Chapter Eleven: Reborn as the Eldest Daughter of the Immortal Sect

Chong Li tossed Bai Ruo back into the dormitory and was about to leave.

“How did you know there was something inside?” Bai Ruo called after him.

“In time, you’ll understand. All you need to know is that I would never harm you.”

With his hands clasped behind his back, Chong Li’s figure gradually receded into the distance.

“There’s no way those memories… could be from my great-great-great-great-grandmother, right…” Bai Ruo muttered to herself, choosing not to dwell on it.

Meanwhile, after leaving Bai Ruo’s small courtyard, Chong Li headed straight for the main hall.

Inside, the atmosphere between the elders and the sect leader was tense. Upon seeing Chong Li enter, everyone cupped their fists in respect.

“Senior Chong Li!”

Chong Li nodded in acknowledgment and took a seat beside the sect leader.

“I wonder, Senior Chong Li, what are your thoughts on the recent shattering of the Mirror of Three Lives?” the sect leader inquired when Chong Li remained silent.

“All the upper echelons of the three great sects know of the ancient artifact, the Glazed Mirror, and that the Glazed Secret Realm and the secret realms of the other two sects all originated from it. This time, with the Mirror of Three Lives fractured, I’m sure the Mirror of First Life and the Mirror of Second Life were also affected,” the sect leader continued.

“Are you concerned the other two sects might harbor ulterior motives?” an elder asked.

“They were no match for our sect back then. There’s little chance they’ll fare better now.”

“What is there to fear? Surely our Immortal Sect can still distinguish itself above the other two. In my eyes, every disciple of ours is top tier!”

“That’s right! If they dare to compete, we dare to accept the challenge!”

A slow, measured applause rang out—from Chong Li’s hands.

“Not bad. I’ll give you a crucial clue: Bai Ruo.”

With that, he departed, hands behind his back.

“Bai Ruo?”

A group of elders gathered again to deliberate, but only the sect leader knew that the one Chong Li spoke of was not his deceased daughter, but “Lian.”

After the shattering of the Mirror of Three Lives, a third elder assembly was convened in rapid succession. The sect leader mused that he had appeared in the main hall more times in the past few days than in the past three years.

This meeting, besides the elders, also summoned Bai Ruo, Huai Ze, Bai Li Ce, and Chang Qing.

Each of the four possessed their own strengths and were considered the elite disciples of the Immortal Sect.

The tassel on Elder Su’s cane made a crisp sound in the hall.

“The Spiritual Sword Sect and Yunmeng are truly impatient. Yesterday’s incident, and today a formal challenge arrives.”

“Hmph! We of the Immortal Sect accept gladly! I refuse to believe my disciple Bai Li Ce is lacking in any way!”

The remaining elders stroked their beards in silence, awaiting the sect leader’s decision.

“Prepare yourselves. The contest is nothing more than a display of spiritual arts, sword intent, alchemy, and talismans. The true intentions lie elsewhere; the contest is but a pretext. Just perform as you normally would. Meeting adjourned.”

The elders returned to their places. Clearly, the sect leader had made his decision—all they needed was to fulfill their duties.

Three days later.

Two spirit ships descended upon the Immortal Sect’s main square.

The Spiritual Sword Sect’s leader arrived with his disciples before Yunmeng, who followed soon after.

The two teams entered the hall one after another.

Bai Ruo’s father sat at the head of the hall, with the leaders of the other two sects seated to either side.

As the host, the sect leader raised his cup in greeting.

“Sect Leader Ning, Sect Leader Feng, it’s been a while!”

Sect Leader Ning of the Spiritual Sword Sect downed his cup in one gulp.

“Indeed! The last time us old fellows met was probably during the Three-Sect Tournament three years ago!”

Sect Leader Feng of Yunmeng only smiled, saying nothing.

“The competition grounds have been prepared these past two days, just waiting for you all to arrive with your prized disciples. Today, let’s rest; tomorrow, we three sects shall compete in earnest!”

