“…”

Though it was spoken in such gentle and calm tones, Jian Chou distinctly heard a kind of magnificent defiance against Heaven!

Her heart suddenly pounded like drums as she looked up.

The youth didn’t turn around.

Jian Chou didn’t know how long she had been silent. Feeling the blazing sunlight fall into her eyes, she blinked gently and smiled: “Then just morning birth.”

Just morning birth, no evening death.

“Just morning birth?”

The youth slowly turned around, looked at Jian Chou, and smiled.

He slowly sat down, then gazed at the red sun floating on that vast deep blue sea, his fingers resting on his knees, his voice ethereal: “That’s perfect. I still have no name—I’ll call myself Chaosheng then.”

Jian Chou was somewhat surprised and opened her mouth to say something.

Unexpectedly, that youth suddenly turned his head to look west, frowning.

Following his gaze, Jian Chou saw a deep blue radiance streaking across the distant sky, accompanied by a loud shout: “Jian Chou girl, Jian Chou girl!”

Jian Chou was immediately delighted, standing up at once and waving toward that radiance: “Master, your disciple is here!”

That blue radiance in mid-air paused. Fudao Shanren, standing behind the deep blue light, finally spotted Jian Chou and hurriedly changed direction to come over.

She had originally thought Fudao Shanren would surely be in danger in Qingfeng Nunnery. Given the situation at that time, though she had told Zhang Sui and the others not to worry, those were just words to comfort others and herself.

Now seeing him appear, still vigorously shouting her name, Jian Chou felt somewhat happy.

A smile immediately bloomed on her face. Jian Chou suddenly remembered that youth.

“This is the interesting person I mentioned…”

Her voice cut off abruptly.

By the water pool, there were only some mayflies fluttering their wings and flying about gently.

Their newly born bodies were illuminated by the scorching sunlight, like last night’s fireflies, with a faint glow, seemingly transparent. Their wings, smaller than grains of rice, were so delicate they cast no shadow.

The stones around the pool were all covered with moss, including the stone slab where Jian Chou had been standing.

But that youth was gone.

The moss on the stone slab showed not a trace of being pressed down, as if there was not just no one there now, but no one had ever been there.

That youth who had called himself a “mayfly” was like a dream of Jian Chou’s.

Now she had awakened, and the dream had scattered.

Jian Chou was slightly dazed.

She turned in place, looking around. The stone pool was still last night’s stone pool, with not a trace of anyone hiding.

So Jian Chou stood still, but her mind echoed with that youth’s soul-stirring words.

Perhaps he had left?

She looked down at that stone slab where someone had been standing, and just as she was about to turn around to speak with Fudao Shanren, her gaze suddenly paused, fixed on that stone slab.

This small stone pool on Dengtian Island should normally never attract attention. The Zhang-Long stone block lay slanted beside the water pool, with moss covering all its edges and corners, and countless dust particles in the middle.

Jian Chou slowly walked over and bent down.

She hesitated briefly, then reached out to brush away the somewhat moist soil from the middle of the stone slab.

Dust and dirt were slowly cleared away, revealing the originally hard stone surface beneath.

Line after line of deeply carved marks finally appeared.

Jian Chou stepped back several paces, taking in these marks with her eyes—it was a character.

—Chao.

Chao?

Beyond this, there was not another character.

Jian Chou was stunned.

This stone slab looked like a fallen stone tablet, though the bottom was incomplete, seemingly broken.

“Whoosh…”

Behind her came a sudden flurry of flying sand and stones.

“Ow, damn those idiots nearly got me killed, woo woo woo Shanren’s old back…”

With a “thud,” Fudao Shanren finally landed, putting away his dirty Wujian that now had a huge crack, and immediately began wailing.

Jian Chou hurriedly turned around to look.

Covered in blood, clothes tattered, his wrinkled face etched with vicissitude, looking utterly miserable—even more bedraggled than when they first met. Of course…

Jian Chou also saw that he was clutching tightly to his chest Da Bai’e, that grief-stricken and indignant great white goose.

When going to Qingfeng Nunnery before, Fudao Shanren had brought the goose, but later, when he grabbed Jian Chou to make up numbers, the goose had disappeared. At that time, Jian Chou had thought the great white goose that had accompanied her for so long was gone, but unexpectedly…

The corner of her mouth twitched slightly. Listening to Fudao Shanren’s exaggerated complaints, whatever sympathy she had was devoured by dogs.

“At such a critical time, Master, you were still carrying the goose!”

“Of course! This is my Da Bai’e!”

Fudao Shanren felt no shame, only pride. Seeming utterly exhausted, he stuck out his tongue and plopped down on the ground, finally letting out a long breath.

