How did a demonic witch become the leader of the righteous path?

Chapter 92 The Dragon Tiger Holy Land's Disciple Recruitment Ceremony: Shen Xuan Appears (4,000-word chapter)

Jade Bamboo Peak, within the Yu Zhao Cave.

Yu Zhao, Shen Yunshu, and the newly promoted Golden Core expert Zhang Yanqiu sat around a tea table, staring at each other without saying a word.

The atmosphere became inexplicably awkward.

Yu Zhao and Shen Yunshu had no idea why Zhang Yanqiu had come, and since they weren't exactly friends with him, they didn't know what to talk about.

Zhang Yanqiu, on the other hand, simply didn't know where to begin. He was able to enter the Golden Core realm thanks to Yu Zhao. If it weren't for Yu Zhao's guidance in the Fallen Demon Valley, he wouldn't have been able to gain any insights.

Therefore, Zhang Yanqiu owed Yu Zhao a favor, or as cultivators would say, karma.

Now that he has entered the Golden Core stage, Zhang Yanqiu has a deeper understanding of the concept of cause and effect. He can vaguely sense the power of cause and effect, which means that owing cause and effect is extremely difficult.

You can't owe anything but karmic debts. If you do, you have to pay it back, or something terrible will happen.

Zhang Yanqiu came to visit Yu Zhao as soon as he came out of seclusion, actually wanting to repay the karmic debt. However, when he actually met Yu Zhao, he was at a loss for words and how to repay the karmic debt.

He had only had this idea in mind before coming here, so he came here in a daze.

At this moment, Zhang Yanqiu muttered to himself, "I must have lost my mind. Why did I come here in such a panic?"

Junior Sister Yu must think I'm very strange right now.

Before he arrived, Zhang Yanqiu already knew that Master Xuanji planned to take Yu Zhao as his disciple, so he had to call her junior sister.

Meanwhile, seeing that the other person still looked like he had something difficult to say, Yu Zhao couldn't stand his sour face any longer, so she took the initiative to break the awkward atmosphere, "Senior Brother Zhang, did you come to see us for something?"

"Nothing—nothing much. I just heard you entered Jade Bamboo Peak, so I came to check."

Zhang Yanqiu thought he would deal with the matter of repaying karmic debts later, since he hadn't figured out how to do so yet.

So you came here to show off that you've reached the Golden Core stage, right?

While inwardly grumbling, Yu Zhao smiled and congratulated him, saying, "I haven't yet congratulated you on entering the Golden Core Realm, but I wish you a smooth path to immortality. From now on, once you swallow a Golden Core, your fate will be in your own hands, not in the heavens."

As she spoke, Yu Zhao stood up and bowed to Zhang Yanqiu. Then she took out a long sword from her storage bag and handed it to him. "This is a magic sword that I forged myself to congratulate you, Senior Brother. It's not a high-level magic weapon, so I hope you won't find it offensive."

This completely stunned Zhang Yanqiu. After realizing what was happening, he waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no, how can I take your magic weapon? Take it back quickly, it's too precious."

"It's just a low-level magic artifact. Senior brother, don't try to refuse me. If you don't accept it, it means you look down on your junior sister's low-level magic artifact."

Yu Zhao pretended to be angry, and since things had come to this point, Zhang Yanqiu had no choice but to accept the gift.

She carefully placed the precious item into her storage ring.

Yu Zhao used a low-level magic weapon he had crafted while practicing to bring the two closer together, and Zhang Yanqiu was overjoyed to see it.

Yu Zhao suddenly had an idea. She could use magical artifacts to weave a network of interpersonal relationships in this Dragon Tiger Holy Land.

She can forge as many of these magical artifacts as she wants, and she doesn't even lack the necessary materials. There are many corpses lying inside her Dry Banner.

Her weapon-forging method was quite mysterious. The magical artifacts she forged from corpses were not only indistinguishable from ordinary magical artifacts in appearance, but also had no demonic aura.

Although what is forged is indeed a demonic artifact, possessing some of the chaotic powers of demonic artifacts, it is not uncontrollable.

