Ye Anping found a random reason to send Bai Yuexin back to Black Star Sect, then locked the door of his physiotherapy center and pasted a paper that said, "Away for urgent matters." Then, he followed Liang Zhu's flying sword to a dilapidated temple on a mountain to meet the other four people.
When everyone arrived, Liang Zhu first checked the code of the Seven Slayers Sect with them.
After confirming their identities, everyone briefly introduced themselves. Then, Liang Zhu suddenly took out a jar of wine and asked everyone to become sworn brothers in front of the Taoist statue of the ruined temple.
This matter really left Ye Anping speechless.
But since the other four readily agreed, he could not refuse, so he had to pick up a bowl of wine and become the "sixth brother" of the group.
After exchanging some pleasantries, Ye Anping led them down a small path known only to him, bypassing the Black Star Sect's magical traps and patrolling disciples, and entered the back mountain.
...
In a cave, somewhere atop High Snow Peak, the mountain behind the Black Star Sect.
The campfire crackled, and the cold wind that blew in through the cave entrance was icy cold.
This High Snow Peak was the place where the cold air currents from the Black Star mountains gathered, and among the several peaks of the sect, it could be regarded as one of the places with the harshest environment.
The disciples participating in the physical examination were randomly sent to the various peaks of the Black Star Sect, and they were required to return to the main peak within five days to pass the test.
For someone like Feng Yu Die, even if they were not allowed to use flying swords, it would definitely not be difficult.
But as soon as they arrived at High Snow Peak, heavy snow that seemed to want to swallow people began to fall.
So, Feng Yu Die and the other two had no choice but to find a nearby cave, and after an effort to drive away a family of demonic beasts that lived there, they took shelter inside while waiting for the snow to thin a little before continuing forward.
However, even if they hid in a cave and stayed by the fire, the harsh cold air on the High Snow Peak was by no means something that could be easily endured.
Pei Lianxue was used to being subjected to ice-cold training by her brother before, so she didn't think much of it, but Xiao Yunluo couldn't take it.
Since the beginning, she kept rubbing her shoulders, and her teeth were chattering.
"Sniff---"
Sniffling, Xiao Yunluo shrunk her neck and glanced at Pei Lianxue who was meditating with her eyes closed beside her. Seeing her calm appearance, she couldn't help asking, "You, you, you... a... aren't you co... cold...?"
Pei Lianxue opened her eyes, looked at her blue lips, and said, "You can practice to warm up your body."
"I did, or I would have frozen." Xiao Yunluo pursed her lips and slowly moved closer to Pei Lianxue, awkwardly asking, "Can I squeeze in with you?"
"Are you that cold?"
"My hands are freezing..."
Feeling a little helpless, Pei Lianxue thought for a moment. Then, she simply took off her outer coat, moved closer to Xiao Yunluo and wrapped it around them both, then took her hands and rubbed them gently.
Xiao Yunluo, having her hands held like this, was stunned and immediately lowered her head with a slightly red face.
However, her blushing was not from shyness but from feeling ashamed.
She was Master Danyue's daughter, the young lady of the Black Star Sect, and had the talent of a heavenly root. She also had enjoyed endless cultivation resources since she was a child.
All the elders who taught her to practice cultivation praised her for her outstanding talent.
She had always been proud of herself and never slacked off.
She didn't waste nights, and her daily life was extremely regular. Every time she practiced with the sword, she worked hard and was more diligent than anyone else in the class.
Xiao Yunluo had been practicing for ten years, from the age of five to the age of fifteen.
Therefore, when she met Pei Lianxue for the first time, she took it for granted that this was not a very good cultivator, and when she talked to her that day, she just wanted to satisfy her vanity and show off a little.
---"Hmph, I'm awesome, right? I lasted a quarter of an hour in front of that Foundation Building cultivator Sister Bai before being knocked off the stage!"
That's what she originally wanted to say at the time of the sword test, but then she saw Pei Lianxue throwing Sister Bai off the stage with one move, and she was immediately stunned.
Now, seeing that Pei Lianxue was not at all bothered by this cold weather, Xiao Yunluo was shocked again.
She bit her lip and asked with some envy, "Why are you so powerful..."
"Hmm?" Pei Lianxue didn't hear clearly and tilted her head. "What?"
"I'm freezing to death, but your hands are as warm as a stove now." Xiao Yunluo frowned and looked at her. "Why are you so powerful?!"
"I am?"
