The flying boat cut through the clouds like a silent fish.
No sails, no oars.
Cloud wisps slid past the gunwales; one could reach out and scoop up a handful of moist coolness.
Jiang Xun and Jiang Wanxing sat side by side in the cabin.
Opposite them, Elder Deep in Simplicity sat cross-legged, his gaze mostly lingering on the young girl, only occasionally sweeping over Jiang Xun with a faint glance.
To pass the time, Deep in Simplicity shared some interesting anecdotes about the cultivation world.
Deep in Simplicity had a natural talent for storytelling.
He spoke of the Righteous Path surrounding and annihilating the remnants of the demonic Sects, the covenant formed by the nine great immortal Sects, the revival of Spiritual Veins, the frequent appearance of Secret Realms, and how the current era was a golden age of cultivation.
Whenever he reached the parts about exorcising demons and upholding the Dao, Deep in Simplicity became very spirited.
Jiang Wanxing's eyes lit up.
She had never heard of such things before.
Seeing the girl's look of admiration, Deep in Simplicity was immensely satisfied and spoke with even more vigor.
Jiang Xun listened quietly.
However, he felt a bit uneasy inside; in Deep in Simplicity's explanation, the starting point of the Demonic Path's decline was the death of the Dao Seeking Demon Venerable.
And the Dao Seeking Demon Venerable...
Was the title he had taken in the later stages of the game to pursue that Demonic Sect Saintess, Jiang Hongyuan, before ascending to that position.
After all, a Demon Venerable at the Peak of the Ascension Realm, the number one person in the world with millions of demonic followers under his command...
Was enough to intimidate any power.
Upon his death, the Righteous Path Cultivators naturally counterattacked with everything they had.
Demonic Path Cultivators knew no restraint, refining heaven and earth and viewing all things as materials.
They simply didn't understand the principle of giving back to the world.
Their rules were simple and overbearing: seize the foundation of heaven and earth, absorb its spirit, extract its marrow, and defy its logic.
Cultivation speed was indeed very fast this way.
But according to this cultivation method, within a thousand years, the entire world would enter an Age of Dharma Decline.
Seeing this, how could the world's Cultivators not fight to the death against the demonic Cultivators?
Severing someone's path to cultivation is like killing their parents.
Deep in Simplicity's tone carried a hint of lamentation.
"The Great War between Righteous and Demonic Paths, which lasted three hundred years, has finally come to an end. Today's cultivation world is an era co-governed by the nine great Sects, including the Xuanxiao Immortal Sect, Tianyan Dao Sect, and Qingyun Sword Sect."
He looked at Jiang Wanxing with a gentle gaze:
"And my Xuanxiao Immortal Sect, since my Senior Sister Yan Qingning made a Breakthrough to the Late Stage of Void Tempering, has firmly secured a place among the top three of the Righteous Path.
We have a hundred thousand Disciples and a territory spanning ninety thousand miles."
Jiang Wanxing's eyes were sparkling, as if she were completely enthralled.
Jiang Xun, however, felt a chill down his spine.
Yan Qingning, Late Stage Void Tempering, a titan of the Righteous Path.
The Sword Cultivator girl in the game who always loved wearing white and would blush for half a day just because of his comment, 'Senior Sister, the flower in your hair is very beautiful today,' had now become such a figure.
"The Xuanxiao Immortal Sect has Thirty-six Grotto-Heavens and Seventy-two Spiritual Peaks."
Deep in Simplicity changed the subject, leaning forward slightly:
"The one I oversee is the Zhuluo Grotto-Heaven.
Little girl, are you willing to take me as your Master?"
His expression was full of anticipation.
Jiang Wanxing blinked, as if she hadn't processed it yet.
Once she understood the meaning of those words, her first reaction was to turn her head toward Jiang Xun, her fingers quietly clutching the corner of his sleeve.
"Will my brother be with me too?"
The smile on Deep in Simplicity's face faltered.
Xue Sheng had mentioned this youth's Aptitude—a Mixed Spiritual Root, only slightly better than a False Spiritual Root.
With this kind of constitution, let alone entering his Zhuluo Grotto-Heaven, even becoming a Named Disciple would be a waste of resources.
"This..." He hesitated.
Jiang Wanxing didn't speak, only clutching Jiang Xun's sleeve tighter.
Her meaning was clear: if he didn't agree, she wouldn't join.
Jiang Xun sighed inwardly.
He hadn't expected this girl to be so loyal.
Now that she'd struck gold, she still remembered to pull her poor brother along.
But now it was time for him to state his position.
"Immortal Master," Jiang Xun spoke, cupping his hands and bowing.
"Junior knows his Aptitude is dull and does not dare to hope for entry into the Sect's inner circle.
I only ask that the Immortal Master grant me a task so I may have a place to stay within the Sect. I would be endlessly grateful."
He turned, rubbed Jiang Wanxing's hair, and softened his tone:
"Silly girl, wouldn't it be better if you wait until you've truly achieved Immortal Ascension to look after your brother?"
He spoke frankly, even with a hint of a joke.
He himself didn't want to attract too much attention; otherwise, it wouldn't be good if any clues were discovered.
Jiang Wanxing looked up at him.
The youth's gaze was calm, without resentment or grievance, as if he were speaking of something perfectly natural.
He seemed to understand everything, yet also seemed to care about nothing.
"You may serve as a Utility Disciple in the Inner Sect."
