Chapter 9: Gong Jinxiu

As a man, it is quite difficult to take on the burden of a female sect that has weakened to such an extent, enduring cold glances and disdain.

In fact, even if this elderly woman only performs menial tasks, being able to remain at the Immortal Peak indicates that she is at least at the Condensation Realm.

She seemed like a mindless zombie, completely oblivious to the beautiful scenery around her, which appeared to have turned into cold ice.

Yet this is not the most important thing; she clearly felt that there was a point of stagnation between her body and spirit

But now, she knows that beneath purgatory, there is another purgatory

Oh! The junior sister who realized she had made a mistake quickly turned her head again

She is the genius who topped the last sect selection, a comet-like figure who dazzled everyone present

"You little brat!" The leader of the female sword sect gave her a hard knock on the back of her head, "Gathering the Mysterious, Five Energies Returning to Origin, Clear Thoughts and Sitting in Forgetfulness, Calm Mind and Fading Spirit... If you don't achieve a breakthrough tonight, I'll expel you from the sect tomorrow! What else do you want? You're thinking too much!"

That night, she was unable to fall asleep at all

The essence of the three realms of凝元,气漩, and外景 is fundamentally the practice of Qi cultivation. Only upon entering the inner realm can one be considered to have reached the stage of "transformation of the spirit"

She feels as if she is trapped in an endless abyss, with icy seawater surging in from all directions, layer upon layer, drowning her, leaving her gasping for breath

Yet she is unwilling to accept this fate. From childhood to adulthood, she has been exceptionally talented and accomplished. Her progress in cultivation has always placed her far above her peers. Wherever she goes, she is regarded as the genius among geniuses

That night, she lay on the couch, her eyes wide open in the darkness, gazing at the satin-covered sea of algae

Although they are different peaks on the same blessed land, they give the impression of being two distinct worlds

Suddenly, her delicate body trembled, and a mouthful of fresh blood was spat out

The midday sunlight cast its glow upon the maple leaves above her head, while the nearby maple tree trunk was exceptionally thick, with the leaves spreading out like an umbrella, dense and numerous

More, yet eliminated in this rare opportunity of selection, with no hope of entering the immortal gate in this lifetime

Originally, she was in a state of complete inner harmony and was about to break through, becoming the youngest in the Golden Court's Six Sects to reach the Nascent Soul stage

She can only pretend not to have heard ... ? ... What is the use of retaliating? Even if the matter escalates, it will only invite more ridicule.

The cold glances once cast upon others, the arrogance once held in self-righteousness, have all turned into arrows shot back at oneself

but is no longer standing out from the crowd

They are on the same platform, doing the same thing, yet their state of mind is completely different

But why him? Why does that person, who has no connection to her at all, appear in countless images that she cannot control, tormenting and torturing her?

After all, although there are not many among the younger generation who have broken through to the inner realm, there are still a few.

Come sit over there! The old woman placed the broom behind her, clasped her hands, hunched her back, and walked with a slow, shuffling gait

The young girl fell into deep thought; although she wished to completely forget the events of that night, she had to force herself to strive to remember them.

Gong Jinxiu stood on the stage, her eyes wide open as she gazed at the scene before her

It is just! Always looking down on this, looking down on that, and now looking again, what a thing. It's utterly disgraceful, and she still has the face to continue staying here

Gong Jinxiu sat beneath a maple tree that seemed to be stained with red frost, silently alone, feeling as if that trial was both right before her eyes and yet had occurred a long, long time ago, so long that it felt like a matter from a past life

But they all sweep very slowly, as if in their entire lives, they have nothing else to do

The sect has not yet reached the level of luxury where it sends its Nascent Soul stage disciples to such places to perform menial tasks.

Gong Jinxiu stood up, walked over, picked up a broom, and slowly swept together with the old woman

Her forehead was faintly beaded with sweat, and her body radiated heat

The rugged rocks below are adorned with mysterious ice crystals, scattered like stars in a chessboard pattern

"What do you mean by 'double'?" Ji Yi said irritably, "There is no such thing as double or not, just take it seriously."

The sun rises slowly, and the morning glow is like fire, making this maple forest appear as if it is ablaze

Even if one meets the master, what can one say

Gong Jinxiu's fingers trembled slightly, enveloped in a moment of silence

"Where have you been lost in thought?" Ji Yi couldn't help but raise his hand and give her forehead a sharp knock. "I told you from the very beginning to focus on your cultivation and breakthrough, didn't I? Tonight, I am here to help you advance to the next level"

Her face began to flush red, for what had transpired at that moment was truly too shameful; she had been ensnared by the dark forces, becoming entrapped in desires beyond imagination

Perhaps, for her, ending her life that night was instead a form of happiness with the * book *.

