Little Sister

Before the Dharma Ending Era.

In the Mortal Realm, Xi is said to be a ferocious beast with four horns and four legs. Due to food shortages caused by heavy snowfall in winter, it often goes to nearby villages to find food.

Because of its enormous size, violent temper, and extreme ferocity, it brought great disaster to the villagers.

At the end of each lunar month, people would pack their clothes and help the elderly and children to seek refuge near nearby temples.

This is the origin of the legendary Lunar New Year's Eve.

In the Dharma Ending Era, the New Year's Eve in the Cultivation World also followed the trend and became the Exorcise the Wraith Night.

After all, nothing in this world brings greater disaster to mankind than the Wraith.

Cultivators have long lifespans and celebrate New Year's Eve only once every twelve years, making it much more lively than New Year's Eve in the Mortal Realm.

The custom of pasting couplets has long since disappeared in the Cultivation World, but the rituals of setting off lanterns, fireworks, and firecrackers are still preserved to this day as a form of combat against the Wraith.

On New Year's Eve.

Wraith Paper Kite made of low-level talismans floated above the Zongzhi Mountain Range, densely packed beneath the Mountain-Guarding Grand Array, blotting out the sun.

Especially the white eyes drawn on the Wraith Paper Kite, which vividly depicted a convex three-dimensional effect and arranged in a strange geometric pattern, like the kind of hallucinatory pictures that Xiao Ran saw in his previous life.

For example, the picture of you being a loli, you being a loli, you being a loli...

If you watch too much, you'll really think you're a loli, and there are Wraith in the sky.

Thousands upon thousands of terrifying white eyes hung in the sky above the mountains in broad daylight, frightening the novice disciples who had just begun their training so much that they dared not look up.

Even the Chunwa and Qiuchan are working harder than usual today to refine pills, and they resolutely refuse to step out of the Pill Chamber until the evening fireworks are set off.

Because everyone has been eagerly waiting for nightfall since noon, and the sky is filled with countless Wraith, it creates a lot of psychological pressure, making people feel that the night on New Year's Eve comes much later than usual.

On New Year's Eve, Xiao Ran decided to take a day off, stop worrying about leveling up and fulfilling his filial duties, and relax properly.

The fireworks at Sword-Wielding Mountain were made by Xiao Ran himself.

After all, he had plenty of experience being sprayed into the sky and set off like fireworks by his Master.

The fireworks he made were quite retro, the kind of handheld long sticks he used to play with as a child in his previous life.

However, it involves engraving Spirit Runes inside an iron pipe and filling it with special gunpowder, which allows for extremely precise control of the rate of fire and power, enabling continuous fire and accurate strikes.

Compared to the fixed single-shot homemade fireworks of Zongzhi Mountain, it is still relatively trendy.

Night finally fell.

The Zongzhi Mountain Range began to come alive, with Mountain Coiling Red Lanterns adorning each peak.

After Chuyan finished lighting the lanterns, Xiao Ran led his Master and disciples to set off fireworks on the Sword Plaza.

Using this firework tube, without using his own Spiritual Power, he lit all the Wraith Paper Kite in the Sword-Wielding Mountain area just a quarter of an hour after dark.

While the sky above other mountains is still just a spark, the Sword-Wielding Mountain is already a prairie fire.

The continuous flames illuminated the entire night sky, making Sword-Wielding Mountain as bright as day, a truly magnificent sight.

Lingzhou Yue wasn't interested in fireworks, but she was still very excited about the New Year.

The New Year means you can play cards all night long.

Although she could do this at any other time, others could do it during the Chinese New Year.

It's better to share happiness than to enjoy it alone.

By the light of the fire in the air, Lingzhou Yue sat cross-legged on the roots of a pine tree, drinking wine while fiddling with Bamboo Tile.

He would sometimes frown, sometimes nod, his solemn expression making it seem as if he were studying the future of the Cultivation World.

Xiao Ran leaned closer and asked with considerable pride:

"Master, what do you think of my archery skills?"

