Fairy, don't go! I have a mod.

"I'm really fine. Don't look at me like that. I feel very uncomfortable with you two staring at me like that. It feels like I'm being watched by two prison guards."

Lin Yanluo didn't retort as usual. She was unusually silent for a moment before speaking, her tone devoid of sarcasm or venom.

"How could nothing happen? This is unprecedented."

"With his Golden Core cultivation, and without any external assistance, he suppressed a Nascent Soul stage Star Pollution solely through his own soul..."

"There has never been such a precedent in the entire history of the Eight Desolations."

"You look perfectly healthy now, but who knows if there are any hidden dangers inside?"

"What if there are still residual pollutants at the soul level that haven't been cleaned up? What if that polluted soul is just temporarily dormant?"

"What if you suddenly go berserk while you're cultivating?"

As she spoke, her eyes were practically overflowing with a thirst for research, as if Mu Tianmiao were not a person, but a magical artifact she had never seen before, worthy of being disassembled and studied repeatedly.

Mu Tianmiao was speechless. He knew Lin Yanluo was genuinely worried, but this worry was wrapped in the occupational hazard of a weapon refiner, treating him as a research subject.

He wisely chose to abandon the argument and used a simple and direct method to change the subject: he pointed towards the trial area below the mountain.

"Let's just enjoy the show! Look at that girl with the red-tasseled spear, I still remember her name, Lu Hongying!"

Lu Hongying strode through the dense forest, the fallen leaves beneath her feet swirling and fluttering in the air.

Behind her, a giant bear, as big as a small mountain, roared and rampaged, smashing three ancient trees that were as thick as a person's embrace, sending wood chips flying like rain.

The giant bear was covered in dark brown, stiff fur, and its scarlet eyes were fixed on the red figure in front of it.

The bear's foul-smelling saliva trailed off for a long time.

Lu Hongying did not turn around.

She stepped on the rock blocking her way, bent her knees sharply, and sprang into the air, crushing the rock into pieces with the force of her stomp.

His body twisted in mid-air, using the impact of the bounce to leap high into the air, and he flew into the sky like an arrow released from a bow.

She gripped the end of the spear shaft with both hands, raised the spear high above her head, the tip pointing downwards, aiming at the giant bear below that was raising its head and roaring.

Red spiritual energy surged wildly from her palm into the spear, causing the entire spear to ignite with a blazing crimson light. The spiritual energy condensed at the spear tip had become so dense that it was almost tangible.

Then she plummeted from the sky, the tip of her spear trailing a long red flame, straight toward the bear's head.

The giant bear raised its paw and slammed it down, its paw covered in a thick, earthy-yellow aura, attempting to withstand the attack head-on.

The spear tip collided with the bear's paw, but made almost no sound. The spear pierced straight through the bear's paw, like a red-hot iron skewer through butter, and continued downwards with undiminished momentum.

It pierced the giant bear's skull, pierced its cervical vertebrae, and pinned its massive body firmly to the ground.

The ground exploded with a spiderweb-like pattern centered on the point where the gun tip landed, sending smoke and dust billowing into the sky. The surrounding trees rustled from the shockwave, startling birds all over the mountain.

As the smoke and dust cleared, Lu Hongying knelt on one knee on the giant bear's corpse, gripping the gun barrel in one hand, her red outfit fluttering in the wind.

She drew her spear and shook off the blood from the tip.

Chapter 112 Lu Hongying

When Lu Hongying dragged the giant bear's carcass back to the cave, the setting sun had already dyed the Luoxia Mountains a golden red.

That giant bear beast weighed at least two or three thousand pounds. She used several thick vines to bind one of its hind legs and dragged it along, carving a wide drag track through the dense forest.

The candidates along the way all turned their heads to look, some staring in disbelief, others silently making way.

Several independent cultivators who had originally intended to team up with her changed their minds after witnessing this scene...

This kind of fierce person is better off going it alone.

The cave wasn't large, but it was kept very tidy.

A simple windbreak wall was built at the entrance of the cave with several large stones. The inside of the cave was covered with clean dry grass, and in the corner were piles of spiritual herbs and magical beast materials that she had collected over the past few days.

