Chapter 3: I Refuse

On the other side, standing below the stage, Luo Xing watched Ye Li and thought to himself: 'Indeed, it's just like the original novel...'

Ye Li was a famous ice beauty in the Xuantian Sect, and even in all of Nanling. Forget about a cultivation partner; as for disciples...

She had never taken a single one!

In the original plot, she technically wasn't supposed to attend this Selection Ceremony. It was only because the Sect Master, Bai Li Qin Mo, had some sort of mental lapse and insisted on dragging his Junior Sister along.

In other words, that hack author was 80% responsible for Luo Han being tormented, and Bai Li Qin Mo was at least 20% responsible.

If he hadn't dragged Ye Li here, none of the subsequent events would have happened.

'That idiot Sect Master!'

---

"A-choo!"

Bai Li Qin Mo rubbed his nose and muttered to himself, 'Why do I feel like someone is stabbing me in the back...?'

"Sect Master." The Deacon in charge of the Selection Ceremony first glanced at Ye Li, then whispered to Bai Li Qin Mo, "The... the Selection Ceremony..."

"Yes." Bai Li Qin Mo nodded slightly. "Let it begin."

The Sect Deacon replied, "As you command."

---

"The Selection Ceremony begins now!"

"When your name is called, come up to the stage to test your Spirit Root!"

"Outer Disciple, Zhang Kun!"

As the Sect Deacon called out the name, a young man stepped onto the platform and placed both hands on the Sense Testing Stone.

As the stone emitted a faint, grayish-yellow light, a wave of sighs rippled through the crowd.

"Zhang Kun, Outer Disciple, Lower Spirit Root."

Hearing the Deacon's words, Zhang Kun's face instantly turned as pale as paper.

A Lower Spirit Root meant that even if he gave his all and gambled everything in this life, he might only ever reach the Golden Core Stage, with further progress being nearly impossible.

Remaining in the outer sect was his only path.

"Next, Outer Disciple, Liu Qingqiu."

"Liu Qingqiu, Outer Disciple, Medium Spirit Root."

"Next, Inner Disciple..."

---

"Outer Disciple, Luo Han."

Hearing the Deacon call her name, Luo Han felt a jolt of nerves. She walked toward the testing platform with heavy, slow steps.

Below the stage, Luo Xing's heart was in his throat as he repeatedly chanted under his breath, 'Don't pick Ye Li, don't pick Ye Li, don't pick Ye Li...'

Life or death, sweetness or suffering—it all depended on this moment.

"Deacon Hu." Luo Han stepped onto the platform and bowed to the white-bearded old man before her.

After all, he was the one who had brought her and her brother to the Xuantian Sect.

"Yes." Deacon Hu stroked his beard. "Don't be too nervous. Just place your hands on the stone."

When he had passed by the door of Luo Han’s home, he saw how pitiful the two siblings were. Since Luo Han also had an excellent appearance, he brought them back to the Xuantian Sect and registered them as outer disciples.

Luo Han nodded slightly and placed her hands on the Sense Testing Stone.

*Buzz!*

In an instant, the stone vibrated violently, and a moon-white glow erupted from within it!

The entire audience erupted into an uproar. Even Deacon Hu, who had been calm and composed, accidentally plucked out a strand of his beard.

"A Fairy... a Fairy Spirit Root! It's a Fairy Spirit Root!"

"Are you kidding me?! That’s a 1,000-year rarity, a Fairy Spirit Root!"

---

One had to understand that a Fairy Spirit Root was second only to the Heavenly and Earth Spirit Roots. Such talent meant one was virtually guaranteed to reach the Mahayana Stage!

In Luo Xing's words, this was essentially a guaranteed ticket to a top-tier university!

"Outer... Outer Disciple... Luo Han..." It took a long time for Deacon Hu to find his voice. "Fairy Spirit Root!"

"I want this disciple!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, a young man in white on the high platform stood up immediately and shouted excitedly, "My Tianqing Peak—"

"My Linglan Peak wants her too!"

"You two want to snatch her?! Girl! I am the Master of Tingxue Peak! I am willing to take you as my personal disciple!"

"You old hag, give it a rest! Girl! I—"

---

"Ahem..."

Just as the various elders were arguing incessantly, Bai Li Qin Mo gave a dry cough. "I say, have you all forgotten the rules?"

Silence fell over the scene at once.

The rule he mentioned was that any disciple with a grade above a Peak Spirit Root had the right to choose their own master.

The elders, who had just been red-faced from arguing, silently sat back down. However, they still looked at the bewildered Luo Han with eyes full of hope.

'Pick me!'

'Pick me!'

'I am your master by destiny!'

"Um... Luo Gi—Miss Luo..." Deacon Hu suppressed the excitement in his heart and whispered to Luo Han, "You may choose a master for yourself. Do you have someone in mind?"

"I... I can choose anyone?" The surprise had come too suddenly, leaving Luo Han momentarily dazed and lost.

"Yes, anyone..." Deacon Hu whispered, "Including the Sect Master..."

Of course, that depended on whether the Sect Master was willing.

However, basically no one but a fool would refuse.

Hearing this, Luo Han timidly turned her gaze toward the elders on the high platform.

---

Below the stage, Luo Xing pressed his hands together in constant prayer.

'Please!'

'I'm begging you!'

'Don't pick Ye Li!'

'Don't pick Ye Li!'

---

Luo Han's gaze swept over the hopeful faces of the elders and stopped when it reached Ye Li.

'Elder Ye...'

