Master, if you can understand it, why can't I? (Please follow!)

"Meow!"

A moment later, the orange cat sauntered out of the palace and came before Jiang Chuan and Jing Hui.

"Follow me."

A smile appeared at the corner of Jiang Chuan's mouth.

This mission was complete!

Jiang Chuan and Jing Hui immediately followed the orange cat into the palace.

The palace hall was floored with Nanhai agarwood, filling the air with a pleasant fragrance.

A purple gourd carved with the two flamboyant characters "One Qi" floated in midair.

The purple gourd stood half a man tall, like a mass of purple divine radiance condensed into form. It gleamed with brilliance and was encircled by auspicious light.

A vast, majestic aura spread from the gourd, as though it were not a gourd at all, but an ancient colossal beast on the verge of awakening.

A slightly illusory tabby cat crouched atop the purple gourd, looking down at Jiang Chuan and Jing Hui.

"An Artifact Spirit?"

Jiang Chuan had not expected Ancestor Ziyun to be the Artifact Spirit of a Dao Artifact.

"That made sense. If he were not the Artifact Spirit of a Dao Artifact, Ancestor Ziyun probably could not have lived a thousand years longer than that elder."

After all, even a Seventh Realm cultivator only had a lifespan of three thousand years.

And the Seventh Realm was already occupied by cultivators second only to the heads of the great factions in the Qingyuan Realm.

As for the Eighth Realm—

If Ancestor Ziyun truly possessed the Eighth Realm, then no matter how foolish the Bodhi Temple elder was, he would not dare offend such an expert.

"I already know why you have come."

Ancestor Ziyun's crisp voice rang through the palace.

"Amitabha. This humble monk is Jiang Chuan. I ask Ancestor to make things convenient for us."

Jiang Chuan pressed his palms together. "Once the people of the Nine Abyss Dynasty leave in a few months, this humble monk will immediately tear it down and restore Stone Lotus Ridge to its original state."

"Little monk, you are far more pleasing to my eye than the elders in your temple."

Ancestor Ziyun swayed his tail, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Very well. I will not make things difficult for you two. Tomorrow, bring the Mountain Moving Warriors to Stone Lotus Ridge and build the palace."

"But there is no need to tear it down. Once the Nine Abyss Dynasty leaves, let my juniors live there."

Jing Hui's eyes widened, finding it hard to believe.

Before entering the palace, he had guessed that Elder Ziyun would agree to their request, but he had not expected him to agree so readily.

"This humble monk will certainly build this palace properly and give these cat friends a comfortable home," Jiang Chuan said respectfully.

"Compared to you, the elders of Bodhi Temple are each more deserving of a beating than the last."

As Ancestor Ziyun spoke, he licked his paw.

Jiang Chuan heartily agreed.

He also wanted to give that old bastard Elder Jing Zhen a savage beating!

"Ancestor, when you beat up those elders, could you tell this humble monk in advance? This humble monk wants to go watch the excitement."

It could not be helped. The descendants of Yan and Huang loved watching a spectacle in their bones.

Jing Hui added, "Ancestor, I want to go watch the excitement too."

"Hahaha!"

Ancestor Ziyun burst into laughter. "Interesting! You two little monks are truly interesting. This is the first time I have seen Bodhi Temple disciples wanting to watch their own elders get beaten. I nearly thought you were undercover agents from the demonic path."

Jiang Chuan: "."

Jing Hui: "."

We just liked watching a spectacle!

Could you stop talking nonsense?

"Fine. The next time I beat up Bodhi Temple elders, I will definitely call you two over to watch." Ancestor Ziyun agreed at once.

Next time?

So the old man was a repeat offender?

Jiang Chuan's expression turned somewhat strange.

"However, you two little monks are too weak. You could easily be caught up in the aftershocks of our clash."

As Ancestor Ziyun spoke, the stopper of the purple gourd popped open.

Two streams of purple light, one thick and one thin, surged out of the gourd and flew toward Jiang Chuan and Jing Hui.

