Xu Wanci lowered her gaze, the smile at the corners of her lips gradually turning bitter.
The memories of the past—the more beautiful they were, the more they ached when recalled now.
She stared quietly at the three-leaf lotus in her hand, then slowly clenched her fingers around it. The force was so great that her fingertips began to pale.
She held onto the three-leaf lotus as if it were the last lifeline left in her life.
When Ji Wang heard Xu Wanci’s words, he froze for an uncontrollable moment.
Because of his reverence for the Immortal Venerable, he understood the Venerable One slightly more than the average cultivator—enough to grasp the depths of that aloof, indifferent nature that regarded all things with icy detachment.
Back then, even the most eminent late-stage Tribulation Transcendents of the era would tremble in the Immortal Venerable’s presence, not daring to act rashly.
That peerless, untouchable figure…
Yet in Xu Wanci’s words, the Immortal Venerable was an entirely different person.
A version so contrary to his own understanding that he could scarcely imagine it.
At this thought, he lifted his gaze slightly to glance at the figure beside him.
Xu Wanci… perhaps meant far more to the Immortal Venerable than he had ever realized.
Perhaps that was why she had remained trapped for a hundred years.
Ji Wang watched the sorrow and grief lingering around Xu Wanci, his eyes filled with concern, yet he had no idea how to comfort her.
A pang of regret struck him—if he had never brought up the Immortal Venerable, would she not be so heartbroken now?
But the thought vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by a sour, twisting ache that made him frown.
How could that be?
From the Soul-Severing Bone to the Illusory Beauty Tree, and now the three-leaf lotus…
Xu Wanci had never been happy. She had simply grown accustomed to burying all her emotions deep within.
Perhaps only when speaking of matters related to the Immortal Venerable did she ever let even a sliver of those feelings surface, allowing others a fleeting glimpse of the sorrow that had weighed on her for a century.
Thinking of the three-leaf lotus, Ji Wang instinctively glanced toward it.
When he saw Xu Wanci’s bloodless right hand gripping the lotus with crushing force, he reached out without thinking, wanting to stop her self-destructive act.
But just before his fingers could brush her hand, he abruptly halted.
Xu Wanci… was the Immortal Venerable’s beloved.
Someone he could never touch, only revere and protect from afar.
As if wrestling with an inner voice, Ji Wang hesitated for several breaths before finally withdrawing his hand.
Watching Xu Wanci’s complete indifference to everything around her, he pressed his lips together and suddenly spoke, as if guided by instinct:
"The three-leaf lotus is only a fourth-grade artifact. It likely can’t withstand a cultivator’s full strength."
At his words, Xu Wanci instinctively loosened her grip on the lotus.
Though her palm was already marked with faint crimson streaks, she paid them no mind, instead carefully running her fingers over the lotus at her waist to ensure it was unharmed. Only then did she relax and avert her gaze.
Everyone knew an artifact forged by the Immortal Venerable would never be so fragile. She was simply… too distraught to think clearly.
Ji Wang pushed aside all his thoughts and retrieved another Dragonfruit from his storage pouch, asking softly,
"Would you like another?"
Xu Wanci had already regained her composure. She nodded, but before she could speak, Ji Wang placed the fruit into her palm.
She blinked in surprise, then turned to him with earnest sincerity.
"Elder Jiyun… thank you."
Thank you for sharing these untold fragments of that person’s past. Thank you for remembering him so devotedly.
Meeting her intense gaze, Ji Wang stiffened, utterly flustered.
He averted his eyes awkwardly, the crimson mole at his neck blazing vividly under the sunlight.
In a muffled voice, he replied,
"It’s only what I should do."
Not far away, the medicinal herb Xie Tingbai had been refining dissolved into motes of light, scattering into the wind.
For a task as basic as spiritual herb refinement—one he hadn’t failed at in centuries—this was unprecedented.
Xie Tingbai’s smile remained unchanged, but as he glanced down at his empty hands, a trace of coldness flickered imperceptibly in his eyes.
Elder Jiyun.
Ji Wang.
An existence even more grating than Jiang Ze.
Xie Tingbai lifted his gaze, sweeping it indifferently over the striking red-clad figure beside Xu Wanci. Noting the faint flush at Ji Wang’s ears, the warmth in his own smile suddenly carried a thread of malice:
"Elder Jiyun truly lives up to his reputation as one of the cultivation world’s foremost authorities on the Immortal Venerable. Some of the stories you’ve shared—even the elders of the Taiqing Sect might not know them."
