After being reborn, all I want to do is run away.

Chapter 225 The Meaning of Shadow

Ye Zhi felt that she couldn't muster any enthusiasm for anything lately. Shen Xu's image kept appearing in her mind. He had clearly gone to the Heavenly Sword Tower to set up a stall and play rock-paper-scissors as promised, but she hadn't shown up.

This gave her the feeling that she would never see that man again, a feeling that lingered in her heart to the point that she lost interest in everything.

After failing to catch Shen Xu at the Heavenly Sword Tower, her life became incredibly mundane. She joined an ordinary guild and an ordinary team, living an ordinary life.

She was quite satisfied with her place of residence; it was a beautiful place, and she often strolled around her courtyard when she was bored to relieve her boredom.

But life in the Four Directions Sword Alliance meant she would never have a moment's rest. Almost every day there were various things she needed to do and various meetings she needed to attend—those of the Sword Alliance, the guild, the team, and the residential area…

In fact, Ye Zhi felt that this kind of life was not bad. Being busy without a goal could effectively get rid of those messy thoughts in her mind.

The team is about to take these new sword enthusiasts on their first sect mission, which is one of the few things Ye Zhi has been looking forward to since joining the Sword Alliance.

Other things that might interest her are things that could potentially allow her to see Shen Xu, such as the Sword Alliance's welcoming ceremony and Qingmu's investiture ceremony.

However, she did not see Shen Xu in these two major events of the Sword Alliance, as if he had not joined the Sword Alliance at all, which confirmed her premonition. This result made Ye Zhi feel both disappointed and scared.

"Another boring day," Ye Zhi thought as she opened her eyes in her room.

But today is destined to be an extraordinary day for Ye Zhi.

After a quick breakfast at the cafeteria in the area, Ye Zhi prepared to start her busy day, though she didn't know what she was busy with.

There seemed to be a very important meeting in the team she had just joined today, which all the new recruits were required to attend. Ye Zhi guessed it was related to their first sect mission.

Along the way, Ye Zhi saw many disciples who had just joined the Sword Alliance, just like her, walking out of her area and scattering in different directions.

She knew that they, like her, were working hard to adapt to their new life in the Sword Alliance. Joining the Sword Alliance was not the meteoric rise that outsiders thought, but rather a much fiercer competition—a competition between geniuses who were chosen from among thousands.

The Sword Alliance ranks guilds, which in turn rank teams, and teams rank their members. The ranking determines the allocation of resources and, consequently, their future achievements.

Within the Sword Alliance, these newly joined disciples are at the lowest level, and they have no right to disobey the orders of the senior disciples.

According to those elderly people, they too had gone through a period of being bullied, and now that they had new toys, how could they easily let them go?

Ye Zhi's ranking is very low, which makes her one of the bottom-ranked new disciples. If she cannot make enough contributions or perform well in this mission, the team will not allocate resources to cultivate her.

The strong get stronger and the weak get weaker; this is the eternal truth of the Four Directions Sword Alliance and even the entire True Origin Continent.

Therefore, no one could help but envy the swordswoman with the title "Green Wood." The moment the sword selection ended was the moment she ascended to the pinnacle of the Sword Alliance. She no longer needed to continue fighting fiercely at the bottom of the Sword Alliance like them.

Ye Zhi, on the other hand, was even more envious of her being able to see Shen Xu.

Just as Ye Zhi was lost in thought, she saw two very pretty girls slowly walking towards her. She recognized one of them, Bai Lu, the leader of the Tianhe Society, but she didn't think they were there to see her.

"Are you Ye Zhi?" Bai Lu asked politely.

They really did come looking for her, but what would someone like Bai Lu want with her?

Although Ye Zhi was somewhat surprised, she still answered calmly and respectfully, "I am indeed Ye Zhi."

Bai Lu smiled and said, "I'm building my team and need a teammate who's good at stealth. Someone recommended you to me, so I thought I'd come and meet you."

"Shen Xu!" Upon hearing Bai Lu's words, Ye Zhi immediately thought of Shen Xu. The sword had chosen her only to tell Shen Xu that she had the intention of using the Shadow.

If it was indeed Shen Xu who told Bai Lu, this would be an excellent opportunity for her to see Shen Xu again, provided that he meets Bai Lu's conditions.

Suppressing her excitement, Ye Zhi asked Bai Lu, "Did Shen Xu tell you that I have the Shadow Intent?"

"The meaning of shadow!!" Bai Lu and Guan Bi both showed expressions of surprise.

Bai Lu, somewhat excited, pressed down on Ye Zhi's shoulder and whispered, "Do you really have the intention of Shadow?"

Seeing Bai Lu's excited expression, Ye Zhi felt a surge of warmth in her heart. "So he didn't tell anyone my secret."

Seeing that Ye Zhi remained silent, Bai Lu released Ye Zhi's shoulder. "It was indeed Shen Xu who told me, but he didn't tell me that you have the Shadow Intent. However, based on the Shadow Intent alone, I can be sure that you are the talent I need, so I hope you can join my team."

"Will I be able to see Shen Xu?" Ye Zhi asked nervously.

Bai Lu was taken aback by Ye Zhi's words, then smiled and said, "Join my team, and you'll see Shen Xu every day."

"Really!" Ye Zhi's eyes immediately lit up with excitement.

Looking at Ye Zhi's performance, Bai Lu couldn't help but sigh that Li Xiaoyi was really a cunning old fox. This girl was indeed another lover of Shen Xu. But was it really a good idea for her to bring back a rival?

But Bai Lu thought again, what competitors! The team is the most important thing for her right now.

Moreover, looking at Ye Zhi's delicate features and slender figure, she knew that this girl had nothing to offer to compete with them, and taking her back would only disgust Li Xiaoyi.

“Of course, because Shen Xu is also a member of our team,” Bai Lu replied.

“Then I want to join!” Ye Zhi replied immediately.

"However, I've already joined another team," Ye Zhi said hesitantly.

"What does it matter? You're a member of the Tianhe Society now. Just go back, pack your things, and come with me. I'll take care of the rest," Bai Lu said nonchalantly.

"By the way, no one else knows you have the Shadow's Will, right?" Bai Lu asked in a low voice.

"My family told me not to tell anyone. I haven't told anyone except Shen Xu, and I hope you won't tell anyone else either," Ye Zhi instructed.

“If I want you to join the Tianhe Society, I need to speak with the higher-ups there, but I’ll make sure they keep it a secret,” Bai Lu said.

Seeing Ye Zhi's hesitation, Bai Lu continued, "I know what you're worried about, but I can tell you that Lord Xinmo is a Venerable who has mastered the Shadow Intent. The Sword Alliance's higher-ups don't have that much prejudice against those who possess the Shadow Intent. Moreover, if you join the Tianhe Society, I can introduce you to Lord Xinmo."

"What? The inner demon master has mastered the Shadow Intent!" Ye Zhi said in disbelief.

"This is a secret known only to a few, so don't tell anyone," Bai Lu warned.

"If that's the case, I'm willing to join the Tianhe Society." Ye Zhi answered firmly. Whether it was to see Shen Xu or to see his inner demon, he had to join Bai Lu's team.