She Dominates the Immortal Realm with Her HP Bar-Chapter 65

◎ Ji Qinghong: I have disciples—do you?~ ◎

At this very moment, on the other end of the communication stone, Yan Luoyue was splitting money with two friends.

Back when Yan Luoyue started from scratch and was tight on funds, she had been very generous with the profit shares she gave to Sang Ji and Yan Gan.

Now that she was no longer short on money, she cared even less about the distribution of this unexpected windfall.

Earlier, while Yan Luoyue was fully absorbed in her fake crying act, Ling Shuanghun and Wu Manshuang had stood on either side of her, taking turns keeping count.

As payment, Yan Luoyue pulled out four gold cards and handed two to each of them.

"Come on, everyone gets a share," Yan Luoyue said cheerfully. "For some reason, this money feels like it came out of nowhere!"

"Because it literally did," Ling Shuanghun muttered under his breath. "Actually, I’m curious—why didn’t those brothers just cut off the communication stone?"

After all, the contract Hu Tuji and Niu Shujian had agreed upon was "Niu Shujian must hear the crying."

In other words, if he had just disconnected the communication stone earlier, he could have saved himself a hefty sum!

Yan Luoyue shook her head. "I don’t get it either. Maybe this is what they call 'obscenely wealthy.'"

Ling Shuanghun’s gaze flickered to the side, where Wu Manshuang’s lips were slightly parted, his expression visibly dazed.

"What’s wrong, Xiao Wu?"

Wu Manshuang had picked up Yan Luoyue’s inventive vocabulary and now murmured to himself:

"I didn’t expect the accumulation of initial capital to happen this fast…"

"……"

Ling Shuanghun fell silent for a moment, then pulled out his set of small bamboo slips from his sleeve and began scribbling furiously on The Chronicles of Wu Manshuang.

Yan Luoyue was intensely curious about the contents and peeked over his shoulder.

With just a glance, she couldn’t help but cover her face in exasperation.

Ling Shuanghun had written:

[Manshuang grew up in an exceptionally unique educational environment. The role models around him were either violent, murderous, or engaged in scams and deception…

With the help of his friends Yan Luoyue and Shuanghunzi, Manshuang completed the accumulation of his first bucket of gold…

With such a distinctive upbringing, this young man is bound to have a promising future…]

Yan Luoyue: "……" Are you serious?

Ling Shuanghun multitasked effortlessly, continuing to write The Chronicles of Wu Manshuang while still pondering Yan Luoyue’s earlier question.

"Hu Tuji was a fake identity you came up with on the spot?"

Ling Shuanghun tilted his head thoughtfully. A flash of insight flickered through his mind—so quickly that he couldn’t grasp it before it vanished again.

"Xiao Yan, why are you so skilled at creating fake identities?"

Yan Luoyue: "……Hehe, keep thinking."

After all, unless Ling Shuanghun guessed her "Yan Bixin" alias on his own, Yan Luoyue had no intention of revealing it!

……

After nearly a month and a half of effort, Yan Luoyue finally solved the puzzle Ji Qinghong had left for her.

As Yan Luoyue progressed, the refining marks on the Thousand Refinements Assembly invitation were gradually reversed under her hands.

The first to disappear was the Assembly’s emblem, followed by the words "Thousand Refinements Invitation."

The final challenge was the watermark of "Master of Sulu Hall."

Ling Shuanghun and Wu Manshuang knew nothing about artifact refining.

But as they watched the Thousand Refinements Assembly invitation transform back into a blank sheet of paper under Yan Luoyue’s hands, even as laymen, they could appreciate the intricacy and brilliance of her technique.

The only concern was…

"Don’t you need the invitation to prove your identity when entering or leaving the Thousand Refinements Veil? Xiao Yan, if you erase it, won’t that be a problem?"

To Yan Luoyue, this invitation was somewhat like a modern keycard—each time they passed through the Thousand Refinements Veil, they had to present the invitation to "swipe" through the barrier.

"No problem," Yan Luoyue said breezily. "To 'deal with Yan Luoyue,' Niu Shujian gave Hu Tuji a Hundred Refinements invitation."

Now, they had three Hundred Refinements invitations in total.

One belonged to Ling Shuanghun, another was originally Yan Luoyue’s (later gifted to Wu Manshuang), and the last one was generously donated by Niu Shujian!