Lingzhou Yue didn't even look up, and casually replied:

"As expected of a disciple of my Sword-Wielding Mountain, your Fight the Wraith are always top-notch."

Is setting off fireworks to burn the Wraith the same as Fight the Wraith?

Xiao Ran thought about it and realized that it made sense theoretically.

But then Chuyan's sarcastic voice came from behind.

"If you keep shooting like that, even the Wraith will have your babies."

Xiao Ran:

"..."

Lingzhou Yue also raised her head and stared at Xiao Ran.

Thinking about Xiao Ran's actions in the past few days, I feel that I might really have an even harder time conceiving than Wraith.

Chuyan gave Xiao Ran a meaningful look, then took out a set of New Year Red Clothes and handed them to her Grandmaster.

"New Year, new look. This is a New Year's outfit that your disciple has specially prepared for your Grandmaster. May your Grandmaster achieve great success in this campaign against the Apostle, and may you always be victorious in the Fight the Wraith."

Lingzhou Yue glanced at it and saw that it was Red Clothes, and frowned slightly.

"Why is it Red Clothes?"

Chuyan felt a chill run down her spine.

"Doesn't Grandmaster like Red Clothes?"

Lingzhou Yue shook her head and said:

"No, that's not true. I rarely wear Red Clothes."

Chuyan breathed a slight sigh of relief and picked up the Red Clothes, holding it up to her small frame.

"Try it on. Grandmaster would look very beautiful in Red Clothes."

Lingzhou Yue's face was unusually calm, and the bright light of the heavenly fire, as bright as day, froze her beautiful face.

"I used to have a younger sister who would always wear Red Clothes and show them off to me, but then she died..."

Xiao Ran and Chuyan were speechless, trembling with fear, and looked at each other, unable to say a word.

Lingzhou Yue frowned slightly before adding, "Of course, these two things are not causally related."

Xiao Ran finally breathed a sigh of relief and spoke softly:

"Then why not try it on? It's a good way to remember the deceased."

"Someone come and help me change my clothes."

Xiao Ran gestured to Chuyan.

"Go ahead."

After all, he didn't want to go to heaven during the Chinese New Year.

Compared to Bing Bing, who occasionally utters terrifying lines, Xiao Ran still has more faith in the human being Chuyan.

A moment later, Xiao Ran turned around.

Master has already changed into Red Clothes.

The Red Clothes wasn't pure red, but rather a slightly darker shade, like the color of blood in the night, exuding a very strong aura.

Looser than a cheongsam, but tighter than a long robe, it fits well without being too tight, with an extremely ingenious design that accentuates the figure.

Red is often associated with arousing desire.

However, this red robe looked utterly devoid of any vulgarity on Lingzhou Yue; instead, it exuded an aura of power, preserving her dashing sword spirit while simultaneously highlighting a slightly dark and aloof presence.

It also carried a strange sense of superiority over all living beings, completely different from its usual lazy demeanor.

This elegant Red Clothes didn't appear erotic at all, but instead ignited Xiao Ran's desire to conquer.

Chuyan was also stunned. Her face flushed slightly, her eyes were wide with wonder, and she looked up as if she were looking up at another higher-level being.

"Wow, Grandmaster is so beautiful."

Xiao Ran's expression faltered slightly, and he echoed her sentiment.

"It is very beautiful."

Lingzhou Yue, unusually lacking her usual boldness and carefree attitude, appeared somewhat solemn.

"You all have such sweet words, but for some reason I always feel like you're praising my sister."

Xiao Ran asked, puzzled:

Are you two twins?

Lingzhou Yue thought for a moment before nodding.

"I guess so."

"Can twins still be considered twins?"

"She was more than ten years younger than me, and her figure wasn't like mine... She was also much prettier, but sadly she's gone to another world."

Is there anyone in this world more beautiful and with a better figure than Master? Impossible! Besides, shouldn't twins have similar figures and features? How can anyone be more beautiful? I never imagined Master would be so modest...

Xiao Ran showed no sadness and smiled, "Going to another world doesn't necessarily mean death; perhaps we'll meet again in the future."

Lingzhou Yue's sword-like eyes flickered.

