Spectating the Angsty Romance of the Master and Disciple from the Sect Next Door Chapter 10

“We greet Immortal Venerable Qingxiao!”
As those around Li Jin’an rose to bow, faint sounds of grinding teeth seemed to echo. If not for the solemnity of the occasion, they would have truly wanted to clean out their ears.
How could someone react so strongly? Whenever Immortal Venerable Qingxiao appeared, someone within ten miles was bound to grind their teeth.
Jiang Fengmian couldn’t resist sneaking a glance at Li Jin’an from the corner of her eye. She mused inwardly, Even as a Sword Sovereign, she still loves to fight Qingxiao, day after day, year after year. Isn’t that a form of perseverance?
Many had previously worried that Li Jin’an would develop inner demons due to Xie Huaixue. Excessive obsession leads to karma, accumulating karma leads to demonic thoughts, and going astray in cultivation is quite normal.
Unexpectedly, Li Jin’an not only avoided falling to the demonic path but also kept pace with Xie Huaixue, never falling behind, step by step reaching her current status.
Through the sifting sands of time, the only true elites of their generation were Xie Huaixue and Li Jin’an, with Jiang Fengmian barely making the cut.
Besides them, the cultivators of their generation were so overshadowed by their brilliance that they couldn’t even lift their heads.
This was also why Li Jin’an clung stubbornly to Xie Huaixue, and why the world dared not mock her, but rather held her in great admiration—too many people couldn’t defeat Xie Huaixue. Li Jin’an was the most famous among them, yet she could easily overpower everyone else.
Once they broke through to the Mahayana realm, reaching the level of sect masters and clan heads among the Five Sects and Four Clans, who in the world would dare to criticize why Sword Sovereign Jǐ Jìn could never defeat Immortal Venerable Qingxiao?
The world would only call it a tale of mutual achievement. That was why the Dao Sect never refused Li Jin’an’s “challenge to fight,” and even somewhat welcomed it.
Many Dao Sect elders following Xie Huaixue smiled knowingly when they saw Li Jin’an sitting composedly in her chair. Even Dao Sect Master Jingting Dao Lord was unsurprised; she knew what would happen the moment the invitation was sent to the Sword Sect.
There was no reason for Sword Sovereign Jǐ Jìn to be absent this time, especially when she had attended Immortal Venerable Qingxiao’s previous two disciple-acceptance ceremonies.
Li Jin’an could choose to disregard Xie Huaixue and the long line of Dao Sect elders behind her, remaining motionless in her chair, but she could not disrespect Jingting Dao Lord. If asked why, the answer was simply that she couldn’t defeat her.
“Greetings, Dao Lord! Your grace remains as ever.” Li Jin’an said, simply cupping her fist in a salute.
Qi Lingzi, Tan Yanyi, and Ling Qiu, who had risen alongside their master, could not be so perfunctory. They bowed respectfully, their eyes not daring to stray, and could only lament inwardly, Only at times like these do we get to see Master behaving like a proper person.
Jingting Dao Lord waved a hand casually and settled into her seat, smiling as she looked at Li Jin’an. “Jin’an, you haven’t visited in a long time. Does the Dao Sect feel unfamiliar to you?”
Li Jin’an wanted to grind her teeth again.
Cultivators have exceptionally long lifespans. Even without breaking through to the next realm, there are countless methods to extend one’s life. Living long enough meant that a mere thousand years wasn’t enough for the cultivation world to see a new generation. Jingting Dao Lord had been the Dao Sect Master when I was just a ‘little cub,’ and she still is.
Whether in terms of strength or seniority, I, the Sword Sovereign, have to show respect to such an elder who clearly has no respect for her age.
Don’t these old monsters who have lived for thousands of years know when to abdicate and yield their positions? No wonder the cultivation world is a stagnant pool!
“Dao Lord is jesting,” the ‘fake-smiling’ Sword Sovereign replied. “As the head of the immortal sects, this junior would also like to frequently listen to your teachings.”
Jingting Dao Lord pondered for a moment, then said with a warm smile, “If you and your lineage don’t mind, you and your disciples could stay with me for a while.”
Not to mention the external sect members attending the ceremony, even the Dao Sect’s own disciples couldn’t help but gape, watching Li Jin’an and her three disciples with envy, jealousy, and resentment, wishing they could take their place.
That was a Dao Lord!
Was someone who could directly use the character ‘Dao’ in their title a simple figure?
Only two people in the cultivation world held this esteemed honor: one was Jingting Dao Lord, and the other was Jingting Dao Lord’s master, the Dao Sect’s Grand Elder, who had been in seclusion for a long time. Her title had no flashy prefixes, just two simple characters—Dao Venerable!
That was why Li Jin’an said the Dao Sect was the foremost of all immortal sects; it was truly a case of ‘beating the younger one brings out the elder!’
Becoming Immortal Venerable Qingxiao’s disciple could be said to be a swift ascent, but being accepted as Jingting Dao Lord’s disciple truly meant reaching the heavens in a single step.
Qi Lingzi and the other two were even more agitated. Even though they knew they were just incidental, they couldn’t help but tremble with excitement.
Li Jin’an respectfully declined. Jingting Dao Lord simply wanted to watch her and Xie Huaixue, two ‘not-so-little cubs,’ fight up close. Don’t think I didn’t know; Jingting Dao Lord had once called our fights ‘kitten brawls!’
