“Master, I may be meeting a friend at the sect, but it wouldn’t be convenient for anyone else to know,” Shu Xin said as she went straight to Xu Guan. “Master, help me cover for it.”
Xu Guan had still been worrying that his eldest disciple was too formidable and that she was putting too much pressure on him. He had never expected Shu Xin to come asking for his help so soon, and he immediately brightened.
“No problem, no problem. You can rest assured. Your master absolutely won’t let anyone disturb you.”
Ever since they had returned, his five disciples began every day by asking where their senior sister was and what she had been doing. He, their master, had practically been pushed to the back of the line.
“Thank you, Master.” Shu Xin smiled. “Qu Yougu from the Myriad Dao Sect may also be coming soon. If he arrives, please notify me directly and have him come find me.”
Xu Guan naturally agreed without hesitation.
Only after confirming that everything was safe did Shu Xin return to her cave abode and wait for Situ Jian to arrive.
Shu Xin estimated the time it would take to travel from the Longevity Dao Sect to the Seeking God Sect. Three to five days should have been more than enough.
However, on the very next day, Shu Xin received a message from Situ Jian ahead of schedule, saying that he would be arriving ten days to half a month late.
That was strange. Situ Jian had always been punctual. Could something have happened?
“Looks like they won’t run into each other after all.” Shu Xin smiled at the Sword Spirit.
[That may not necessarily be the case.] There was a hint of excitement in the Sword Spirit’s voice. [I think this will be very interesting.]
“You’ve been acting rather strange lately.” Shu Xin frowned and regarded the Sword Spirit suspiciously. “You’ve suddenly become much quieter these past few days.”
[Ahaha, have I?] The Sword Spirit laughed awkwardly, refusing to engage with Shu Xin’s question no matter what.
Still half-convinced, Shu Xin decided to find an opportunity to coax the truth out of the Sword Spirit.
She waited for nearly another half a month. By then, Shu Xin was even wondering whether she should truly enter secluded cultivation for a while, when she finally heard the Sword Spirit call out.
[They’re here.]
Shu Xin rose to her feet.
Outside the cave abode, the restrictive formation she had set up had already been expertly undone. In the blink of an eye, someone appeared before her.
Shu Xin blinked, almost thinking she had seen wrong.
The person before her was dressed in pale cyan robes. Her expression was bright and spirited, yet her appearance was exactly the same as Shu Xin’s.
For a moment, Shu Xin nearly thought she was looking into a mirror.
Yet this person, who looked exactly like Shu Xin, slowly stepped forward and drew close to her.
[Wow, Shu Xin, she looks exactly like you—even her clothes are the same.] The Sword Spirit practically wanted to sit beside them with a bowl of sunflower seeds.
Shu Xin sensed the familiar fluctuations of spiritual power coming from the other person, and a faint smile appeared on her face. She did not dodge.
“Jingzhi.” Shu Xin came back to herself. Looking at the other person’s identical appearance and clothing, she spoke with exasperation. “It seems your plans have been going smoothly lately, and you’ve picked up your old hobby again? Go on, tell me. What bad deed did you commit this time while disguised as me?”
There was only one person in the world who could undo the restrictions she had set up so skillfully and imitate her to such a degree.
A glow appeared around the woman who looked exactly like Shu Xin. In the next moment, Situ Jian slowly emerged, dressed in dark blue robes.
“It may not have been a bad deed.” A faint smile lifted the corners of Situ Jian’s lips. “I heard that you, Sister Shu, have a fairly close relationship with the Daoist heir of the Myriad Dao Sect. As it happens, I have an opportunity in my hands. It would be more convenient to give it to him under your name.”
[Ahem, he isn’t lying about that.] The Sword Spirit’s voice was even more gleeful.
As expected, there was a show to watch.
Its special trip to pass along the information had not been in vain.
Situ Jian might not be good at many things, but when it came to disguising himself as Shu Xin, he was absolutely flawless and thoroughly familiar with the process.