She threw the giant bear at the entrance of the cave, took out a hunting knife half the height of a person from her storage bag, and began to skillfully dismember it.

The skinning, deboning, and meat-separating movements were fluid and skillful, clearly those of a seasoned professional.

The fattest bear paws were set aside, and the best tenderloin was cut into palm-sized slices and neatly arranged on clean banana leaves.

Then she took out the seasonings from her storage bag.

Salt, cumin, chili powder, a small jar of honey, and even a few sprigs of fresh rosemary.

She spread the seasoning evenly on the slices of meat, brushed them with honey twice, and then skewered them on a sharpened branch and placed them by the campfire.

The cooking time was perfect; the slices of meat gradually turned an enticing golden color as they were licked by the flames.

The oil dripped onto the charcoal fire, making a sizzling sound, and the aroma carried far away on the mountain breeze.

Lu Hongying sat cross-legged by the fire, humming an unknown tune as she flipped the meat skewers, occasionally sprinkling some cumin on them.

Their relaxed demeanor didn't resemble that of someone participating in an introductory trial; it was more like they were having a barbecue and camping trip.

Standing on the mountaintop, Lin Yanluo watched Lu Hongying deftly roasting bear meat and sprinkling cumin seasoning at the cave entrance, a rare smile of appreciation appearing on her lips.

"I really admire this girl."

She crossed her arms, raised her chin slightly, and spoke with a rare seriousness in her tone.

"If she displays even more explosive talent in the next few days, I will accept her as a disciple."

Mu Tianmiao turned to look at Lin Yanluo, his face full of surprise.

He still remembered what Tang Ruoyin said at the last recruitment fair.

"I'm already having a headache dealing with just one of you, I'm not in the mood to take on any more apprentices."

Elder Fu Xing wanted to take on male disciples but couldn't find any, while Lin Yanluo... this little brat who always talks about trash actually took the initiative to say she wanted to take on disciples?

"I thought you wouldn't take on any apprentices."

He was telling the truth.

Lin Yanlu rolled her eyes at him, but this time the eye roll was noticeably lighter than usual.

“I don’t just take anyone. This girl uses a gun, she’s got a wild side, she’s my type.”

"Unlike some people, who use swords improperly and can't even be considered sword cultivators."

She paused, then added.

"But he's just a nominal disciple. If you want to become my personal disciple, just knowing how to roast bear meat isn't enough."

The trial of the Immortal Shadow Sect is certainly not just a simple survival exercise in the wild.

Representatives from various factions remained seated on the viewing platform, with hundreds of eyes watching every move in the Sunset Mountains through the projection of spiritual light.

If the prospective disciples had simply spent seven days peacefully grilling meat, gathering spiritual herbs, and passing the time...

What kind of trial is that?!

Tang Ruoyin, who was in charge of scheduling the trials, stood high in the sky directly above the Luoxia Mountains, with a flying artifact as thin as a cicada's wing under her feet, her long hair fluttering in the wind.

Behind her, a huge cage covered with a black cloth floated in the air, from which came heavy breathing and the muffled clanging of chains.

Holding a communication jade slip in her hand, she scanned the mountain range stretching for hundreds of miles below and selected a suitable drop point.

It happened to be the area where several candidate disciple teams were densely packed.

She reached out and unlocked the seal on the first cage, while simultaneously raising the communication jade slip to her lips.

A clear, cold voice boomed in the sky, echoing throughout the entire Luoxia Mountain Range.

"Early-stage Golden Core Dragon-Earth Serpent! Deploy!"

On the viewing platform at the Qingyun Sect's headquarters.

Mu Kongyun sat in the main seat, a cup of spiritual tea beside her had long since gone cold, but she didn't even glance at it.

Her gaze, projected through the spiritual light, fell upon the red-clad girl sitting cross-legged by a campfire in the Sunset Mountains, flipping a bear meat skewer with one hand and sprinkling chili powder on it with the other.

Lu Hongying was happily roasting the honey, completely oblivious to her appearance, with a trace of golden honey still on the corner of her mouth from when she had stolen some honey earlier.

She picked up a skewer of grilled bear meat, not caring about the heat, and took a big bite, her cheeks bulging out. As she chewed, she hummed a little tune indistinctly.

Mu Kongyun's brows furrowed into a deep frown.

