The Mystery of Shen Yunshu's Background

Another incense stick's time passed, and Yu Zhao saw that someone else had passed the test. It turned out to be Shen Yunshu. After seeing Yu Zhao, Shen Yunshu jogged towards her with light steps.

Her small hand naturally took Yu Zhao's arm, and she smiled sweetly, "As expected of you, Senior Sister, you were the first to pass through the Heavenly Ladder."

As she spoke, the girl looked around with curiosity. When she saw the group of people sitting on the pavilion in front of her, her gaze fell on the white-haired old man, and Shen Yunshu was startled.

Her body instinctively wanted to back away, but Yu Zhao reacted quickly, grabbing Shen Yunshu's hand and whispering:

"Junior sister, what's wrong? Did climbing the Heavenly Ladder wear you down? Quickly sit down and meditate to regulate your breathing."

Shen Yunshu immediately understood the meaning behind the words. Her senior sister also noticed that the person looked a lot like their master, which was a reminder not to panic.

So Shen Yunshu sat down directly on the ground, seemingly meditating with her eyes closed, but in reality, she was calming her inner unease.

She was 70% certain that the person was her master, Elder Qingfeng. Although the appearance was different, the aura and every move were too similar.

The fact that her master would actually appear at Luoyue Sect, and seemingly as one of its high-ranking members, left Shen Yunshu feeling completely bewildered.

She couldn't help but worry. The Falling Moon Sect was already unpredictable, and now with this old man added to the mix, Shen Yunshu felt as if she and her senior sister were always caught in a web.

This made her wonder if her second senior brother's madness and her senior sister's escape with her and Senior Sister Liu were all part of that old man's scheme.

So what exactly is Old Deng trying to do?

Like Yu Zhao, Shen Yunshu wanted her beloved master to die. Yu Zhao was afraid that the old man would refine her into a pill, while Shen Yunshu was worried that the old man would lose patience one day and force her to cultivate with him.

No, I have to kill him!

Shen Yunshu felt a surge of killing intent and began to plan how to kill the person. Since the other party was an elder of the Luoyue Sect, it would be inappropriate to attack directly.

Killing someone's elder on their own turf is pure suicide.

Besides, she and her senior sister might not be able to kill that old Deng. She wanted to resolve the trouble, not for her and her senior sister to be buried with the old Deng.

Therefore, the matter of killing the master still needs to be carefully planned.

While Shen Yunshu and Yu Zhao were meditating cross-legged, Liu Mei also walked across the Heavenly Ladder. Seeing her senior sister and junior sister adjusting their breathing, she followed them and sat down as well.

Thus, the three women swept the top three spots in this assessment.

They had all undergone the baptism of the Blood Pool at Qingfeng Temple, so the illusions on the Heavenly Ladder were easy for them.

It's normal for them to take the top three spots.

However, this surprised the higher-ups of the Falling Moon Sect. A burly, strong-looking deacon couldn't help but exclaim in admiration:

"I never expected that such a remote frontier place as Zhenbei City would produce three exceptionally talented young women. Their abilities would be among the best even in the imperial city."

His unwavering Dao heart and physical body far surpassed those of ordinary Qi Refining cultivators, which greatly surprised the burly deacon.

Three fledgling phoenixes have actually flown out of this wretched little place; it seems their Falling Moon Sect is about to rise to prominence.

He judged that these three women would be able to form their cores within a hundred years, and break through to become infants within three hundred years... As for becoming deities, he didn't even dare to think about it.

The steward's words drew nods from everyone, and their eyes were filled with fervor as they looked at Yu Zhao and the other two.

Yu Zhao has been chosen by the sect leader, but the other two are still unclaimed. If they can take one of them in, they can conservatively estimate that they will have a Nascent Soul cultivator as their disciple in the future.

With this bond between master and disciple, the disciple will guide the master from now on.

In this life, most of them have no hope of reaching the Nascent Soul stage, but if a powerful Nascent Soul cultivator is willing to guide them, they can be reborn to cultivate again. This involves their future path to immortality, so who can remain calm?

However, the deacons soon became depressed again. They realized that the five elders must also be interested in taking on disciples. What could they possibly use to compete with the five elders?

Indeed, the Falling Moon Sect has five elders. Besides the white-haired old man and the beautiful woman, there are three other elders who are also looking longingly at Yu Zhao and her two companions below.

These five are all Golden Core cultivators!

Time passed slowly, and new disciples passed through the Heavenly Ladder one after another. Everyone obediently found a place to stand or sit down to meditate and practice breathing exercises, and no one dared to make a sound.

About two hours later, the beautiful woman stood up from her seat, her red lips parted slightly, and her voice rang in everyone's ears.

"The assessment is over. Disciples who have not yet passed may enter the outer sect. The Heavenly Ladder is now closed."

As soon as she finished speaking, the disciples who were still climbing the Heavenly Ladder and had not yet passed through felt their bodies being thrown away by a force.

After getting back to solid ground, I found myself standing at the same crossroads of the Heavenly Ladder I had been on before, but the Heavenly Ladder was no longer there.