They really thought they were something special, proud as a peacock perched on a branch, but in reality, they are just like this

Moreover, although Gong Jinxiu's abilities have regressed, she still possesses the strength of a peak external realm, and the release of her profound energy is not in question

Gong Jinxiu knelt before her master's chamber, the moonlight resembling silver frost, enveloping her body as if it had frozen her.

In fact, based on past experiences, those who are able to continue advancing after a setback due to a failed breakthrough are indeed very few.

Yet she inexplicably feels a sense of sorrow; if she cannot return to her previous state, then this elderly woman's today is her future

At this moment, she felt an overwhelming sense of shame

-

Following Grandma Maple, they arrived at the stone steps by the platform, where the old and the young sat together on the steps.

She knows that she actually has no face to meet the master

At this moment, she resembled one of the many fallen leaves swept into the abyss below.

As the true disciple of the sect leader, she never needed to attend the morning classes with them

A rustling sound came from beside.

The mysterious energy flowed around her like water, yet it could no longer be absorbed into her spirit.

In contrast to the ominous atmosphere, rolling thunderclouds, and fierce storms enveloping Xianhua Peak, Xianli Peak is bathed in the bright moonlight and adorned with blooming flowers, resembling a paradise on earth

The Star Gazing Platform and the Ice Abyss are seldom used; during ordinary times, this place is exceedingly desolate

This maple tree has a history of over a thousand years here! The old maple raised her head and said, At that time, it was merely a frail little sapling, planted in a place where no one paid attention. Unbeknownst to me, it has grown to this extent. The affairs of the world are truly marvelous

What exactly did I do wrong? Why am I facing such retribution?

The girl harbored some confusion in her heart; she believed that this tree truly had a history of over a thousand years. However, if Grandma Maple had been watching over it since it was a sapling, wouldn't that mean Grandma Maple had also lived for a thousand years?

During the selection period, countless children and young boys and girls were brought in, facing numerous challenges in the icy abyss. Only those who could stand out in this selection would qualify to become inner disciples, while those with some talent would be accepted as outer disciples

Ruined the master's painstaking efforts, destroyed the sect's treasured artifact that had been preserved for hundreds of years

With a flushed face, after sitting for a while, the young girl softly said: "And * pictures * really are not double ... ... "

The maple forest is fully dyed, and fallen leaves cover the entire Stargazing Platform. At this moment, the sky is faintly glowing, and the old woman has just begun to clean.

Qi Shitong: "Ah? Isn't it double, double..."

Jintingshan has six sects and thirteen peaks, among which the Zhenwu Sect occupies three peaks, namely Xianli Peak, Fengxiao Peak, and Zongtian Peak

The bright red blood splashed onto the floor in front of the couch, spreading out like a withered flower cruelly plucked at the height of its bloom

The old woman piled them in a corner of the stone platform, and with a gentle sweep of her broom, the accumulated red leaves flew towards the icy abyss

She is absolutely unwilling to live her life without achieving anything.

Fengxiao Peak is situated in a perilous terrain, with its mountains stretching continuously. It is primarily a place for disciples of various sects to undergo trials, and it is not the main peak of the Chaoxuan Sect

Once she falls from the pedestal, all the countless halos that surrounded her turn into mere jokes

Those assigned to such places are generally outer disciples with poor talent, who do not even need to attend morning classes. However, they have not been expelled from the blessed land; instead, they spend their days doing menial tasks in such locations.

In this lifetime, she has lost all hope of cultivating immortality

If one truly wishes to clean this entire observatory quickly, it is not overly difficult

However, now she has unexpectedly regressed to the state between the exterior and the interior, and all the power cultivated during the entire period of the interior has vanished, as if it had been "pulled" away by someone in an instant

In the heart of the young girl, however, there is a sense of bitterness, as if she is experiencing her future in advance

During these several nights, she was constantly blaming fate and others.

Unsteadily rising to my feet, I left in a daze

She sat cross-legged and forcefully circulated her energy

She clutched the edge of the bed with both hands, weeping uncontrollably

How could she do such a thing, considering empathy?

Another person said: "That's right! Always looking down on this and that, and now look at what they have become. It's utterly disgraceful, and yet she still has the audacity to stay here."

The ice abyss below is used for selecting disciples by the successive generations of the Chao Xuan Sect.