“Thank you for your kindness, Dao Lord. You are busy with myriad affairs, and your time is precious. How could this junior trouble you? Rather…”
She paused, then gently raised her eyes, smiling faintly as she looked directly opposite.
“…it is Immortal Venerable Qingxiao who will be troubled much more.”
The seating in the hall was ingeniously arranged: Xie Huaixue was to Jingting Dao Lord’s lower right, and Li Jin’an to her lower left, perfectly facing each other. It was hard to say it wasn’t deliberately planned.
This was the first time Li Jin’an had actively looked at Xie Huaixue since the latter entered the hall.
The Sword Sovereign was not entirely disdainful of others, but she was certainly not approachable. When she gazed at Xie Huaixue, her eyes held no room for anyone else, not even Lan Ci and Zhong Fei who stood behind Xie Huaixue.
Li Jin’an possessed a pair of narrow, phoenix-like eyes. When their outer corners slanted upwards, her brows seemed to smile yet not smile, inevitably giving off a sense of casual provocation.
Her demeanor and tone were arrogant and frivolous, practically screaming ‘ill intent.’
Jingting Dao Lord watched gleefully, not thinking it improper for her, as a sect master, to be leading the delay of the auspicious moment for accepting disciples.
Unlike the persistent fiery glow in Li Jin’an’s eyes, Xie Huaixue’s gaze was cool yet remarkably peaceful. A closer look would reveal eyes of extreme depth, bottomless and profound, as if even gods or demons could not stir her in the slightest.
All eyes in the hall converged on them. Various gazes, whether subtle or overt, rested on Xie Huaixue. She simply met Li Jin’an’s gaze and said coolly, “It would be impolite to refuse; I welcome you warmly.”
Four light words, devoid of any emotion.
Without reason, it made the air feel utterly still.
The Sword Sovereign’s arrogance was born from extreme ostentation, while the Immortal Venerable’s excessive detachment made it seem as if she didn’t regard the person before her, or perhaps, anyone at all.
Such an attitude was precisely what ignited Sword Sovereign Jǐ Jìn. What she disliked most was Xie Huaixue’s appearance of cold frost and solitary snow.
Li Jin’an scoffed, just as she was about to utter words detrimental to the relations between the Sword Sect and the Dao Sect, she saw the two young cultivators standing behind Xie Huaixue—Lan Ci and Zhong Fei.
No matter how fiercely they fought in private, at this moment, their faces bore poorly concealed, identical expressions of resentment. They were enraged by Sword Sovereign Jǐ Jìn’s blatant disrespect towards their master.
Perhaps it had always been this way; the naive protagonists would also harbor resentment towards those who disrespected their masters. It was just that Li Jin’an had never paid them any mind, and even if she saw them, she wouldn’t take it seriously.
But now was different.
Just when everyone thought Li Jin’an would, as usual, break down and curse, she suddenly smiled, her tone light and filled with genuine delight as she said, “Then this Venerable will simply respectfully obey. My unruly disciples are mischievous; I hope Immortal Venerable will be lenient with them then.”
Did the sun rise from the west today? Sword Sovereign Jǐ Jìn didn’t unilaterally start a quarrel with Immortal Venerable Qingxiao?
This was truly big news in the cultivation world!
Jiang Fengmian sat in her seat, utterly bewildered, watching Li Jin’an, then Xie Huaixue. When did Jǐ Jìn become so easy to talk to?
Not to mention outsiders, even Tan Yanyi and her companions’ first thought wasn’t that their master called them unruly, but rather whether their master had been replaced. Otherwise, was this scene truly happening?
The others no longer cared who was being accepted as a disciple; they all pricked up their ears, watching the verbal sparring between the Sword Sovereign and the Immortal Venerable.
Xie Huaixue’s expression remained unchanged, as if she wasn’t the one who would suffer the consequences of Li Jin’an’s audacity. She merely nodded slightly, “No.”
Although she knew she would happily watch Xie Huaixue’s misfortune unfold later, Li Jin’an still couldn’t help but roll her eyes. What ‘no’? Does ‘no’ mean she won’t be lenient with her disciples?
It’s always such an effort to talk to Xie Huaixue. She never used to be like this!
There’s no rule in the cultivation world that says an Immortal Venerable can’t speak properly. Why is Xie Huaixue the only one different?
Li Jin’an fumed silently, but others felt this was exactly right!
How could the Sword Sovereign and Immortal Venerable possibly get along peacefully? If they didn’t roll their eyes at each other, it simply wouldn’t have any soul.
Jingting Dao Lord, satisfied, instructed the Elder of the Rites Hall to begin the matters of today’s disciple-acceptance ceremony.
Li Jin’an’s attention was also diverted. She wasn’t just any Sword Sovereign now; she was a Sword Sovereign who held the Heavenly Book!
Xie Huaixue is nothing. When her cold poison acts up, we’ll see how I take advantage of her vulnerability!
Li Jin’an was now more interested in the three ‘little beasts.’ Her gaze swept over them, and into her view came the ‘big little beast’ behind Xie Huaixue, and the ‘small little beast’ who was carefully walking in behind a Dao Sect elder.
Whether the big or the small little beast, they shared a common trait: the better their outward appearance, the darker their hearts, and the more they would dissemble.
Li Jin’an endured and endured, but still couldn’t resist a soft chuckle, remarking pointedly, “Immortal Venerable’s taste is as excellent as ever, indeed.”