Formidable Rivals from All Sides

After several days of rocking and swaying at sea, the large ship finally docked at Dujiu City in Qing Zhou on a sunny day.

In this short period of time, thanks to the ship owner's tireless efforts, the Gu cultivator successfully became friends with him.

Now, without the ship owner even bringing it up, the Gu cultivators would find him and ask about the "child-rearing methods" of the cultivation Immortal Realm.

As the niece of the Gu cultivator, Sang Ying was repeatedly forced to become the subject of their discussions.

But it was mostly the ship owner praising it, while the Gu cultivator shook his head and said, "So-so."

As the two were about to disembark, Gu Xiu was filled with reluctance. "Sigh, your Uncle Jiang and I haven't even been friends for a few days, and we have to part ways again."

Trying to ignore the fact that the other party had been avoiding the ship owner not long ago, Sang Ying advised, "The Jade Wave of Ship Owner Jiang travels between Qing Zhou and Spirit Prefecture. If Uncle is reluctant to leave, you can take his ship next time."

Gu Xiu nodded upon hearing this. "That's true. After all, I've already found out when he's going to sea. At worst, I can take a boat next month to visit Duange and his wife!"

Sang Ying suddenly became curious about the boat owner, Jiang, who had transformed a person who disliked going out into what he is today.

After bidding farewell to Captain Jiang, Gu Xiu led Sang Ying to an inn to stay in.

Qing Zhou is not like Spirit Prefecture. It is governed by the Jimo Clan, who are most skilled in business. Even the inns there are much more luxurious and comfortable than elsewhere. So, having been used to the high beds and soft pillows of the Jimo Household, the Gu cultivators were a little unaccustomed to settling in.

Sang Ying, on the other hand, seems unaffected by any environment.

After checking into the inn, the first thing Sang Ying did was release Cang Lian and Jiang Zhuoxue from the high-level Beast Ring she had just bought.

Jiang Zhuoxue, who was still asleep, was fine, but Cang Lian was getting restless inside.

As soon as he came out, he said impatiently, "I'm going out for a walk, don't worry."

Sang Ying only had time to hand him a Storage Bag containing Spirit Stone and instruct him to be careful not to reveal his true form before he vanished without a trace.

Because of his special identity, after helping Sang Ying protect the Jimo Household, Cang Lian secretly transformed into a bracelet and returned to Sang Ying's hand.

The Jimo Household probably guessed that Sang Ying had many secrets, but considerately they didn't ask. Instead, they handed Sang Ying two Storage Bag, telling her, "These are for the two fellow Daoists who helped our Jimo Household, just to thank them for their righteous help. Since those two are now gone, please accept them, Miss."

After consulting with Cang Lian and Green Vine, Sang Ying temporarily put it in their custody.

So now, Sang Ying covers all their expenses.

Having resolved Cang Lian's matter, Sang Ying looked at the little black dragon lying in a patch of spiritual soil. He was sleeping soundly; if it weren't for the slight thumping of his abdomen, Sang Ying would have suspected that he had lost his life.

His injuries had mostly healed, but the horns on his head showed no sign of recovery. It was unknown when Jiang Zhuoxue would be fully recovered.

Fortunately, his eyes could still find it. The Qing Zhou Gong Household —things that didn't belong to them—would have to be returned sooner or later!

After replacing the spiritual soil beneath Jiang Zhuoxue, Sang Ying gently put it back into the Beast Ring.

Although it was stuffy inside, it was the safest place for Sang Ying. She just hoped that Jiang Zhuoxue would wake up soon.

After tidying up briefly, Sang Ying led Gu Shu and Floating River Sword out the door.

The Floating River Sword has been reforged by Jimo Qing using precious materials stolen from the Azure Feather Sect. Not only is it much stronger than before, but its appearance is also completely different.

If Sang Ying doesn't speak, no one would be able to tell that this sword is Floating River when they walk outside now.

After leaving the inn, Sang Ying headed straight for where Ten Thousand Daos Born was.

The magnificent mountains are hidden in the clouds, and even from a distance, one can almost feel their overwhelming power.

However, when the oppressive force swept towards Dujiu City at the foot of the mountain, it was instantly dissipated by the city's barrier, and the people in the city did not feel it at all.

This coastal city has survived to this day thanks to this major sect, despite being Beast Ring.