Deep in Simplicity finally spoke, his tone much softer. "If you are diligent and hardworking, there may be a chance to become a formal Disciple in the future."
"Thank you, Immortal Master." Jiang Xun bowed deeply.
Deep in Simplicity looked at Jiang Wanxing again:
"You needn't worry about being separated from your brother. You'll both be in the same Sect and can see each other occasionally.
"
Jiang Wanxing lowered her eyelashes.
She knew this was already the best possible outcome.
She let go of Jiang Xun's sleeve, stood up, and knelt in the swaying cabin:
"Disciple pays respects to Master."
"No rush." Deep in Simplicity smiled, reaching out with an ethereal hand to support her. "Wait until we return to the Sect and perform the formal initiation ceremony before calling me that."
It had been a long time since Deep in Simplicity had been this happy.
Just then.
The flying boat suddenly jolted.
It didn't stop, but rather felt as if it had crashed into some invisible gel, its speed abruptly slowing.
The boat tilted slightly. Jiang Xun instinctively grabbed the cabin wall and looked toward the bow.
The smile on Elder Deep in Simplicity's face vanished.
He stood up, his green robes fluttering without wind, as his gaze pierced the sea of clouds ahead.
It was empty there, with only drifting clouds rolling.
"You siblings talk for a bit," Deep in Simplicity said, his voice remaining steady. "I'm going out for a moment."
He stepped out of the cabin.
Jiang Xun stayed where he was, then turned to look out through the gaps in the bamboo curtain of the black-awning cabin.
Above the sea of clouds, a figure in white stood suspended in the air.
Only a back was visible, its silhouette gilded with a faint gold, the face obscured.
Only the hem of the robes fluttered in the wind like a blooming white lotus.
Jiang Xun's breath hitched for a moment.
Then, cold sweat silently drenched his back.
He closed his eyes.
The Hidden Silk Art circulated frantically within his body.
His aura retracted layer by layer, his heartbeat suppressed to the minimum, blood flow slowed, and even his thoughts were deliberately emptied.
He turned himself into a stone, a piece of withered wood, a grain of dust.
Outside the cabin, Deep in Simplicity had already flown to the front of the boat.
"Senior Sister," he cupped his hands, his tone carrying a hint of guilt. "Why are you here?"
Yan Qingning turned around.
Her white clothes were untainted by dust; standing there, the sea of clouds became a mere backdrop.
"Inspecting the trial Disciples," she said, her voice cold and clear. "Where is Junior Brother going? You look quite joyful."
Deep in Simplicity gave a hollow laugh:
"It's nothing, I just happened upon a few pleasant matters."
"Pleasant matters?"
Yan Qingning's gaze swept over the flying boat. "This direction doesn't seem to be where the Supervision Team is. Is Junior Brother returning to the Sect?"
"Exactly," Deep in Simplicity cupped his hands.
"With Senior Sister overseeing things, nothing can go wrong with the trial.
I happen to have some private matters to attend to at the Sect, so I'll take my leave first."
He spoke naturally, without any issues.
The trial in the Yunqi Mountain Range was indeed nearing its end.
Yan Qingning didn't respond.
Deep in Simplicity's smile remained unchanged, but a thin layer of sweat had already broken out on his back.
He had been afraid of this Senior Sister since he was a child, having been beaten by her countless times.
A streak of white and blue light rose from the clouds below, landing beside Yan Qingning in the blink of an eye.
The light faded, transforming into the phantom of a cute young girl.
It was Frost Radiance.
"Master," Frost Radiance leaned into Yan Qingning's ear, her voice weak. "...Nothing."
Yan Qingning's brow furrowed.
"Two days," she murmured to herself. "I've searched more than half of the Yunqi Mountain Range... where else could he be hiding?"
The more she thought, the angrier she became.
She had waited over a thousand years, and now she finally had news of him.
Yet he was actually hiding from her.
How could this allow her to calm down?
Frost Radiance was also very dejected.
Yan Qingning looked up at Deep in Simplicity: "Since Junior Brother has matters to attend to, I won't delay you."
Deep in Simplicity secretly breathed a sigh of relief and cupped his hands. "Then I shall depart—"
"Wait."
Yan Qingning suddenly spoke.
Her gaze fell on the Black-Awning Boat, the bamboo curtains lowered, the interior dim.
This flying boat was a flying Magic Treasure refined by Deep in Simplicity.
It could block Divine Sense.
Yan Qingning only vaguely sensed that there were other people on the boat.
"There are people on Junior Brother's boat," she said, her tone still flat, as if speaking of something trivial. "Since they are fellow Disciples, why not come out and meet?"
Inside the cabin.
Jiang Xun closed his eyes.
The Hidden Silk Art was pushed to its limit.
Good heavens, to run into her here.
This voice was unmistakably Yan Qingning's.
Her voice was very pleasant; Jiang Xun had previously wanted to search for her voice actor but couldn't find her.
So sometimes he would listen to the voice acting of a climax scene several times.
This made him very familiar with the voices of all the characters in the game.
He heard his own heartbeat, one after another, slow and heavy.
Jiang Wanxing sat beside him, seemingly sensing something, and quietly took his hand.
The girl's palm was slightly damp, her fingertips icy.
Outside the cabin, the sea of clouds flowed silently.
Yan Qingning stood quietly in the light, waiting for her Junior Brother's next words.