After Faking Her Death and Escaping, the Junior Sister Fell to the Demonic Path - Chapter 34

Following Feng Ning, Zhou Zhixue also stepped forward.

“Disciple Zhou Zhixue is willing to try.”

She, too, unclasped the sword from her waist and placed it on the table.

As she set it down, her eyes lingered on it with some reluctance.

Her Senior Sister had given it to her. She had long grown accustomed to wearing it for the past two years, and suddenly taking it off felt genuinely uncomfortable.

Zhou Zhixue stepped into the Sword Pavilion, crossing the threshold of that door.

The old wood carried a scent that wasn’t unpleasant. Zhou Zhixue wrinkled her nose, and before she could clearly see her surroundings, her body experienced a moment of weightlessness.

It was like falling into some unknown place. After a dizzying moment of disorientation, she regained her footing, opened her eyes, and saw the interior of the Sword Pavilion.

The Sword Pavilion…

Zhou Zhixue looked around.

Contrary to what she expected, the Sword Pavilion was bright and clean, with light streaming down from the very top, and not a speck of dust could be seen.

A winding staircase spiraled all the way up. She couldn’t help but look up towards the source of the light.

Were those… the swords in the Sword Pavilion?

—

Outside the Sword Pavilion.

Seeing that two people had already gone in, the remaining disciples finally couldn’t hold back. One by one, they handed over their swords and rushed into the Sword Pavilion.

It was only after all the disciples had entered that True Person Wen Qing finally spoke, “Senior Sister, did you plan this change to the inner sect assessment long ago?”

Shangguan Yu nodded.

Noticing the puzzled looks on the faces of the many elders, Shangguan Yu first placed a barrier around them, enclosing the group. Only then did she calmly explain, “The seal to the Nether Ghost Realm has broken.”

The moment these words were spoken, all the elders were utterly shaken.

For a moment, they were speechless.

“Is that truly the case?!” True Person Wen Qing pressed.

Her voice was tight, and her heart rate quickened slightly.

Shangguan Yu did not speak. She took out a Memory Stone from her sleeve, injected it with spiritual power, and played the recorded scene within.

Before the images even appeared, a terrifying scream could be heard from the Memory Stone, chilling one to the bone.

Accompanying the screams were some strange, incomprehensible gibberish that was deeply unsettling.

The instant Qin Qingyi heard the sound from the Memory Stone, her pupils constricted, and her fox fur almost appeared.

Just as she was about to lash out, unable to maintain her human form, True Person Wen Qing was quick enough to pull her forward and cover her with her long sleeve, preventing her from revealing her true form in front of the crowd.

“What is it?”

True Person Wen Qing held a large part of Qin Qingyi’s face hidden in her embrace. Certain that she wouldn’t reveal anything, she lowered her voice and asked.

Her eyes were filled with worry.

She had just seen the fox ears almost fail to retract. This was something that had never happened before.

Qin Qingyi was panting heavily, still shaken. She shook her head at True Person Wen Qing, signaling that she was fine, “Apologies, Master. I’m fine, I just heard a demon’s voice.”

True Person Wen Qing frowned, looking at the disciple clutching her sleeve tightly. Recalling things from the past, she could only sigh:

“It’s alright, it’s all in the past.”

Their conversation was very quiet, and fortunately, no one was paying attention to them at the moment.

Because the scene recorded in the Memory Stone was truly horrendous.

Ghost shadows were everywhere. The demon race that had broken the seal immediately began a massacre upon landing. The unprepared Nether Realm instantly fell into chaos. All who resisted were immediately slaughtered. From time to time, strange-looking demon spawn passed by the Memory Stone, their faces ferocious and still stained with blood.

The sounds of killing rose one after another, punctuated by shrill screams from the Memory Stone. The Bridge of Helplessness was broken, the Yellow Spring River was stained red, and more than half of the Nether Ghost Realm was reduced to ruins.

The elders all watched with furrowed brows, silently.

“Two days ago, the seal to the Gate of Hell loosened. In less than two hours, it completely shattered. What is recorded in this Memory Stone is the current situation in the Nether Ghost Realm.”

Shangguan Yu’s face was grim as she put away the Memory Stone.

This was news sent by the spy she had left in the Nether Ghost Realm. Unfortunately, the person only had time to send this Memory Stone before going silent.

The seal to the Nether Ghost Realm had broken.

This was not good news.

The few elders’ expressions immediately became serious.

“What about the few Yama Kings of the Nether Realm? Why hasn’t any message been sent out?” one elder couldn’t help but ask.