The dozen or so cities that followed Dujiu City were thus able to avoid attacks from high-level Demon Beast and continue to develop peacefully.

Therefore, attributing Ten Thousand Daos Born's failures over the years to having too few disciples is somewhat inappropriate. The scarcity of disciples is only one aspect; another is that many more capable disciples were assigned early on to protect Qing Zhou and patrol the surrounding sea areas.

In that case, how could Ten Thousand Daos Born not lose?

Thinking of this, Sang Ying's fondness for Ten Thousand Daos Born deepened even further.

And so, while listening to Gu Shu's ramblings, Sang Ying led him on a tour of most of Dujiu City. But before she could get close to the fairy mountain floating in the sea of clouds, someone pulled her back.

"You look like a newcomer to Dujiu City, fairy. You must be here for the entrance test that Ten Thousand Daos Born will be holding soon!" A man dressed as a servant stood in front of Sang Ying a grin and shoved a thick booklet into her hands without saying a word.

Before Sang Ying could even react, the man, who seemed to possess no Spiritual Power whatsoever, began to chatter on and on. "Fairy, you've come at just the right time! I've heard that quite a few talented individuals will be participating in this year's entrance exam!"

There are many powerful Aristocratic Clan the Immortal Spirit Realm. Although they are not as powerful as the Jimo Household, they still have a lot of Cultivation Resources and can support the early cultivation of their outstanding disciples.

However, as time went on, their own resources couldn't keep up, so naturally they had to send their children to major sects.

Therefore, many young people who achieve fame in the Immortal Spirit Realm were not initially disciples of sects.

"Look, fairy! Dong Fuzhu from Yao Zhou, Lan Fusheng from Spirit Prefecture... and Jiang Qi from Qing Zhou are all promising talents who ranked first in this year's entrance exam!" The man pointed out four or five names in one breath, and helped Sang Ying turn to the corresponding page as he spoke.

Sang Ying was forced to identify most of her future competitors.

"Well, fairy?" The booklet ended on the page with "Jiang Qi," and pointing to the handsome young man on it, the man smiled eagerly, "Would you like to buy a copy and take a look? It contains information on many talented young people in the Immortal Spirit Realm!"

At this point, the man lowered his voice and leaned closer. "We even drew the Jimo Zanxing, the eldest daughter of the Jimo Household!"

He quickly flipped to one of the pages, barely revealing half of the beauty's face, before swiftly closing it as if wary of something. Even Sang Ying didn't have time to see it clearly.

"Fairy, buy this booklet and study it carefully. Choose one you like. Then place your bet at the stall under Ten Thousand Daos Born's sect. Who knows, maybe they'll actually win first place, and your Spirit Stone will multiply many times over!"

He spoke so earnestly, as if such a wonderful thing could truly happen to Sang Ying.

After hearing his words, Gu Shu scoffed softly from within the pendant. "Even if you don't buy the booklet, the Gu cultivators can still find out this information for you!"

Or rather, the Gu cultivators had already learned about it from Captain Jiang several days earlier.

To prevent his niece from having an unsuccessful start, the Gu cultivator thoroughly investigated everyone who might pose a threat to Sang Ying, going to great lengths to do so.

Even so, when Sang Ying left the small shop called "Know the World," she still had a thick booklet in her hand.

Upon seeing this, Gu Shu was furious again and berated Sang Ying as a "spendthrift."

In response, she could only reassure the other party, saying, "This booklet isn't expensive, and besides, I also want to see what my future rivals look like."

If they can all successfully enter Ten Thousand Daos Born, she will naturally want to snatch the top spot, no matter who the other party is!

As she said this, she casually turned to the page that the man had previously mentioned belonged to "Jimo Zanxing". The book, made of smoky yellow, slowly opened to reveal a young woman wearing a gorgeous dress.

The other person had a slender figure and looked exceptionally noble, but unfortunately, the area where her face should have been was completely blank.

Sang Ying chuckled. It seems this Jimo Zanxing is quite cunning.

She closed the book and strode towards the inn. Perhaps the next time she went out would be the day she ventured into the Ten Thousand Daos Born Thousandfold Formation Paths!

A note from the author:

Sang Ying: My brothers are all abnormal (in a positive sense).

From the perspective of a Gu cultivator, this book should be titled "How Socially Anxious People Are Forced to Become Social Bulls?"

See you tomorrow, little sparrow flapping its wings~