Wang Xiaoxiao had just entered the sect and made a huge impression by creating a giant pit in the back mountain. After receiving her identity plaque, she was the center of attention when she arrived at her assigned residence.
Various people were eyeing her, full of curiosity and speculation. Fortunately, Wang Xiaoxiao had a thick skin, so she nonchalantly nodded at them, giving off the vibe of a leader giving approval, before entering the courtyard.
The outer sect disciples who were eyeing her muttered, "..." You really have no shame.
The courtyard was like a traditional four-sided courtyard, with each outer sect disciple having their own separate residence. Wang Xiaoxiao casually checked her spirit stones, and it was then that a disciple approached her.
"Do you know Lin Qimo?"
The scene of her and Lin Qimo falling from the sky had left a strong impression on everyone, making many curious about their relationship.
Wang Xiaoxiao shook her head. "Not really. We just happened to bump into each other."
The male disciple nodded knowingly. Of course, the direct disciples wouldn't mingle with them outer sect disciples.
"I'm Du Chun, a sword cultivator. And you?"
"Wang Xiaoxiao," she replied in a polite manner, "I'm an orphan."
Du Chun was a bit taken aback by her straightforwardness. He realized this young girl had a talent for making things awkward, so he started racking his brain to find a new topic. "We have early classes tomorrow. Wanna go together?"
Du Chun had a cheerful personality, and it seemed like he was new and looking for someone to accompany him.
"No problem." Wang Xiaoxiao didn't refuse. It's always good to have someone to go with.
The cultivation world was extremely competitive. Just after entering, there was no buffer period, and classes had already started.
The sword cultivators' class mainly consisted of swinging swords and practicing sword techniques, which to other sword cultivators seemed tedious and boring.
However, for Wang Xiaoxiao, who came from the modern world, it was a completely new experience. As a child, she had admired the sword-wielding immortals on TV, their moves graceful and sharp.
"This is the Guiyuan Sect outer sect sword technique." An inner sect disciple who was handing out the sword techniques said, "Although these are basic moves, don't slack off. Elders will be inspecting your work."
Wang Xiaoxiao, who had spent the entire night drawing talismans, felt a bit drowsy. She rubbed her face and opened the sword technique book, which was called Clear Wind Sword Technique. It was indeed full of basic moves, with the initial stances being simple.
Wang Xiaoxiao observed the outer sect disciples around her who had already started practicing. Her memory was good, and she quickly noticed something: everyone was practicing the same sword technique, but their gestures and movements seemed to differ slightly.
In other words, their forms weren't exactly standard.
Wang Xiaoxiao lowered her eyes and focused on the book, flipping through each page of the sword technique. As she became more absorbed in it, she began to feel as though the little figures in the book were coming to life, swinging their swords before her. The sword moves looked like a dragon playing with a phoenix—sharp and majestic.
Gradually, she felt herself enter a mysterious state. The noisy surroundings seemed to fade away, and her mind was completely focused on the sword movements in the book. The sword shadows flickered before her, and in a daze, she felt a sharp aura that seemed to slice through the air.
She wasn't sure what had happened, but when she snapped back to reality, she was told that she had been in a daze for an entire hour.
If an elder had been there, they would have recognized this state as Wang Xiaoxiao entering a trance. Entering a trance relied on one's comprehension, and cultivators typically entered this state two or three times before being considered highly perceptive.
Someone like Wang Xiaoxiao, who entered it with just one deep focus, was quite rare.
Du Chun walked up to her, "Did you get it?"
Wang Xiaoxiao was still thinking about the sword moves she had just seen. She absentmindedly nodded, then shook her head.
She felt like she had gotten it.
But she hadn't tried it out yet. Wang Xiaoxiao wasn't confident enough to say she had learned it just by reading the technique once.
Du Chun, though not expecting her to have mastered the technique in an afternoon, kindly reminded her, "I heard there are several people from big families among the outer sect disciples. If we can, let's keep a low profile."
Otherwise, if they overshadowed some of those people, it could lead to trouble within the outer sect.
Wang Xiaoxiao had been thinking of trying the moves herself, but after hearing this, she decided against it. "Thanks."
As someone who had spent years in the working world, she understood that the consequences of drawing too much attention were usually exclusion.
Being average wasn't such a bad thing.
Mediocre results were the least noticeable.
After the day's classes, Wang Xiaoxiao didn't stand out, but she wasn't the worst either. She put away her sword and felt her stomach growling from hunger, so she stood up and headed to the dining hall.
Though the Guiyuan Sect was competitive, it was also quite humane. They provided food and lodging, and other than practicing swordplay, there was no need for excessive cultivation.
It was basically the ideal life for a corporate worker.
