Morning in Northern Yan, Evening in Spirit Ruins

He gave each of the children and the woman a candied hawthorn skewer blessed by the Bai Ze Secret Art.

Once prosperity faded and one saw the essence of things, one would realize that everyone was striving to survive.

Jiang Ming had no intention of getting close to Nannan or building a relationship with her. She did not need his concern. She was merely waiting in the mortal world for her brother, and that person was not Jiang Ming.

Besides, Nannan's circumstances were special. He could not exactly keep her by his side, could he?

What if his fate affected the Ruthless Empress's transformation toward becoming a Red Dust Immortal?

Even if he could transform into Bai Ze and use its innate secret art to bestow the Light of Blessing, if they spent too long together, his current cultivation was not enough to suppress his fate while using the blessing secret art.

To suppress the influence brought by his fate, he would probably need to become a Saint at the very least.

Jiang Ming had deduced this himself based on the star ratings of the system rewards.

The Heavenly Tyrant Body and Seventy-Two Transformations were both four-star rewards.

This Calamitous Star fate, meanwhile, was a three-star reward.

Jiang Ming simply considered himself a kindhearted passerby who had done a small good deed.

He glanced at Nannan's shoes, her toes poking through them. They were no longer suitable for this season.

And there were the clothes on her body.

As well as this family.

"Help me take care of this child for one month. Buy her some new clothes and shoes, and buy each of these two children new clothes and shoes as well."

Jiang Ming took out a ten-tael piece of silver and deliberately let everyone around him see it. A violet-gold sword aura appeared at his fingertips, and the silver turned into ten neat pieces, each weighing one tael.

He then pinched the sharp edges and corners of the silver round until, in the end, they became ten silver beans.

He deliberately let those around him see it because he was worried that someone might become greedy and try to rob them.

His promise to return in a month served the same purpose: to intimidate others.

He figured Nannan would not stay with this family for long. Perhaps one day, she would suddenly fly away.

"If one day you find that Nannan has suddenly disappeared, don't worry. That means I took her away."

Jiang Ming reached out, intending to pat Nannan's head, but withdrew his hand and smiled at her.

The reason he did not buy the clothes himself was because he did not want the clothes he bought to bring misfortune to others.

Even if he remained transformed into Bai Ze and used Bai Ze's innate divine ability, the Light of Blessing, to grant these people good fortune.

Luck was intangible and elusive.

In Jiang Ming's memories, only Bai Ze was an auspicious beast capable of bringing good luck to people, and it possessed an innate divine ability in that regard.

Unfortunately, no matter how powerful or mysterious a divine ability was, it had its limits.

For example, according to the inherited memories, pure-blooded Bai Ze had become nearly impossible to find and had turned into legend.

After finishing all this, Jiang Ming deliberately pointed at the sky in the middle of the street. A spiritual sword blazing with scarlet radiance floated above his head and grew to two zhang long and one chi wide. The next moment, he leaped lightly onto the flying sword, waved at Nannan, and transformed into a scarlet rainbow that vanished before everyone's eyes.

At once, all those on the street who had harbored vile thoughts felt their limbs turn icy and chills crawl down their spines.

There were cultivators in this world, and in the eyes of ordinary people, they were immortals.

Without realizing it, many people dropped to their knees in shock and prayed toward the direction Jiang Ming had departed.

Traveling by sword, he covered more than ten li in an instant.

Outside Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven!

A scarlet glow appeared. Jiang Ming recalled his Life-Bound Sword, landed five li away from Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven, and walked the rest of the way.

"Two young brothers, please announce my arrival. Tell Elder Han Bugua that his close friend, Dharma Master Sanzang, has come to visit."

Jiang Ming carried a wooden box containing the beast-hide book as a gift. It could also be considered returning the item to its rightful owner.

From afar, one could see white mist curling around the mountain gate of Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven. It gathered without dispersing, ethereal and dreamlike, shrouding everything in hazy obscurity. A bluestone staircase of several hundred steps stretched straight upward, with exotic flowers and rare herbs on both sides breathing in and out the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, as though veiled in white gauze.

Climbing the steps, he felt as though he had entered the depths of clouds and mist upon reaching the mountaintop, arriving among the clouds in the sky. A huge blue stone stood ahead. This was the true entrance to Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven, engraved with two ancient azure characters: [Spirit Ruins].

The two disciples responsible for daily guard duty at the entrance of Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven had spotted Jiang Ming long ago.

Seeing his bright bald head, the faint Buddhist light behind it, and his solemn appearance in a blue Buddhist robe, they could tell at a glance that he was no ordinary person and did not dare neglect him. "Senior, please wait a moment. My junior brother will go report your arrival."

The other young cultivator in green hurried into the grotto-heaven to find Elder Han.

Within Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven, the Han elders formed a powerful faction, very much like a cultivation clan banding together for mutual support.

As long as a relative or member of their family possessed cultivation talent, they would be brought into Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven to cultivate.

For instance, Han Bugua and Han Yishui, who had died at Ye Fan's hands in the original story, had originally been relatives.

Very soon, Elder Han arrived at the mountain gate riding a dark green rainbow. His expression was far from pleasant. He had not expected this monk from the Western Desert to truly latch onto him and chase after him again.

He was almost dead, yet this fellow insisted on taking him to the Western Desert to become a monk, spouting nonsense about how he possessed wisdom roots. Elder Han did not believe a single word of it.

After parting from Jiang Ming last time, Elder Han had used a secret technique unique to him to leave marks on those Rogue Cultivators.

