The Outer Sect Junior Disciple attire was beautiful, but Ye Liuyun needed time to adapt—the skirt was, once again, too long.
Because this world resembled the ancient times of Ye Liuyun's previous life on Earth, adult women, whether in the Mortal World or the Cultivation World, wore skirts long enough to cover their feet.
If she wasn't careful, she could easily step on her skirt and fall flat on her back.
"D*mn it! I finally got used to the previous outfit, and now I have to readjust to this one." Ye Liuyun walked out of the Affairs Hall awkwardly, holding up her long skirt.
Although she no longer resisted feminine clothing as much as before, this life, so different from her time as a male, seemed to constantly remind her.
It reminded her: you are walking further and further down the path of a woman's life. Can you ever go back?
The last time she fled home wearing a maid's uniform, Ye Liuyun had already experienced firsthand how unsuitable long skirts were for movement.
"Huh? Miss Ye, what's wrong?" Just as Ye Liuyun stood at the entrance of the Affairs Hall worrying about her outfit, an acquaintance happened to walk out of the hall.
It was Xiao Hansheng, who was now an Inner Sect Junior Disciple.
"Oh, Brother Xiao, congratulations on your promotion to the Inner Sect," Ye Liuyun immediately congratulated him upon seeing Xiao Hansheng.
"It was just luck. By the way, Miss Ye, where have you been these past few years? I thought something had happened to you," Xiao Hansheng asked.
Ye Liuyun smiled faintly and recounted her time spent practicing hard cultivation in the back mountains. As for the matter of refining medicine in the Alchemy Pavilion, Ye Liuyun omitted it entirely.
Seeing Ye Liuyun say this, Xiao Hansheng did not press further. Xiao Hansheng possessed extraordinary bearing and the demeanor of a distinguished person; one could tell he was a descendant of a prominent family in the Tang Country.
Such a person was adept at handling interpersonal relationships.
"I see. Well, I'll go report to the Inner Sect now. We can chat again when there's an opportunity," Xiao Hansheng said with a smile.
Ye Liuyun nodded and watched Xiao Hansheng leave. Only after Xiao Hansheng was gone did Ye Liuyun turn her attention to the other female disciples.
She couldn't act too strangely. She couldn't possibly walk around everywhere holding up her skirt with both hands, could she? Wouldn't that just be creating trouble for herself?
"Sigh! Master, teach me some proper etiquette," Ye Liuyun said cheerfully.
Although the male disciples' robes also had long skirts, they were certainly not as long as the female disciples' attire; male robes reached the ankles.
Ultimately, this world could not be viewed through the lens of civilization from the Earth era. This was a feudal civilization where men and women were not equal.
Even within a cultivation sect, where male and female disciples seemingly operated equally, judged purely on aptitude and strength, it was clear from certain rules and restrictions that they still could not escape the constraints of worldly notions.
"I told you last time, as long as you can't turn back into a man, you must adapt to a woman's way of life. Otherwise, you're the one who will suffer. My words came true, didn't they?" Lin Qingyou teased.
Ye Liuyun didn't want to be singled out as an oddity, so she could only slowly adapt. After speaking, she walked toward the direction of her new residence.
However, the moment she lifted her foot, she made a fool of herself: she stepped on her skirt and nearly fell. Fortunately, her reaction speed was quick, and she immediately reached out to brace herself on the ground and quickly stood up.
But her dramatic movement still attracted the attention of the passing disciples nearby.
"Sigh! Slow your steps and shorten them. Relax your body; don't be so stiff..." Lin Qingyou began instructing Ye Liuyun.
Ye Liuyun reluctantly followed Lin Qingyou's instructions, but having grown accustomed to the previous, freer way of walking, suddenly having to restrict her movements felt extremely unnatural.
It was like asking someone who speaks quickly to suddenly slow down—they would feel exhausted. Ye Liuyun felt exactly this way now.
Walking was more tiring than climbing a mountain.
Ye Liuyun soon arrived at the residential area for Outer Sect female disciples. After becoming a formal disciple, male and female disciples lived separately.
"What? Am I starting to live with female disciples now? Sigh!" Ye Liuyun felt slightly uncomfortable looking at the female disciple residential area with people constantly moving in and out.
After all, she was a man before. Now suddenly having to live with a group of women, Ye Liuyun didn't know if this was a blessing or a hassle for her.
In any case, she felt herself drifting further and further away from a male life.
Ye Liuyun took a deep breath and walked over. Actually, the new residence area was similar to where the Entry Disciples lived, except this mountain peak was larger.
Moreover, the disciples didn't live in Immortal Caves but in individual pavilions. The mountain peak was covered everywhere with flowers, plants, and various flowering trees. It was very beautiful, like an immortal mountain.
The area where the male disciples lived did not have as many flowers and plants; there were more bamboo trees there.
The ratio of female to male disciples in Yunxia Sect was roughly three to seven, meaning the number of female disciples was less than half the number of male disciples.
However, this was normal because, in the Mortal World, most families and powers strongly opposed women cultivating. The reason was simple: women bore the responsibility of procreating. If everyone went to cultivate, how would a country's population increase?
Furthermore, most cultivation sects prohibited disciples from dating, as the Seven Emotions and Six Desires were things cultivators needed to overcome.
If they didn't overcome the Seven Emotions and Six Desires, those feelings would become obstacles on the path of cultivation.
"This place is nice, and there aren't those strange looks." Ye Liuyun took a deep breath. Since there were many flowers and plants here, the air was filled with their fragrance.
She took out the map of the Outer Sect female disciple residential area and glanced at it. It marked the locations of all the residences. Ye Liuyun's residence was number 196; there were only two hundred residences here in total.
After confirming the location, Ye Liuyun walked over smilingly and finally arrived at her individual courtyard.
"Oh my, this is what a place fit for human life looks like. The Entry Disciple residence area before was like a place where savages lived," Ye Liuyun laughed, looking at the exquisite courtyard protected by a Formation in front of her.
Ye Liuyun used her status token to open the residence's protective Formation and walked inside. The place was spacious enough and the environment was pleasant, naturally uplifting her mood.
Meanwhile, Lin Aoxue had already been escorted by Yun Yun to the entrance of the Wind Sword Valley. Before even entering, Lin Aoxue could feel a strong windstorm spreading out from the canyon ahead.
"Ao Xue, although this Wind Sword Valley is a place to punish disciples, it is also a very suitable area for cultivation. You have a pure Wind Spirit Root, so this place is a cultivation holy land for you," Yun Yun said with a smile.
"Yes, Master, I'm going then." Lin Aoxue smiled fearlessly and then flew into the canyon.
The storms here were not enough to stop Lin Aoxue; the Gangkeng Winds inside the valley were the real trouble.
Yun Yun watched Lin Aoxue disappear into the valley and then muttered to herself.
"Little Girl, don't let your master's painstaking efforts be in vain. I hope that in the future, you can shoulder the burden of the Yunxia Sect." After Yun Yun finished speaking, she turned and left.
As for Lin Aoxue, who had entered the Wind Sword Valley, she quickly encountered trouble. As soon as she flew in, she felt as if something was attacking her from all directions.
It was a strange wind force. Lin Aoxue immediately defended herself. When the strange wind swept over her, it felt like a knife cutting her, constantly wearing down her strength.
"Is this what Gangkeng Wind as sharp as a knife feels like?" Lin Aoxue cut through a Gangkeng Wind with her sword, but the Gangkeng Winds here were endless, making it difficult to resist them with brute force.