Chapter 493: Deeply

Going to keep this appearance from now on?

Looking at that face so strikingly similar to Sheng Qingqing's, Lin Changsheng's eye twitched.

Just how much did that damned old schemer Old Chang tell people?!

"It has nothing to do with that friend of yours. This is the 【Mirror-of-the-Heart Art】. My current appearance is what your heart reflects." Meng Ling said lightly.

She then walked straight over and sat down on the sofa opposite him.

【Mirror-of-the-Heart Art】?

What kind of divine ability was this? He had never even heard of it.

Wait!

In other words, his mind had been read?!

"Don't worry, this isn't mind-reading. Apart from the appearance being closer to the person in your heart, I have no idea what you're thinking."

So that's how it is.

Lin Changsheng nodded instinctively, but then paused a moment later.

That's not right!

"I've been in this line of work for many years now. Most of you have this kind of worry." Meng Ling explained.

This was all hard-earned experience talking.

"Besides, you're a Xiang Jianzong prodigy. Even if you opened your mind completely, I wouldn't dare read it carelessly."

What if I learned something I shouldn't have? That would be a real mess.

Emm...

It does sound quite reasonable.

Lin Changsheng finally felt at ease.

Then he instinctively tried to sense the other party's cultivation, only to find he couldn't see through it at all.

It seemed this Senior Meng Ling's realm was far higher than his own.

He just didn't know whether she was a Joy Cultivator, a Charm Cultivator, or a Celestial Being practitioner...

Although her voice didn't have that dual-layered resonance.

But he had heard Old Yue mention that the Cixian Sect also had Celestial Beings who walked other paths, and the traits they displayed were all different.

Perhaps because the figure across from him looked too much like the one in his heart, Lin Changsheng's mind wandered involuntarily for a while.

Until Meng Ling, sitting opposite him, lightly tapped the table between them with a bent finger.

Hum~

Along with a complex pattern of spiritual energy lighting up on the tabletop, two cups of steaming hot black tea were teleported over within the rising spiritual light.

Meng Ling picked up one of the cups and took a small sip.

When she spoke again, the voice that had been meltingly seductive to the bone began to change into another kind:

"Since you're a Xiang Jianzong prodigy and your temperament is beyond ordinary, I'll be direct."

The voice entering his ears gradually became lively and crisp, sounding more and more like the Sheng Qingqing in his memory.

"Now, please describe in detail the process of how you met her."

By the time this sentence came out, the voice was already indistinguishable. If not for her expression still being cold, Lin Changsheng would have thought Sheng Qingqing was sitting across from him!

"Her... I can't say everything about this. It involves some confidential matters from this Xian Sect Grand Competition." Lin Changsheng lowered his eyes and said in all seriousness.

"Skip everything that involves confidential content. Just say what you can."

This was the troublesome part about Xiang Jianzong prodigies.

This can't be said, that can't be said.

If it weren't for Chang Xiao personally contacting her, and this Lin Changsheng directly buying the premium membership package, there was a very good chance she wouldn't have taken this job...

Unless the price went up!

But since Chang Xiao had personally brought it up, she couldn't refuse any longer.

After all, when she had first entered this industry, because she wasn't well-known, her income had always been very meager.

It was only later that Chang Xiao introduced his fellow disciples to come for sessions that she gradually managed to establish herself in this industry.

As the saying goes, short of mouth after eating another's food, soft of hand after taking another's gifts—favors must always be repaid...

But looking at it from another angle, this kind of Xian Sect prodigy generally had outstanding temperament, so even the step of 'guiding emotions' could be skipped entirely.

All in all, it saved quite a bit of trouble!

"Or, if you find it awkward, you can also use someone around you who's had a similar experience as an example."

Meng Ling's tone became light and breezy, no longer as cold as before. She propped herself up on the sofa with both hands, leaned back slightly, and gently swung her legs.

Clearly, in this short span of time, relying on the 【Mirror-of-the-Heart Art】, not only her looks and voice, but even her bearing and temperament had grown increasingly similar to the figure in Lin Changsheng's heart.

That said, this divine ability was indeed extraordinary.

"Use someone around me as an example...?"

Isn't that just the classic 'I have a friend'!

What's the difference from covering your ears while stealing a bell? As a Sword cultivator, I'm open and aboveboard...

Meng Ling simply watched him quietly.

"..." After deliberating for two seconds, Lin Changsheng still slowly began, "I have a younger cousin..."

He narrated something that had really happened.

The story of how his own younger cousin and his cousin's wife met through online chat, how he had suspected and tried to stop them, but in the end they still ended up together.

The process was very detailed, and he took the opportunity to lament his own 'prejudice' against their relationship back then.

As if trying to turn the tables and convince Meng Ling instead.

