Encountered

Luo Yuyan seemed to have a fondness for Bai Lan, or perhaps she simply preferred mature-looking women in general.

After all, such women often carried a strong maternal aura, at least in the innocent eyes of someone like her.

Bai Lan, however, did not harbor any particular feelings toward Luo Yuyan.

She quietly listened as Luo Yuyan spoke about the time before she joined the Luoshen Sect.

Most of the stories revolved around her mother.

She spoke of little else.

As for Bai Lan, there were certain things she found difficult to talk about.

She was worried that she might accidentally reveal too much.

After all, she had already slipped up earlier.

On the surface, she was supposed to suffer from amnesia.

Therefore, she should not have memories of her childhood.

The night passed peacefully.

Bai Lan remained calm the entire time.

She had no romantic thoughts toward Luo Yuyan whatsoever.

In her eyes, Luo Yuyan was not really a woman, but rather a child.

If it had been Xue Linglong beside her instead, her feelings might have been very different.

Early the next morning, Luo Yuyan woke up and immediately dragged Bai Lan toward the Immortal’s Abode.

As a Direct Disciple of the Immortal’s Abode, Bai Lan was entitled to receive a unique cultivation technique.

The Immortal’s Abode Sword Art.

Naturally, the version taught to Direct Disciples was incomplete.

It lacked the final move known as Nine Heavens Embracing Moon.

Only Bai Yiren possessed the complete version of the technique.

Even so, the Immortal’s Abode Sword Art remained one of the most powerful sword techniques in the Immortal’s Abode.

Ordinary disciples were not qualified to learn it.

If the sect’s secret techniques were available to everyone, the sect’s inheritance would inevitably spread beyond its control.

After receiving the Immortal’s Abode Sword Art, Luo Yuyan brought Bai Lan to the Luoshen Palace.

As a Direct Disciple, Bai Lan was required to pay her respects to the Sect Master.

However, when they arrived at the entrance of Luoshen Palace, Bai Lan unexpectedly encountered Xue Linglong.

The moment Bai Lan saw Xue Linglong wearing the lotus-colored Disciple Attire of Tianyin Pavilion, her eyes immediately lit up with delight.

In Bai Lan’s heart, no matter how Xue Linglong looked, she was the person Bai Lan cherished the most.

“Linglong!” Bai Lan called out immediately.

Xue Linglong had also noticed Bai Lan from afar.

She quickly lifted her somewhat cumbersome long skirt and ran over.

The woman beside her paused in surprise at her junior sister’s sudden excitement.

She had also noticed Bai Lan and Luo Yuyan.

When the two finally met, Xue Linglong immediately wrapped her arms around Bai Lan’s arm.

“Sister, we meet again so soon!”

“I thought I would have to visit the Immortal’s Abode to see you.”

“You look so beautiful today, just like an Ice Snow Fairy!” Xue Linglong said happily as she looked at Bai Lan’s cold and elegant appearance.

“If I am an Ice Snow Fairy, then you must be the snow lotus beside the fairy,” Bai Lan replied with a smile.

She always felt happy whenever she heard Xue Linglong’s praise.

“Eh? Is that so, Junior Sister Yuyan?”

“Did the Immortal’s Abode also accept a new Direct Disciple this time?” the woman standing beside Xue Linglong asked with some surprise.

This woman was Wang Qingqiong, the Senior Disciple of Tianyin Pavilion.

She wore a gentle smile and appeared extremely friendly.

“That’s right, Senior Sister Wang.”

“Did Tianyin Pavilion also accept a Direct Disciple?”

“Wow, another great beauty!”

“It seems she and my Junior Sister are very close.”

“I’m starting to feel jealous,” Luo Yuyan joked as she looked at the intimate interaction between Bai Lan and Xue Linglong.

“Oh?”

“Perhaps they formed a deep bond during their time in the outer sect.”

“Linglong, come greet Senior Sister Luo Yuyan of the Immortal’s Abode,” Wang Qingqiong said.

Hearing this, Xue Linglong quickly whispered something to Bai Lan.

Then the two of them walked over to greet Luo Yuyan and Wang Qingqiong.

“Linglong greets Senior Sister Luo.”