Hearing this, Ling Shuanghun could only marvel.

"This Second Young Master Niu… he’s practically a walking god of wealth."

Throughout their journey, whenever they lacked something—be it a flying boat, exotic flames, or even the Thousand Refinements Veil’s access key—Second Young Master Niu had delivered it to them.

He had even contributed to Xiao Wu’s first bucket of gold.

—Thank you, kind stranger surnamed Niu.

Not even your own children could match your thoughtfulness.

Yan Luoyue chuckled but didn’t comment.

Truthfully, after fully deciphering Ji Qinghong’s refining techniques, the Thousand Refinements Assembly invitation no longer held any secrets for her.

With enough materials, Yan Luoyue could forge thousands of invitations in a single batch—even the "Master of Sulu Hall" watermark could be replicated flawlessly.

But of course, counterfeiting wasn’t exactly ethical.

Since they already had Hundred Refinements invitations as access cards, Yan Luoyue saw no need to take that risk.

Turning her head, she noticed Wu Manshuang staring intently at the blank sheet of paper. She leaned in with a smile.

"What’s up?"

Wu Manshuang tapped the paper. "There are no words, but there’s something else here…"

"Ah, Demon Venerable Ji left some special array seals on it. That’s beyond my expertise—I can’t crack them," Yan Luoyue admitted frankly. "Why, Manshuang? Are you interested?"

"Mm."

Wu Manshuang pressed a hand over the white gauze covering his eyes and took a step back, collapsing into a spacious armchair.

His voice carried a faint trace of exhaustion. "Whatever’s on that paper… it’s draining to look at."

The moment he spoke, both Yan Luoyue and Ling Shuanghun turned to him in surprise.

Wu Manshuang shifted uncomfortably under their stares. "Did… did I say something wrong?"

Yan Luoyue took the paper back from him, studied it, then glanced at his uneasy expression.

"Not at all. It’s just that we’ve suddenly realized you must have a real talent for this."

After all, if he found the array mentally taxing, it meant Wu Manshuang could at least partially comprehend it.

A true outsider faced with completely unfamiliar knowledge—like an average person staring at an advanced math textbook—wouldn’t feel mentally drained.

They’d just feel sleepy, bored, and silently wonder what kind of celestial scripture they were looking at.

Yan Luoyue reached into her storage pouch and pulled out a set of beginner-level array textbooks.

She had originally bought these on Jiang Tingbai’s recommendation, intending to study them during the journey.

But judging by their pristine condition—with only the first three pages of one volume showing signs of being flipped through—that plan hadn’t gone far.

Now, Yan Luoyue handed the entire set to Wu Manshuang.

In that instant, even through the layer of white gauze, she could sense the little snake’s eyes lighting up, his entire being radiating an aura of eager curiosity.

In an instant, the righteous light of scholarly pursuit was sown upon the earth.

Three days later, when Yan Luoyue saw those books again, she almost didn’t recognize them.

Though they were just a basic introductory compilation on formations, costing only two spirit stones per set, Wu Manshuang—the handcrafting prodigy—had meticulously covered them with book jackets, woven protective sleeves, and even crafted matching bookmarks with the same pattern.

Beyond that, he had also added something to the title page…

Hmm? Why had he drawn a little fuzzy ball on the title page?

Yan Luoyue stared suspiciously at the fuzzy ball for a long time, so long that Wu Manshuang’s ears turned slightly red.

Strangely enough, for some reason, Yan Luoyue felt that the little fuzzy doodle on the title page looked vaguely familiar.

“—Haven’t you seen it before? There’s the same pattern on Xiao Wu’s robe hem.”

Coincidentally, Ling Shuanghun walked out with a teacup in hand to drink some water.

Passing by the two friends in their standoff, he casually flipped open the sleeve of Wu Manshuang’s cloak.

Following his movement, both of them saw that on the inner cuff of the cloak Yan Luoyue had gifted Wu Manshuang, he had embroidered a small, fluffy fuzzy ball.

“……”

Without a word, Wu Manshuang snatched his sleeve back from Ling Shuanghun and hastily smoothed out the fabric.

His lips pressed tightly together—an outsider might have been fooled into thinking he was silently furious.

But in reality, Yan Luoyue and Ling Shuanghun, who had spent every day with him, could tell that Wu Manshuang was putting on an act of refusing to communicate, all to hide his own awkwardness.

