green pleated skirt slowly approached, holding an oil-paper umbrella.
Lan Yue's eyes lit up at the sight.
A beauty! With the picturesque scenery behind Four Arts Hall, this beauty looked as though she had stepped straight out of a painting!
"Junior Sister Lan Yue, I haven't seen you in so long since we parted at Martial Arts Hall. Now that we've happened to meet today, I must properly thank you."
The beauty's gentle voice reminded Lan Yue of the misty rains of Jiangnan in her previous life.
[Lan Yue: A beauty indeed. Just looking at her lifts my spirits!]
The woman opposite her paused, then gave a soft, gentle smile.
Lan Yue simply stared, spellbound. Only after a while did she register what the beauty before her had said.
[Lan Yue: What? I actually know a beauty like this? When did we meet? How could I have forgotten?]
"Junior Sister Lan Yue, last time at the martial arena, I was fighting a senior brother on the platform, and you called out a reminder from the seats." Qing Zhu slowly twirled the oil-paper umbrella in her hand, and a cool drizzle gently fell.
Watching the hazy drizzle, Lan Yue suddenly remembered that she seemed to have taken the opportunity to egg quite a few people on at the martial arena.
"You were the one who reminded me to add poison to the rain. After I changed my strategy, the results were immediate. I even took first place." Qing Zhu pursed her lips in a slight smile.
She twirled the umbrella again, and a dense shower of fine silver needles fell with the drizzle. Just before they hit the ground, Qing Zhu drew them back.
Standing beneath the umbrella, Lan Yue felt her scalp prickle at the sight. All she could do was nod woodenly.
"Senior Sister, you're incredible!"
"If you run into any trouble in the future, Lan Yue, you can come to me. I'll back you up." Qing Zhu patted her head, then slowly closed the umbrella.
Once she put the umbrella away, the space immediately cleared, revealing a brilliant blue sky again.
Lan Yue looked at the senior sister before her, utterly filled with admiration.
She had only made an offhand remark back then. Who would have thought her senior sister could adapt so quickly, and even take it further than she had suggested!
"Senior Sister, I'll be counting on you to back me up from now on!" Lan Yue promptly latched onto this powerful patron.
How could she not cling to a thigh that was both so beautiful and so powerful?
"By the way, Junior Sister, you must have come to Four Arts Hall to choose a path. Why don't you come with me to Spirit Artifact Hall first? My words carry some weight there." Holding her umbrella, Qing Zhu offered the suggestion.
"Of course! Sorry for the trouble, Senior Sister!" Lan Yue nodded like a chick pecking at grain.
[Lan Yue: Go, go, go! I absolutely have to go. With a senior sister this beautiful, how could I not?]
Qing Zhu smiled once again.
Just as Lan Yue was about to follow her beautiful senior sister, Li Bai came running over from nearby.
Above Four Arts Hall, Yun Xi also arrived by Sword Flight.
"Junior Sister, what just happened? A formation was set up over this whole area, and none of us could get in! Which unreliable senior brother was fighting here again..."
Li Bai looked up and discovered Qing Zhu holding her umbrella, watching him gently.
"So it was Senior Sister Qing! No wonder I thought that formation just now was so powerful!" Li Bai instantly changed his tune.
"Lan Yue, are you all right?" Yun Xi did not know Qing Zhu, but she had noticed what happened just now too and had been terribly anxious.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Senior Sister was just showing me her Spirit Artifact. Let's talk as we walk." Lan Yue and the other two beside her followed their senior sister toward Spirit Artifact Hall.
"By the way, Junior Sister, have you learned Sword Flight? I haven't seen you for days, but you finally came out today. Does that mean you've mastered it?" Li Bai was quite curious. He truly wanted to know whether Elder Guangji had managed to teach Junior Sister Lan Yue.
At his question, Lan Yue lifted her chin slightly.
"Of course! With my master on the job, there was never going to be a problem."
"That's good. Now you won't have to climb the mountain every day anymore." Li Bai breathed a sigh of relief.
As expected of Fairy Guangji, named the greatest beauty in the Northern Region. She really was amazing!
Of course, he did not have the courage to say that to her face. He only dared whisper a few words in his heart.
That was also why he so admired his junior sister, who indulged in gossip all day long. Surely she was the true warrior!
No wonder the Divine Artifact did not want his junior sister to know that others could hear her thoughts. Wouldn't she die of embarrassment if she found out?
He reckoned she might flee the Southern Spirit Sect overnight with a little bundle on her back.
"Junior Sister Lan Yue, you should already have a basic understanding of the four cultivation arts. Let me tell you about Spirit Artifact Hall."
"Spirit Artifact Hall isn't merely a place to learn how to forge Spirit Artifacts. In fact, the entire sect relies on Spirit Artifact Hall to forge its supply of them."
"The Southern Spirit Sect is one of the top sects in the Southern Region, so our Spirit Artifact Hall also has branches elsewhere. Once disciples here make Spirit Artifacts, they can sell them through the branches in various countries.
"Spirit Artifact Hall only charges a five-percent handling fee. The spirit stones earned belong to those disciples."
Qing Zhu explained as they walked.
"Most importantly, you can also forge your own Spirit Artifacts here. Spirit Artifact Hall has a set number of allotments each year that let you apply for materials to forge your own artifacts.
"In other words, if you save up enough allotments, you can forge your own Spirit Artifact, or even your bonded Spirit Sword, without spending a single spirit stone."
"This Bamboo Rain Umbrella of mine was gradually forged using materials I applied for over all these years."
Qing Zhu opened the umbrella again and gave it a gentle twirl.
Up close, they could see that although the umbrella looked like an oil-paper umbrella on the surface, it had actually been forged from spirit ore. Formation patterns were even engraved on it.
"Actually, this isn't just an umbrella. There's a Spirit Sword hidden underneath." Qing Zhu pointed to the handle beneath the spiritual umbrella and swiftly drew an emerald-green Spirit Sword from it.
The Spirit Sword was exceptionally slender, its color as beautiful as green jade, setting both young women's hearts abloom.
Not only was Lan Yue tempted, but even Yun Xi looked thoughtful.
"How do you join Spirit Artifact Hall?" Yun Xi asked quietly from beside her.
Qing Zhu had not expected this unexpected gain, so she patiently began explaining.
"Once you graduate from Morning Cultivation Hall, you can come here to choose one of the four cultivation arts. Every year, senior brothers and sisters recruit outside. After you apply, you'll have a six-month practice period. During that time, you must forge a qualifying Spirit Artifact, or you'll have to withdraw automatically."
Yun Xi nodded, lightly resting her fair hand against her chin, somewhat hesitant.
She had indeed wanted to study Alchemy before, but she was also very interested in the terms offered by Artifact Refining Hall. Which should she choose?
"How about I first..."
[Lan Yue: Oh no, oh no! It's all my butterfly wings' fault. Is the female lead going to choose Artifact Refining?]
*[Lan Yue: Still, choosing Artifact Refining isn't out of the question. It depends on what my darling girl thinks and what she wants to choose.
*After all, in the original novel, my darling girl became one of the rare Ninth-Level Alchemists in the Cultivation World, but she was also incredibly talented at Artifact Refining. She even repaired an Immortal Artifact once!]*
The moment Lan Yue's thoughts rang out, both Artifact Refining Hall here and Alchemy Hall over there fell utterly silent.
A few seconds later, several elders came flying swiftly from both places.
Before you continue