He knew Shu Xin’s preferences, clothing, and manner of speaking so well that he could imitate her perfectly.
Shu Xin was caught between laughter and tears. “Forget it. I’m used to it by now. Congratulations on successfully advancing to the Dongtian realm.”
“Long time no see, Sister Shu.”
Half a month earlier.
“Daoist heir, what’s wrong?” The people of the affiliated sect were seeing Qu Yougu off.
“Nothing. I merely feel as though someone was watching me.” Qu Yougu frowned slightly. “Perhaps I’m being overly cautious.”
This was the territory of an affiliated sect. No one should have come here looking for trouble.
And yet, it seemed as if someone had been spying on him.
“Daoist heir, you’re going to the Seeking God Sect. Our sect has several divine carriages and mounts, and we can also prepare some gifts to send ahead of you.” The elder of the affiliated sect had clearly thought everything through with great care.
The Seeking God Sect had already declined. By rights, even Sect Master Xu personally coming out to welcome Qu Yougu would not have been excessive.
However, Qu Yougu had insisted that he was merely going to pay a visit, so they could only agree.
“I’m going to visit a friend. There’s no need for such a display.” Qu Yougu shook his head. “As for the gifts, I’ve already prepared them. You needn’t worry. The journey is long, so there’s no need for you to see me any farther.”
The people of the affiliated sect could only agree.
After bidding farewell to the cultivators of the affiliated sect, Qu Yougu set out alone for the Seeking God Sect.
Yet throughout the journey, he continued to feel that something was following him like a shadow.
Whenever he released his divine sense to investigate, however, he found nothing at all.
When he had traveled roughly half the distance, Qu Yougu suddenly received another transmission through divine sense.
“Fellow Daoist Qu, please come down and meet with me.”
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Qu Yougu focused his gaze and immediately descended.
By a lake in the mountains, Shu Xin was waiting for him in pale cyan clothing.
Her current attire was somewhat different from what she had worn at the Hu and Fan family residences. She looked more relaxed and at ease.
Her two swords, however, still hung securely from her waist.
Qu Yougu thought of the senior and junior sisters in his sect. When they were not out gaining experience or engaged in combat, they too dressed more delicately than usual.
“Sister Shu, it’s you.” Qu Yougu was somewhat surprised. “When I received that transmission through divine sense, I thought I had misheard. Weren’t we supposed to meet at the Seeking God Sect? Why are you waiting for me here?”
Shu Xin took two steps forward. The hairpin swaying in her hair seemed to spill starlight. Beneath the moonlight of the evening, it was impossible to tell whether the stars in the heavens were more brilliant or the hairpin in her hair.
Although Qu Yougu knew little about women’s accessories, he could still tell that the hairpin was extremely valuable.
If the senior and junior sisters in his sect saw it, they would surely be willing to spend years of accumulated spirit stones to purchase it.
Shu Xin gave a slight cupping of her hands. With the same smile she always wore, she said, “Because I happened to come across an opportunity, and I need Fellow Daoist Qu to explore it with me.”
Qu Yougu froze for a moment. “An opportunity?”
“That’s right.” A radiant smile blossomed across Shu Xin’s face, and a talisman had already appeared in her palm.
Spiritual patterns rippled across the talisman, profound and mysterious. Looking at it for too long would almost cause one’s mind to sink into it.
“Could this be a secret-realm talisman?” Qu Yougu was deeply shocked. “How can you display such a precious treasure so casually, Fellow Daoist Shu? Please put it away at once.”
A talisman key capable of opening a secret realm was an exceedingly precious opportunity in any sect.
In this age of dwindling spiritual energy, all the finest spiritual materials from antiquity had vanished. Traces of them could be found only in certain secret realms.
But every secret realm of any renown in this world had long since been thoroughly searched by the major sects.
An undiscovered secret realm—even a small one—was an opportunity of immense value.
