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

Xue Lan was short, and Dao Xuanzi picked her up and spun her around several times. She refused to admit that she had taught the two of them those irrelevant things.

"One is skilled in killing, the other cultivates the Free and Unfettered Sword. You really didn't teach them?" Dao Xuanzi still didn't believe it, firmly believing that the two promising talents who had never left the Xuanhuang Sect had been corrupted by Xue Lan.

Xue Lan stared wide-eyed, having exhausted all her rebuttals. All she could do was repeat the action of shaking her head over and over again.

She really didn't do anything!

Children aren't saplings; they can't grow according to people's wishes.

If she's grown up crookedly, that's that. What does it have to do with her senior sister who's obsessed with weapon crafting all day?

"Senior Sister! Headmaster Master!"

While Xue Lan was being questioned, Zhu He had already arrived in front of everyone, stepping on a golden sword light.

Those present were all respected elders of the Xuanhuang Sect, and most of them knew about his hidden spiritual root. Zhu He looked at the large group of sect elders in front of him, and stopped abruptly when he got closer.

He seemed a bit reserved.

I'm feeling uneasy and anxious!

"Free and unrestrained, one sword breaks the fate of heaven!" Dao Xuanzi released Xue Lan and turned to look at the spirited young man in front of him.

“Your path does not show any signs of demonic possession, but you will need someone to watch over you from now on.”

Zhu He nodded vigorously.

"I've already spoken to Daoist Ziyun about the Crimson Cloud Sect. The War Puppet Mansion and the Long Sword Sect have always loved watching the excitement, and they were thinking of letting you cultivate back then."

"After the incident at Jiyue Mountain involving Siling, this matter was readily agreed to. In a few days, I will personally go to Yiling Sect. After discussing it with Sect Master Qu, I will announce to all cultivators that you are now allowed to cultivate."

Zhu He was overjoyed and bowed to Dao Xuanzi.

"Thank you very much, Master."

Dao Xuanzi smiled warmly, then suddenly changed the subject.

"But you secretly cultivated before this, and your cultivation level even reached the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm. I have no choice but to give an explanation to the various sects."

Zhu He's face fell immediately. The boy looked extremely aggrieved, and his voice was muffled: "I'll leave it all to Master Uncle for punishment."

Behind Yunhui Peak of the Xuanhuang Sect lies the Xuanhuang Sect's Cliff of Repentance. It contains many shadowless cells specifically for imprisoning heretics and disciples who have violated sect rules and been captured by the Xuanhuang Sect.

It was already noon, but the cell on the Cliff of Contemplation was completely dark. The girl reached her hand out through the gap in the iron door, her fingertips touching a sliver of warm sunlight.

But after a while, the sunlight grew farther and farther away, until it was no longer within reach.

The girl spoke, her voice low and lifeless, like a stagnant pool: "I think they're sick!"

An old voice came from behind: "Little girl, stop looking, you can't get out."

Xue Lan spoke up: "Don't you think they're sick?"

A burst of noisy laughter echoed in Xue Lan's mind, giving her a headache.

I'm seriously dying of laughter!

Xue Lan really couldn't understand why, despite Zhu He's punishment, she was the one who ended up being imprisoned on the Cliff of Repentance.

That's what Dao Xuanzi said, that's right.

"The reason he dared to cultivate is because of the karma you two are reaping in this life. Go and stay on the Cliff of Repentance!"

These two karmic retributions are her own and her master, Ling Yuanzi.

However, since the headmaster can't catch her master now, he can only do whatever he wants to her.

Just swallow your anger; you can leave in three days anyway.

Xue Lan: I'm unhappy~~

"Little girl, I'm talking to you!" The aged voice that had spoken earlier rang out again, and Xue Lan finally deigned to give him a glance. The girl slowly turned around and looked at a dark figure deep inside the cell.

While Xue Lan was in seclusion, the sword cultivators from Xuanling Peak accidentally wandered into the back mountain of Yunhui Peak while practicing their sword formation. This startled the colorful spirit storks kept by the female cultivators. An entire sword formation was neatly transported to the Cliff of Repentance, occupying all the cells reserved for disciples' reflection.

Left with no other choice, Xue Lan had to mingle with these evil and crooked people.

The dark figure in the corner is one of the evil spirits.

The old man's exact name is unknown. He is separated from Xue Lan by an iron gate and is said to have been imprisoned here for four hundred years.

"What would you like to say, senior?" Xue Lan took out a small stool from her storage bag, sat down by the iron gate, and looked at the dirty old man.

"You must be a disciple of the Xuanhuang Sect, otherwise you wouldn't be so calm and collected." The old man looked at Xue Lan, his cloudy eyes filled with white film.

Xue Lan understood immediately; it turned out he was half-blind.

"Senior is right. I am a disciple of Xuanling Peak of Xuanhuang Sect. I was imprisoned here for stealing sect treasures."

With her little mouth open, she started spouting nonsense.

"Then do you know Ling Yuanzi, the peak master of Jiyuan Peak?" the old man asked with a sneer.