"Are you cursing me?"

Xiao Ran shook his head and said without any concealment:

"Master may not believe it, but I have personally experienced this."

Lingzhou Yue frowned slightly, her sword-like eyes, reflecting the quiet firelight, staring directly at Xiao Ran.

"You mean... you're from another world?"

Xiao Ran smiled and said:

"Master, you don't actually think that a handsome man like me could be born in this Dharma Ending Era when Spiritual Energy is almost exhausted, do you?"

Lingzhou Yue gave Xiao Ran's waist a sneaky pinch, like an old married couple.

"Let's go, everyone to Hundred Herbs Peak."

Before Xiao Ran and Chuyan went up the mountain, Lingzhou Yue spent every New Year with her Master, Chunwa and Qiuchan, and others at Hundred Herbs Peak, and afterwards she would go to Chaos City and not return all night.

As night fell, the sky above Hundred Herbs Peak was still pitch black. No fireworks had started yet, only a few red lanterns hung sparsely in the Maple Forest.

Martial Aunt Yinyue was still refining medicine, and the two girls, Chunwa and Qiuchan, were too frightened to leave the Pill Chamber.

It wasn't until Xiao Ran and his two companions arrived and set off fireworks and lit up the Wraith Paper Kite at the edge of Hundred Herbs Peak to illuminate the entire mountain that the two girls cautiously stepped out of the Pill Chamber.

The two girls, though timid in appearance, were sharp-tongued. With their hands on their hips and bellies sticking out, they strode with an air of indifference.

"Sword-Wielding Mountain is so leisurely, while Hundred Herbs Peak has to refine medicine on New Year's Eve and can't relax for a moment."

"Junior Brother Xiao, these fireworks are quite interesting. Did you buy them in the Divine Martial Kingdom? Can we trade our alchemy furnace for them at a loss?"

Xiao Ran shook his head and pretended to hand the fireworks to the two girls.

"No need to change them. The fireworks are free for you. Precise control of the grip and Spiritual Power is the key to accurate strikes, just like alchemy."

The two girls' excited expressions suddenly turned sour.

"I suddenly don't want to play anymore..."

"By the way, Junior Brother Xiao said he would roast a bird tonight? He wouldn't lie to a child, would he?"

Lingzhou Yue nodded slightly, pondering for a while before she caught up with Chuyan's train of thought. She recalled Xiao Ran's misdeeds yesterday, and how she had managed to withstand the sword energy in time...

"That's true, it's time to bake it."

Before she could recover from her shock, her Senior Uncle emerged from the Pill Chamber, looking slightly tired, but still said gently, "Yue'er injured herself yesterday and hasn't fully recovered yet. Eating some Vermilion Bird meat will help her recover her health."

As he said this, True Person Yinyue handed Xiao Ran a few more pills.

"You too, you need to eat some divine beast meat to stabilize the barrier of your Divine Soul Pill."

There's no way around it, who can refuse a woman eating Single-Winged Bird during the New Year? Xiao Ran said, "Alright, tonight I'll treat everyone to the divine bird. Everyone gets a share, so no one should try to take it."

The two girls suddenly became excited and hurriedly said:

Where should we eat?

"Hundred Herbs Peak is a bit small..."

The two girls meant that the hot springs at Hundred Herbs Peak were too small.

True Person Yinyue said, "In previous years, there were not many people, and they all spent the New Year at Hundred Herbs Peak. This year there are many people, so let's go to Sword-Wielding Mountain instead."

"Good."

Sword-Wielding Mountain.

Hot Spring Cliff.

Peach blossoms are in full bloom, and mist is rising gently.

The flickering lights of fireworks in the nearby night sky and the swaying shadows of bonfires on the shore intertwined on the rippling water.

Lingzhou Yue, True Person Yinyue, and Chuyan leaned against the three sides of the hot spring pool, completely naked, and relaxed completely.

In Chunwa and Qiuchan splash and paddle in the water like doggy paddlers, vying with Warm Water Fish for fallen peach petals.

From afar, it presents a beautiful and fascinating picture of fairies bathing together.