If he failed to pass within two hours, the beautiful woman considered him a good-for-nothing. Although not absolute, the sect's resources were limited, and they wouldn't gamble on something uncertain.

It would be better to concentrate resources on cultivating exceptionally talented disciples.

As an elder, she was well aware of the extraordinary nature of her sect's Heavenly Ladder. If the Heavenly Ladder determined someone to be useless, then that person was not worth cultivating.

For thousands of years, the ladder to heaven has never malfunctioned.

After dismissing the disciples who failed, the beautiful woman looked at the thirty-odd people standing below the stage and spoke again:

"I am the Grand Elder of the Falling Moon Sect, with the title Qingxuan. From this moment on, you are the inner disciples of the Falling Moon Sect. Without further ado, let the elders and deacons begin the selection of disciples."

"Don't be disappointed if you weren't selected. You will all be able to train together in the sect's academy."

The elders of Luoyue Sect are ranked according to their cultivation level. Qingxuan is powerful, so she is the eldest elder. However, she is the youngest among the elders and joined the sect the latest. Therefore, all the elders are her senior brothers and sisters.

That's why Qingxuan was very polite to them. After she finished speaking, she cupped her hands to the other elders, who stood up to return the greeting. Then, one of the elders stepped forward and came to Yu Zhao and the other two women.

It was that white-haired old man.

Upon seeing him suddenly appear, Shen Yunshu instinctively rushed into Yu Zhao's arms. The white-haired old man didn't pay much attention to her, simply assuming that the little girl was shy.

His gaze fell directly on Liu Mei. "Girl, I am the Second Elder of the Falling Moon Sect, my name is Qingyunzi. Would you like to become my disciple?"

"Disciple greets Master!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Liu Mei immediately knelt down and kowtowed in respect.

"good!"

Qingyunzi laughed heartily, and with a flick of his sleeve, he swept up Liu Mei and the other three people and disappeared from the spot.

After he left, Shen Yunshu dared to raise her head, her big eyes darting around. She was now somewhat uncertain whether this Qingyunzi was her perverted master, the Old Man Qingfeng.

Their Daoist names all contain the character "Qing," and even if they don't, Qingfeng Laodeng must have some connection with Luoyue Sect.

Shen Yunshu looked up at Yu Zhao and saw that her senior sister's eyes were indifferent and her expression was calm. She couldn't help but mutter to herself:

"As expected of my senior sister, she's as steady as a rock. When will I ever be as composed as her?"

What Shen Yunshu didn't know was that Yu Zhao was only outwardly calm, but inwardly he was in turmoil.

Hastily!

It's confirmed. This is a den of demons. Qingfeng Laodeng must have come from here. There are problems with the auras of Qingyunzi and Qingxuan.

They all practiced the Blood Fiend Technique!

If Qingfeng Laodeng only betrayed his sect and became a demonic cultivator, then there's no way the Blood Fiend Technique could exist in the Falling Moon Sect. This can only mean that the Blood Fiend Technique originated from here.

How could a sect with so many people practicing demonic arts, including high-ranking elders, not be a den of demons?

A known:

The leader of the Falling Moon Sect, True Person Falling Moon, is suspected to be the master of the demonic art "She Transforms into Myriad Freedoms" and is attempting to turn his female disciples into targets for future possession.

Question: In a sect where the sect leader, the first elder, and the second elder are all highly problematic, how can one survive in such a sect?

Yu Zhao was extremely upset at this moment, watching everyone around her eagerly waiting to be chosen by the elders and deacons, their eyes filled with anticipation for their future path to immortality.

Yu Zhao felt a strange sense of being the only one sober in a world of drunks, and couldn't help but feel a little sentimental. He wondered how many of his disciples would survive in the end.

Is this the world of cultivation? Seriously, if you have a horse, come on over! It's too dangerous.

While Yu Zhao was internally ranting, the Grand Elder approached them, looking at Shen Yunshu with gentle eyes, and asked her:

"Young lady, would you be willing to become my disciple?"

"this……"

Shen Yunshu couldn't help but look at Yu Zhao. The First Elder, Qingxuan, noticed that Shen Yunshu was very attached to Yu Zhao, and that's why he struck up a conversation with Yu Zhao.

"The sect leader has already accepted you as a disciple, but he is too busy to teach you, a mere Qi Refining Realm cultivator. Before you reach Foundation Establishment, you can follow me in your cultivation, and I will teach you."

"Then we'll have to trouble the Elder."

Yu Zhao knew he had no choice. Actually, following this elder was a good option. Between two evils, he chose the lesser. Compared to the extremely wicked and mysterious Luo Yue Zhenren, Yu Zhao felt it would be easier to survive by following this elder.

Seeing that her senior sister had agreed, Shen Yunshu understood the current situation. She was forced to submit, so she immediately knelt down to kowtow and formally become her disciple, but the Grand Elder stopped her.

"I don't care about such things. I am a sword cultivator, and sword cultivators would rather break than bend. Remember this, disciple: your knees should not bend easily."

"Your disciple will remember your teachings."

