Chapter 160 - 146 Mo Li Becomes an Apprentice_1

Li Zijun held Da Bai the cat and made her way up No-Sword Peak. Her gaze was fixed on Dan Wulan, who was healing Su Bei from afar. Although there was a hint of surprise in her eyes, it seemed as if she had suddenly let go of her worries. She then leaned against the tree that was the most familiar to her in memory, looking up at the night sky and smiling peacefully. You normally wouldn't take this route, Master... Then, she turned and walked away. The martial arts competition had ended. Sect Disciples from the Twenty-One Provinces stood proudly under the stage, discussing today's strongest in their hearts. At Xi Qingyi's signal, the disciples from Sword Peak arranged the fireworks that had been prepared beforehand in rows. The fireworks soared into the darkness, blossoming one after another, then turning into smoke that drifted away—brilliant, but only for a moment. 「Atop No-Sword Peak.」 Su Bei's injuries had mostly healed; all that was left was to rest for a few days. Seeing this, Dan Wulan withdrew her Spiritual Energy, stood up, gave Su Bei a cold glance, and turned around, ready to leave. Watching the woman who had not spoken a word from the start, Su Bei finally couldn't hold back and reached out to tug on Dan Wulan's sleeve instinctively. Dan Wulan stopped in her tracks, her body trembling slightly in a barely perceptible way. She did not turn around, nor did she move forward, stopping where she was. Snowflakes fluttered about as the gentle wind blew through Dan Wulan's white hair. "That... thank you for your help, Junior Sister." After a long moment of deliberation, not knowing what to say, Su Bei looked at his arm grasping Dan Wulan's sleeve, then retracted it with a touch of embarrassment. A shade of disappointment flashed through Dan Wulan's eyes, yet she remained silent, her expression still as cold as ever. Then, once again, she began to move forward, taking steps away. Watching Dan Wulan walk away, Su Bei felt as though he had lost something precious in his heart, a sense of emptiness, as if the person before him was drifting away... The fireworks were still bursting, echoing with explosions in the firmament, and then the sparks scattered and faded into the horizon. Su Bei looked at Dan Wulan, who was almost out of the grass hut's courtyard, and suddenly took a deep breath before running after her, calling out loudly, "Junior Sister!!" Dan Wulan seemed not to hear, her embroidered shoes making a CRUNCHING noise on the soft snowy ground. Su Bei coughed, snow blowing into his mouth, tasting somewhat cold. "Winter is almost over." Pausing for a moment, Su Bei's eyes reflected the fireworks filling the sky. "Spring is coming, and the peach blossoms will bloom..." Dan Wulan finally seemed to hear something, her steps hesitating slightly as she looked up at the sky ablaze with flowers. "...Do you want to enjoy the peach blossoms together? At No-Sword Peak!" "..." Having said that, Su Bei's eyes appeared hopeful as he just looked at Dan Wulan. BANG! A dazzling flower blossomed in an instant, illuminating the entire Sword Sect! As the flower withered, a rain of fireworks scattered into sparks that streaked across the heaven, falling and merging with the flying snow before dissipating. The east wind at night bursts flowers on a thousand trees; even more, it scatters them down, stars like rain. With a beautiful curve tugging at her lips, Dan Wulan's face, bathed in the glow of firelight, radiated exquisite beauty as her eyes adored the blossoming blooms with enchantment. Perhaps it was the reflection of the fireworks that painted Dan Wulan's cheeks with a bewitching flush of red, her eyes misty and blurred. "Mm." Under the bright moon, a soft reply followed the wind to Su Bei's ear. Afterward, Dan Wulan's figure disappeared from No-Sword Peak. Su Bei raised an eyebrow. What did that 'mm' mean? He wasn't sure if his Junior Sister had forgiven him... But he really hadn't done anything! All he did was want to take a sniff of someone's bellyband alone in his room, that's all. And he hadn't even sniffed that bellyband yet! Observing Su Bei's puzzled expression, Xiao Ruoching, who stood not far away, heaved a deep sigh. She approached her Master without a word, and quietly looked up at the sky ablaze with fireworks. "Speaking of which, since the fireworks are for celebration, the competition must be over..." Su Bei realized and said to his wastrel disciple. Xiao Ruoching nodded. "Then we should head back. After all, the closing ceremony is somewhat more important." "..." Xiao Ruoching followed Su Bei in silence, listening to the continuous fireworks exploding overhead, and sighed inwardly. Master, Ninth Uncle may be an Immortal, but when she left the grass hut on No-Sword Peak, she walked. She was always waiting for those words from you... 「Inside Cloud Array Hall.」 Xi Qingyi stroked his beard, satisfied with the scene before him and the sound of the firecrackers. Even though there had been some mishaps, by and large, he was content. Then he exchanged a glance with Mo Zhan among the elders, nodding to each other. Today, in addition to his own eight hundredth birthday celebration, there was another, more important event: Mo Li's initiation ceremony! His gaze passed over Mo Zhan's shoulder to the cold and aloof silver-haired woman behind him. Xi Qingyi was extremely pleased. This woman was truly an excellent choice in both temperament and innate talent! While Su Bei had someone with an Innate Taoist Body like Xiao Ruoching, he himself was about to take Mo Li with her Sword Three constitution as his disciple... Just by nurturing Mo Li well, with her Sword Three innate talent and his own superior personal charm, she was