Chapter 19: Signs of a Test Emerge

After the initial excitement wore off, it took only a couple of days for the children aboard the flying vessel to settle into a quiet, subdued state. Gazing at the endless blue sky and drifting clouds, night after night of moon and stars, even the most reserved among them grew restless and irritable.

With so many children, idle energy had nowhere to go, and some of the boys, barely restraining themselves, began picking fights within their peer group.

At first, when conflict broke out, the Lingyun Sect’s steward disciples would intervene. But after a few incidents, they stopped meddling altogether—even if they witnessed trouble, they looked the other way, leaving the children to their own devices.

Only two rules were emphasized by the Lingyun Sect: no use of spiritual power to harm others, and under no circumstances was anyone to be killed.

After all, with the powers of an immortal sect, even severed limbs could be restored. Besides, these were half-grown children; relying solely on physical strength, how much harm could they really do?

So in the following days, wherever Ji Yao went, she saw groups of children shoving each other, wrestling on the ground—at times she felt as if she were in a kindergarten.

Occasionally, Ji Yao wondered if this might be a method the Lingyun Sect used to test the temperament of their disciples, for since the vessel had set off, she hadn’t seen any elders or stewards from the sect accompany them.

She glanced up at the highest cabin of the vessel, where an elder, rumored to be at the Nascent Soul stage, had entered and remained behind closed doors. Ji Yao was certain he was aware of everything happening on board.

Perhaps, the current scene aboard the vessel was something he had anticipated, and he was deliberately allowing it.

Within just a few days, nearly every child—whether they had participated in the conflicts or not—had been caught up in the fray, Ji Yao included.

Ji Yao sighed inwardly. Was it really worth quarreling with a bunch of children? She had forgotten that, in the eyes of others, she was merely a ten-year-old herself.

It was an eight-year-old boy, slightly pudgy, dressed in luxurious silk and jade ornaments—a scion of some powerful mortal family, no doubt.

Behind him were three youths, fourteen or fifteen years old, with tense postures and ready hands. Clearly, they were trained bodyguards, loyal and skilled.

As Ji Yao passed by, the little fatty was ordering his attendants to snatch something from a boy lying on the ground.

The boy on the ground, trying to evade them, rolled sideways and landed at Ji Yao’s feet.

The fatty’s gaze shifted instantly to Ji Yao.

“You there! Yes, you! Bring me the pouch from that boy’s waist!”

He was clearly accustomed to commanding others, his tone imperious and utterly unyielding.

In the corridor, aside from their group, Ji Yao was the only other person present. She felt a headache coming on.

How could the boy have rolled right to her feet in a corridor over three meters wide!

Ji Yao looked down. The boy at her feet was thin, dressed in faded cotton, older than the little fatty, about Ji Yao’s age.

His eyes held a stubborn, unyielding defiance. The lines of his young face hinted at the handsome features he would grow into, though his mouth was set in a cold, hard line.

From his appearance alone, he would someday be the type to make girls fall for him at first glance. As for his character, judging by how he’d held on to his belongings despite the standoff, he was brave and clever—a mind that matched his courage.

Wait—Ji Yao realized her thoughts were straying.

Before she could react, the boy on the ground seized the initiative.

No, to be precise, he made his move with words first.

He sprang to his feet with a nimble flip, looking battered but unhurt.

“Dongfang Yu, this isn’t the Prince Qi’s mansion. Do you think you can command anyone here as you please?”

The little fatty, evidently Dongfang Yu, seemed stung by the remark.

Aware that Ji Yao might be a cultivator, Dongfang Yu hesitated, then bit his lip and offered, “Fellow Daoist, help me! If you bring me the pouch from Dongfang Shun, I’ll give you a mid-grade magical artifact!”

At his words, Dongfang Yu’s three bodyguards exchanged quick, meaningful glances, then resumed their blank stares at Ji Yao.

The boy named Dongfang Shun stepped forward and said to Ji Yao, “Don’t believe Dongfang Yu. He only has one mid-grade magical artifact—it’s not a matter of life and death, so why would he give it away so generously?”

Dongfang Shun’s maneuver was clever. Ji Yao’s right side was against the wall, her left beside Dongfang Shun, who stepped forward with his left foot and turned to address her from the right.

This way, he could monitor both sides, keep an escape route behind him, and subtly block Ji Yao’s path.

His words, too, carried an undertone of provocation.

A fine drama, indeed.

Though Dongfang Yu’s bodyguards tried to hide their intentions, Ji Yao noticed every detail—she’d been watching everyone from the start.

Both Dongfangs were cunning, each trying to draw her in as a pawn. She wasn’t afraid, but had no desire to be used.

Ji Yao made up her mind. She raised her hands slightly at her sides.

This small gesture startled everyone present, their bodies instinctively tensing in readiness.

But Ji Yao merely adjusted her sleeves, then folded her hands gracefully at her abdomen, smiling gently at them.

Her movements were elegant, without the slightest hint of threat, and her smile relaxed the group for a fleeting moment.

Now was her chance.

“Gentlemen, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed!”

As she spoke in a soft voice, her hands concealed within her sleeves formed a spell seal, and in an instant she cast a Mud Trap Technique at their feet, immobilizing all five.

Immediately after, Ji Yao activated her Light Body Technique, leaping over their heads and landing steadily five meters away.

“You!” Dongfang Yu exclaimed in shock.

Ji Yao didn’t look back, walking straight ahead and leaving them with a cold warning: “If you wish to scheme against each other, that’s one thing. But if you try to use me, don’t blame me for being unkind!”

She was grateful for her water-blue, wide-sleeved dress today. By adjusting her sleeves, she’d hidden her hands and prepared the spell in advance, catching all five off guard.

Otherwise, with her fifth-layer Qi Refining cultivation, she would have struggled against five skilled opponents.

She hadn’t harmed them—the Mud Trap Technique was just to restrain, and its effects would fade in a short time.

Perhaps Ji Yao’s spell gave Dongfang Shun the opportunity he needed. As soon as he regained movement, he scattered powder at Dongfang Yu and his three attendants, blinding them and seizing the moment to flee toward the more populated areas.

Just then, an urgent bell sounded aboard the flying vessel.

It was the signal from the accompanying elder, summoning all disciples.