**Chapter 232: This Time It’s the Sisters’ Show!**
After that, time flew by like a white horse galloping, and nearly half a month slipped by quietly.
Everything around was just as usual, without a single ripple.
Although Lin Zhongyu’s unexpected move indeed caught Yun Zhonghe off guard, she soon followed the Yin-Yang Sword God into crazy cultivation, and their worlds drifted apart, leaving no chance for a reunion.
Even the feelings and stands they wanted to express had to be locked deep in their hearts, waiting for the right moment.
Yun Zhonghe returned to his routine life in the Outer Gate, diligently following his daily regimen of cultivation and study.
He had gradually unraveled the secrets of the Scripture Pavilion in the Outer Gate, and even personally stepped into the treasure trove of knowledge once, reaping great benefits.
The Scripture Pavilion in the Outer Gate had two levels. The first level was open to Foundation Establishment disciples and housed countless yellow-tier cultivation techniques, mysterious skills, and simple magic manuals.
The second level, on the other hand, was a broader realm, accessible to exceptional Outer Gate disciples in need, such as those at half-step Golden Core or already at Golden Core. This level offered some sect-specific mysterious tier techniques, obscure skills, and low-level magical manuals.
The cost of the second level was much steeper. While browsing the first level cost just a mere thousand contribution points per hour, the second level would cost a whopping ten thousand points for just one hour!
Naturally, Yun Zhonghe didn’t dare to venture into the second level, especially since the simple magic manuals of the first level were more than enough for him to learn.
Whenever he had time, he would eagerly dive into the Scripture Pavilion as if it were his second home.
Ever since he snagged a treasure trove of resources at the Myriad Path Divine Tower, Yun Zhonghe seemed to have developed a bit of an addiction to such endeavors.
Every time he scored big, an indescribable sense of satisfaction washed over him.
Living his best life~
If it weren’t for the fact that he couldn’t act too ostentatiously in the Scripture Pavilion and couldn’t unleash his Spiritual Energy completely, Yun Zhonghe’s spiritual realm could have potentially skyrocketed faster.
But according to his current sensation, things weren’t too shabby; fifty-five hours of browsing was enough for him to fill in the last twenty percent of his progress.
Life in the second month at the Xuantian Sect Outer Gate had become a bit monotonous compared to the first month.
One reason was that everyone’s initial novelty wore off; the other was that the academic tasks at the Outer Gate grew heavier, and the instructors began to set stricter requirements for the disciples’ cultivation and studies.
Unlike other sects that took a more laissez-faire approach to disciple education, the Xuantian Sect placed great emphasis on both the improvement of cultivation levels and the overall quality of their disciples.
The first month was merely an adaptation period, allowing disciples to gradually integrate into sect life. However, by the second month, the intensity and difficulty increased.
Assessments and quizzes followed in quick succession, with assignments and tasks becoming increasingly varied, testing not only the disciples’ knowledge but also their willpower and endurance.
It felt like high-intensity training for special forces, leaving countless disciples either gritting their teeth or wailing in despair as they endured great hardship.
Yet it was this kind of tempering that forged the Xuantian Sect disciples’ unyielding spirit and extraordinary strength.
No wonder the Xuantian Sect produced so many renowned geniuses in the Cultivation Realm; the disciples who emerged from here not only had exceptional talent but also put in a thousand times the effort and sweat that disciples from other sects couldn’t imagine!
Fear not the clever genius; fear the genius who can endure hardship.
Even so, Yun Zhonghe still managed to hold his own, consistently staying ahead and taking the time to help those fellow students in need, lending a hand whenever he could.
Under his influence, the atmosphere in the class became more united, and the disciples’ hearts grew closer together, bringing Su Xiaoxiao deeper into this warm family.
Everything seemed to be heading toward a better direction.
But sometimes, Yun Zhonghe could sense the fleeting expressions of worry sweeping across Su Xiaoxiao’s face.
It seemed she had something on her mind.
Yet whenever Yun Zhonghe tried to subtly probe for more information, Su Xiaoxiao would always deflect with various excuses.
She seemed to have her own untold difficulties.
Since she didn’t want to talk about it, Yun Zhonghe couldn’t force her; he could only secretly look for opportunities, gradually prying open her heart, and then sneak in to find out the truth.
Yun Zhonghe was quite skilled at making the female lead feel comfortable.
One couldn’t rush things; it had to be a gradual process, allowing the other party to adapt to the rhythm.
So, Yun Zhonghe kept his ears open but didn’t meddle too much.