He petted Da Bai’e’s head again and again, the smooth feathers feeling quite nice in his palm.

“Comfortable, this is the comfortable life…”

Every time he petted, Da Bai’e trembled, flapping its wings in extreme dissatisfaction.

Unfortunately, Fudao Shanren didn’t feel his actions were excessive or constituted “goose abuse” at all. Completely satisfied, he said to Jian Chou, “What about you? I see you also have blood on you?”

Also have blood?

Jian Chou was still staring dazedly at Fudao Shanren’s appearance when she unexpectedly heard him mention her.

Looking down, she indeed had faint bloodstains on her body.

She remembered.

“It’s not mine, it’s… Junior Sister Xiaowan’s.”

“Something happened?”

Fudao Shanren immediately stopped petting the goose.

He frowned and looked up, examining Jian Chou, finally noticing that though her eyes sparkled with divine light, her expression wasn’t relaxed.

Fudao Shanren had long seen that those four people were only superficially united.

But in such urgent circumstances, even if the four had conflicts, they would endure them. Moreover, Jian Chou had no conflict of interest with them—even if they had gained something in the hidden realm and later developed grudges, it wouldn’t implicate Jian Chou.

When he had pulled Jian Chou along to make up numbers, first it was because she was just right for the situation, and second because Jian Chou’s danger was almost nonexistent.

But what was happening now?

Fudao Shanren waited for Jian Chou’s answer.

Jian Chou organized her thoughts and told Fudao Shanren everything that had happened since leaving the teleportation array in Qingfeng Nunnery’s mountain belly, incident by incident.

Fudao Shanren was fine at first, but later frowned tightly.

“You said the one pursuing Xu Lan’er was named Tao Zhang?”

“That’s the name.” Jian Chou recalled Xu Lan’er’s words and added, “Xu Lan’er said he was from Wuyi Sect.”

Regarding the sects in Shijiu Zhou, Jian Chou understood nothing, but Fudao Shanren was very clear. After thinking, he explained to Jian Chou: “Among the Left Three Thousand sects in the Central Domain, if I remember correctly, Wuyi Sect should rank in the top five, among the ‘Upper Five.’ For Xu Lan’er from the small Jianzhu Sect to dare attack a Wuyi Sect disciple—this time she got what she deserved.”

“Upper Five?”

Jian Chou began asking again.

“Fine, I originally didn’t want to tell you so much, but we’re almost at Shijiu Zhou, so you should know what you need to know.”

A chicken leg appeared in his hand, and Fudao Shanren bit into it, making most of the leg disappear.

Jian Chou watched speechlessly.

Fudao Shanren ate while talking: “Shijiu Zhou is divided into South, North, Central, and Extreme domains—Master has told you before. Simply put, the Central Domain is in the middle part of Shijiu Zhou. West of the Central Domain are vast mountains, rivers, and plains, with countless sects, large and small in scale, many or few. Because of their great quantity, they’ve always been called the ‘Left Three Thousand.’ The five most powerful sects are called the ‘Upper Five,’ the next tier varies by number—’Middle Fifty-six,’ sometimes ‘Middle Two Hundred Five,’ and the other small sects are all grouped into the ‘Small Three Thousand.'”

“I see. What about the Left Three Thousand Minor Assembly?”

Jian Chou suddenly asked.

Fudao Shanren was startled: “How do you know about this?”

“Junior Sister Xiaowan mentioned it.” At the mention of Nie Xiaowan, Jian Chou’s expression darkened somewhat. “She seemed to want to participate and asked if I would go. I didn’t know, so I didn’t answer.”

“Go, of course you must go!”

Fudao Shanren’s eyes widened enormously, immediately becoming imposing.

“I, Shanren, haven’t attended the Left Three Thousand Minor Assembly in ages. Let me tell you, this is a great event in our Central Domain. Countless sects from the Left Three Thousand select disciples to participate, and every session produces some brilliant talents! Your master here came out of the Left Three Thousand Minor Assembly!”

Jian Chou understood—it was somewhat like the various levels of imperial examinations in the mortal world.

But Shijiu Zhou must be much freer.

She immediately became curious: “So was Master first place at the Left Three Thousand Minor Assembly?”

“…”

Damn, this life was impossible to live!

Fudao Shanren gazed mournfully at Jian Chou, feeling an urge to roll this disciple into a ball and throw her into the sea to feed the fish.

He calmed his emotions for a long time before speaking to Jian Chou in a calm, earnest tone: “My child, fame and fortune are external things. How can you be so focused on rankings? Let me tell you…”

Oh.

Jian Chou looked up at Fudao Shanren.

This tone—she was too familiar with it.

