Eighteen Dao Companions!

For a moment, both people walking along looked blankly to their right.

A man in white robes came racing toward them, his bearing tall and straight, like a bright, clear moon. His legs moved so fast they left afterimages.

"Let go of my junior sister right now, or I'll attack!" Li Bai drew his longsword and eyed Elder Whitebrow warily.

The Hidden Sword Pavilion was a very special place: it was a Spirit-Sealing Ground. Neither Elder Whitebrow nor Li Bai could use any spiritual power while inside.

So Li Bai had genuinely sprinted over on his own two legs, and he was still panting heavily after reaching them.

"I know everything! You're definitely up to no good! You must be planning to ****"

Li Bai had meant to say "murder her and hide the body," but an inexplicable force suddenly descended and forcibly erased his final words.

Only then did fear belatedly strike Li Bai, and he hurriedly covered his mouth.

"Anyway, let my junior sister go, or I won't go easy on you!" Li Bai said fiercely.

Behind him, Yun Xi caught up in her pale green dress and stared warily at the elder opposite them.

Although she hadn't been in the Southern Spirit Sect long, Yun Xi understood who had guided her father and the other elders into saving her.

Had they not heard the thoughts of this little girl named Lan Yue, she would probably have been gravely injured even if she had escaped.

So now that the little girl was in danger, she had to repay the favor!

Yun Xi flicked out a green vine whip, likewise watching Elder Whitebrow warily.

"Don't get cocky! You-you're surrounded!"

She might lose the fight, but she wouldn't lose her nerve. Even though she had only recently achieved qi induction, she was holding a high-grade Spirit Artifact her father had given her!

If all else failed-if all else failed, she would call for her dad!

After all, the dad she had only recently acquired had already promised to come whenever she called.

Elder Whitebrow: "..."

These little brats were usually nowhere to be seen, but they certainly came running fast at a time like this!

Lan Yue, standing behind him, was deeply touched too-though she would have preferred a less awkward situation.

She was about to stop them when she saw that her eldest senior brother had already charged forward at some point. The white-browed elder sent him flying with a palm strike, and his handsome face hit the ground first.

"Yun Xi, don't come over!" Sensing something, Lan Yue hurriedly shouted to her right.

But the female lead charged forward anyway and was slapped to the ground a moment later. Fortunately, she hadn't landed face-first.

Lan Yue instinctively covered her face.

"Well? Still going to rescue her?" Elder Whitebrow raised an eyebrow.

Did every last one of them take him for a soft persimmon they could squeeze however they pleased?

He couldn't handle Lan Yue with her Immortal Artifact, but surely he could handle a few ordinary disciples?

Wait, what had little Lan Yue called this person just now?

As Elder Whitebrow belatedly recalled her shout, his expression stiffened.

The person he had just slapped seemed, possibly, to look rather like the daughter the sect master had recently welcomed back?

It's over. I've landed myself in huge trouble!

It's all my fault for not checking carefully. Otherwise, how could I have failed to notice the sect master's daughter coming over?

Careless, far too careless!

Then everyone present watched his imposing expression abruptly change, even breaking into a genial smile.

"All right, that concludes things. Let me explain: I'm actually an elder sent by the sect to test your character."

"I can already see that you're all caring and willing to work together with your companions. You embody the Southern Spirit Sect's ideals perfectly, and you're certain to achieve great things!"

After Elder Whitebrow delivered this speech, Li Bai was still a little uncertain. Had they really gotten it wrong?

"These are rewards from the sect. Everyone who passes the test receives one."

Looking at the little brats before him, Elder Whitebrow painfully took out three Storage Bags.

Damn it, these are all Spirit Stones and Spirit Herbs I worked so hard to save up!

Seeing Elder Whitebrow's pleased expression, and how he even gave each of them Spirit Stones as a gift, Li Bai and Yun Xi finally relaxed completely.

Of course! How could there possibly be a bad person in the Hidden Sword Pavilion? It had been a test arranged by the sect all along!

"Thank you, Elder. We acted rashly." Yun Xi's face reddened with embarrassment.

"It's fine. This proves your character is excellent. You're bound to amount to something great!" Elder Whitebrow beamed, while the little figure inside his heart had nearly cried itself dry.

"Boohoo, Elder, I was wrong about you too! You're an invincible whirlwind of a wonderful person!" The Spirit Stones in her Storage Ring had already dazzled Lan Yue so thoroughly that she even stumbled over her compliments.

Hearing that description, Elder Whitebrow's expression nearly cracked.

An invincible whirlwind of a wonderful person? What kind of ridiculous description is that?