Until one day on a rest day, when Yun Zhonghe was granted permission to go down the mountain to replenish supplies and visited the Xia Family Business to restock Xuan Iron for Xue Yunjian, a group of passersby caught his attention with their conversation.
“Miss, you’re being too impulsive!”
“We should have gradually persuaded Su Xiaoxiao to leave the Su Family, but you directly confronted her. How could she agree so easily?”
Upon hearing “Su Xiaoxiao,” Yun Zhonghe’s movements abruptly halted, all his focus snapped toward that conversation.
His heart tightened, and he couldn’t help but perk up his ears, trying to catch more information.
Thus, he quietly followed, eavesdropping on the dialogue.
“Didn’t we already plan this? We should persuade Su Xiaoxiao to leave voluntarily.”
“But you? You went straight to her and forced a decision; how could she easily comply?”
“If she hadn’t been so stubborn, we wouldn’t be stuck here.”
The anxious servant lamented to the black-haired girl walking ahead.
Hiding behind a shelf, Yun Zhonghe peeked through a gap to observe.
There stood the black-haired girl dressed in lavish attire, lips pressed together, with blue eyes resembling a vast ocean, strikingly similar to Su Xiaoxiao. Her delicate little face featured sharp contours, as though they were carved from the same mold, albeit with entirely different auras.
The girl’s eyes were filled with determination and resolve, radiating a power that contrasted starkly with Su Xiaoxiao’s timid and gloomy demeanor.
If Su Xiaoxiao were sunny and cheerful, she might have looked just like this.
Of course, aside from their differences in aura, their physiques significantly varied as well.
The girl was on par with Mu Jixue, while Su Xiaoxiao was tall and sturdy.
The girl’s white robe billowed in the wind, exuding an air of strong confidence.
“You don’t need to say much; the situation between me and her can’t just be resolved with persuasion. I have to make a firm decision.”
“I will definitely make her leave the Su Family, absolutely!”
The servant looked at his mistress’ stubborn expression, speechless for a moment, only able to shake his head and sigh, feeling that his mistress was just too headstrong.
In the dark corner, Yun Zhonghe slowly poked his head out, his gaze flickering as if he was deep in thought.
He had captured every word of the previous conversation, and his heart seemed to instantly understand it all.
“Could it be that Su Xiaoxiao had contact with her sister?”
This plot twist wasn’t found in the original story.
But now that the storyline was going off the rails, Yun Zhonghe didn’t find it surprising at all.
Thinking along those lines, Yun Zhonghe’s expression grew more resolute. He moved like a sleek leopard, transforming into a shadow that closely followed Su Xinghe. Perhaps this journey of tailing her would uncover more plot details he previously didn’t know.
If used right, this may very well be a key step in warming his relationship with Su Xiaoxiao.
Fortunately, throughout this pursuit, Su Xinghe remained oblivious to Yun Zhonghe’s presence.
…
Following Su Xinghe, through her conversations with her companions, Yun Zhonghe gradually pieced together quite a bit of the Su Family’s secrets and the unspoken barriers and obstacles between the sisters.
If Yun Zhonghe could help break the barrier between them, it might elevate his relationship with Su Xiaoxiao to a whole new level.
Soon enough, that opportunity quietly approached.
The first day of the last week of the second month involved a large class where all four hundred disciples of the class were required to attend.
This was a practical combat lesson, with all the disciples heading to a monster forest at the edge of the Xuantian Sect’s territory to hunt monsters.
This monster forest wasn’t a naturally formed one but was meticulously crafted by the Beast Tamer Peak of the Xuantian Sect, using spiritual energy and special formations as a training ground.
Here, while the monsters were transformed by spiritual energy, they possessed strength comparable to real monsters, allowing disciples to hone their fighting skills without risking their lives. Whenever a disciple defeated a monster, it would immediately transform back into spiritual energy, recycled by the formation, and after a while, new monsters would refresh for disciples to continue their challenges.
This design ensured training effectiveness while avoiding resource wastage, making it a win-win; sometimes, even important sect assessments chose this location to test the disciples’ true strength.
The entire course would last all day, from dawn until sunset.
During this time, the sect granted the disciples relative freedom, allowing them to flexibly arrange rest periods according to their physical condition and combat consumption.
Though there was this freedom, few disciples would choose to slack off during such a rare practical opportunity.
After all, this was a hard-to-come-by chance for real combat. Generally, Foundation Establishment disciples lacked practical experience, and only through continuous real combat could they truly transform the techniques and skills they practiced into weapons for victory.
Many, despite having refined skills, would undoubtedly struggle to unleash even fifty percent of their abilities when faced with actual combat due to nerves and fear.
Their mentality and experience might just be too lacking.