"This is pill essence refined by this ancestor from Taiyin moonlight and the essences of a thousand spiritual herbs. It can nourish and strengthen the soul and nourish the body. I bestow it upon you."

The instant the purple pill essence entered his body, Jiang Chuan immediately circulated his cultivation to refine it.

The thick stream of pill essence rose from Jiang Chuan's body like beacon smoke, charging toward his mind.

The human body had three dantians: upper, middle, and lower.

In Daoist scriptures, the upper dantian was called the Sea of Consciousness. It was where the soul resided, located between the eyebrows.

Boom!

The purple pill essence flooded into his Sea of Consciousness like exploding heavenly thunder.

For the first time, Jiang Chuan's originally pitch-black Sea of Consciousness had light.

Jiang Chuan's transparent soul opened its mouth and inhaled, swallowing the purple pill essence like a great whale drawing in water.

As the purple pill essence entered his mouth, Jiang Chuan's soul continuously solidified.

After one-third of the pill essence had been absorbed, Jiang Chuan's soul completely solidified, transforming into a three-inch-tall silver Yin Spirit.

The silver Yin Spirit seemed carved from divine gold, glittering brilliantly as it illuminated the dark Sea of Consciousness.

"I broke through!"

Jiang Chuan was overjoyed.

Upon reaching the Third Realm: Soul Refining, the soul became a Yin Spirit. Not only would one develop Divine Sense, one could also leave the body and roam at night.

However, the Yin Spirit was exceedingly fragile. Forget spells and divine abilities—

Even sunlight could scorch it, or even destroy it.

Invisible Divine Sense poured from Jiang Chuan's Sea of Consciousness.

At that moment, Jiang Chuan felt the world before his eyes transform.

The entire world seemed wrapped in countless ribbons, with dazzling, multicolored radiance everywhere.

Jiang Chuan knew very well that those brilliant lights were the various forms of vitality between heaven and earth.

Taiyin Vital Energy, Great Sun Vitality, Star Vitality, Five Elements Vitality.

Jiang Chuan then thanked Ancestor Ziyun. "Thank you, Ancestor, for helping me break through to the Third Realm."

Jing Hui looked at Jiang Chuan with both envy and astonishment.

Just half a month ago, Jiang Chuan had only been at the Peak of First Realm. Now, he had broken through to the Third Realm.

Calling such cultivation speed unprecedented in the world would not be an exaggeration!

"Tai Shan once said: sow good causes, reap good fruits."

A look of reminiscence surfaced in Ancestor Ziyun's eyes, and his expression dimmed as well.

"I am tired. You may leave."

Jiang Chuan and Jing Hui exchanged a glance, then took their leave.

As they left Stone Lotus Ridge, Jing Hui asked, "Junior Brother, I always feel that Ancestor Ziyun's final words were somewhat strange."

Jiang Chuan sighed softly. "Senior Brother."

"Mm."

"Some things—you will understand once you grow up."

Jing Hui nodded as if he understood, then suddenly came to his senses.

"That's not right! Junior Brother, you are a few months younger than me. If you can understand it, why can't I?"

Jiang Chuan: "."

What was he supposed to say?

Should he directly say that Jiang had lived two lives, and counting the time spent in simulations, he had more than enough seniority to be his father?

After leaving Stone Lotus Ridge, Jiang Chuan and Jing Hui went to the Heavenly Works Institute to find its elder and arrange for the Mountain Moving Warriors to build a palace on Stone Lotus Ridge.

After handling everything, Jiang Chuan and Jing Hui returned to the loft.

"According to the Heavenly Works Institute, the palace will be finished in a month. Then we can exchange the reward and comprehend the Dao Stele. I wonder what kind of Great Dao is recorded on it?"

Filled with curiosity about the Dao Stele, Jiang Chuan returned to the loft. Without even eating dinner, he went straight back to his room and began the simulation.

Ding! Simulation begins. Matching a Love Simulation Target for the host at random.

Ding! Match successful.

This simulation's matched love interest is Que Jinling of the Fire Sparrow Clan.