"What year is it now?"
"I’m asking for the year in the Great Xuan Era."
Ji Xiu looked at the woman who called herself ’Jiang Li,’ his mind racing. Still, he replied:
"The first millennium of the Great Xuan Era is drawing to a close."
"As for the exact date... this is a remote county. Forgive me, but I do not know the precise year."
The affairs of the grand dignitaries of the Six Great Xuan Registers, the Nobles granted fiefdoms, and the high officials of the State Mansions... none of it reached a small, isolated mountain county.
Jiang Li wasn’t surprised.
She simply lowered her gaze and muttered to herself:
"Has it really been that long..."
"But for an Outer Deity to be causing trouble in a mere county... it seems the Great Xuan must have lost. I imagine they made quite a few compromises."
She muttered words that Ji Xiu couldn’t quite understand.
She lowered her hand and touched her forehead as a wave of weariness washed over her.
"You were too bold just now. Although that Outer Deity general couldn’t control you, you haven’t cultivated any Dao Skills or enhanced your Divine Soul. In the spiritual world, you’re no different from a mortal."
"It truly intended to teach you a lesson, even if it meant paying a price, to damage your Divine Soul. That way, when you attempted the Dual Cultivation of Life and Spirit in the future, flaws would appear."
"If it weren’t for me, you’d be dizzy and disoriented right now."
Dao Skill, Dual Cultivation of Life and Spirit...
Hearing all these terms from her, Ji Xiu suddenly grew intensely curious about her identity. He was about to ask her about it when, suddenly!
The woman swayed and collapsed. Ji Xiu reacted instantly, his arm shooting out to catch Jiang Li, whose brows were furrowed in a frown.
"Miss Jiang, are you..."
"This body cannot bear my Divine Soul. Besides, I’m just a wandering ghost. It’s normal for me to be dazed for a moment."
"I was originally residing in a strange object, muddled and confused. If this little girl hadn’t met with a sudden disaster, I wouldn’t have had the chance to take over her body—not that I would have stooped to it otherwise."
"Also, calling me ’Miss’..."
Jiang Li was half-leaning in Ji Xiu’s arms, but she didn’t seem to mind. She just raised an eyebrow and shot Ji Xiu a sideways glance.
"Do you have any idea that I’m old enough to be your great-grandmother?"
Ji Xiu’s arm clearly stiffened for a moment, but a second later, his expression returned to normal.
"A beautiful face is but a painted skeleton, while profound knowledge is as vast as the ocean. In my life, I do not value appearance, only what lies within."
"I wonder, about the Dao Skill and Dual Cultivation of Life and Spirit that Miss Jiang mentioned...?"
’Great-grandmother this, great-grandmother that.’
’My life has a clear purpose.’
’As long as I can cultivate to the very end of the Great Dao, nothing else matters!’
Jiang Li was taken aback for a moment, then she let out a soft scoff and a smile touched her lips.
"Give you an inch and you take a mile. You’re certainly thick-skinned."
"’Human Immortal Martial Dao’ was a Dharma Gate created before the Great Xuan. Martial Artists developed it for our Celestial Universe by drawing upon the strengths of many schools, incorporating the advantages of Immortals, Buddhas, and the Divine."
"And as they say, the world is a sea of suffering. Without a lamp or a raft, how can one cross directly to the Other Shore and rank among the Human Immortals?"
"You must use the physical body to open the Secret Treasures and the Divine Soul to hold the guiding light. This is what’s called the Dual Cultivation of Life and Spirit."
"This path is difficult, but outside our Celestial Universe, few systems incorporate both the physical Martial Dao and Divine Soul Dao Skills. So... this is the unique path that we, the Great Xuan’s Human Race, have forged for ourselves!"
At this, Jiang Li lifted her chin slightly, seeming quite proud.
This also caused the nearly imperceptible tension in Ji Xiu’s body to relax slightly.
’As long as she’s talking about ’our’ Great Xuan, that’s good.’
Ji Xiu secretly sighed in relief.
’This must mean... that this Miss Jiang isn’t from the Outer Dao, right?’
But this way of thinking was truly novel, and it made Ji Xiu’s heart itch with curiosity. He longed to glimpse its truth.
At the same time, Jiang Li leaned languidly against him.
"Have you had enough of holding me up?"
"Seeing as you have some innate talent, wait until I’ve recovered a bit, then take me to the nearest Prefecture City."
"When we get there, I’ll teach you what ’Dao Skill’ really is..."
She hadn’t finished speaking.
CLICK!
The door was abruptly pushed open!
At the same time, a girl’s excited shout rang out:
"Brother! In the Dream-Entering Realm today, I got it! From that so-called master of mine, I memorized the entire Dao Seal Visualization Map! It’s the one our Ten Thousand Laws Sect uses to lay the foundation for True Inheritance and petition for the Celestial Decree!"
"He said that to become one of the Immortals, you must first pass nine stages. The first of the Three Gates of Dao Skill is ’Script Recognition and Locket Granting,’ and I’ll teach you right now... Huh??"
Ji Wei burst in excitedly, but before she could finish, she saw Jiang Li lying bonelessly against Ji Xiu’s chest, the two of them in a compromising position.
Her eyes widened in shock:
"Brother... you..."
"I’ll... come back later!"
BANG!
She slammed the door shut.
Leaving the two of them with slightly frozen expressions.
Jiang Li’s expression had changed after hearing the first half of what the girl said, her composure rippling.
Ji Xiu’s face, however, darkened. He recalled his earlier words about sending Lin Ruxue away, and seeing the look on Ji Wei’s face, he really wanted to say...
’Sis, it’s not what it looks like!’