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

Xue Lan was brought before Cui Wu by Yin Shishi.

Cui Wu and Min Chang had just finished discussing matters with General Xu of the Shengyu Army when they were brought before Yin Shishi by Long Siyin, whose face was bitter.

A young girl in a green dress stood in front of the medicine furnace, a small Miao knife appearing in her palm.

The girl swiftly cut her palm, and bright red blood dripped into the medicine jar.

Xue Tong, who witnessed the entire scene, said: "When I watched TV before, they would just cut their wrists!"

Xue Lan was pressed to one side by Yin Shishi, and several major acupoints on her body were pierced with silver needles. She dared not move at all.

Xue Tong continued, "I used to think that mortals would easily die from cutting their wrists, but I never imagined that even immortals wouldn't dare!"

"We are practitioners, not fools."

"What are you looking at all day? You're not learning anything good!"

"What on earth have you been thinking all day? You dare to provoke the Gu Master?"

A woman's angry voice rang out. Min Shang had already heard Long Siyin finish explaining the whole story, and the woman was angry this time as well.

Xue Tong laughed heartily: "Here's a little-known fact: love can disappear!"

Xue Lan used her soul power to seal Xue Tong's mouth, letting her know what it meant for love to disappear.

Xue Lan put on a wronged look: "Sister Min Shang, I didn't do anything to her!"

Yin Shishi looked at the boiling medicine in the pot and secretly added a few roots of Julan root to it.

"This isn't her fault! She wants me to go back, but she can't leave the Gu Village herself. She finally found a Xuanhuang Sect disciple who's connected to me, so naturally she wants to take advantage of him."

Xue Lan was surprised that Yin Shishi would speak up for her, and immediately looked at Yin Shishi with great gratitude, her eyes filled with tears.

But unexpectedly, the girl changed the subject: "Right now, she's been poisoned by that Yinhe Gu, and she's probably going to become an idiot."

Xue Lan immediately held back her tears.

"Is there no other way?" Cui Wu stepped forward and asked.

“There is a way, of course. We’ll use my blood as a medicinal guide to keep it alive for now. We’ll ask our master to intervene during the Ascension Ceremony.” Yin Shishi looked at Xue Lan and then grabbed a few more roots of Julan from the medicine box and threw them into the medicine pot.

She had just examined Xue Lan and found that the two-headed snake on Xue Lan's wrist was not clearly visible, and that it would not immediately die from the poison under the suppression of her blood.

Yin Yue didn't want to kill Xue Lan and cause animosity with the Xuanhuang Sect.

Watching Yin Shishi's actions, Xue Lan quietly asked Xue Tong, "Won't this affect the efficacy of the medicine? So many 'Ju Lan Gen' (a type of herbal medicine)."

Yin Shishi noticed Xue Lan's gaze: "What are you looking at? This is medicine, you'll die if you don't drink it!"

Xue Lan didn't dare to say a word, feeling wronged and shedding tears.

After some time, Yin Shishi finally took care of Xue Lan and removed all the silver needles from her body.

Xue Lan noticed that the tips of the silver needles had turned black.

Yin Shishi noticed her gaze: "Do you think that the Gu poison that erodes the soul will only cause the soul to suffer excruciating pain?"

Xue Lan shook her head: "No."

Looking at her pathetic state, Yin Shishi said, "If I hadn't left Chonggu Village and inherited Yinhe, I would have poisoned you the first person to die."

Xue Lan finally spoke: "You're a medical cultivator, and all you talk about is cutting off people's hands and feet and poisoning them."

Yin Shishi went back to check on her medicine: "How was your trip to Wan Gong Fang this time?"

Xue Lan flexed her numb wrists: "I've secured one of the four spots to compete for the position of head of the workshop."

Yin Shishi nodded: "That's right!"

Xue Lan was a little unhappy: "Is all I deserve is one 'not bad' from you?"

The girl stood guard in front of the medicine furnace, where Yin Shishi's elixir fire burned—a clear, emerald-green flame.

"Anyone else would be fine, but you are Xue Lan!"

Xue Lan understood what she meant. Others were others, but she was Xue Lan, and she shouldn't only have this much strength.