sure to break into the top ten of the great competition among Sects in the Twenty-One Provinces! With this thought, Xi Qingyi cleared his throat and, with a rosy glow on his face, looked at all the Sect Elders and disciples and smiled. "I thank all the Sect Elders for being present to witness this occasion. Today, I, Xi, have another important announcement to make!" Xi Qingyi's voice was loud, instantly capturing everyone's attention. Jun Wuxie chugged from a jug of wine, burping in confusion as he looked at Xi Qingyi. Seeing that all eyes were focused on him, Xi Qingyi laughed heartily, hands clasped behind his back, and said, "Today, from the Mo Family of Dongfeng Ancient Country, the daughter of Mo Zhan, will join the Sword Sect!" "!!!" In an instant, the scene fell silent. All present turned their gazes towards the silver-haired woman standing quietly to the side. The very next moment, all kinds of shocked voices filled Cloud Array Hall: "What? Miss Mo wants to become a disciple of the Sword Sect?" "Why would she consider such a thing? There are so many top-tier sects, aren't there? Any of them would be better than the Sword Sect, right?" "Come to think of it, Miss Mo indeed possesses the Sword Three Body; maybe she's more compatible with the Sword Sect..." "Isn't this a waste of God's gifts? My Returning-to-Ancient Sect doesn't agree with this!" "I just wonder who Miss Mo will choose as her master from the Sword Sect." "Isn't it obvious? Since Elder Xi proposed it, she must be intending to take Elder Xi as her master..." Watching the crowd's reaction, Xi Qingyi's eyes shone even brighter! Then, trying to make his gaze appear gentler, he licked his somewhat dry lips and looked towards Mo Li who was below the stage. Mo Zhan stood up and looked towards the gathered elders and Sect Disciples, raising his voice in agreement. "Indeed, today my daughter Mo Li will become a disciple of the Sword Sect!" He then turned towards the quiet, silent silver-haired woman, stroked his beard, and asked, "Li Er, whose discipleship in the Sword Sect do you wish to take?" Xi Qingyi looked triumphant, with his hands behind his back and Spiritual Energy overflowing around him, appearing transcendent and supreme, the very image of a highly respected elder. He was prepared to receive Mo Li's act of worship. Empress Lin Jinyu, with a thoughtful expression, watched all of this and, like everyone else, held her breath, waiting for an answer she thought she already knew. Mo Li stepped out from her place, her cool and proud eyes scanning the surroundings, her starlike gaze piercing and frosty. Everyone watching was silently astonished by the girl, who, without having practiced much, emanated such an imposing temperament based solely on her aura. Silence reigned. A cold wind blew past, and then from afar came a faint and elusive voice, unusually clear in this world: "Disciple, are you coming or not?" "Yes." "Disciple, what are all those fools standing there for? Is there a rule that says you can't talk while watching fireworks?" "Disciple doesn't know." "Disciple, do you believe your Master could leap up and touch that withered leaf?" "Disciple doesn't believe it. If Master can reach it, Disciple will acknowledge your prowess." "..." Everyone made odd expressions as they listened to all this. However, Empress Dongfeng seemed to suddenly discover something interesting, her eyes filled with curiosity as she watched two figures approaching from the distance. Hearing this voice, the corners of Mo Li's mouth suddenly curled into an amused smile, much like a rebellious young girl. Her delicate, jade-like cheeks were reddened by the sky full of fireworks, and she blinked at Xi Qingyi who stood on the high platform with his hands behind his back. Then, to everyone's amazement, she turned and kneeled towards Su Bei, who was still casually chatting with his wastrel disciple, and bowed down to him. Her cool voice, carrying the chill of frost and snow, echoed in Cloud Array Hall for a long time: "Mo Li greets Elder Su!" "Please, Elder Su, take Mo Li as your disciple!" "..." There was silence. Xi Qingyi's mouth gaped open, incredulous at the scene unfolding before him. Mo Zhan's mouth twitched unnaturally. Wenren Pingxin looked with an odd expression at the bewildered Su Bei. The next moment—HISS! A multitude of gasps resounded through the heavens and earth. Then came a deluge of murmuring voices: "What in the world? Did I hear that wrong?" "Miss Mo taking Elder Su as her master?" "This... this is truly eye-opening! What a revelation!" "It's like a young bull crying over a heifer—utterly unbelievable!" "..." Su Bei swallowed hard, looking at Mo Li who had suddenly kneeled before him, unsure of what expression to make. As countless gazes turned his way, especially Xi Qingyi's cold and resentful eyes that seemed to wish him chopped to pieces, he subconsciously wanted to refuse. But then he looked down into Mo Li's eyes. Filled with joy, like clear autumn water, under the light of the fireworks, they shimmered brightly. He had never seen such an expression on this woman before. Staring blankly at her, Su Bei's lips trembled for a moment, and the refusal ultimately went unsaid. Under the scrutiny of so many, if he were to refuse her... she would certainly lose face, wouldn't she? Su Bei smiled at her, then, under the watchful eyes of all those present, he stepped forward and extended a hand to Mo Li. BANG! The fireworks burst forth, illuminating Su Bei's face. Su Bei smiled kindly. The moonlight was bright this night, and beneath the fireworks, it was as clear as day. Then his voice, mild as a spring breeze, gently reverberated through the land: "The night breeze is a bit chilly..." "Disciple, please rise."