The pair of small dragon horns emerged from the forehead, less than half a foot long, easily grasped in one hand.
Li Jingyu didn’t look at Ji Yutang’s expression, instead focusing intently on the adorable dragon horns.
Her fingertips slid from the forked top down until the horns completely disappeared, and she withdrew her hand, letting out a sigh filled with regret.
Stripped of her Immortal Sect cultivator identity, she became unrestrained, flamboyant, and dangerously alluring.
The dragon horns were extremely sensitive, sending a shiver up Ji Yutang’s spine, causing her entire body to tremble uncontrollably.
Coming back to her senses, her face flushed a deep red, she suddenly stepped back, glaring fiercely at Li Jingyu with her watery eyes, and quickly said, “You’re not Ran Guzhu! You, you are—Ran Gutong!” Who else could grow into such a form but Ran Guzhu’s fallen sister? No wonder she only used lunar and water techniques; it wasn’t that she didn’t want to reveal her fundamental Daoist arts, but she hadn’t visualized the Big Dipper at all! Her path was the “Way of the Moon,” and the Jewel of the Rising Tides was her Life-Bound Artifact! From the beginning of the True Dragon’s Legacy, she had been by her side? She was a Demon Sect cultivator, what was her purpose? Why didn’t Qin Ruoshui recognize her? With these questions floating in her mind, Ji Yutang looked at Li Jingyu with both caution and confusion, unable to understand her disguise’s purpose.
Ji Yutang was startled by Shen Zao’s words, completely unprepared for how far her senior sister had thought ahead.
“What nonsense are you spouting?” A clear, cold voice came, and it was Yan Shouxia who had quickly returned, looking at Shen Zao with indifference.
Shen Zao didn’t turn to look at her, just let out a light laugh, stretched lazily, and then walked straight ahead.
Yan Shouxia watched Shen Zao until her figure completely disappeared before withdrawing her gaze.
She turned to Ji Yutang and said helplessly, “Shen Zao loves to talk nonsense, don’t pay her any mind.”
Ji Yutang nodded seriously.
“It’s easy to fall into the demonic path from the mystical, but hard to return from the demonic to the mystical.” Yan Shouxia looked at Ji Yutang with a complex expression and said, “Instead of holding onto illusions, it’s better to cut them off directly.”
Ji Yutang’s eyelid twitched; she understood Yan Shouxia’s words.
Li Jingyu wasn’t someone who had just fallen into the demonic path; she grew up in the Demon Sect, her beliefs aligned with the demonic way.
Previously, when pondering over Li Jingyu’s matters, Ji Yutang couldn’t help but make excuses for her, even thinking she had the heart to enter the righteous path—but that was just one possibility among thousands, she couldn’t take it as truth.
The matter of the Demon God Stake was thus concluded, but due to Li Jingyu’s identity being exposed, it led to the issue of Ran Guzhu.
After all, she was the nominal “fiancée,” Ji Yutang endured the discomfort and followed Qin Ruoshui to search for clues.
Half a month later, they finally got some news; Ran Guzhu was no longer wandering around, she seemed to have become a prisoner of the Demon Sect.
“How can a disciple of our Taiyuan Palace fall into the hands of demonic cultivators?!” Qin Ruoshui said with a stern face, turning to Ji Yutang, “Daoist Friend Ji, I plan to search for Junior Sister Ran, will you accompany me?” This half month had already been her “kindness,” Ji Yutang shook her head and said, “I plan to return to Tianshui.” Seeing the surprise flash in Qin Ruoshui’s eyes, she explained, “Daoist Friend Qin, this matter is not only between the mystical and the demonic, but also concerns the Ran Family.”
Qin Ruoshui fell silent at her words, and after a while, said, “Alright, we’ll act separately.”
Tianshui City.
This place was a Fan City, but unlike ordinary cities, it housed many immortal cultivation families, such as the Ji Family and the Ran Family.
This made the place bustling and prosperous, as the people lived in peace and contentment.
After all, anyone you grabbed on the street could be an Immortal Sect cultivator, and Demon Sect disciples wouldn’t dare to cause trouble in Tianshui City.