“The secret-realm talisman is about to lose its power. If we miss this opportunity, there won’t be a second chance,” Shu Xin said solemnly. “Once the secret realm opens, it will inevitably attract the attention of powerful cultivators. As the Daoist heir of the Myriad Dao Sect, it is not unusual for Fellow Daoist Qu to possess a secret-realm talisman, and your status can also buy us time to explore the realm. If our exploration succeeds, you may choose any one of the resources we obtain before the rest are divided.”
Qu Yougu pondered for a moment and quickly understood Shu Xin’s concern.
The Inquiry God Sect had declined, after all. If Shu Xin entered the secret realm alone, she would certainly be ambushed after emerging.
He, on the other hand, had the identity of a Daoist heir. Moreover, his sect also possessed a secret realm of its own, though it contained few precious resources and was used mainly for disciples to temper themselves. If he used this secret-realm talisman, he could mislead other cultivators into believing that it was an internal secret realm of the Myriad Dao Sect.
“This secret-realm talisman belongs to you, Fellow Daoist Shu. Naturally, the resources should be divided seventy-thirty, with me taking only thirty percent,” Qu Yougu replied. “I have already received such a great opportunity. How could I be greedy?”
Shu Xin could only agree.
Qu Yougu accepted the secret-realm talisman from Shu Xin and opened the secret realm. He and Shu Xin then entered it together.
As expected, the secret realm contained many demonic beasts, as well as some demonic vines guarding various treasures.
Qu Yougu had seen Shu Xin fight before, but watching her display her exquisite swordsmanship once again filled him with even greater admiration.
Still, he felt embarrassed letting Shu Xin charge ahead all the time, so he took the initiative to fight most of the battles himself.
Shu Xin did not compete with him. She simply put away her sword.
“Fellow Daoist Qu’s cultivation seems to have improved since before,” Shu Xin praised him. “I thought you would return to the Myriad Dao Sect to rest for a while first.”
“My master wants me to spend more time traveling and gaining experience, so naturally I can’t return so soon,” Qu Yougu said casually. “Besides, I’ve long admired the Inquiry God Sect and wanted to meet Senior Xu Guan.”
“My master is indeed extraordinarily talented,” Shu Xin replied with a smile. “But does Fellow Daoist Qu know that my master once had a fellow disciple named Qin Rushan? He joined the Longevity Dao Sect and has now reached the Unblemished Realm.”
“I’ve naturally heard of him.” Qu Yougu frowned. “Although there is nothing wrong with a cultivator changing sects, using one’s former sect as a stepping stone to curry favor with a new one is utterly disgraceful. I refuse to associate with such a person!”
Qu Yougu had heard something of how many of the Inquiry God Sect’s possessions Qin Rushan had taken with him to the Longevity Dao Sect. He had also heard about the recent incident in which cultivation manuals from the Inquiry God Sect had been distributed everywhere.
“I believe Sect Master Xu’s strategy of cutting off the problem at its root was immensely satisfying,” Qu Yougu praised. “It’s just a pity that the Inquiry God Sect’s cultivation methods still ended up circulating among the other sects.”
There was a distinct note of regret in his voice on behalf of the Inquiry God Sect.
Shu Xin quietly studied Qu Yougu for a moment before asking, “Fellow Daoist Qu, do you also believe that I was wrong to leave the Longevity Dao Sect and join the Inquiry God Sect?”
“How could that be?” Qu Yougu immediately replied. “I have gone through life-and-death trials with you, Fellow Daoist Shu. I know exactly what kind of person you are. The Longevity Dao Sect’s inability to retain you is their loss!”
The moment Qu Yougu finished speaking, his grip tightened around his sword.
“There’s killing intent!”
Shu Xin merely pointed a finger, and a demonic beast in the nearby bushes died with its teeth bared and claws extended.
Qu Yougu was somewhat puzzled. That demonic beast did not seem particularly dangerous.