His voice held just the right amount of admiration as he continued,
"It seems the guidance the Immortal Venerable once bestowed upon you left a profound mark.
"Profound enough that even the one he cherished most would be… ‘loved for the sake of the crow,’ as they say, guarded day and night by you.
"Truly, Elder Jiyun’s sense of gratitude and grudges is as clear-cut as ever."
He spoke the idiom "loved for the sake of the crow" lightly, but to Ji Wang, it struck like thunder.
Ji Wang’s hands clenched abruptly, the crimson moles at his neck and collarbones dimming.
His expression wavered between light and shadow before he finally stood, resolve hardening in his eyes.
Yes.
He was merely repaying the Immortal Venerable’s kindness. He only wished to protect the one the Venerable had held dear.
Besides, Xu Wanci had also shown him grace.
He was simply… fulfilling his debts.
Xie Tingbai watched Ji Wang’s unconscious retreat, his lips curving with expected derision.
Bound by the Immortal Venerable’s mentorship, Ji Wang would forever remain as he was today—trailing behind Xu Wanci, shackled by the pretense of gratitude.
And it was precisely because of the Immortal Venerable that Xu Wanci treated Ji Wang differently from others.
The moment Ji Wang abandoned his reverence for the Venerable and acknowledged his own desires, he would become no different from anyone else in Xu Wanci’s eyes.
What a fascinating path—no matter which way he chose, the outcome would be equally entertaining.
Xie Tingbai coolly averted his gaze.
Such contradictions between one’s nature and actions, such agonizing dilemmas—these were scenarios he had once delighted in.
Yet now, he found Ji Wang’s presence unbearably irksome.
He could dissect the desires and instincts of others, and thus he understood his own emotions with equal clarity.
Xie Tingbai looked down at his empty hands, then slowly clenched them.
What admirable devotion.
No inherently cold-hearted person could resist such a sentiment—himself included.
A love where the returns far outweighed the investment.
No fear of betrayal, no erosion by time, not even death could diminish its worth.
Such a profitable transaction… how could it not stir his heart?
Xie Tingbai stepped forward unhurriedly, stopping before Xu Wanci.
He offered her a stalk of Heaven-Refining Grass, his voice laced with quiet amusement.
"You’ve been cultivating for so long. Take a moment to rest and nourish your divine sense."
"Sky-Transforming Grass has a sweet and refreshing taste, perfect for passing the time." He held the grass to Xu Wanci’s lips, smiling lightly as he said, "Try it and see if it suits your taste."
Xu Wanci didn’t open her mouth. Instead, she reached out and took the grass herself, murmuring softly, "Thank you, Seventh Elder."
Xie Tingbai chuckled helplessly. "If you would just rest properly and cut back on your daily cultivation, that would be the greatest thanks I could ask for."
This time, he didn’t leave.
He sat beside Xu Wanci, quietly organizing the spiritual herbs in his storage pouch.
A day later, the three of them finally reached the outskirts of Qingyuan City.
Xu Wanci gazed at the endless stretch of green mountains before her, blinking thoughtfully.
In the original story, Chu Qingchuan had been severely injured. After tearing a teleportation talisman, he was randomly transported to the heart of Qingyuan Mountain.
Passing by a massive boulder, his blood seeped into the stone, allowing him to enter Taoyuan Village.
Thinking of this, she didn’t hide anything from Xie Tingbai and Ji Wang. Instead, she spoke plainly:
"Somewhere in the center of Qingyuan Mountain, there should be a rugged boulder. Hidden within it is the opportunity I’m looking for."
After the events of the Endless Secret Realm and the Return to Origin Formation, Xie Tingbai was no longer surprised by how much she knew.
He lowered his eyes slightly, concealing the rare flicker of helplessness and frustration within them.
The mark the Immortal Venerable had left on Xu Wanci ran too deep—so deep that it might take a long time to wear it away.
But that was fine.
Time was the one thing he had in abundance.
Ji Wang walked behind Xu Wanci, completely indifferent to how she knew about this place or what kind of opportunity lay within.
His attention remained fixed solely on her figure. The moment she spoke, he immediately spread his Divine Sense—reaching the peak of Transcendence—across the entirety of Qingyuan Mountain, searching without hesitation for the boulder she mentioned.