Just as Wang Xiaoxiao finished her class, she spotted Lin Qimo's flashy red outfit. She blinked but wasn't particularly surprised. "It's you."
In the novels, Lin Qimo was portrayed as a passionate and enthusiastic person.
In other words, he could strike up a conversation with anyone, even a dog.
Lin Qimo excitedly said, "Come on, let's go to the dining hall."
Since Wang Xiaoxiao had been brought into the sect by Lin Qimo, he hurried over to her the moment the outer sect classes were over.
Wang Xiaoxiao casually agreed but wasn't focused on eating.
Her gaze was fixed on Lin Qimo's red sword at his waist. After some thought, she asked, "Is this your spirit sword?"
The materials of swords in the cultivation world were quite special. Even Wang Xiaoxiao's basic sword was heavy, and after just a few swings, her wrist was nearly sore.
This made Wang Xiaoxiao curious about spirit swords.
"Yeah," he held the sword handle. "It's called the Morning and Evening Sword. It's ranked third on the spirit weapon list. It was a gift from my master."
"Can I touch it?"
Lin Qimo hesitated, "This is my wife."
In the world of sword cultivators, the sword was considered their 'wife.'
The original owner was also a sword cultivator, but she never had a spirit sword.
Wang Xiaoxiao's hands itched more. She responded, "Then, can I touch your wife?"
Lin Qimo: "???" Is this polite?
In the end, Wang Xiaoxiao still got to touch Lin Qimo's wife... I mean, his sword.
The coldness of the sword seeped into her bones. The longer she held it, the more it felt like the sword wasn't even hers. Wang Xiaoxiao softly exhaled, "So cold."
She wondered if she could take it apart to study it.
Lin Qimo, unaware of her ulterior motives, pondered for a moment. "The coldness is probably due to the sword's material."
"This sword is made of a thousand-year-old ice."
"But it didn't attack you?" This surprised him.
"Anyone who tried to touch it before was knocked away."
Spirit swords had their own temperaments, especially one as exceptional as the Morning and Evening Sword.
Wang Xiaoxiao didn't think much of it. "That just means I'm likable."
The dining hall was a common place for outer sect disciples, and as the saying goes, wherever there are people, there's a world of intrigue. Originally, Wang Xiaoxiao was quite inconspicuous by herself, but with Lin Qimo by her side, she became the center of attention.
A direct disciple like him coming to the outer sect dining hall caused quite a stir.
Wang Xiaoxiao paid no attention to the curious glances. After getting her meal, she started eating in full focus.
She wasn't picky, and although Guiyuan Sect only served steamed buns, they tasted pretty good. She grabbed five and ate them with great enthusiasm. Lin Qimo couldn't help but stare.
It was the first time he had seen someone eat so much.
After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "If you're not too tired tonight, would you like to join me for a trip to the black market?"
Wang Xiaoxiao thought for a moment. "Sure." She had drawn some talismans last night and could sell them for spirit stones.
Speaking of which, Lin Qimo pointed at her and said, "So you're a sword cultivator."
She hummed in acknowledgment. "So what?"
"Then why do you draw talismans?" He seemed puzzled. "Are you a dual-cultivator?"
There were indeed dual cultivators in the cultivation world, but they were extremely rare. After all, mastering one path was already difficult enough, let alone juggling two.
Lin Qimo had accepted his fate. He didn't have the talent for drawing talismans, and being a sword cultivator was fine.
Wang Xiaoxiao shrugged. "No. I just doodle for fun. So far, I can only draw basic talismans."
She wasn't really a talisman cultivator, and she hadn't even seen a proper talisman book. What she drew were low-level talismans that probably only worked because of the original owner's memories.
Lin Qimo paused for a moment. "If you want to learn how to draw talismans, you could ask Chong Yue."
"Chong Yue?" She asked in hesitation.
That name sounded vaguely familiar.
"Isn't he from the main branch of one of the eight great families?"
Lin Qimo nodded. "Yeah, he's the only one among the direct disciples this year who's a talisman cultivator. But he's hard to approach. He only gets along with the third senior brother. If you want, I can ask him if he can teach you."
Wang Xiaoxiao knew who Chong Yue was.
The second male lead in the novel.
Later, he became consumed by his inner demons because he couldn't break the mirror, ultimately falling into the demon path and becoming the demon lord.
According to the plot, after falling into the demon path, Chong Yue would fall in love with the female lead, Yun Que, and embark on a rivalry with a bunch of other men for her affection.
Well… what can she say?
When Wang Xiaoxiao thought of Chong Yue eventually falling into the demon path and Lin Qimo ending up breaking his Dao heart to become an ordinary person, she felt a bit of stomach pain.
How did such a talented group of people all end up with such terrible fates?