Laughter echoed through the hall.

Bai Ruo sat near the hall entrance below, quietly observing. As expected of sect leaders, their words were sharp yet veiled.

[Master, among those who arrived, be cautious of the man in blue. His cultivation isn’t simple—he might be using a spiritual artifact to hide it.]

[He’s from Yunmeng?]

[Yunmeng has always behaved rather honestly in the Three-Sect Tournaments, but the Spiritual Sword Sect always ends up last. I really can’t fathom what Ning Jun is thinking!]

To Bai Ruo, the Spiritual Sword Sect’s leader seemed far from simple, but in comparison, Yunmeng appeared naively transparent.

[Master, perhaps you aren’t aware that Yunmeng’s people are all brawn and little brain. Every disciple they recruit is a spirit-obsessed bookworm!]

[Little Rascal, what do you think of the three sects merging—like… the Glazed Secret Realm?]

[Master, it’s a great idea, just not easily realized…]

Little Rascal felt that Lian might have truly become Bai Ruo in her heart, actually starting to think for the benefit of the Immortal Sect.

[Hmm? What do you think of Chong Li?]

[Huh? Master, your train of thought jumps too quickly!]

Bai Ruo paid no further mind to Little Rascal’s chattering. She harbored a grand ambition: to merge the three sects—and this competition was her chance!

Speaking of which, Chong Li hadn’t appeared for a few days…

[Master, it’s only been three days—not that long!]

A “smack,” then—

“Ouch! Mas—”

Little Rascal was directly ejected from her portable space by Bai Ruo’s spiritual sense and then silenced.

Spouting inconvenient truths in broad daylight—what a nuisance!

Perhaps it was her lack of encounters with handsome men in her past life, but in this one, her heart was always unsettled by Chong Li.

Far away at Wuhen Cliff, Chong Li sneezed.

“Lian must be thinking of me. I’d better hurry back.”

His figure vanished into the wind.

The following day.

The Three-Sect Tournament officially began.

The first round: Talisman Arrays.

This round tested both the crafting of talisman papers and the formation of arrays—each accounting for half of the score.

Three pillars of the talisman and array world had been invited as judges by the sect leader.

The contestants:

Yunmeng: Yun Sheng; Spiritual Sword Sect: Qin Jiu; Immortal Sect: Chang Qing.

The method was simple: each participant would draw a talisman and form an array; the best would win.

At the strike of the bronze gong, the hall fell instantly silent, everyone holding their breath.

To the uninitiated, it was a spectacle; to the knowledgeable, a lesson.

A duel between star pupils could bring great insight to disciples specializing in the field.

Last time, the competition was held at the Spiritual Sword Sect, and many hadn’t been able to observe. This time, at the Immortal Sect, they finally had the chance to watch and learn.

Chang Qing was a master of talismans and arrays—a family tradition—and was the most outstanding disciple of his generation. He performed with ease.

By contrast, Qin Jiu of the Spiritual Sword Sect was somewhat flustered, while Yun Sheng of Yunmeng performed as expected.

In recent years, the Immortal Sect’s reputation had soared, its disciples boasting exceptional talent. The Spiritual Sword Sect and Yunmeng lagged behind.

With every stroke, Chang Qing’s brush exuded spiritual charm.

Clearly, his technique had reached the grandmaster level. In the talisman round, he was the undisputed victor.

Next was the array round, and Chang Qing remained composed and steady.

For him, this competition was not just personal—it represented both the Immortal Sect and his family. He was grateful to have been born into a lineage of array masters.

Both Yunmeng and the Spiritual Sword Sect performed steadily, creating mid-tier spirit arrays without fatal flaws—commendable work.

Chang Qing, seeking a challenge, chose to craft the advanced “Falling Thunder Array.” The result, though not perfect, was still impressive.

At the end of the first round, the Immortal Sect led, followed by Yunmeng in second, and the Spiritual Sword Sect in third.

As always, the ranking remained unchanged.