Jian Chou pretended not to hear anything and said: “This disciple respectfully follows Master’s teachings. It seems Master must have been very formidable back then, overwhelming all rivals?”

“What’s that supposed to be?”

Being praised like this by Jian Chou, Fudao Shanren’s tail immediately stood up.

He suavely stroked his sparse beard on his chin, putting on the air of a master: “Each generation produces its talents. In three years, Master is counting on you to bring honor!”

“…”

Suddenly felt so much pressure.

But following this came a strange yearning.

What was it that Nie Xiaowan had anticipated so much?

She blinked: “Will Xu Lan’er go? Also, if Tao Zhang can seek revenge on Xu Lan’er and wants to gouge out her eyes, can this disciple do the same?”

“Cough cough cough!”

Fudao Shanren, who had just pulled out a chicken leg, nearly choked to death on a bone.

He looked up at Jian Chou in amazement: “Are you crazy? Do you want to avenge that Nie Xiaowan girl?”

“Not exactly… It’s just that I can’t swallow this anger.”

Jian Chou was just asking—what if?

“Tsk tsk.”

Fudao Shanren turned the chicken leg in his fingers, stepping out step by step, circling Jian Chou several times. Thinking of her question, the more he thought about it, the more he felt this disciple was truly good—he liked her!

“Master?”

Jian Chou didn’t know what exactly he was looking at and felt somewhat unsettled.

Fudao Shanren chuckled twice: “You, when you return to Yashan, just cultivate properly. Shijiu Zhou is a fine place—as long as your strength surpasses others, never mind revenge, even if you wanted to slaughter all of Shijiu Zhou, no one could do anything about it.”

Indeed.

Jian Chou recalled when Nie Xiaowan and Zhang Sui discussed whether to bring her along—she understood the rules.

They were universal.

She also smiled sweetly: “Then this disciple must rely on Master’s tutelage.”

“Don’t worry, my disciple won’t be lacking! Isn’t it just a small Jianzhu Sect? Master will take you to the level later!” Fudao Shanren arrogantly bit into his chicken leg. “I still remember you have a heartless husband, right? As long as he steps onto the path of cultivation, he’ll eventually reach Shijiu Zhou. We’ll flatten him too!”

Heartless man?

Hearing this, Jian Chou was startled, then laughed.

Her eyes curved with her smile. Thinking of that disciple of Hengxu Laoguai from Kunwu Mountain who achieved Foundation Establishment in ten days, waves surged in her heart.

Sea breeze brushed her face, and the sun already had a scorching taste.

Looking around, Jian Chou suddenly remembered it was getting late.

“Master, the teleportation array on this island has been destroyed by Xu Lan’er. How do we leave?”

“That’s simple.” Fudao Shanren didn’t care at all, walking directly to Jian Chou’s side and extending his hand. “Give me the broken bamboo stick.”

Jian Chou looked at him without speaking.

Fudao Shanren found this strange: “I told you to give me the broken bamboo…”

He suddenly shut his mouth.

Jian Chou’s lips curved into an extremely kind smile: “Master, isn’t this the Nine-Section Bamboo you painstakingly cut from the South Sea back then?”

She still remembered—in Qingfeng Nunnery’s mountain belly, when she called it a “broken bamboo stick,” Fudao Shanren had given her quite a lecture. And now…

Heh, interesting.

Fudao Shanren knew he had misspoken, his eyes rolling around looking in all directions, pretending nonchalance.

“Ah, the wind is so strong, I really can’t hear anything. I’d better go repair the teleportation array.”

He was crying inside.

Using the broken bamboo stick to draw arrays was simple, but using something else would make him spit blood. But now he absolutely would not ask Jian Chou for the broken bamboo stick… oh no, the Nine-Section Bamboo!

Fudao Shanren was determined to stick to his path to the bitter end, walking toward the teleportation array like a hero going to his death.

Jian Chou picked up the Nine-Section Bamboo and looked down—she didn’t even have the energy to roll her eyes.

She followed this unreliable master to the teleportation array to watch him bustle about, but suddenly several words popped into her mind.

Jian Chou suddenly asked: “Master, I have another question. What does ‘dao companion’ mean?”

“Crack.”

Fudao Shanren had just picked up a stone from the ground and was about to gesture with it to see if it could be used, when he immediately heard Jian Chou’s words.

His hand slipped, and the stone directly cracked crisply under his pressure.

Fudao Shanren looked up at her like he’d seen a ghost, as if trying to see a flower bloom on Jian Chou’s face.

“You, you you you… Don’t tell Master that someone wants to become a dao companion with you?”

Jian Chou couldn’t quite process this.

Fudao Shanren immediately began wailing: “Heaven! Earth! There’s no justice! I, Shanren, have been single for so many years! This isn’t fair!”