Beast Immortals Are Never Slaves

The next morning.

Green light filled the sea of clouds, morning glow painted the sky, and the vast sword plaza was bathed in thin mist and dawn light.

Everything was as it had been yesterday.

The pitch-black immortal ship was moored at the floating port, appearing as if it were drifting in the sea of clouds beyond the cliff.

The layout of the sword plaza suddenly felt much more expansive because of it.

My journey is the vast sea of the Immortal Court...

This was the grand vision Lu Ya had painted for Muyu and Feifei.

Muyu and Feifei lay on the deck.

Sprawled out in a large "big" character shape.

Last night.

The two young girls were first summoned by Lu Ya to chop bamboo to build the port, and later summoned by Ning Zhongzi to chop bamboo to build bamboo huts.

Exhausted from their excitement after half the night, they lay on the deck of the immortal ship and compared notes, feeling that something was wrong.

They had thought they'd picked up a flute-playing servant, but instead, they felt like "a big shot has arrived, and our status in the sect has dropped by one," inexplicably being ordered to do this and that, effectively becoming the servants themselves.

"Feifei, we can't go on like this."

"Once, we were the kings of the jungle, but now we are enslaved by these damned humans!"

"Awoo~"

"How can we become stronger?"

"What exactly is a ship girl?"

"Can we really become stronger?"

At this moment, the philosophy that "beast immortals shall never be slaves" was beginning to sprout in their hearts.

By the bamboo forest.

Ning Zhongzi had been busy for half the night and finally finished building Lu Ya's sleeping quarters.

Building a house was a trivial matter for an immortal, something that could be done with a wave of the hand.

However, because it was Lu Ya's sleeping quarters, Ning Zhongzi was exceptionally meticulous.

She built Lu Ya's quarters in the middle of the boundary between the sword plaza and the bamboo forest.

With the sound of bamboo waves at its back and facing the sea of clouds.

The structure of the bamboo hut was identical to Liu Xuanye's sleeping quarters.

The first floor was the living room, bedroom, and library.

The second floor was the meditation pavilion.

This wasn't to save on design fees, but rather because there was a profound concept behind it.

According to the scenario she envisioned—

One night, Lu Ya would be so dizzy from soaking in the hot spring that he would walk into Liu Xuanye's room, mistaking it for his own, and in his dazed state, the two would spark a romance.

Otherwise, with one being aloof and the other a slacker, no matter how fated they were, they would remain nothing more than a superficial couple.

After finishing everything, Ning Zhongzi wiped the sweat from her snowy neck and walked to the edge of the stone cliff of the sword plaza.

She sighed softly.

In her view, the total annihilation of the Black Lotus was just the beginning.

The Bamboo Spring Sect might offend the powerful White Lotus Sect because of this.

More and stronger rogue immortal organizations would also set their sights on this land because of this incident.

Besides that, the Bamboo Spring Sect still had to face the Immortal Court's investigation into the sect leader, the decline of the sect's educational cause, the sparse population of the Floating Mountain, and many other problems.

If there was no improvement within the year, the Bamboo Spring Sect would very likely have its sect status revoked by the Immortal Court.

As long as the restriction within the sect leader's body remained, the Bamboo Spring Sect would ultimately not be tolerated by the Heavenly Dao.

Would Lu Ya be the one to change the Bamboo Spring Sect?

Even a fool could see the aura of "wellness and longevity" in his words and actions.

Did he really care about the Bamboo Spring Sect?

Even if he did, did he have the ability to stand against the world?

Ning Zhongzi looked up at the morning glow filling the sky.

Amidst the dense morning clouds, golden light suddenly radiated, like boiling molten steel splashing out, crowding the sun as it slowly rose from the mountains!

The clouds in the sky turned layer by layer, piece by piece, from dark red to dazzling golden yellow, intensifying until, in the blink of an eye, the entire world was dyed red.

As the sun emerged, the distant Floating Mountain faintly appeared in the azure sky.

Standing at the edge of the cliff, Ning Zhongzi saw, for the first time in five hundred years, a new beginning for the Bamboo Spring Sect.

It was unclear when it happened.

Liu Xuanye had already appeared at Ning Zhongzi's side.

Her azure robes were as thin as cicada wings and as sharp as sword-bamboo; every ripple seemed carved by gods or ghosts. Her brows were like light ink washes, slanting into her temples, and her clear eyes shimmered like starlit lakes.

Her usual solemn, aloof expression held a hint of tenderness and languor, noticeably more than the night before.