Yan Luoyue went from confusion to shock, then to sudden realization.

A mischievous grin soon spread across her face. “Oh—I get it now, Manshuang. Did you draw a fuzzy ball on everything I ever gave you?”

“……”

With a swift motion, Wu Manshuang pulled up his cloak’s hood.

If the gaps in the inn’s floorboards had been just a fraction wider, Wu Manshuang would have shapeshifted into his little snake form and slithered right in.

…Unfortunately, ever since traveling with Yan Luoyue, she had been feeding him all sorts of snacks, and he had actually gained a bit of weight. Now, even with a perfectly good floor crack right in front of him, he couldn’t squeeze inside!

Even the white blindfold over his eyes seemed to flush red from the heat of his skin.

Just as Wu Manshuang instinctively reached into the depths of his sleeve pocket, Ling Shuanghun dropped a line that shattered the mood entirely.

“Xiao Wu, why did you mark everything Xiao Yan gave you with a fuzzy ball?”

Ling Shuanghun gave Yan Luoyue a baffled look. “Did I miss some crucial information? Like… Xiao Yan, are you secretly a green-haired turtle in your true form?!”

Yan Luoyue: “……”

Wu Manshuang: “……”

That day, a certain red-crowned crane lost several dozen of its beautiful feathers.

The innkeeper and waiter downstairs even heard the sound of wings flapping violently against the floor above.

As if someone was faintly protesting: “Aren’t turtle clans in the human realm supposed to be easygoing and peaceful?”

“So why… is this baby turtle so fierce?!”

And also…

“—Xiao Wu! Stop taking sides, Xiao Wu!”

The innkeeper shook his head, still tapping away at his abacus, but a small smile crept onto his lips.

“Ah, youth…”

……

When the written exam results were posted, Yan Luoyue and her two companions went to check the announcement wall.

The rankings were divided into red and white lists—red for those who passed, white for those who failed.

Normally, only the names of the successful candidates would be displayed, but this time, even the rankings of the failures were included… It had to be said, the Thousand Refinements Assembly’s graders had a bit of a mischievous streak.

Yan Luoyue looked up and immediately spotted her name.

Without any surprise, “Yan Luoyue” sat proudly at the very top of the red list.

Smiling calmly, she was more curious about Ling Shuanghun and Wu Manshuang’s results, so she scanned further down.

Ling Shuanghun tugged at her sleeve, stopping her from searching the red list.

“Just look at the white list.”

He was well aware of his own lack of skill and suspected Wu Manshuang’s level wasn’t much better.

As for Wu Manshuang, he had already gone straight to the very bottom of the white list to look for himself.

“…Huh?”

Suddenly, Wu Manshuang let out a small sound of surprise.

His rank wasn’t last place!

—He was the second-to-last in this exam!

And the third-to-last? Naturally, that was Ling Shuanghun.

Ling Shuanghun: “Oh?”

Yan Luoyue: “Wow…”

Wu Manshuang turned his face toward them, glowing with joy, his entire aura practically sprinkling little flowers around him.

Because he hadn’t ended up dead last, the little green serpent was in high spirits for the entire afternoon.

Later, Yan Luoyue quietly inquired about the background of the actual last-place candidate.

“Oh,” the informant, a fellow artificer, said offhandedly, “That idiot only wrote his name on the exam before running off to deal with… digestive issues from eating the wrong pills.”

Aside from this small episode, Yan Luoyue also noticed another detail on the announcement wall.

Besides the prominent red and white lists, there were jade slips of other colors embedded into the wall.

Yan Luoyue casually skimmed one and found that it contained a bounty notice—Niu Shujian was offering a high price for the capture of Hu Tuji.

The reason? Hu Tuji had stolen a command arrow belonging to a noble scion.

The jade slip even included a crude portrait of Hu Tuji, with his mouth crooked and eyes askew.

Yan Luoyue: “……”

Silently, she offered Niu Shujian a mental farewell.

—Give it up. Hu Tuji’s command arrow would be passed on to someone in need, and Niu Shujian would never see this alias again.

After all, the facial features rearranged by the Face-Changing Fruit were completely random.

The odds of rolling the exact same “Hu Tuji” appearance twice were probably lower than flipping a coin and having it land on its edge two times in a row.