The white deer carriage stopped at the city gate.
Ji Yutang lifted the curtain and stepped out, her feet touching the familiar ground, and an inexplicable feeling rose in her heart.
She took a deep breath and walked into the crowd.
The shops lined the streets, and the scattered buildings were like stars in the sky.
The cries of vendors rang in her ears, seemingly close yet infinitely distant.
A quarter of an hour later.
Ji Yutang arrived in front of a mansion, her gaze sweeping over two imposing stone lions before turning to the redwood door.
She took a step forward, her fingers touching the cold beast ring.
She had been away from home for nearly two years, vowing not to return unless she achieved the Dao.
Now that she had entered the Dao and cultivated the dragon body, would her parents approve of her path? Everyone said her Scattered Spirit Body was unworthy of the Heart of the Great Dao, and some even tried to carve out her heart for that “cultivation prodigy”—those people mocked her, scorned her, hated her.
If they knew she had returned, what would they do? The noisy and sharp voices swirled in her ears, Ji Yutang pressed her brow, the Dao book in her Mind Palace flipping, a clear light spreading through her body.
Ji Yutang exhaled deeply and whispered, “It’s all in the past.”
Just as she was about to push the door open, it creaked, and the door was pulled open from the inside, catching Ji Yutang off guard as she bumped into a very familiar face.
The person opposite was also delighted, momentarily forgetting what they were doing, and hurriedly shouted inside, “The young lady is back!”
“Uncle Ji—” Ji Yutang said helplessly, stepping over the threshold into the mansion, “I’ll go find mother myself.”
The Ji Family’s residence was located in the city, looking similar to other residences.
However, inside was a world of its own, a small realm opened with great power, with several spiritual veins planted, evolving into pure spiritual energy through a grand formation.
Upon entering, the rich spiritual energy surged like a tide, Ji Yutang’s meridians opened, the pure spiritual power circulated through her body, then dispersed.
Ji Yutang was long accustomed to absorbing and dispersing spiritual energy, her expression calm and composed, ignoring others’ gazes, she followed her memory to her mother’s courtyard.
Huaizhen Courtyard.
Ning Huaizhen was weaving a magical garment, spiritual power turning into threads passing through the radiant fabric, forming the embroidery of a white crane spreading its wings.
Suddenly feeling uneasy, the spiritual power thread veered, almost ruining the pattern.
Rubbing her brow, she put down the garment, just as she was about to get up, she heard the sudden voice of a maid outside the courtyard.
“Madam, the young lady is back!” Ning Huaizhen’s eyelid twitched, she hurriedly ran out, and only when Ji Yutang’s figure came into view did she breathe a sigh of relief, “You still remember to come back.”
Ji Yutang softly said, “Mother.”
Ning Huaizhen chuckled coldly, she reached out and tapped Ji Yutang’s brow, “You’ve really grown, as soon as you left, you discarded the communication artifact from home, you’re so bold? The Xuanxiang Pearl can make you a cultivator, but that also—” Ning Huaizhen scrutinized Ji Yutang, her voice abruptly stopping.
After a while, she pulled Ji Yutang into the house, sternly asking, “Foundation establishment? No, it’s not spiritual power, what method did you use?”
Ji Yutang lowered her head, pursed her lips, and softly said, “The path of strength.”
Ning Huaizhen was shocked at her words, looking at Ji Yutang in disbelief, “What did you say?”
“I cultivated the path of strength, the True Dragon Transformation Scripture.” Ji Yutang repeated, kneeling before Ning Huaizhen, continuing, “If I didn’t cultivate the path of strength, I couldn’t step onto the Dao path, even with the help of father and mother, it would only extend my life by a hundred years.
But after cultivating the path of strength, it’s different, even reaching the realm of heaven and man, being one with the world, that’s at least thousands of years later.” Sneaking a glance at Ning Huaizhen’s dazed expression, Ji Yutang added, “I just want to stay by father and mother’s side!”
Ning Huaizhen didn’t speak for a long time.
When Ji Yutang looked up, she saw her mother in tears, and her heart panicked.
She said anxiously, “Did I say something wrong?”