Ning Zhongzi swept her divine sense over her and was slightly taken aback.

"You have recovered faster this time than before."

Liu Xuanye restrained her Immortal Sect spiritual pressure, saying nothing of the tribulation she had endured the previous night, only stating:

"Do not do such pointless things again, Senior Sister."

"I hope there will not be a next time."

Ning Zhongzi knew she was referring to blocking the sword last night. Recalling how she had blocked an empty strike, she felt exceptionally awkward, and the topic naturally shifted to the man who had caused her to intercept that empty blade.

"What is your take on Senior Brother Lu?"

"I cannot see through him yet."

Liu Xuanye was blunt, then added:

"But he bears no malice."

Ning Zhongzi nodded.

"His behavior and mannerisms are those of a young man; it does not seem feigned. Yet he is truly too strong; his cultivation is likely that of an Immortal Venerable... I do not quite believe in the concept of destiny. Perhaps he is merely the avatar of an expert, encountering a bottleneck while leveling up, and is now living among mortals to comprehend his Dao heart."

Liu Xuanye tilted her head slightly, staring directly at the rising sun.

"Perhaps this is part of destiny."

Ning Zhongzi did not want to take destiny for granted.

She wanted to actively bridge the gap between the two, turning the legendary destiny into an inevitability.

"Since your body has recovered, if there are no mishaps from the Immortal Court, Senior Brother Lu's immortal registry paperwork should be completed today. You can hold the sealing ceremony for your partnership tomorrow."

"Mm."

"It is rare to encounter such a suitable man. You two should engage in dual cultivation as soon as possible. Firstly, it can suppress the restrictions within your body, and secondly, you can borrow his strength to transcend your tribulation and ascend the Immortal Sect."

Although she was already in the Immortal Sect, but...

Dual cultivation could also be used to borrow strength for tribulation?

Liu Xuanye suddenly grew interested, her vermilion lips curling into a lazy, crescent-moon smile.

"How does one dual cultivate?"

Ning Zhongzi rolled her eyes at her.

"You are already three thousand years old; do you still not understand this?"

"Senior Sister never taught me, so how could I know?"

Throughout Liu Xuanye's growth, Ning Zhongzi had played many roles: savior, mother, senior sister, physician, and sect steward.

In front of Ning Zhongzi, she was indeed still a child.

Straightening the lapels of her robe, Ning Zhongzi's expression turned solemn and grave.

"Dual cultivation, as the name implies, means two people synchronizing their spiritual power and practicing in close proximity."

"Practicing in close proximity..."

Liu Xuanye's sword-like brows furrowed slightly, and she could not help but recall the scene of facing the tribulation with Lu Ya face-to-face last night.

Could it be that she had already dual cultivated with him last night?

Can one even transcend a tribulation through dual cultivation?

Liu Xuanye's thoughts wandered aimlessly.

Ning Zhongzi, acting like someone with experience, began to instruct her earnestly.

"Although immortals consider a virgin body to be perfect, if one speaks of the Heavenly Dao, the fusion of spiritual power is the natural way of the Dao. Dual cultivation is a common human affair; you need not feel ashamed."

"Has Senior Sister ever dual cultivated with anyone?"

A flicker of panic flashed through Ning Zhongzi's eyes, but she quickly steadied herself.

Liu Xuanye was not an obedient junior sister, especially when it came to her penchant for mischief. If she could not maintain the dignity of an elder, the Bamboo Spring Sect would have closed its doors long ago under her watch.

Thinking this, she feigned composure.

"Of course. The Immortal Realm is like this nowadays; men and women practicing together—dual cultivation, triple cultivation, group cultivation... these are all common occurrences. There is no need to make a fuss."

No sooner had the words left her lips—

A leisurely male voice drifted in, catching Ning Zhongzi off guard from the side.

"Senior Sister Ning is quite a person with a story of her own."

Looking at Ning Zhongzi, Lu Ya, now dressed in azure robes, remarked with profound meaning.

There is a story...

Ning Zhongzi's bright eyes stalled, her elegant face a mess of confusion.

Too embarrassed to speak, she had no choice but to circulate her immortal power to forcefully suppress her blushing.

Just then—

Two shrill cries echoed from the horizon.

The three of them looked up to see two massive Immortal Falcon soaring in from the east.

Two figures stood sharply upon the backs of the birds.

Ning Zhongzi let out a secret sigh of relief and hurriedly said:

"The Immortal Court deacons have arrived."