But the next second, Yan Luoyue saw the bounty on Hu Tuji’s head—a staggering 200,000 spirit stones!

Yan Luoyue: “……”

Just how rich was the Niu family?!

Honestly, for a moment, she even felt the impulse to “turn herself in to Niu Shujian the next time she was short on money”…

……

The second major test in the Thousand Refinements Assembly was the practical exam.

As Yan Luoyue had predicted, the task was to dismantle and reverse-engineer a pre-made artifact.

Two thousand artificers had advanced to this stage.

With a four-to-one elimination rate, only five hundred would earn the command arrows granting access to the secret realm.

From the invigilators’ platform, Yan Luoyue immediately spotted Ji Qinghong.

Seated alongside two other grandmasters, he wore a robe the color of rain-cleared skies, his silvery-white hair cascading loosely over his shoulders, faintly luminous as if glowing—impossible to miss.

Besides Ji Qinghong, the platform also held Master Canhe from the Fan Yin Temple and another grandmaster artificer from the Hongtong Palace.

A young monk stood beside Master Canhe.

Flanking the Hongtong Palace grandmaster were the Niu brothers—one on each side.

The grandmaster of Hongtong Palace glanced at Ji Qinghong, his expression a mix of wariness and resentment. "...Why are you here?"

He distinctly remembered that the schedule for the assembly hadn’t mentioned Ji Qinghong being involved in overseeing the examination.

Master Canhe spoke slowly, "Since Benefactor Ji has come, it must be fate."

Ji Qinghong idly twirled a lock of his hair around his finger, winding it over and over again.

With a faintly mocking smile, he countered, "Who said I was here to oversee the exam?"

The Hongtong Palace grandmaster snorted coldly. "Then take your time amusing yourself." He gestured to the proctor beside him, signaling the start of the examination. The proctor stepped forward and announced the rules of this round to the candidates.

With a sweep of his sleeve, the proctor summoned nine towering wooden shelves around the examination hall.

The artifacts placed on these shelves were arranged by tier, with the difficulty of deciphering their refining techniques increasing from the lowest to the highest.

The first-tier artifacts were worth one point each, the second-tier four points, the third-tier nine points... and so on, up to the ninth-tier artifacts, which were worth eighty-one points each.

Within the allotted time, candidates could freely select artifacts from the shelves to dismantle. After solving one, they could take another.

Those confident in their abilities could skip the lower tiers and start with higher-difficulty artifacts. However, if they took a high-tier artifact and failed to solve it, they couldn’t go back to attempt an easier one.

At the end of the examination, the top five hundred candidates with the highest scores would receive a selection token.

Upon hearing the proctor’s announcement, many fell into deep contemplation.

This examination had two objectives.

First, to accumulate as many points as possible.

Second, to accurately gauge one’s own limits—choosing challenges beyond one’s skill would mean forfeiting the chance to continue.

Understanding this, some cautious candidates began by attempting the first-tier artifacts.

Meanwhile, those confident in their refining skills hesitated briefly before reaching for artifacts on the third or fourth tiers.

Only a handful of supremely confident individuals—or those who knew they were doomed to fail and simply sought amusement—dared to select artifacts from the seventh tier and above without hesitation.

Yan Luoyue found the setup of this examination intriguing.

She wanted to gauge the difficulty level of each tier.

With this in mind, she approached the shelves, lifted the hem of her skirt, and crouched to pick up a first-tier artifact.

But just as she was about to touch it, her hand froze mid-air.

It was as if an invisible thread had yanked her back, preventing her from reaching the artifacts.

Puzzled, Yan Luoyue turned her head and realized that the space around her had become eerily empty. The other candidates had scattered, forming a loose semicircle around her.

There could only be one explanation for this...

She looked up and, unsurprisingly, met the amused gaze of Ji Qinghong.

"There’s no need to waste your time on such trivialities."

Ji Qinghong patted Yan Luoyue’s head leisurely, then plucked an artifact from the ninth-tier shelf and tossed it to her.

To the onlookers, this was just another instance of the infamous Ji Qinghong toying with people for his own amusement.

Poor Yan Luoyue, despite her youth, had the misfortune of catching his attention.

One young cultivator couldn’t suppress a sharp inhale, casting a sympathetic glance at Yan Luoyue.

