Mysterious mirror hanging high

Jing Yu and Guo Tingshu exchanged glances, and recalling Zhu Hongluan's deliberate hunting of the "Mind Reader," they vaguely guessed the reason behind the events:

"Could it be that Senior Zhu is because of..."

"Indeed, it is the Mind Reader."

Yan Que sighed, "Senior Sister Zhu had already reached the Great Ascension Perfection a hundred years ago, and her cultivation could not advance any further. She transcended the mortal realm and became an immortal at the Ascension Platform in the hall... With her talent and foundation, advancing to the Heavenly Immortal realm was a sure thing."

"Unfortunately... at the crucial moment of advancing to the Celestial Immortal realm, he was ambushed by another true disciple in the hall, causing him to fail at the last minute. Although he did not perish, his path to immortality was cut off, leaving him no choice but to become a [Loose Immortal].

Upon hearing this, Jing Yu asked in confusion, "Senior Sister Yan Que, please forgive my bluntness, but the matter of ascending to immortality is related to one's path. Senior Zhu is the foremost disciple under the immortals of your esteemed hall, so I imagine the elders in the hall must be taking it very seriously."

"Such a person would surely be heavily guarded during a breakthrough, so why was he ambushed by other disciples?"

Yan Que shook her head: "Generally speaking, other disciples naturally cannot get close to her. Let alone those who are not familiar with Senior Sister Zhu, even a close friend like myself, it is impossible for me to witness the ascension to immortality up close."

"But that person... happens to be Senior Sister Zhu's own sister."

"The two have relied on each other since childhood, and their feelings even surpass those of ordinary Daoist couples... It is precisely because of this that Senior Sister Zhu allowed that person to observe up close."

"After all, that person was also at the Mahayana realm. To be able to witness a peerless genius of the Fire Virtue path attain immortality is an incredible opportunity, which will greatly benefit one's own future ascension to immortality."

"Who knew... [Zhu Zihuang] had already been corrupted by inner demons and had silently become a [Mind Reader]."

Yan Que gritted her teeth as she spoke: "That damned Zhu Zihuang, that heartless bastard... Senior Sister Zhu has always taken meticulous care of her. Whenever the palace distributes any treasures, spiritual resources, cultivation techniques, or secret arts, Senior Sister always puts her first."

"I never imagined I'd end up raising such an ungrateful wretched child."

Guo Tingshu corrected her at this moment: "Senior Sister Yanque, you just said that Zhu Zihuang was corrupted by her inner demons and became a mind reader. Perhaps she has already gradually lost her original consciousness. This time, she may not have intended to kill him."

"Hmph!" Yan Que snorted coldly: "The master in the hall said long ago that the mastermind behind the storm is already weak and frail. As long as one's Dao heart is firm, it is difficult to be invaded by inner demons."

"Moreover, mind readers are not completely controlled by others from the beginning. If they were not gradually led astray by their inner demons, they would not have fallen into the abyss step by step."

"That bitch was able to commit such a heinous crime, which means that she couldn't resist the temptation of her inner demons from the very beginning... It means that she had already secretly planted the seeds of jealousy in her heart."

Guo Tingshu shook his head: "Judging by actions, not intentions, jealousy is ultimately just a thought. As long as it has not been put into practice, it cannot be used to convict someone."

Seeing that Yan Que was about to lash out, Jing Yu, fearing that Guo Tingshu would anger this disciple of the Fire Virtue Hall again, quickly changed the subject and asked:

"So, what happened to Zhu Zihuang in the end?"

"The Five Elements Immortal Court has five virtues under it, and it has always regarded itself as the righteous path. It is not like the Yin-Yang Demon Court, which is a dog-eat-dog world where people do whatever they want... Harming fellow disciples is a serious crime, and according to the law, it should be punished with the death penalty."

Yan Que said bitterly, "It's a pity... [Zhu Zihuang] is also a true disciple of the hall. In addition, it was for a reason that she was corrupted by the inner demon. If [Mind Reader] had not been deeply affected by the spell, she might have been able to turn it around and regain her clarity... In the end, that bitch was protected by her master."

Fortunately, he was spared the death penalty, but he could not escape punishment.

“Now that the lowly woman is imprisoned in the palace prison, suffering the torment of being burned at the stake every day, it’s too good for her.”

"It's a pity that Senior Sister Zhu's promising path was ruined in an instant. Even if a Loose Immortal survives nine Loose Immortal Tribulations and becomes a [Nine Tribulations Loose Immortal], they can only live for ten thousand years. Even if Senior Sister Zhu never seeks to ascend to immortality and is stuck at the Mahayana realm, she can still live peacefully for a hundred thousand years."

"As a result, in pursuit of courage and progress, he began to attempt to reach the Immortal Realm at the tender age of 30,000, and now... alas."

Yan Que's face showed indignation: "Those sycophants in the hall are all opportunists. When Senior Sister Zhu was the number one true disciple below the immortals, which one of them didn't greet her with a smile and flatter her?"

"But now? Hey, everyone avoids Senior Sister like the plague... some even kick her when she's down."

"Master was afraid that Senior Sister Zhu might do something rash, and he didn't want her to be ostracized by her fellow disciples in the Fire Virtue Hall, so he allowed her to go out and clear her mind. He also sent me to watch over her to prevent her from breaking her Dao heart and doing something wrong."

"Otherwise, where would you have the opportunity you have today?"

Guo Tingshu couldn't help but say, "Senior Zhu's situation is indeed pitiful, but she is being far too domineering now. Moreover, when she hunted down mind readers, she didn't even bother to avoid innocent cultivators, causing so many casualties."

"That's not how it works." Perhaps not wanting to offend Yan Que, Jing Yu now defended Zhu Hongluan:

"Senior, you were once so glorious, with a broad path to the Golden Immortal realm. But this misfortune has caused you to fall from the clouds to the dust... How could an ordinary person withstand such a setback? If it were someone with an unstable Dao heart, they might immediately turn into a killing maniac and indiscriminately slaughter living beings."

"I think Senior Zhu is still rational and acts in accordance with the rules, although he is a bit extreme, which is already quite good."

"Isn't that the case?"

Yan Que said, "Senior Sister Zhu wasn't always like this... She used to be straightforward and chivalrous, and kind-hearted, always helping the younger generation... Alas, it's a pity we can't go back."

"What about the nominal disciples?"

Yan Que frowned upon hearing this: "Hmm... I don't know."

"Since being forced to switch to cultivating as a rogue immortal, Senior Sister Zhu has been searching for talented individuals everywhere, especially those without a background."

“After taking these prodigies as disciples, I taught and guided them all with all my heart.”

"So even though Senior Sister was overly strict, those nominal disciples were not oblivious to the situation. They all knew that this was a great opportunity, so naturally they were unwilling to leave even if they suffered some physical pain."

"As for why Senior Sister, who only has ten thousand years left to live, still wants to cultivate all kinds of geniuses, it is truly unfathomable."

"Perhaps it's because they cherish talent... and don't want other prodigies to follow in their footsteps."

"Alright, change your clothes and come with me to pay your respects to your senior sister... Remember to be sweet-talking later. Of course, the most important thing is to cultivate well and quickly and effectively master the techniques and secrets that your senior sister has taught you."

"Oh, yes, look at my memory."

Yan Que patted his head: "There's one more thing to do."

After saying that, the girl slowly took out an antique-looking bronze mirror from her bosom.

Jing Yu's pupils contracted, and she recognized the bronze mirror almost instantly—

The Mirror of Knowing Destiny!