In her view, cultivators should be like a gentle breeze and a bright moon, with proper conduct and decorum.

"Even during wilderness trials, one should maintain the most basic air of otherworldly elegance... Hmph!"

And this girl... ran around with a spear, killing monsters until she was covered in blood...

Dragging a bear carcass, he rampaged through the mountains and forests. Now he's sitting at the entrance of a cave, feasting on his food with greasy mouth. He doesn't look like a cultivator at all.

She shook her head inwardly, relieved that the girl hadn't come to register for the Qingyun Sect.

Behind Mu Kongyun, the Holy Maiden Bai Lingyin sat gracefully to the side. Her elegant Qingyun Sect Daoist robe accentuated her beautiful face, and a gentle smile graced her lips.

She followed Mu Kongyun's gaze to Lu Hongying, who was chewing meat in the projection of the spiritual light. Her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and then she spoke softly, her tone carrying just the right amount of agreement.

“Master is right. How is such a rude and unruly person any different from a mountain hunter? The path of immortality is ethereal, and one’s character comes first. This girl is too impetuous. Even if she has some talent, she will hardly amount to anything.”

"Those few candidates who are calm and composed in their speech and manners deserve more attention."

Mu Kongyun nodded slightly, picked up the teacup and took a sip, which was considered an agreement with her assessment.

Once Bai Lingyin spoke, the inner disciples behind her immediately understood and echoed her sentiments.

“The Holy Maiden is right. This doesn’t look like a cultivator at all; he’s clearly just a brute.”

A male disciple with a pointed face and monkey-like features spoke first, his tone full of disdain.

"And that spear technique, although powerful enough, is completely without any method or technique, lacking even a trace of divine skill?"

Another female disciple covered her mouth with her fan and added with a light laugh.

Yun Qingyao remained silent, feeling increasingly that the Qingyun Sect was becoming more and more strange.

Despite being a righteous sect, this group of disciples always engages in despicable acts.

Sometimes she would miss the Qingyun Sect when she was a child, when everyone was friendly and would help the junior brothers and sisters who were weaker in cultivation.

People will take care of the introverted students who are bullied.

When did people start to so vehemently despise those who are different from themselves?

And now they're even verbally attacking this dashing Foundation Establishment cultivator...

Really...

Chapter 113 The Su Sisters

On the viewing platform of the Imperial Court, Nangong Yue leaned against the railing with both hands, half of her body hanging out, her eyes fixed on the red-clad girl squatting by the campfire, devouring bear meat in the projection of spiritual light.

Lu Hongying then pulled out a flask of fruit wine from her waist, took a big gulp, let out a satisfied burp, and continued grilling the next skewer of meat.

Nangong Yue's eyes lit up, and she reached out and grabbed Nangong Jing's sleeve, shaking it vigorously.

"Brother! Is there any way we can win this girl over?!"

Nangong Jing was so shaken by her that he almost lost his balance while holding the teacup. Helplessly, he put down the teacup and looked at Lu Hongying in the direction of her gaze.

He glanced at his younger sister's delighted expression and a mischievous smile crept onto his lips.

"Okay, I'll give it a try. What, you like this?"

Nangong Yue rolled her eyes at him, released his sleeve, crossed her arms, and raised her chin slightly.

"No, I just like her style, but~"

She abruptly changed the subject, her tone returning to that of a prince, scrutinizing her from head to toe, her gaze sweeping over Lu Hongying as if assessing something.

"How old is she? If she's over thirty and hasn't broken through to the Golden Core stage, then forget about her."

Nangong Jing smiled and shook his head, picked up his teacup again, his tone still gentle, but his words carried a hint of clarity.

"That depends on her own wishes."

“We can’t just snatch her away on the territory of the Immortal Shadow Sect. Besides, she hasn’t passed the trial yet, and her rank is still undetermined. It’s too early to say anything now.”

Nangong Yue snorted and stopped arguing, but her gaze remained fixed on Lu Hongying in the projection, growing more and more satisfied with what she saw.

On the main peak, Li Xizhao was also watching the trials below.

A larger projection of spiritual light floated in front of her, with images switching at an extremely fast speed, covering almost every key area in the Sunset Mountain Range.