On the other side of the sky, An Qi had already arrived at the Cinnabar Palace and settled down.

Truthfully, this was her first time stepping into a Cultivation Sect, and she was extremely nervous, not knowing what to expect in this strange environment.

For now, overall, everyone in the palace was treating her with respect, not daring to exhibit any disrespectful behavior.

However, as for her, the suddenly arrived Junior Palace Master without a trace of Cultivation Power, many disciples within the palace were not convinced, unsure why the Master had appointed her as the Junior Palace Master.

So, as soon as the Master left, many started gossiping about her.

"Hey! Sister Yanping, what's the story behind this Junior Palace Master? She even caused the Master to personally go fetch her." A disciple of the Cinnabar Palace asked curiously.

Sister Lin Yanping had returned with the Master, so she should know a bit about the situation.

"How would I know her background? Anyway, I found it quite bizarre; the thing is, her position as Junior Palace Master is temporary. As long as I defeat her in five years, I can take her place," Lin Yanping answered.

"No way, won't Sister Yanping easily defeat her then?" A disciple from the palace was somewhat surprised.

Because in their understanding, a person who had never practiced Cultivation defeating an expert at the Divine Transformation First Realm Early Stage within a mere five years was simply impossible; thus, they naturally assumed that after five years, the Junior Palace Master's position would undoubtedly belong to Sister Lin Yanping.

"Although that's what I think too, I always feel it's not that simple, otherwise the Master wouldn't have agreed to the bet," Lin Yanping replied.

"The five-year bet was proposed by you?" A disciple from within the palace asked in shock, not expecting such a situation.

"Yes! At that time, I was really not convinced. Why should a greenhorn without any strength become our Junior Palace Master; and the other sisters with real power should not? So, I lodged a complaint to the Master, and she agreed to the bet, and she even firmly believed that I would definitely lose. I don't know where the Master got the confidence from to think so," Lin Yanping replied coldly, with a sneer.

Thinking back to that time, she found it ludicrous.

"It seems this Junior Palace Master is someone significant!" The disciples within the palace had come to such a conclusion and felt somewhat disheartened.

The position of Junior Palace Master had been vacant for many years, with many disciples striving hard in their Cultivation, all wishing to climb to that status, but none had been acknowledged by the Master.

Now, a young girl had suddenly landed in that position, erasing many people's aspirations and leaving many without hope.

"Ah, I hope she's actually got some skills, otherwise, none of us will accept her."

After sighing, they dispersed.

Having just arrived at the Cinnabar Palace, An Qi clearly sensed the hostility from her fellow sect sisters.

Although many verbally honored her as Junior Palace Master, no one truly accepted her. Now, she was like a lone person surviving in a foreign place, possibly facing various challenges and dangers every moment.

"Yifan, Sister Jiajia, Qingqing, Sister Fangfang, what are you all doing now? Do you miss me? I'm so lonely and isolated here!"

Looking out the window at the bright moon, An Qi sighed deeply, dearly missing the times she had spent with Lin Yifan, Zhou Jiajia, and the others.

The next day, An Qi was summoned early by the Xuji True Master, uncertain what the matter was.

"Master! Why did you rush to see me so urgently? What's the matter?" An Qi didn't bow in greeting but went straight to asking, which, in the eyes of others, seemed highly disrespectful.

Fortunately, there were no outsiders in the room, otherwise it might have drawn a round of criticism.

"Because your health was always a concern, we never held the entry ceremony for you. Now that you have arrived at the palace, we should make up for it," Xuji True Master answered.

"What is the entry ceremony? Why does it need to be made up for?" An Qi asked curiously.

"All disciples entering the Inner Palace of Cinnabar Palace must undergo the entry ceremony, and only by completing it can you become a true disciple of Cinnabar Palace," Xuji True Master replied.

Cinnabar Palace is divided into the Inner and Outer Palaces. The Inner Palace is exclusively for female disciples, who have the privilege to cultivate higher-level Martial Arts. The Outer Palace is co-ed, hence there are both male and female disciples.

However, one thing needs to be made clear: male disciples of the Outer Palace, no matter how high their realm or how strong their power, are not allowed to enter the Inner Palace for cultivation. This is a rule, and also a restriction imposed by the top-level Martial Arts of Cinnabar Palace.

Even though Inner Palace disciples have the chance to access high-level Martial Arts, it doesn't mean their status is higher than that of the Outer Palace; in Cinnabar Palace, status is determined by strength. Those without strength will be relegated to being the weak.

"So what is the process of the entry ceremony..." An Qi asked curiously, her unease growing.

She had thought just arriving was enough, yet she didn't know there was an entry ceremony to go through. What a hassle.

"It's very simple, you just need to drink the cup of tea in my hand," Xuji True Master answered with a smile.

However, that smile seemed a bit cunning.

An Qi looked at the teacup in Xuji True Master's hand and saw that it contained yellow liquid, which looked very much like tea.

Although on the surface everything seemed harmless, something felt off.

Since the entry ceremony was just about drinking a cup of tea, why was it hindered by her health? After she woke up, there was nothing seriously wrong with her body; she was completely capable of drinking tea, so why didn't Xuji True Master allow her to do the ceremony then? And this entry ceremony seemed too simple, utterly unnecessary.

Therefore, she suggested with doubt, "Is what's in this cup really tea?"

"Do you think your Master would still harm you? If I wanted to kill you, you would have died many times over by now," Xuji True Master replied, somewhat annoyed.

Yet, deep inside, he commended An Qi for her caution.

Had it been someone else, they would have drunk the tea without hesitation, never considering the consequences.

"No, Master, I was just asking, no other ill intentions. Please don't be angry," An Qi quickly explained and apologized, asking for Xuji True Master's forgiveness.

To some extent, Xuji True Master was her lifesaver. If it weren't for his intervention, she might not be in this world anymore; thus, she always held reverence and gratitude for Xuji True Master.

"Hmph! Good that you recognize your mistake," Xuji True Master said, pacified, then urged, "Drink this cup of tea now. In a while, I have to call a meeting to announce your identity."

"Ah? Wasn't it announced yesterday? Why do you need to announce it again today?" An Qi asked, puzzled.

She especially didn't want to be the center of attention, as it would make her feel uncomfortable.

"Yesterday was only to a select few; many still don't know about your identity as the Junior Palace Master; therefore, it needs to be announced again," Xuji True Master answered, and once more urged, "Drink this tea quickly."

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