Chapter 559: Does Ji Shijie Not Know Yet?

"But it's still not complete."

Xu Xing opened his hand, and fine, invisible sword qi drifted continuously between his fingers.

Xiang Yuanjun and Ji Yue glanced at it once, and immediately felt a faint sting in their third eyes, as if their vision blurred and their very essence was peeling away.

But as Xu Xing closed his hand again, all those strange sensations vanished.

"Once I refine it further, perhaps I can restore Ji Shijie's condition to what it was before she forced herself to act."

That is the limit.

Hearing this, Ji Yue tightened her grip on the sword's scabbard and hilt.

"Before she forced herself to act...?"

If it could be restored, who would willingly remain in this half-dead state?

"Then I leave it to the Xiang Jianzong's care."

"Ji Shijie, you flatter me."

Just as she had suspected when she was with the Joyful Sect.

During this time, he had clearly felt the influence of 'Dao Wang' on himself gradually weakening; the boundaries once unreachable now had faint outlines.

"If you restore to your state before forcing yourself to act, won't you just hide from me again?" Xiang Yuanjun teased.

Ji Yue paused, loosened her grip on the sword, and said calmly:

"At least not right now."

Back then, Xiang Yuanjun's personality was a bit cruel—otherwise she wouldn't have nearly driven the Xiang Jianzong into self-imposed isolation...

But after experiencing more, she had become much more composed and serious.

Afterward, the two chatted for a long while.

Most of it was about past trivial matters.

Under the vast scale of time, even the most insignificant little things had become precious memories worth cherishing.

Finally, Ji Yue asked about Zhang Yunlu.

"In the 'Ascension Plan,' that girl was in the second batch, right?"

"Correct." Xu Xing nodded slightly.

Ji Yue sighed: "That girl is stronger than I was back then."

She had assumed that after joining the Sword Lord's sect, the girl would follow the same path she once had.

But she didn't.

On the contrary, she got along quite well with Chi Jiuyu.

"Or perhaps this generation of children are all stronger than I was, and more able to see things clearly."

"Do you mean Jiuyu?"

"Mm."

Despite having Chi Jiuyu—a bizarre case who reached Soul Transformation at twenty-two—no one felt pressured, and no one desperately tried to surpass her...

"Times are different."

Jiuyu's cultivation progress was indeed rapid.

In the past, many cultivators would have regarded her as a goal to chase.

Just like Yuan had been back then.

But now...

Perhaps because the Xuan Realm is in an unprecedented cultivation golden age, the younger generation's mindset is generally calmer, no longer burdened by the old despair.

Even the small group of prodigies who can keep up with Jiuyu are like this—they each have their own goals to achieve, not merely fixated on cultivation progress.

Even if they fail, they just complain a bit on the Spirit Net, vent a little, and work harder in private cultivation.

What can you do if you can't catch up? Life still goes on—why make it a matter of life or death?

Of course, this might also be because Jiuyu's brain works a little oddly...

Cough! Cough!

"Indeed, times are different." Ji Yue smiled.

This was evident in the younger generation of the Xiang Jianzong.

If the Xiang Jianzong is like this, how much more so the world beyond?

When her injury heals, perhaps she will leave the Xiang Jianzong and travel, to see with her own eyes how this changed era has become.

Until nightfall completely covered the sky.

With a creak, the weathered courtyard gate opened, and Xu Xing and Xiang Yuanjun stepped out from the ancient small courtyard, walking along the winding green stone path.

A cool breeze blew, rustling the bamboo grove beside the path, brushing away the last traces of heat beneath the night sky.

The moon rose above the branches, casting scattered light patches upon the two, making the entire bamboo grove appear hazy.

But Xu Xing stared at the green stone path disappearing around the corner and sighed softly.

To be honest, he still felt a bit guilty facing Ji Shijie. Why guilty...

Of course, because of Yan Ming, that rebellious disciple!

Even more absurd: all the disciples knew, yet he, as Yan Ming's master, was the last to find out.

"What's wrong?" Xiang Yuanjun noticed his unease.

"Nothing." Xu Xing shook his head slightly.

This matter shouldn't be loudly proclaimed.

Emm...

But I can hint around and get Xiang Yuanjun's opinion.

"Suppose there was a person, and his disciple..."

Xiang Yuanjun smiled faintly: "What you're talking about, Daoist Brother, should be the matter between your disciple and Ji Yue, right?"

Xu Xing couldn't help but be stunned, blurting out:

"You know too?!"

"Naturally I know. It's not exactly some big secret."

Xu Xing: "..."

He suddenly thought of a possibility.

"Could it be that Senior Sister Ji herself also kno—"

"Relax, Ji Yue doesn't know about this." Xiang Yuanjun explained, "Or rather, she's never thought about it in that direction."

Ji Yue was a person of the same era as them, a few years older than her.

As for Yan Ming, he was a disciple Daoist Brother took in only after becoming an immortal — this was no longer a matter of a few years' difference.

So Ji Yue's attitude toward him was entirely that of an elder toward a junior; it was fundamentally impossible for her to think in that direction.

"That's good then."

Xu Xing let out a sigh of relief.

If Senior Sister Ji really found out about this, he wouldn't know how to face her.

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore." Xu Xing cut off the topic.

This matter is a bit tricky; better wait until that rebellious disciple comes out of seclusion before discussing it.

Not long after.

Halfway up the mountain where the Sword Sovereign's great hall stood.

In front of the bamboo hut.

Bie Xuening sat by the pool.

The fish in the pool were swimming listlessly.

The water was too clean, so much so that they couldn't find a single morsel of food to fill their bellies.

It's been several days now, not a single bit of fish food to eat.

But because of the peculiar rules here, it was very hard for them to starve to death.

The instinct to survive drove them to spontaneously absorb spiritual energy to maintain their vitality, waiting for the next delivery of fish food.

Soon, Bie Xuening contentedly put down her phone.

Another victory.

That wretch Master Mei Zu was stirring up trouble in the group every day, slandering her there too!

In a good mood, Bie Xuening casually tossed a handful of fish food into the pool, then picked up her phone again and sent a message to Chi Jiuyu, asking about her study progress at the Supreme Dao Sect.

Sword Sovereign of the Home Front: "How's the cultivation going over at the Supreme Dao Sect /sunglasses little yellow duck"

Rebellious Disciple: "I'm eating right now, Master"

Rebellious Disciple: "Little Zhao is here too"

Rebellious Disciple: "/image"

Rebellious Disciple: "/image"

The first one was of her and Zhao Ruohan with arms around each other's shoulders making a breakthrough, a talisman constructed from magic power still glowing at her fingertip.

Earth-Suppressing Talisman.

A single talisman could suppress earth veins, or gather the power of mountains, waters, and earth veins to purge specters and evil spirits.

The second image was of the dishes she had ordered.

Being able to master this talisman in such a short time showed her learning progress was clearly not slow.

Rebellious Disciple: "Too bad it's not convenient right now, I'll send you a video when I get back, Master"

Rebellious Disciple: "Oh right, I feel like the food at our Xiang Jianzong still needs some improvement" (End of Chapter)