You Really Look Good (Three-in-One)

February and March have passed again.

The year-end is approaching.

The heavy snow on the Nanju Twelve Mountains fell for three days and three nights, and showed no sign of stopping.

The old pines on the mountain were bent over by the weight of the snow. Occasionally, one or two withered branches could not bear the weight and snapped with a crack, startling a few crows huddled in tree hollows. They fluttered away and were swallowed up by the wind and snow in the blink of an eye.

Chen Lingxi then sat cross-legged on a flat blue stone inside the cave.

Outside the cave, it was a world of ice and snow, but inside, it was warm and cozy because of the faint spiritual light that naturally flowed around him.

Compared to a few months ago, his breathing had become much deeper and more profound.

His cultivation at the Ninth Floor of Qi Circulation had become completely stable.

Although he was just sitting there quietly, a dignified aura was silently flowing around him.

Golden arcs of electricity occasionally flashed in his eyes, leaping out from between his eyelashes, almost imperceptible unless one looked closely.

This is what he gained from studying the Thunder-Hiding Sword Canon the past few months.

In the past few months, apart from his daily, unwavering breathing exercises, Chen Lingxi devoted almost all his remaining time to comprehending the sword scripture and the Longevity Bridge Divine Ability.

In just a few months, he had perfectly mastered both the mysterious Longevity Bridge and the complex and profound Thunder-Hiding Sword Canon.

This is the extraordinary talent of someone with Spirit Aperture.

His current mastery of the Thunder-Hiding Sword Canon even surpasses that of Lu Baizhong, Longevity Bridge Divine Ability has reached the Subtle Insight Realm without even needing Mysterious Qi!

This was Chen Lingxi's harvest after several months of study, enough to surpass the research of many cultivators over several years.

At that moment, Chen Lingxi's gaze was fixed on the object in front of her.

On the rocky ground in front of him, many things were neatly arranged.

Of these items, two came from Xi Yuan, while the rest belonged entirely to Rong Chun.

Let's start with the many items that came from Rong Chun.

Eight or nine out of ten of them were Spirit Stone. Besides that, there were some rare and precious heavenly materials and earthly treasures containing Spiritual Qi, all sealed in jade boxes. The Spiritual Qi was relatively well preserved. There were also many pills.

Apart from that, there were only some small gadgets that weren't very useful.

Chen Lingxi displayed all of Consort Chun's belongings because she suspected that some of them might have been handled by the Great Ye Emperor.

"This is Consort Chun's background; it can hardly be described as profound."

Chen Lingxi looked at the pile of consumables and shook her head helplessly.

Consort Chun was of extraordinary status and cultivation, but her accumulated foundation was far inferior to that of Xi Yuan was also from the Eighth Floor.

Xi Yuanhong's bag didn't contain many items. Besides some spiritual treasures and array-setting materials, there were only two things that surprised Chen Lingxi the most.

Those two items were the [jade bottle] and [monastic robe] that were currently placed in front of Chen Lingxi.

Chen Lingxi's gaze fell on the jade bottle.

The bottle is only about three inches tall, and is entirely black, making it impossible to tell what kind of jade it is.

The bottle was undecorated, except for a few tiny tadpole-like characters engraved on its bottom. The characters were ancient and difficult to decipher. Chen Lingxi searched through all her memories of talismans but could not find any corresponding interpretations.

"This Black Jade Bottle is definitely a treasure."

When Chen Lingxi first obtained this item, he tried to inject a wisp of spiritual energy into it, but the spiritual energy disappeared into the bottle as if it had been thrown into the sea, without even causing a ripple.

Chen Lingxi felt that it was incredibly profound, like a vast deep sea, and no matter how much spiritual energy he poured in, it was never enough!

"It seems that even with my cultivation at the Ninth Floor of Qi Circulation, I am still insufficient to refine this Black Jade Bottle."

Chen Lingxi did not insist.

The path of cultivation emphasizes fate; if the time is not right, forcing it is useless.

He resealed the jade bottle with his spiritual light and carefully put it into his Hongdong Bag, intending to deal with it later.

Then there was the robe.

Chen Lingxi's gaze fell on the robe, which was so thin it was like a cicada's wing, almost transparent.

It felt almost weightless, like holding a wisp of morning mist in your hand.

But the moment he tried to put the robe on his shoulders, he suddenly felt himself sink down.

"Snort..."

Chen Lingxi couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.

He felt that the robe was extremely heavy, as if a mountain had fallen on his back out of thin air.

With Chen Lingxi's current Qi and Blood level at the Nine Revolutions, she could easily lift a boulder weighing ten thousand jin without changing her expression. However, this small robe caused her breath to catch in its pressure, and the bluestone ground beneath her feet could not withstand the weight and cracked with a cracking sound.

