Fellow Daoist! That scoundrel has written a new book again.

But Elder Liao was wrong about one thing.

Zhu Wuyao sneaked out of the barrier; he had important business to attend to.

She toured the various parts of Qingyun Sect, comparing the layout with Zhu Wuji's memory to reinforce her understanding, without going to places that might attract attention.

Then, with a clear goal in mind, they went to the Sword Testing Realm.

Although it was nearing night, there were still quite a few disciples in front of the sword-testing platform.

Although Zhu Wuyao possessed a thousand forms and could change her appearance at any time, she feared that this would be discovered and that people would associate Zhu Wuji with the shape-changing technique of the Daoist Wuyan.

Therefore, he only covered his face with a hood.

She took a number, found a quiet corner, and waited for the people ahead of her to come out and make room.

"Is this senior brother or junior brother? Why are you covering your face?"

Someone approached, their tone carrying a hint of curiosity, but also a barely perceptible disdain.

In his view, this person shrouded in shadow was somewhat dishonest; he had only come to the sword-testing platform, yet he still had to hide.

Zhu Wuyao confirmed his guess, replying:

"Because I will work hard quietly, so that one day I can amaze everyone."

The fellow disciple who asked the question was dumbfounded.

Then he turned around and moved a little further away from Zhu Wuyao.

They are all disciples of the Qingyun Sect. Among their peers, there are only a handful who can be described as "amazing." Everyone knows who they are.

Do you really think everyone can become a sensation like Senior Brother Yun Qing back then?

Another one who's been reading too many storybooks.

Zhu Wuyao didn't know what he was thinking, but he could sense the other person's contempt and disdain. These days, no one believes you if you tell the truth.

She didn't pay any attention.

While I was resting with my eyes closed, I suddenly heard someone mention the name "Zhu Wuji," one of Elder Liao's disciples—

"Sigh... If Zhu Wuji doesn't come this time, I'm afraid I'll be at the bottom."

"That's the kind of person who enjoys himself. He looks down on others all day long and doesn't even look at his own ranking. Do you remember what excuse Zhu Wuji gave last time?"

"How could I forget? What he said was—this Sword Testing Realm is ultimately just a magical artifact, and can only be evaluated within the rules, while his swordsmanship is exquisite and takes a different approach! Hahahahahaha!"

"With no opponents on the sword-training platform, he couldn't find fault with anyone else, and even blamed the Sword Trial Realm. He's truly remarkable..."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Wuyao lowered his head even further.

The identity of Zhu Wuji attached to her had completely crushed her spirit.

She really wanted to shed her pseudonym and join these fellow Daoists in cursing Zhu Wuji.

But she can't.

This is an unbearable weight for life.

The token in her hand flashed, signaling that it was Zhu Wu's turn to enter the sword-testing platform. She stood up and walked forward, still able to hear the whispers of those behind her—

"Huh? Who is this person? I've never seen him before..."

"Mind your own business! Oh no, the rankings have changed again! Our senior brother Han Ge from Pinglan Mountain has dropped to seventh place!!! Oh no... Master is going to scold us again..."

I wish you a safe journey up the steps.

As she brushed past someone, her hood fluttered slightly in the wind, but she quickly realized that it was this "Senior Brother Han Ge" deliberately stirring up the wind to spy on her.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her hood, which had not yet fully risen, fell back down, obscuring her face in the shadows.

This blocked Han Ge's view.

The two passed each other.

A cold snort came from beside me.

It seems that he was extremely disdainful of Zhu Wuyao's pretentious and mysterious behavior.

Before even stepping into the Sword Trial Realm, he heard others congratulating Han Ge, just like in Zhu Wuji's memory—seemingly humble but actually arrogant.

It's rare to find someone who agrees without being invited.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The Sword Testing Realm is open to all, regardless of status or strength, allowing anyone to test their swordsmanship.

The competition here is not about cultivation level.

It is the intent of the sword.

This puts everyone entering the country on the same starting line, measuring only their understanding of Kendo.

It is divided into an overall ranking and a sub-ranking.

Because it is not limited by strength, even cultivators in the Nascent Soul or Golden Core stages can enter the Sword Trial Void Realm under assumed names to test their recent mental state and be ranked on the overall list.

That's why Zhu Wuyao dared to come in.

Otherwise, having to register with one's real name and verify whether the name matches the person would risk exposing one's identity, which would be counterproductive.

What everyone has been talking about lately is the "small list".

This is a regularly updated list. If, like Elder Qian, one needs to select disciples to follow based on their ranking, it's not practical to choose from the overall list.

It's hard to say which high-ranking pseudonym is actually his senior sister, senior brother, or sect leader.

Therefore, those who intend to follow Elder Qian to explore the secret realm are all vying for a ranking on the minor list.

Zhu Wuyao glanced at it.

Most of the names on the list were real, with only a few pseudonyms. Surprisingly, the person at the very top also used a pseudonym – "Han Ya Du".

I don't know who they are.

She glanced at the sub-rankings, but to be on the safe side, she chose the overall rankings.

Most of the names on this list are pseudonyms.

That makes sense; those elders and seniors are not like the younger generation, who use their real names to compete and fight.

Zhu Wuyao scrolled down the list and saw "Da Pinglan" at number twenty-third... No need to guess, this must be Elder Liao, whose sword is named Da Pinglan...

He is, after all, the master of one of the peaks of the Qingyun Sect. Moreover, Elder Liao has a profound understanding of swordsmanship. Yet, he can only rank twenty-third on this overall list.

Zhu Wuyao was amazed.

It seems that the Qingyun Sect, which is the most prominent of the four sects, is indeed extraordinary. The number of Nascent Soul cultivators in the sect is probably more than that of the Taibai Sect and the Zhaixing Tower combined.

She took out Zhu Wuji's token.

This Sword Testing Realm only recognizes tokens, not people.

Before long, an alias faintly appeared in the void, the very ID that Zhu Wuji had once used—

"Swearing to kill autumn"

...?

Zhu Wuyao was taken aback. If he understood correctly, was this pseudonym a declaration of ambition?

I glanced at the rankings displayed later.

She glanced down at the overall rankings again, and sure enough, she was seventeenth from the bottom. She said in disbelief:

"What's going on with those sixteen people behind them?"

If you can't even compare to Zhu Wuji, what kind of sword cultivator are you?!

Slightly curious, she glanced at the person at the bottom of the overall rankings. Surprisingly, this person had used their real name—

Lu Tiaotiao.

She clicked her tongue in amazement and said:

"This is an extraordinary person. If he comes from a wealthy family, he must have some special skills. Most importantly, he has a thick skin. He dares to use his real name even though he is ranked last."

Zhu Wuji's memory was incomplete, and there was no information about this "Lu Tiaotiao" in it, so he didn't know who she was.

I sighed inwardly and wished Wuyao well in trying voice control.

"Change my name! I want to change my name!"

She waited for a long time, but the Sword Testing Realm showed no reaction.

Perhaps it was because of the long delay, or perhaps it was just a routine preparation time, but before Zhu Wuyao was ready, the surrounding scene suddenly changed from real to virtual.

The scene changed in an instant.

As Zhu Wuyao fell into the illusion, he took out Zhu Wuji's sword, remaining vigilant against attacks from all around.

Countless images flashed before her eyes, seemingly changing rapidly and rushing by, until the scene fixed, and a person dancing with a sword appeared before her.