“No, you’re not wrong, it’s mother who’s wrong.” Ning Huaizhen reached out and embraced Ji Yutang, she had been injured during pregnancy, perhaps at that time, Xiao Tang’s roots were damaged, resulting in the Scattered Spirit Body.
Ji Yutang shook her head, “No, no one is wrong.” Not wanting to sadden her mother, she changed the topic, “I came back this time for something important, related to Uncle Ran.”
Ning Huaizhen: “Hmm?”
Facing her birth mother, Ji Yutang had nothing to hide, recounting her experiences during her training.
She looked at Ning Huaizhen seriously, “Mother, I met that sister from the Ran Family, and Ran Guzhu—she might be imprisoned.”
“How could that be?” Ning Huaizhen said in surprise, she knew about the Ran Family’s troubles.
At this moment, she couldn’t afford to be sad, pondering for a while, she said, “Not long ago, your Aunt Wang received a letter from Guzhu, inquiring about the whereabouts of the Three Light Divine Water.”
Upon hearing “Three Light Divine Water,” Ji Yutang immediately understood.
She said, “That must have been forged by Ran Gutong, Demon Sect cultivators are very skilled in this area.
Now the Three Light Divine Water has fallen into Ran Gutong’s hands.”
Ning Huaizhen said seriously, “We need to let the Ran Family know about this quickly.”
Ji Yutang responded, “Mother, there’s something else.
Since Ran Guzhu looks down on me, I don’t want to be with her either.
Let’s just call off the marriage with the Ran Family.”
Ning Huaizhen was taken aback, showing a troubled expression on her face.
“What do you mean call off the marriage?” A clear voice came into the room first, followed by Ji Mingcheng walking in with his hands behind his back.
He still maintained the appearance of his youth, with a high crown and broad belt, looking handsome and elegant.
Seeing both his father and mother there, Ji Yutang repeated, “I don’t want to marry Ran Guzhu.
I’ve thought it through.
She has her own path, and I have mine.”
Ji Mingcheng frowned at this and said slowly, “I’m afraid that’s not possible.”
Ji Yutang was puzzled, “Why? Is it because the Ran Family disagrees? If neither Ran Guzhu nor I want it, can’t we break it off?” Ji Mingcheng scratched his head and gave an awkward smile, “Before you were born, I and your uncle from the Ran Family made a vow in front of the Supreme Dao Ancestor.
The Supreme Dao Ancestor is the witness, and if we break the vow, we’ll both suffer backlash.”
Ji Yutang was speechless for a long time before she murmured, “Back then, we didn’t even know if it would be a boy or a girl, or if it would be one or two.”
Hearing Ji Yutang say this, Ning Huaizhen also got angry and immediately glared at Ji Mingcheng, dissatisfied, “Ran Jingri predicted ours would be a boy, and the Ran Family’s would be a girl, but what happened? None of it was accurate.”
Ji Mingcheng said, “The heavenly secrets changed, and we couldn’t control these variables.” He didn’t know that the heavenly secrets were obscured, and what he thought was a son turned out to be a daughter, while the Ran Family had twins.
But having made a vow in front of the Supreme Dao Ancestor, they had no choice but to accept it.
Seeing Ji Yutang’s incredulous face, he added, “Well, since you already know, let me explain it clearly today.
The Ran Family had twins, and originally it was set for the elder one, but for some reason, Junior Sister Li insisted on changing it.
Moreover, when she was five, something happened on Junior Sister Li’s side, and that girl fell into the demonic path, taken by the demonic cultivators of Huoxin Palace, leaving only the younger girl.
But who knew she would turn out like this.”
Ji Yutang was speechless again.
It was absurd and ridiculous.
The Supreme Dao Ancestor wasn’t in charge of marriages, so why make a vow in front of him for a union between two families? Does this mean her life is bound to Ran Guzhu? How could she accept this? After taking a deep breath, she said indifferently, “If Ran Guzhu unfortunately falls—”
Ji Mingcheng pondered for a moment and said, “That girl has strong luck. Maybe marrying her could even dispel your Scattered Spirit Body.”
