The Young Master Is Her Fortune and Her Fate

Two days later.

Just as Bai Ruxue had said, the Daoist priest showed up at their door again.

Xiao Mo looked at the priest. The mere fact that the other party was standing there gave off an air of otherworldly detachment.

Even though she was incredibly beautiful, you still couldn't harbor any impure thoughts towards her.

It was as if you subconsciously felt there was an insurmountable gulf between yourself and her.

Upon seeing the Daoist priest, Bai Ruxue quickly hid behind Xiao Mo.

It was as if she was worried the priest would abduct her.

"This humble Daoist, Fuchen, greets you, young master," Fuchen said, performing a ritual bow.

"This humble scholar, Xiao Mo, greets the immortal maiden," Xiao Mo replied, returning the bow.

"May I ask if this young lady is...?" Fuchen inquired.

"A friend," Xiao Mo answered.

Fuchen nodded and looked at Bai Ruxue, who was hiding behind Xiao Mo. "Has the young lady considered my offer?"

Bai Ruxue timidly peeked her head out from behind Xiao Mo, her small hands tightly gripping the hem of his clothes. "I-I don't want to cultivate immortality! I don't want to go with you!"

Fuchen looked at Xiao Mo.

Xiao Mo also felt a bit helpless. "I tried to persuade Ruxue yesterday, but she absolutely refused to leave."

Fuchen calmly looked at Bai Ruxue and nodded. "This humble Daoist understands. It seems our destined connection has not yet arrived."

Fuchen took out a jade pendant from her robes. "If Miss Ruxue changes her mind, she may bring this jade pendant to Tian Xuan Sect and find me at any time."

Bai Ruxue looked at Xiao Mo, and he nodded.

Only then did Bai Ruxue cautiously reach out and accept the jade pendant.

"Then this humble Daoist shall take her leave. I apologize for the disturbance."

"I'll escort you out of the village, immortal maiden,"

Just as Fuchen was about to leave, Xiao Mo said.

Fuchen turned around, looking directly into Xiao Mo's eyes, and then nodded. "Then I shall trouble you, young master."

"Please."

Xiao Mo asked Bai Ruxue to watch the house and then walked Fuchen towards the outskirts of the village.

"Does the young master wish to ask this humble Daoist something?"

After the two had walked some distance, Fuchen asked the man beside her.

When Xiao Mo had offered to escort her earlier, Fuchen had guessed that he had something he wanted to ask her, something that wasn't convenient to discuss in front of Bai Ruxue.

"As expected, I can't hide anything from the immortal maiden. I do have some questions, and I wonder if the immortal maiden could enlighten me."

"Please, speak freely, young master."

"I wish to inquire about the matter of a snake transforming into a dragon."

Fuchen's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "So the young master already knows."

"How could I not know?"

Xiao Mo smiled and shook his head.

"When I was young, I saved a small white snake. Three years later, a little girl in a white dress found me. She had no fixed abode and would disappear every winter. Moreover, at first, her transformation wasn't very skillful, and she even revealed her snake tail a few times. Perhaps only she herself was kept in the dark. However, since she doesn't speak of it, I won't ask."

"The young master is not afraid?"

"She has never harmed anyone, so what is there for me to fear?"

"Good," Fuchen said, looking at Xiao Mo with approval. "The young master has a Dao heart, but unfortunately, you lack the root bone and cannot cultivate the Dao."

"Everyone has their own way of living. If I cannot cultivate the Dao, then I shall be an ordinary person," Xiao Mo said with a smile. "I presume the immortal maiden came for Ruxue, correct?"

"Precisely."

Fuchen did not hide anything.

"At that time, this humble Daoist passed by this village and sensed a faint trace of Yao energy from a courtyard. However, that Yao energy was as pure as the radiance of the sun and moon. This indicated that she had never harmed anyone and was merely cultivating by borrowing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. This humble Daoist, driven by curiosity, came to investigate and saw that the young lady in the young master's courtyard had excellent root bones and extraordinary talent, which inspired me to take her as a disciple. I had concealed this before, and I hope the young master will forgive me."

