Mortal: I really didn't want to be reborn as Zi Ling!

"I heard."

Jin Kui abruptly changed the subject, his tone suddenly becoming serious: "When Lei Peng escaped half a year ago, you disappeared for a while. After returning, you suddenly displayed the strength of a pseudo-infant level, even defeating Wu Chou, the grandson of the Extreme Yin Ancestor, and driving the Extreme Yin Old Ghost possessing Wu Chou to flee in panic?"

Jin Kui stared intently at Zi Ling, not missing a single change in her expression: "What exactly happened?"

Zi Ling's expression changed drastically.

My head buzzed, as if something had exploded inside my skull.

She felt her back instantly soaked in cold sweat, the icy sweat running down her spine, giving her goosebumps all over.

Fortunately, she reacted quickly.

In the blink of an eye, she forced herself to calm down. Her breathing went from rapid to even, her fingers went from twisting the hem of her clothes to hanging down naturally, and the color returned to her face quickly.

But a storm raged in my heart.

How was this exposed?

The mother hadn't even mentioned the father, so she couldn't possibly have told anyone. Although Senior Sister Fan knew the inside story, she had made a vow against her inner demons and would never tell anyone either.

Even if Senior Sister Fan really wanted to tell on them, she shouldn't have waited half a year.

That leaves only one possibility—

Extremely Yin Island.

Wu Chou, or the extremely Yin Old Demon himself.

But why did they tell Jin Kui?

If they don't tell, they still have a chance to capture him and force him to reveal the secret of the broken pearl. But once Jin Kui finds out, it will be very difficult for Ji Yin Island to have another chance to strike.

Could it be that Jin Kui caused trouble for Ji Yin Island, forcing the Ji Yin Ancestor into a corner?

Zi Ling knew that now was not the time to delve into the matter.

But instinctively, she still wanted to deduce some clues. Only by understanding the whole story could she make the right decision.

This will also better prevent similar incidents from happening again.

A moment later, Zi Ling raised her head and looked calmly at Jin Kui.

"Reporting to the Grand Elder, this is indeed true."

Jin Kui raised his chin slightly.

"Oh? Tell me, what exactly happened?"

His tone carried an undisguised curiosity: "To suddenly advance from the early Foundation Establishment stage to the Pseudo-Nascent Soul stage is something unheard of in the entire cultivation world."

Zi Ling pursed her lips.

Then, he stretched out his hand, and a purple fragment the size of a fingernail slowly appeared in his palm.

The fragments emitted a faint purple light, making her knuckles almost transparent.

The purple light was faint, yet it appeared particularly dazzling in the dimly lit hall.

A faint, chilling aura permeated the air, as if something was awakening in the darkness.

Zi Ling hesitated for a moment, "I don't know the specifics, but I did have a strange encounter that day. In a cave at the bottom of the sea, there was a being that called itself an ancestor. It said that my physique was compatible with it, so it took up residence in my body."

She paused, as if recalling details.

"Later, when I was in danger, that thing came to my aid. But afterwards—it seemed to have exhausted its energy and fell into a deep sleep. I tried everything, but I couldn't wake it up."

At this point, Zi Ling suddenly raised her head, a look of worry appearing on her face.

"Elder, could you please take a look at this junior?"

She held the purple fragment in her palm and stretched it out forward.

"Is this thing dangerous? Could it be some old monster in disguise, temporarily residing in a junior's body, waiting for the right moment to take over?"

After speaking, she lowered her head and presented the fragments to Jin Kui for examination.

At this moment, Zi Ling was prepared to lose this fragment.

It would be a lie to say I don't feel sorry for her.

But she had no choice.

In front of a peak mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, any attempt at sophistry or concealment is futile. Rather than being forcibly interrogated or even subjected to a soul search, it's better to hand it over voluntarily.

At least, surrendering voluntarily could offer a glimmer of hope.

Moreover—

She had a vague guess in her mind.

This is something that not just anyone can touch.

Jin Kui was stunned.

He certainly noticed the change in Zi Ling's expression just a moment ago. Based on his experience, she should have tried to evade, make excuses, and make up all sorts of lies to fool him.

He was even prepared to personally search the soul.

But Zi Ling's reaction was completely beyond his expectations.

The other party actually took the item out.

Although he could sense that Zi Ling was hiding something, every word she said was indeed true.

Moreover, the aura of that fragment was unmistakable; it was definitely not an ordinary object, nor could it be something the other party could casually produce.

The key is not to pursue perfection in everything.

The fact that the other party could achieve this level of skill surpasses more than 90% of the cultivators in the Star Palace.

At least, they are much better than those corrupt officials who neglected their duties during the Kuixing Island incident and then shirked responsibility afterwards.

Upon thinking of Kui Xing Island, Jin Kui's expression darkened.

Six months ago, the grand formation was destroyed, and Lei Peng escaped. There were too many shady dealings involved, even the Sixth Elder, who was in seclusion, was somewhat unclear about it. But as the First Elder, he couldn't expose it directly; he even had to clean up the mess for Lei Peng.

This was done solely for the sake of the Star Palace's dignity and for the greater good during the Twin Saints' seclusion.

Moreover, he also needs someone he can trust.

You don't need to be very strong, but you must be smart enough, loyal enough, and able to judge the situation.

"very good."

Jin Kui spoke.

The scrutiny and probing in the voice disappeared, replaced by a rare sense of appreciation.

"Didn't you say you wanted to find someone to rely on?"

Zi Ling suddenly raised her head.

"I can accept you as a disciple under my name."

Jin Kui's voice, neither hurried nor slow, echoed in the hall: "If you can successfully form your core within a hundred years, I will formally accept you as my disciple and prepare resources for you when you attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul stage in the future."

Zi Ling's pupils suddenly dilated.

She was well aware of the value of the fragments of the pearl; their origins were probably far greater than Jin Kui had imagined.

However, since the remnant pearl was in a deep sleep and could not be converted into cash, becoming Jin Kui's disciple, even if only as a nominal disciple, meant that no one in the entire Chaotic Star Sea would dare to touch her openly.

In the world of cultivation, the master-disciple relationship is not just a casual saying; some master-disciple relationships far surpass those of blood relatives.

While one's offspring may vary in quality, one's apprentices are always carefully selected.

Of course, places like Jiyin Island are an exception.

Now that she has become Jin Kui's disciple, even if she is only a nominal disciple, countless cultivators would be eager to have her.

Miaoyin Sect remained as stable as a rock in the hands of her father and mother.

Those forces secretly plotting should at least consider the weight of the Grand Elder's disciple.

More importantly, with Jin Kui's tiger skin, many things that were originally difficult became easier.

Hunting monsters in the open sea, collecting fragments of pearls, and acquiring cultivation resources—these were things she originally had to do secretly.

Now, however, they can do so openly and even benefit from the Star Palace's advantages.

They could even find an opportunity to use the other party's connections to capture that turtle demon with a self-healing body.

"Thank you for your kindness, Master!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Zi Ling knelt down on the ground.

Her knees struck the white marble tiles with a crisp sound. She bent down, her forehead touching the cool ground, her tone more solemn than ever before.

"Your disciple will certainly live up to Master's expectations, achieve Core Formation as soon as possible, and contribute to the Star Palace!"

Jin Kui watched Zi Ling's fluid and graceful movements and suddenly felt a little regretful.

Did I agree too quickly?