His spiritual energy surged and circulated in his Qi Sea, causing his Qi and Blood and qi to churn like a tide, which allowed him to stabilize himself and avoid collapsing to his knees on the spot.

"Good heavens." Chen Lingxi stood on the broken bluestone, feeling the terrifying weight on his shoulders that almost pressed him into the ground, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Immediately, that surprise turned into intense interest.

"This robe is also extremely precious..."

"Let me refine it first."

This treasure of such high quality is different from the Profound-Pointing Sword Furnace he obtained before; the magic array within it is profound and complex.

Even though Chen Lingxi possessed profound spiritual energy, it still took him more than ten days to explore the magic array and refine the treasures.

On the fourteenth day, he finally poured all his spiritual energy into the core of the magic array.

The instant the magic circle was fully activated, the immense weight that had been pressing down on him, almost making it impossible for him to straighten up, vanished without a trace.

The robes became as light as a feather again, and a very faint and soft blue halo appeared on the almost transparent fabric!

"It's been refined."

Chen Lingxi stood in the cave, looking down at the thin, almost invisible robe she was wearing.

With a slight thought, his Divine Sense entered the magic array inside the robe.

"The Myriad Marvel Robe can produce countless transformations."

The almost transparent gossamer-like garment began to sway subtly across his body!

In the blink of an eye, an extremely gorgeous black brocade robe suddenly appeared.

He found it amusing, and another thought crossed his mind.

In just a few breaths, it transformed into a suit of completely black armor.

He was having a great time, and in just over ten breaths, the robe changed into more than a dozen different shapes on his body.

"The robes are spotless, which makes things much more convenient."

He thought for a moment, then reached out and lightly flicked the robe.

A burst of Qi and Blood shot out and landed on the robe.

Instantly, a ripple of spiritual light appeared on the surface of his robe, spreading out and covering his entire body!

"That's what makes it truly extraordinary." Chen Lingxi his hands, a look of understanding and satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

"Transformation is merely a minor skill. The true efficacy of this robe lies in its profound array to neutralize external forces, especially the power of Qi and Blood attacks."

Wearing this garment is like having an invisible and intangible mountain standing before you.

Those martial arts masters who only cultivate Qi and Blood possess the power to shatter mountains and split rocks with every punch and kick. However, when they strike someone wearing this robe, the force is weakened layer by layer, and probably less than one or two tenths of the power can penetrate to the skin and flesh."

A slight smile involuntarily appeared on Chen Lingxi's lips.

"If I were to encounter Nine Revolutions martial artist now, I'm afraid that even if I stood still and let them attack me, they probably wouldn't be able to break through my defenses."

His eyes darted around, and he couldn't help but think of Xi Yuan.

"It seems that this prodigy of the Xi Family also has extraordinary fortuitous opportunity and luck."

"His acquisition of this jade bottle and robe is like Lin Suri's acquisition of the lamp, token, and jade sword; both found great fortuitous opportunity in this spiritually barren Qi-Less Grotto-Heaven."

Unfortunately, his cultivation level was insufficient, and he was unable to refine either of the two treasures.

"If he can truly refine these two things, then the outcome of our attempt to kill him in the Lin Suri Ancestral Mountain is uncertain."

This is the cruel reality of the cultivation world.

If fortuitous opportunity presents itself but one is not fortunate enough to enjoy it, what difference is there between having no fortuitous opportunity at all?

Xi Yuan obtained these two treasures, but because his cultivation level was insufficient to refine them, he could only seal them in a jade box and hide them in the deepest part of the Hongdong Bag, hoping day and night that he could break through to the next realm as soon as possible.

But before he could break through to the next realm, he died at the hands of Chen Lingxi and Lin Suri.

The treasures acquired with such painstaking effort ultimately served no purpose other than benefiting others.

Chen Lingxi suppressed these thoughts and turned her gaze back to Consort Chun's treasures.

"She was so favored in the palace, didn't the Great Ye Emperor bestow upon her any truly good things?" A hint of doubt flashed in Chen Lingxi's eyes.

"It's unlikely that she offered all the treasures she collected to that person in the palace?"

He stopped dwelling on the matter and first put all the heavenly materials and earthly treasures, elixirs, and Spirit Stone back into his Hongdong Bag.

His gaze fell on the last few items.

Some seemingly ordinary items that are not easy to dispose of casually.

Several pieces of jewelry, such as gold hairpins and jade bracelets, were extremely finely crafted. They were probably Rong Chun's everyday wear, and still retained a faint scent of ambergris from her body.

