After the Villainess Awakens

Early the next morning, the entrance test began. The location was the Jisheng Main Hall on Mount Taichu.

The prospective disciples were all dressed neatly. Even those who were usually mischievous were now well-behaved and respectful, hoping to leave a good impression on the elders and become the disciple of their desired master.

Those who fainted last night were also standing properly, their faces rosy and seemingly unaffected. Leng Mushi also took the rare effort to tie her hair neatly, her black hair cascading down her back and shoulders like ink.

However, compared to the clean faces of the other disciples, the pink lotus-shaped scar on her left cheek was particularly eye-catching.

The other inner disciples, as long as they were accepted by the elders, stood behind their respective masters with solemn expressions.

The welcoming ceremony was a very important ritual for the Taichu Sect, so the elders who intended to accept disciples were all seated early. Only the seat on the left side of the center was empty. It was obvious that the Second Elder, Hua Yanyue, was being eccentric again and didn't come at all.

The one presiding over the entrance test was You Zishu, the chief disciple of the sect leader.

It was already time. The disciple who was sent to inquire about Hua Yanyue ran back and shook his head at You Zishu outside the hall. Only then did You Zishu announce, "The entrance root test begins. Please be prepared, prospective disciples."

You Zishu seemed to have foreign blood. His eyes were a light glaze color, making his already cold eyebrows even colder.

However, there were plenty of handsome immortals with cold temperaments in the immortal sects. Leng Mushi saw several of them after just a few glances. Even Xiao Mian was of a similar type, so she lowered her eyes and waited obediently.

You Zishu unfolded the list he had been holding in his hand, lowered his eyes, and began to read the names, "Miss Sun Wufang from the Sun family of Ganzhen."

The woman whose name was called raised her head excitedly, then pressed her hands to her chest, calmed herself down, and slowly walked up the steps.

At the top of the steps, in front of the elders, was a table. There was nothing on the table, only five-colored clouds floating in the air.

The testee needed to cut their finger slightly and then hold it above the five-colored clouds. The clouds would then wrap around the finger and heal the wound. The color of the cloud that clung to the finger indicated the person's spiritual root.

Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth corresponded to red, green, white, crimson, and brown.

Only one spiritual root was the purest. The intensity of the color of the cloud that wrapped around the finger indicated the purity.

Sun Wufang was the first to be tested. She was so nervous that her hands and feet were moving in unison. She cut her finger, then nervously placed it above the clouds. Soon, two-colored spiritual roots wrapped around her finger, crimson gold and fiery red.

"Dual spiritual roots of metal and fire, suitable for domineering techniques and sword weapons," You Zishu said indifferently, recommending in an emotionless tone, "The Fourth Elder, the Seventh Elder, and the Eighth Elder's cultivation methods are compatible with yours. You can make your choice."

Sun Wufang looked delicate and charming, but no one expected her spiritual roots to be fire and metal. However, one should not judge a book by its cover. She was indeed a straightforward and decisive person and quickly made her choice.

She walked up to the Fourth Elder, Hongsheng Xianzun, bowed respectfully, and saluted, "I wonder… I wonder if Xianzun is willing to accept me as your disciple."

She had prepared a lot of flattering words, one for each elder. Almost everyone present was the same as her because they didn't know what their spiritual roots were.

What she had prepared for Hongsheng Xianzun was: "I heard that Hongsheng Xianzun's swordsmanship is superb. He once split mountains and seas to stop monsters from invading the human race…" But when she faced the elder's pressure in the hall, she couldn't say those false and flattering words.

In fact, these prospective disciples had even secretly passed around cheat sheets with flattering words for each elder. However, they didn't know that for these old fellows who had lived for so long, the simpler and more sincere the words, the more likely they were to be moved.

Sun Wufang was tongue-tied and forgot her lines, her face flushed red as she thought she was done for. Unexpectedly, Elder Hongsheng smiled.

It was said that those who cultivated the way of the sword should be violent and ruthless, but although this Elder Hongsheng's face was not kind, and his appearance remained at around twenty years old, when he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkled.

Leng Mushi had been wandering outside and had seen many people. When she saw Hongsheng Xianzun like this, she knew that he must smile a lot. Those who loved to smile must have a good nature. This Miss Sun had found a good master.

As expected, Hongsheng Xianzun didn't mind Sun Wufang's awkwardness. He nodded to the disciple beside him, and the disciple stepped forward to help Sun Wufang up. "Nice to meet you, little junior sister. I'm your seventh senior brother from now on…"

Leng Mushi watched secretly, feeling a little envious. She was destined not to be able to enter the sect. She actually wanted to be like a normal person. Even if she found a very strict master, she was willing to put in a hundred times more effort to bring honor to the sect.

However, she was just a vicious female supporting character in some storybook. Before she could break free from the plot, her path had already been predetermined.

For example, how she wished she had been born in an ordinary family, even if it wasn't rich and powerful. Maybe her mother wouldn't have died so early… But all this was just a delusion that she couldn't achieve.

After Sun Wufang successfully became a disciple, You Zishu continued to read the names. However, Leng Mushi lowered her head, unable and unwilling to listen anymore.

Her low spirits seemed so insignificant in this solemn hall, among the people who were full of anticipation and those who had already successfully become disciples. No one noticed, no one cared.

Leng Mushi laughed at herself, unaware that Xiao Mian was looking at her. He had been watching her all along. Seeing her lost expression again, he frowned slightly.