Xiao Ran was roasting bird wings in the Sword Bamboo, about ten feet away.

He was roasting birds while drawing a picture of fairies bathing together.

Previously, the Single-Winged Bird saw that Xiao Ran insisted on roasting the bird for the sake of a woman. It was originally prepared to fight Xiao Ran, but when it saw the strange dark power in Xiao Ran Qi Sea, it was so frightened that it obediently tore off its single wing, thus avoiding the fate of being roasted whole.

It suddenly thought that wingless birds were pretty good too, like missiles, maybe even faster.

The Sword Bamboo is in dire need of reconstruction.

Previously, affected by Lingzhou Yue's sword energy, the Sword Bamboo was still in a state of half bamboo stems and half fallen, and the newly sprouted bamboo shoots had only just sprouted tips.

Xiao Ran simply placed a Sword Bamboo on top of the two bamboo stalks, lit a campfire underneath, and roasted a bird wing alone.

The bird wings, weighing over a hundred pounds, are enough for several people to eat.

After arranging the seasonings, Bing Bing was asked to watch the fire.

Xiao Ran took out his sketchbook and began to draw his favorite painting, the one of fairies bathing together, which he never tired of.

Once the Resonance Divine Sense is activated, even through the water mist, though it appears censored, there is no censorship in one's heart.

After a day of rest, Master looked much better, and his voluptuous figure regained its luster and rosy glow. However, Xiao Ran still preferred Master's appearance in Red Clothes earlier, which was both aloof and exciting, with the flickering light of the fireworks casting indescribable shadows.

After soaking in the hot spring for a while, Martial Aunt Yinyue's fatigue dissipated, and her body regained a radiance that rivaled that of a young person. Her dignified demeanor and classically proportioned figure complemented the flickering firelight, exuding elegance and charm.

Chuyan's small frame was frail, but her face was full of ambition. Even while soaking in a hot spring, she was still drawing and sketching in her sketchbook, repeatedly measuring her Grandmaster's size and aura with her fingers, wanting to design clothes that fit her better in person.

The Chunwa and Qiuchan are just there to fill in the blanks, and incidentally make the painting seem lively and playful, while reducing its eroticism.

Bing Bing, who was leisurely fanning the fire beside Xiao Ran, suddenly asked with a sigh:

"Do you ever feel like life is going too smoothly, as if you're living in a dream?"

Xiao Ran looked up at her.

The eyes reflected in the firelight looked more vivid and playful than those of his Master, Senior Uncle, or Chuyan, but in Xiao Ran's eyes, they were lifeless.

"Is it a dream like Paradise Tree Project?"

Bing Bing was somewhat surprised.

"You're also aware of Paradise Tree Project?"

"Your Divine Martial Kingdom doesn't treat me like an outsider either."

Xiao Ran complained, then asked in return:

Do you ever feel that way?

Bing Bing thought for a moment and calmly said, "I know I am a puppet, so of course I won't feel like I'm dreaming. To be honest, I haven't experienced any of these feelings. What I say might just be the effect of complex Spirit Runes. I clearly understand that I am not a real person, but how do you know that you are a real person?"

Goodness, you're a philosopher! Xiao Ran thought about it seriously.

Along the way, although every experience was thrilling, I managed to get through it all by luck. I was surrounded by beautiful women who treated me like family while I took a bath. It really felt like a dream.

Is it meaningful to discuss whether such a beautiful dream is real or illusory? Theoretically speaking, even in his past life, Xiao Ran could not prove that he was not living in someone else's mediocre dream, which is the same as the unfalsifiability of religion.

That's why Descartes said:

I think, therefore I am.

The only proof that you are still alive is your thoughts.

Enjoying the present and striving to create a better dream is what a man should do.

"Whether it's real or illusory, the act of living itself is a joy. I think the meaning of life has always been just one thing—don't die."

Bing Bing listened attentively, the flickering campfire not stirring any ripples in her calm eyes.

"Apostle's journey, don't die."

Chapter 209 Winner: Ancient Secret Technique_Hidden Yin Ju