When Ji Xiu saw Bai Shuo suddenly arrive at his door, her directness cutting through all pretense, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy.
He had previously looked into the conditions required to fully achieve the Mortal Transformation: Soaring Dragon Gate ahead of schedule.
[Mortal Transformation: Soaring Dragon Gate]
[Prerequisites: Soak one’s Blood Marrow in the blood of Dragon Descendants to achieve rebirth. Undergo nine transformations until one’s bones are like glaze, blood can dissolve gold, Qi billows like smoke signals, one can draw a bow of a Hundred Stones, and one’s body cannot be torn apart by five horses. Only then can one comprehend its Traits and break through the body’s second Secret Treasure—the Mercury Blood Silver Marrow!]
Nine transformations using Dragon Blood!
In other words...
He would have to consume it daily for nine days to succeed!
For an ordinary person to find the blood of a Wild Flood Dragon, they would likely have to hire a powerful expert among Qi Cultivation Grandmasters to journey to the East Canghai and battle a Flood Dragon.
And even then, they would have to withstand the pressure from the Flood Dragon Species in the depths of the sea. One or two Flood Dragon Venerables, comparable to Titled Martial Dao experts, might emerge. They could come ashore seeking retribution—a classic case of ’beat the young, and the old will come for you.’
And that was just for a lesser branch of Dragon Descendants, to say nothing of a genuine Dragon Species.
For someone like him, Ji Xiu, how could such demanding conditions possibly be met!?
It was an almost impossible bottleneck to break through.
But by simply going to the docks to see Gu Baichuan and his group off, he had run into a genuine Dragon Maiden.
Offending some young master from a Grand Lineage in Jiangyin Prefecture was a small price to pay just to get acquainted and build a connection.
Besides, Huang Xiuwen from the Medicine Shop had been the arrogant one first.
As the renowned Boss Ji of Anning County, a man famous for his righteousness, it was only natural and just for him to step in, punish the man, and teach him some humility!
But he never expected that before he could even begin to slowly formulate a plan, this heaven-sent fortune would fall right out of the sky and land on his head, nearly knocking him senseless.
Immediately after, however, Ji Xiu reined in his delight, his expression turning wary. He was just about to ask this ’Dragon Maiden,’ whom he had met only once, what favor she needed from him.
However... inside the Ji Residence, a vast purple Qi suddenly coalesced!
Seeing the shocked expressions on Fan Nansong and Bai Shuo’s faces and hearing the astonishment in their voices, Ji Xiu paused, then turned to Ji Wei beside him:
"Little sister, before I went to the docks, did Master Duan move into the Ji Residence?"
Ji Wei nodded affirmatively.
"You don’t have to guess, big brother. It’s Uncle Duan!"
After speaking, she clapped her hands happily.
"Shortly after you left, just as you instructed, Chief Steward Yao from the Inner Residence and Instructor Hong from the security team took some men and personally invited him to our home."
"I was even standing at the entrance to welcome him!"
"But as soon as Master Duan came inside, he saw the light snow starting to fall, and he got this look on his face like he’d had a sudden realization. He immediately rushed to his room and has been behind closed doors ever since..."
"Look at that purple Qi, it’s rising from the east courtyard. His Martial Arts must have progressed. He’s probably had another breakthrough, right?"
Ji Xiu looked up and confirmed that the spreading purple Qi was indeed originating from the east courtyard.
Just then, from the west courtyard assigned to Lin Zhenhai’s family, Jiang Li heard the commotion and gracefully walked into the open space near the rockery.
Seeing Ji Xiu and his group standing there, her gaze swept over them.
When her eyes fell on Fan Nansong and Bai Shuo, a look of surprise crossed her face—one even greater than her reaction to the ’Purple Qi Anomaly’.
"What is it with today? A True Cultivator who has achieved Stabilizing the Spirit for Soul Emergence and can use Daoist Skills is rarer than a Qi Cultivation Grandmaster, but I can let that slide."
"But this... Female Monarch. Where on earth did you pick her up?"
"Heh, I never would’ve guessed, Boss. Didn’t know you had a talent for living off a woman."
Jiang Li, a mischievous glint in her eyes, walked up to Ji Xiu and nudged his arm.
Her words made Fan Nansong and Bai Shuo, who had been staring at the east courtyard, freeze. Their gazes snapped toward her instead.
They saw that Jiang Li’s Human Immortal cultivation and Martial Arts seemed unremarkable, yet her Divine Soul was like a flower in a fog—impossible to see clearly. Despite this, she had exposed their secrets with a single sentence and spoke with unshakable confidence.
A ripple went through both of their minds.
Bai Shuo wondered silently, ’Who is this woman?’
As for Fan Nansong, his eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Jiang Li, his mind racing.
’I can’t see the details of her Divine Soul?’
’How is that possible!’
’Good heavens. The Ancestral Master’s "brother"... just where does he find so many monstrous talents?’
’Female Monarch... Female Monarch... One cannot bear that title unless they are from a line granted a fiefdom in the Six Great Xuan Registers, or are the daughter of a Martial King or other high nobles. The only other possibility is to be one of the Dragon Race Descendants, like those from the Old Dragon Monarch of the Dragon Monarch’s Mansion in the depths of the East Canghai...’
’That aura just now... could it be...’
Fan Nansong couldn’t help but glance sideways.
At the same time, he recalled their encounter at the docks and clicked his tongue in amazement, sneaking a glance at Ji Xiu.
’Back then, even he hadn’t been able to see through the young woman’s background!’
’Could it be that when Ji Xiu stepped in to right that wrong, he had already seen who she was?’
’That’s impossible, right...?’
Ji Xiu looked at Jiang Li’s expression and was left speechless. This Miss Jiang, who had cheated death to live again, truly had an unrestrained and wild personality. She dared to say anything.
But even her shocking words served as indirect proof...
that Jiang Li might have been even more formidable in her past life than he had imagined.
He had to rely on his Divine Technique just to get a glimpse of the truth, but she had seen through it all in a single glance.
At this thought, Ji Xiu’s expression grew serious, and he asked humbly for her insight.
"Miss Jiang, my Master... what is happening to him?"
Jiang Li gazed at the purple Qi in the sky, her tone filled with admiration.
"You certainly chose the right Master. He’s a true genius. If it weren’t for that accident... he probably would have succeeded in Opening the Sea of Qi and become a Qi Cultivation Grandmaster long ago."