The sound was just loud enough for Ji Qinghong to notice. He turned his gaze toward the young man with mild interest.

"..."

The young cultivator broke into a cold sweat, immediately bowing his head deeply.

His mind went blank, leaving only one desperate thought: Please don’t let Ji Qinghong target me next!

Ji Qinghong’s domineering display finally provoked a reaction.

Master Canhe clasped his hands together and murmured, "Amitabha. Fellow Daoist Ji, she is but a child."

For a girl so young to have passed the first round with her talent was no small feat.

The Thousand Refinements Assembly was a rare event, sometimes not held for centuries. Why torment her and rob her of this precious opportunity?

Seeing Master Canhe intercede, Ji Qinghong seemed to consider his words before chuckling. "You’re right, Master. How thoughtless of me."

He returned the artifact to the shelf.

The young novice beside Master Canhe exhaled in relief, his eyes bright with gratitude.

But in the next moment, Ji Qinghong pulled out a nine-linked puzzle from his sleeve and pressed it into Yan Luoyue’s hands.

"Since even the venerable Master has spoken on your behalf, you may solve this instead."

"..."

The moment the young novice recognized the puzzle, he instinctively looked up at Master Canhe. Meanwhile, the Niu brothers exchanged a knowing glance.

Disciples from the four major refining factions would recognize this puzzle at a glance.

—It bore nine layers of refining seals, a test reserved for internal evaluations among their factions.

Solving just the fifth layer would earn a disciple a selection token.

Yet Ji Qinghong declared—

"If you can solve this entire puzzle, I’ll count it as your passing mark."

"Benefactor Ji..."

Master Canhe sighed deeply and closed his eyes in resignation.

The Hongtong Palace grandmaster shot a disdainful look in their direction, clearly finding Ji Qinghong’s antics tiresome.

The young novice clutched his robes and began silently reciting sutras for Yan Luoyue.

As for the Niu brothers, their eyes gleamed with unmistakable schadenfreude.

—Once again, it was proven that catching Ji Qinghong’s attention wasn’t necessarily a blessing.

The Demon Venerable’s temperament was mercurial—one moment, he might shield you, and the next, he’d personally hurl you into the abyss.

Not content with this, Ji Qinghong even led Yan Luoyue by the hand up to the invigilators’ platform.

With a gentle smile, he said, "The air down there isn’t the best. You’ll solve it here, in front of me."

"..."

The candidates below couldn’t help but pity the girl even more.

What deity did she offend to provoke Ji Qinghong’s wrath like this?

Heavens, having to take the exam under his watchful gaze was a nightmare beyond imagination.

Being in his presence, even solving a simple equation like one plus one would require agonizing deliberation—let alone unraveling that fiendishly complex puzzle!

Though none dared to look up, the candidates could vividly picture the girl’s expression:

Poor thing. She must be pale as a ghost, fingers ice-cold, eyes brimming with unshed tears...

"—Thank you." Yan Luoyue nodded cheerfully, then pointed to the table in front of Ji Qinghong.

"Also, can I eat the snacks here?"

The refreshments provided for Ji Qinghong were naturally of the highest grade.

Even the simplest tea or pastry was made from fourth-tier spirit fruits or celestial spring water—nourishing to the soul, beneficial to meridians, and capable of boosting cultivation for a Foundation Establishment cultivator like Yan Luoyue with just a single bite.

If not for the limitations of her meridians, Yan Luoyue suspected she could devour the entire plate of pastries before Ji Qinghong and use their spiritual energy to power her way straight to the Golden Core realm.

Everyone: "!!!"

What? What did this little girl just say?

Hiss—good heavens.

To their eyes, this child wasn’t just craving snacks—she must have feasted on bear hearts and leopard gallbladders before coming to compete!

Calm down, little girl. The person you’re casually asking for treats from isn’t some friendly neighbor—he’s Ji. Qing. Hong.

"Of course," Ji Qinghong replied with a gentle smile, his tone approving. "You’re doing well. I dislike excessive formality."

He even flipped over a fresh teacup for her, his crimson gem-like eyes glinting with amusement. "If you’re thirsty, feel free to drink the tea as well. In my presence, you may act as you please."

"Thank you," Yan Luoyue said, taking a sip of the spiritual tea. Instantly, her mind cleared, her senses sharpened, and her energy surged to an unprecedented peak.