In any case, he didn't want to spend another moment with these brats, so he hurriedly offered one final reminder. "Choosing a sword in the Hidden Sword Pavilion is different from visiting the Mission Hall. Sense them with your heart. Swords have spirits, and you can only take a Spirit Sword away if it's willing to follow you."

[As long as a Spirit Sword is willing to follow me, I can take it away? What if all the Spirit Swords want to come with me?]

Lan Yue hadn't even begun choosing a sword, yet she was already worrying over which Spirit Sword she should pick.

When the female lead had chosen her sword, most of the Spirit Swords in the entire Hidden Sword Pavilion had wanted to follow her.

Although she couldn't compare to the female lead, surely five or six swords would be willing to follow her?

Wouldn't that mean she would strike it rich?

"You can only choose one Spirit Sword!" Elder Whitebrow added through gritted teeth.

In all his years stationed here, hardly anyone had managed to stir every Spirit Sword.

And she wanted to take them all away? In her dreams!

Lan Yue felt a little disappointed when she heard that.

It seemed this fortune wasn't destined to be hers. No matter; she would be content with a single Spirit Sword.

Having a Spirit Sword for transportation would still be faster than pumping her legs all day.

Fortunately, this thought was too vague for the system to broadcast. Otherwise, Elder Whitebrow would have been even more furious.

Other people chose a Spirit Sword as seriously as they chose a Dao companion, wishing they could sift through thousands upon thousands of options. Once they brought it home, they treasured it and fed it all sorts of precious Spirit Ores.

Yet she wanted a Spirit Sword just to use as transportation!

Fortunately, Elder Whitebrow hadn't heard her and was still giving instructions.

"Lan Yue, you don't need to deliberate either. Your Spirit Sword has already been prepared. You don't get a choice!"

"Head right. The sword at the very back of the Hidden Sword Pavilion is the one prepared for you!"

Having finished his instructions, Elder Whitebrow disappeared impatiently without another word.

The three people in the cave watched the elder vanish, then exchanged bewildered looks.

"Shall we go find our Spirit Swords?" Li Bai coughed and suggested.

The two girls naturally nodded. They had come here for Spirit Swords, so of course they should hurry and find them.

But as they walked, Lan Yue continued musing inwardly.

[Although the white-browed elder keeps eighteen Dao companions outside the sect, dreaming up different ways to meet them every day and really playing the field, he's genuinely a good person!]

He had given her so many Spirit Stones that she wouldn't have to worry for a whole month!

Splash!

A rock fell into a pool inside the cave, and they faintly heard laughter from above.

Lan Yue, who had just been enjoying the gossip, suddenly felt a chill all over and trembled with fright.

[Holy shit, have we run into a ghost? Are there ghosts in the cultivation world too?]

As this thought was broadcast, the other two walking beside her involuntarily drew closer.

Li Bai was actually a little frightened too, but he was their eldest senior brother. So he kept his chest puffed out, looking as though he was telling them not to fear while he was there.

Yun Xi wasn't particularly afraid. Since childhood, she had witnessed countless filthy intrigues in the rear courtyards.

In her view, human hearts were actually far more frightening than ghosts.

But since little Lan Yue was so frightened, she naturally had to come closer and offer her support.

Lan Yue had saved her life. No matter what, she had to repay that kindness!

After a while, there was still no movement overhead, and they breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed a rock really had just fallen from above.

If there was anything bad about the Hidden Sword Pavilion, it was this.

Not only were these precious swords kept inside a cave, but dirt actually fell from the ceiling!

Had his master not personally escorted him into the Teleportation Array, Li Bai would have thought he had arrived at some unfamiliar sect.

As they relaxed, several core disciples on duty near the cave ceiling, dressed in blue-brown robes, covered their grinning mouths one after another and stayed perfectly still, quiet as chickens.

[I was overthinking it. With all these protective arrays guarding the Southern Spirit Sect, how could a Ghost Creature suddenly appear?]

[Back to the gossip. Where was I again?]

[Elder Lu exposed with eighteen Dao companions—and every single one has the same name! Is this a twisting of morality, or the decay of humanity?!]

[Ahem. Next, allow Gossip God Lan Yue to explain it all to you.]

Lan Yue had gotten so carried away reading the system's gossip that she couldn't help returning to her old trade.

Yes, in her previous life, she had been a gaming commentator! And, of course, a veteran internet gossip surfer! Known to all as the Gossip God!

Pfft!

The inner sect core disciples above truly couldn't hold back anymore and burst out laughing.

They couldn't help it. They genuinely couldn't hold it in.

They spent their days stationed in various parts of the sect and had encountered countless bizarre incidents.

Normally, no matter how outlandish something was, they wouldn't laugh-unless they couldn't help it!