She Had Unilaterally Undone the Spirit Connection Spell

Zhu Lianqing stood where she was, watching A Man muster her courage, step forward, and call out to the women in colorful robes.

The surrounding crowd also stopped out of curiosity.

The leading Seven Splendors Mountain disciple walked up to A Man and said slowly, "Miss, do you mean you wish to join Seven Splendors Mountain?"

A Man's face flushed scarlet. She could feel eyes watching her from every direction and hardly dared breathe, but she still nodded.

"Please see whether I have this opportunity, Dao Lord. I don't ask to become anyone powerful. If I could learn a move or two to protect myself, or someday lend a hand to someone even weaker than me, that would be a good thing too."

"Very well. Please give me your right hand."

A Man extended her right hand. The woman pressed a finger to her wrist, then lowered her hand a moment later.

A Man already knew the result was not ideal, but still asked, "Dao Lord, how is it?"

The woman shook her head. "Mixed spiritual roots."

Mixed spiritual roots were the least suited to cultivation, no different even from those of ordinary people.

A Man felt her suspended heart finally settle, but she was not particularly disappointed, since she had never held much hope to begin with.

But it was truly just as Zhu Lianqing had said: she would have no regrets.

Unexpectedly, the Seven Splendors Mountain disciple before her changed tack.

"Mixed spiritual roots, but the spellcasting lineage of Seven Splendors Mountain places the least importance on spiritual roots. Though you have no talent, if you work diligently, learning a move or two as you said would be no problem."

A Man looked up in disbelief, still somewhat dazed. "Dao Lord... do you mean that?"

Though the female disciple wore a veil, A Man could still tell that she smiled. "Of course. But everything I said is true. You will only be able to learn a move or two in this lifetime, so if you have somewhere better to go in the mortal world, there is no need to come to Seven Splendors Mountain."

A Man's gaze was firm. "I'm all alone now, with nowhere left to go. If I can only learn a move or two in this lifetime, then I'll learn them. Perhaps one day, those moves will still be able to help someone."

The woman nodded. "In that case, it seems you are indeed suited to joining Seven Splendors Mountain. However, though I can test your spiritual roots today, I know nothing of your character. Do you know anyone here who could vouch for you, to set our minds at ease?"

A Man instinctively looked toward Xie Lingchuan, Shen Ji, and the others.

Zhu Lianqing thought this was a good opportunity to divert Xie Lingchuan's attention. It was time for her to make a run for it.

So she said to Xie Lingchuan, "You're a disciple of Immortal Master Zhu. With you speaking for Miss A Man, the people of Seven Splendors Mountain will certainly feel more reassured."

Xie Lingchuan looked at Zhu Lianqing, then at A Man in the distance, and finally took two steps forward.

"I can vouch for him."

At these words, the spectators' gazes swished toward Xie Lingchuan, and they all froze for a second.

The young man before them had bright, noble features and a bearing as radiant as fine jade. With a sword on his back, he was clearly no ordinary person.

The Seven Splendors Mountain disciples were also taken aback. One glance told them this cultivator belonged to a major sect, yet they could not recall who on the Youth Ranking looked like this.

"May I ask who you are?"

In the silence as everyone held their breath in anticipation, Xie Lingchuan inclined his head slightly.

"Xie Lingchuan of the Luoyu Sword Sect, eldest direct disciple under Perfected Lord Nanhua."

At these words, the entire place fell silent for a full three seconds.

After those three seconds, exclamations surged forth like toppling mountains and overturning seas, and the entire crowd became a boiling cauldron.

"He, he, he! He's Immortal Master Zhu's disciple? Is that really true?"

"No one in this world would dare falsely claim to be Immortal Master Zhu's disciple, would they? I'd say it's ninety-nine percent certain!"

"No wonder I thought his bearing was extraordinary just now. So he's Perfected Lord Nanhua's disciple. That explains it!"