Three breaths later, he spoke softly, "There are roughly three such boulders near the center of Qingyuan Mountain, not far from each other."
Hearing this, Xu Wanci’s lips curled into a faint smile. She turned to Ji Wang and said earnestly, "Thank you, Lord Jiyun."
As a Nascent Soul cultivator, even without using Divine Sense, the distance across Qingyuan Mountain was nothing to her.
Half a cup of tea later, Xu Wanci stood before the boulder described in the original story. Without hesitation, she summoned a blade of spiritual energy, intending to cut her finger and follow the method from the book to enter Taoyuan Village.
The moment she raised her hand, Ji Wang instantly sensed her intention. Without a second thought, he reached out and grasped the spiritual blade in her hand.
He didn’t shield himself with spiritual energy, and Xu Wanci’s blade sliced effortlessly into his palm.
Blood pooled in his hand, then trickled like a thin stream, quickly staining the boulder beneath red.
Xu Wanci frowned, dispersing the blade immediately. Before she could say anything, she heard Ji Wang’s cautious voice:
"If blood is the key, then mine should work too, right?"
Xie Tingbai, who had been a step slower, glanced at the expression in Xu Wanci’s eyes. His smile unchanged, he flicked his wrist, sending a pill floating toward Ji Wang’s injured hand.
In the next moment, the pill crumbled into powder, scattering over the wound. In a single breath, the injury healed completely, and even the bloodstains were cleansed away by the pill’s purifying effect.
Watching as spiritual energy began to surge from the boulder, Xie Tingbai remarked lightly, "It seems the Venerable’s blood works quite well. The boulder is reacting."
Only after confirming Ji Wang’s wound had closed did Xu Wanci finally shift her gaze back to the boulder.
Then, in an instant, the three of them were engulfed by its radiant light.
Darkness swallowed them briefly before the delicate fragrance of peach blossoms filled the air. Light burst forth, revealing an ancient, rustic village before them.
They stood at the village entrance, where a centuries-old peach tree stood tall. A gentle breeze stirred, sending petals fluttering through the air like dancing snowflakes.
Xu Wanci reached out, catching one of the blossoms. As she took in the sight of curling smoke rising from the village ahead, a flicker of recognition passed through her eyes.
This was Taoyuan Village.
Just then, a child of about seven or eight came skipping toward them. Spotting the trio, she froze mid-step, rubbed her eyes hard, and—once confirming they weren’t a mirage—spun around and shouted toward the village:
"Dad! Mom! Come quick!"
"There’s a super pretty big sister here, and two super handsome big brothers!"
The child’s voice carried far on the wind. Before long, villagers who had been at leisure began gathering at the entrance.
"Xiaoguai’s got a good eye! These outsiders are all stunning!"
"It’s been ages since we’ve seen such fine-looking youngsters in the village!"
"Big sister, come to Xiaoguai’s house! My mom makes the best food!"
Just as in the original story, the people of Taoyuan Village were warm and hospitable.
And with Xu Wanci and the others being exceptionally good-looking, the villagers only asked a few simple questions about their identities before eagerly ushering them into the village.
Xie Tingbai observed the villagers’ simple, earnest expressions. Beneath his gentle gaze, however, lay a trace of imperceptible mockery.
If there truly was an opportunity here, then all these weaklings would inevitably become nourishment for the strong.
Mortals like these were nothing more than straw dogs to cultivators. Destroying an entire village wouldn’t even leave a karmic stain.
After all, he had witnessed as much by the age of seven.
He had seen what hell on earth looked like through mortal eyes.
No matter his thoughts, Xie Tingbai’s expression remained as warm and amiable as ever. He answered the villagers’ questions with gentle courtesy.
Ji Wang paid no attention to anyone else.
From the moment they entered Taoyuan Village, he noticed his cultivation had been suppressed to the Qi Refining stage, and his spiritual energy flowed sluggishly.
Immediately, he swept his Divine Sense over every villager, confirming they were all mortals without spiritual roots. Only then did he relax, ignoring everyone else entirely and keeping his focus solely on Xu Wanci.
Xu Wanci’s hand was tightly gripped by the little girl, Xiaoguai. The warm touch made her frown slightly in discomfort, but she didn’t pull away.
This kind of closeness was unfamiliar, but not unpleasant.
