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

Half a month after Xue Lan returned to her sect, disciples from other sects began to arrive at Xuanhuang Cave Heaven. Among them were cultivators from the Spirit Servant Sect.

Xue Lan and Dao Xuanzi personally went to greet Sect Leader Qu. The two old men started bickering as soon as they met, talking as they walked inside. Xue Lan stayed behind to arrange accommodations for the disciples who would be arriving later.

Xue Lan had just instructed his Xuanhuang Sect disciples to lead the Yiling Sect members to the prepared cave dwelling when he heard a gust of wind behind him.

"Sister Lan!"

A cheerful and bright female voice rang out. Xue Lan turned around and caught a pink cloud of rosy clouds.

The girl looked up from her arms, her eyes bright and captivating.

"Who are you?" Xue Lan had been too busy these past few days and her mind was a little foggy.

The girl in pink looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, tall and lively.

Xue Lan quickly racked her brains.

Which family's sister is this?

"I knew you wouldn't remember me. I'm A-Yue!" The girl softened when she saw Xue Lan's troubled expression and told her the answer.

"Ah Yue! You've successfully transformed." Xue Lan then realized that the bright and beautiful girl in front of her was actually Yue Cheng, the second senior brother of the Spirit Summoning Sect, and his little fox.

“I transformed into human form last year. Am I pretty?” A-Yue twirled in front of Xue Lan.

Xue Lan nodded: "What about Yue Cheng?"

"He went to Mount Luoxia, saying it was to guard against the invasion of the demon race, and he won't be back until the Ascension Ceremony is over."

Xue Lan smiled and nodded: "Let's go in first."

The girl skipped away, and although she had transformed into human form, due to Yue Cheng's doting affection, Ah Yue still maintained the demeanor of a little fox.

"She's really cute." Xue Tong said, "Now that we're at the Xuanhuang Sect, can you let me out to play a bit?"

Xue Lan realized that he couldn't keep her confined in his sleeve forever, so he found a secluded corner and released her.

The little girl ran away as soon as she was released.

Xue Lan: It seems we still can't give her too much freedom.

In Fuyang City of the Southern Region, the flying boats of the Long Sword Sect and Luoxia Mountain were parked outside the city, preparing to take the selected mortal youths to Xuanhuang Cave Heaven.

A crowd had gathered at the city gate, like a pot of boiling water, their voices cacophony and impossible to discern.

But it's easy to guess that it's nothing more than the expectations that parents and family members have for their child.

They said that once you become an immortal, you won't have to fear demons, and you can protect your family and rise above others.

Standing atop the city wall of Fuyang, Cui Wu looked down at the crowd below, as if he had suddenly returned to the year he entered Jiyue Mountain.

I wonder how many of the children beneath these city walls will be able to embark on the path to immortality.

The disciples of the Long Sword Sect set up spirit stones for testing spiritual roots below, allowing the children and teenagers to touch them one by one.

Frustrated sobs and excited screams could be heard from below, but none of them seemed to affect Cui Wu.

Until she saw a familiar person.

Lu Feng stood on the street corner, wearing a tattered cloak, his eyes filled with envy as he looked at the children in front of him.

A moment later, the boy took a few steps forward and stood at the very back of the line.

Cui Wu found it somewhat interesting, and the girl watched from the city wall as the line of people slowly shortened.

Lu Feng looked at the spirit stone used for testing in front of him. Unable to hide his excitement, the young man stepped forward and placed his hand on the spirit stone.

The spirit stone emitted a blue, green, and gold light when the boy placed his palm on it.

"Three spiritual roots, medium level," the Longsword Sect disciple in charge of recording read softly, handing Lu Feng a jade tablet.

"Take this, come here the day after tomorrow to ride the flying boat."

But the boy didn't answer.

The boy's shoulders trembled, as if he were crying.

Lu Feng knelt down with a thud. Tears streamed down the boy's face.

"I'm not a waste, I'm not a waste..." the boy muttered, first sobbing softly, then bursting into loud wails.

It was Old Mo who had been lying to him all along, it was Old Mo who had been lying to him all along...

"You dare to attempt cultivation with the mortal's inherent qualities? Only I can help you!"

