Hammer in her left hand, sword in her right, the eldest sister is connected to both worlds.

The peaks are verdant, shrouded in mist and haze.

When Zeng Xiaoshan reached the end of the Ascension Ladder, this was the scene he saw. Immortals with flowing robes turned to look at him, each smiling kindly.

Behind the old man in the very center, the senior sister who had spoken at the sacrificial ceremony earlier looked at him with a smile, making him feel a sense of warmth.

Looking at the child, Xue Lan called out to Xue Tong triumphantly, "I told you I'm good with kids."

Xue Tong had lost count of how many times he had said this. The little girl snorted and refused to speak to him.

Seeing the eager expressions on the faces of the elders around her, Xue Lan felt a little anxious. The girl turned to look at Dao Xuanzi and Shen Suan Zhenren to the side.

Dao Xuanzi remained calm and composed, while Shen Suan Zhenren maintained a serene expression.

Xue Tong mocked her: "The emperor isn't worried, but the eunuch is."

Xue Lan's face fell.

Zeng Xiaoshan's heart skipped a beat when he saw the smile on his senior sister's face disappear.

Will my senior sister dislike me? What if I can't join a sect?

The child looked around the square, finally fixing his gaze on the gentle and calm Shen Suanzhen.

This immortal seems to have a good temper; I wonder if he'd be willing to accept me.

I'm not that bad, am I?

While he was lost in thought, people came up behind him one after another, including Lu Feng and the girl from the royal family of the Great Shun Dynasty.

Seeing that almost everyone had arrived, Master Qu of the Spirit Summoning Sect spoke first to Zeng Xiaoshan: "What's your name?"

Zeng Xiaoshan bowed respectfully and said, "Replying to this venerable elder, my name is Zeng Xiaoshan."

The little boy was chubby and bent over with great effort when he bowed.

Xue Lan couldn't help but smile as she met Zeng Xiaoshan's large eyes, which were just like her own.

Sect Master Qu spoke again: "I have a connection with you. Why don't you come to my Spirit Servant Sect and become my personal disciple? Your master will give you a Fire Branch Sparrow."

The apprentices haven't even finished their training, yet they're already calling themselves masters.

Dao Xuanzi cursed the shameless sect leader in his heart. He looked at Zeng Xiaoshan and said, "The Spirit Service Sect is tens of thousands of miles away from here. You are from Fuxun City, so why don't you stay in my Xuanhuang Sect?"

Zeng Xiaoshan glanced at Master Qu, then at Dao Xuanzi. His small head remained upright, too afraid to speak.

After a long while, the child finally mustered the courage to look up at the old man in the blue robe whom he had noticed earlier.

Xue Lan watched as the child bowed to the Immortal Shen Suan, his voice clear and melodious: "Xiao Shan wishes to become the Immortal Master's disciple."

As soon as he said that, everyone was in an uproar and looked at Shen Suan Zhenren.

Shen Suan Zhenren looked at Zeng Xiaoshan in front of him.

"It's wonderful that you're willing to become my disciple. But..."

The old man's voice was hoarse and aged: "My master-disciple relationship is too shallow. I cannot accept you as my disciple."

When Zeng Xiaoshan chose Shen Suan Zhenren, all the Nascent Soul cultivators present were taken aback. Shen Suan Zhenren had previously lost a disciple at Ji Yue Mountain, a fact that had already spread throughout the Six Sects and Twelve Schools. If he really accepted Zeng Xiaoshan, the others would feel embarrassed to compete with him.

They all breathed a sigh of relief when they heard that Master Shensuan had refused.

Those around breathed a sigh of relief, but Xue Lan's heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand the moment she heard Master Shen Suan say that the bond between master and disciple was shallow, and she felt a dull pain.

Zeng Xiaoshan looked into Shen Suanzhen's eyes, which were somewhat cloudy, eyes that had seen it all.

It's as if they've seen too much and can no longer see the road ahead.

After a long silence, Master Shensuan spoke again: "But I have a disciple named Gong Yuan, and he is destined to be with you. I can accept him as a disciple on behalf of my disciple, so that you can call me Grandmaster."

