"Qiuyao!"
"Come out quickly!"
"Something big has happened!"
Outside the Autumn Water Pavilion, the three Yu sisters waved frantically at Fang Qiuyao. Fang Qiuyao, who had been polishing her White Rainbow Sword, paused in surprise before sheathing her blade and stepping to the doorway.
"What's the matter? You all look so frantic."
No sooner had she spoken than she felt herself being lifted by the arms—two of the sisters flanking her while the third pushed from behind.
"Hey! Put me down! I can walk on my own!"
But the Yu sisters paid no heed, dragging her all the way to the notice board inside the hall. A crowd of disciples had already gathered around it, and the three had to shove their way through to the front before finally setting Fang Qiuyao down.
Once her feet touched the ground, Fang Qiuyao smoothed out her slightly rumpled robes and asked, "What's going on? Why the rush?"
"Look at the notice board!" the three sisters chorused, pointing upward.
"Alright, alright~" Sighing, Fang Qiuyao reluctantly raised her gaze—only to see the list of disciples selected for the upcoming Young Heroes Tournament.
She was certain the Yu sisters hadn’t dragged her here just to flaunt their own names on the list—there had to be something more. After scanning the Water Mirror Hall’s roster and finding nothing unusual, Fang Qiuyao suddenly felt a jolt in her chest. Her eyes darted to the Blue Heart Hall’s section.
"Lu Zhengqing… Yi Junyi… Jiang Beiran…"
Senior Brother!?
Fang Qiuyao’s eyes widened in disbelief. Based on all their previous discussions and analyses, Senior Brother would never willingly participate in such a public competition. Yet his name was undeniably on the list.
Seeing that Fang Qiuyao had spotted the name, the Yu sisters simultaneously pressed a finger to their lips and whispered, "Let’s get out of the crowd first."
"Right, let’s talk outside."
Fang Qiuyao nodded. After squeezing their way out, the four found a secluded corner, where the Yu sisters immediately burst into chatter.
"Senior Brother is actually joining the Young Heroes Tournament!"
"Unbelievable."
"I bet the Blue Heart Hall higher-ups forced him into it."
Fang Qiuyao nodded in agreement. She simply couldn’t imagine Senior Brother signing up of his own volition.
"But since his name’s already on the list…"
"He has to go now."
"Qiuyao… what are you going to do?"
Under the weight of three expectant gazes, Fang Qiuyao’s expression crumpled. Originally, not being selected for the tournament had only been a minor disappointment. But now, that disappointment had magnified tenfold.
The five of them had gone to great lengths just to catch a glimpse of Senior Brother before—and now, with such a perfect opportunity right before them, she was the only one left behind. The blow was almost unbearable. Seeing Fang Qiuyao’s sudden dejection, the Yu sisters panicked, immediately rubbing her shoulders and squeezing her hands in reassurance.
"How about we go talk to Sister Zijin?"
Yu Guizui suggested.
"Right! With the five of us together, we’ll definitely think of something."
"Let’s hurry!" --- "Senior Brother is joining the Young Heroes Tournament!?"
Fresh from her bath, Liu Zijin blinked rapidly, her expression mirroring Fang Qiuyao’s earlier disbelief.
"Yes! At first, we thought we’d misread it too."
"Then we realized all five of us have to go together."
"So we came to discuss it with you, Sister Zijin."
Nodding firmly, Liu Zijin said, "Absolutely, we must go together. Come inside, let’s talk." --- Meanwhile, inside a pavilion outside Peacebeam Village, Lin Yuyan sat gazing at a sheet of rice paper covered in wild, untamed calligraphy, her face flushed with delight.
"Senior Brother spoke a hundred—no, he’s actually conversing with me now! This must be what the books call an emotional breakthrough. Oh! How bold of him to take the initiative like this!"
She nearly slammed her palm onto the stone bench beside her—but remembering this was the very spot of their first "date," she hastily stopped herself.
"Phew…"
Taking a deep breath to steady her excitement, Lin Yuyan lovingly studied the wild cursive script before her.
"Free and unrestrained, bold and unconstrained—truly, only Senior Brother could write like this. It’s utterly unique! Hmm… I should go practice copying it eight hundred times first!" --- "To think such a Heart-Guarding Mirror exists… I’ve truly broadened my horizons today."
Jiang Beiran marveled at the jade-green mirror Lin Yuyan had given him as payment. Named the Blood-Transforming Seal, it sounded like some vicious technique—but in reality, it was an incredibly unique defensive treasure. Among cultivators, sects specializing in poison arts were numerous, and masters of venom were everywhere.
The Blood-Transforming Seal’s greatest function was absorbing all toxins carried within an opponent’s attacks or weapons—though naturally, it had its limits. Poison wasn’t something easily measured by cultivation realms. For instance, a Mysterious Spirit cultivator might wield venom only at the Grand Mysterious Master level, while a Grand Mysterious Master’s toxins could rival those of a Mysterious Spirit.
It was precisely because poison could bypass cultivation gaps that so many on the Mysterious Dragon Continent devoted themselves to its study.
"As for this mirror’s upper limit… Well, testing it with my little darlings back home should reveal that. But how exactly was this thing forged…?"
Jiang Beiran prided himself on having studied countless treasure manuals, absorbing vast knowledge—yet the Blood-Transforming Seal was his first encounter with an artifact capable of autonomously neutralizing toxins.
"Hiss… Could this be some family heirloom? But since the System didn’t trigger any options, keeping it for now shouldn’t be an issue. I’ll study how to replicate it before returning it to her."
After all, he hadn’t expected Lin Yuyan to offer such a rare treasure as payment. Teaching her calligraphy hardly warranted such a reward, so he’d promised to return it after his trip to the Hidden Moon Sect.
"Good. Now that the treasure’s secured, time to prepare the rest."
Ten days passed swiftly. During this time, Jiang Beiran encountered no further "plot-driven" System choices, settling his nerves somewhat. But peace of mind didn’t mean slacking on preparations.
He stockpiled elixirs, talismans, poison Gus—enough to unleash years of accumulated resources if truly cornered. Naturally, that was a scenario he hoped to avoid at all costs.
"Haah~" Stretching with a yawn, Jiang Beiran rubbed his neck and stood.
He’d spent another sleepless night studying the Blood-Transforming Seal, yet still made little progress. So far, he’d only identified its materials—the crafting process remained elusive. Still, treasures that challenged his knowledge always fascinated him.
As he pondered breakfast, a sudden surge of spiritual energy from the formation room prickled his senses.
"Oh? Broke through already? Not bad."
(End of Chapter)