“My sister will be living in the Immortal’s Abode from now on, so please take good care of her,” Xue Linglong said politely.

Luo Yuyan paused slightly, looking surprised.

Bai Lan had been brought into the sect by their master.

Therefore, she clearly could not have a biological sister here.

It seemed likely that the two had become sworn sisters during their time in the outer sect.

“Of course, of course.”

“Are the two of you sworn sisters from the outer sect?”

“You seem very close,” Luo Yuyan asked curiously.

Bai Lan and Xue Linglong exchanged glances before nodding.

“Yes.”

“We met on the very first day after entering the sect.”

“Oh right, Sister.”

“This is Senior Sister Wang Qingqiong from Tianyin Pavilion,” Xue Linglong added.

Bai Lan glanced briefly at Wang Qingqiong and gave a small bow.

“Senior Sister Wang.”

Observing Bai Lan’s demeanor, Wang Qingqiong quickly sensed that Bai Lan was also someone with a cold temperament.

At the same time, she felt curious about Bai Lan’s appearance.

Since she did not know Bai Lan’s true background, she wondered whether Bai Lan might be a descendant of Bai Yiren.

After all, they shared the same surname.

“Hmm.”

“Junior Sister Bai, you resemble Second Martial Aunt very much.”

“Are you perhaps her descendant?” Wang Qingqiong asked curiously.

For a moment, Bai Lan did not know how to respond.

However, Luo Yuyan reacted quickly.

“Yes, she is my master’s blood relative from the mortal world,” Luo Yuyan answered immediately.

Luo Yuyan knew that Bai Lan was not good at lying.

If she answered herself, she might either remain silent or say something awkward.

So Luo Yuyan spoke for her and invented a convenient explanation.

“Oh, I see.”

“In that case, let us go together to greet Sect Master Martial Aunt,” Wang Qingqiong suggested.

Everyone nodded.

Just as the four of them were about to enter Luoshen Palace, two more groups approached from behind.

They were disciples from Canglan Hall and Tianxiang Garden.

“Oh?”

“Junior Sister Yuyan, Senior Sister Wang.”

“Did both of your factions also recruit new Direct Disciples this time?” a cheerful voice called out from behind them.

Hearing the voice, Bai Lan and the others stopped and turned around.

In the next moment, three pairs of eyes met.

The reason was simple.

Among the Direct Disciples from Canglan Hall stood someone Bai Lan and Xue Linglong both recognized.

It was none other than Chen Xuan, the Seventh Princess of the Chen Kingdom.

Chen Xuan’s expression was extremely complicated.

She had originally believed that after becoming a Direct Disciple, she would eventually find an opportunity to cause trouble for Bai Lan and Xue Linglong.

What she had never expected was that the two people she disliked would also become Direct Disciples.

Of course, Chen Xuan’s status as a Direct Disciple largely came from the fact that Chen Xiangning, the Hall Master of Canglan Hall, was her elder.

Bai Lan and Xue Linglong, on the other hand, had obtained their positions through their own talent and qualifications.

The situations were completely different.

As for the Direct Disciple from Tianxiang Garden, Bai Lan and Xue Linglong did not recognize her.

The outer sect had far too many disciples.

Bai Lan remembered very few of them and had probably forgotten most of the ones she had met.

“Interesting.”

“I never expected that four factions would all recruit Direct Disciples this time.”

“I wonder whether Sect Master Martial Aunt has also accepted any new disciples,” Liu Zonglian said with a smile.

She was the second disciple of Tianxiang Garden.

The woman standing beside Chen Xuan was Zhu Lingxiao, the Senior Disciple of Canglan Hall.

“Senior Sister Zhu, Senior Sister Liu.”

“So both of your factions also recruited Direct Disciples?”

“How surprising!” Luo Yuyan said with a hint of astonishment.

It was quite rare for four major factions to accept new Direct Disciples at the same time.

“Hehe.”

“Your Immortal’s Abode was the last one.”

“Eh?”

“This junior sister really looks very similar to Second Martial Aunt,” one of them remarked while looking at Bai Lan.

For anyone seeing Bai Lan for the first time, the resemblance was indeed astonishing.