Shen Yunshu changed her kowtow to a fist salute. Seeing the little girl with a straight face, trying her best to look serious, the elder liked her more and more and couldn't help but raise his hand to pat Shen Yunshu's little head.

Then, with a flick of his sleeve, just like the Second Elder, he swept the person up and disappeared from the spot.

She only took Shen Yunshu and Yu Zhao with her.

In the blink of an eye, the three of them appeared in front of several thatched huts. Yu Zhao and Shen Yunshu were both surprised that the dignified Grand Elder of Luoyue Sect lived in such a place.

Noticing their surprise, the Grand Elder continued his lie without batting an eye:

"As a teacher, I am frugal; a roof over my head is enough to keep me dry. We cultivators should not be greedy for pleasure."

She spoke with righteous indignation, but in reality, she was poor—a notion of poverty among sword cultivators. All her money was spent on rare and precious materials for forging protective swords.

Naturally, there was no spare money to decorate the house.

But Shen Yunshu didn't know that this girl naively believed that her new master was unconventional, frugal, and a dedicated ascetic cultivator focused solely on immortality.

Fortunately, she wasn't one to crave luxury, so she immediately declared, "I will remember Master's teachings and dedicate myself to cultivation from now on, undisturbed by external things."

"Good disciple"

The First Elder couldn't resist pinching Shen Yunshu's cheek gently and briefly explained the situation of her lineage to her.

"You are my fourth disciple. You also have two senior sisters and one senior brother, but they are not on the mountain now. They have gone out to travel. When they return, I will introduce you to them."

As for this cave dwelling, you and Zhao'er can choose whichever you prefer, except for the three rooms on the east side and the one on the west side. That's all for today, you can rest now. I will come to teach you cultivation tomorrow."

After saying this, the Grand Elder did not linger there and disappeared from the spot.

She went to the Second Elder's place, intending to show off to her senior brother.

Upon arriving at Qingyunzi's place, Qingxuan saw his senior brother brewing tea. His disciples had obviously been settled by him. Qingxuan, ever the friendly type, went over and sat down to ask for some tea.

"So you finally took that girl Shen in as a concubine?" Qingyunzi asked with a hint of helplessness as she poured him tea.

"That's right, I simply can't bear to see such a gem go to waste."

Seeing that the matter was already settled, Qingyunzi stopped trying to persuade him, but as his senior brother, he couldn't help but say a few more words:

"I just received news that the girl surnamed Shen is indeed a member of the Shen family, the eldest daughter of the third branch of the Shen family."

"The eldest daughter of the third wife? How did she end up living away from home?"

Hearing his senior brother's words, Qingxuan was very surprised. The third branch of the Shen family was no ordinary family. The patriarch of the third branch was a Golden Core cultivator who had lived for over a thousand years.

It should be known that under normal circumstances, a cultivator's lifespan has an end. Foundation Establishment cultivators live for 500 years, while Golden Core cultivators live for 1,300 years. This old monster, however, has lived for 1,400 years.

Who knows what kind of extraordinary opportunity this old monster had to live beyond the lifespan limit of the Golden Core stage?

But one thing is certain: this old monster has an astonishing number of trump cards. How could such a person allow his bloodline to be scattered outside?

And these are descendants with such exceptional talent.

"That's the problem. Shen Yunshu's background is very problematic. She was lost when she was young and was later found by the Shen family. But it is said that her parents did not like this child and preferred the adopted daughter they raised."

One day, for reasons unknown, Shen Yunshu and her adopted daughter had a falling out, and the third branch of the Shen family actually expelled their legitimate daughter. Isn't that interesting?

Upon hearing this, Qingxuan was stunned, and it took him a long time to come to his senses. "Didn't the third branch of the family do anything about it?"

"No, he just watched quietly."

Qingxuan was at a loss for words. His biological daughter and adopted daughter had a conflict, and he kicked his biological daughter out. What kind of behavior was this?

How could the prestigious Shen family lose their own legitimate daughter? Do they think everyone else is stupid?

She quickly realized that there was something wrong with this. At their level of status and cultivation, it was no longer possible to act solely based on personal preferences.

How could one possibly drive a descendant with the bloodline of the Azure Dragon and exceptional talent out of the house simply because one dislikes him?

If the Shen family acted like this, the family would have perished long ago. The third branch of the Shen family can't all be fools, and the old man of the third branch can't be senile. This is too abnormal. "Senior brother, what do you think of this?"

Qingyunzi didn't answer immediately. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then spoke softly, his voice tinged with amusement.

"There are two possibilities. One is that there is a problem within the Shen family, and the third branch is using this method to try to shift other people's attention from Shen Yunshu to that adopted daughter."

In other words, the adopted daughter was the target, since no one would care about a girl who had been kicked out of her home.

The second possibility is... the third branch of the Shen family is using this method to raise a treacherous spirit, wanting to see which child, raised under the family's protection or struggling to survive outside, will ultimately succeed. They are using extreme methods to try and force out an unparalleled powerhouse!

Upon hearing this, Qingxuan fell silent. Regardless of the possibility, it didn't seem like a bad thing for Luoyue Sect.