"She’s still not awake?"
He had been so entangled in trivial matters that he couldn’t get away. Only now did he remember the unconscious Lin Ruxue.
Ji Xiu furrowed his brow. He glanced at the fatal marks on her neck, which had faded until they were barely visible, then supported Ji Wei at his side and spoke gently:
"Tired? Go to bed and sleep."
"The Lin Residence is safe now. We’ll move tomorrow, and I’ll hand Lin Ruxue over to Master Lin and let them take care of her."
Ji Wei felt the world around her blurring. She rubbed her small eyes, humming softly as she leaned against her brother, and whispered:
"Mm, okay."
"But, Brother..."
"I think... I think I’m about to see my Master again."
’Master?’
Recalling what Ji Wei had said about the Chixiao Heaven Universe and the Ten Thousand Laws Sect, Ji Xiu froze for a moment.
Before he could speak, Ji Wei forced herself to rally, shaking her head. She pressed her small lips together and said with determination:
"Just you wait, Brother."
"I’m going to sleep right now. I’ll dream-walk through the myriad realms, and once I’ve wheedled my convenient Master out of his Secret Inheritance and Daoist Techniques, we’ll have it made!"
Her words left Ji Xiu unsure whether to laugh or cry. He could only pat her head, a warm feeling blooming in his chest.
’It’s actually pretty great,’ he thought, ’having a sensible little sister who’s always scheming to get me benefits.’
He took Ji Wei to her room and tucked her in. He watched as her breathing quickly grew long and deep, and then her body began to turn slightly transparent...
A jolt went through him. He gently reached out and discovered an invisible Barrier enveloping her body.
In that moment, Ji Xiu was truly convinced. ’My sister has the talent of a Banished Immortal!’
It seemed that unlucky Qi Cultivation Grandmaster really had killed himself by running into a wall.
He looked at the wall Wang Hongzu had smashed—it had only just been repaired—and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He returned to his own room, preparing to assume a stance and stretch his muscles and bones, a habit left over from his Hundred Days Foundation Establishment.
But...
The blood-stained Divine Shrine he had looted from Lin Du’s corpse back at the Lin Residence was sitting on a side table. Suddenly, the Dharma Protector enshrined within opened its eyes, as if it had gained Spiritual Wisdom.
It watched the young man, who was completely immersed in his Martial Arts. A phantom of a True Flood Dragon seemed to be prostrating itself upon the boy’s Spinal Dragon.
Its divine eyes revealed a human-like look of astonishment.
Then, it shot out two beams of golden light, creating an Illusion Realm!
And so, as Ji Xiu was practicing his martial arts...
...he abruptly found himself in a magnificent and solemn palace hall set high above the clouds.
Within the hall stood over a hundred lotus thrones.
All the other lotus thrones were empty.
But on the far left, at the lowest-ranking Grand General Altar...
...a colossal, towering deity over a hundred zhang tall, holding a Jade Mace and wearing the Cloud-draped Dragon Azure Gold Armor, manifested its true form.
It was looking down upon his tiny self.
After a long moment, a voice boomed like thunder:
"Mortal Martial Artist..."
"You are in the presence of a Venerable Deity. Why do you not bow?"
"Kowtow in pious worship."
"I shall bestow upon you a True Scripture and let you instantly become a Qi Cultivation Grandmaster!"
...
While Ji Wei slept, her spirit journeying to other worlds, and Ji Xiu practiced his martial arts, seemingly making contact with the Central Yellow Spirit Summoning and Saint Manifesting General...
In a side room.
’Lin Ruxue’ slowly awoke.
Her skin was now like jade, purer and more flawless than it had ever been.
At the same time.
CRACK!
A crisp sound echoed.
She raised her hand and watched the Jade Token at her waist shatter into dust before scattering like ash. A sense of loss washed over her.
"Tides ebb and flow, flowers bloom and wither."
"So, in the end, this is the fate my life has come to..."
"Where is this..."
She sifted through the memories in her mind, feeling a flicker of pity for the girl whose life had been cut short. She sighed.
"How many heaven-sent prodigies in this world meet an early end because of some sudden disaster? Alas..."
Finally, as she started to get up, she paused, letting out a soft, uncertain "Hm?"
"This is... the aura of an Immortal Technique."
"Isn’t this just a small county town?"
"Why is there..."
Her tone was filled with surprise.
When she turned her head to look toward the master bedroom, she frowned and froze.
"This is..."
"...a Divine Being!"
’Lin Ruxue’s’ expression instantly turned cold. Even though her body was weaker than it had ever been...
...she still rose without a shred of hesitation and walked toward the source of the aura!
"Hmph!"
"I’d like to see..."
"...which Evil Deity from the Central Yellow Sect is here putting on this charade!"