Shangguan Yu sat back down. She took a deep breath and sighed, “That is the problem. Only three of the ten Yama Kings of the Nether Ghost Realm remain, yet not a single one has sent out a message since the seal broke.”

“I suspect they have already met with misfortune.”

When she said this, the crowd immediately fell silent.

Currently, only three of the ten Yama Kings of the Nether Ghost Realm remained. If these three were also gone, then the entire Nether Ghost Realm…

“Won’t it become food on the demon race’s plate?!” Qin Qingyi stepped forward, anxious.

Shangguan Yu did not refute her. She nodded in agreement, “Precisely.”

However, because she didn’t refute it, the expressions of the surrounding elders subtly changed.

Qin Qingyi immediately realized her slip of the tongue. These were all elders. She, a mere disciple, was only allowed to hear this due to the leniency of the Sect Master. To speak further…

Before anyone could say anything else, True Person Wen Qing stepped forward, subtly shielding Qin Qingyi from view.

She pondered for a moment, then asked Shangguan Yu, “In this situation, Senior Sister, do you have any countermeasure?”

Shangguan Yu shook her head, “None.”

“Currently, we have absolutely no information from the Nether Ghost Realm. All the scouts I sent out have not returned. Without knowing the situation, I cannot make a judgment.”

That was indeed reasonable.

Another elder thought of something else, “Then what about the seals to the Human Realm and the Profound Heaven Realm?”

Shangguan Yu replied, “They have not broken yet, but there have been occasional leaks of demonic energy.”

At this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“But they are not far from breaking either.”

That single sentence once again raised everyone’s anxiety.

They immediately put on worried expressions and began discussing countermeasures.

“We must quickly come up with a solution.”

“If it really breaks…” one person worriedly said.

Immediately, another elder spoke up to interrupt, “Don’t think about that. Hasn’t it not broken yet?”

After much circling, they eventually sighed, still looking distressed.

True Person Wen Qing watched coldly, not intending to participate in the discussion.

These inner sect elders, who usually lived in seclusion and enjoyed the sect’s offerings, had been too comfortable for too long.

How long had it been?

True Person Wen Qing lowered her head and drank her tea.

A few hundred years, perhaps?

It was probably since the great war. These people had ascended to the rank of elder and had not touched their weapons since.

For several hundred years, their blades had not tasted blood. Now, they were probably dulled, and they might even hesitate and look regretful before killing a chicken.

When the discussion finally ceased, she spoke, asking Shangguan Yu, “Now that the Nether Ghost Realm has fallen, we are in a situation where if one part is affected, the others will follow. We should prepare.”

“So, Senior Sister, you placed the final inner sect trial here, not focusing on martial combat but on examining the heart, to temper the disciples’ characters and allow them to take up responsibility as soon as possible.”

Shangguan Yu nodded, setting down her teacup, “That is the intent.”

“All of us were not destined to participate in the last great war, but we have all personally witnessed rivers of blood and scorched earth for a thousand miles. Now, after several hundred years, the seal is visibly loosening. I fear the next great war is not far off.”

“We must make plans early.”

She then stopped speaking.

The other elders listened and also fell silent, no longer questioning.

Qin Qingyi didn’t know what cryptic messages they were exchanging. She wanted to ask, but seeing her Master shake her head, she knew she wouldn’t get an answer and could only temporarily suppress it in her heart.

However, she pondered that perhaps she should find time to return to the demon race.

Her grandmother in the demon race had lived for a thousand years. She ought to know something.

The last great war… she had heard mention of it before.

Her mother had told it to her as a bedtime story.

Just as she was calculating when she should return to the demon race, she was surprised to find that the large doors of the Sword Pavilion—

had opened.

It had only been a short period of two hours since all the disciples participating in the assessment had entered. Why did the door open so quickly?

Had something unexpected happened inside?

All the elders also noticed this unusual sight and looked towards the exit of the Sword Pavilion.

“A disciple is already finished?”

“That was very fast. It’s rare for someone to overcome their inner demons and come out this quickly.”

A few elders chuckled, all looking towards the exit of the Sword Pavilion.

Qin Qingyi also narrowed her eyes to look.

A figure in white slowly appeared at the entrance of the Sword Pavilion, looking dazed, clearly having just emerged from the heart demon illusion.

After a few moments, the person’s expression returned to normal, and they looked quite refreshed.

She took out the sword she carried, held it in front of her, and bowed to the elders, stating clearly:

“Disciple Feng Ning, I have not failed my mission!”

It was the first disciple who had entered the Sword Pavilion.

