A life of leisure is worse than a life of flowers and splendour

After a long journey, they returned to Xiaoyao Peak. The sun was shining brightly, casting a golden hue on the peak. The two brothers, smiling enthusiastically, led Du Shuangshuang to choose a courtyard.

Along the way, the brothers introduced the characteristics and locations of each courtyard to Du Shuangshuang in detail. Du Shuangshuang listened with great joy, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Finally, they arrived in front of a quiet and elegant courtyard. One of the brothers smiled and said to Du Shuangshuang, "This is one of the many courtyards in Xiaoyao Peak. What do you think, Junior Sister?"

Du Shuangshuang carefully surveyed the courtyard. It was filled with lush greenery, vibrant flowers, and a small, delicate rockery. It looked quite pleasant. She nodded with satisfaction and said, "This is a great place! But I'd like to see more."

So they continued walking, looking at several more courtyards. Some were near streams, where they could hear the sound of gurgling water; others were surrounded by green bamboo, which rustled in the breeze.

When they walked to another courtyard, Du Shuangshuang's eyes lit up. This courtyard was more spacious and grand than the previous ones he had seen, and it had a reasonable layout and beautiful environment.

At this time, the eldest senior brother spoke up, "Junior sister, Master has said that, apart from the main hall, all the other courtyards in Xiaoyao Peak are open to you for your choice. It doesn't matter if there are other people living there or not. As long as you like it, it will belong to you. Not only that, you can also pick a courtyard for your family as well."

Du Shuangshuang smiled gratefully, thinking to herself that she must choose carefully and not let down the kindness of her master and senior brothers.

"If we were to ask which courtyard in Xiaoyao Peak is the best, it would definitely belong to the eldest brother!" Second brother Qingfeng said.

"Little Junior Sister, you really should go see Senior Brother's courtyard! The scenery there is truly breathtaking! As soon as you enter the courtyard, the first thing that catches your eye is the well-arranged array of pavilions and towers, some high, some low, standing there as if they had stepped out of a painting. With their carved beams and painted buildings, their flying eaves and brackets, every detail exudes refinement and splendor.

Walking further inside, you'll find a crystal-clear pool where a group of colorful koi fish happily swim. Sometimes they gather together for playful fun, sometimes they disperse to swim leisurely. The sunlight shines on the water, making the koi scales sparkle, as if inlaid with countless gems.

Moreover, there are so many valuable things in this yard that they can’t be counted! Those few rare spiritual plants alone are priceless. All kinds of natural treasures can be seen everywhere as decorations, and all kinds of magic weapons have been made into decorations. It’s really a waste of natural resources. Any one of them is a treasure that can make people stunned! In short, this yard of the eldest brother is simply a paradise on earth, it’s so beautiful! "The second brother was very excited and talked endlessly about the eldest brother's yard to the younger sister, for fear of missing out on any wonderful things.

Du Shuangshuang was a little amused and helpless, as if she could really take over their yard.

"Hehe..." The eldest brother chuckled softly, but the sound seemed to carry a hint of chill, making the air around them seem to freeze. He looked at the cute and lovely little sister in front of him, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, revealing a seemingly gentle smile: "As long as the little sister likes it, it's just a courtyard. I, the eldest brother, will give it to you."

Yet, at that moment, Du Shuangshuang's heart suddenly tightened, an indescribable sense of danger welling up within her. Although the senior brother still wore a smile, she could clearly sense a subtle coldness and cunning beneath his seemingly benign expression. It was like a turbulent undercurrent hidden beneath the surface of a calm lake, a chilling feeling.

Du Shuangshuang couldn't help but secretly clench her handkerchief, trying to remain calm and respond, "Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother. However, this courtyard is too valuable, and I truly feel unworthy of it." But she couldn't take her eyes off Senior Brother's half-smile, afraid to miss any subtle change that might indicate danger. What a joke! She wouldn't dare to fight for the courtyard right after entering the house. Besides, Senior Brother didn't look like someone she could easily mess with.

The second brother felt quite helpless. It was such a good opportunity. That yard was worth a lot of money, but it was a pity that he didn't have the chance.

The spiritual energy within Xiaoyao Peak is much richer than elsewhere, and it becomes even richer at the top. The main hall is located at a spiritual eye point on the mountaintop's spiritual vein, with other small courtyards scattered to the left, right, and back of the main hall. Xiaoyao Peak has few disciples, except for two direct disciples and a few disciples who take care of internal affairs.

This journey wasn't just about guarding the courtyard; he'd also gotten to know all the disciples within the peak! It turned out there were seven inner disciples within this peak. Among them was Manager Lu, who oversaw all matters within the peak, both large and small, as well as Xiaoyao Peak's various properties. He was in the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment stage, the highest level of cultivation among the disciples, meticulously managing the peak's internal affairs. The others were busy with their own tasks throughout the peak, some guarding the gates at the foot of the mountain, some in the main hall, and some tending to the spiritual fruit trees and spiritual fields within the peak... Each of them performed their duties, working together to keep the peak running smoothly.