"No need for thanks," Ji Qinghong drawled lazily. "After all, the refreshments were prepared by others."

After her preparations, Yan Luoyue began systematically dismantling the puzzle before her.

The moment she started, a faint smile tugged at her lips.

Ji Qinghong’s public reputation might paint him as a capricious trickster, but in his dealings with her, the Demon Venerable had never been anything less than generous.

This nine-linked ring encapsulated the challenge levels from the first to the ninth tier, each segment corresponding to a shelf in the test.

Perfect. This saved her the trouble of ascending step by step.

In the span of a breath, the first ring fell apart in her hands as naturally as blinking.

Then came the second, the third…

Yan Luoyue’s movements flowed effortlessly, like water or drifting clouds. Her fingers danced as if performing an elegant routine, the flickering spiritual flames at her fingertips resembling the ribbons twirling around a dancer.

She breezed through the dismantling process until the fifth ring.

At first, Niu Qidao paid little attention. But gradually, his gaze became fixed on Yan Luoyue’s hands.

Not only that, he noticed even his own revered elder and Master Canhe of the Temple of Forgotten Chants were subtly observing Yan Luoyue’s progress.

Just as she grasped the fifth ring, poised to unlock its mechanism—

Ji Qinghong, lounging nearby with his chin propped on one hand, suddenly narrowed his crimson eyes.

A soft, questioning hum escaped his throat: "—Hmm?"

Hearing this, Niu Qidao’s heart lurched.

He immediately reviewed his own approach—identical to Yan Luoyue’s—but found no flaw. What had he missed?

Meanwhile, Yan Luoyue didn’t even pause.

With a crisp clink, she unsealed the ring’s enchantment at her own pace before finally glancing up at Ji Qinghong.

"Is the Demon Venerable feeling unwell?"

Ji Qinghong’s eyes curved with amusement. "Why assume it’s my discomfort and not your mistake?"

Yan Luoyue answered without hesitation: "If I’d made a mistake, you wouldn’t have warned me. You’d have let me reach the end just to savor the lesson."

Though phrased politely, her words carried an unmistakable subtext: Your sadistic streak would never let you miss the chance to watch someone fail.

Niu Qidao watched Ji Qinghong eagerly, half-expecting him to produce a 200-pound nine-linked ring and force-feed it to this reckless girl.

Instead, Ji Qinghong threw his head back and laughed.

Patting Yan Luoyue’s shoulder, he urged her onward: "Keep going. Four rings remain—continue dismantling them."

Yan Luoyue resumed her work, her rhythm unchanged.

But the fifth ring’s complexity dwarfed the previous four. Niu Qidao’s thoughts began lagging behind her speed.

By the sixth ring, his eyes strained wide, veins bulging at his temples as he grudgingly admitted: this girl was extraordinary.

During his own test, he’d barely reached the seventh ring—and that was through sheer luck.

The sixth had taken him over half an hour of painstaking effort.

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

Yet in Yan Luoyue’s hands, it unraveled like a child’s toy.

Thirty-six refining techniques dissolved under her methodical dismantling, all within the time it took to drink a cup of tea.

The seventh ring… the eighth…

Unnoticed, even candidates who’d abandoned the test were now riveted by her performance.

As Yan Luoyue charged toward the ninth ring, some spectators held their breaths.

One final step, and the puzzle—whose depths they couldn’t even fathom—would yield to this girl’s hands—

At the critical moment, Ji Qinghong pressed down on Yan Luoyue’s wrist.

"..."

Though no one dared vocalize it, a collective mental groan echoed through the hall.

To be interrupted at the climax—it was like water caught in the throat, ripe melon flesh held just out of reach, or a murder mystery’s solution snatched away mid-revelation. Infuriating!

Tapping the table, Ji Qinghong said leisurely, "Try a different approach."

Yan Luoyue sighed. "You’re just making this difficult on purpose."

With an inscrutable smile, Ji Qinghong swept his gaze across the room. Like wheat bowing before an autumn wind, every head instantly lowered.

Satisfied, he admitted, "Where’s the fun in smooth sailing?"

—Ah. He was simply bored.

Sliding the pastry plate toward Yan Luoyue, his tone softened even as his demand brooked no argument:

"If you’re tired, rest and eat. Then solve it another way."