If you skip just one step, you'll end up with an ordinary magical artifact, like the flying sword you gave to Zhang Yanqiu, which, in Yu Zhao's own words, is a defective product.

However, these defective products are very popular among low-level cultivators. You should know that in this world, magical artifacts and pills are very scarce. Even in a large sect like the Dragon Tiger Holy Land, not every disciple has a magical artifact of the same grade as the defective product that Yu Zhao refined.

Yu Zhao felt that he could use this defective product to win people's hearts, make investments, and become a generous spender.

Well, from now on, I, Yu, will be known as a foolish, rich, and philanthropic person.

The more Yu Zhao thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.

She had a lot on her mind, but only a moment had passed. In Zhang Yanqiu's eyes, Yu Zhao had only been distracted for a moment.

Seeing that they had come to their senses, Zhang Yanqiu seemed to have thought of something. He raised his hand and set up an isolation array around the cave. Then he said nervously, "Junior Sister Yu, Junior Sister Shen, you must be close to the Golden Core realm, right?"

The two women neither denied nor admitted it, and just quietly looked at Zhang Yanqiu.

I don't quite understand why this guy suddenly brought this up.

Zhang Yanqiu seemed unconcerned about receiving a response from the two women. He continued speaking, "With your aptitudes, both of you junior sisters, I believe it won't be long before you undergo the Golden Core Tribulation. However, I advise you to consider this carefully. If you can suppress your cultivation level, do so. Ideally, you should enter the Golden Core Tribulation at the age of thirty, or at least at the age of twenty!"

If it were someone else, they would definitely think that Zhang Yanqiu said that because he was afraid that he would steal his thunder.

But the two women weren't that kind of person. They trusted Zhang Yanqiu's character and didn't think he was the kind of villain. So Yu Zhao asked, "Senior brother, what do you mean by that? Could you explain in more detail?"

"No, but trust me, my two junior sisters, I won't harm you. I can only say that the Golden Core Tribulation is far more terrifying than you can imagine."

The earlier one undergoes the Golden Core Tribulation, the more terrifying it is, and the greater its power. I was only able to survive it by sheer luck.

It wasn't that Zhang Yanqiu deliberately didn't say it, but rather that he dared not say it openly. He vaguely sensed that as long as he revealed the specifics of the Golden Core Tribulation, the Heavenly Dao would directly unleash a killing tribulation.

Therefore, even if he knew what was going on, he dared not say it outright.

After surviving the Golden Core Tribulation, Zhang Yanqiu learned that entering the Golden Core stage after the age of thirty was an ironclad rule of Heaven, but since one of the forty-nine Heavenly Evolutions had escaped, Heaven had left a way out.

He was lucky to seize this glimmer of hope, but not everyone can seize such a glimmer of hope.

According to his speculation, the survival rate of undergoing the Golden Core Tribulation at the age of twenty-five is one in ten thousand. If one attempts it before the age of twenty-five, ten out of ten people will die!

Although he didn't know why Heaven would set such a law, as someone who had been through it all, Zhang Yanqiu didn't dare to delve into it. He could only try his best to persuade Yu Zhao and Shen Yunshu.

Zhang Yanqiu's words made the two women fall into deep thought.

Yu Zhao believed that Zhang Yanqiu was not talking nonsense. There was no reason for him to talk nonsense about such a thing. So there was only one possibility: undergoing the Golden Core Tribulation after the age of thirty was a law set by the Heavenly Dao.

But why is the way of Heaven so fixed?

Why does this feel like the Heavenly Dao is deliberately blocking the path for these geniuses?

You must understand that time is of the most important thing for geniuses. They may be able to enter the Golden Core stage at the age of twenty or even fifteen, but they can only be sure of it after the age of thirty. In the meantime, they waste more than ten years.

More than ten years could mean missing out on too much for Tianjiao.

So what exactly is the purpose of this Heavenly Dao fixing this law? Is it to deliberately block the path of geniuses or to protect them?

It can't be that they're afraid the prodigies will break through their realm too quickly, causing their foundations to become unstable.

