Chapter 296: The young man’s wish
The young man’s wish, Mu Sanniang did not refuse, and silently accepted this extremely rare Heavenly Mountain Snow Lotus.
Their tacit understanding seemed to issue a silent mockery at someone.
The old woman residing in the Sea of Consciousness couldn’t help but fall silent upon witnessing this scene, remaining speechless for a long time.
***
This year marked the seventh year since the siblings entered the Tai Xuan Sect.
In terms of time, it wasn’t very long.
However, their reputations were already quite significant.
One was a talented young man personally favored by the Sect Master, while the other was a useless individual who relied on her brother’s power to remain in the sect.
Both the outer and inner sects had heard of this pair of siblings, often using them as conversation topics.
The young man was adorned with talent, brimming with spirit, constantly making Mu Sanniang, as his “older sister,” appear rather embarrassed.
However, this situation underwent a drastic change in the seventh year.
The young girl, alone with her sword, slew a demonic beast across three realms, creating an unprecedented legend in the outer sect.
Mu Sanniang was not one for words, but her indifferent expression and bloodstained attire spoke for her.
No one dared to underestimate this usually taciturn girl anymore, nor did anyone feel comfortable openly mocking her.
Yet, there were still some subtle voices questioning the veracity of the matter.
Apart from Chen An, most other disciples likely harbored some doubts in their hearts.
Only Chen An felt no shock at his sister’s seemingly miraculous life.
This was well within his expectations.
What a joke! To be a protagonist of a world, how could he possibly be considered useless?
Considering his obscurity for the past seven years, that would have been truly abnormal.
Precisely because he knew this, Chen An did not forcibly stop Mu Sanniang when she chose to descend the mountain alone multiple times.
That was the young girl’s destiny, or perhaps her opportunity, and it was impossible to escape.
***
The following two years saw the Tai Xuan Sect’s outer sect seemingly return to its normal state.
Initially, the buzz surrounding Mu Sanniang remained high, but as time passed, and with the young girl remaining reclusive and no longer hunting demonic beasts, she gradually faded from public view.
People’s memories were easily overwritten by new events.
Except for the occasional fleeting glance when someone stumbled upon her, life remained largely unchanged.
The young girl continued her routine, a simple cycle of cultivation and closeness with her younger brother.
Only Mu Sanniang herself knew that she was gradually digesting the benefits of soul devouring.
Twenty-seven souls were more than enough for her to refine for quite some time.
Upon completing the refinement, her One Yuan Soul Devouring cultivation technique successfully advanced to the second level.
At the same time, the young girl was waiting.
Waiting for the day of the outer sect selection.
Because to find the place where her Master said heretical path cultivators were imprisoned, she first had to enter the inner sect.
The Tai Xuan Sect named such a place the Nether Prison.
All Tai Xuan Sect disciples or elders who committed grave mistakes were imprisoned in the Nether Prison to reflect and repent.
This also included many captured demonic beasts and heretical path cultivators who caused trouble.
As for why they weren’t simply killed with a sword, the Tai Xuan Sect naturally had its own considerations.
Firstly, the existence of such a place provided a convenient trial ground for sect disciples and was easy to control, preventing unexplained casualties.
Secondly, some heretical path cultivators possessed incredibly bizarre means. Killing them directly, rather than suppressing them, would lead to endless repercussions.
For instance, an old demon, suppressed on the Seventh layer of Nether, practiced an extremely peculiar cultivation technique. If killed directly, he could immediately use a prepared substitute Gu worm, to resurrect through it.
There were a total of three such substitute Gu worms.
The Tai Xuan Sect had suffered from this previously, hence they learned their lesson. They had already dispatched people to search externally. Before the remaining two Gu worms could be destroyed, that demon was suppressed here, allowing the underground Nether Qi to erode his mind, plunging him into chaos.
These details were naturally unknown to Mu Sanniang.
She had spent the past two years having her younger brother inquire about them.
With his status as a personal disciple of the Sect Master, Chen An quickly discovered everything about the Nether Prison for his sister.
Although he didn’t know why she wanted to go there, Chen An certainly wouldn’t refuse.
Moreover, the Nether Prison itself served a trial purpose. As long as the young girl entered the inner sect, she would eventually encounter it.
The Nether Prison had seven layers. The first three layers held relatively simpler individuals, mostly demonic beasts that caused trouble and Tai Xuan Sect disciples who had made mistakes.
The demonic beasts within the Nether Prison were stronger than those found at the foot of South Mountain.
Even the first layer housed cultivators at the mid to late Qi Refining stage.
And the deeper one went, the stronger the demonic beasts became.
There were even formidable demon kings at the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core realms.
However, such realms were typically found from the fourth and fifth layers downwards.
To others, the Nether Prison was often associated with gloom and terror, a place inner sect disciples preferred not to discuss.
But to Mu Sanniang, the Nether Prison was like a treasure trove awaiting her excavation.
The Tai Xuan Sect possessed a profound foundation, with a heritage spanning over a thousand years. The number of demonic beasts imprisoned within the Seven layers of Nether was innumerable.
This held immense appeal for the young girl who yearned to become stronger.
She was currently at Qi Cultivation Level 4, which was considered top-tier in the outer sect.
However, compared to her younger brother, Chen An, she appeared so weak, even somewhat laughable.
Because in their ninth year at the Tai Xuan Sect, the young man had already successfully broken through to Qi Refining and Condense Foundation Establishment!
As a heavenly talent of the Tai Xuan Sect’s generation, he was undoubtedly living up to his reputation.
Looking back at herself, unable to continue hunting demonic beasts, her cultivation had stalled. Two years had passed, and there had been no progress whatsoever.
The efficiency of improving cultivation through legitimate practice was despairingly slow.
After tasting the sweetness of breakthrough from her first soul devouring, Mu Sanniang was no longer satisfied.
She wanted to become stronger.
Stronger than her brother, stronger than everyone.
Only then could she ensure her brother wouldn’t be bullied.
Most importantly, only by being strong could she guarantee her brother wouldn’t be taken away by others.
The faint scent emanating from her brother was appearing more and more frequently, causing Mu Sanniang extreme stress and nearly driving her mad.
However, she endured it silently, without asking questions.
With all these factors combined, the young girl’s desire to become stronger intensified, bordering on obsession.
It was also this year that the selection, eagerly anticipated by the outer sect disciples, finally arrived.
Mu Sanniang’s figure reappeared before the public eye.
In recent years, the young girl favored wearing a cyan dress. Her figure was slender and taller than average. Standing amidst the crowd, she resembled a cool, pure green lotus.
Her features had matured. The bangs obscuring her forehead had been braided by her brother, revealing her clear and exquisitely beautiful face.
However, her expression was characteristically devoid of emotion, exuding an aloofness that kept others at bay.
Perhaps only when alone with Chen An would the young girl shed her facade and reveal her gentle other side.
She stood there, raising her head, her eyes shifting slightly.
On the viewing platform for the outer sect selection, she saw a young man in flowing white robes.
Seeing his sister look over, he chuckled lightly as a response.
Mu Sanniang quietly tightened the long sword in her hand.
She knew her brother was watching her.
(End of this chapter)
