“小师妹, do you think she’ll be able to forge a sword of her own?” Brian Harris had somehow appeared beside Emma Sullivan, holding in his arms the little raccoon cat that Ethan Clark had brought out from the Floating Light Realm.

Emma Sullivan reached out to stroke the little raccoon cat’s head, but it suddenly shrank back, burying itself in Brian Harris’s arms, clearly much closer to him.

ヾ(´A‘)ノﾟ！！！

She wanted a little raccoon cat too!

Whatever Emma Sullivan was feeling inside, Brian Harris clearly had no idea. He suppressed the smile tugging at his lips and said, a bit embarrassed, “Little junior sister, don’t be upset. You know, it’s a fire-type!”

Emma Sullivan didn’t notice his embarrassment at all; her own smile was almost reaching her temples.

Brian Harris tried to comfort her, “Look at it another way—this just shows your cultivation is getting higher and higher. Even this fire-type little raccoon cat can’t stand it. That’s a good thing, right?”

In fact, Brian Harris had already decided that from now on, he’d keep the little raccoon cat away from his junior sister, lest it accidentally freeze to death.

Emma Sullivan smiled slightly. “Senior brother Du, return Ethan Sullivan’s little raccoon cat.”

If she couldn’t have a little raccoon cat, then senior brother Du shouldn’t have one either.

Brian Harris: “……” That stings.

He hugged the little raccoon cat and quietly left the front of the Water Realm.

Grace Brooks, Olivia Foster, Lily Bennett, Henry Carter and the others also emerged from the Mingxin Gate one after another, each greeted by a different scene.

The only thing in common was a huge furnace and a long worktable, laid out with all kinds of sword-forging tools.

Grace Brooks had a fire spiritual root, Henry Carter a metal spiritual root—both had a natural advantage in sword forging, and soon threw themselves wholeheartedly into the process.

Olivia Foster took his time to observe the surroundings, found a big tree to lean against, and began to rest with his eyes closed.

“This Olivia Foster doesn’t want to pass the trial anymore? Why is he just slacking off?”

“Next door, Grace Brooks has already started casting!”

“What’s the big deal? The first one to enter this round, Ethan Sullivan, hasn’t even started yet. What a waste of a heavenly spiritual root.”

Emma Sullivan listened to the discussions of her fellow disciples below,

Her gaze also fell on the Water Realm, where the unmoving Ethan Clark finally began to act.

She chose a small hatchet and picked a slender maple tree, chopping three times and resting twice.

She was just too weak.

How did this body even make it up the Azure Cloud Steps?

It wasn’t just Emma Sullivan who thought this; most of the other disciples did too. They had almost no hope for Ethan Clark, and their attention was all focused on Grace Brooks.

Among this year’s contestants, Grace Brooks was outstanding in every aspect. Dressed in a brilliant red robe, with unmatched beauty, she had already won the favor of many Sword Sect disciples even before joining.

Who wouldn’t want such a beautiful junior sister?

So, in the third round of the trial, Grace Brooks drew the most attention.

A large bead of sweat dripped from her cool face as her gaze fell into the burning furnace, ready and alert.

The flames died down, and the sword was complete!

Grace Brooks gripped the sword she had forged and swung it behind her—a small tree, half her height, fell with a crash.

“What a fine sword!” someone applauded in admiration.

“……”

That was a bit much. How good could a beginner’s sword really be, especially in a sect full of legendary swords?

But by the standards of the trial, it was indeed a fine sword—better than most of theirs.

The scene in the Water Realm shifted, and Henry Carter also forged his own sword. The blade was as wide as five fingers together, looking thick and heavy.

Olivia Foster’s sword seemed quite ordinary—neither outstanding nor flawed, just enough to pass.

Chapter Five: Relearning the Thirteen Histories of Jian Zhen

When the trial time ended, everyone was transported back.

Emma Sullivan looked at the swords in everyone’s hands, each one gained in the virtual realm, and nodded in satisfaction, announcing the new Sword Sect members in a clear voice.

Thirty-seven people passed the spiritual root test; after three rounds of trials, thirty-one met the requirements. Though fewer than previous years, the success rate was much higher.

Emma Sullivan handed the roster to Brian Harris. “Senior brother Du, I’ll leave the rest to you. I need to report back to Uncle Master Emily Cooper and Master.”

Brian Harris was a disciple under Emily Cooper Zhenren, responsible for new disciples’ selection. He took the roster with one hand, still holding the raccoon cat in the other. “Don’t worry, junior sister.”

Emma Sullivan hummed a tune, summoned her sword Shuangxueming, and quickly disappeared over the mountaintop.

“Little junior sister’s sword-riding skills are getting more and more refined,” Brian Harris sighed.

The thirteen peaks of Zhen Mountain were majestic and beautiful, with undulating ridges. When flying on a sword, it was easy to crash into a peak if one wasn’t careful.

Sword Sect disciples always paid extra attention when riding their swords, but Emma Sullivan was different. She had grown up on Zhen Mountain, knew its terrain by heart, and her sword-riding skills were superb—she flew with ease and leisure.

From afar, she spotted David Carter, urged Shuangxueming forward, and a rainbow streaked across the sky, landing steadily on the ground.

Emma Sullivan jumped off her sword and greeted David Carter, “Hello, senior brother Zhou!”

David Carter seemed startled by her. “Little junior sister, how many times have I told you, you can’t be so careless riding your sword. What if you crash into someone?”