There is also a black iron token with the word "forbidden" engraved on the front and an extremely detailed map of the royal palace on the back.

He turned the token over and over, examining it carefully, his brows slightly raised. This was the pass Rong Chun used when moving around the palace; with this token, one could freely enter and exit the palace.

For Chen Lingxi, this thing itself wasn't of much use.

"But I wonder if this token was handled by the Great Ye Emperor?"

Chen Lingxi's thoughts flashed, and her consciousness returned to the Divine Chamber, sensing the many messages transmitted by the Wandering Sight Divine Ability.

"Sight-Roaming is also related to cultivation level, this time it shouldn't be as easy as binding with Lin Suri."

"The Sight-Roaming effect is also related to the cultivation level of the bound individual. When I bound myself to Lin Suri, Lin Suri was only at the Qi Circulation Fifth Floor..."

Chen Lingxi sensed the numerous messages transmitted through the Wandering Sight Divine Ability.

"Below the Qi Circulation Sixth Floor, all that's needed is a common person's birth date and time, and one item to handle." Chen Lingxi silently considered this in his mind. " To Upper Three Floors, which is the Seventh Floor to Ninth Floor, one needs one item to handle, a stream of pure spiritual Qi, and a drop of blood."

"And the Heavenward Third Floor, and even the Dao Foundation Realm... all seem to be the same, requiring an object to handle, and also a deeply entangled cause and effect."

He frowned.

He sensed that these messages became blurred at a higher level, as if covered by a thin veil, and no matter how intently he looked, he couldn't discern anything.

For example, Chen Lingxi currently has no idea how to bind with the Golden Core Realm cultivator, Sight-Roaming the Golden Core Realm realm.

But he didn't have time to think about any of that.

The Golden Core True Lord is too far away from him. Even if he could Sight-Roaming the Golden Core True Lord, how could he possibly steal the True Lord's fortuitous opportunity?

His thoughts then fell on the Upper Three Floors, under the condition of being bound to the Heavenward Third Floor.

"Spiritual energy and blood are already extremely difficult to find, but at least there are traces to follow. But what is this causal bond that binds us from birth?"

A deeply intertwined cause and effect...

These words echoed repeatedly in Chen Lingxi's Consciousness Sea.

I don't know how to interpret this.

He thought about it for a long time, but still couldn't find a way in.

Chen Lingxi suppressed these thoughts for the time being. "Let's first focus on the items handled by the Great Ye Emperor."

He stood up and gathered up the many things on the ground.

"It's highly likely that none of the jade bracelets belonging to Rong Chun were handled by the Great Ye Emperor... so we need to think of some more ways."

Chen Lingxi stepped out of the cave, her gaze falling to the west, piercing through layers of snow-covered mountains, and landing on a prefectural city— Lunan Prefecture.

He knew that there was someone in Lunan Prefecture who must possess items that the emperor had handled.

This person is Xi Ninghe, the current prefect of Lunan Prefecture.

This Prefect Xi, just a few years ago, was merely an ordinary local official. His subsequent promotion and assignment to the Lunan Prefecture as its prefecture lord was entirely due to one incident...

Presenting a treasure.

Chen Lingxi's eyes flashed, and without further delay, he silently activated the Cloud-Riding Technique. A wisp of pale blue cloud gathered beneath his feet, lifting him slowly into the air.

The wind and snow are fierce.

The heavy snow, like goose feathers, turned everything in the world into a pure white, obscuring the outlines of distant mountains and leaving only blurry silhouettes of nearby trees.

He stood atop that cloud, his robes fluttering, making him appear like a banished immortal.

The Myriad Marvel Robe emitted a faint, subtle spiritual light, repelling all the snowflakes that rushed towards it.

Head straight to Lunan Prefecture.

--

Lunan Prefecture was smaller than Yuan River Prefecture, but it was still relatively peaceful.

This prefecture is located at the confluence of two rivers, with convenient water transportation and a large number of merchants. Although it cannot compare with Yuan River Prefecture, it is still one of the most prosperous places outside the Capital Circuit.

It was winter, and the end of the year was approaching; the streets were bustling with people.

Chen Lingxi walked among the crowd, her blue-gray robes, transformed from her Movement Method, were completely inconspicuous.

From his appearance, he was just a tall, handsome young man. He entered Lunan Prefecture and found an inn to stay in temporarily.

Another day has passed.

This is the time for the shift to end.

At the end of the long street, in front of the government office, seven or eight sedan chairs were filed out.

The sedan chair was not particularly conspicuous; the curtains were worn, and the paint on the body was slightly mottled and old.

