Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 442 - 442 441 Xintong's Thoughts Requesting Guaranteed Monthly Ticket

442: Chapter 441: Xintong’s Thoughts [Requesting Guaranteed Monthly Ticket] 442: Chapter 441: Xintong’s Thoughts [Requesting Guaranteed Monthly Ticket] Zhao Xintong walked along the field ridges, her steps somewhat heavy.

For a cultivator in the Bridge Connection Realm, such weight was nothing; what truly weighed her down was her own future, shrouded in mist.

She was nominally twenty-three this year, and only three short months remained until the deadline set by the Daoist academy for her to leave.

Time was running short.

But that final step, she just couldn’t make it.

This was not a matter that could be forced.

In most cases, cultivators had a premonition of their success or failure; she didn’t even feel the impulse to reach the Upper Realm, let alone attempt it lightly.

The premise for attempting was, having the impulse to ascend to the Upper Realm.

After years of studying at the academy, she had learned much and loved the atmosphere of studying the mysteries of Daoist methods here, but she couldn’t stay in this place forever, with too many helpless constraints binding everyone.

She had already tried very hard, knowing that the Daoist lived a calm and simple life with no source of income, and that there were some necessary expenses during the cultivation process for her two sisters.

Therefore, since coming to the Hong Ye Daoist Academy, except for some needlework clothes representing her intentions, she had refused to accept any financial support from the Daoist, paying for every expense herself through her own hard work.

But heaven does not make exceptions because of her efforts; there are many at Hong Ye Daoist Academy who have it even harder than her, and the outcome will not change in the slightest.

In the Hong Ye Daoist Academy, there are many “cultivation successors,” but even more are from grassroots backgrounds; starting from Pulse, eliminating those who can’t reach Energy Induction, can’t achieve Essence Building, can’t practice Fasting, can’t complete Bridge Connection…

More than half of the people will fall before Bridge Connection, and someone like her, preparing to break through to Tongxuan within Bridge Connection Realm, is the object of envy in many people’s eyes; but she herself knows that without entering Tongxuan, other accomplishments are in vain.

“Xintong, are you coming to the handkerchief meeting tonight?” a woman asked,

The handkerchief meeting was actually a study meeting among the female disciples of the academy for cultivating, helping and learning from each other, and exchanging resources; bartering goods was always much more economical than going to the cultivation market.

Zhao Xintong shook her head, “Not going, I still have some homework to do tonight.

There are too many things about the True Astrology I still can’t figure out…”

The woman persuaded, “Actually, wouldn’t it be better to raise the things you don’t understand at the handkerchief meeting?

Gathering the wisdom of many is always broader than working in isolation.”

“You go ahead; my mind isn’t focused lately, almost as if I can’t take an interest in anything.”

The few women behind exchanged glances—one shook her head with a sigh, one disagreed, and one seemed to take pleasure in her misfortune.

Since it was a Daoist academy with thousands of students, it naturally could not avoid various conflicts and controversies, especially for those Daoist disciples in Bridge Connection Realm, like her, who were just a step away from entering the next, often particularly attracted attention.

The special environment created special focal points; in Shan Country, lesser cultivators were scattered in nature to grow wild, walking on the edge of life and death every day, and seldom cared about the differences among each other.

The way of the Shan Sect sword cultivators assured lesser cultivators with stronger survival abilities, but their relationships among each other were indifferent; the way of the Wei Sect Taihao, while having lesser personal survival abilities, led to very close relationships among these disciples, being co-disciples of the same academy naturally brought a certain closeness.

But in such a centralized teaching environment, comparison became the norm.

The most obvious manifestation was the emergence of various rankings.

For instance, the shortest time to enter the Daoist rankings, fastest ascension in each realm rankings, combat power rankings, divination genius rankings, most powerful puppet rankings… second-generation cultivators rankings, wealth rankings, Qian Xiu Daoist grass rankings, female cultivators rankings, and so on.

There are always idle people who are keen on this, constantly updating and adjusting to maintain the accuracy and authority of the rankings; theoretically speaking, those who are selected in the rankings are indeed much more likely to successfully advance to the Tongxuan compared to the general populace.

The most representative of these are the second-generation cultivators rankings and the wealth rankings.

Historically, more than half of the Daoists listed on these two rankings have successfully advanced to the Tongxuan.

If one can be listed in several rankings, the success rate greatly increases, as opportunities always tend to favor the exceptional, everywhere the same.

Zhao Xintong is one of those known in both rankings, hugely famous in the Wei Sect, listed in the Divination genius rankings, female cultivators rankings; each ranking holds only ten people, not just anyone can make it there.

Appearance, too, is a kind of overall strength; in the Cultivation World, there are countless handsome men and beautiful women, no one is ugly unless they deliberately choose to be unique.

Otherwise, through Energy Induction and Essence Building, everyone can change their appearance to a certain extent.

Being able to stand out among thousands of Daoist students and rank in the top ten not only requires exceptional beauty but also a worldly detached unique temperament—in this regard, Zhao Xintong is known for her mystique and aloofness.

But these alone cannot truly help her enter the Dao and ascend to the next realm.

With fame comes controversy; alongside many diligent and shared hardship sisters, there are also many who are envious and jealous, not to mention countless ardent admirers—all part of life in the sect.

Alone, without relatives, and with a turbulent background, she really has worked hard at Wei Sect, advancing from Energy Induction to the Bridge Connection Realm.

A group of people arrived at the Elixir room, handing in today’s harvest.

At the end of each month, the Elixir room would settle the costs with them; this method is also a tradition of the Wei Sect, to support those Daoists from poor families.

Or, from another perspective, it’s like employing a group of competent Spirit Farmers for free—killing two birds with one stone.

Leaving the Elixir room, the companions who had gathered for picking had already dispersed.

This was due to personality as well as the direction of cultivation; for a cultivator whose main focus is on Divination, too frequent social interactions are taboo.

Those in this profession need to be cold and reserved, maintaining a certain distance from everyone; only by doing so can they see clearer and further.

The so-called “only seen from a distance, not to be scrutinized closely” holds real significance for her; intimacy, familiarity, daily interactions—such emotions would greatly limit their judgment of the future.

Divination is a path destined to be a lonely journey; to be the only one awake when all others are intoxicated is the ultimate essence of this path.

But such a state of mind requires the refinement of years, the accumulation of experiences, which is a hurdle for most young Daoists; they cannot yet detach from the world with a cold eye, and naturally, their Divination would be swayed by too many external factors.

Zhao Xintong is different; though young, she has had many experiences, which is why she is hailed as a Divination genius among this batch of disciples at Wei Sect.

With graceful steps, under the red sky, in the red city, amidst the hustle and bustle, a woman in a light yellow flowing dress seems just like a painting.

…With neither flamboyance nor demon-like charm but with a unique fragrance, sown not to wait for Chongyang.

Don’t despise these sober, discerning eyes, for they truly cherish the plain yellow.