“It seems we’re nearing the end of the secret realm.” Shu Xin turned to look at Qu Yougu. “Time is short. A friend of mine is still waiting for me at the Inquiry God Sect. Why don’t we find the center of the secret realm as quickly as possible?”
“I’ll do my utmost,” Qu Yougu replied, holding his sword across his arms.
Shu Xin and Situ Jian sat down together.
Before Shu Xin could say anything, Situ Jian had already extended his wrist of his own accord.
“I’ve reached the Grotto-Heaven Realm.”
Shu Xin hummed in acknowledgment and placed her fingers against Situ Jian’s wrist, sending a thread of spiritual energy inside to examine him.
Just as Situ Jian had said, his cultivation had indeed reached the Grotto-Heaven Realm, and there were even faint signs that he would continue breaking through. His foundation was far deeper than that of an ordinary Grotto-Heaven Realm cultivator.
“That old Lin family patriarch was quite wealthy, wasn’t he? All that cultivation, and now it’s benefited you instead.” Shu Xin sighed as she withdrew her hand.
Stealing Heaven, Swapping Sun.
To defy the heavens and cultivate from the body of a mortal, one naturally had to use a method entirely different from that of ordinary cultivators.
Situ Jian had undoubtedly cultivated this technique to the pinnacle.
Thus, although he had only recently broken through to the Grotto-Heaven Realm, he already possessed cultivation equivalent to that of a late-stage Grotto-Heaven Realm cultivator.
No wonder Qu Yougu had failed to notice Situ Jian’s disguise at all.
Demonic cultivation was truly fast. With the right method, a demonic cultivator could accomplish in a short time what an immortal cultivator would need hundreds of years to achieve.
Even Shu Xin could not help feeling tempted.
But when she thought of the cruelty of the cultivation method Situ Jian had to practice, she decided against it.
She was afraid of pain. She simply could not endure such torment.
“Years of planning, finally brought to fruition in a single day. Thank you for helping me, Sister Shu.” Situ Jian looked into Shu Xin’s eyes as he spoke.
“I only helped perfect part of the plan. You were the one who carried it out.” Shu Xin waved her hands repeatedly. She could tolerate dealing falsely with those aristocratic cultivators for a time, but she could not endure it forever.
Some cultivation methods could only be practiced by Situ Jian, and some things could only be done by him.
What pleased Shu Xin was that even though they had been apart for some time, once they were together again, their relationship remained just as it had always been.
Just as Shu Xin’s thoughts began to drift, Situ Jian had already taken out spirit fruits, spirit wine, flower tea, and all kinds of snacks from his storage ring and arranged them on the table.
“All right, tell me. What did you say to Qu Yougu while pretending to be me?” Seeing that Situ Jian had nothing else to do, Shu Xin grabbed a handful of snacks and happily settled in to hear the story.
“Qu Yougu truly lives up to his reputation as the Daoist heir of the Myriad Dao Sect. Within the sect, he can certainly be considered outstanding,” Situ Jian said calmly, handing Shu Xin the tea he had just brewed. “From our conversation, I could tell that although his heart lies with his sect, he is still kind-hearted and not the sort of person who simply follows the crowd.”
[His experience in the outside world is just too shallow. You tricked him without any trouble.] The Sword Spirit controlled two flying swords, darting up and down with extraordinary excitement.
Unlike Shu Xin, it had witnessed everything from beginning to end.
“After killing the Lin family ancestor, I found a secret-realm talisman among his collection,” Situ Jian continued honestly. “This secret-realm talisman is open only to cultivators below the Unblemished Realm, and no sect has explored it yet. I imagine the Lin family ancestor went to considerable trouble to obtain it, intending to present it to his sect.”
An undiscovered secret realm was no less valuable than a spiritual mountain.
The Lin family ancestor had most likely gone to great lengths to acquire that secret-realm talisman.