Min Chang was afraid that the two would start arguing, so she quickly changed the subject: "The seniors of Xuanhuang Sect have discussed with the elders of the other six sects and twelve factions some time ago, and are preparing to start the Ascension Conference in two months."

Xue Lan frowned slightly: "Is the time so tight?"

"There's no other way; the real demonic tide is coming. When that happens, the people behind Luoxia City will probably have to move further inland." Min Chang conjured a map in her hand, pointing to the Crimson Cloud Valley marked on it.

"The sect leader has already ordered all the Moon Silkworms below Crimson Cloud Valley to be moved. If the Longsword Sect cannot hold out, then our Crimson Cloud Sect will become the second line of defense against the Demon Clan!"

Long Siyin, who had been holding the Duying Sword in the corner of the room, looked at Min Shang: "If the Longsword Sect's defenses are breached, then the demons will surely have trampled over my dead body!"

The girl looked at Xue Lan, and a sharpness that had not been seen for a long time seemed to reappear in her eyes.

"Thank you for taking care of my antics these past few days," the girl said slowly.

"I, Long Siyin, am not so broken in my Dao that I cannot lift a sword. Today I will return to the Longsword Sect, even if I cannot become a sword immortal who protects all living beings."

"There's nothing wrong with being a sword fanatic who slays demons!"

The girl's back was straight, like a sharp blade yet to be drawn.

"I am the young sect master of the Longsword Sect, and this is my responsibility."

Xue Lan looked at Long Siyin, from her snow-white clothes to her bright eyes. A thousand words were condensed into one sentence.

"Siyin, in truth... you are the true Light of Crossing!"

Long Siyin bowed slightly: "Thank you for your kind words, I'm leaving now!"

The girl carried her sword and went forth with unstoppable force, looking as if she would cleave the blood-red sky in two with a single strike.

After Long Siyin left, Yin Shishi looked at Xue Lan, who seemed to be deep in thought: "She is the young sect leader of the Longsword Sect. Without her, the morale of the army is unstable!"

Xue Lan nodded: "I know. You mentioned before that the Six Sects and Twelve Schools are planning to hold an Ascension Ceremony, but Qi Zhou is tied up on the battlefield..."

"That's why I chose to keep you under the Gu poison for now—it's for the Ascension Ceremony. Our sect plans to have Qinghe assist you."

This time, Xue Lan didn't refuse and nodded directly: "It's urgent!"

Others might not understand why the Six Sects and Twelve Schools would choose this time to hold their Ascension Ceremony. But Xue Lan knew the reason behind it.

This demonic tide is no small matter; the immortal sects must recruit new disciples to prevent a lack of successors.

“The Jiangyun Sect is also planning to recruit disciples this time. Your great-aunt is going to make you a set of clothes!” Min Chang said to Xue Lan.

"Clothes?" Xue Lan asked, puzzled.

"During the Ascension Ceremony, you're going to perform the Heaven-worshiping ceremony with your Master Uncle. Are you planning to wear this outfit for the ceremony?" Yin Shishi scrutinized Xue Lan's black attire.

Dilapidated and in disarray.

Xue Lan suddenly remembered that the famously poor swordsman, Senior Brother Xu Qizhou, had a sacrificial robe. It was entirely black, embroidered with gold thread, forming a scene of moonlight and frost—it was incredibly flamboyant and elegant.

Xue Lan immediately became interested: "What does your great-aunt plan to make for me? Is it still brocade?"

Remembering the brocade satins still in his storage bag, Cui Wu immediately spoke up: "Senior Sister!"

"It's not brocade, it's silk gauze!"

"Moon Silkworm Silk!" Xue Lan exclaimed in surprise. That was Moon Silkworm Silk, a top-grade refining material. Even Yan Chengxue only had a little Moon Silkworm Silk to make puppet thread.

She will soon have a set of sacrificial robes made of moon silk gauze.

Holy shit.

Xue Lan wanted to grab Min Chang's arm and ask Daoist Shunhua if he could cut a piece from her sacrificial robe for her to refine weapons. However, Yin Shishi, who was already on guard, held her back.

Yin Shishi forced Xue Lan to force-feed her a bowl of "specially made" secret medicine.

Xue Lan was at a loss for what to do and could only watch helplessly as Yin Shishi sent Min Shang away.