……

He clearly wasn't born with ordinary talent; he clearly had a glimmer of hope.

The aged voice that had appeared in his mind since childhood was that of his trusted master.

The boy knelt on the ground, desperately roaring towards the sky.

Cui Wu sighed on the city wall and turned to leave.

On a flying boat of the Longsword Sect, Lian Chuan was wiping his sword.

Seeing Cui Wu approach, the previously cold and aloof young man's eyes softened: "A-Wu."

Cui Wu nodded to him: "I just saw Lu Feng among the people testing their spiritual roots."

Although Lian Chuan wasn't in Lu Family Village back then, he knew who Lu Feng was through Cui Wu. Upon hearing this, he asked, "Is he here to have his spiritual roots tested?"

Cui Wu nodded.

"How is the result?"

“Three spiritual roots, average aptitude,” Cui Wu replied.

"That's not bad either." Lian Chuan commented objectively, "According to Senior Sister's idea, it would be better to recruit him to the Xuanhuang Sect, so that we can keep an eye on him."

Cui Wu thought the same thing as him: "I will talk to my senior sister about this."

Poor Xue Lan, their eldest sister, was busy to the point of exhaustion in the Xuanhuang Cave Heaven. Little did she know that her fourth and fifth youngest sisters were slowly planning to bring in the scourge that led to the annihilation of the Xuanhuang Sect in their previous life.

Three days later, the Longsword Sect's flying boat slowly took off, preparing to head to the Xuanhuang Sect. A young child, held by his father, stood on the ship's railing. Suddenly, he pointed towards the distant horizon.

"Father, there's a pretty older sister over there."

The middle-aged man looked in the direction his son pointed and saw an immortal riding on clouds in the air not far ahead.

The girl was dressed in a crimson robe, wearing black leather armor, standing on light clouds, and her silver crown gleamed.

More and more people looked at the girl, and a soldier from the Shengyu Army who was accompanying her spoke up: "That is General Ji, General Ji who guards Luoxia Mountain!"

The crowd suddenly became excited.

"He is an immortal who guards Mount Luoxia!"

"Which of these immortals is General Ji?"

……

Ji Jinjin looked at the excited crowd and slowly approached the flying boat.

As she approached, she spoke loudly: "Fellow citizens, I am Ji Jinjin, the garrison commander of Luoxia Mountain."

The people also followed her example and bowed in her manner.

Ji Jinjin looked at the people on the flying boats and let out a long sigh of relief. She then spoke as if she had made up her mind.

"She is also Ji Tong, the daughter of Ji Bailing, the former garrison commander of Pengyun City!"

The crowd erupted once again, with some residents of Pengyun City and those who had lived there before their cultivation beginning to make a fuss.

"She's General Ji's daughter?"

"Heaven has eyes, General Ji still has descendants..."

An elderly woman with a wrinkled face walked out from the crowd, holding her little granddaughter's hand.

The old woman reached the very edge of the ship's railing, looked at the cloud-riding maiden in mid-air, and burst into tears:

"Back then, Pengyun City fell, and General Ji and his entire family, all loyal martyrs, perished in battle. Unexpectedly, some of their descendants survived... Heaven has eyes..."

Ji Jinjin's eyes welled up with tears, but the girl forced them back. She hadn't forgotten the purpose of her visit.

"Gentlemen, now that I am the garrison commander of Luoxia Mountain, I will fight to the death, just like my fathers."

"The journey ahead is long and arduous, but there is no need to worry about our homeland."

On this day, many people in the entire Yuanming Lower Realm left their hometowns, some heading to Xuanhuang Grotto Heaven to participate in the Ascension Ceremony.

Some left their hometowns to join the army and traveled to Luoxia Mountain.

The rise and fall of each flying boat carried the hopes of the entire Yuanming lower realm.

Whether human, demon, ghost, or god.

The journey ahead is long and arduous, with the setting sun casting a vast, boundless glow over seven hundred miles, and iron armor gleaming in the moonlight. There is no need to worry about our homeland.

This is Ji Jinjin's promise, and it is the promise of every soldier on Luoxia Mountain.