Her eyes were like stars. It seemed the heart demon illusion had not hindered her in the slightest. Her demeanor was more unconstrained and natural than when she entered, carrying a sense of openness. It was clear she had gained some fortuitous encounter in the Sword Pavilion.

An admiring gaze fell on Feng Ning from an elder, who praised, “A talent to be shaped.”

“The Transverse Star Sword! Truly excellent. To be able to take this sword shows an exceptionally good character!”

Compliments poured in. Feng Ning’s face was flushed, but she remained humble, “This disciple’s strength is meager. The elders are truly giving me too much credit.”

“No need to be modest.” Shangguan Yu looked at her with an appreciative gaze and extended an invitation.

“Since you dared to enter first and were the first to emerge, you certainly deserve to be called a ‘genius.’ Are you willing to join my Peak of the Sword Keeper and become my disciple?”

Feng Ning’s face turned bright red. She didn’t dare look up and stammered, unable to answer.

Seeing this, True Person Wen Qing looked at her and teased, “It’s not easy for the Sect Master to take a disciple. If you agree, you will be the Sect Master’s chief disciple. Have you still not made up your mind?”

Shangguan Yu shook her head and chuckled, still looking at Feng Ning. Her tone was gentle and apologetic, “I wasn’t sure if you had a preferred elder. It was too impatient of me to ask you so abruptly just now, I apologize.”

“Now that the inner sect elders are all present, you can choose the elder you like to become your Master.”

Hearing her say this, Feng Ning suddenly looked up, her face white. Her expression was panicked, completely devoid of the excitement of being the first to emerge. She looked at Shangguan Yu, urgently saying, “No, no, it’s not that this disciple is unwilling, it’s just…”

It was as if Feng Ning had some embarrassing matter she couldn’t speak of. She bit her lower lip, struggling for a long time. Finally, Qin Qingyi couldn’t bear to watch and advised, “If you have any difficulty, just say it. Don’t worry, the Sect Master is not an unreasonable person.”

As she spoke, she winked at Shangguan Yu:

“Right, Martial Aunt?”

Shangguan Yu smiled and agreed. Looking back at Feng Ning, she also advised, “Don’t worry. As the top performer of this round, you naturally deserve special treatment. Say whatever you need to. No one will make things difficult for you.”

After being encouraged a few times, Feng Ning seemed to finally make up her mind. She bowed to Shangguan Yu, “This disciple has a younger sister. She is also an outer sect disciple, but my sister is frail and has always relied on this disciple for care.”

“When the Sect Master wanted to take me as a disciple just now, it was not that I was unwilling, but if I truly enter the inner sect, my sister will have no one to care for her.”

Having said this, Feng Ning looked as if she had committed a grave error, her face full of shame. She didn’t dare look directly into Shangguan Yu’s eyes.

She continued, “If this disciple were to be greedy for the inner sect’s treatment, I would be leaving my sister in the outer sect, sickly and unable to manage. But if this disciple wants to continue caring for my sister, and wants to bring her into the inner sect, that would be an excessive request, so this disciple dared not—” hope.

“You can bring your sister into the inner sect.”

Huh?

The “hope” Feng Ning was about to say was cut off.

Did she hear wrong?

Did the Sect Master just say, “You can”?

Shangguan Yu hadn’t expected it to be such a simple issue. She looked at Feng Ning’s surprised face and said again, “You can bring her into the inner sect.”

“It’s just one more person to support. The Peak of the Sword Keeper has a large family estate. It’s not like we can’t afford it.”

She said it casually.

But Feng Ning’s eyes instantly sparkled. A smile bloomed on her face, and then she sincerely and urgently bowed down to Shangguan Yu:

“This disciple is willing! Please accept this disciple as your apprentice, Sect Master!”

Shangguan Yu nodded, then looked at the sword in Feng Ning’s hand and commented again, “The sword is good. Take good care of it. I believe it will have a great destiny in the future.”

Feng Ning loudly replied, “This disciple will respectfully follow Master’s order!”

She then happily stood back with the Transverse Star Sword in her arms.

The assessment was not over yet. Although she had come out, she had to wait until everyone else emerged.

Before long, other disciples began to emerge from the Sword Pavilion, either walking, crawling, or directly flying out and landing with a thud, immediately falling unconscious.

An elder skilled in medical arts went down to examine them, and soon returned, “Nothing serious. They were just badly beaten by their heart demons inside.”

Qin Qingyi couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

But a moment later, she couldn’t laugh anymore.

Because everyone was out.

Except for Zhou Zhixue, who had not emerged.