Jiang Yuechu understood.
He was afraid of drawing trouble to his homeland.
"So, you're back to clean up the mess?"
The words were crude, but the logic was sound.
Thirteen Wu's mouth twitched: "...Little girl, can't you speak more elegantly?"
Jiang Yuechu ignored his defense.
As long as he didn't have designs on the Tang Dynasty, he was a friend, not an enemy.
As for blaming this old Daoist for bringing trouble to the Tang Dynasty?
She couldn't bring herself to do that.
He didn't owe the Tang Dynasty anything.
To remember it as his homeland, hold some sentiment in his heart, and be willing to return and look—that was already more than enough.
How could she ask for more?
If there was anyone to blame, it was only the ill-fated destiny of the Tang Dynasty.
It just so happened that at this critical juncture, it became the collateral damage of a fight between immortals.
This was the sorrow of the weak.
So-called unbidden disasters never had any reason to speak of.
However... it seemed time was running out.
Jiang Yuechu lowered her eyes to look at her hands, the feeling of helplessness in her heart growing heavier.
This vast Dynasty, thousands of miles of territory.
There was only her, a single Tower-Ascending Martial Immortals.
There were simply too many things to consider.
The Tang Dynasty was vast, with demons running rampant both inside and out, and the Five Immortals Mountain watching like a tiger... Now, she had learned that another branch of Dao Lineage had also set its sights on this place.
What if these monsters and ghosts all struck at once?
A fire in the north, a flood in the south.
Even if Jiang Yuechu had the power to reach the heavens and move the earth, even if her Primordial Spirit could travel a thousand miles in an instant.
She was, after all, unable to be in two places at once.
To break the deadlock, there were only two paths before her.
First.
Support the Tang Dynasty to forcefully raise its level.
If the Tang Dynasty could produce eight or ten Ascending the Tower experts, why would they fear external enemies?
But as soon as the thought arose, she shook her head and dismissed it.
Difficult.
Too difficult.
Not everyone had a System.
Even someone like Gu Wanlan.
With extraordinary talent and a resilient Heart-Nature.
She had still toiled until her thirties just to barely step into the Mountain Gazing Realm.
Within the Tang Dynasty, she was naturally brilliant... but before those old monsters?
She was just a slightly stronger ant.
A single finger could crush a whole swarm.
Counting on them to grow up and confront the foundations of the immortal sects?
By the time they succeeded, the Tang Dynasty would likely have fallen, and the grass on their graves would be three feet high.
This path was blocked.
Then only one other path remained.
Thinking of this.
A deep-seated ferocity surged in the depths of the young girl's eyes.
Since it couldn't be defended.
Then attack.
Since it couldn't be prevented.
Then kill them all.
Just kill.
Kill every lowlife who dared to covet the Tang Dynasty.
Kill every demon that reached its claws toward this land.
Kill until all the races in the world, whenever they heard the three words "Li Guyue".
Their hearts and galls would shatter.
They would all kneel and beg for mercy.
They wouldn't dare harbor the slightest bit of greed.
Only then.
Could the problem be solved once and for all.
Jiang Yuechu took a deep breath, her fists slowly tightening in her sleeves.
Now that someone was watching the house, there were no more worries.
With a solemn expression, she bowed to the old Daoist: "In that case, I will have to trouble you to look after Chang'an City during this time, Daoist."
Thirteen Wu paused upon hearing this.
He looked at the girl before him with some surprise: "You're leaving Chang'an?"
Jiang Yuechu didn't hide it and nodded: "Although the Five Immortals Mountain has retreated, the root of the trouble hasn't been removed. I'm not used to waiting for death. Instead of waiting here, I'd rather take the initiative."
However.
The old Daoist snorted, his tone becoming a bit stern: "Nonsense."
"Since you've already reached Ascending the Tower, you've crossed that heavenly chasm. Logically, there should be a Dao Lineage Legacy to guide you."
"But looking at how you do things... why are you like a headless fly, only knowing how to crash around?"
