The Immortal Sect’s Grandeur and a Sister’s Urgent Plea

As the dust settled on the “stairs,” the steps leading to the sky gradually collapsed and disappeared along with the cracks spreading like spider webs.

As the steps disappeared, the barrier at the entrance of the sky island slowly closed like a giant beast closing its eyes.

It was only then that Lin Mo truly registered the immense height of their location.

Gazing down from hundreds of meters up, a faint tremor ran through his legs.

The continuous peaks, soaring majestically from the earth, now appeared as mere miniature landscapes, nestled in a sea of swirling clouds.

From this vantage point, it was as if a celestial being gazed down upon the mortal realm.

The grand and imposing Xuan Nv Sect lay almost entirely submerged within the mists, with only its main hall standing proudly, an isolated island amidst a vast sea of clouds.

The sight was undeniably breathtaking, yet it simultaneously sent a shiver of apprehension down his spine.

A direct fall from this height, Lin Mo mused, would likely result in an unfortunate transformation into a pile of Lego bricks.

It was time to head to the central plaza and ascertain their results.

No sooner had he turned, however, than he discovered a woman standing silently behind them, clad in a plain white gown adorned with flowing cloud patterns, holding a white jade token, and patiently awaiting his attention.

‘When had she arrived?’ The sudden realization made Lin Mo jump with a start!

Her features were delicate, yet her expression remained strikingly serene and devoid of any superfluous emotion.

In a soft voice, she merely stated, “Disciple Lin, please follow the guiding talisman.”

A faint blue spiritual light suddenly extended, forming a luminous path that wound its way through the dense bamboo grove ahead.

After walking for several tens of minutes, navigating countless divergent paths, the towering bamboo forest, which had seemed like an impenetrable curtain, abruptly receded to either side.

While a bustling crowd congregated around the central stone monument to check their results, Lin Mo’s gaze was first drawn to several main halls, each as majestic and towering as a mountain.

Constructed from flawless white jade and a mysterious ore that shimmered with a faint blue, cold light, these halls, under the sparse yet exceptionally clear sky, refracted a brilliance that was both chilling and sacred.

The towering halls pierced the clouds, their layered flying eaves and intricate dougongs (TL Note: A system of brackets used in traditional Chinese architecture to support the roof) resembling colossal ice birds poised for flight.

From their eaves hung immense bronze bells, intricately carved with frost runes, which, though silent, subtly emanated an oppressive aura, seemingly capable of quelling all within their reach.

‘Could these perhaps serve as the class bells?’

The colossal portals of the main hall, unfathomably deep, appeared as gateways to another realm, exhaling and inhaling a frigid spiritual energy that threatened to freeze the very soul.

Connecting these grand structures were long bridges of cold jade, spanning hundreds of meters, beneath which ethereal clouds drifted, lending an even more profound sense of otherworldly majesty to the scene.

Although Lin Mo yearned to compose a few grand verses to capture the magnificent vista before him, his inner monologue could only muster a single, rather crude, expression of awe: ‘A little cow getting sterilized — absolutely f***ing amazing.’

Scattered around the main hall complex were auxiliary buildings, smaller in scale but no less imposing in their grandeur.

The Transmission Pavilion stood tall with its numerous towers, sharp as jagged sword peaks piercing the azure sky.

Nearby, a colossal, transparent domed structure, seemingly sculpted from pure ice crystal, shimmered with iridescent light under the sun, its constantly shifting light barrier revealing it to be the core enchantment separating the inner sanctum from the outside world — likely a venue for important deliberations or profound discussions on cultivation.

As his gaze extended further, it encompassed an unbroken expanse of bluestone courtyards and austere white buildings.

While these structures lacked the dazzling splendor of the core region, they exuded an aura of solemnity and meticulous order.

Gracefully distributed across the slopes and level ground, they formed a sprawling, meticulously arranged complex of stone staircases and covered corridors, serving as the new disciples’ residences and foundational training grounds for the next three months.

A subtle distinction was apparent: the closer the courtyards were to the central core, the more refined and opulent they became, and the richer the spiritual energy emanating from them.

This clearly delineated the varying status levels of disciples—core direct disciples, ordinary disciples, and servant disciples—a hierarchy immediately visible in the architectural design.

Most striking of all was the colossal, translucent light barrier enveloping the entire Hall of Clarity, resembling an inverted bowl of shimmering glazed glass.

Its edges pulsed with flowing runes, cold and unyielding, completely sealing the floating island within and isolating it from the mortal realm.

Having finished his silent exclamations of “awesome,” “amazing,” and “holy crap,” Lin Mo dutifully followed the spiritual light’s guidance to the center of the plaza, where four stone steles stood erect.

From left to right, they were labeled “Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding” (A, B, C, D).

‘Could this be the fabled class assignment system?’

Lin Mo felt no urgency to approach, confident that his results, no matter how modest, wouldn’t be truly abysmal.

“Sister Wan’er!”

No sooner had he stepped from the bamboo grove onto the smooth bluestone paving of the plaza than a sweet voice called from behind him: “Sister Wan’er!”

Lin Mo turned at the sound, only to find Liu Ruyan, who had apparently been crouching in the shadows by the path, now standing.

Her small face etched with worry, she hurried forward to meet him.

“Sister Wan’er! Are you… are you alright? How… how is your injury?” she asked with urgent concern, her fingertips flashing as she swiftly produced a delicate white porcelain medicine bottle from her storage ring.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she pressed it into Lin Mo’s hand. “Quick! Take this immediately!”

Before Lin Mo could even respond, Liu Ruyan hastily produced a plain white silk scarf, then, rising onto her tiptoes, stretched her arm to earnestly wipe the alarming bloodstains from Lin Mo’s face.