Seated in the sedan chair was a middle-aged man of about forty years old, with regular features, three long wisps of beard, wearing a scarlet official robe, a silver belt around his waist, and a black gauze hat on his head.

He sat upright in the sedan chair with his eyes closed, his back straight, his hands resting on his knees, his posture impeccable.

However, Chen Lingxi noticed the lingering worry between his brows, and the weariness and haggardness that were faintly revealed beneath his scarlet official robe.

This person is Xi Ninghe, the Lord of Lunan Prefecture.

Xi Ninghe has been in power in Lunan Prefecture for many years and has turned Lunan Prefecture into an impenetrable entity.

The people and officials alike in the city were completely convinced of the power of this prefect.

Furthermore, this place is far from conflict, commercially prosperous, and Xi Ninghe holds a high position...

What could have happened to cause such sorrow in this person?

Xi Ninghe returned to the mansion and arrived at the backyard.

The mansion wasn't very large, with three courtyards, white walls and black tiles, and two stone lions standing in front of the gate.

The backyard is much quieter than the front.

Xi Ninghe walked through a moon gate and arrived at a small courtyard deep in the backyard, then pushed open the door and entered the main house.

The room was furnished quite elegantly.

A rosewood carved canopy bed is the most eye-catching piece of furniture in the room, with a light blue curtain hanging above it.

A middle-aged woman sat by the bed, holding the person on the bed's hand and whispering something.

The woman looked to be no more than thirty-eight or thirty-nine years old. Her face was quite pretty, but the fine lines at the corners of her eyes and the few strands of white hair at her temples made her appear somewhat old.

A young woman, who looked no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, was lying on the bed.

She was extremely beautiful, like a jade figure carved from a single piece of white jade.

But her delicate face was completely bloodless.

She lay there with her eyes closed, her breathing long and even, as if she were asleep.

Xi Ninghe walked to the bedside, sat down on the edge of the bed, reached out and gently placed his hand on the woman's forehead, then looked down at her face. "Is my daughter still feeling better?"

The woman was the mistress of the manor. She shook her head, said nothing, but simply tightened her grip on her daughter's hand.

Xi Ninghe added, "I have already inquired about it. There is an old Daoist priest in Guanshan Prefecture who is most skilled at exorcising evil spirits and can cure this strange illness of fainting and unconsciousness."

I have already written a letter and sent it by fast horse. I should receive a reply within a month at most, or at least half a month.

Upon hearing this, the mistress of the manor's eyes welled up with tears.

She lowered her head and forced out a sentence: "Did it work? The Daoist priest we invited last time spent three whole days drawing talismans and performing rituals... Lan'er not only didn't get better, but she became even more delirious..."

Xi Ninghe took a deep breath, a hint of sorrow in his eyes.

He didn't answer, but turned around and looked out the window at the pitch-black night.

After a long silence, he slowly spoke, "Lan'er is currently unconscious, Yu'er has been missing for five years... Five years without any news... I never imagined that my Xi Family would suffer such a calamity."

He spoke these words in a desolate tone, like an ordinary father whose back had been bent by a series of disasters, no longer possessing the majesty he had when sitting in court during the day to judge cases and adjudicate sentences.

But upon hearing this, the lady of the manor suddenly raised her head and said, "No, she is not Yu'er, I know."

Xi Ninghe took a deep breath and ultimately said nothing more.

He stood up, glanced at his daughter again, and then turned and left the room.

In the master's study, files were piled up like mountains.

The official documents, petitions, and government slips from the government office were piled up extremely high.

After Xi Ninghe sat back down at his rosewood desk, he had no time to review the documents.

He spread out a new sheet of paper, picked up his pen, and began writing a letter again.

This letter was written to an old friend in Azure Splendor Prefecture. That person had mentioned in a previous letter that there was a reclusive master in Azure Splendor Prefecture who was skilled in traditional Chinese medicine and could cure all diseases.

In his letter, Xi Ninghe earnestly requested that his old friend to make an introduction.

After finishing this letter, he spread out another sheet of paper... and continued writing letters to other friends.

The night grew deeper.

There is no moon tonight, and even with lanterns in the courtyard, the light appears rather dim and yellowish.

Xi Ninghe wrote letters for far too long. One after another, until he himself lost count of how many he had written.

The letters were all very similar, pleading with friends, classmates, and former subordinates in various states for help, hoping that someone could recommend a truly skilled healer or sorcerer to exorcise evil spirits and cure his daughter's illness.

He sealed each letter carefully and wrote the recipient's name and address neatly on the envelope.

Another half hour passed.

Xi Ninghe has not had a proper rest for several months. During the day, he has to handle official business in the government office, and at night he has to write letters everywhere seeking medical help.