Du Shuangshuang chose a yard near a stream for herself. She also wanted to build a small lake in the yard to raise fish. She also had some spiritual fish and five-element spiritual fish in her space, which she could raise. It was just right to bring the stream water into the yard.

The two courtyards closest to the main hall belonged to the eldest and second senior brothers, and they also had the highest concentration of spiritual energy on Xiaoyao Peak. There were five other courtyards next to the senior brothers', and the spiritual energy in the courtyard she had chosen was slightly inferior to those. However, Du Shuangshuang was very satisfied with its location. The small courtyard was located on the southeast side of the mountain, slightly higher than the mountainside, with excellent lighting. It was close to the side peak of Xiaoyao Peak. The courtyard Du Shuangshuang had chosen for the Du family was on this side peak, very close to her own location. The environment was elegant and unobtrusive, and Du Shuangshuang was very satisfied with this courtyard.

After selecting a courtyard, the two senior brothers brought the two to the sect's internal affairs office to reissue their ID cards. The new ID card Du Shuangshuang received was that of a direct disciple of Dao Sect Xiaoyao Peak. With her status confirmed and her original points still in place, Du Shuangshuang finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although there were no dangers in Kunlun Sect before, there were still potential dangers, mainly due to her instability. Now with the status of a direct disciple and the support of her master, she can rest assured. This is probably the confidence that identity brings her.

Uncle Du had missed the disciple-taking ceremony, but he had already reached the Golden Core stage, so he could no longer remain an outer disciple and was automatically promoted to an ordinary inner disciple. In Dao Sect, all outer disciples were automatically promoted to inner disciples once they had established their foundation. Given his talent, he thought someone would be willing to accept him as a disciple, but he didn't know what Uncle Du was thinking.

Of course, because the two did not participate in the sect's entry trial, they were still taken to the trial road.

The Road of Trial is a long staircase with no end in sight, very similar to the Kunlun Sect's mountain climbing path.

Recalling their previous experiences in the Kunlun Sect, Du Shuangshuang and Uncle Du Ershu hadn't felt the slightest bit of pressure. However, as they took their first steps up the mountain, a completely different feeling suddenly overwhelmed them. It was as if an invisible giant hand was exerting a constant, invisible pressure, weighing heavily on their bodies. As they continued to ascend, this pressure grew stronger, like surging waves, crashing over them one after another.

At first, they were able to maintain their composure, walk lightly, and handle the climb with ease. But gradually, they needed to exert more and more effort to climb each step. The originally easy climb became difficult, and each step required a huge effort.

Once they reached the halfway point, the situation took a turn for the worse. Now, every few steps up, they had to stop, gasp for breath, and rest. And as they climbed higher, the rest periods grew longer and more frequent. Their clothes were soaked with sweat, and their legs felt like lead, making it difficult to move. But they gritted their teeth and pressed forward, determined to reach the summit.

It took Du Shuangshuang two hours to reach the summit. Although the pressure on the way was greater, similar to the gradually increasing gravity of a formation, it wasn't difficult for Du Shuangshuang or anyone else in the Du family who had practiced. Their bodies had been greatly strengthened and transformed by consuming desert cactus and monster meat, and absorbing so much energy in the underground caves. Their body-building techniques had also progressed rapidly. While others were still lingering at the entry level or first level, Du Shuangshuang and her group were at the lowest level of the second level. Du Shuangshuang had already reached the third level, in sync with her own cultivation.

Uncle Du's strength was certainly not to be underestimated, but he had also been repeatedly ensnared by his inner demons, which, like heavy shackles, constrained his progress. Du Shuangshuang, on the other hand, seemed unaffected, reaching the summit unimpeded. What had allowed her to achieve such success was truly puzzling. How could anyone be completely unaffected by illusions? Everyone has desires and a dark side.

Although Du Shuangshuang's speed slowed noticeably in the latter stages of the climb, compared to the others, her speed was still unprecedentedly swift. Some might believe this was closely related to one's cultivation. However, this was not the case. This trial path was shrouded in mystery, possessing its own unique rules.

Whenever someone sets foot on this path, it automatically adjusts to the climber's level of cultivation. The higher the level of cultivation, the greater the pressure. Therefore, even if Second Uncle Du had a profound cultivation, he wouldn't be able to reach the summit as easily as Du Shuangshuang, hindered by both his inner demons and the immense pressure.

Before coming, the manager advised, "Why don't you wait until after Master Yanfeng's pairing ceremony? If you take the road of trials, you will definitely miss it." But what no one expected was that Du Shuangshuang only took five hours.

The fastest person to reach the summit had taken nearly ten hours. How could anyone reach the summit so quickly? Even Uncle Du had only taken ten hours. The speed of the two men was beyond everyone's expectations, shocking the two senior brothers and the inner sect manager guarding the mountaintop.