The girl was none other than Qingyue.
She had always been beautiful, but today, dressed in flowing white robes, her beauty seemed even more refined—pure and eye-catching, like fresh snow under sunlight. The simple dress accentuated her graceful figure, giving her an almost ethereal presence.
For a brief moment, the three young men in the group were left staring, their mouths slightly open without realizing it.
When Mo Qinglan saw her clearly, a faint spark of jealousy flashed through her heart. However, as her gaze swept over Qingyue's figure and then unconsciously compared it to her own, her expression steadied. A trace of confidence returned to her eyes.
So what if you're more beautiful? she thought inwardly.
Beauty alone is never enough.
With that thought, Mo Qinglan deliberately stepped closer to Gu Zhe, hooking one of his arms into her embrace in a natural, almost possessive manner. Her movement was gentle, but the message behind it was unmistakable.
Tilting her head slightly, she asked with a soft smile,
"Junior Gu… who is this girl?"
Her words sounded casual, but her actions made it clear— she was showing Qingyue just how close she was to him.
Seeing the two of them standing so close to each other like that, Qingyue's heart burned with jealousy. She began glaring at Mo Qinglan, her gaze so sharp it seemed as if she might devour her on the spot. Anger flickered clearly in her eyes—yet at the edges of her lashes, faint tears shimmered, threatening to fall.
Seeing her like this, Gu Zhe gently disengaged himself from Qinglan and walked toward Qingyue. With a playful grin, he said jokingly,
"She's my beautiful bodyguard."
Hearing that, Qingyue looked like she was about to explode. But before she could react, Gu Zhe suddenly pulled her into his arms. His tone softened, turning slightly serious as he spoke close to her ear,
"Other than Su Hao, she's the only one who has always stood by me—like an elder sister."
For a moment, Qingyue seemed to lose herself in his embrace. The surrounding noise faded, and she could barely hear anything at all. But the instant Gu Zhe's last words registered in her mind, she snapped back to reality.
She pushed him lightly away and stamped her foot in frustration.
"Elder sister? Who are you calling elder sister?!"
Nearby, Su Hao and Lin Feiyang were thoroughly enjoying the spectacle. They exchanged glances, occasionally covering their mouths as they laughed quietly, clearly treating it like front-row entertainment.
On the other hand, Ye Tianheng's fists clenched tightly. Blood slowly seeped from his palms where his nails dug into his skin, yet he felt no pain at all. His mind was completely consumed by jealousy and hatred.
Just wait, he thought coldly.
Once I remove Gu Zhe from my path, I'll see how Qinglan—and that beautiful girl Qingyue—manage to escape my grasp.
Suddenly, the resonant sound of the bell echoed in all directions. The moment it rang, the footsteps of the people around them instinctively quickened, as if everyone had been jolted awake by the call.
Seeing this, Lin Feiyang spoke in a firm voice,
"We've already stayed here too long. We need to reach the arena as soon as possible, or Elder Yun will lose his temper with us."
With that, he started moving forward without hesitation. The others immediately followed behind him.
On either side of Gu Zhe, both girls had grabbed one of his arms, neither willing to let go—as if silently competing with each other. Gu Zhe could only smile helplessly, caught between them.
And just like that, the group was swallowed by the flowing crowd heading toward the arena, disappearing amid the sea of people.
On the other side, the arena was already filled with spectators, though people were still arriving to watch the matches.
The outer disciples who were taking the test stood together in groups on one side. All of them were at the early stage of the Practitioner realm, which was a mandatory requirement for this test. However, there was one group whose cultivation level was noticeably higher—above the third layer of the Practitioner realm. That group was none other than Gao Ming's group.
On the faces of all the participants who had come to take the test, a mix of excitement and nervousness was clearly visible. They quietly discussed the test among themselves in low voices.
Inner disciples could be chosen in two different ways.
The first was by clearing the examination set by the examiners—those who passed would be directly accepted as inner disciples.
The second method was far more direct: by defeating an already established inner disciple in a public challenge and taking their place.
Because of this, discussions buzzed among the participants. Everywhere one looked, candidates were quietly debating which path to choose— the safer but uncertain examination, or the risky challenge that promised immediate recognition if they succeeded.
