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

Xue Lan naturally didn't have the guts to go straight over and let Dao Xuanzi take a couple of bites, so she kept her head down after returning to her seat.

It looks like a pumpkin.

Dao Xuanzi was filled with anger as he looked at this Japanese devil. He suppressed his anger and watched the competition today. He also suppressed his urge to hit Xue Lan and finished speaking with the fellow Daoists from various sects before finally looking at Xue Lan.

Upon closer inspection, he discovered that Xue Lan had already run away.

On that empty seat, only Xue Tong was putting pastries into her storage bag.

Dao Xuanzi snorted coldly and disappeared from the spot.

Xue Tong took a bite of the pastry in her hand: 【Are you really scared?】

Xue Lan is now leading Lian Chuan towards her weapon-refining cave. Under her Void Stepping technique, Lian Chuan has also turned into a snow-white shadow.

The girl's voice sounded somewhat cold: "You don't understand him."

Xue Lan and the other arrived at Xue Lan's weapon-refining cave on the back mountain of Jiyuan Peak. With a flick of her sleeve, the array plate given to her by Yan Chengxue flew out and set up two layers of arrays outside the weapon-refining cave.

"Senior Sister?" Lian Chuan had been dragged along by Xue Lan the whole way and still didn't know what had happened.

Xue Lan had no time for arguing with him anymore, so she preemptively questioned him: "When did your spiritual root change? You and Master really deceived Senior Sister for a long time!"

Lian Chuan was stunned for a moment, and stumbled as Xue Lan pulled him along.

Xue Lan's tone was very cold, and her words were concise: "Go in first."

Lian Chuan had no choice but to obediently follow Xue Lan into the weapon-refining cave.

Xue Lan entered the weapon-refining cave, forming a complex hand seal. The two puppets that had been quietly standing in the corner of the cave slowly activated and stepped forward to block the entrance.

Lian Chuan watched Xue Lan's series of actions without daring to utter a single word.

The boy stood there, several reasons flashing through his mind in just a few breaths, but he rejected them all.

Xue Lan, with her back to Lian Chuan, asked in a voice devoid of warmth, "Does Master know about this?"

The boy hurriedly denied it: "Master doesn't know, he just brought me back to the Xuanhuang Sect."

Xue Lan believed Lian Chuan's words, but she didn't quite trust her master. The girl turned to look at Lian Chuan: "When did you change your spiritual root?"

Lian Chuan looked into Xue Lan's eyes and carefully chose his words: "After Foundation Establishment."

Xue Lan knew he wasn't lying; after all, she knew more about the matter than Lian Chuan did. The young woman's eyes were sharp and breezy, and to Lian Chuan, she appeared somewhat gratified and carefree.

He was no longer as flustered as before.

The long-held suspicion resurfaced in the young man's mind. Since things had come to this point, he mustered his courage and asked the question again: "Back then, my senior sister made me practice the 'Ice Condensation Sword Technique'..."

Xue Lan waved her hand, interrupting Lian Chuan's question: "An accident."

Xue Lan said she was surprised, but her voice trailed off slightly, carrying a hint of madness.

Lian Chuan had never seen Xue Lan like this before. He recalled the dream he had the night before his spiritual root transformation.

The white wolf that appeared when the snow mountain was on the verge of death, and the words: "Northern Glaciers, the Undying Overlord".

"Xiao Si, from now on, none of these things matter." Xue Lan walked around Lian Chuan in front of her: "When Master Uncle comes in later, no matter what happens, you just need to stick to what you're saying now."

Xue Lan turned her head to look at her, and Lian Chuan wondered if it was just his imagination, but he actually saw a resolute look in his senior sister's eyes.

The girl continued, "You are a genius, a genius that your senior sister never expected."

Xue Lan glanced at the gate of the weapon-refining cave, thinking that this place, which had been repaired less than half a year ago, was about to collapse again.

She felt really sorry for her, but she also deserved it.

The reason this matter has escalated to this point is because of her.

Lian Chuan was about to speak when he suddenly heard a crisp sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath coming from outside the weapon-refining cave.

The sound pierced through the mountain wall and entered the weapon-refining cave, like a sharp eagle's cry.

In the next instant, Xue Lan's weapon-refining cave was cleaved open, the stone door split in two by a sword light. The two puppets blocking the entrance were instantly decapitated.

Xue Lan saw the dim light outside and Dao Xuanzi standing in mid-air with two immortal swords beside him.

One sword was drawn, having just cleaved through Xue Lan's layers of defense. Another sword hovered behind him, its intent restrained.

Xue Tong saw this scene through the broadcast and stammered, "[Your Xuanhuang Sect, is beating a child such a grand affair?]"

“This isn’t just hitting a child anymore; he thinks I’ve stolen someone else’s soul…”

Before Xue Lan could finish speaking, the pressure from the Nascent Soul stage cultivator descended upon her. Xue Lan was grabbed by the neck by spiritual power and slammed against the back wall of the weapon-refining cave.

Dao Xuanzi was truly angry this time. Xue Lan spat out a mouthful of blood and stared straight at Dao Xuanzi.

The binding force on her body loosened considerably, and Xue Lan was overjoyed, realizing that her beloved headmaster uncle did not want to kill her here.

Xue Lan was pinned against the wall and dared not utter a word. Dao Xuanzi casually grabbed Lian Chuan from the side and examined the boy's spiritual root.

"As expected, it is... an ice spirit root."

The old man sighed and waved his hand, setting up a barrier around the weapon-refining cave. He slowly descended from mid-air and walked towards Xue Lan.

"You're quite fast."

Xue Lan was released and landed on the ground. The girl supported herself with one hand, coughing incessantly.

"Was it your master's idea?"

The amiable headmaster seemed like an illusion; Xue Lan heard Xue Tong's voice: "Now, do your best and see if you can register Lian Chuan's ice spirit root."

As Xue Lan and Xue Tong spent more time together, she naturally understood what registering a household meant. The girl stood up unsteadily, pretending not to see Lian Chuan's worried gaze.

The girl's voice was firm: "Master, this is not Master's intention."

Dao Xuanzi's hand, hanging at his side, clenched into a fist slightly, his voice trembling: "So that was your doing?"

Xue Lan quickly shook her head: "Of course it wasn't done by your disciple."

Lian Chuan quickly spoke up as well: "Master, please understand that my spiritual root transformed on its own one night after I reached the Foundation Establishment stage. I was filled with fear and therefore dared not tell anyone."

Dao Xuanzi looked at Lian Chuan, his voice old and gentle: "Be careful, your senior uncle is outside, go and talk to him."

These words were meant to shoo Lian Chuan away. Lian Chuan was somewhat reluctant to leave, but in the end, he still left.

Xue Tong said with a hint of schadenfreude, "[They're planning to lock you up and beat you.]"

After Lian Chuan left, only Xue Lan and Dao Xuanzi remained in the entire weapon-refining cave.

A golden object flew out of Xue Lan's chest and returned to Dao Xuanzi's hand.

"Before Fellow Daoist Tushan left, he said that you had a problem with your state of mind." Dao Xuanzi looked at Xue Lan, at this child he knew so well.

The old man slowly asked in a gentle tone, "Are you Xue Lan?"

"Is it the same Xue Lan from before?"

Xue Lan breathed a sigh of relief.

The reason why my senior apprentice was chasing and beating me has been found.