She cleans very slowly, and it is uncertain when this entire observatory will be finished being cleaned

An old man and a young boy are sitting and doing the same thing

Gong Jinxiu has not come here many times, but each time she is able to be seen... yet I have never spoken to her.

However, she has not seen her master for several days now

But what kind of experience is it for that young person and the books?

This stagnation rendered her unable to enter the inner realm once more

After all, it was two people cleaning together. Although the progress was slow, by noon, all the fallen leaves at the Stargazing Platform had been gathered together.

Even if these days are filled with cold words and remarks from behind, how can they compare to the public humiliation one endures on a certain day

Ji Yi said: "You sit here and try to break through in the usual way, and leave the rest to me."

Slow as if they have endless time to gradually clean up the fallen leaves here

Recalling the events of that night, she felt both shy and ashamed

She is the true disciple and favored student of the master. In the past, if one wished to see the master, one could simply enter without being obstructed here

Once, she was surrounded by a halo, shining like the most radiant star rising in the sky, but now, her path ahead is shrouded in darkness

One person chuckled softly and said, "They really think they are something special, proud as if they were a peacock perched on a branch, but in reality, they are just like this."

Whenever she thinks about it, she wishes she could find a crack in the ground to hide in

Grandma Feng said: "Everything happens for a reason, just like if that seed had not fallen here back then, there would be no big tree now. There is a cause for every effect, and every effect must have its cause. If you see the leaves filling the sky, it might be worthwhile to look back and see the seed you planted back then."

She passed through the door, and behind her, the two junior sisters watched her silhouette

Gong Jinxiu was somewhat surprised, as this was the first time she had heard Granny Feng speak... Upon reflection, she realized that she had never truly looked at this old woman before, let alone had a conversation with her

Before dawn had broken, Gong Jinxiu had already left her residence, avoiding those sisters who attended the early class, walking through the deserted and secluded forest.

The elderly woman appeared calm and natural, as if she were simply enjoying this tranquility

The disgrace of that night spread throughout the entire sect

Or rather, individuals like this have never appeared in the history of the Six Sects of Jinting at any time

Upon exiting the inner courtyard, two female disciples stood guard at the entrance of the garden

Each generation of the Six Sects of Jinting opens up to the outside world at the same time to select new disciples

Senior Sister! A young girl holding a whisk approached her and said, "The Sect Leader mentioned that it is already late at night, please return to rest early, focus on your studies and cultivation, and do not worry about other matters."

She lowered her head, hugged her knees, and wept silently.

Returning to one's residence, one sits cross-legged on the soft couch to cultivate one's energy

The old woman’s hair had turned white as frost, and Gong Jinxiu did not know when she had been assigned to this place, nor how many years she had spent here sweeping fallen leaves.

In fact, during these consecutive nights, she has been unable to find a moment of peace

She realized that over the years, she had not paid attention to the scenery around her for a long time

She turned her head and saw an elderly woman with white hair, holding a broom, sweeping the fallen maple leaves

Even she herself does not know why it has turned out this way

Although it was a "whispered conversation", the voice was clearly intended for her to hear

She recalled the silent helplessness of the youth, and the laughter of her many sisters behind her... Just like the ridicule that had echoed behind her in recent days.

However, now, this established fact, this bleak future, accompanied by the endless and relentless mockery of those around her, made her realize that everything can no longer be changed

No one inquires, and in fact, no one cares

On the night of the mutation, she felt as though she had fallen to the very bottom of the icy inferno

She wishes to break through the obstruction that lies between her body and spirit

Moreover, what they said is not incorrect; in the past, she was full of spirit and elegance, and she was exceedingly proud and self-satisfied

Young and arrogant, yet falling at the peak of its bloom

She recalled that the old woman, known as Granny Maple, had been here since she first came to the mountain, tirelessly sweeping the fallen leaves day in and day out for several years

At the very least, one must possess the cultivation of the Nascent Soul stage

They twirl in the air, like sparks drifting through the sky, resplendent and intoxicating

To humiliate him in front of so many people oneself

Qi Shitong opened her eyes wide and asked, "How can I help?"

The higher one is initially lifted by others, the harder one ultimately falls

As she continued to recall, she remembered the thing she had done to him. For her, it was merely a trivial matter, akin to casually kicking a stone by the roadside, completely unobserved and entirely disregarded.

In fact, even at the peak of the external environment, among the younger generation of the Six Clans of Jinting, they can be considered outstanding.

Gong Jinxiu arrived at the Stargazing Platform on Fengxiao Peak, gazing at the scenery outside the platform