Jiang Yuechu was stunned.
"Crash around?"
What did he mean?
Seeing her like this, Thirteen Wu became even more annoyed: "In yesterday's battle, I saw clearly. Your Primordial Spirit seems overbearingly peerless... but that was only because those people weren't of one mind. Otherwise, if they had fought you to the death, you might not have won steadily."
"Besides... you've just entered Ascending the Tower. Your Primordial Spirit has no foundation, and hasn't even undergone the most basic tempering. Why be in such a hurry?"
"Tempering?"
Jiang Yuechu caught this unfamiliar term.
Her heart stirred.
She knew her own situation best.
Relying on the System, her progress was rapid. Although she had entered the Realm, she knew nothing of its intricacies.
Usually, with no one to guide her, she could only cross the river by feeling the stones.
Now... wasn't there a ready-made guide sitting right in front of her?
Someone of this caliber must have a lot of knowledge.
Thinking of this.
Jiang Yuechu no longer hesitated.
She straightened her clothes and gave a respectful bow to the disheveled old Daoist.
"This Junior is dull. I only know of killing and not of cultivation. I ask the Daoist to clear my doubts."
Hearing this.
The old Daoist's heart began to wonder.
She really didn't know?!
But clearly, having just entered Ascending the Tower, her Primordial Spirit was incredibly robust; even in the Xuanzhen Grotto-Heaven, she would be at the forefront.
How could she lack even this basic common sense?
After considering for a moment.
He didn't answer directly but instead asked a question: "Let me ask you."
"Do you know... what is the biggest difference between the Ascending the Tower Realm and the Mountain Gazing or Lamp Lighting Realms?"
Jiang Yuechu pondered for a moment and uttered two words.
"Primordial Spirit?"
"Correct!"
Thirteen Wu nodded: "It is indeed the Primordial Spirit."
"Everyone knows that from Mountain Gazing onwards, cultivation is divided into the two paths of Yin and Yang Mountains."
"Yang Mountain focuses on Body Refining, with blood and Qi like a Dragon; Yin Mountain focuses on the spirit, with peerless techniques."
"At the step of Ascending the Tower, all paths lead to the same destination."
"However, compared to the Physical Body, the Primordial Spirit is more worth the effort."
Jiang Yuechu frowned slightly, appearing puzzled.
She had come all this way, crushing everything with her Physical Body.
Now she was being told that the Physical Body wasn't important?
Then wouldn't her practice have been in vain?!"
As if seeing through her thoughts.
Thirteen Wu smiled: "Of course it wasn't in vain. In the world of cultivation, no path is ever walked for nothing. The Physical Body is the shell, and the Primordial Spirit is the core; the two complement each other and are two sides of the same coin."
"I see your Primordial Spirit is overbearing. By comparison... you must have previously followed the path of Yang Mountain, right?"
Hearing this.
Jiang Yuechu's expression became strange.
Uh... she practiced Dual Cultivation of Yin and Yang... so saying that didn't seem wrong.
She nodded: "The Daoist has a keen eye."
The old Daoist smiled proudly and continued: "The reason your Primordial Spirit is so overbearing now is, in the final analysis, because your previous Physical Body was strong enough and your blood and Qi were abundant enough to nourish such a condensed Primordial Spirit."
"The stronger the Physical Body, the tougher the quality of the Primordial Spirit, and the more solid it becomes when leaving the body."
"As for those with a strong Divine Soul, the Primordial Spirit's ability to drive techniques also rises accordingly."
"Therefore, even after entering the Ascending the Tower Realm, most Cultivators continue along their previous paths."
"Those who did Body Refining polish the quality of their Primordial Spirit; those who practiced techniques polish the spirit of their Primordial Spirit. The path is still the same, just in a different place."
Jiang Yuechu nodded slightly.
These words were easy to understand.
She pondered for a moment and asked.
"Then what did the Daoist mean by 'tempering' just now?"