When she met Xiaoguai’s sparkling, upturned gaze, something stirred in her heart.
In the original story, when Chu Qingchuan arrived in Taoyuan Village, the villagers had been just as friendly. They prepared a room for him, letting him rest there for several days while he recovered from his injuries.
But back then, Chu Qingchuan had been consumed by thoughts of revenge. After obtaining the opportunity, he left without a backward glance.
Remembering this, Xu Wanci lifted her head, looking past the crowd at the sprawling fields and cottages in the distance.
At the end of the cottages stretched an endless peach blossom forest, where countless pale pink petals danced in the breeze, scattering across every corner of Taoyuan Village.
It was beautiful—so beautiful that one could hardly bear to leave.
The village was not large, and soon Xu Wanci was led by Xiaoguai to her home.
"Mother, look!"
At Xiaoguai’s call, a gentle-faced woman in dark linen robes stepped out. When she saw Xu Wanci and the others, a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes, but she quickly composed herself, beckoning Xiaoguai and pulling her into an embrace.
Then, with an apologetic smile, she said,
"My daughter is lively by nature. I hope she hasn’t disturbed you."
Her smile deepened the fine lines at the corners of her eyes, only adding to her warmth.
Just then, a man carrying a hoe chuckled at the doorway,
"Your Xiaoguai is the cleverest. The moment she saw guests, she brought them straight here."
"Make sure to treat them well. I’ll go gather some fruits to offer them."
Xiaoguai’s mother, Yuan Niang, welcomed Xu Wanci and the others into the wooden house.
The house was small but tidy. On the table sat a wooden vase holding a branch of peach blossoms, their faint fragrance lending an air of rustic elegance to the room.
Yuan Niang gestured for them to sit and soon served tea and fruits.
"Our home is humble, so this is all we have. I hope you won’t mind."
Xiaoguai, meanwhile, handed the reddest fruit to Xu Wanci.
"Sister, try this! It’s so sweet!"
Such pure kindness made Xu Wanci pause for a moment. Accepting the fruit, she reciprocated by taking out a few delicate pastries from her storage pouch.
Though made from spiritual plants, these pastries contained only a trace of spiritual energy—harmless to mortals but beneficial for longevity.
Xiaoguai’s eyes lit up at the sight of the treats, and she instinctively glanced at Yuan Niang.
Yuan Niang quickly said, "Miss Xu, there’s no need for such generosity. These pastries are precious—"
"They’re just ordinary snacks. Please don’t think much of it." Xu Wanci pressed the pastries into Xiaoguai’s hands, her voice polite but distant. "We may trouble you for a couple of days. I hope you won’t mind our intrusion."
Yuan Niang smiled warmly. "Miss Xu, what are you saying?"
"We happen to have two spare rooms. I’ll prepare them for you three. Please stay as long as you need."
"If there’s anything you require, just let me know."
Xu Wanci glanced at Xiaoguai, who was happily nibbling on a pastry, her expression remaining calm.
"Thank you," she said softly.
In the short time since their arrival, Xie Tingbai had already skillfully gleaned useful information from the villagers’ casual remarks.
Once Yuan Niang and the others had left, he watched Xu Wanci close her eyes to resume cultivation and sighed almost imperceptibly.
"Wanci, don’t you like the scenery here?"
Xu Wanci opened her eyes and replied earnestly,
"Though this place suppresses cultivation, practicing here actually makes spiritual energy more refined. It even seems to widen the meridians slightly."
"Compared to scenery, I prefer cultivating here."
Hearing her answer, Xie Tingbai’s eyes held a trace of resignation.
Since arriving in Taoyuan Village, Xu Wanci had been no different from how she was with others—polite yet detached.
Only when speaking of cultivation did her eyes show genuine interest.
Outside, the laughter of children echoed, but Xu Wanci remained unmoved, calmly closing her eyes again to circulate her spiritual energy.
Xie Tingbai shook his head, knowing she was still aware of her surroundings, and continued,
"Taoyuan Village is isolated. Though the villagers can’t leave, outsiders occasionally wander in by mistake every few years."
"That’s why they weren’t surprised to see us."
"But that giant boulder must have some restriction. So far, no one has ever visited Taoyuan Village twice."
He glanced at Xu Wanci.
"Wanci, have you found the opportunity you’re looking for?"
Xu Wanci’s fingers twitched slightly.
