Chapter 1936
Immortal Tribulation 4
Shen Shiyu was a concubine's daughter from the family of a high-ranking official. Her mother died in childbirth when she was young.
Two lives were lost, along with Shen Shiyu's unborn younger brother.
Without her mother's protection, Shen Shiyu grew up stumbling and struggling in the backyard of the Minister's mansion, developing a resilient character that was gentle on the outside but strong on the inside.
She was very beautiful, and the Minister intended to send Shen Shiyu into the palace to gain wealth and status.
The stepmother, however, was unwilling.
She didn't want Shen Shiyu to rise above her after she became successful.
Shen Shiyu's stepmother wanted to marry her to her nephew, who was a gambler and womanizer. How could Shen Shiyu agree to that?
Shen's father also disagreed; he still wanted Shen Shiyu to enter the palace.
The stepmother secretly plotted against Shen Shiyu, wanting to make Shen Shiyu lose her virginity to her nephew and have no choice but to marry him.
Shen Shiyu was drugged. In order to stay awake, she used her gold hairpin to prick her arm to keep herself conscious through pain.
Shen Shiyu then used a gold hairpin to stab her stepmother's nephew to death and escaped.
The stepmother sent servants to hunt her down, wanting to avenge Shen Shiyu and make her nephew pay with his life.
Unwilling to be captured and humiliated by her stepmother, Shen Shiyu jumped off a cliff.
Just then, Wen Ruoshu happened to pass by and saved Shen Shiyu.
Wen Ruoshu discovered that Shen Shiyu had the aptitude for cultivating immortality, although it wasn't very good.
He brought Shen Shiyu back to the sect and had him participate in the apprentice recruitment assessment.
Shen Shiyu did not disappoint him. Although she was a weak woman, she passed the first two tests with her intelligence and perseverance.
Wen Ruoshu believed that Shen Shiyu could pass the final test, given her temperament.
If Shen Shiyu performs well a year later, he can help her choose a good mentor.
Shen Shiyu was the second to pass through the illusion, which attracted the attention of other high-ranking officials.
However, after learning that Shen Shiyu was brought back by Wen Ruoshu, they withdrew their gaze from Shen Shiyu.
In everyone's mind, Shen Shiyu should be Wen Ruoshu's chosen apprentice.
Liu Dong and Liu Ya'er also noticed Shen Shiyu, but neither of them wanted to date her.
Liu Ya'er dislikes associating with people who appear weak but are actually very cunning.
She felt she wasn't very shrewd and didn't know when she would be tricked by this kind of person.
Therefore, it's best to keep it at a distance.
When Liu Tong took him on his travels, she once led him into the palace, where he witnessed many of the concubines' struggles.
Those ladies were very similar to Shen Shiyu; they all appeared gentle and weak but were ruthless in taking other people's lives.
Tens of thousands of people participated in the assessment, but only a little over sixty people ultimately passed the test on their values and beliefs.
They were taken to a mountain peak on the outermost edge of Taichang Mountain, where they would undergo two years of basic training.
The person in charge of teaching them is Luo Yunge, the sect leader's eldest disciple, who is currently at the sixth realm of cultivation.
He taught the most basic cultivation methods of Taichang Mountain. Liu Dong and Liu Ya'er were already at the fourth realm, so they didn't need to start from the basics. However, it was very useful for Shen Shiyu, who had no foundation.
Liu Ya'er wanted to protest, but Liu Dong stopped her.
Liu Tong: "Reviewing the old helps us understand the new. Moreover, the basic techniques of Taichang Mountain are different from our basic techniques in many ways. By studying these differences, we can improve our basic cultivation."
Liu Ya'er listened to Liu Qiu the most, and although she was unhappy, she obediently did as she was told.
Then she found it really useful. By reviewing what she had learned, her cultivation in the first three realms not only became extremely stable, but it also boosted her cultivation in the fourth realm, which she was already close to reaching the late stage of the fourth realm.
Wen Ruoshu secretly observed this year's freshmen.
There's nothing I can do; the sect leader is just too talkative.
He could only choose suitable apprentices from this year's freshmen to shut the sect leader up. Wen Ruoshu observed Liu Ya'er and Shen Shiyu the most—Liu Ya'er performed moderately, successfully blending into the crowd of students—and he was very satisfied with her performance. He thought he could take her as an apprentice now.
Wen Ruoshu cared more about Shen Shiyu.
Shen Shiyu came from the mortal realm, unlike others who were exposed to the knowledge of cultivation from a young age.
Lacking basic knowledge, she couldn't keep up with the others' cultivation progress and was ridiculed by them.
She endured it and continued to practice diligently while others rested, gradually catching up with everyone's learning progress.
This hard work and unwillingness to give up earned Wen Ruoshu's admiration and also her pity.
Wen Ruoshu didn't realize that he spent most of his time observing Shen Shiyu.
Why are you here?
Wen Ruoshu was surprised. Qin Huaiyi, like herself, disliked going out and always stayed in his mountain villa. He might not even leave for hundreds of years.
Why did you leave the villa for no reason and come looking for him?
Has something major happened that requires two immortals to handle it?
Qin Huaiyi: "It's nothing. I was just bored at home and thought I'd come over to relax. Didn't Taichang Mountain recruit new members? I wanted to come and take a look."
Wen Ruoshu was even more surprised; uh.
Would Qin Huaiyi be interested in something like this?
That can't be right!
Wen Ruoshu: "Are there any people you know inside?"
Qin Huaiyi did not deny it: "Yes."
Wen Ruoshu pressed for details about who it was, but Qin Huaiyi did not answer.
Wen Ruoshu recalled the sixty-odd people and tried to determine who Qin Huaiyi knew.
He thought that among these people were several from Qin Huaiyi's hometown, and Shen Shiyu was even from the dynasty from which Qin Huaiyi came from.
Could it be that Qin Huaiyi and Shen Shiyu have some kind of relationship? Did he come for Shen Shiyu?
Wen Ruoshu felt rather uncomfortable with this thought, but he didn't show it.
Qin Huaiyi then stayed at Wen Ruoshu's place, where he and Wen Ruoshu would secretly watch the new students study.
Wen Ruoshu felt even more uncomfortable, thinking that Qin Huaiyi was blocking Shen Shiyu.
Two years passed, and the newcomers took the final exam.
Fortunately, they all passed the test and were taken to the main hall to meet the high-ranking officials of Taichang Mountain.
Everyone was very excited. After today, they would be official disciples of Taichang Mountain.
Only the Liu siblings lead a quiet life; they will not stay in Taichang Mountain.
Two years is enough time for them to understand Taichang Mountain. Compared to their sect, it only has more people, more experts, and more magical treasures.
Their Qingxuan Sect will catch up with Taichang Mountain sooner or later.
Since Liu Tong gave his younger sister the cultivation technique, why wouldn't he give it to his own father?
He gave Liu's father two cultivation techniques, one of which was most suitable for Liu's father to cultivate.
Liu's father's strength has steadily improved, and he is now at the peak of the eighth realm. He will soon be able to advance to the ninth realm and become an immortal.
In this world, there are not many ninth-realm immortals, less than fifty.
If Liu's father truly becomes an immortal, the sect's ranking will also improve.
As for the other cultivation technique, Liu's father passed it on to a disciple who had made significant contributions to the sect.
In the future, there will be many experts in Qingxuan Sect, and perhaps one day they will be able to surpass Taichang Mountain.
The two had no attachment to Mount Taichang; after today, they would leave Mount Taichang and return to the Qingxuan Sect. (End of Chapter)