"At the time I also thought my cousin had been deceived, but in the end it was completely my own overthinking."

As he spoke, he himself grew more and more certain, and in the end he no longer dodged or avoided, once again looking directly at Meng Ling.

"So, you think your own experience is the same as your cousin's?"

Meng Ling rested her elbows on her thighs, cupped her cheeks with both hands, her eyes sparkling.

"But didn't your elders all tell you that every so-called chance encounter of yours was her careful arrangement? Even so, you still don't think there's something off about her?"

"Of course I know there's something off!" Lin Changsheng said with absolute certainty.

But very soon, his tone shifted again: "But in the end, didn't she not get anything from me either…"

Meng Ling: (_)……

Well, no wonder Chang Xiao had to contact her personally. Lin Changsheng's situation was even more serious than expected.

He was 'poisoned' quite deeply.

But to think she could scheme a Xiang Jianzong prodigy to this extent.

That person's methods were probably extraordinary.

It seemed she'd have to switch to a different plan.

For a simp like this, immersed in his own world and constantly persuading himself in his heart, she had a complete set of treatment methods with excellent results.

……

……

Time quickly reached deep into the night.

Within the Xiang Jianzong's inner gate, the mountain range where the Star Sky Leap Array was located.

Wisps of ethereal thin mist drifted through the mountains, and within it hovered starships of various sizes, tails or sides continuously spraying streams of pale-blue spirit-energy particles.

Moonlight fell, adding a touch more mystery to the scene.

In a waiting hall at the foot of the mountain, Chi Jiuyu, who was preparing to set out a little earlier, was still following her old habit of slurping noodles here whenever she took on a mission.

Several tall stacks of large bowls had already been piled on the table.

Broth and noodles alike, eaten clean.

Zhang Yunlu had come specifically to see her off, and was now sitting across from her, an empty bowl placed before her.

Finally, Chi Jiuyu finished her last bowl with a 'slurp-slurp', and tossed the bowl in her hand to the side.

"Burp~!"

She let out a very satisfied belch.

"Full, full!"

She patted her belly and looked at Zhang Yunlu across the table:

"Too bad Master has other arrangements for you, otherwise wouldn't it be great if we took on the mission together!"

Zhang Yunlu shook her head slightly: "Master said I'm not currently suited for the mission Ye Shijie is about to carry out."

Thanks to the Xiang Jianzong's powerful medical capabilities, her injuries had already mostly healed.

Now even the bandages all over her body had been removed; she was only still hanging a bottle of spirit liquid to repair the minor injuries on her body.

"I know, I know!" Chi Jiuyu waved her hand, "By the way, has Master arranged a new mission for you?"

"Not yet."

Zhang Yunlu's gaze shifted slightly, averting her eyes to look off to the side.

Fortunately, Chi Jiuyu didn't notice anything amiss. After casually settling the bill, she stood up, took out her phone, and walked outside.

Zhang Yunlu stood up and followed.

Soon, the two arrived outside the waiting hall.

Because it was already deep into the night, the evening breeze carried a hint of coolness, but for Chi Jiuyu it was just right.

And Zhang Yunlu glanced at the starships hovering high above and asked, puzzled: "Didn't Master agree to swap you for a medium-sized starship, Ye Shijie?"

For this mission, Ye Shijie was still using her old small starship.

Strange to say, after all this time, she still hadn't gone to switch out her starship.

Could it be she was being polite with Master?

……That possibility was slim.

After all, that medium-sized starship itself was something Ye Shijie had specifically gone to throw a tantrum at Master… argued her way into getting.

"Oh, you mean this?" Chi Jiuyu shifted her gaze from her phone screen, "The month after next, our Xiang Jianzong's newest medium-sized starship will finish testing. Every aspect of its performance has improved quite a bit over this generation!"

Although official deployment would still take quite some time, she could go through internal channels at that time and get to use it early.

"If I switched now, wouldn't that be too much of a loss!"

"……"

Sure enough, that was more like Ye Shijie.

"Alright, alright, it's getting late now. Little Yunlu, you head back and rest early. I'll go up on my own."

"Smooth sailing, Ye Shijie."

"Mm-hmm! Wait till we get back and I'll bring gifts for you and Master!"

Then, without saying anything more, she turned and walked directly toward the Star Sky Leap Array.

She watched Chi Jiuyu go off into the distance.

Not long after, she heard a muttering faintly carried on the evening breeze:

"So mysterious, what has Little Zhao been up to lately?"

Hearing this, Zhang Yunlu couldn't help but pause.

She had heard Ye Shijie complain about this before, and the reason behind it… she actually knew clearly—

The second batch of Ascension Envoys.