It wasn’t that she disliked this place—she simply couldn’t afford to.
Compared to life and death, the peace and beauty of Taoyuan Village meant nothing to her.
Once she obtained the Yin-Yang Twin Lotus, she would leave.
Calmly, she replied,
"I have some guesses, but I’ll need to wait another day."
"When the moon is full tomorrow night, I should be able to find it."
Over the next two days, between cultivation sessions, Xu Wanci encountered lively children, farmers tending their fields, and evenings filled with the smoke of cooking fires.
Villagers often brought fresh fruits to greet the outsiders.
Here, there were no disasters, no worries about harvests or taxes. The self-sufficient life was easy and carefree, fostering a deep simplicity in the people.
Perhaps due to the influence of the Yin-Yang Twin Lotus, the villagers were mostly healthy, free from illness. Those who passed away did so peacefully in their old age.
Yet strangely, not one among the hundreds had a spiritual root.
At this thought, Xu Wanci frowned faintly.
After taking the Yin-Yang Twin Lotus, she ought to leave behind another spiritual plant of comparable value to maintain the village’s centuries-long harmony.
When the moon hung high that night, Xu Wanci opened her eyes and ceased her cultivation.
Tonight was the best time to find the Yin-Yang Twin Lotus.
She rose from her bed, and Ji Wang was already at her door the moment she stopped cultivating.
Xie Tingbai also stepped out unhurriedly.
Under the moonlight, Xu Wanci walked steadily toward the peach blossom forest.
In the original story, Chu Qingchuan had obtained the Yin-Yang Twin Lotus effortlessly—merely by admiring the blossoms under the full moon, his spiritual energy had resonated with the lotus.
Xu Wanci stopped at the heart of the forest.
This time, she disregarded her injured consciousness and unleashed all her spiritual energy and divine sense at once.
Watching this, Xie Tingbai’s brow furrowed imperceptibly.
Using divine sense on such a scale risked months of recovery if she failed to find what she sought.
But Xu Wanci paid no heed to his concern. Her divine sense spread inch by inch across the entire forest.
Yet she found nothing.
In the original tale, Chu Qingchuan had obtained the treasure with ease. But for her, every time required her utmost effort.
This time, she had prepared for the worst.
If necessary, she would inspect every peach tree one by one.
With her divine sense equivalent to the Mahayana stage and her knowledge of the original story, she could always find the opportunity she sought.
A cup of tea, an incense stick’s time later…
Finally, she found it.
On a peach tree indistinguishable from all the others, a faint glow suddenly appeared, responding to her divine sense and spiritual energy.
Xu Wanci opened her eyes, and a twin lotus—one black, one white—landed in her palm.
Looking at this lotus, Xie Tingbai’s fingertips twitched slightly:
This was… the Yin-Yang Twin Lotus.
A spiritual treasure capable of healing all damage to the divine sense. Though not of the highest grade, it was exceedingly rare.
Because few places were as suitable for its growth as Taoyuan Village.
He lowered his gaze, concealing all emotion in his eyes, only the warmth at the corners of his lips deepening imperceptibly.
Under the moonlight, Xu Wanci slowly began merging the Yin-Yang Twin Lotus into her divine sense.
Just as her divine sense enveloped the lotus, she suddenly detected countless threads of life within it.
These were—the spiritual roots and lives of every villager in Taoyuan Village.
Her eyes snapped open, a trace of shock flashing in her gaze:
She suddenly understood. Understood why an ordinary village like Taoyuan Village possessed a treasure like the Yin-Yang Twin Lotus.
It was nourished by the spiritual roots and lives of all the villagers. The Yin Lotus and Yang Lotus exchanged spiritual energy, and through the Yang Lotus, that energy was returned to the villagers.
From the moment the seed of the Yin-Yang Twin Lotus was planted in this peach grove, the lives of every villager had been bound to it.
If it lived, the villagers lived.
If it died, their souls would scatter.
Xu Wanci slowly closed her eyes, veiling the mockery in them:
No wonder.
No wonder in the original story, after Chu Qingchuan left, he left no spiritual treasure behind to fill the void left by the Yin-Yang Twin Lotus.
Because he knew—these people would never see another sunrise.
Not a single word in the original story mentioned it, so no one knew that behind Chu Qingchuan’s restored divine sense lay the blood and bones of an entire village.
Xu Wanci withdrew her divine sense.
