“Dare I ask, among all the esteemed immortal masters and seniors present, who is the strongest?”
As the atmosphere in the hall turned icy, the young man suddenly posed this question, causing the peak masters and elders to cast their sidelong glances toward the red-haired immortal seated at the Sect Leader’s position.
“Naturally, it is I,” the red-haired immortal replied calmly.
“Then this junior wishes to become your disciple.”
His words plunged the hall into a brief silence once again.
Even the Peak Master of Thunder Elephant Peak, who moments ago had been confident of securing the disciple, shook his head slightly, knowing the young man would not join his peak.
“Have you thought this through? If you become my disciple, the responsibilities you’ll bear in the future will be quite heavy.”
“This junior is fully prepared.”
The young man, driven by an urgent desire for power to seek vengeance, was determined to apprentice under the strongest in the sect.
“Very well, I’ll make an exception today and take you as my disciple.”
Whoosh!
With a light flick of her sleeve, the red-haired immortal sent a radiant spiritual jade into the young man’s hand. “From this day forward, you are my disciple, Jiang Ling, under Lingxuan Peak.”
“Disciple Jiang Ling, I respectfully obey Master’s command.”
The young man bowed deeply, formally becoming a disciple under the Sect Leader of the Wind Spirit Immortal Sect.
However, his peripheral gaze briefly flicked toward the lazy young man seated at the lowliest position.
‘Found you at last, with no effort at all…’
***
“Yawn~~~”
It seems the main storyline hasn’t deviated much, which is good.
Shen Mu stretched lazily, letting out a long yawn, not noticing anything particularly unusual.
Next up should be the female protagonist’s entrance.
According to the original game’s main storyline, the female protagonist, Lin Yuhe, should be the second to appear.
She would arrive accompanied by a true phoenix phenomenon, stealing the spotlight and stunning everyone present.
“Tang Yueyao, greetings to all the seniors.”
A quarter of an hour later, a soft, youthful female voice rang out as a petite, adorable girl with pink hair stepped into the hall.
“Tang Yueyao, mid-stage Qi Refining, Heavenly-Grade Water Spirit Root, Pure Yin Body, excellent talent.”
“Senior, may I wait for someone before choosing which peak to join?”
Hearing this, Luo Qingyue nodded. “Yes, you may. Wait to the side.”
“Thank you, Senior.”
Tang Yueyao quietly moved to the side of the hall to wait.
At this moment, Shen Mu pinched his chin, his eyes narrowing slightly, sensing something amiss.
‘Hiss… It’s not her?’
‘This could be troublesome…’
As someone who had gone through nine years of compulsory education, Shen Mu was well aware of the butterfly effect.
Having read countless transmigration novels, he knew that a plot deviation like this was a clear sign that the world’s storyline had shifted.
The future events were bound to far exceed his expectations.
“No, I need to find a way to slip out for now,” Shen Mu muttered under his breath.
Being cautious and sharp-witted, he knew that when the world’s storyline changed, the consequences often pointed toward someone unique like him.
This could bring troubles he wasn’t equipped to handle.
Thus, slipping away early was the best course of action.
With this in mind, Shen Mu immediately sent a secret voice transmission: Sect Leader, your disciple needs to visit the restroom.
Luo Qingyue glanced at Shen Mu, seeing his strained,苦笑 expression. She sighed softly, waved her hand, and signaled him to go quickly and return.
[Thank you, Sect Leader.]
Shen Mu sent his thanks via transmission, then hurriedly stood and left the hall.
***
“Sigh~ What kind of mess is this…”
Back at Wanxiang Peak, Shen Mu let out a deep sigh and collapsed onto his bed, looking utterly defeated.
“Being a nobody side character wasn’t bad enough… Now they’re throwing variables into the mix…”
“Is this world trying to make me die without even knowing why?”
“Damn heavens…”
“You sure know how to screw me over…”
Shen Mu let out a feeble wail of despair.
***
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
Dozens of cultivators who had passed the trials entered the hall one after another, joining the sect.
However, the much-anticipated “Heaven’s Favored Daughter,” Lin Yuhe, was nowhere to be seen.
Even Luo Qingyue furrowed her brows, wondering if something had happened to her during the entrance trials.
That shouldn’t be the case—given her talent, those trials should have been a breeze for her.
Could she have encountered an accident?
“…”
Luo Qingyue pondered for a moment and decided to investigate Lin Yuhe’s status in the trial grounds.
But when her divine sense swept over the trial area, her confusion deepened.
‘That girl isn’t even in the trial grounds! Where did she go?!’
***
At that moment.
A golden-haired, stunningly beautiful girl with purple eyes stepped onto an unmanned path in a spiritual peak, looking around curiously.
Suddenly, she smirked slyly, a triumphant expression on her face. “Looks like this isolation array isn’t all that impressive~”
[Don’t get too cocky, girl. You haven’t even officially joined the sect, yet you’re trespassing on their territory. If you get caught, a beating or punishment is inevitable.]
“Hehe, relax~ A spiritual peak with this level of spiritual energy density is probably uninhabited.”
“Even if I get caught, the Wind Spirit Immortal Sect won’t do much to me. At most, I’ll get a lecture.”
The girl responded to the voice in her mind, completely unfazed.
[Oh? Is that so? Then why do I sense someone nearby watching us?]
“Huh? Where?”
The girl immediately became alert, scanning the dense shrubbery around her.
[Southeast, about thirty zhang away, on a spiritual camphor tree.]
Following the hint, the girl glanced toward her southeast…
***
‘Not good!
This intruder’s strength is above mine, and she’s noticed me!’
Shen Mu immediately sent an urgent message to his lazy master, then leaped down from the spiritual camphor tree, activating an escape talisman to flee.
“Quick reaction, decisive judgment~”
The girl’s sweet voice rang in Shen Mu’s ears, prompting him to crush the spiritual talisman without hesitation.
However, his body didn’t flash away several miles as expected.
“Useless. I’ve already set up an isolation array around you. You can’t escape with that talisman.” The girl’s palm glowed with faint golden array patterns, covering the ground within a ten-zhang radius.
“…”
‘Damn it… Am I going to die here already?
No way!
I’m still a virgin! I can’t die so pathetically!’
Trapped in a desperate situation, Shen Mu stopped overthinking and decided to fight.
He instantly gathered most of his spiritual energy into his legs and arms, seizing the girl’s brief moment of distraction to unleash a sudden Kun Style Iron Mountain Lean!
The impact sent her flying three zhang away!
Then, he quickly put distance between them, summoning an ordinary spiritual sword.
“You trespassed on my sect’s territory without reason… I won’t let you leave so easily!”
‘Master!! Hurry up and get here! Stop sleeping, damn it!’
Shen Mu’s words were righteous and bold, but in his heart, he was frantically calling for his master to come save him!
Trying to start a fight a fight while tresspassing