Only the Fourth Senior Brother smiled with ill intention.
"You can try, after all, she can’t steal it."
The First Senior Brother glared at him.
"This is a matter of life and death! Don’t act recklessly, Jiang Lai, do you understand?"
Jiang Lai nodded.
She’s not foolish enough to join the commotion knowing it could cost her life.
The trial began, and all the elders from the Three Sects and Four Gates traveled together, only ensuring the safety of the disciples without intervening.
As the door to the forbidden land was opened with combined force, what was once a vast grassland suddenly began to crack thunderously. As the crack widened, fierce winds swept up from the bottomless chasm, requiring Jiang Lai to stabilize her Spiritual Power just to stand still, or risk being swept inside.
Looking down, beneath the crack seemed like another world entirely, faintly echoing the sounds of rushing currents, accompanied by bursts of icy mist carried by the wind.
The Third Senior Brother spoke beside her.
"The drop-off location changes with each trial; last year was a desert, this year it’s a forest."
With the elders’ command, all the disciples leaped down directly.
The First Senior Brother looked at Jiang Lai again, instructing.
"Don’t get separated once you’re down."
With that, he leaped down, and Jiang Lai followed suit, catching a glimpse of Mu Wu in the corner of her eye.
Mu Wu noticed someone watching her and, realizing it was Jiang Lai, smiled slightly and jumped down as well.
Without exception, all disciples fell into an icy pool, barely having time to assess their surroundings before being soaked through.
The icy pool’s water was bone-chilling, causing everyone to use their Spiritual Power to dry themselves.
Contrasting the outside world, the forbidden land was already dark, with very low temperatures.
On Jiang Lai’s wrist, the Magic Pet’s patterns glowed continuously. She touched it; it was Pudding, wanting to come out.
So Jiang Lai released it, simply perching it on her shoulder given its small size.
Pudding was exceedingly excited upon being released, its slender tail flicking fiercely, slapping Jiang Lai’s face repeatedly until she threatened to skin it if it wouldn’t behave, then it obediently laid down.
"Hey, this dog is so small, a Magic Pet?"
The Fourth Senior Brother looked curiously and tried to reach out, but the so far clumsy, naive, obedient Pudding suddenly bit him, drawing blood from his finger.
"Hiss — this pup is too fierce!"
Even at Fifth Rank Cultivation, with a reinforced body, how could a small dog easily bite him?
"If you want to keep your fingers, don’t touch it again."
"Where did you get a Magic Pet with such powerful teeth!"
The Fourth Senior Brother’s eyes lit up; this was a treasure, and his Junior Sister was a hidden talent.
"Just by chance, picked up along the way."
"Your luck is so good, will you find treasures in this trial too?"
Jiang Lai smiled at him.
"Four Senior Brother, isn’t this what you’re an expert in? I hear every year you exchange quite a few treasures for Spirit Stones after the trial; surely this time you’ll show your new Junior Sister a thing or two, right?"
Hearing this, the Fourth Senior Brother repeatedly waved his hands, shaking his head.
"Where did you hear those rumors? Every trial is just like any other Senior Brother; where are the treasures to exchange for Spirit Stones, don’t talk nonsense."
"Regardless, Four Senior Brother should take me along this trial, how about it? I promise I won’t hold you back."
The Fourth Senior Brother’s expression turned slightly sour, and the Third Senior Brother quietly reminded Jiang Lai.
"The Junior Brother has a bad temper, more fearsome than the Second Senior Brother when angry, let’s not provoke him."
Jiang Lai acted like she couldn’t understand or see the expression, moving closer to the Fourth Senior Brother.
"Didn’t we agree on sticking together? Could it be Four Senior Brother plans to sneak off to find treasures alone?"
The Fourth Senior Brother coldly glanced at Jiang Lai, puzzled by what had gotten into her, insisting on following him.
"It’s late, no one can act alone now; set up tents and sleep, we’ll talk tomorrow."
Everyone had a storage device, carrying essential items into the forbidden land.
Good spots were already taken by other sects’ members, so the First Senior Brother led them deeper, setting tents at a foothill.
At night, Jiang Lai was sleeping when she heard faint disturbances outside and immediately opened her eyes, seeing a stealthily departing figure, Jiang Lai didn’t rush but let him go a while before releasing Pudding.
"Quick, find the Fourth Senior Brother."
Upon hearing, Pudding raised its small tail, sniffed the air slightly, and sprinted in a direction.
In the silent forest, completely dark, following Pudding’s footsteps, Jiang Lai saw a stream leading to a cave, looking down, noticing the creek’s upper rock wall extremely narrow and low, requiring either crawling through the water or laying on a boat to pass.
Seeing footprints on the bank, Jiang Lai thought it over and jumped into the water, crawling through with the current.
Passing through the narrow, confined rock wall, the road ahead suddenly widened significantly. Walking through water, a distant eerie green light flickered, silhouetting a swaying figure.
It was the Fourth Senior Brother.
Jiang Lai hid behind rocks, watching secretly, the end of the creek opening to a spacious cave, where a large, smooth green Crystal Stone hovered above the water. The Fourth Senior Brother stood beside the stone, brushing it persistently, unaware of Jiang Lai standing at his backside.
Seeing him chiseling the Crystal Stone little by little into his pocket, Jiang Lai spoke from behind.
"Fourth Senior Brother, are you eating alone?"
"Ah!!"
Startled out of his wits, the Fourth Senior Brother turned to see Jiang Lai unseen until now, standing behind him, hands behind her back, grinning.
Heart pounding, he glared at Jiang Lai, rapidly contemplating how to cover it up, then heard her say.
"Is this thing valuable? It doesn’t look like a Spirit Stone."
It seemed similar, but lacked Spiritual Power compared to a Spirit Stone, resembling a mineral with Spiritual Power.
The Fourth Senior Brother dragged Jiang Lai outside.
"It’s none of your business, let’s leave."
"Leave and tell the First Senior Brother?"
"...How did you find this place? What do you want? Want half of it?"
Jiang Lai crossed her arms, eyeing him.
"I don’t want it; if Fourth Senior Brother is hiding it with effort, surely for a reason best unknown, I can keep your secret, but you must agree to a condition."
"You, you say, what condition."
"For the next ten days, wherever you go, take me along, and any treasure found must be halved with me."
The Fourth Senior Brother chuckled hearing this.
"How do you know I can find treasures? What if I find nothing?"
"You won’t. You’ve come well-prepared this time; definitely have plans, whatever they are, take me along."