Little Junior Sister, We Can’t Handle This Grind Anymore - Chapter 9

Feng Qingzhan brought up the sect competition because the top twenty participants would have a chance to enter the Jiuyuan Secret Realm.

She remembered that hidden within the secret realm was the legacy of a Great Ascension cultivator. If she could secure that legacy for her master, he would undoubtedly advance to the next stage.

“We never participate in these competitions,” Mo Jinghong’s words instantly deflated Feng Qingzhan’s enthusiasm.

All the arguments she had prepared died in her throat. “Why not?”

Mo Jinghong smiled faintly. “Too boring. No match for us within the same realm.”

If anyone else had said this, Feng Qingzhan would have dismissed them as arrogant. But coming from Mo Jinghong, it sounded utterly convincing.

In the cultivation world, breaking through to the Golden Core stage before the age of a hundred was already considered prodigious talent. Yet, the disciples of Lingyun Sect—none older than a hundred—had all reached at least mid-stage Golden Core or higher.

Among them, Mo Jinghong was the most unbelievable. With the appearance of an eighteen-year-old youth, he was already at the Nascent Soul stage.

This meant he had broken through to Nascent Soul before turning eighteen.

A cultivator who reached Nascent Soul could live for over two thousand years, their appearance frozen at the moment of their breakthrough.

“Seventh Senior Brother, I want to participate. And I want all my senior brothers and sisters to join me!” The first step in changing Lingyun Sect’s fate was to establish its reputation.

Overwhelming strength alone inspired fear, but strength combined with prestige made others think twice before acting.

Their master’s cultivation was clearly higher than Xiao Hongyu’s, yet the way the other sect leaders treated him was worlds apart—simply because Xiao Hongyu was the leader of the number one sect.

Mo Jinghong casually poured Feng Qingzhan a cup of tea, his every movement effortlessly graceful.

“Since Little Junior Sister wants everyone to go, then we’ll go.” His lips curled into a doting smile. She had changed quite a bit in this lifetime.

“No, no—it should still depend on everyone’s willingness. But for those who participate, I’ll gift them a top-grade immortal herb.” Feng Qingzhan had actually considered offering something even rarer.

But top-grade immortal herbs were already the most precious spiritual plants on this continent, exceedingly rare. Anything higher would trigger celestial phenomena and cause unnecessary complications.

“Fine.” A flicker of something inscrutable passed through Mo Jinghong’s starry eyes.

“But the herbs will have to be given after we return from the secret realm.” Feng Qingzhan had already planned the herbs’ origin—she would claim they were obtained in the Jiuyuan Secret Realm.

“Fine.”

Hearing Mo Jinghong agree, Feng Qingzhan’s heart leapt with joy.

With that settled, the first step was to raise her cultivation level.

Feng Qingzhan began shooing him away. “Thank you, Seventh Senior Brother. I’m going to start cultivating now.”

Mo Jinghong was slightly taken aback. Cultivating on the very first day of joining the sect? Had he pressured his little junior sister too much?

Little did he know, the real pressure would soon fall on the entire Lingyun Sect.

…..

Tianjian Sect

Su Yanran stood outside a courtyard, her expression slightly darkened.

At the sect assembly, Xiao Hongyu had shown clear interest in taking her as a disciple—yet after meeting Feng Qingzhan, he never mentioned it again.

Ever since encountering Feng Qingzhan, everything had gone wrong for her.

Not only had she failed to obtain the bracelet, but she had also lost her chance to become the sect leader’s disciple.

Fortunately, one of the elders had agreed to take her in. Otherwise, as the top examinee, becoming just an inner disciple would have been humiliating.

Just then—

Creak!

The courtyard gate opened, revealing a young woman in yellow robes.

Arms crossed, the girl smirked with undisguised mockery. “Oh? Isn’t this our new genius junior sister? Why aren’t you coming in?”

Su Yanran was startled. Why was Sheng Shike, the Sheng family’s young mistress, here?

“Tsk, Junior Sister Yanran doesn’t seem too happy about sharing a courtyard with me?” The girl’s posture was domineering.

“No, Senior Sister. I’ll come in right away.” Su Yanran lowered her gaze, tightening her grip on the low-grade storage pouch in her hand, not daring to say more.

She had never imagined that as an elder’s disciple, she would have to share a courtyard!

Sheng Shike snorted coldly, pointing to a small, shabby side room. “Junior Sister Yanran, the other rooms haven’t been cleared out yet. You’ll have to stay here for now. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Not at all.” Su Yanran clenched her fists.

Sheng Shike was the daughter of a peak master. She couldn’t afford to clash with her.

As she stepped forward, Su Yanran immediately noticed that the spiritual energy here was even thinner than in the sect’s main hall.

Strange. Hadn’t the sect leader said every courtyard had a spirit-gathering array?

“Oh, right. Junior Sister Yanran, I forgot to mention—the core of our spirit-gathering array is damaged. It might take a month or two to repair.” Sheng Shike continued to provoke Su Yanran, curious to see how long she could endure.

Su Yanran suppressed her fury, not daring to voice her anger. “I understand.”

She knew Sheng Shike was deliberately targeting her, but she couldn’t fight back.

The Su family’s influence was nothing compared to the Sheng family’s. She couldn’t afford to antagonize Sheng Shike openly.

Her only option was to earn enough contribution points as quickly as possible to buy her own courtyard and cultivate in peace.

After all, she still needed to participate in the sect competition three years later and claim first place.

The competition’s prize—the Frostblade Sword—was a spiritual weapon she had her eyes on. She had to obtain it.

Had Feng Qingzhan witnessed this scene, she would have clapped in delight.

In the original story, Sheng Shike was also a villainess who ended up pierced through the heart by Su Yanran, her soul crushed by the Netherworld Emperor—one of Su Yanran’s admirers—leaving her no chance for reincarnation.

In the original timeline, Feng Qingzhan and Su Yanran had entered the sect together. At fifteen, Sheng Shike had already seen Feng Qingzhan as a threat.

Eleven-year-old Feng Qingzhan, with her delicate, doll-like features, was already strikingly beautiful—hinting at the peerless beauty she would become.

Afraid that Feng Qingzhan would overshadow her as the sect’s top beauty, Sheng Shike had repeatedly tried to eliminate her in secret, inadvertently ignoring Su Yanran.

By the time Sheng Shike noticed Su Yanran’s growing allure, it was already too late to act against her—so she took her frustrations out on Feng Qingzhan instead.

But in this life, without Feng Qingzhan to draw Sheng Shike’s hostility, Su Yanran became the sole target.

Sheng Shike had deliberately arranged for Su Yanran to share her courtyard, suppressing her spirit and hindering her cultivation progress.

…..

Three Months Later

Lingyun Sect, Qianjue Peak

A sudden blaze erupted, startling even those in secluded cultivation.

By the time people arrived, all they saw was a barren mountain—and Mu Qianjue, standing stark naked, his scalp gleaming under the sunlight.

Spotting the onlookers, Mu Qianjue yelled, “Everyone, close your eyes!”

Yet apart from one female disciple who turned away, the rest remained unfazed, staring at him without blinking.