"Are you playing dumb? Or do you want me to praise you more, eh?" Xiao Yunluo bristled with dissatisfaction and said, "Obviously, your cultivation base is one level lower than mine. How did you knock down Sister Bai? What kind of sword technique did you practice?"
"... The technique taught by my brother."
"Your brother..."
Seeing the smile on Pei Lianxue's face, Xiao Yunluo frowned.
This girl seemed to have a goofy grin on her face every time she talked about her brother.
She had already seen it a few times.
Xiao Yunluo became curious about Pei Lianxue's brother, so she said again, "Sister Pei, tell me about your brother?"
"Tell you about my brother?" Pei Lianxue was stunned. "What do you want me to tell you?"
"What's he like? What do you two usually like to do... and such?"
"Well... he actually..." Pei Lianxue bit her lips and thought, subconsciously wanting to speak well of her brother, but when she saw Xiao Yunluo's pretty face, she suddenly changed her mind and said, "My brother is a big jerk!"
"? A big jerk?" Xiao Yunluo looked puzzled.
"Yes, a big jerk. He barged in while I was taking a bath, beat me black and blue, broke my bones, fed me to monsters, poisoned me..."
"???" Xiao Yunluo was dumbfounded. "What kind of villain is this?!"
"That's right. My brother is a big villain with a human face and a beast's heart." Pei Lianxue nodded solemnly.
Looking at her serious expression, Xiao Yunluo paused for a moment and asked, "Then, did you suffer a lot in the past?"
"Yes! I have suffered a lot..."
"Is that so..." Xiao Yunluo nodded and, after thinking for a while, asked, "Then, shall I help you?"
"Huh? Help... help me? Help me with what?"
"Well, when the physical examination is over, I'll tell the elders about your brother, and then, they will arrest him. I guarantee he will spend the rest of his life in the Black Star Sect prison."
Hearing these words, Pei Lianxue gasped with a horrified look.
She just didn't want Xiao Yunluo to think that her brother was a good man and then have ideas about getting close to him. How did it come to putting her brother in prison?
She quickly waved her hand in denial. "Ah, no! No!"
"A scumbag like that should be put in prison for good."
"Ah... no... I..." Pei Lianxue defended herself in a panic, but she didn't know what to say, so in the end, she simply grabbed Xiao Yunluo by the collar, stared at her, and threatened. "Don't you arrest my brother!!"
"..." Xiao Yunluo shrunk her neck, frightened.
"Ah, sorry." Realizing that she had lost her temper, Pei Lianxue hastily apologized and stammered in defense. "Well, actually, my brother isn't that bad. He's, in fact, quite good."
？？？
Xiao Yunluo raised her eyebrows and asked, "Is your brother good or bad? Didn't you just say..."
"Well..." Pei Lianxue hesitated for a while, then she just frowned, threatening with some ambiguity. "Anyway, don't allow anyone to arrest my brother!! My brother is mine!! Otherwise..."
"Otherwise... what?" Pei Lianxue looked around, saw Xiao Yunluo's pale hands from the cold, and said, "Otherwise I...I won't warm your hands anymore!"
"..."
Xiao Yunluo didn't know what to think, but after pondering for a while, she understood what Pei Lianxue meant.
"Oh, I see! You mean you want to take revenge yourself?"
"Huh?"
"You don't want me to help you take revenge because you want to rely on yourself, and when your own cultivation level is high, you'll get back at your brother for all those things he did to you in the past."
"???" This time it was Pei Lianxue's turn to be dumbfounded.
After a pause, Pei Lianxue said, "Anyway, I just don't want you to arrest my brother."
"..."
"Don't arrest my brother! Did you hear me? Say something!"
"I heard you..."
Xiao Yunluo sighed and inexplicably felt a trace of sympathy for Pei Renxue in her heart.
Then, she looked towards the cave entrance and asked, "By the way, why hasn't that white-haired idiot come back yet? She's been out for half an hour, right?"
Pei Lianxue grinned and said, "That second idiot might have been eaten by a bear."
"Oh..." Xiao Yunluo shrugged, trying not to think about the second idiot thing. Trying to squeeze more into Pei Lianxue, she asked, "Do you feel uncomfortable if I hold you like this?"
"No, just stick close if you feel cold."
"Since you said so..." Xiao Yunluo smiled, hugged Pei Lianxue, put her face on her shoulder, and said, "By the way, you will be my friend from now on. If you encounter any problem in the Black Star Sect, call upon my name and no one will dare to disturb you."
"Ah... okay."