Chapter 76: Joining

The elegant-faced woman, upon hearing the young man with the folding fan, could not help but frown slightly and said, "We are all fellow disciples after all. Although this junior brother's cultivation is low, what Brother Zhao said is a bit too much."

The young man with the folding fan, seeing that the elegant-faced woman was actually speaking up for Chu Jianqiu, instantly blushed.

"Alright, let's drop the matter. Since we are fellow disciples, we might as well travel together," the stern-faced young man said coldly, flicking his sleeve.

He did not want to let a lowly cultivator like Chu Jianqiu ruin the impression of their group on the elegant-faced woman.

At the same time, he cast a covert glance at Wan Xiuying, his eyes filled with displeasure and coldness. How dare this woman be so ungrateful, daring to invite others without his consent? Such a woman who doesn't know her place should be made to disappear at some point to avoid being an eyesore.

Wan Xiuying, sensing the coldness in the stern-faced young man's gaze, felt a chill in her heart. However, even so, she did not regret inviting Chu Jianqiu to join.

In this group, she had no one she could rely on. Even the elegant-faced woman had only invited her out of a sense of camaraderie from their time together in the Purple Mist Society.

In this perilous secret realm, with her low cultivation, if she were to travel alone, she would probably not survive for long. So even though she knew the elegant-faced woman's invitation was not sincere, she had no choice but to join with a thick face.

In this group, although no one could be relied upon, at least she would have some degree of safety.

When she received the notification that all inner disciples of the True Qi realm must enter the secret realm, Wan Xiuying actually regretted advancing to the sixth level of the True Qi realm too early.

After the experience outside Zunlian City at Wohu Mountain, Wan Xiuying cherished her life even more, preferring to cultivate slowly rather than take such great risks again. Therefore, she was very averse to entering the Xinze Secret Realm.

However, she had just advanced to the sixth level of the True Qi realm and become an inner disciple, which placed her among those who had to enter the Xinze Secret Realm. This made her joy at becoming an inner disciple short-lived, as all her happiness was instantly extinguished.

Wan Xiuying knew that with her strength, if she did not find someone to rely on, she had a 100% chance of dying in the secret realm. So when she saw Chu Jianqiu, she immediately clung to him like a lifeline, determined not to let go.

Chu Jianqiu did not want to travel with them, fearing it would tie his hands and make things difficult for himself. However, seeing the arrogant demeanor of the young man with the folding fan and the false appearance of the stern-faced young man, his stubbornness flared up, and he decided to thwart their plans.

"Since all the senior brothers and sisters have invited me so warmly, I will not refuse but accept your kind invitation!" Chu Jianqiu said with a slight smile.

The stern-faced young man's gaze froze. Was this kid really clueless, or was he pretending not to understand their disdain for him?

But never mind, a lowly cultivator like him, if he wants to follow, let him. It's not worth arguing with him.

The young man with the folding fan, seeing this, felt as if he had swallowed a fly, but he could not say more in front of the elegant-faced woman.

He glared at Chu Jianqiu with cold eyes.

Chu Jianqiu ignored the young man with the folding fan's cold gaze and smiled slightly, "Is there something wrong with this senior brother's eyes? Why does he keep glaring? Don't tell me he has red eyes like a dog!"

The young man with the folding fan was instantly furious and roared, "You're asking for death!" As he spoke, his aura suddenly erupted, and he was about to attack Chu Jianqiu.

"Enough!" the stern-faced young man coldly shouted. Was this Zhao losing his mind today, always embarrassing himself?

The young man with the folding fan, hearing this cold shout, broke out in a cold sweat. Senior Brother Yan was really angry. He immediately dared not provoke Chu Jianqiu anymore. In verbal sparring, he could not gain any advantage and would only embarrass himself. He would have to find a chance later to secretly eliminate this damned waste of space, leaving him no place to bury, to vent his anger today.

Seeing the young man with the folding fan back down, Chu Jianqiu did not bother with him anymore. He fell behind the group, following at a distance.

He joined this group purely to annoy the young man with the folding fan and the stern-faced young man, to vent his anger. He would not follow them for long and would leave after today.

Wan Xiuying also fell behind the group and started chatting with Chu Jianqiu.

Chu Jianqiu had neither much affection nor much dislike for Wan Xiuying. He did not particularly like her way of dealing with things or her personality. However, because she had taken good care of Fu Lingxue, he did not want to appear too cold and distant, so he casually responded to Wan Xiuying's friendliness.

In their conversation, Chu Jianqiu asked about Fu Lingxue's recent situation. Having spent less time in the outer sect recently, he had not seen Fu Lingxue for quite some time.

Among all the fellow disciples, Chu Jianqiu had a bit of concern for this seemingly weak but actually stubborn girl. As for the other fellow disciples, he did not have much feeling for them.

Because of Chu Jianqiu, Wan Xiuying took even better care of Fu Lingxue. Although she had entered the inner sect, she still frequently checked on Fu Lingxue. Fu Lingxue was her only link to Chu Jianqiu, the direct disciple, and she would not easily miss this opportunity.

Sure enough, when she mentioned Fu Lingxue, Chu Jianqiu's attitude became much warmer.

After the Blood Python mission at Wohu Mountain, Fu Lingxue soon advanced to the third level of the True Qi realm. She had also completed the six required credits for advancing to the inner sect. However, because her cultivation was not yet sufficient, she was still cultivating in the outer sect.

Hearing about Fu Lingxue's situation, Chu Jianqiu felt relieved. Unconsciously, Fu Lingxue had gradually entered his heart. Although he did not have romantic feelings for her, he had come to regard her as a younger sister.

After finishing their talk about Fu Lingxue, Wan Xiuying quietly introduced the people in the group.

The stern-faced young man leading the group was Yan Junbi, the famous vice president of the Lingxiao Society in the inner sect. He was extremely powerful and ranked 37th on the inner disciples' list.