【Brain Deposit Area~૮₍˶•ᴗ•˶₎ა】

"So, none of you are multi-element spirit masters?"

"???"

"So, you weren't born with a companion spirit tool?"

"???"

"For the sword cultivators, your spirit sword doesn't reproduce?"

"???"

"Isn't it common for a sword cultivator to control multiple flying swords simultaneously?"

"Aren't you a fool???"

Ning Ruan, who was called a fool for the ninth time: "......"

...

Ning Ruan is not a fool.

She just wants to be a nurturing mother, but she was persuaded by the old folks in her village for fifteen years straight and ended up becoming a six-element spirit master who is forced to cultivate the sword.

The persuading ability of the old folks is quite strong. If they were to conduct pyramid schemes on her home planet, Blue Star, they would be looking at a minimum sentence of ten years.

They kept saying how outside was filled with talented people, high-ranking officials were dime a dozen. Given her status as a six-element spirit master who can only control two flying swords, she would be beaten up as soon as she steps outside the village.

Ning Ruan was convinced.

Ever since she was reincarnated into this world, she had been painstakingly nurtured under the guide of the villagers' fathers, wrapped in their protective love, fearing that she would be snatched away once she left the village.

But now, she had really left the village...

Only then did she realize how terribly she had been deceived!

She took a deep breath.

A young girl in green garment, under the gaze of several eyes that seemed to look at her as if she was silly, calmly tightened the immense sword case that almost covered her entire back.

She stepped forward boldly, imitating the actions of others, and placed her right hand on the tall stone pillar in front of her.

Today was the last day.

It was the last day of the admission conference held by one of the seven major sects in Qingyun Province, the Red Sky Sect.

The elder in charge of the test didn't hold out much hope for those who came for the test today.

Any talented individuals would not wait until the last day to attend the test.

However, after the stone pillar burst with a dazzling beam of pure light, the elder was shocked enough to widen his eyes:

"Bone age fifteen, light...third realm of light-based spirit master, affinity ni...ninety-six?"

Ning Ruan removed her hand, her clear and calm eyes staring at the elder.

The latter finally came back to his senses and handed over a plain jade tag, his tone was excessively eager:

"This is a test jade token. Take it to the guide station ahead, and you will be led into the Thousand Layer Staircase.

The Thousand Layer Staircase is actually made up of nine hundred and ninety-nine stairs: the higher your cultivation level, the greater the resistance.

If you really can't hold on, rest on the spot, do not force yourself.

For a light-element spiritualist, passing the entry test means reaching the one hundred and fiftieth step."

Ning Ruan nodded, not questioning why the staircase was called Thousand Layer Staircase while only having nine hundred and ninety-nine stairs... Right now, she could only hurry and ascend these so-called Thousand Layer Staircase, to complete the joining process.

Perhaps she could still make it in time for lunch at the Red Sky Sect.

Yes, the reason why she joined the Red Sky Sect was not because the sect was greatly renowned.

It was solely because the sect had the Xun Rabbit, which she loved to eat.

"Tsk, it's rare to see someone so eager for the Thousand Layer Staircase... What a pity, she's a light-element spiritualist."

Watching the girl dressed in green turning and leaving silently, the elder examiner couldn't help but stroke his beard and sigh.

Then, he couldn't resist gazing at the black sword case on the young girl's back that was half her height, his expression strange:

"I wonder, what's a light-element girl doing with a sword case on her back?"

It wasn't just the examiner finding it strange that a light-element spiritualist carried a sword case.

But just at this moment.

A shout caught everyone's attention, "Look, there's a direct disciple of the Scarlet Heavenly Sect flying on a sword."

Only sword cultivators can fly on swords, a privilege unique to them.

Moreover, only sword cultivators who have reached the third realm could accomplish it.

If not a sword cultivator, without a flying spiritual artifact, and relying only on their own power, one would need to reach at least the fourth realm before they could fly, and even then it would consume a tremendous amount of spiritual power.

"He's in a white robe with a red belt, he's definitely a direct disciple."

"Hmm, it looks like they're heading this way."

"Yeah, they do seem to be looking for someone."

"......"

The group from high above descended rapidly, indeed looking for someone.

Especially when a ray of dark light accurately landed on Ning Ruan's head, she almost confirmed that they were looking for her indeed.

"It's her! The Spirit Locking Plate can't be mistaken... it's her!"

There were a total of four people in the group—three men and one woman.

The one who spoke was the young girl, protected in the center by the three sword cultivators.

With a hint of a cry in her voice, the girl looked upset, her eyes red and gleaming, filled with anger and resentment.