A warmth spread through Lin Mo’s chest.

He subtly bent his knees, considerately lowering his height so that Liu Ruyan would not have to strain on her tiptoes.

“Rest assured,” Lin Mo murmured soothingly, his palm naturally settling on Liu Ruyan’s head, giving it a gentle ruffle.

“I’m truly fine, see!”

He then casually pulled up his blood-stained, slightly tattered sleeve, revealing the perfectly unblemished skin beneath the gruesome marks to Liu Ruyan.

The newly regenerated skin was flawlessly smooth, bearing not the slightest trace of the horrific wounds that had been there moments before.

“Sister Wan’er! Next time… next time, you absolutely must not be so reckless!” Liu Ruyan’s voice, though firm, carried a barely perceptible catch, laced with strong reproach.

Before the words fully left her lips, she suddenly threw her arms around Lin Mo’s neck, burying her small face into his shoulder, as if to release all the terror she had just endured.

“I… I was truly terrified…”

‘Where could one possibly find such a wonderful younger sister?’ Lin Mo felt a wave of profound emotion.

“Come on, Sister Wan’er.” Liu Ruyan released Lin Mo, then naturally took his hand, pulling him towards a different direction.

“We can check the rankings later; let’s go bathe first. I’ll help you wash off all this blood, and then give you a massage! I used to massage my mom quite often when I was at home!”

A bath… a B-BATH?!

Lin Mo’s heart abruptly skipped a beat.

While Liu Ruyan certainly presented as a gentle and adorable younger sister, her physique was decidedly not that of a mere ‘little girl.’

Beyond her charmingly petite demeanor, her upper body curves were far from delicate; they were more akin to impressive peaks rising from a verdant grassland!

‘Bathing together… the scene, the imagery… Lin Mo… dared not even begin to imagine!’

‘Heh heh… once clothes were shed, and they stood exposed to each other—’

‘Then Liu Ruyan’s scream would pierce the air! The hidden guards would instantly materialize! And with a swift draw of their blades, they would dispatch this pathetic Qi Condensation stage cultivator in a single blow!’

‘A scene of alluring intimacy? No, this was hardly a campus romance comedy!’

‘The script Lin Mo was holding, by all accounts, was more akin to ‘Lurking’ or ‘House of Flying Daggers’!’

‘Exposure meant losing his head!’

‘Was it truly worth trading his life for a glimpse of feminine charm? Absolutely not!’

“No, no, there’s no need!” Lin Mo hastily interjected.

“First, let’s check the rankings! This sister is quite concerned about her performance, after all the effort she put in!”

“No! Bath first!” Liu Ruyan’s tone was unexpectedly firm.

“Sister Yue said that Sister Wan’er must be exhausted from the climb, and a bath would certainly alleviate your fatigue! She also mentioned that the bathhouse water possesses miraculous properties: it can activate meridians, clear blood stasis, and even heal hidden injuries!”

“…Ruyan, if the bathwater is truly so potent, then why did you bother giving me a medicinal pill?”

“…” Liu Ruyan fell silent.

Then, without further ado, the young woman forcefully tugged Lin Mo, pulling him towards the side.

‘What in the world had gotten into her?’

‘Despite his efforts, Liu Ruyan’s strength still surpassed his!’

‘What was happening? Lin Mo had even channeled spiritual energy to resist, yet he remained utterly powerless!’

‘Even as he dug his heels firmly into the ground, he was dragged along like a plow tethered to an ox, carving a deep furrow into the muddy path.’

‘No! My dear younger sister, are you truly so eager for us to bathe together?! This sister will lose her life!’

‘What happened to the gentle and considerate Ruyan?’

‘How did she transform into ‘Ruyan the Great’ with such an unyielding demeanor this time?!’

‘Please, release me! I don’t want to bathe!’

Ultimately, fortune smiled upon Lin Mo.

Just as Lin Mo was about to be dragged away towards what felt like an abyss of fate, a furious shout abruptly broke the tension between the two.

“I refuse to believe it! How could I possibly be ‘Yi’ (Rank B)?!”

It was Ji Xue, the very individual who had argued with Lin Mo at the disciple acceptance ceremony that day, now roaring in indignation.

In an instant, the previously bustling plaza fell into a noticeable hush.

The moment Lin Mo caught sight of the commotion, he seized the opportunity of Liu Ruyan’s momentary stun, swiftly pulled his hand free, and darted towards the scene.

“Quick, Ruyan, let’s go see what’s happening!”

Witnessing her “sister” slip away, Liu Ruyan puffed out her cheeks, a clear expression of helplessness on her face.

Qiu Yue had once secretly shared an ancient sect teaching, revealing that deep within the Hall of Clarity lay a hidden spiritual spring pavilion, meticulously crafted from ten-thousand-year cold jade.

It was said that if two people with compatible minds could avoid all prying eyes and bathe together in the cold jade spring eye—the very core of this enchantment—they could cleanse both body and spirit with the purest Yin-attributed spiritual spring, further illuminated by profound cultivation methods aligning their essences…

Upon emerging from the bath, they would activate an ancient spiritual covenant dormant within the spring’s depths.

From that moment, their souls would be intertwined, their hearts would beat as one, forging an eternal Daoist bond.

Even through the boundless trials of the immortal path and countless kalpas, no rift would ever form, and their hearts would never waver.

This covenant, enduring for a thousand years, was the ultimate testament to profound friendship.

She, Liu Ruyan, yearned to be ‘Sister Wan’er’s’ friend for an eternity.

Alas, the opportunity had been inadvertently squandered!

Liu Ruyan felt a pang of annoyance, but could only follow Lin Mo to investigate the commotion, for she had already noticed two other individuals heading towards the bathhouse.