Painting of the Nine Immortals

“After all, you don’t look like someone strong. And you definitely don’t look like a good guy.”

The young girl pouted and gave Ling Xian the cold shoulder.

The cold shoulder?

Ling Xian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Ever since he began cultivation, he has been laughed at and been ignored but never been disliked like this.

Yet now, this girl was looking at him like she didn’t want to associate herself with him. This made him speechless. What she had said made clouds appear above his head.

Don’t look like someone strong?

Don’t look like a good guy?

So he didn’t look strong, butwhy didn’t he look like the good guy?

However, with his mentality, he wasn’t going to be mad at such a young girl.

“Tell me, why don’t I seem like a strong person?” Ling Xian softly smiled and wanted to hear how she judged him.

“What kind of powerhouse would be so bored he’d climb this stairway?”

The young girl still looked somewhat like she didn’t like him as she looked at him the same way she would look at a moron. She continued to pout, “look at how skinny and bony you are. You also exude no Qi. It’s obvious you are an ordinary mortal.”

“Skinny and bony?”

Ling Xian laughed. Though he looked somewhat lean, he was nowhere near skinny or bony. His entire body was composed of pure muscle and he was extremely powerful. His dress merely didn’t show off his assets.

“Interesting. Then tell me, why don’t I look like a good guy?” Ling Xian grinned.

The young girl continued to look unimpressed. Her dark eyes were brimming with caution, “You began talking to me right away when you saw me. You obviously have bad intentions. There is no way you are a good person.”

Hearing this, Ling Xian was speechless. The reason why he went to talk to her was that this stairway has been forgotten and not talked about for years. Since there was someone there, of course he was curious.

Then, he continued to talk to her because of her stubbornness. But why did it turn into Ling Xian trying to pick her up when she talked about him?

Honestly speaking, what kind of bad thoughts would he have towards a young girl who wasn’t even fully grown?

“Alright, you can stop talking now. I don’t think you will speak any kind words even if I continue to listen.”

Ling Xian shook his head and continued, “To you, I am just a bad person with bad intentions towards you.”

“No, there are some things nice about you.” The corner of the girl’s lips lifted, revealing a smile.

“What is it?”

Ling Xian was curious. What the girl said next again brought a cloud over his head.

“You have some self-awareness.”

A small grin rested on her lips, “At the very least, you realized I have no kind words to say to you.”

“You sure are an interesting girl.”

Ling Xian chuckled, “Ever since I began cultivating, I have never been given the cold shoulder, never been looked at like I am an idiot.”

“Hehe, it’s too bad you didn’t meet me earlier.” The girl laughed, her voice like bells – very pleasant to the ears.

But the next second, her smile disappeared, “I cannot joke with you anymore. I have to continue my climb.”

Then, she gritted her teeth and marched upwards.

But just after a few more steps, her legs gave up and she collapsed onto the ground.

This made Ling Xian frown and he instinctively extended an arm to pick her up. However, the girl slapped his hand away. “I don’t need your help. I can stand up by myself.”

“You sure are stubborn.”

Ling Xian shook his head and said, “Stop climbing. You are an ordinary mortal with flesh and bones. There is no way you can complete this stairway.”

“I don’t believe that.”

The young girl clenched her teeth and determination filled her eyes, “I have to march over this step and be admitted into the Wan Jian House.”

“I admire those who are persistent.”

Ling Xian softly smiled, “Humans need this kind of resolve, especially cultivators.”

Hearing this, an unusual wave of emotions flashed across her eyes. She softly said, “You are different than the others. Others believe only the naturally talented can achieve success.”

“And what is your opinion?” Ling Xian softly asked.

“If I am like the others, I might as well go home right now. Why would I torture myself here.” The young girl spoke. Other than determination, there was also some sadness on her face.

She had no natural talent and she had really crappy enlightening abilities, which was why she failed the Wan Jian House’s test. However, she refused to be an ordinary mortal and allow those in power to do whatever they want.

Therefore, she came to the Stairway to Heaven and attempted to be admitted into the House with this method.

“That is true. Looks like I asked another stupid question.” Ling Xian laughed.

The young girl bitterly smiled, “The examiners said I am naturally subpar, I am waste, and I have no right to cultivate.”

“Waste? No right to cultivate?”

Ling Xian frowned. Ignoring whether or not this girl has natural talent, this sentence alone is very harmful. Even if she doesn’t have any talent and can only be ordinary all her life, nobody should speak like that. It tarnishes the Wan Jian House’s image.

Then, he circulated his soul to tried and investigate the natural talent of this girl. But after he scanned her over, he was stunned.

Because from the girls’ eyes, he found a mysterious force of energy. This energy inside the Taoism community is known as the Inner Eyes!

As everyone knows, only those with extremely high talent can awaken the Inner Eyes. Using Ling Xian, for example, his powerful Eyes of Execution, are not eyes that can just be awakened by anyone.

Even the simplest and the last ranked Inner Eyes still require much talent to be awakened. Even though this young girl hasn’t activated her Inner Eyes, the strange force he felt was not wrong. One day, she will for sure activate those eyes.

How did she have no natural talent? She was actually a genius who is one out of 10,000!

Then, Ling Xian frowned deeper and felt a little displeased.

The Wan Jian House treated him well and he has been thinking of this place as his home. However, those examiners rejected a genius and called her waste.

To speak optimistically, they made an error by accident. But to speak pessimistically, they ruined the future of the Wan Jian House!

Think about it, if all geniuses are stopped from coming in, then how can the Wan Jian House find fresh blood? How can they birth new powerhouses?

“Wow, a great seed that is one out of 10,000 was told she was waste. Who was responsible for the tests? What a great job you did.”

Ling Xian hissed, then glanced at the young girl. “Come with me, I am going to fight for justice for you.”

“Justice?”

The young girl smiled. Smiled in a way where she found this funny and also in a way that was somewhat sad. Then, she rolled up her sleeve and bared a fresh red scar. There was a line of blood that just dried up.

“I admit that after hearing about failing the test, I was in a bad mood. But I merely asked him to let me try again. Not only did he disagree, but he also whipped my arm.”

At this, Ling Xian’s expression darkened.

No matter how many benefits of the doubt he gives them, even if this girl had no talent, the examiner had no right to behave like this. Isn’t he dragging down the Wan Jian House’s reputation? For someone who treated the Wan Jian House like his home, why wouldn’t he be mad?

“You don’t need to speak more. I will find justice for you.”

After uttering out such cold words, Ling Xian tore the space before him with his left hand and grabbed onto the girl with his right. He headed towards the testing location.