Master Lingxu barely had time to put down his teacup before quickly responding,

*"Shu'er, where are you now?"*

*"Squatting outside the Sword Sect's gates."*

The scene was too vivid.

Master Lingxu sighed deeply.

*"Even if I can keep your body here, I can't keep your heart. If you truly love swordsmanship, then go ahead and train."*

Hearing this, Qin Shu's forehead creased into a "川" shape.

Why did that sound so weird?

Like she was some **scumbag** who was eating from one bowl while eyeing the pot.

But since she was already at the gates, there was no reason to back out.

Fine, if being a *"scumbag"* meant getting stronger, she'd accept the title.

*"Master, I'll be back soon!"*

Master Lingxu didn't mind too much. His disciple had talent in alchemy, but she also wasn't bad at swordsmanship.

Letting her go to the Sword Sect might just give those old sword cultivators a **shock**.

Qin Shu walked to the Sword Sect's entrance and handed over her disciple token.

The disciple at the gate glanced at her name and immediately **lit up** in excitement.

*"Junior Sister Qin Shu?!"*

His enthusiasm startled her. She was **certain** she had never met him before.

*"You... know me?"* she asked.

The senior brother grinned so widely his eyes turned into slits.

*"Junior Sister, who in the entire sect doesn't know you? Master Jian Wang gave orders early this morning to bring you straight to her. She's currently at the Trial Sword Stone formation. I'll take you there."*

Qin Shu politely cupped her fists.

*"Then I'll trouble Senior Brother."*

As they walked, he introduced himself.

*"Junior Sister, my name is Xiong Jun. I am a disciple under Master Dugu."*

*"Senior Brother Xiong Jun."* Qin Shu greeted him politely.

*"Junior Sister, don't be too shocked when you get there."* Xiong Jun chuckled.

Qin Shu was puzzled.

*"Why?"*

Xiong Jun laughed.

*"You might not know, but because of the vast number of pills you've refined, the quality of the elixirs available to our sect's disciples has **skyrocketed**. Yesterday, I went to the mission hall and saw that even mission rewards have upgraded to higher-grade pills. Since Sword Sect disciples go out on missions the most, everyone remembers your kindness!"*

As they chatted, they soon arrived at the **Trial Sword Stone**.

Qin Shu's heart **stopped for a moment** when she saw the scene before her.

Even though Xiong Jun had warned her, she **never expected so many people to be gathered here**.

**There were people everywhere.**

Even standing on **top** of the Trial Sword Stone itself.

The moment she appeared, the crowd **erupted**—

*"Junior Sister is here!"*

*"Qin Shu! Junior Sister Qin Shu!"*

*"She's so cute!"*

*"Junior Sister! You're my idol!"*

...

Qin Shu's scalp **went numb**.

Even in her past life, she had never **experienced this level of attention**.

Not even modern-day idol fans could compare—at least they couldn't **fly**.

She braced herself and followed Xiong Jun forward.

Sword Sect disciples, regardless of gender, were **all brimming with strength**.

After all, **immortal swords were heavy**, forged with rare materials and tempered with spiritual energy.

Without sufficient strength, a sword cultivator might end up **hurting themselves more than their enemy**.

Compared to these disciples, **Qin Shu looked like a fragile little bean sprout**.

Yet their **burning gazes** made her realize why **many alchemists didn't bother practicing swordsmanship**—

With **so many powerful swordsmen ready to follow their every word,** why would they need to fight for themselves?

At the front, **Master Jian Wang** stood tall.

Seeing Qin Shu approach, she asked,

*"So, you are Qin Shu?"*

Qin Shu cupped her fists respectfully.

*"Yes, Master. That is me."*

Master Jian Wang had never met Qin Shu before, but she had **heard of her**—

A girl who had entered the sect alongside Chi Yu under Master Lingxu's tutelage.

Her **talent was supposedly unremarkable**.

She was **not** sure why Lingxu had accepted her.

Looking down at the gathered disciples, she ordered,

*"Bring the Spirit-Testing Stone."*

Qin Shu blinked.

*"Master, does sword training also require checking one's spiritual roots?"*

Master Jian Wang, expressionless, nodded.

*"It's just a reference. No need to be concerned."*

Chi Yu had told her that **this junior sister was special**.

Now that she was seeing her in person, she noticed that Qin Shu's cultivation **wasn't behind at all**.

According to the surrounding disciples, this girl **never slept**—even at night, she was either refining pills or training.

Although cultivators could **replace sleep with meditation**, most **new disciples struggled to adapt**.

To have **this level of discipline**, she was truly **one in a million**.

Qin Shu **knew** her spiritual roots were mediocre.

But **it was what it was**—no shame in it.

She placed her hand on the Spirit-Testing Stone.

The entire **crowd** craned their necks forward in anticipation.

Xiong Jun read out the results—

*"Fire Root: 77. Wood Root: 60. Earth Root: 52."*

The entire **Sword Sect fell into stunned silence**.

Even Qin Shu **herself** was wide-eyed.

*Something's wrong. This is very wrong.*

Was the **testing stone broken?!**

Her spiritual root values had **gone up**?!

Her **Wood Root was actually above 60?!**

But **the others didn't know any of this.**

Many of them had **stronger spiritual roots than her**—but she had **been refining dozens of pills daily**.

If someone like **her** was working this hard, what **excuse** did they have?

A collective **flame of motivation** ignited in every disciple's heart.

Meanwhile, Master Jian Wang remained **calm** and simply asked,

*"I heard you know some sword techniques?"*

Qin Shu nodded.

*"Only basic ones, Master."*

Master Jian Wang instructed,

*"Then show me your basics. Go strike the Trial Sword Stone."*

Qin Shu unsheathed her **white jade sword** and was about to move when Master Jian Wang stopped her.

*"Wait."*

Qin Shu turned back.

Master Jian Wang took a **wooden training sword** from a nearby disciple and tossed it to her.

*"Use this instead."*

Qin Shu caught the wooden sword, put away her own, and stepped up to the Trial Sword Stone.

She took a **deep breath**.

Then—

She thrust the sword forward.

A **clean, precise stab.**

A **walnut-sized dent** appeared on the stone.

The **entire Sword Sect went dead silent.**

Even **Master Jian Wang** stared in disbelief.

Qin Shu calmly withdrew her sword and bowed.

*"Master, I have completed the test."*

Master Jian Wang took a long moment to **process what had just happened**.

Before today, **Chi Yu had mentioned that her junior sister was talented**.

But she had thought—*How talented could a little girl possibly be?*

Now, seeing this firsthand...

**A mere beginner had grasped the essence of swordsmanship?**

This was—

**Absurd.**

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