Pointing her sword at Ning Ruan, who stood across her about to ascend the Leading Step and climb the thousand-flight staircase, she accused, "Was it you who killed my mother and crippled my father's dantian, was it?"

"It wasn't me," Ning Ruan replied, her demeanor calm, answering slowly and steadily.

The disciples about to ascend the Leading Step retreated in silence.

Clearly, they were all prepared to watch the drama unfold.

"You're a liar! The Soul Locking Disk would not identify the wrong person. It's you who killed my mother!"

The girl's bitter cry was heart-wrenching. Anger and grief shook her petite frame with tremors.

"Oh." Ning Ruan pursed her lips and nodded indifferently, "Then it was me."

The girl probably hadn't expected Ning Ruan to admit it so bluntly and casually.

Fierce hatred returned to the tear-filled eyes that had momentarily dulled in surprise. "How could you... my parents had no qualms against you, how could you..."

"Junior Sister, there's no point in telling her more. If it's her who killed them, just take her down," One of the nearby men interrupted.

"Third Brother speaks truth. This kind of vile and evil woman shouldn't be allowed to live in this world, let alone aspire to join our Red Sky Sect. What a joke."

"Hehe... Some people just don't know they're digging their own grave. Should Junior Sister shed even a tear, I will stab her a few times more."

"..."

With the girl's heart-wrenching voice trailing off, the three men holding swords by her side lifted their eyes, their gaze firmly fixed on Ning Ruan.

There's quite a commotion below the Leading Step.

The crowd lining up for testing in the distance was slowly moving towards this direction.

Several testing elders quickly arrived, landing in front of Ning Ruan.

"Disciple Li, is there a misunderstanding here? We've heard about the Li family incident yesterday. However, as I know, your father is a five-dimensional fire spirit master and your mother is a four-dimensional light spirit master. With their strength, how could they possibly be killed and injured by a little three-dimensional girl of light... this... this is too outrageous," said the elder who tested Ning Ruan, his chubby face bearing a strange expression.

Upon hearing this, Li Yu, with his bloodshot eyes, still stared at Ning Ruan:

"That's not right, it must be her... The Spirit Locking Plate cannot recognize the wrong person, she killed my mother! The enmity of a mother's murder, one cannot live under the same sky, today, I must take her life myself."

Looking at the little girl crying and shouting for avenging her mother,

Ning Ruan lifted her eyes calmly: "Your surname is Li... Well, in that case, your mother, I indeed killed her!"

"Fifteen years ago, she killed my mother."

"Fifteen years later, I killed her."

"That's reasonable, isn't it?"

Ning Ruan slightly tilted her head, appearing extremely serious.

Li Yu stared wide-eyed, it took a while before she gritted her teeth and shouted in a rage:

"You're talking nonsense! My mother is innately good, she has saved countless fellow cultivators, how could she ever kill someone?

Even if she did, it must be because your mother deserved it!"

"Good?" Ning Ruan gave an amused click of her tongue, then, with a bent finger, lightly tapped on the jade belt around her waist.

She soon pulled out a small black stone mirror as large as a palm.

She softly chuckled as she channeled spiritual energy into the stone mirror:

"Your mother is indeed great, stealing a man's lover, and even wanting to wipe out a pregnant woman.

She and your father, just like trash with a dog, together forever, huh."

...

Ning Ruan thought that the little girl named Li across from her, this 'little sister' of hers from a different mother, must be seriously ill.

Instead of taking direct action for revenge, she kept fussing around, as if wanting to claim the moral high ground...

Such a pity, she plans on taking that moral high ground herself!

The images projected by the Mirror of Shadows were not small.

At least it provides a good viewing experience for the bystanders.

The moment a clear image projected in mid-air, the discussions from below had already risen and fallen.

"Good heavens, how many luminous stones must this mirror have consumed for its crafting? It can expand the image this large?"

"This isn't just about size, the image is so clear that even the grass at the bottom can be seen... However, this image seems to be of someone running for their life?"

"Could the luminous stones possibly be tampered with?

Remember what the elder mentioned earlier about the Li family? Suddenly, it hit me. Didn't Li Er and Lady Qingwu encounter trouble on their way back to the capital yesterday?"

"If it really is them, how could Lady Qingwu possibly be the one to massacre the innocent?"

"The image captured by the luminous stone must surely be the truth, there's no way someone could've tampered with it.

But Lady Qingwu and Li Er, they're a very loving Taoist couple. I refuse to believe they would kill a pregnant woman unless she was an evil and cold-hearted cultivator."

"...."