“The moment a secret-realm talisman is used, the sect will certainly take notice. That’s why I disguised myself as you, Sister Shu, and found Qu Yougu, using his identity as a shield.”
As he spoke, Situ Jian pulled a mass of flowing golden light from his storage ring.
In the brief instant it appeared, the entire cave abode was filled with spiritual energy.
Shu Xin froze at first. But when she saw the mass of light, her eyes immediately lit up. “Could that be the legendary Solar Flame Spiritual Marrow? I thought it had already been lost to history!”
Solar Flame Spiritual Marrow was a treasure so precious that it could not be bought, no matter how much one offered.
It was born only when spiritual energy had gathered to an extreme degree and the right time and place came together.
Its greatest use was to produce an abundance of pure spiritual energy. When a cultivator below the Unblemished Realm suffered a shortage of spiritual energy severe enough to damage their foundation, it could be used to repair that foundation. One could say that, for a cultivator, it was practically equivalent to gaining another life.
Especially in this age of dwindling spiritual energy—even in a top-tier sect like the Everlasting Dao Sect, something like this could probably only come into existence deep within a spiritual vein.
“This was one of the final rewards we obtained after exploring that secret realm. Because it was so valuable, Qu Yougu and I split it between us,” Situ Jian said calmly. “He is an upright man, too. He didn’t take advantage of you, Sister Shu.”
“It is said that Qu Yougu’s master, White Crane Dao Lord, damaged his foundation when he broke through to the Unblemished Realm years ago. White Crane Dao Lord has devoted himself wholeheartedly to this disciple, and Qu Yougu is repaying that kindness. He will certainly give this Solar Flame Spiritual Marrow to White Crane Dao Lord to heal his injuries. Once that happens, the entire Formless Dharma Lineage will owe you a tremendous favor, Sister Shu.”
A karmic connection like that was not something the Myriad Dao Sect could sever whenever it pleased.
When Qu Yougu and Situ Jian saw the Solar Flame Spiritual Marrow in the secret realm, they had both recognized it.
At the time, Situ Jian had actually hoped Qu Yougu would try something else.
Unexpectedly, Qu Yougu had instead taken out all the spirit stones on his person, apologized to the disguised “Shu Xin,” and simply said that the treasure was useful to his master, White Crane Dao Lord. He hoped they could split it evenly, with the spirit stones serving as compensation.
That had been beyond Situ Jian’s expectations.
No wonder Sister Shu thought so highly of him.
With character like that, he truly was a rare find within the sect.
His judgment was just a little lacking.
“There’s more.” Seeing how delighted Shu Xin was, Situ Jian’s eyes curved slightly. He took two more items from his storage ring. “When it comes to treasures under heaven, no one has seen more than Senior Sword Spirit. These two things were in a corner of the secret realm and looked rather inconspicuous, but I remember Senior Sword Spirit mentioning them before.”
When Situ Jian brought out the remaining two items, even the usually composed Sword Spirit could barely maintain his calm.
[That’s right. Many treasures have lost all record of their existence in the sects of the present day, but I recognize every one of them.]
Sword Spirit first confirmed Situ Jian’s words, then examined the two objects he had taken out.
[You’ve got quite a bit of luck, kid.]
Both items Situ Jian had produced were heavily sealed inside boxes.
One was supreme-grade spiritual marrow, even more precious than supreme-grade spirit stones. In the current cultivation world, it was the sort of treasure that became rarer with every use.
The other was a “Heaven-Mending Pill,” capable of repairing a cultivator’s soul. Its formula had long been lost, and its existence had only ever been mentioned by name in ancient texts. No one had seen the real thing.
Although Shu Xin had no use for them at present, once she stepped into the Unblemished Realm, these treasures would both be invaluable aids on her path to further advancement.
If they were truly put up for sale, who knew how many Unblemished Realm cultivators would come rushing over, heedless of the danger and ready to fight to the death.