Seeing this, Ji Wang frowned in confusion:
“Is something wrong?”
Xu Wanci had just used her divine sense. If she didn’t absorb the Yin-Yang Twin Lotus, her sea of consciousness would take much longer to recover—if it ever fully healed at all.
Xu Wanci stared intently at the lotus in her hand:
“This is tied to the lives of everyone in Taoyuan Village.”
Ji Wang didn’t hesitate for even a second. His voice was almost cold:
“So what?”
To him, Xu Wanci was the only one who mattered.
He cared nothing for mortals—their joys, their sorrows, their lives or deaths.
To all cultivators, it was the same.
They lived for thousands of years, capable of moving mountains and parting seas. A mortal’s life was too fleeting, the karma they generated as insignificant as a speck of dust. No one would slaughter them deliberately, but no one would spare them a thought either.
Xu Wanci abruptly turned her head, meeting Ji Wang’s gaze—so focused it bordered on indifference.
Her heartbeat slowed to an almost painful degree. If she weren’t the beloved of the Immortal Venerable, would she, too, be like these villagers—life and death at the whim of powerful cultivators?
She turned to Xie Tingbai.
Just hours ago, he had been chatting warmly with the villagers. Now, his expression was gentle, yet he didn’t refute Ji Wang’s words.
His voice was soft to the extreme:
“Wanci, a mortal’s life is but a hundred years. A single disaster could take them all.”
“The damage to your sea of consciousness can’t be delayed any longer.”
Speaking in the way most favorable to Xu Wanci, he coaxed gently:
“Aren’t you anxious to cultivate? Without this Yin-Yang Twin Lotus, you’ll need years to recover.”
“Far longer than a single month.”
Xu Wanci lowered her head, silently gazing at the lotus.
Xie Tingbai sighed:
“Wanci, if it’s not you, it’ll be someone else.”
“The fate of these villagers was sealed the moment this Yin-Yang Twin Lotus came into being.”
“Yes.” Xu Wanci murmured. “If not me, then someone else.”
In a few months, Chu Qingchuan would come here and pluck it without hesitation.
So many lives—in the eyes of cultivators, they had never mattered.
Xu Wanci smiled faintly.
Actually, there was another way.
Her divine sense gently enveloped the roots of the Yin-Yang Twin Lotus, then slowly exerted force.
In the next instant, the lotus dissolved into countless specks of light, swirling through the peach grove before drifting down into the slumbering village.
She could return it to the villagers.
From this moment on, Taoyuan Village would no longer be bound to the Yin-Yang Twin Lotus. Every one of them would have a life truly their own.
Xie Tingbai watched Xu Wanci’s actions, his breath catching.
He inhaled sharply, staring at Xu Wanci amidst the sea of shimmering light, his heartbeat erratic beyond control:
They’re just mortals!
They’re insignificant, easily erased, incapable of bringing any karma!
Why would she do this?
Hadn’t she been willing to sacrifice everything for cultivation? Hadn’t she pushed her own body to the brink for it?
Why give up such an effortless opportunity for these people?
Xie Tingbai stared at Xu Wanci as if seeing the village destroyed centuries ago by a single cultivator’s whim.
Once, he had clawed his way out of despair with everything he had. Now, he had become that very cultivator.
But Xu Wanci…
He pressed a hand to his chest, where his heartbeat raced even faster than it had that day centuries ago.
Xu Wanci paid no attention to Xie Tingbai’s gaze:
The fine cracks in her sea of consciousness had widened slightly.
But she wouldn’t regret it.
She couldn’t abandon all conscience, all principles, just for her own sake.
She wasn’t just saving them—she was saving herself, the part of her that had been sinking deeper into this world.
Xu Wanci closed her eyes wearily.
Just then, every tree in the grove began glowing with starlight. Over centuries, the souls of Taoyuan Village’s departed gathered, forming a long, shimmering river of stars.
They gently surrounded her, then slowly merged into her sea of consciousness and dantian.
The cracks in her sea of consciousness mended, and the spiritual energy in her dantian grew abundant.
Early Nascent Soul, mid Nascent Soul… finally stabilizing at late Nascent Soul, just one step from Deity Transformation.
Were mortals truly insignificant?
Of course not.
Because every cultivator had once been mortal.
Perhaps they didn’t affect a cultivator’s karma, but they carried a power far beyond what cultivators could imagine.