Even though he had practiced some martial arts in his youth and was more physically robust than the average civil official, he couldn't withstand such daily wear and tear.

He then lay down on the desk and fell asleep, his breathing gradually becoming steady.

The candles on the candlestick were almost burned out.

Just then, a biting cold wind blew past the door.

The few lanterns in the corridor, already dim, were all extinguished by the wind.

The wind rushed into the study, rustling the letters written on the table and extinguishing the last flicker of the candle on the candlestick.

The room was suddenly plunged into darkness.

Xi Ninghe was awakened by the gust of wind. He looked up and was about to reach for the tinderbox on the table to relight the lamp, but suddenly his movements froze.

A person was sitting on a guest chair in the room.

I don't know when that person came in.

The room was dimly lit, the candles had gone out, and only a few lanterns that had been relit outside the corridor let in a faint light through the paper windows.

The faint light was so dim that it only outlined a blurry silhouette on the person.

Judging from his height, he was a tall and slender man.

He sat upright in the guest chair, his face hidden in the shadows, not clearly visible, only a pair of eyes that gleamed faintly in the darkness.

After a moment of panic, Xi Ninghe's mind suddenly calmed down.

After all, he had served as a local official for over a decade, adjudicated countless cases, and seen a great deal of the world.

In this world, those who can sneak into the mansion of the lord of the mansion silently in the dead of night are either martial arts masters with extremely high cultivation or evil people with extraordinary means.

Regardless of the reason, shouting "Help!" would be futile at this moment...

Before the guards arrived, it would have been a matter of moments for this man to take his life.

So he sat upright behind his desk, motionless, and asked only, "Who comes here?"

His voice was steady, and there was little panic in his tone.

The figure sitting upright in the chair did not speak.

Xi Ninghe waited a moment, and seeing that he did not answer, asked again, "What does Your Excellency want from here?"

He paused briefly, his tone even carrying a hint of sincerity. "My Lunan is not as prosperous as those lands along the Nine Riverbank Provinces, and the Prefect's mansion cannot be described as piled high with gold and jade."

If your purpose is to seek wealth, although I am the head of the household, I am a poor official, and the wealth accumulated in my household is not much.

"I just wonder if it would be enough to satisfy your appetite?"

A few breaths passed.

The man sitting upright in the chair finally spoke, "Since I came to Lunan Prefecture, everyone, whether they are the people in the city or the villagers outside the city, has the utmost respect and love for Prefect Xi... Along my journey, in teahouses and taverns, everyone who speaks of Prefect Xi gives him a thumbs up and praises him as a good official."

Xi Ninghe remained silent, not uttering a word.

The mysterious man suddenly asked, "Lord Xi, where is Xi Yu?"

This question was so abrupt that Xi Ninghe was taken aback.

He had assumed that this person's late-night visit was either for money or to take his life, but he never expected that the first thing the person asked about was his daughter, who had been missing for five years.

He composed himself and replied, "There are still people who remember my daughter, Xi Yu..."

As he said this, his voice involuntarily lowered a few degrees. "Over the years, the Great Li has been in turmoil, with nineteen rebel kings each occupying their own territory. The imperial court and the rebel army fought back and forth, and countless strongmen and bandits took advantage of the chaos to rise up and become kings of the mountains."

My daughter was only fifteen or sixteen years old at the time. She had just gone to the mountains to play, but she never came back.

Five years have passed since then... He hasn't returned in five years; he must have been harmed by evil people, and his fate is likely grim."

As he finished speaking, he suddenly scrutinized the shadow in the darkness. "Who exactly are you?"

The man in the chair didn't answer, but simply nodded slightly, then changed the subject, "I've come to see the Lord of the Manor for something."

Xi Ninghe listened attentively.

The mysterious man said, "Many years ago, the prefect was not in Lunan, but was serving in Yuan River Prefecture."

At that time, the prefectural lord was rewarded for presenting the treasure, and the emperor issued an imperial edict, exceptionally promoting the prefectural lord to a higher rank and demoting him to the position of prefectural lord of Lunan Prefecture.

Such honors caused a sensation in the capital region.

"I have come here today to find the Lord of the Prefecture and to obtain that imperial edict."

Xi Ninghe's eyes flickered, but his expression remained unchanged.

He quickly calculated in his mind, then said calmly, "Your Excellency is unaware that there is an extremely strict 'return of Vermilion Brush System in the court."

All memorials, documents, and imperial edicts personally reviewed and approved by the emperor, with a few exceptions, must be returned for archiving afterward and kept in custody by the Directorate of Ceremonial.

That imperial edict... had already been confiscated and archived.

"If you are looking for an imperial edict, you should go to the capital, Non-Self humble Lunan Prefecture."