This expression was exactly the same as the one she had on the back of the great demon when she saw her disfigured face.

Looking at her face, which had not recovered even after taking the Beauty-Preserving Pill, Xiao Mian couldn't help but feel puzzled.

The Beauty-Preserving Pill he had found was of a very high grade. It was impossible that it couldn't heal the burns caused by the demon blood, unless there was still demonic energy in her body that hadn't been removed. However, he had been with her and even been intimate with her many times, but he hadn't detected any demonic energy…

Xiao Mian thought that she was afraid that her appearance would affect the elders' choices, so he secretly decided to find her a few more Beauty-Preserving Pills.

What Xiao Mian didn't know was that the reason Leng Mushi had such an expression, and the expression she had when she stood on the back of the great demon and saw her reflection in the demon's huge pupils, was not because of her appearance - what she saw at that time was not just her face that had been ruined.

What she saw was her predetermined life that had been ruined beyond recognition.

Leng Mushi rarely showed pessimism. However, her weakness would always grow at certain times, like branches and leaves, covering the sky and the sun, enveloping her before she could cut it down herself.

She lowered her head, no longer looking or listening, immersed in her own world. However, she was caught off guard when someone grabbed her wrist.

"Wait a minute, let her come first, I'm in a hurry." Leng Mushi was pulled out of the line of prospective disciples. The person who grabbed her was very strong. Leng Mushi stumbled and looked up in surprise, only to see… Second Elder Hua Yanyue?

You Zishu was interrupted. The elders in the hall had different expressions when they saw Hua Yanyue appear. Two of them even sat up straight, looking at her with vigilance and nervousness.

Hua Yanyue pulled Leng Mushi to the top of the steps, directly cut her finger with her finger as a blade, and placed it above the five-colored clouds.

All five clouds wrapped around her finger, the colors so faint that one had to squint to distinguish them, and they were all sluggish. The cut on Leng Mushi's finger healed extremely slowly.

"I thought your aptitude was just bad, but I didn't expect… it to be this bad. Why did you come to the immortal sect instead of staying home and farming?" Hua Yanyue was wearing her elaborate elder's robes today, but she was starting to regret coming here.

If she wasn't going out in a few days and needed someone to watch over the things in her house because she couldn't take them all with her, she wouldn't have come to choose any disciples.

Persuading people to cultivate the Dao of alchemy was like persuading them to be reborn as livestock in their next life.

The Dao of alchemy was extremely difficult. Hua Yanyue was actually here to find someone to look after her demonic beasts.

However, it wasn't easy to find the right person. They had to be unafraid of those creatures, and they had to be pure in heart and upright in character. She had a cellar full of pills in her courtyard.

She thought this little girl basically fit the bill that day. She wasn't noisy, so she thought she could just teach her some basics and then expel her from the sect. She would still be able to make a living as a divine doctor.

Who knew her aptitude… was so terrible!

Hua Yanyue let go of Leng Mushi, frowning, regret evident on her face.

"Junior Sister," Zheng Ping, the sect leader who was sitting in the middle of the hall, said with reproach and helplessness in his voice, "Since you're here, take a seat and wait. When the test is over, there will be no shortage of those with excellent aptitude."

These words were clearly a reprimand, but in reality, they were meant to protect her. The hidden meaning was too obvious - just sit tight for a while, and you can choose whoever you want later.

As soon as the sect leader finished speaking, the expressions of the other elders changed. However, even though they were holding their breath, no one dared to offend Hua Yanyue.

Not to mention that she was their only junior sister, they still had to rely on the pills she refined to save their lives in times of crisis.

No one knew that these elders, who looked so dignified and mighty, had all been tormented by Hua Yanyue when they were young. Childhood memories were deeply ingrained in their bones. They could never get rid of this shadow for the rest of their lives. Except for Zheng Ping, who had suffered less and had the name of the eldest senior brother, no one dared to speak.

Hua Yanyue glanced at Zheng Ping, but frowned and hesitated, shaking her head. "No, I'm just here to…"

"Master above, please accept your disciple's bow!" Leng Mushi reacted after a while. Combining Hua Yanyue's attitude towards her when they went to the disciples' courtyard, what she had just said, and how she had barged into the hall today and pulled her out of line for the test…

Leng Mushi realized that the Second Elder intended to take her as her disciple!

She had once foolishly missed out on the Sixth Elder, and this time, she would not miss out on the Second Elder no matter what!

She didn't care if cultivating the Dao of alchemy was as difficult as ascending to heaven, or if one wrong step would lead to death and the scattering of one's soul!

She was originally like duckweed, drifting along with the current with nowhere to rely on. If she could learn some skills, so be it. If she was destined to walk the path of a vicious female supporting character and fall to her death, she would at least put up a fight!

She refused to accept her fate being dictated by the plot. If she did, she wouldn't be sad and in pain!

Leng Mushi reacted extremely quickly. As soon as she realized what was going on, she immediately knelt down with a thud and hugged Hua Yanyue's leg, her fingers tightly clasped together to prevent her from running away in regret.

Leng Mushi said loudly, "Master above, your disciple is willing to follow you to the death, serve and honor you for the rest of my life, inherit your will, use the Dao of alchemy to help the people of the world, and dedicate my heart and soul to the sect!"

Author's Note:

Leng Mushi: What is there to fear about the cycle of reincarnation, the scattering of the soul, and the flying of the soul?

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