If one took them out to sell…
To put it bluntly, they would be enough to buy the lives of every person in the Inquiring Deity Sect.
As expected, one’s platform determined one’s fate. Robbing a major sect or aristocratic clan once was worth more than robbing people outside a hundred times over!
The Lin family ancestor had accumulated wealth in the Everlasting Dao Sect for so many years. He really was extraordinarily rich.
An unexplored secret realm had actually been hiding treasures like these. No wonder Situ Jian had insisted on bringing Qu Yougu along.
Sword Spirit cast another glance at Situ Jian.
Even if Situ Jian had taken these treasures and given them to his own master, Gong Changshou, they would still have counted as gifts of astonishing value.
Yet now, all of them had ended up benefiting Shu Xin.
“Just as expected of someone I personally taught.” Shu Xin gave Situ Jian’s shoulder a hearty slap, beaming with delight. She immediately threw herself onto the two boxes and planted two loud kisses on them. “I knew you wouldn’t take only half!”
When Shu Xin saw that the original seals remained intact and that none of the restrictions inside had been disturbed, she knew that after Situ Jian had opened them, he had not touched them again.
Just look at that! Just look at him! He truly was someone she had personally guided, step by step.
All these things were hers now? Hahaha!
Shu Xin practically wanted to sing “Good Days” to express her excitement.
“I have no use for these treasures with the cultivation method I practice.” Seeing how happy Shu Xin was, Situ Jian became even more composed. “Sister Shu, you needn’t take it to heart. They’re merely worldly possessions.”
This little fox really had some ability.
Seeing Shu Xin grinning so broadly that her teeth showed, Sword Spirit could not help thinking this.
Shu Xin was just about to pull Situ Jian into further conversation when she heard Xu Guan’s voice outside the door.
“Disciple, Qu Yougu of the Myriad Dao Sect has come to visit.”
Sword Spirit could not help yawning.
Qu Yougu had arrived a little late.
“I’m coming.” Shu Xin rose and prepared to open the restrictions around the cave abode.
“Wait, Sister Shu.” Situ Jian suddenly called out to her.
“What is it?” Shu Xin turned around in curiosity.
Situ Jian reached into his robes and took out a beautiful hairpin encircled by stars and glowing with brilliant starlight. It radiated an astonishing spiritual aura. As it swayed, it seemed to contain the stars and moon themselves.
He bent slightly and gently slid the hairpin into Shu Xin’s coiffure. The radiance of the stars and moon spilled over her hair, complementing her perfectly.
Only then did Situ Jian clap his hands lightly and smile. “There. Now you look exactly the same. That Fellow Daoist Qu surely won’t notice anything unusual.”
Shu Xin raised her head, puzzled. “When did I start liking to wear things like this? You got this detail wrong. Improve it next time.”
Situ Jian merely smiled and nodded without answering.
Despite what she had said, Shu Xin could not help placing a hand on the hairpin and adjusting its angle. Her expression was bright and spirited, and her eyes sparkled—clearly, she was very pleased with it.
With her free hand, she formed a spell seal and opened the restrictions around the cave abode.
Qu Yougu entered Shu Xin’s cave abode and saw a coldly elegant cultivator standing beside her, so ethereally refined that he looked as though he might ascend and vanish into the heavens at any moment. He was stunned for a moment.
Shu Xin, on the other hand, was dressed exactly as before and appeared to have arrived only slightly earlier than he had.
Qu Yougu cupped his hands toward Shu Xin and Situ Jian, a natural smile on his face. “So, Fellow Daoist Shu, when you said a friend had asked you to meet him and that you needed to return to the sect ahead of time, you meant that you were coming to see this Fellow Daoist?”
Situ Jian: Unbelievable. This fellow actually has decent character?
Situ Jian: He actually keeps his promises?
Situ Jian: …Forget it. His ability to judge people is hopeless. He can’t even tell the difference between me and Sister Shu. Sister Shu must have understood what I meant!