As Xi Ninghe finished speaking, a look of helplessness appeared in his tired eyes.

But the mysterious man suddenly shook his head, interrupting Xi Ninghe: "Although there Vermilion Brush System, it is not a one-size-fits-all situation."

Ordinary official documents, governing strategies, and imperial edicts must naturally be returned.

But the imperial edict in Lord Xi's hand was not like that. It was an edict of commendation, a decree personally praising Lord Xi for his "meritorious contribution in presenting the treasure."

These imperial edicts are a source of clan honor, heirlooms bestowed by the saint himself... How could such edicts be confiscated and archived?

Xi Ninghe's eyebrows twitched slightly.

It seems he is not now a reckless brute who is ignorant of court politics.

His last shred of hope vanished.

However, he was not a pedantic person. Since this person had come late at night and specifically asked for the imperial edict, he would not leave empty-handed.

Now he's sitting right here in this study. If I agree, it's just a useless thing in exchange for my life.

What if he doesn't agree? This person can silently pass through the mansion's many guards, and naturally, he can also silently take his head.

Xi Ninghe still had many unfinished business... Lan'er, who was still unconscious on the bed, was waiting for him to find a doctor and medicine, and Yu'er, who had been missing for five years, was probably still waiting for him to bring her back somewhere.

He cannot die here.

With these thoughts in mind, Xi Ninghe slowly stood up.

With a perfectly measured expression of respect, he gestured for him to enter.

"That imperial edict is enshrined in my Xi Family hall, in the East Hall. If you wish to see it, please follow me."

The mysterious man stood up and shook his head slightly at him.

As the man stood up, the dim light in the study fell upon him.

Using the dim light, Xi Ninghe was able to make out the outline of the person who had just arrived.

His height was similar to that of an average person, and he was shrouded in an indescribable aura.

But when Xi Ninghe focused his attention to try and see the person's face clearly, he was surprised to find that the person's face seemed to be covered by a faint cloud of mist. No matter how wide he opened his eyes, he could only see a blurry outline.

Just as he was filled with doubt and surprise, the man's figure vanished into thin air right before his eyes!

Then, a voice rang in his ears. "Since it's in the East Hall of the Ancestral Shrine, I'll go and fetch it myself. There's no need to trouble the Lord of the Prefecture."

Xi Ninghe felt a chill run down his spine.

He stood there, staring at the empty doorway and the pitch-black night outside, feeling a chill run from his feet to the top of his head.

He hurried out the door, stood on the veranda and looked around, but the courtyard was empty; there was no sign of the person anywhere.

Am I seeing a ghost?

A flash of inspiration struck Xi Ninghe.

He suddenly recalled the many inexplicable things that had just happened... the clouds that concealed faces, the figures that vanished into thin air, the magic of whispering in each other's ears...

These techniques are beyond the capabilities of ordinary martial artists.

This is clearly the legendary... divine technique?

A thought flashed through his mind, and he hurriedly ran out of the corridor, bowing repeatedly in all directions while loudly proclaiming, "Please wait, Your Excellency! I... no... Xi Ninghe, have a request to make!"

His voice carried far through the silent night, waking the servants and guards in the backyard.

The paper windows of several side rooms lit up one after another, and hurried footsteps approached.

But Xi Ninghe didn't care about any of that. He just kept bowing to all four directions, making several bows in a row.

But... there was no response.

A guard rushed over, knelt on one knee, and asked him what had happened.

Xi Ninghe waved his hand, signaling them to step back.

Then he suddenly came to his senses and hurriedly ran towards the direction of the ancestral shrine.

The guards, not understanding what was going on, had no choice but to carry their lanterns and follow behind.

The door to the ancestral East Hall was ajar.

Xi Ninghe pushed open the door and strode to the offering table.

There was originally a sandalwood box on the altar, lined with yellow silk and carved with a pattern of two dragons holding up the sun.

But at this moment, the offering table was completely empty.

The precious box that held the imperial edict, along with the edict itself, had vanished.

Xi Ninghe stared blankly at the empty offering table, remaining silent for a long time.

He didn't care about the imperial edict.

only...

"The immortals came here, but I didn't react in time, and I missed a fortuitous opportunity to ask them for help!"

--

The mysterious person was none other than Chen Lingxi.

At that moment, he was holding a bright yellow imperial edict in his hand.

The imperial edict contained a considerable amount of text, beginning with the Ministry of Rites document drafted by the Ministry of Rites: "By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees..."

Chen Lingxi, however, did not wish to look any further.

His gaze fell directly on the upper right corner of the imperial edict.

There are two small characters there first - "Zhi Yue".

