The morning of the Joint Sect Trial dawned bright and suspiciously peaceful. Ling Qinghe stood at the entrance of the expanded Trial Forest, now merged with territories from allied sects for the event. His snow-white hair was tied back with a simple ribbon (courtesy of Ye Tianlan), and he wore slightly better outer disciple robes that still looked unfairly elegant on him.
Ninebro sat on his shoulder like a golden general surveying troops.
Ping!
System: Joint Sect Trial begins in 10 minutes, Host. Objective: Reach the central Spirit Spring and collect at least one drop of Pure Essence Water. Teams of 3–5 recommended. Hidden dangers include Thornvine Labyrinth, mid-to-late stage spirit beasts, and rival disciples who definitely want to mess with the "pretty outer disciple with the OP fox."
Reward: Major cultivation boost pill + Golden Ramen Ticket (unlimited spicy flavors for a month).
Fail: Lose all hair for a week + forced to call Gu Xichen "Ice Daddy" in public for three days.
Ling Qinghe choked on his pre-trial spirit fruit. "System, you're evil. Who programs these penalties?"
A familiar trio approached.
Huo Yan swaggered up first, flames flickering at his fingertips. "Snowhair Bro! Ready to burn through this thing?"
Gu Xichen arrived silently, dark robes pristine, gaze immediately locking onto Ling Qinghe. "Stay close. Do not do anything reckless."
Ye Tianlan appeared like a gentle breeze, sword floating beside him. He offered a small, elegant smile. "I have mapped similar trial grounds before. If you'll allow me, I can guide the way."
Ling Qinghe grinned, dimples flashing. "Team Super Bros assemble! Let's go collect some glowing water and not die."
The barrier opened. Dozens of teams rushed in. Naturally, chaos found Ling Qinghe's group immediately.
Ten minutes in, they hit the Thornvine Labyrinth—twisting, razor-sharp vines that reacted to qi and movement. Ling Qinghe's group had barely stepped in when the vines lashed out.
Huo Yan blasted flames, burning a path. "Ha! Take that, you overgrown salad!"
Gu Xichen froze entire sections solid with waves of ice qi. Ye Tianlan's sword danced like moonlight, slicing vines with surgical precision.
Ling Qinghe… contributed by running around like a panicked squirrel while Ninebro created golden distractions. "Bro, these things are worse than ranked matchmaking on a bad ping day!"
One particularly aggressive vine snaked toward his ankle. Before he could dodge, three things happened at once:
Gu Xichen's ice qi flashed out protectively.
Huo Yan's flame palm incinerated the vine.
Ye Tianlan's sword severed it mid-air.
Ling Qinghe blinked at the overkill. "Uh… thanks? I feel very protected. And slightly roasted."
The three geniuses exchanged glances. A spark of rivalry flickered between them, quickly masked.
"Stay behind me," Gu Xichen said coolly.
"No, behind me," Huo Yan argued. "My flames clear wider paths."
Ye Tianlan simply smiled and positioned himself on Ling Qinghe's other side. "Perhaps we can coordinate. Balance is key."
Ninebro seemed to find this hilarious and kept switching shoulders, deliberately bumping the three taller cultivators closer to Ling Qinghe.
Deeper in the labyrinth, they encountered their first real threat: a massive Thornbear—a mid-stage spirit beast covered in spikes and vines. It roared, charging straight at the "weakest" looking target.
Ling Qinghe.
"Yo, big guy! We can talk about this—!" Ling Qinghe backpedaled, slipped on a mossy root, and fell backward. As he fell, he instinctively flung a handful of spicy seasoning powder (stolen from his storage ring) into the bear's face.
The Thornbear sneezed violently, eyes watering, momentarily stunned.
Ninebro used the opening perfectly—dashing around it with glowing afterimages, nipping at heels and tangling vines. Huo Yan followed up with a blazing palm strike. Gu Xichen froze its legs. Ye Tianlan delivered the finishing sword strike with graceful efficiency.
The beast collapsed. Ling Qinghe lay on the ground, laughing breathlessly, white hair splayed dramatically around him like a fallen angel.
"Teamwork makes the dream work," he wheezed, holding up a small glowing orb the beast had dropped. "Loot get!"
The three MLs stared down at him. Huo Yan grinned. Gu Xichen's expression softened by a microscopic degree. Ye Tianlan offered a hand to help him up, his touch light and steady.
"You continue to surprise," Ye Tianlan murmured, eyes warm with interest. "Low cultivation, yet you create opportunities."
Ping!
System: Group synergy rising. Individual affection meters increasing. Careful, Host—your harem is forming faster than your cultivation.
They pressed on. The path grew trickier, with rival teams occasionally trying to sabotage them. One arrogant inner disciple from another sect tried to trip Ling Qinghe during a narrow passage.
Ninebro handled it by aggressively nuzzling (and shedding golden fur all over) the offender's face until he fled screaming about "cursed foxes."
By the time they reached the central grove housing the Spirit Spring, the sun was high and the group was surprisingly cohesive despite the underlying tension between the three geniuses.
The spring glowed with pure energy. However, a powerful guardian serpent spirit beast coiled around it, eyes gleaming with late-stage pressure.
"This one's strong," Gu Xichen noted, stepping forward.
"We'll take it together," Huo Yan said, flames rising.
Ye Tianlan drew his sword. "Ling Qinghe, stay back and support with your… unique methods."
Ling Qinghe nodded, then immediately did the opposite. While the three engaged the serpent in an impressive display of ice, fire, and sword qi, he circled around, using Ninebro as a distraction. At the perfect moment, he dashed in, scooped a vial of Pure Essence Water, and bolted.
The serpent roared in fury and turned on him.
"Run, pretty boy!" Huo Yan yelled.
Gu Xichen's ice wall shot up. Ye Tianlan's sword light flashed. But Ling Qinghe, in full gamer panic mode, used the temporary speed talisman from an earlier mission and sprinted like his life depended on it (because it did).
He burst out of the grove, vial clutched triumphantly, Ninebro riding his head like a crown. The three geniuses caught up moments later, breathing slightly harder than usual.
Ling Qinghe held up the glowing vial. "Mission accomplished, bros! Who wants celebratory ramen back at the sect?"
Huo Yan laughed and ruffled his hair. Gu Xichen silently healed a small scratch on his arm with ice qi. Ye Tianlan smiled softly, adjusting the ribbon in Ling Qinghe's hair that had come loose during the chase.
Ping!
System: Trial Complete! Major rewards delivered. New Title: "Lucky Chaos Gremlin." Warning: Rival sects now have you on their radar. Also, your three bros are now competitively concerned about your safety.
As they exited the Trial Forest together, the atmosphere buzzed with new rumors. The beautiful outer disciple with the nine-tailed fox had not only survived but thrived with three top geniuses watching over him.
End of Chapter 10