"Senior..."
"Rise and speak!"
Xu Yi repeated what she had just said, her tone deepening.
Wen Yi, sensing Xu Yi's genuine anger, dared not say another word. She immediately rose, placing her hands obediently in front of her, looking like a wrongdoer ready to accept scolding.
"Wen Yi, don't you want to know why I'm giving you this Nine Dragon Cauldron?"
"Ah?" Wen Yi responded blankly, then quickly said, "Is it because Senior pities me, so..."
"No, I have never felt pity for you," Xu Yi denied her guess.
For some reason, Wen Yi's eyes felt a little sore.
Senior Xu didn't pity her?
But she herself felt extremely pitiful.
Her master had been murdered, and her senior sister, who had always treated her kindly, suddenly changed her demeanor.
She was forced to flee the sect and was pursued. If Senior Xu hadn't saved her along the way, she would have already turned to dust.
She had survived, but she had no home left.
Although Wen Yi's life hadn't been smooth sailing in the first half of her years, it hadn't been this rough either.
Therefore, she had often lamented her bad luck and ill-fated destiny in recent days.
"I had no parents since childhood and was fortunate to be taken in by my master, with many fellow disciples to accompany me. I thought my life was rather complete, but one night, my master and fellow disciples all left me, leaving me alone, unsure of the path ahead.
The situation back then was extremely dire for me, but I still didn't give up until I seized hope."
Xu Yi was speaking of her experiences before emerging from the secret realm.
Back then, she had been taken as a disciple by the sect leader of the Xuanji Sect and had several good friends. Her life should have been smooth sailing.
But after the dream she had, everything changed.
Xu Yi never expected that when she chose to alter her destiny, she would never see her master or fellow disciples again.
When trapped in the secret realm, she had no one to talk to and could only stare blankly at storybooks.
At that time, she didn't even know how long she would be trapped, or if she would ever be able to leave that place.
But Xu Yi still didn't give up. She learned every spell she could in the secret realm and persisted for seventy thousand days and nights on sheer belief.
Was she pitiful?
She was not pitiful. It was precisely the accumulation of those days and nights that had made her who she was today.
In Xu Yi's life, there was no self-pity or lamentation, only a refusal to admit defeat, a refusal to give up, and a constant struggle against herself.
"Wen Yi, I want you to understand that if you can't make a change, you might not be able to join the Fire Talisman Sect.
Sect Leader Zhan Fei of the Fire Talisman Sect has his own criteria for accepting disciples. Your current demeanor won't catch his eye."
Xu Yi's blunt words caused Wen Yi's body to sway uncontrollably.
If Wen Yi hadn't had a strong desire to join the Fire Talisman Sect before, her wish to join had become incredibly fervent after visiting the sect and meeting Sect Leader Zhan Fei and Wang Yang.
The Fire Talisman Sect was a completely different place from the Bright Moon Pavilion.
The emphasis on etiquette and rules in the Bright Moon Pavilion seemed so insignificant in the Fire Talisman Sect.
Junior disciples could bicker with senior disciples, and disciples could act spoiled towards their masters – scenes she had never imagined, yet they were so common in the Fire Talisman Sect.
She yearned to join the Fire Talisman Sect and become a part of it.
But Xu Yi's words struck her like a bolt from the blue, jolting her back to reality.
Yes, compared to Senior Xu, her cultivation and talent were merely average. What could she rely on to win the favor of Senior Zhan Fei and join the Fire Talisman Sect?
The more Wen Yi thought about it, the more desperate she became, her expression wilting.
"Wen Yi, why don't you understand? What you lack is not strength or talent, but a heart that strives for progress.
Look at yourself now, with no fighting spirit whatsoever. How can you make Sect Leader Zhan Fei believe that you can inherit his mantle and promote the Fire Talisman Sect?"
"I..."
Wen Yi was speechless.
Xu Yi did not want to completely crush Wen Yi's confidence, so she changed the subject and brought it back to the Nine Dragon Cauldron.
"I'm giving you the Nine Dragon Cauldron for two reasons: first, it's your master's遗物 (yíwù -遺物 - personal belongings left by the deceased), and second, I want to use it to motivate you.
Since you are its master, you must make the Nine Dragon Cauldron shine brightly in your hands again."
The Nine Dragon Cauldron was a rare treasure.
Otherwise, Xu Yi wouldn't have snatched it from True Person Jing Qiu back then.
However, she could now refine treasures comparable to the Nine Dragon Cauldron, such as the Pixiu Stone.
Furthermore, she no longer had much time to refine elixirs, and the Nine Dragon Cauldron would only gather dust in her hands.
Upon meeting Wen Yi this time and learning of True Person Jing Qiu's death, Xu Yi decided to gift the Nine Dragon Cauldron to Wen Yi, thus returning it to its rightful owner.
With the Nine Dragon Cauldron, Wen Yi would not only have an additional safeguard but also more confidence to establish herself in the Fire Talisman Sect.
"Senior Xu, c-can I really do it?"
Wen Yi showed a hint of hesitation on her face.
She had understood the meaning behind Xu Yi's words, and while touched, she couldn't help but feel a little anxious.
She feared failing Xu Yi's expectations and also failing the precious treasure of her master.
Xu Yi looked at her glistening eyes and affirmed, "You can, as long as you believe, you can."
Xu Yi's gaze was firm and powerful. Wen Yi saw her own wavering eyes reflected in it, timid and self-deprecating, worthy of being despised.
Was this her?
Wen Yi shivered abruptly, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled, as if to expel all the wandering and confusion of the past period from her body.
"Senior Xu." Wen Yi opened her eyes, stepped forward, took the Nine Dragon Cauldron from Xu Yi's hand, and said earnestly, "Don't worry, I will never let the Nine Dragon Cauldron be shamed in my hands!"
Xu Yi nodded with satisfaction. Only then did she see the resilience that had once been in Wen Yi.
She believed that if Wen Yi continued to maintain such sharpness, Zhan Fei would recognize her potential.
When Wen Yi left Xu Yi's room, a smile graced her lips, and her mood was lighter than ever.
She had found her new goal.
It was time to say goodbye to the past.
After Wen Yi left, Xu Yi went to Zhan Fei's residence.
Zhan Fei's cultivation was comparable to hers, and by age, he was her senior. Xu Yi naturally could not call him directly with her divine sense as she had before.
In Zhan Fei's room, besides himself, Chi Xiaoxi was also present.
Both were surprised when they saw Xu Yi.
"Fellow Daoist Xu, please have a seat."
Zhan Fei smiled and welcomed Xu Yi in, while Chi Xiaoxi quickly poured tea and water for Xu Yi.
"Thank you."
Xu Yi looked at Chi Xiaoxi and thanked her warmly.
"No, no, Senior Xu is too polite."
Chi Xiaoxi's small face immediately turned rosy upon seeing Xu Yi. She quickly and shyly stood beside her master.
Not long ago, she had been discussing Xu Yi with her master.
The focus of their discussion was naturally on why Senior Xu was so powerful, and she had produced nearly a thousand words of praise, flattering Xu Yi to the skies, which even made Zhan Fei a little jealous.
However, upon meeting the person herself, Chi Xiaoxi's sharp tongue seemed to have lost its effectiveness, and she could only grin foolishly, making Zhan Fei unable to bear watching.