"The immortal maiden is too kind," Xiao Mo's expression held a hint of melancholy. "Actually, she shouldn't be here. I was the one who confined her."

Fuchen smiled. "Whether human or Yao, everyone has their own destiny. Since she wishes to stay by the young master's side, it means that for her, the young master is her 'Dao.' How can it be called confinement?"

Xiao Mo pondered.

The whisk continued, "To answer the young master's question, a snake's transformation into a dragon is indeed not easy.

First, the snake transforms into a python. This is the most basic stage. It needs to avoid natural predators, including human hunters, find suitable spiritual lands, resist diseases and disasters, and most importantly—overcome the instincts and laziness of a low-level creature and persevere in cultivation.

She originally had a tribulation, but was saved by the young master, and now she has transformed into a white python.

She has passed this trial."

"After that is the transformation from python to boa. Besides avoiding the capture by mortals, it also requires dealing with the capture by cultivators.

This humble Taoist priest observes that Miss Ru Xue has an ancestral resemblance and the potential to transform into a dragon, making her more likely to be targeted by cultivators. Young master, please be sure to tell Miss Bai to be careful."

Xiao Mo nodded. "This humble one understands."

The whisk continued, "After transforming into a boa, it's the transformation into a flood dragon. This is the most critical part for the snake race.

Transforming into a flood dragon is called 'walking the dragon'.

This usually happens during periods of torrential rain, mountain floods, and raging rivers.

The snake race will use the immense power of the floodwaters to rush downstream towards the sea. This process is extremely dangerous, requiring them to break through or bypass natural obstacles in the riverbed, such as giant rocks and mountains.

There are also man-made obstacles, such as 'dragon-slaying swords' hanging under bridge arches or bridge piers carved with talismans, dams, and dragon-locking chains.

During the 'walking the dragon' phase, there will inevitably be fierce winds, heavy rain, lightning, and thunder.

Lightning will strike fiercely at the snake race advancing in the flood channel, and many snakes will be shattered into pieces during the lightning tribulation."

"Finally, there is the transformation into a dragon.

After the snake race enters the sea, they are called 'submerged dragons'. At this point, they can cultivate wholeheartedly.

After cultivating to a certain level, nine extremely yang golden lightning bolts will descend.

Failure means the body and soul perish, scattering into nothingness. Success means transforming into a true dragon."

"..." Listening to the whisk's words, Xiao Mo's brows furrowed.

"This humble Taoist priest knows what the young master is worried about."

As they walked out of the village entrance, the whisk stopped and turned to look at Xiao Mo.

"The young master is worried that the transformation into a dragon is so dangerous, and fears that she will be delayed by being by his side. He thinks it would be better for her to come up the mountain with me, where she would have protection.

Perhaps the young master even thought while in the courtyard that even if Miss Ru Xue doesn't come up the mountain with me this time, he can slowly persuade her later to change her mind."

"." Xiao Mo remained silent.

Silence meant default.

The whisk shook its head:

"Young master, in this world, everyone has their own destiny.

The young master believes that if she comes up the mountain with me, she will have a better chance in the future when she transforms into a dragon.

The young master believes he will only hinder her great path.

But is that truly the case?"

The whisk raised its head. Although it was daytime, its eyes seemed to flicker with stars and the cosmos, as if deducing heavenly secrets.

"Who says that struggling in the mortal world is worse than cultivating in purity on the mountain?

Even though the young master is a mortal, who says he will do less than us cultivators?"

Xiao Mo looked up. "Does the immortal mean?"

The whisk retracted its gaze, and its star-filled eyes gradually returned to normal black pupils.

The woman smiled as she looked at the man before her:

"Just follow your heart."

"The young master is her fortune."

"And also her fate."