Yu Zhao couldn't understand it, but then she realized that she was worrying too much about other people's business, and that the meaning of Heaven's will was none of her concern.

She is currently only a minor Foundation Establishment cultivator at the tenth level, and her attempt to speculate on the existence of the Heavenly Dao is simply like a frog in a well with a limited view of the sky.

After chatting with Yu Zhao and the others for a while, Zhang Yanqiu got up to say goodbye and left. After he left, the two women didn't say anything more and went to cultivate on their own.

It was as if he didn't take Zhang Yanqiu's words seriously at all.

For the next ten days or so, Yu Zhao and Shen Yunshu stayed indoors, but they knew about the news outside, which was naturally brought by the chubby Wang Jiuxiao.

This chubby guy comes to Jade Bamboo Peak every few days, chats with Yu Zhao and the others for a while, and then leaves.

He brought them a lot of news.

The news that most concerned Yu Zhao was that Zhang Yanqiu was no longer in the Dragon Tiger Holy Land.

According to the chubby boy, he went to the Northern Region.

As for what he was going to do in the Northern Region, the chubby boy had no idea.

The reason this news caught Yu Zhao's attention was because of the words "Northern Regions".

She came from that place, and in Yu Zhao's opinion, that place was too treacherous. Even now, she was still afraid of the Northern Region.

Zhang Yanqiu, however, went to the Northern Region. Yu Zhao did not think that the Dragon Tiger Holy Land was unaware of how sinister the Northern Region was, yet he still sent Zhang Yanqiu there.

What are they trying to do?

That's right. Yu Zhao believes that Zhang Yanqiu's trip to the Northern Region must have been at the behest of the higher-ups of the Dragon Tiger Holy Land. Otherwise, why would he go there if he had nothing better to do?

Could it be that the Dragon Tiger Holy Land sent Zhang Yanqiu to the Northern Region to investigate my past because the disciple-acceptance ceremony is approaching?

This is what Yu Zhao is most worried about. Her past is too sensitive to investigate. Although Zhang Yanqiu may not be able to find anything, Yu Zhao can't help but worry. However, there is nothing she can do now, and she can only wait and see.

Time passed day by day in peaceful life.

Before we knew it, the day of the apprenticeship ceremony arrived.

That day, the Dragon Tiger Holy Land was exceptionally lively, as disciples all came out to watch the grand ceremony.

This apprentice-acceptance ceremony is considered a grand event in the Dragon and Tiger Sacred Land.

At this moment, Yu Zhao, Shen Yunshu, and the chubby Wang Jiuxiao stood together on a high-rise building in the outer town of Waimen at the foot of the mountain.

You can't get up here without some kind of status.

Yu Zhao and Shen Yunshu were able to come entirely thanks to the little fat boy.

The chubby boy pointed to a corner in the distance and said to the two girls, "Junior Sister Yu, Junior Sister Shen, look over there. That's the gate of our Dragon Tiger Holy Land. Newcomers enter the Holy Land from there and then undergo the sect entrance assessment."

He introduced the two junior female students with great interest.

Following the direction he pointed, Yu Zhao used his divine sense to probe and saw a giant white jade mountain gate standing tall. People were already entering the mountain gate. Behind the mountain gate was a large square, where many people were now standing.

While Yu Zhao was observing, the chubby boy was still chattering away, explaining: "That's the Ascension Platform of our Holy Land. Those newcomers will undergo the sect entrance examination at the Ascension Platform. At that time, sect elders will open the examination secret realm at the Ascension Platform. Those who pass will naturally become disciples of the Dragon Tiger Holy Land."

After that, everyone will go to choose their disciples. The peak masters will also be there. Junior sisters, let's go too.

"What are we going there for?" Yu Zhao asked, puzzled. "Does my sister and I have to take the test too?"

"Of course you don't need to. Since Martial Aunt Xuanji has arranged for you to live on Jade Bamboo Peak, then you are disciples of Jade Bamboo Peak."

All that's missing is a formal apprenticeship ceremony. With your two junior sisters' aptitude, Martial Aunt Xuanji would definitely accept you as her personal disciples. The reason she hasn't mentioned it yet is probably because she has her reasons.

