Chapter 634: What a Cheat!

The next morning, early.

The distant sky was a gloomy grey, and a layer of drifting mist made the entire Xiang Jianzong appear far more hazy.

At the Xiang Jianzong's mountain gate, a cold wind came whistling in, carrying a biting chill.

"Mm… ah~"

Chi Jiuyu yawned, stretched her waist, then only turned her head to look at Zhao Ruohan.

"It's not like you've got anything to do when you get back, so why not hang around for a couple more days?"

"No, thanks." Zhao Ruohan shook her head in refusal. "The spirit-plant seeds Senior Xiang Jianzong gave me are a perfect match for my Innate Divine Ability. I need to get back and study them as soon as possible."

The Scarlet Sun Flame Tree…

After discovering that the spirit-plant seeds were highly compatible with her Innate Divine Ability, last night she had looked it up on the Spirit Net, and had even sent a message to ask Ye Zhiwei.

The results were all for naught.

She had originally wanted to ask her mother and father, but considering how late it was, she chose not to disturb them.

"What? You're still thinking about surpassing me?" Chi Jiuyu snickered.

Little Zhao really was undaunted by repeated setbacks.

"Once I've grown this Scarlet Sun Flame Tree, I'll definitely be able to take that sword strike of yours." Zhao Ruohan said seriously.

Chi Jiuyu pursed her lips. "By the day you actually grow that tree, my sword strike won't be just like yesterday's."

Her own Mysterious Candle Fruit Tree had been tended for so long and was still the same as ever.

Speaking of which, Uncle-Master was really something—discovering that Little Zhao couldn't beat her, he'd just gone straight ahead and 'cheated' for Little Zhao…

As the foremost prodigy of all the myriad worlds and the youngest Soul Transformation cultivator of all time, the pressure on her was immense, alright!

"Alright! Enough about that."

Although Little Zhao was always 'overstepping her bounds,' vainly attempting to defeat her, the foremost prodigy of all the myriad worlds.

But apart from that one point, the two of them actually got along quite well!

"Come visit the Xiang Jianzong again when you've got time, yeah?"

"Mm."

A single failure proved nothing.

She would not give up on the idea of challenging Chi Jiuyu because of it.

"You're also welcome to come find me at the Grand Supreme Dao Sect."

"Will do, will do!"

Immediately, Zhao Ruohan turned around, preparing to leave.

"Wait!"

"Mm?"

"Almost forgot." Chi Jiuyu took out a delicate lunchbox carved from cold jade. "Do me a favor and bring this to Ye Shijie Yang Shuang of the 'Talisman Sword' lineage."

Zhao Ruohan paused, glanced at the jade box being handed to her, and felt a sudden inexplicable stir in her heart.

Come to think of it, she had felt something was off about this a long time ago.

Chi Jiuyu called her Little Zhao, and Ye Zhiwei Little Ye, but was willing to address Yang Shuang of the Talisman Sword lineage as Ye Shijie.

"Why do you address her like that?"

"Why what?" Chi Jiuyu's face was blank.

What on earth was Little Zhao asking?

"By your usual habit, shouldn't you be calling her 'Little Yang'?"

"Huh?" Chi Jiuyu scratched her head. "Isn't it because, during the time we were studying at the Grand Supreme Dao Sect, she took really good care of us!"

The main thing was that she could clearly sense Ye Shijie Yang Shuang was a whole tier more 'mature' than her.

Here, 'mature' didn't just mean age, but also the 'psychological' aspect.

Put plainly, she felt Ye Shijie Yang Shuang was older than her…

Ahem!

For instance, there were quite a few people like that in the Xiang Jianzong.

Even though their seniority couldn't compare to hers, their pompous, world-weary manner made it feel awkward to address them by name.

With people like that, she generally addressed them by their title.

The cyan-gold longsword: "…"

The phrase 'pompous and world-weary' doesn't really seem to be used like that.

Whatever, there are still people around; I'll remind her after they've left.

Zhao Ruohan thought for a moment, then said seriously:

"I take very good care of you too."

"Pfft! How close are we, you and me." Chi Jiuyu waved her hand dismissively. "You don't actually expect me to call you Ye Shijie, do you?"

"That wouldn't be unacceptable either."

"In your dreams!"

Zhao Ruohan: "…"

Not a single pleasant word ever came out of that Chi Jiuyu's mouth.

She reached out and took the jade box.

Inside were some fish and meat, along with precious spirit materials Xu Xing had previously contributed out of friendship.

The jade box itself was worth quite a lot, but compared to the spirit materials contained within, it amounted to nothing.

"Then I'll be off."

"Mm-hmm!"

Then, Zhao Ruohan transformed into a streak of flowing light and shot up into the high sky, streaking toward the teleportation array on the other side.

Chi Jiuyu watched her go, only turning to yawn and lazily pilot his sword back to his own cave dwelling once she had completely vanished from view.

……

……

Evening. The sun set in the west.

After several large-scale long-distance teleportation arrays, Zhao Ruohan successfully returned to the Supreme Dao Sect.

However, she did not head back to her own cave dwelling first.

Instead, she first made a trip to the Sky Island where the 'Talisman Sword' branch was located, intending to deliver the gift Chi Jiuyu had asked her to bring to Yang Shuang.

But the moment she set foot on the island—

"Yo!"

The scene before her eyes shifted, and by the time her vision cleared again, Zhao Ruohan found that she had already appeared inside a small pavilion next to the central plaza of the island.

Hong Qianqian was sitting inside the pavilion, brush in one hand, with a freshly completed talisman resting on the table before her.

Yin-Dispelling Talisman—one of the most basic talismans.

It could drive away some weak wandering spirits and ghosts, and purge yin qi from the bodies of those afflicted by it.

Nowadays, though, only places like the ghost houses of fairly ordinary amusement parks would use it—after all, setting up a dedicated grand array costs too much, whereas Yin-Dispelling Talismans are cheap and easy to use.

Having lower-realm cultivators carry one on them while going through a ghost house could ensure visitors were not eroded by the demonic yin qi inside.

"What brings you to my place the moment you're back?" Hong Qianqian set down her brush. "What? Got a gift for me?"

"…There is a gift, actually, but it's not for you, Sister Qianqian." Zhao Ruohan paused, then explained, "It's something Chi Jiuyu asked me to pass along to Yang Shuang."

She took out the jade box.

"Yang Shuang?"

Hong Qianqian beckoned, and the jade box in Zhao Ruohan's hand slowly floated up, finally landing in her own palm.

"Then that's really quite a coincidence—the little fellow you mentioned is still in closed-door cultivation and hasn't come out yet."

As the founder of the Supreme Dao Sect's 'Talisman Sword' branch, she remembered every single person in her lineage.

So the moment Zhao Ruohan mentioned the name, she knew exactly who it was.

"Just leave it with me for now. I'll pass it to her when she comes out of seclusion."

Saying so, she glanced inside the jade box.

And it was that single glance that made her raise her brows.

"Quite a high grade! Looks like Jiuyu really went all out this time."

Spiritual materials of this caliber…

Part of them must surely have been a friendly contribution from Senior Sword Venerable, or Senior Xiang Jianzong.

"Then I'll trouble you, Sister Qianqian."

"It's nothing, no trouble at all." Hong Qianqian leaned back. "Didn't you go to the Xiang Jianzong this time to spar with Jiuyu? How did it turn out?"

"I lost."

"How long did it take her to beat you?"

"One sword."

"Huh?! That can't be right!"

Losing was normal, but losing in a single sword strike…

Unless Jiuyu was cheating!

"It really was one sword."