Zeng Xiaoshan was still a child, and he asked bluntly, "Why didn't that immortal come in person?"

Shen Suan Zhenren looked at the child in front of him, and a scroll flew out from his sleeve, which was the "Five Peaches Picture".

The scroll slowly unfurled before Zeng Xiaoshan, and he saw five withered peach trees surrounding a stone table in the center, with an old man sitting beside the table.

Zeng Xiaoshan pointed curiously at the old man in the painting: "Grandmaster, is this you?"

When Shen Suan Zhenren heard his call, the old man was somewhat dazed. After realizing what was happening, he nodded gently: "This is my grandmaster."

He asked again to confirm: "You just called me Grandmaster. I am asking you here if you are truly willing to become my disciple."

Zeng Xiaoshan's eyes were firm: "This disciple is willing."

When Zeng Xiaoshan said those words, a change occurred in the "Five Peach Trees" painting. The largest peach tree began to tremble slightly, and a green sapling sprouted at its feet.

Slender stems, tender leaves. This is a small peach tree.

A smile bloomed on Shen Suan Zhenren's face: "From this day forward, you are a disciple of my Suan Dao Peak. I will personally teach you."

Zeng Xiaoshan wanted to ask again where his master was, but seeing his master's reddened eyes, he wisely refrained from asking.

The child walked up behind Master Shensuan and stood still. Master Shensuan patted his head and pointed at Xue Lan: "After this is over, find your martial uncle to play with you."

Zeng Xiaoshan looked at Xue Lan, and Xue Lan was also looking at him. Their eyes met, and Zeng Xiaoshan gave her a well-behaved smile.

Xue Lan: Cute, I like it.

"I'm a little excited right now," Xue Lan said to Xue Tong.

"What's the excitement about?" Xue Tong replied very skillfully.

"I've become a senior martial uncle!"

She became a senior apprentice, and Senior Uncle Shen Suan accepted a new disciple for Senior Brother Gong Yuan.

These are the new disciples of Suandao Peak, the hope of Suandao Peak.

In a desolate region thousands of miles away, underground in the pitch black.

The magnificent demon palace stretches for hundreds of miles underground, where demons dance wildly. A grand banquet is being held.

The banquet was utterly devoid of aesthetic appeal, and the dishes served were none other than the human race imprisoned here.

A handsome young man sat on the topmost bone seat. He had a somewhat effeminate appearance, and his phoenix eyes looked at the young man beside him.

Ji Yan looked at the so-called third brother sitting in the main seat, hating him to death inside, but still had to smile on the surface.

"Does Ayan dislike Third Brother's banquet?" Ji Gu looked at Ji Yan, a strange smile playing on his effeminate eyes.

Ji Yan raised his wine glass and toasted Ji Gu, saying, "I dare not."

"It seems that Ayan is not interested in Third Brother's banquet. It's okay, Third Brother will show you something better."

Ji Gu clapped his hands, and Ji Yan heard the sound of a stone door opening behind him.

A heavy clanging of chains came from behind the stone door, and Ji Yan saw a white-haired monster emerge from it.

Ji Yan looked at Ji Gu and asked, "Human demon?"

Ji Gu looked at the monster: "A cultivator we captured a few years ago, suitable for testing demonic poisons."

The tall monster was led over by two demons and knelt down at Ji Gu's feet. Its white hair was all over the ground, and its blood-red eyes had no pupils.

“Don’t let his current appearance fool you, he’s worth one of my high-level demons.” Ji Gu winked at the two demons holding the chains, and the mutated human-demon was pushed off the platform and fell into the pile of demons below.

Ji Gu took a few steps forward and addressed the demons below: "Whoever kills him, when my demon race one day conquers Luoxia City, thousands of people and animals will be your reward."

The demons below became excited and surrounded the demon man. One by one, they stepped forward to challenge him.

Ji Gu sat back in his seat, looking at the crowd of demons below, and seemed to be in a good mood.

He didn't notice that the demons below, upon hearing him utter the words "human and beast," became exceptionally agitated, tearing one of the demons lunging at him in half. He muttered:

"Master..."