From the fighting platform to the study lodge, one has to pass through a grove of flowers—a distance that’s not particularly short.
Unlike the outside world, within the academy there’s no need to rush around on clouds or mist.
Besides, Ji Yutang isn’t truly at the Mortal Shedding stage and doesn’t want to reveal the Xuanxiang Pearl.
Ordinary students walk together along the bluestone paths, chatting and laughing in harmony—a scene that obviously doesn’t include Ji Yutang.
At this moment, she felt a bit uneasy because Li Jingyu was walking beside her.
She didn’t want to show any sign of weakness or discomfort in front of her “fiancée.”
After all, such timidity would only prove that her past words were correct.
But after witnessing Li Jingyu’s duel with Yan Shouxia, she had to admit that Li Jingyu was even more formidable than before.
She might need more time to catch up.
Sensing a faint fragrance approaching, Ji Yutang suddenly stopped.
She looked warily at Li Jingyu’s hand reaching over her head—but Li Jingyu didn’t halt her actions due to Ji Yutang’s resistance.
Instead, she gently plucked a bright green leaf.
Ji Yutang’s face flushed slightly.
She couldn’t help but swallow, and with a hint of vigilance and displeasure, she asked, “What are you doing?”
Meeting Ji Yutang’s gaze, Li Jingyu smiled gently, like a spring breeze brushing past.
“I thought there was something on you.”
She loosened her hand, letting the leaf fall lightly onto Ji Yutang’s sleeve.
She wasn’t lying; there was indeed something that had fallen, though the leaf was inconsequential.
Ji Yutang pressed her lips together, not particularly grateful for Li Jingyu’s “kindness.”
Instead, she gave her an inexplicable glare.
Perhaps feeling that the sudden pause was wasting time, she quickened her pace.
Her pale blue sleeves fluttered, leaving a bright, verdant streak in the air.
Li Jingyu’s eyes filled with even more amusement.
She caught up with Ji Yutang and proactively said, “Since there’s no need for the literary duel anymore, aren’t you happy?”
Ji Yutang glanced back at Li Jingyu, pursed her lips, and said, “There seems to be some discord between Senior Sister Yan and Senior Sister Shen. Why did Senior Sister Shen bring out the Heartless Conch? And why was Senior Sister Yan so resistant?”
Li Jingyu smiled.
“Why not just ask around?”
The “Heartless Conch” wasn’t a taboo topic at White Deer Academy, but few took the initiative to mention it.
However, after Ji Yutang displayed curiosity, some students recounted past events to enlighten her and added a word of caution: “Stay away from Senior Sister Shen.”
As for the reason, well, drunkards are always unreliable.
“The Heartless Conch was left by Senior Sister Yun Chixin. After she went astray in her cultivation and couldn’t return from the demonic path, the academy sent disciples to apprehend her. In the end, they couldn’t bear to harm her and spared her life. She left the conch with Senior Sister Shen, saying that if one day it produces sound, it would mean that ’emotion’ can exist in the world.”
When mentioning Yun Chixin, the student was full of regret, muttering, “Back then, Senior Sister Yun was such a prominent figure; who would’ve thought she’d fall into the demonic path.”
“Yun Chixin?”
Li Jingyu, who had been listening quietly, had a subtle change in her eyes upon hearing the name.
She masked the gleam in her gaze and asked, “She joined the Wangqing Sect?”
“Yes,” the student replied with a sigh.
“Although the Wangqing Sect is one of the Demonic Sects, its disciples were once our fellow Daoists. Junior Sister, while our paths may differ, one thing to remember is to hold true to your heart. Senior Sister Yun cultivated the path of ‘preserving heavenly principles and extinguishing human desires,’ but ultimately lost herself in it, leading to her downfall.”
Ji Yutang nodded in understanding.
After a pause, she asked, “Then why doesn’t Senior Sister Shen try to make the Heartless Conch sound herself? Why bring it up during a literary duel?”
The student laughed at her question.
“If she did that, she wouldn’t be Senior Sister Shen.”
His gaze shifted between Ji Yutang and Li Jingyu.
“Although you two haven’t officially become Dao companions, you come and go together. I’d say your feelings are deep. That’s likely what Senior Sister Shen is thinking.”
This was the most speechless moment for Ji Yutang so far.
“Deep feelings” between her and her “fiancée”?
What a colossal joke!
This person ran off with someone else on the eve of their wedding and only found other excuses to cover it up to save face.
Ji Yutang’s smile was forced and insincere.
Glancing at Li Jingyu, she saw her smiling shyly and gently, as if agreeing with the student’s words.
Ji Yutang’s expression stiffened, and she couldn’t help but silently curse Li Jingyu’s shamelessness!
After understanding Shen Zao’s intentions, Ji Yutang deliberately avoided this senior sister within the academy.
Who knew if she might find another excuse to make her try to sound the Heartless Conch?
However, perhaps she was overthinking it.
In several unavoidable encounters, Shen Zao didn’t say much.
Her usually drunken eyes reflected an unusual coldness.
She no longer mentioned the Heartless Conch.
Thinking about Yun Chixin, Ji Yutang couldn’t help but complain, “The demonic path is truly bothersome.”
After learning about this, she went to the library to consult relevant texts and discovered that the number of cultivators who had strayed from the Eight Great Immortal Sects wasn’t small.
No wonder the Wangqing Sect had become the fourth major Demonic Sect.
The Tianhai Demonic Sect’s evil nature was hard to eradicate—they had cannibalistic tendencies.