Meanwhile, on the raised platform at the front, all the elders were seated with their disciples in their assigned places. Elder Yun was also present, sitting calmly in his place. However, his disciples had not arrived yet, making his side appear noticeably empty.
Because of this, from time to time, many gazes unconsciously drifted toward the entrance, waiting for those missing figures to appear.
Then suddenly, a figure stepped forward.
Gao Ming.
He moved to the edge of the arena, arms crossed, his sharp gaze sweeping across the crowd. A faint sneer appeared on his face as he raised his voice.
"Gu Zhe! Su Hao!"
His shout echoed across the stone ground, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
"Didn't both of you become inner disciples?" Gao Ming continued mockingly.
"Since today is the inner disciple test, why don't you come out and let everyone see how capable you really are?"
The crowd stirred.
Whispers spread quickly.
"Gu Zhe and Su Hao?"
"Aren't they supposed to be here?"
"I heard both of them are talented…"
Gao Ming waited, his eyes slowly scanning the arena.
No one stepped forward.
The silence stretched, and the sneer on his face deepened.
"What's the matter?" he laughed coldly.
"Don't tell me both of you are scared to even show your faces?"
A few disciples frowned, while others exchanged uneasy glances. Some turned their heads toward the entrance once more.
But neither Gu Zhe nor Su Hao appeared.
Gao Ming took another step forward, his voice growing sharper.
"If you don't even dare to come today, then what right do you have to be called inner disciples?"
His words rang out clearly.
The arena fell into a heavy silence—
as all eyes unconsciously shifted toward the entrance.
As Gao Ming's mocking words echoed through the arena, a subtle shift occurred on the elders' platform
.
A few elders exchanged glances.
One of them—an elder with graying hair and a calm, calculating expression—let out a light chuckle and said casually,
"Elder Yun, it seems your disciples are quite… confident."
Another elder smiled faintly, folding his sleeves.
"Indeed. Others arrive early to prepare, yet your disciples haven't shown themselves even now. Such composure is rare."
Though the words sounded polite, the meaning behind them was sharp.
A third elder shook his head slowly, pretending to sigh.
"Young talents these days are hard to manage. Gaining strength too quickly sometimes leads to arrogance."
A few soft laughs followed.
The spectators didn't dare react, but the disciples below caught the tone immediately. Whispers spread once more, now mixed with curiosity and doubt.
Elder Yun remained seated.
His expression didn't change, his posture straight and composed. He neither defended himself nor explained. Instead, he slowly lifted his gaze toward the arena entrance, his eyes deep and unreadable.
"Being late," he said calmly, his voice neither loud nor soft, "does not mean being absent."
The faint smiles on the other elders' faces stiffened slightly.
Below, Gao Ming noticed the exchange on the platform. Seeing that even Elder Yun was being subtly targeted, his confidence grew further. His sneer widened.
"So even Elder Yun's disciples don't dare to show up?" he muttered loudly enough for nearby disciples to hear.
The atmosphere in the arena grew heavier.
All eyes—disciples, spectators, and elders alike—were now fixed on the entrance.
The six of them walked in at an unhurried pace, completely unaware of what had been happening inside the arena.
Lin Feiyang spoke casually, "Looks like we still made it in time."
Su Hao stretched his arms lazily. "Hmm… the crowd's bigger than I expected."
Gu Zhe's gaze swept across the arena, calm and unhurried. There was no tension in his eyes—only quiet awareness, as if he already knew what had happened before his arrival.
To him, the restless crowd and charged atmosphere felt ordinary, almost expected.
Mo Qinglan adjusted her sleeves, her attention drawn more to the elders' platform than the restless disciples.
Qingyue, on the other hand, was quietly observing the surroundings, unaware that several sharp stares were already fixed on her.
Ye Tianheng followed behind, expression unchanged, as though nothing here concerned him.
Yet the moment they stepped fully into view, the atmosphere shifted.
The whispers that had filled the arena moments ago suddenly broke into murmurs of surprise.
Some disciples widened their eyes.
Others instinctively turned toward Gao Ming, whose mocking expression stiffened for just a split second.
"They're here…"
"So that's Gu Zhe?"
"And Su Hao too?"
The six of them stopped near the edge of the arena, still not realizing that their late arrival had already stirred waves— or that just moments ago, their names had been used as fuel for ridicule.