The last shred of affection Chai Jin held for Xiao Hua was personally extinguished by her.
Xiao Hua did not learn anything from Wang Jia Bi, but she picked up a great deal of foul language.
To vent her dissatisfaction, she spoke everything that came to mind, only regretting it when she became tired and weary.
However, before she could even explain, the Wang family arrived, clamoring to hand Xiao Hua over to the authorities.
It turned out Xiao Hua had not run away as she claimed, but had injured the Wang family's gatekeepers and forced her way out.
As a result, her attack was too heavy, and she had accidentally killed someone.
The Wang family had already squeezed Xiao Hua for all she was worth, and had no intention of letting her go, forcibly taking her away.
As she was being taken, Xiao Hua's piercing cries and curses were incessant.
Because Chai Jing and Xu Yi had not helped her, she came to hate everyone.
Xiao Hua's incident finally made Chai Jin face his own feelings. He proposed to the Chang family, and as expected, was rejected.
But he did not give up. He began to shuttle between the Xu and Chang families. After half a year, he finally moved the Chang family couple.
On the day Hong Xing married Chai Jin, Xu Yi also attended.
Watching the two of them smile brilliantly and their affections flow, she had a sudden realization.
At night, she sat in the small courtyard looking up at the sky, beginning to recall her life.
She was born into royalty, with a noble status, yet she did not confine herself to that small patch of sky.
She had traveled to many places, met many people, and experienced many things.
She had been a defending general, a blacksmith, a mountain hunter, and a wandering swordsman...
She grew tired and chose to settle in this small village, experiencing human kindness and wickedness once more, and understanding the principle of holding onto one's true heart.
Xu Yi felt her life was complete.
She closed her eyes, feeling a strong pulling sensation from the depths of her soul, as if something was intensely calling her to leave.
She thought she had finally waited long enough.
Her consciousness suddenly plunged into chaos, and before her was a vast expanse of white nothingness, where she could see nothing.
After an unknown amount of time, a blinding white light awakened her consciousness.
She abruptly opened her eyes and saw a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar before her.
The middle-aged man smiled at her and said, "Congratulations, Xu Yi, you have completed the assessment."
Xu Yi was momentarily dazed, and all the memories buried deep in her sea of consciousness resurfaced.
She was Xu Yi, not Princess An Guo Xu Yi, but Xu Yi, the Ancestor Master of the Xuanji Sect.
Everything she had experienced was an assessment.
"Dean..."
Xu Yi murmured, confusion evident in her eyes.
When her lifespan was about to run out during the assessment, she had sensed something was wrong, but with her knowledge as a mortal at the time, she could never have imagined she was undergoing an assessment as a cultivator.
Recalling everything now, she felt a profound sense of awakening from a dream.
"How was the taste of being a mortal?" the Dean asked with a hint of amusement.
Xu Yi sighed, "It's a very, very complex feeling – joys and sorrows, grief and separation, all tugging at the heartstrings."
Xu Yi's emotions during the assessment had been a rollercoaster, only gradually calming down at the end.
Many nights, she had doubted whether her choices were correct, but in the end, she remained steadfast and followed the path she had chosen.
"The fact that you held onto your true heart until the very end shows that your Dao heart is about to reach completion, and your path of cultivation will become smoother."
The Dean had witnessed Xu Yi's performance throughout.
The mortal world where Xu Yi had been was actually an illusion constructed by the Dean based on mortal kingdoms he had visited in the past. However, apart from the initial background and identity set by the Dean, everything that happened afterward was the dream's own unfolding development.
The Dean could not predict what difficulties Xu Yi would face and overcome in the dream.
Seeing Xu Yi avoid traps step by step, grow rapidly, and her temperament become increasingly resilient, he smiled more and more joyfully.
He knew Xu Yi would pass the assessment, but the perfection with which she completed it far exceeded his expectations.
He was now even more eager for Xu Yi's future.
"Thank you, Dean."
"The assessment is complete, and you are free to leave at any time. However, remember, if the Kunlun Academy ever needs your assistance in the future, you must not refuse."
Xu Yi bowed respectfully, "This disciple remembers."
"Go."
As Xu Yi walked out of the Dean's thatched hut, her mind was still somewhat dazed.
After all, nearly a hundred years was a considerable time for her, not easily forgotten.
However, as her steps fell more firmly, the weariness and vicissitudes of age rapidly faded from her. Her once dim eyes regained their brilliance, and her pace quickened.
By the time she returned to Courtyard No. 44, Xu Yi had completely recovered, showing no trace of abnormality.
In Courtyard No. 44, Xiong Zhuangzhuang and Yu Xiaoyu had been waiting for a long time.
They knew Xu Yi would leave after completing the assessment, so they specifically waited to bid her farewell.
Seeing Xu Yi return safely, the two were very happy and had prepared farewell gifts for her.
Xu Yi couldn't help but smile slightly as she looked at them. After accepting the gifts and thanking them, she gently hugged Yu Xiaoyu and sighed.
Meeting her friends finally gave her a sense of reality, that she was indeed Xu Yi of the Xuanji Sect.
After letting go of Yu Xiaoyu, Xu Yi beckoned Xiong Zhuangzhuang to lean closer, then whispered something in his ear.
Xu Yi used the technique of transmitting sound into secret, so Yu Xiaoyu did not hear what she said.
However, seeing Xiong Zhuangzhuang's face turn red at a visible speed after Xu Yi finished speaking, she couldn't help but feel curious.
Xiong Zhuangzhuang awkwardly touched his nose and nodded at Xu Yi, indicating he understood.
Xiong Zhuangzhuang and Yu Xiaoyu escorted Xu Yi to the exit of Kunlun Academy.
"Take care."
"We'll meet again."
Under their watchful eyes, Xu Yi stepped onto the teleportation array to leave Kunlun Academy.
...
Xuanji Sect.
"Elder Qingfeng! Bad news! Elder Su and Elder Zhao are fighting!"
True Person Qingfeng looked at the disciple rushing over in a panic and calmly waved his hand, "It's nothing. They're old, and a good argument is beneficial for strengthening the body. Let them be."
"Ah, is that really okay?" the newly initiated young disciple hesitated.
"Don't worry, they won't fight," True Person Qingfeng said leisurely.
The young disciple scratched his head, "Then this disciple will take his leave."
"Go."
After the young disciple left, True Person Qingfeng immediately slumped back into his lounge chair and exclaimed loudly.
It was truly wonderful when the Sect Master was away!
In the early years, True Person Qingfeng would worry if the Sect Master would cause trouble outside.
After all, the Sect Master used to fear nothing, was filled with killing intent, and loved to fight.
But nearly a hundred years had passed, and the outside world remained peaceful.
He could finally manage the sect's affairs with peace of mind in place of the Sect Master, and his days were incredibly leisurely and carefree.
However, as time passed, he inevitably felt a bit bored.
This was precisely why the sect's elders, to pass the time, had such incidents every few days. He had grown accustomed to it.
"Elder Qingfeng! Elder Qingfeng!"
The young disciple who had left not long ago returned, his face filled with alarm.
True Person Qingfeng sat up as if resigned to fate, "Speak, which elder is causing trouble again? Elder Su or Elder Fang?"