The chubby boy really enjoyed chatting with the two girls. He looked at them with a smile and said, "As for what we're going to do, we're going to select disciples, of course."

"Can we take on apprentices too?"

This surprised Yu Zhao.

"Junior sister, what are you saying? Why can't we take on disciples? You don't think all the new disciples are qualified to become disciples of the peak master, elders, or deacons, do you?"

Yu Zhao thought about it and realized that made sense. Both she and the chubby Wang Jiuxiao were Foundation Establishment cultivators, and Foundation Establishment cultivators who could reverse the process of attacking the Golden Core stage.

In some small sects, this person would be considered an elder.

Naturally, they are qualified to take on apprentices.

Yu Zhao just hadn't quite come to terms with this mindset. She had always considered herself a low-level cultivator, and now that she could take on disciples, she suddenly had some inexplicable feelings.

It's quite amazing.

Actually, it's not Yu Zhao's fault. Along the way, Yu Zhao has encountered many powerful players and played high-level games.

In this circle, she was naturally at the bottom.

But in reality, with her peak Foundation Establishment cultivation and her status as a disciple of the Dragon Tiger Holy Land, she would definitely be considered a prodigy in the outside world.

She could be respectfully addressed as a fairy, and in a small sect, she could even be called a Foundation Establishment Ancestor.

Hehehe~

Thinking of this, Yu Zhao couldn't help but chuckle. This chuckle made the little fat boy think for the first time that his junior sister Yu was quite cute. He belatedly realized that his junior sister Yu was just a young girl.

It's just that Junior Sister Yu is usually too composed, so people always overlook her age.

"Stop grinning like an idiot, let's hurry over and grab a good spot."

The chubby boy's voice brought Yu Zhao back to her senses. She regained her dignified demeanor and followed the chubby boy, Wang Jiuxiao, towards the Ascension Platform he had mentioned.

After the three arrived, the chubby boy found a spot, then took out a chair and a table from his storage magic item, and set out tea and food.

"Junior Sister Yu, Junior Sister Shen, please take your seats. Let's eat and watch. After the secret realm opens, we'll be able to see what's inside from the outside. Let me tell you, it's quite interesting. Every time, newcomers make a fool of themselves in there."

Yu Zhao:

Aren't you afraid of getting beaten up for looking so gloating?

Seeing that many disciples of the Dragon Tiger Holy Land had arrived like the chubby boy, as if they were there to watch a movie, she immediately felt relieved. Everyone...

Similarly, one shouldn't be afraid of being too flamboyant and attracting attention.

Yu Zhao led Shen Yunshu to her seat.

The three had barely sat down when they saw someone walking towards them. Upon seeing this person, the chubby boy's face darkened, and he muttered, "Why did we run into him? What damn bad luck!"

The newcomer was Shen Xuan from Dongyang Peak, a true disciple just like the chubby boy.

The chubby boy felt both disgust and fear towards this person. Unlike Li Xuange, who died under mysterious circumstances, this man was not like Li Xuange, who was purely arrogant and acted without any scruples; he was a true villain.

But in the little fat boy's eyes, Shen Xuan was a hypocrite, and it was a question of who was more annoying.

The chubby boy wasn't good at pretending; he would never feign friendliness towards people he disliked. So, he asked Shen Xuan with a hint of annoyance, "Senior Brother Shen, why aren't you talking with your Dongyang Peak members here?"

Upon hearing the name "Senior Brother Shen," Yu Zhao and Shen Yunshu exchanged a glance. They guessed that this person was Shen Xuan, someone who was related to Shen Yunshu.

Yu Zhao's glance was actually a question to Shen Yunshu: did she recognize this person?

Shen Yunshu responded with her eyes: "Don't look at me, I don't know him at all, but his eyebrows and eyes really do look like mine."

This is what puzzled Shen Yunshu. She, the daughter of the Shen family, was a fake. So the question is, how could the real prodigy of the Shen family have something in common with her in terms of eyebrows and eyes?

Little Green Tea scratched her head, full of doubt.