The hair on Ji Zhaoxi's forehead was already soaked with sweat. She had no strength left to tidy it, gritting her teeth as she hauled bucket after bucket of water, her shoulders burning with pain.
Liuli, sitting nearby, had tears streaming down her face. She nibbled on snacks while wiping her eyes, not daring to sob aloud.
Their young miss worked so hard.
The old man was so unfair, truly refusing to give their young miss a spiritual root.
But the Second Elder said their young miss had a latent spiritual root—when would it ever reveal itself?
"Senior Brother, just three more loads, isn't it…"
Ji Zhaoxi's face was flushed red from the sun, her legs trembling with every step, sweat drenching her eyelashes so thoroughly she could only move forward on instinct.
Liuli cried even harder. Their young miss was so incredible—this was the path their young miss had walked to get here.
Through her tears, she looked at Wen Shubai's face, searching for any sign of admiration.
Wen Shubai's expression remained unchanged. Whether it was Ji Zhaoxi's first load or now, his face still bore that same gentle, mild look.
Every disciple of Tianjue Sect had gone through this.
As the last bucket of water was poured into the vat, the carrying pole clattered to the ground. Ji Zhaoxi, exhausted, collapsed directly onto the grass beside her.
She gasped for air, strands of hair sticking to her face, looking utterly bedraggled. She truly hadn't thought she could finish carrying it all.
Liuli hurried over to wipe Ji Zhaoxi's sweat, sobbing as she said, "Young miss, you are the pride of our Ji family."
After carrying so many loads of water, in the future the young miss could even carry a pig on her own shoulders.
"Little junior sister, don't fall asleep. Your heart is beating too fast—sleeping now could harm your body." Wen Shubai's voice was warm and gentle.
He sent out a thin wisp of spiritual energy, which slipped through her forehead, carrying away the sharp pain in her head. Her breathing gradually steadied, but he deliberately left the soreness in her shoulders and the ache in her legs.
As Wen Shubai was about to withdraw his spiritual energy, he sensed something unusual within her body. He paused for a moment but said nothing.
On the way back to the courtyard, Ji Zhaoxi asked tentatively.
"Senior Brother, can I train my spiritual energy with the other disciples tomorrow?"
She had a bit of spiritual energy now, after all.
"Senior Brother, I really want to go. I don't want to keep watching the others train." Ji Zhaoxi said softly.
Yesterday, a disciple had mocked her for always practicing these basics, saying she'd never once joined a spiritual energy training session.
Wen Shubai listened quietly. After she finished, he said softly, "Little junior sister, why the sudden interest in training spiritual energy with the other junior brothers and sisters?"
Hope flickered in Ji Zhaoxi's eyes: "Senior Brother, you always said I had talent before. I want to see if I have talent in other areas too."
Wen Shubai hesitated after hearing this.
Liuli didn't understand what Wen Shubai was hesitating about.
Just let the young miss join—her talent was extraordinary!
As Wen Shubai's hesitation dragged on, Ji Zhaoxi's heart grew colder and colder. She knew it—she knew those words Senior Brother had said were lies…
She really wasn't a genius…
"Then let's give it a try."
Wen Shubai looked at Ji Zhaoxi, who had suddenly wilted, and gave her a gentle smile.
Since she wanted to go so badly, and she did have the related artifacts with her.
If he refused his little junior sister, it might even wound her pride.
Finally, the next day arrived. Before the mist had fully cleared, hundreds of disciples stood at the edge of Biyu Lake, where thousands of illusory lotus flowers floated across the surface.
The Instructor Elder spotted Ji Zhaoxi at the very back of the line at a glance. Looking at the clothes Ji Zhaoxi was wearing, she frowned deeply.
Whose disciple was that—why wasn't she wearing a dharma robe?
Ji Zhaoxi noticed the Instructor Elder's gaze immediately, mainly because she couldn't help it—the Instructor Elder kept glaring at her…
Just as Ji Zhaoxi thought the Instructor Elder might have seen through her lack of a spiritual root, Wen Shubai walked over and said something.
The Instructor Elder frowned but her gaze no longer lingered on Ji Zhaoxi.
Wen Shubai caught Ji Zhaoxi's eager, pleading look from a distance and smiled, nodding at her.
"Another round of Lotus-Step Crossing. Last time I fell in, and the Instructor Elder threw a huge fit…"
"Never mind her. That's just how she is."
The ones at the back were all new disciples. Compared to those in front, they hadn't fully integrated into Tianjue Sect yet.
The disciples in front wore moon-white robes. Their toes lightly tapped the illusory lotus flowers, their movements graceful—rising like feathers and landing without a sound.
One by one the disciples drifted across, and soon it was the last few rows' turn.
Ji Zhaoxi had been nervous, but the new disciple beside her looked so pale, like he was about to faint from fear of the Instructor Elder.
"Continue."
When no one stepped forward on their own, the Instructor Elder's face turned grim.
"If you don't train, leave Tianjue Sect." The Instructor Elder's voice was sharp.
Ji Zhaoxi nearly fainted from fear too. If she'd known it would be like this, she would have just had Senior Brother teach her alone.
She couldn't help glancing at Wen Shubai standing beside the Instructor Elder. When he met her eyes, he froze for a moment. Seeing her pitiful, pleading gaze, a glimmer of amusement passed through his eyes.
"Gu Wuyou, continue." The Instructor Elder's tone grew even colder.
Only then did Ji Zhaoxi learn that the man beside her, whose legs were shaking like a sieve, was named Gu Wuyou.
He swallowed nervously, shuffled to the edge of Biyu Lake, extended a leg, and gathered all his spiritual energy at the tip of his toes.
"How much longer do you plan to hesitate!" The Instructor Elder was already growing impatient.
Gu Wuyou shut his eyes, gritted his teeth, and stepped directly onto the lotus. But the moment he set foot on it, the spiritual energy beneath his feet scattered instantly, and with a loud "plop," he splashed into the water.
Before the Instructor Elder could say a word, he scrambled back onto the shore in an instant, not daring to waste even a second.
"Junior Brother Wuyou, there's no need to be nervous. Point your toes down three degrees, let your spiritual energy spread flat. Yours is condensed but not dispersed." Wen Shubai's warm voice rang out.
Gu Wuyou didn't dare speak to the Instructor Elder at all. He stammered, "Senior Brother, could I practice over there on the side first before trying again?"
Wen Shubai smiled and nodded: "Then watch how the other fellow disciples practice."
Gu Wuyou immediately shrank off to the side.
A few other disciples crossed in a messy, chaotic fashion—some wobbling, two even falling into the water halfway—but at least they made it across.
Last was Ji Zhaoxi. The Instructor Elder looked at her clothes and frowned again.
Gu Wuyou, watching from behind, silently prayed. He had seen Ji Zhaoxi before—she was always following the Senior Brother to train physical endurance. Her spiritual energy was definitely worse than his.
If only she'd fall in just like he did. He really didn't dare face the Instructor Elder alone.
Gu Wuyou stared at Ji Zhaoxi's back, so nervous he felt like he might vomit.