Her momentum forcibly broken, Yan Luoyue popped a pastry into her mouth with a resigned sigh.

A surge of spiritual energy flooded her meridians as the specially prepared ingredients nourished her cultivation.

Cool, refreshing energy suffused her body, drawing a contented hum from her lips. Even as she savored the sensation, her mind never stopped working on the puzzle.

Under Ji Qinghong’s deliberate obstruction, Yan Luoyue’s progress slowed.

Yet her earlier display had already captivated the two other master artificers present.

Given their cultivation, they could instantly discern Yan Luoyue’s age and origins—which only deepened their astonishment.

Master Canhe paused his prayer beads, murmuring, "Fellow Daoist Ji, could this young benefactor be your esteemed disciple?"

Ji Qinghong’s lips quirked, as if recalling something amusing.

"No," he said. "Not yet."

As he spoke, Ji Qinghong took extra delight in observing the expression on the face of the Hongtong Palace master.

Only when a flicker of urgency—"I want to strike, I want to strike right now"—appeared on the other's face did Ji Qinghong leisurely add, "Of course, I’d very much like to gift her a pair of my sect’s ‘little shoes’ to wear."

Yan Luoyue: "..."

This choice of words was so very Ji Qinghong.

Before Ji Qinghong could continue his playful yet boastful teasing of the Hongtong Palace master, Yan Luoyue deciphered the key to the nine-linked puzzle.

The moment she confirmed it, she couldn’t help but glance up at Ji Qinghong.

Yan Luoyue was now certain—when she had tried to break the ninth seal earlier, he had deliberately stopped her.

Because this nine-linked puzzle, though it had nine rings with seals of varying difficulty, was not merely a nine-layered forging test.

On the hilt of the puzzle, there was a tenth seal.

With Yan Luoyue’s keen eye, if she had methodically unraveled the ninth seal, she would have eventually discovered the hidden tenth and broken it as well.

But that likely wasn’t what Ji Qinghong wanted.

This man’s aesthetic preferences were surprisingly easy to guess:

He adored the exaggerated, the dramatic—scenes that could stir shock and provoke intense reactions.

Thus, Ji Qinghong had insisted Yan Luoyue change her approach.

Here, there was an exceptionally clever method of solving it, one he had subtly taught her already.

The answer lay in that invitation to the Thousand Refinements Assembly.

In other words, once Yan Luoyue had deciphered the invitation, she could apply the same method to solve this nine-linked puzzle.

This? This was the examiner blatantly leaking the answers.

With a confident smile, flames coiled around the back of Yan Luoyue’s hand.

Abandoning her earlier dazzling techniques, she simply crossed and parted her hands in the simplest of motions.

On the high platform, the three masters recognized it: though Yan Luoyue’s previous performances had been as graceful as a butterfly flitting through flowers, only this solution had reached the realm of perfection—stripped of all artifice, hinting at the threshold of a forging master’s skill.

Clink—

A soft metallic chime rang out as the nine-linked puzzle instantly detached from the hilt.

With a single move, Yan Luoyue had simultaneously broken the ninth and tenth seals, proving she had passed this extraordinary test.

Ji Qinghong laughed heartily and rose to his feet.

"Well done," he praised softly, personally pinning a command token to Yan Luoyue’s lapel before escorting her down from the platform.

Master ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‍Canhe glanced at the half-burned timing incense and called out helplessly, "Fellow Daoist Ji..."

Ji Qinghong turned with a smile. "Does the master wish to keep me? But I’m not here to invigilate these two thousand examinees."

The remark seemed somewhat abrupt.

But Master Canhe and the Hongtong Palace master instantly grasped his meaning.

—Of course, he wasn’t here to invigilate two thousand examinees. He had come solely to invigilate one.

Realizing this, the Hongtong Palace master shot to his feet, his beard bristling, his expression a sight to behold.

—No wonder Ji Qinghong had shown up unassigned as an invigilator today!

He had come solely to flaunt the fact that he had acquired a disciple of unparalleled talent!

"..."

For a moment, even Master Canhe, with her Buddhist composure, was rendered speechless.

She clasped her hands together and murmured, "Amitabha..."

The Buddha is compassionate to all.

Except when subduing mischievous monkeys.

If she possessed the Buddha’s mountain-pinning prowess, she might very well have wished to press this rabbit under a mountain for, say, fifty thousand years.