As expected, Zhao Ruohan, who had drunk alongside her senior sister and gotten just as drunk, had also been chosen as a second-batch Ascension Envoy.

After all, that Zhao Ruohan had earned a lot of points, and her ranking in the Soul Transformation group was not low.

Of course, she herself was the same.

Because the Soul Transformation group's overall score was high at the final tally, her senior sister had not been chosen as a second-batch ascender.

But the Jin Dan group was different.

Because of the "Battle Rush," the final overall scores were all low—even first place Liu Ming only had eight points.

And her score naturally got her chosen as well.

Thinking of this, she willed it, and a pale-blue translucent interface only she could see appeared before her eyes.

【Supreme Mystery Immortal Net (Internal Beta)】

【Name: Zhang Yunlu】

【Age: 20】

【Realm: Late-stage Jin Dan】

【Profession: Sword Cultivator】

【Affiliation: Xiang Jianzong】

【Foundational Art: "Slaying Destruction Sword Canon" (Supreme)】

【Divine Abilities, Arts, Sword Techniques: Grand Void Sword Escape·Entry (Supreme), Grand Void False-Dispelling Golden Pupil·Entry (Supreme), North Wind Sword Art·Perfection (Foundation Establishment), Flowing Cloud Sword Art·Perfection (Qi Refining+), Purple Wall Qi-Viewing Method·Perfection (Qi Refining)……】

【Permissions: Ascension Envoy·Type II (Not Activated)】

【Auxiliary Modules: None】

【Ascension Points: 0】

This was the personal visual interface she had obtained this afternoon after connecting to the Supreme Mystery Immortal Net, which she could freely show or hide at will.

Compared to the Biqixian Sect Grand Competition, the interface style hadn't changed at all—only quite a few things had been added.

Although she didn't know more information yet, her intuition told her this Supreme Mystery Immortal Net was very important……

Putting away her personal visual interface, Chi Jiuyu, who had just been in her field of vision, had vanished.

She must have boarded the starship.

【The Starry Sky Jump Array will activate in thirty minutes. Please board the ship as soon as possible.】

An icy mechanical voice echoed among the mountains.

……

……

A little over a minute later, inside a starship hovering among the mountains.

A long, narrow, cold corridor; pale-blue indicator lights flickered on the walls, spreading through the hull like blood vessels.

The enormous engine's roar was deafening, yet beyond the thick armor plating it was reduced to a low hum.

Chi Jiuyu looked left and right, compared the interior of Zhang Yunlu's starship in her mind, and her desire to switch to a different starship instantly grew even stronger.

Soon, she arrived at the control room.

As various lights automatically came on, the voice of the ship spirit reached her ears.

"Greetings, Captain!"

Still that familiar greeting.

Emm……

Although she wanted to switch starships, she wouldn't switch the ship spirit—she'd just upgrade it later and load it directly onto the new starship.

After all, after listening to it for so long, she'd grown attached.

"All system modules self-check complete. Energy reserves full. Jump engine preheating complete."

"Set coordinates: Southern Star Region, Fu Ling Star System, Gui Ling Thirty-Seventh Planetary System."

Following her command.

On one of the pale-blue translucent screens in front of the control room, a line of text appeared.

【Coordinates confirmed! Applying for transit permissions from the Southern Star Region Guardian—Sheng Ji Sword Master Cheng Ding……】

【Application approved! Transit permissions granted.】

Sheng Ji Sword Master?

Chi Jiuyu carefully recalled in her mind.

This one seemed to be her martial uncle's disciple too, but she didn't think she'd ever met this martial brother……

Tsk tsk.

Her martial uncle really did have a lot of disciples.

If only she, the direct senior disciple of the Sword Venerable's lineage, could also become a star region guardian and grant transit permissions to others.

【Applying for transit permissions from the xx Star Region Guardian—First Sword Master Chi Jiuyu……】

By then, wouldn't her fame spread across the entire starry sky!

Hahaha!

After indulging in a brief fantasy of a wonderful future, the now-calm Chi Jiuyu sat down in her seat and pressed a button on the side of it.

Click!

With a crisp sound, a metal plate popped out from the right side of the seat, curving around in front of her to form a simple tabletop with several crystal-card reader slots.

She then took a crystal card from her storage ring and inserted it into the slot.

A light screen projected out, and the image suddenly displayed several large characters—"Guide to the Hundred Arts of Cultivation·Basic Edition."

This was something she obtained from the Transmission Hall after hearing her martial uncle's suggestion.

She had also gone to the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall to exchange for some spiritual items for testing.

Artifact crafting, star refining, formations, magical instrument coating…

After gathering the talent-testing spiritual items for all ninety-nine cultivation professions, the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall even threw in an extra set for talisman-making talent testing as a bonus. (End of Chapter)