'Even though I don't know why my brother told me not to pick her, but...'

She remembered that day when Luo Xing had insulted Ye Li so badly, yet she hadn't taken offense. That suggested she was likely a broad-minded person.

'Though she looks as cold as frost on the outside, perhaps...'

'On the inside, she is a kind and gentle person...'

'Maybe I should...'

"I choose... Elder Ye."

As soon as she spoke, the crowd erupted. In particular, those who knew Ye Li stared with wide eyes.

Who... who did she pick?!

'Is she suicidal?!'

---

'Is she suicidal?!'

Luo Xing nearly exploded on the spot when he heard Luo Han's choice!

'Ye Li?!'

'She picked Ye Li?!'

'Heaven above!'

'Earth below!'

'This rebellious sister won't listen!'

Luo Xing fell into total despair.

'Is this the power of the plot, second only to the Heavenly Dao?!'

'Is it true that no matter how hard I try, I can't change Luo Han’s tragic fate?!'

'It's over, it's all over!'

'Now—'

"I refuse."

The cold voice rang out like a thunderclap across the entire arena. Everyone, including Luo Xing, looked at the cold fairy on the high platform with expressions of extreme shock.

"Junior... Junior Sister?" Even Bai Li Qin Mo, who had known Ye Li for thousands of years, couldn't help but ask, "What... what did you just say?"

'Did I mishear her?'

Ye Li glanced at him indifferently and spoke again, "I said, I refuse. I do not want this disciple."

Once they finally confirmed what she had said, everyone felt as though there was something wrong with their own ears.

'She doesn't want her?'

'A disciple with a Fairy Spirit Root?'

'You don't want her?'

'Even if you have a Heavenly Spirit Root, you can't be this arrogant! You bastard!'

However, after the initial shock passed, some who had known Ye Li for a long time calmed down in unison.

'Wait, is this wrong?'

'No, this is actually exactly right.'

This woman was just this cold, just this indifferent, and just this unreasonable.

"Ahem..." Bai Li Qin Mo coughed dryly and spoke to the stunned Luo Han below the stage. "Luo Han, Elder Ye has no intention of taking a disciple. Please choose someone else."

To be honest, he really wanted to say, "My Junior Sister doesn't want you, but I do!"

However, because he was the Sect Master, he couldn't openly snatch her in front of so many elders.

Otherwise, they would gossip behind his back about how he couldn't play fair.

In the end, Luo Han chose the Peak Master of Yunyan Peak and the Sixth Elder of the Xuantian Sect, Pei Qingshuang.

Seeing his sister's choice, Luo Xing was moved to tears of joy.

He knew that this Pei Qingshuang was one of the few truly good people in the original novel.

Pei Qingshuang, the Sixth Elder of the Xuantian Sect, was known as "Fairy Pei." She was in the middle stage of the Void Refinement Stage, specialized in alchemy, and had a kind and gentle personality.

It could be said that by choosing Ye Li, Luo Han might have ended up in a place beyond redemption, but by choosing Pei Qingshuang, it would be difficult for Luo Han to die even if she wanted to!

'Finally, I've finally changed Luo Han’s fate!'

'Waaaah...'

'Do you know how hard this was for me!'

'Waaaah...'

---

"Next, Outer Disciple, Luo Xing."

"Coming!"

As the saying goes, a happy event refreshes the spirit. Luo Xing, having changed Luo Han’s original tragic fate, ran onto the testing stage full of joy.

Because Luo Han choosing Pei Qingshuang didn't just save her from her future torment; it also saved him from his own miserable experiences by association.

In the original novel, Luo Xing was Luo Han’s weakness. Ye Li had used Luo Xing multiple times to torment Luo Han.

It was a mercy that Luo Xing had died early; otherwise, the two siblings might have...

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

After Luo Xing placed his hand on the Sense Testing Stone, a faint red light lit up.

"Medium Spirit Root..." Deacon Hu stroked his beard. "It’s all right. Although it’s only Medium, if you have your sister say a few words, you can still enter the inner sect."

"Haha, it's fine." Luo Xing waved his hand dismissively. "As long as my sister is doing well, I’m okay with whatever."

Not every transmigrator was a protagonist. He, Luo Xing, was the type of transmigrator who just wanted to lie down and coast through life.

Now that his sister, Luo Han, had become the personal disciple of Pei Qingshuang, he could basically slack off.

Deacon Hu stroked his beard and looked at Luo Xing with an expression of appreciation.

'Very good. He didn't become envious because of his sister’s success. This boy has a good temperament...'

"I will take this disciple."

*Rip!*

As soon as those words were spoken, Deacon Hu accidentally tore out his second clump of beard for the day.

---

"Junior... Junior Sister?" Bai Li Qin Mo looked at the cold fairy beside him in shock. "What... what are you saying?"

"Why? Is it not allowed?" Ye Li glanced at him. "I've been bored lately and felt like taking a disciple for fun. Is there a problem?"

Bai Li Qin Mo: "..."

'How should I put this? There is a problem, and it’s a massive one!'

"Um... Elder Ye..." Elder Liu, who was sitting nearby, asked tentatively, "Did you... perhaps not hear what Deacon Hu said?"

'That outer disciple... only has a Medium Spirit Root.'

'Medium?'

'That’s the kind of level where even entering the inner sect is a struggle!'

Ye Li clearly had no intention of answering Elder Liu’s question. Instead, she spoke to Luo Xing below the stage once more. "Luo Xing, do you have any objections to becoming my personal disciple?"