In the original story, even Ye Fan had been unable to escape Elder Han's tracking with that technique.

Thus, he had killed those three Rogue Cultivators.

After those people became wary of one another and split up, it had become easier for him to act. He had silenced every last one of them.

The matter of his finding the Nine-Leaf Phoenix Divine Herb could not be allowed to spread.

If he had not thought himself incapable of defeating Jiang Ming, he would have killed Jiang Ming long ago as well.

"Hahaha, Fellow Daoist Han, I said I would visit Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven. What, are you not welcoming me? Look, I even brought you a gift."

Jiang Ming laughed heartily and openly as he looked at Elder Han.

Elder Han also understood that one did not strike a smiling face, especially when he could not beat the owner of that smiling face. As for the gift, using an ordinary wooden box for a present? You really had nerve.

"Please come in."

No matter what, this was Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven, Elder Han's territory. Even if something happened, he could call for help. Surely this bald donkey Sanzang would not dare act recklessly here!

And so, Jiang Ming followed Elder Han into Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven. During the process, Jiang Ming handed the wooden box to Elder Han.

Elder Han accepted the wooden box, his heart stirring. He had originally left a mark on the beast-hide book.

Unfortunately, Jiang Ming had discovered his little trick long ago and casually erased it.

Now that his beast-hide book had returned after being lost, Elder Han was still quite pleased.

Although it only contained basic Dao patterns, they were sufficient for the Wheel of the Sea Secret Realm. Ever since acquiring the beast-hide book, Elder Han had studied it whenever he had time. The results, however, had been fairly ordinary. He had only barely comprehended three pages.

Jiang Ming's arrival also drew the attention of others in Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven.

"Brother, who is this?"

Han Yishui happened to be passing by and asked curiously.

He knew that his younger brother's lifespan was nearing its end and that he had recently been searching for spiritual medicine.

Why had he now brought this monk into Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven? As for monks, only cultivators from the Western Desert liked to shave their heads bald.

"Big Brother, this is a friend I met outside, Dharma Master Sanzang, from Mount Sumeru in the Western Desert."

"Dharma Master Sanzang, this is my elder brother, and also the Supreme Elder of our Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven."

When Elder Han saw his elder brother, envy unconsciously flashed through his eyes. If he could break through to the Divine Bridge Realm, he would gain another thirty years of lifespan.

His elder brother was clearly three years older than him, yet he was now full of vigor, rosy-faced, white-haired but youthful-looking. Meanwhile, Elder Han was gaunt and withered, looking like a vicious ghost.

To extend his life, he had cultivated some unorthodox methods. Even his originally azure magic power had turned dark green.

"Oh, an eminent monk from the Western Desert. My respects, my respects."

Han Yishui exclaimed in surprise as he truly examined Jiang Ming. Unfortunately, he could see nothing through him, only sensing vastness without end.

"Indeed. You two Fellow Daoists truly deserve to be brothers. Both of you possess wisdom roots. If you are willing, I can take you to cultivate at Mount Sumeru in the west."

Jiang Ming smiled while holding a flower between his fingers. A golden wheel of Buddhist light appeared behind him. His tone was sincere as he looked at the two Han elders, and the smile on his face could not be concealed.

Could Ye Fan not hurry up and arrive aboard the Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin?

Seeing Jiang Ming's appearance as an enlightened high monk, with such astonishing Dharma manifestation, Han Yishui's heart trembled. He resolved to befriend Jiang Ming, then return and carefully consult the ancient records to investigate the origins of Mount Sumeru.

Han Bugua was also somewhat bewildered. Could this kid truly have some terrifying background? Looking at his age and his sacred bearing enveloped in Buddhist light, even among those great sects, he would be an extraordinary figure at this age.

Moreover, he had never been able to see through Jiang Ming's cultivation. Jiang Ming was surely stronger than him.

Such a young Divine Bridge cultivator was already astonishing.

If Jiang Ming were an Other Shore cultivator, would he not be on par with the master of Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven?

The young prodigies of Yaoguang Sacred Land were probably only around this strong at his age, right?

The poorly informed Elder Han silently analyzed Jiang Ming's circumstances with his great wisdom and cleverness.

"Master, you are too courteous. My brother and I are too old and unsuitable for long journeys. We do not have the fortune to go to Mount Sumeru in the west."

Han Yishui immediately replied.

"That is rather unfortunate. This time, my sect used heaven-and-earth array patterns to teleport me from the Western Desert to the Eastern Wasteland for training. The first cultivator I encountered was Elder Han. The two of us are fated! Now that I have come to Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven to trouble you for a few days, I hope you will not mind the disturbance."

Jiang Ming smiled while holding a flower between his fingers and casually made up the story. In truth, he was simply here to become a familiar face, establish some karma, and make a few friends along the way.

"Master, you are too polite. Please stay as long as you wish."

Han Yishui immediately said politely.

"During the days I stay at your sect, your disciples may come ask me about cultivation. The two of you may also come find me for tea and discussions of the Dao."

Jiang Ming smiled calmly and made the promise lightly.

This was also a way of making his stance clear. He would not stay for free. He could help their disciples resolve cultivation difficulties, teach the Dao, impart knowledge, and answer doubts, presenting himself as an expert senior.

He was currently at the seventh level of the Qi Refining Stage, comparable to a Divine Bridge cultivator. His cultivation was roughly on par with Han Yishui's.

However, his discernment and realm far surpassed Han Yishui's. Giving a few pointers would be no problem at all.