Huoxin Palace forcibly abducted people for dual cultivation.
The disciples of Qingtian Sect were extremely murderous, wiping out entire families over minor disagreements.
The Wangqing Sect seemed less active, but they advocated severing ties with loved ones to eliminate karma and perfect one’s own Dao, which didn’t seem normal at all.
“Most of those who fall into the Demonic Sects cultivate the ‘Path of Forgetting Emotions.’ If one doesn’t cultivate this path, is there still a risk of falling into the demonic way?”
Ji Yutang muttered, raising her voice slightly.
Only she and Li Jingyu were in the study lodge; even if she didn’t mention names, Li Jingyu would know she was talking to her.
Although she was eager to surpass Li Jingyu, seeking advice wasn’t shameful.
Ji Yutang secretly encouraged herself.
“There is,” Li Jingyu replied, smiling at Ji Yutang.
“Look at the three major Demonic Sects directly transmitted by the Demon Ancestor—do they sever emotions and desires? They indulge in them. ‘Demon’ is a thought rooted in the human heart. Not only can the path of forgetting emotions lead one astray, but even the ‘following one’s nature’ path among the Three Great Dao Veins can easily lose moderation and fall into demonic ways.”
Seeing Ji Yutang nod in half-understanding, Li Jingyu changed the topic.
“You obtained the Dragon Scripture in the True Dragon Relic Mansion, right? Dragons are known for their unchecked desires, and the method carries a baleful aura. If you lose self-control, you could be dominated by those desires and fall into the demonic path.”
Ji Yutang blushed slightly at these words.
What kind of talk was this?
Even if it were true, couldn’t she put it more tactfully?
After thinking for a moment, she asked, “Can this be suppressed by cultivating one’s true heart?”
Li Jingyu didn’t answer directly but said, “The Dragon Scripture is considered a path of force, but it has another drawback. As your cultivation grows, the burden you place on heaven and earth increases, eventually leading to assimilation with nature. Generally, those with ambition switch to the Qi Dao after practicing the Dragon Scripture for a while.”
Seeing Ji Yutang’s eyelid twitch and her expression worsen, Li Jingyu quickly added, “But your situation is different. Didn’t you previously comprehend the ‘Daode Heavenly Book’? It’s the fundamental scripture of Tai Shang. It can calm the mind and condense Qi, reducing the burden on heaven and earth.”
Previously, in urgent situations, Ji Yutang had used the techniques from the ‘Daode Heavenly Book,’ but after entering the academy, she had set it aside.
From Li Jingyu’s words, this was Tai Shang’s fundamental scripture.
Could she safely cultivate it even though she wasn’t a direct disciple of Tai Shang?
The ‘True Dragon Transformation Sutra’ was the inheritance she had received.
Seeing Ji Yutang remain silent, Li Jingyu’s eyes flickered.
She continued, “Could it be you’ve forgotten the contents of the Daoist scripture? If so, you can take it out and read it a few more times.”
Ji Yutang didn’t grasp Li Jingyu’s intention.
She glanced at her and said, “The ‘Daode Heavenly Book’ is at the Ji family. Before leaving home, I vowed not to return until I found the Great Dao.”
After hesitating, she added, “Don’t the Three Great Dao Veins mind if outsiders learn their fundamental scriptures?”
Li Jingyu chuckled dismissively.
“In the past, when the Tai Shang Dao Ancestor spread the Dao, it was to enlighten all beings. Anyone who can comprehend the Tai Shang scriptures is a disciple of Tai Shang. The so-called Eight Great Immortal Sects and Three Great Dao Palaces are divisions made by people today, not the original intent of the Dao Ancestor.”
If these words got out, the people from the Three Great Dao Palaces might be furious.
Ji Yutang stared blankly at Li Jingyu, finding it hard to believe that her “fiancée” would say such things.
How many sides did she have?
After hearing this, Ji Yutang felt somewhat relieved.
However, she didn’t plan to continue cultivating the ‘Daode Heavenly Book.’ Instead, she intended to keep visualizing the divine dragon, at least pushing her cultivation to the true Mortal Shedding stage rather than relying on the Xuanxiang Pearl.
“By the way, I wonder how that old Daoist is doing,” Ji Yutang suddenly said.
Having been at White Deer Academy for some time, she had been using the ‘Heaven-Commanding Noble Seal’ daily to refine the Blood Fiend True Seal, and with the suppression of her righteous energy, not much residual blood fiend remained on her body.
“Senior Yue said she had a way, so she probably does,” Li Jingyu replied nonchalantly, not paying much attention to Ye Guguang’s situation.
Given their current cultivation levels, there wasn’t much they could do anyway; better to wait for news.
A few days later, news suddenly came from Spring and Autumn Palace that Ye Guguang had been completely eradicated.
However, at the place of his demise, a mysterious poisonous gas had spread, requiring disciples to investigate.
Since White Deer Academy was nearby, the task naturally fell to its students.
Usually, sending a single palace master would suffice for such matters, but the academy wanted to provide training opportunities for its disciples, so they arranged for them to participate.
Ji Yutang and Li Jingyu, being guests rather than disciples of the Spring and Autumn Celestial Tower lineage, weren’t obliged to get involved.
Although Ji Yutang hadn’t reached the Mortal Shedding stage yet, she had a heart for upholding justice.
Moreover, Ye Guguang was considered an enemy.
She felt compelled to investigate the place where his ashes scattered—just in case he “rose from the ashes.”