And following those two small characters was a touch of vermilion.

It was written in large, bright red characters.

"Can!"

A single word, yet its power penetrates the paper.

This was personally approved by a sage.

"This is naturally something that the sage handled." Chen Lingxi smiled slightly as he put the imperial edict into his Hongdong Bag.

Having done all that, he intended to leave.

But as he rose on a cloud and swept across the sky above the backyard of the mansion, he suddenly frowned.

"Is there a very strange spiritual energy fluctuation in this backyard?"

He followed the ripples in his gaze.

The fluctuation came from a small courtyard deep in the backyard.

Chen Lingxi became curious, so she stopped using the Cloud-Riding Technique and her figure floated down into the courtyard like a falling leaf.

The two maids on night watch were dozing under the pillars of the corridor, completely unaware that there was another person in the courtyard.

He silently walked past them, pushed open the door, and went inside.

A calming incense burner was burning in the room, its smoke curling upwards and lingering.

The lady of the manor had probably been up for too long and was now asleep by the bedside.

She was still holding her daughter's hand in one hand.

Chen Lingxi glanced at her but did not disturb her. She quietly walked to the bedside and looked down at the unconscious woman on the bed.

"This is... Xi Lan?"

Chen Lingxi's expression shifted slightly.

Xi Lan.

Xi Yu's younger sister, who is three years younger than her.

When Chen Lingxi left Willow Street Alley in Yuan River Prefecture, the girl was still a toddler learning to speak.

Back then, she always wore two little pigtails and could barely walk steadily. She always liked to tug at her sister's clothes and follow behind Chen Lingxi bottom, but she never made a fuss. She just stared quietly with her big, dark eyes.

Many years have passed since we last met, and she has blossomed into a beautiful young woman.

"Is she... unconscious?"

Chen Lingxi raised an eyebrow slightly.

Upon closer inspection, her delicate face was completely devoid of color.

Her breathing was not rapid, but rather extremely long and even, with an unusually slow rhythm of her chest rising and falling.

Chen Lingxi thought for a moment, and finally, spiritual energy flowed in his eyes. He silently began to operate the method of Qi Observation.

In an instant, Xi Lan's body was no longer an ordinary flesh and blood body in his sight.

Then... Chen Lingxi couldn't help but let out a soft "Eh."

"That's strange..."

He could clearly see that a mysterious spiritual energy was slowly flowing through Xi Lan's meridians.

The light shimmered with a bluish-green hue, like an extremely fine and gentle stream, flowing silently through her eight extraordinary meridians.

As the energy flowed through each acupoint, wisps of extremely subtle spiritual light emanated from that source, seeping into her surrounding flesh, bones, and meridians.

The essence, energy, and spirit that originally belonged to Xi Lan were gradually extracted by this spiritual energy, flowing along her meridians into the spiritual energy itself, where it was devoured, refined, and ultimately transformed into a part of itself.

"This spiritual energy is consuming Xi Lan's essence and spirit to strengthen itself, while simultaneously and continuously transforming Xi Lan's body."

Chen Lingxi narrowed his eyes slightly, seeing more clearly than ever before under the enhancement of the True-Intent Mysteries.

He could see that the meridians that had been modified by the spiritual energy were much wider than those of ordinary people, and the bones also faintly shimmered with a very light and soft jade-like luster.

"Lingji and Xi Lan are like twins, sharing joys and sorrows, and helping each other... Xi Lan nourishes Lingji, and Lingji transforms her Root Bone, gradually transforming her from a mortal into a physique more suitable for cultivation."

"Is this the mysterious cultivation physique mentioned in the Six-Qi True Method?"

He was surprised, and after a moment of contemplation, he roughly understood the reason for Xi Lan's coma.

"The reason she is unconscious is not because she has been weakened by having too much of her vital energy consumed."

On the contrary, it's because her body is being transformed by this spiritual energy, and the transformation process is too intense. If she were awake, she wouldn't be able to withstand such an impact, which is why she fainted."

"This inspiration is truly extraordinary," Chen Lingxi thought to herself in admiration.

However, this spiritual inspiration had already become completely intertwined with Xi Lan's life; their fates were intertwined, one prospering and the other suffering.

If anyone tries to forcibly extract this spiritual energy from Xi Lan's body, the energy will lose its host and wither and dissipate in an instant.

And Xi Lan, having lost this vital life-sustaining force, would perish on the spot.

"What a pity," Chen Lingxi shook her head slightly.

He had intended to leave then.

But just as he was about to turn around, his gaze inadvertently swept over Xi Lan's arm again.

Then he saw it.

