"Among the people who signed up for this conference, there are many young monks who have become famous."
In Taichu Temple, several elders were all together, discussing around a roster.
"Yin Xueze from the Zhenwu Academy, Wu Yaochen, the young master of the Emperor Rong Clan, Lan Chucui from the Dapo Palace, Shu Pinghui from Haizhuangfang, and even the old ghost from the Zhao family, Lan Xi, sent his precious only son."
"This apprenticeship conference is a gathering of elites!"
"Not only is there a gathering of talents, but Elder Qi, who is responsible for leading this group of amateurs, said that there are also many talented people among those young children."
"Good seeds will be collected no matter what, and no amount is too much. But here, I have received rumors that this year the assessment will be more difficult and the entry quota will be reduced. As a result, the competition here will probably be unprecedented. Intense.”
"I've also heard that it will definitely be a fight between dragons and tigers. But young and famous people should be able to enter. It depends on whether there are any surprises."
"Speaking of this -" one of the elders turned the list to the next page, pointed to a name on it, and said, "Have you heard of this person?"
"Jing Yingrong? I've heard a little bit about it. A monk in the middle stage of the Golden Core challenged her before, but she was defeated in one blow."
"I have also heard some news about this person. Her true strength far exceeds her superficial cultivation. It can be said that she is... abnormally strong."
"I had suspected that this person was hiding his cultivation before, so I went to conduct a secret investigation."
A short elder came out. He frowned and said, "She was with the juniors of Zhenwu Academy that day. According to my observation, her cultivation does not seem to be fake, but..."
"But what?"
"This person gives me a weird feeling. He doesn't look like a young monk. His demeanor reminds me of some powerful seniors."
"As far as I know, Jing Yingrong is at least more than three hundred years old. She came to participate in the disciple recruitment conference in order to break through the realm and extend her longevity. Therefore, she is naturally different from those young monks. Her strength far exceeds that of the monks. Because, maybe it’s because she has been immersed in this realm for a long time.”
"If she has accumulated so much, it is impossible that she will not be able to break through. In my opinion, with the strength she has shown, it is more than enough to break through to the Golden Core stage."
"this……"
"Wait!" Someone raised his voice and grabbed everyone's attention. He asked the short elder: "Did you say that she was with the juniors from the Zhenwu Academy on the day when the Liexia Altar changed?"
The elder thought about it for a moment and said firmly: "Yes, that was the day."
"I remember that the report after the incident recorded that when the Liexia Altar moved, the juniors from the Zhenwu Academy were also nearby."
"So, Jing Yingrong was also there at that time?"
"She should be there. Tell me, could it be her..."
The speaker did not finish his words, but only conveyed eye contact to those present.
Several elders looked at each other, all showing more or less suspicion, but no one dared to make a conclusion for a while, so the place was completely silent.
Finally, an elder with the most senior qualifications and the highest cultivation level spoke: "There is no conclusive evidence on this matter. Please do not discuss it unreasonably to avoid being slandered by others and bullying the younger generation. However, since it is related to the Liexia Altar, it cannot be taken lightly. I will not Just report this matter to the leader and let the leader make a decision, what do you think?"
"That's very good."
"Just do it."
…
On this day, Zhao Jinxu came to visit Jing Yingrong's residence.
He came in secretly, and even let his golden elixir servants stand aside, as if he was afraid of being seen by someone. Jing Yingrong asked him what happened, and he said he wanted to ask for advice, so Jing Yingrong opened the bar and let him in.
"Fellow Daoist Mirror, please accept this."
Zhao Jinxu held a treasure box in both hands, his posture was very sincere and well-behaved.
Jing Yingrong: "Why?"
Zhao Jinxu: "My old man - oh, that's my dad. When you ask someone for help, you have to show enough sincerity first, and then they will do their best to help you."
Jing Yingrong pondered for a moment and accepted the treasure box: "Okay, you say."
"That's it, cough cough."
Zhao Jinxu cleared his throat. He seemed to be considering his words and didn't know where to start.
"That, is, um...how should I put it, this..."
Jing Yingrong: "Is it related to yourself?"
Zhao Jinxu shook his head decisively: "No."
"Is it related to Yin Xueze?"
"Um...Eh?! How do you know?"
Jing Yingrong: "I guessed it. You care about him very much."
Zhao Jinxu scratched his head: "Okay, I'll just ask. Fellow Daoist Jing, have you noticed anything wrong with my brother Xueze, or that he concealed his injuries and illnesses...?"
Jing Yingrong looked at him and said, "You want to ask him about the shortcomings of the exercises he practiced."
"Yes! You really know!" Zhao Jinxu slapped his thigh, "That day, Brother Xueze said you were his friend. I knew you must be special. There are only a few people in this world who can be recognized by Brother Xueze as his friend."
Jing Yingrong: "Since you know this, it means he didn't hide it from you. So, what do you want to ask me?"
Zhao Jinxu clenched his fist and said: "He wants to hide it from me... You don't know something. Because of some family matters, my father sent me to Zhenwu Academy for a temporary stay when I was young. At that time, Dean Song asked Brother Xueze to take care of me. Me. I lived in Zhenwuyuan for ten years, and was not taken back to Lanxi Island until the dispute at home was resolved. During these ten years, Brother Xueze has been accompanying me. He not only took care of my daily life, but also guided me in my cultivation. He To me, he is both an elder brother and a master."
Jing Yingrong: "So he treats you kindly than others."
Hearing this, Zhao Jinxu laughed twice, a little proud in his shyness.
"Brother Xue Ze, he hid almost nothing from me, except for this... I was too young at the time, and I only knew that he was practicing a very peculiar technique. I was very envious at the time, and even pestered him to teach me that technique. After he refused, I still had trouble with him. It was not until later that I accidentally saw the shortcomings of his practice."
Having said this, Zhao Jinxu frowned and his eyes became gloomy.
"He told me not to tell anyone, and I agreed. Since then, every time he had an attack, he didn't avoid me. If I hadn't caught him, he would have kept it secret from me. Moreover, he didn't Tell me the real details. I still don’t know what kind of technique he practiced and what the drawbacks were. So, I came here this time just to ask you if you know the inside story."
Jing Yingrong: "I know."
Zhao Jinxu's eyes lit up: "Can you tell me?"
Jing Yingrong: "No."
"Why?!"
"This is someone else's private matter. I can't tell you without their permission."