Xue Lan's eyes lit up instantly, and his non-existent ears perked up. On the surface, he still pretended: "Master Lingyuan, that master always comes and goes without a trace. I have only seen him from afar a few times."

"Have you seen her a few times from afar?" The old man clearly didn't believe Xue Lan's casual fabrication, and squinted as he examined the girl backlit by the light.

Xue Lan nodded quickly and took three steps at a time to approach the old man.

The old man watched as the girl stopped less than three feet away from him and took out a small, square stool from his storage bag.

Then, they happily took their seats.

"Does the senior know Master Lingyuan?"

The old man smiled and slowly began to speak.

"Ling Yuanzi, the peak master of Jiyuan Peak of the Xuanhuang Sect, whose real name is unknown." The old man cleared his throat, his voice old and hoarse.

"Four hundred years ago, in the battle at Luoxia Mountain, I fought against a Demon Lord in the Out-of-Body stage with the cultivation of the late Nascent Soul stage. My bones were completely destroyed, and I have been stuck at the Nascent Soul stage ever since, unable to make any further progress in my cultivation."

Xue Lan, holding a handful of melon seeds, interrupted after hearing the first part: "So he's been in the late Nascent Soul stage all along?"

"In that case, the battle against the Demon Lord that day was a fierce victory."

The old man snorted, "That's right!"

Xue Lan waved her hand, signaling him to continue. At this moment, the system spoke up in her mind.

[Didn't you really like your master? Was it all just Wolf King playing the role before?]

Xue Lan sneered inwardly and said, "So you know everything now?"

The system was immediately silenced by the criticism.

"Go check this person's identity in your book. Is it some kind of destiny for the protagonist?"

【Okay!】The system silently retreated back into the pavilion in its sea of ​​consciousness.

The old man opposite her raised his hand when he saw Xue Lan's movement, and then opened his palm in front of Xue Lan.

He chuckled: "Is there anything to eat?"

Xue Lan understood; this story wasn't a waste of time.

The old man saw the girl opposite him remain silent for a while, and then he began to take something out of his sleeve.

At first, it was peanuts, melon seeds, and raisins, and later it was honey, pastries, and Longjing tea.

"Isn't there any meat?" the old man asked, dissatisfied.

Xue Lan nodded: "Yes!"

The system, which was frantically flipping through the plot book in its sea of ​​consciousness, looked up and saw Xue Lan take out a beggar's chicken wrapped in a lotus leaf from its sleeve.

The beggar's chicken was still cold when it was first taken out, but it was already emitting wisps of heat when Xue Lan used her spiritual power to deliver it to the old man opposite her.

The old man took the beggar's chicken, took a deep breath, and quickly peeled off the outer lotus leaf, tearing off a tender chicken leg and stuffing it into his mouth.

The system spoke, its voice somewhat dull and lifeless: "Since I became bound to you, you don't seem to have bought beggar's chicken once."

"I don't know when I bought it. Maybe it was the Lantern Festival the year before last, or maybe it was the Mid-Autumn Festival the year before that."

The system was speechless. It remained silent, only weakly adding a comment after watching the old man opposite it finish half a beggar's chicken:

Actually, you're the one who produces the most zombie vegetables, aren't you?

Xue Lan remained silent!

Xue Lan acquiesced!

At this moment, the old man opposite him wiped his greasy mouth with satisfaction and spoke.

"The gods of the world, such as the City God, the Earth God, and the Mountain God, are devoted to the divine way. They are born from the incense offerings of the common people. Therefore, they protect the local area. Don't you agree?"

Xue Lan nodded: "What you say is absolutely right, senior..."

"We cultivators are neither like mountain gods or local deities who rule over a region, nor like city gods or ghost lords who control the cycle of life and death. Demons hurt us too, and we can die on Mount Luoxia. Why should we repeatedly protect those mortals who are as fragile as reeds when demons invade?"

"Those who cultivate themselves call themselves immortals, but they are neither as noble as gods nor as lowly as demons. Their own path is already fraught with difficulties, yet they still have to gamble everything for mortals."

Xue Lan looked at the indignant old man in front of her and quietly pondered his words.

"Lacking the majesty and nobility of gods, the expectations of Heaven, and the ferocity and ruthlessness of demons, the immortals are stuck in the middle, claiming to be the righteous path of Heaven and Earth. They rush forward one after another, risking their lives every day to fill the gaping abyss of Mount Luoxia. They want to move forward, but fear the suffering of mortals, so they hesitate to abandon mortals and strike the demon race. This has been going on for ten thousand years..."

The old man abruptly stood up, his cloudy eyes fixed on Xue Lan, devoid of light yet burning with a mad flame. His voice was hoarse and rough:

"Little girl, don't you think it's ridiculous?"

Xue Lan sighed softly.

“Mountain spirits, after a thousand years of cultivation, become mountain gods and local deities. They are loyal and virtuous people, revered by all, and after their deaths, they are worshipped as city gods.”

The girl's voice was clear and firm:

"Senior, there are no gods born in this world, nor are there any immortal cultivators born in this world."

"Mortals are like cattails, and cattails are as resilient as silk. Only when they occasionally gain spiritual insight can they become immortals or gods."