Under the vision of the Qi Observation Method, besides the spiritual energy that was transforming her body, there was something else in Xi Lan's already weak meridians.

It was an extremely fine thread of Spiritual Qi.

The silk thread was as thin as a spider's silk, grayish-white in color, almost blending into Xi Lan's still faint and insignificant aura.

If one does not look closely, the thick spiritual light emanating from that azure-green spiritual energy will completely obscure it.

The silk thread wrapped around Xi Lan's wrist, extending outwards and silently disappearing into the night.

Chen Lingxi followed its direction, her gaze piercing through layers of rooftops and courtyard walls, landing on another location outside the mansion...

That was a magnificent mansion in the west of Lunan Prefecture.

The thread then disappeared deep into the courtyard, never to be found again.

"Are they other Truth-Seeking Realm, coveting this Xi Lan...?"

Chen Lingxi's eyes flickered slightly.

Just then, he heard hurried footsteps coming from the corridor.

The footsteps were heavy and hurried, interspersed with a few deliberately suppressed gasps.

He withdrew his gaze, silently took two steps back, and retreated into the shadow of the screen beside the bed.

The door was pushed open.

Xi Ninghe strode in.

He was still wearing the same casual robe he had been wearing, only the front was open a bit, probably because he had run too fast.

At that moment, as soon as he pushed open the door, he saw a second person in the room.

It was a young, unfamiliar man, tall and straight, standing in the shadows of the screen.

The face remains blurry and indistinct.

Xi Ninghe abruptly stopped in his tracks, his pupils shrinking slightly. "An immortal... an immortal..."

But then a hint of wariness flashed in his eyes.

His daughter was unconscious, and a mysterious and unpredictable immortal was standing at her bedside...

"Could it be that Lan'er is unconscious...?"

He had his doubts, but he quickly suppressed them.

The lord of the manor took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and then... bowed deeply to the ground towards the young man.

"Immortal... please save me..."

But before he could finish speaking, Chen Lingxi suddenly moved.

Chen Lingxi raised his right hand, his index and middle fingers joined together like a sword.

A glimmer of light appeared at her fingertips, its color a bluish-green, appearing like a miniature star in the dimly lit room.

He gently touched Xi Lan's brow with those two fingers.

A stream of extremely pure spiritual energy slowly flowed from his fingertips into Xi Lan's body.

The wisp of spiritual energy traveled down from Xi Lan's brow, through her meridians, and straight into her Dantian!

The Dantian had already been transformed by that azure spiritual energy for several months, and now, with the help of Chen Lingxi of pure spiritual energy, it was like a parched land suddenly receiving sweet rain.

Then, under Xi Ninghe's astonished gaze, Xi Lan's long, butterfly-like eyelashes suddenly trembled slightly.

The tremor was extremely subtle, but Xi Ninghe, with his eyes glued to his daughter's face, couldn't possibly miss it.

His breathing suddenly became rapid, and his hands involuntarily clenched the hem of his official robe.

Then, Xi Lan slowly opened her eyes.

Xi Lan's eyes were extremely gentle, with a hint of confusion and bewilderment, like a fawn just awakened from hibernation, looking around at the world with a dazed expression.

Xi Lan was indeed very confused.

She didn't know how long she had been unconscious; she only felt that she had a very, very long dream...

In her dream, she seemed to have entered a magnificent Great World, and her mind was filled with many special and wondrous memories...

Xi Lan blinked, and her hazy eyes gradually regained focus.

First, she saw her father's tear-streaked face, and then, with a sudden inspiration, through a lingering haze, she clearly saw the person standing in front of the bed.

He was an extremely handsome young man, tall and slender with a straight back, dressed in a long gray-blue robe, and exuding a calm and composed demeanor.

What she couldn't take her eyes off were those eyes.

In those deep, icy eyes, faint, fine golden lightning flickered and swirled within them.

Xi Lan had never seen anyone like this before, and she just stared at them in a daze.

Then, for some reason, Xi Lan blurted out...

"You... you're so beautiful."

The next instant, Xi Lan seemed to realize what she had said, and her face suddenly turned bright red.

P. S. (This section is free): 10,000-word update. I don't have time to break it down into chapters today; I have to go to the hospital.

There's been a bit of a problem with my updates lately because my grandmother has been hospitalized with a lung infection and may need to be on a portable ventilator for the rest of her life... I've been taking care of her these past few days, so updates have been a little irregular. I'll try to adjust as needed.

Seeing the elderly suffer... my feelings are just... indescribable.

Finally, I've created a 60,000-word outline for this book, and I absolutely will not abandon it. Anyone who questions me in the comments section can take a screenshot. Although this book's performance has been mediocre, I want to use it to redeem myself.