A Man, standing to one side, was also stunned. Before this, she had only heard the name of Perfected Lord Nanhua, Zhu Lianqing, and known she was famous. That was all.

But judging by this scene, if even her disciple could stir up such towering waves, Immortal Master Zhu must have been hundreds of times more famous than A Man had imagined!

The crowd clamored without end, and Xie Lingchuan frowned slightly.

Hidden among the crowd, however, Zhu Lianqing smiled.

Good, good. The more chaotic, the better. Time for me to leave.

She pressed her fingertips to her wrist. A golden thread appeared, then shattered into dust.

Watching Xie Lingchuan, who had become the crowd's focus and had no attention to spare for anything else, Zhu Lianqing shook her wrist.

"You're still too green to use a trick your master taught you to rein your master in."

A smug smile curled Zhu Lianqing's lips as her figure slipped into the crowd and gradually disappeared.

"So you are Perfected Lord Nanhua's disciple. Young Hero Xie, forgive my discourtesy. Can you vouch for this young lady?"

Xie Lingchuan nodded. "Her family was killed by demons, leaving her all alone. She has traveled with us for several months and is kindhearted, not some vile villain. Nor is there any possibility that she is a demon or ghost taking human form to deceive people. Please rest assured."

"Very good. With Young Hero Xie vouching for her, we can take her back to the sect without worry."

The crowd burst into cheers.

A Man herself was overjoyed, so moved that she did not know whom to look at first. She bowed to Xie Lingchuan first. "Thank you for speaking on my behalf, Dao Lord!"

"No need for thanks."

After speaking, Xie Lingchuan felt something strange stir in his heart. He turned to look at where he had been standing earlier, but that smoke-colored figure had long since vanished.

His brow twitched, and he walked over to Shen Ji and the others.

Seeing Xie Lingchuan's somewhat grave expression, Shen Ji had yet to realize what had happened. "Senior Brother Xie, has something happened?"

Xie Lingchuan motioned for Shen Ji to look behind him, his voice steeped in a chill. "That woman. She ran."

Hearing this, the others turned. Where Zhu Lianqing had stood just now, there was not so much as a shadow left.

Not only that, but even after looking around, they could not spot Zhu Lianqing.

Shen Ji's expression also grew serious. "Then she really is suspicious. Otherwise, why would she flee while we weren't paying attention? But... senior brother, you cast the Spirit Connection Spell with her. Isn't she simply wasting her effort?"

Xie Lingchuan looked into the distance. For an instant, a barely perceptible dangerous emotion filled his eyes, then he shook his head.

"No. She has already undone the Spirit Connection Spell."

Shen Ji's normally calm features immediately registered surprise. "Senior Brother Xie, you mean she unilaterally undid the Spirit Connection Spell?!"

Behind them, Jiang Tingxue, Song Wensheng, and Yan Qing were bewildered. "Senior brother, is unilaterally undoing the Spirit Connection Spell that impressive? What does it mean?"

Shen Ji explained to his junior brothers and sister, "If someone can unilaterally cast a two-person spell, it means their strength is far above the other person's. And if it is the Spirit Connection Spell, they probably have to be a level higher still."

Song Wensheng was astonished beyond measure. "What? She's even stronger than Senior Brother Xie! Then why did she pretend her spiritual meridians had been crippled? Every time we fought, Senior Brother Xie even had to look after her!"

Jiang Tingxue also looked furious at having been deceived. "Exactly! How could she trick us like that!"

Something suddenly occurred to Shen Ji, and his heart chilled.

The cultivation he had sensed from Zhu Lianqing was indeed below his own.

"If... what she said was true, and her spiritual meridians were crippled, yet she still undid the twin spell under those circumstances, then unless she used some unusual art, it can only mean that she is probably more than just stronger than Senior Brother Xie. She might even be able to contend with Master. If someone like that truly has ties to demons, that would be far too frightening."