The face had remarkably fine features.
Bright, clear almond-shaped eyes with slightly upturned corners, radiant and charming when she smiled.
Xu Ning didn’t know her, yet there was a strange sense of familiarity.
Seeing that he didn’t respond, the young woman strode over to stand before him in just a few steps.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Immortal Shen sent me to find you.”
Xu Ning noticed the white jade token at her waist.
It was indeed a disciple token of the Taiwei Immortal Sect.
Xu Ning caught a familiar scent of magnolia and instinctively stepped back, offering her a bow.
“Might I ask who you are?”
“Shen Yi.”
The young woman smiled at him cheerfully.
“I’m Immortal Shen’s junior disciple. By seniority, you may call me Junior Senior Sister.”
Xu Ning was silent for a moment.
“Junior Senior Sister?”
A senior sister was a senior sister—how could the word “junior” be added to it?
Was it because she was petite in stature?
But as a cultivator, how could one be judged by appearance…
Shen Yi stepped closer, and only then did Xu Ning notice she was indeed small in stature, looking up at him with an air of righteous confidence.
That demeanor did suit the title of “Junior Senior Sister” rather well.
Shen Yi, unaware of Xu Ning’s thoughts, crossed her arms with great pride.
“My master instructed me to accompany you through the guest elder assessment. Come with me.”
With that, she turned to leave—but received no response from the person behind her.
When she looked back, Xu Ning was still standing in place.
People continuously passed by the pair, each one sizing up the strange duo.
Shen Yi furrowed her brow.
“What are you doing? Come on, follow me.”
Xu Ning looked at her with a calm expression.
“I’ve been living at Zhaoyue Cliff for some time now, and I’ve never once heard Immortal Shen mention a Junior Senior Sister.”
The smile on Shen Yi’s face froze for a moment before quickly returning to normal.
She waved her hand with an air of seasoned authority.
“That’s perfectly normal. I cultivate far away most of the year and only returned to the sect today.”
Xu Ning still didn’t move.
“Then Immortal Shen was right here moments ago—why didn’t she tell me directly?”
Shen Yi frowned.
“Didn’t she say someone would come to find you?”
That was true…
Xu Ning couldn’t help but study her again.
“She said it would be a Dao Protector.”
Shen Yi raised her hand and patted her own chest with a crisp thump.
She declared triumphantly, “So that’s exactly what I am.”
Xu Ning’s mouth twitched.
The young woman before him looked young, with a hint of spoiled petulance in her features.
And she dared to call herself a Dao Protector?
He harbored no contempt whatsoever, but asked cautiously, “May I ask what cultivation stage you’ve reached?”
Shen Yi blinked.
“Complete Qi Refinement.”
Xu Ning’s brow twitched slightly.
Then she added, “I just reached Complete Qi Refinement.”
Xu Ning felt this person was somewhat unreliable.
Immortal Shen was dignified and composed.
Immortal Lu was elegant and cold.
How could they have taken on such a frivolous junior disciple?
Seeing the look in his eyes, Shen Yi’s brows shot up immediately.
“What’s with that expression?”
“Forgive me, miss.”
Xu Ning coughed lightly and clasped his hands in salute.
“You and I are complete strangers. I cannot simply follow you based on a few words alone.”
Shen Yi crossed her arms and stared at him with displeasure.
Then she produced a jade talisman from her sleeve and flashed it before Xu Ning.
Only half of the talisman was revealed.
Xu Ning couldn’t make out the patterns on it, but he caught another faint wisp of magnolia fragrance.
It was the same scent he occasionally caught from Shen Yuwei.
Xu Ning’s expression shifted subtly.
Shen Yi quickly tucked the jade talisman away and asked with a sly look.
“Do you believe me now?”
“This is my… master’s personal jade pendant, you know.”
Xu Ning pressed his lips together, mulling it over.
“A token can be borrowed, and an identity can be forged.”
The matter of Lu Hanyi being ambushed was still unresolved, which was precisely why he was temporarily staying at Zhaoyue Cliff to avoid danger.
If someone were to use Shen Yuwei’s name to lure him away, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
Xu Ning felt his reasoning was sound.
Shen Yi took a deep breath.
“You troublesome man, why are you so difficult?!”
Her voice suddenly rose, startling Xu Ning.
He was about to speak when Shen Yi stepped forward and directly seized his wrist.
“Honestly, just come with me!”
Her fingers were slender, and her grip wasn’t particularly forceful.
Xu Ning instinctively tried to break free, but no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t manage it.
He stared in disbelief at his tightly grasped left hand.
“Miss Shen.”
At this point, Shen Yi had lost all trace of her earlier good humor.
She turned back to glare at him with dissatisfaction.
“What?!”
Xu Ning said helplessly, “Men and women should not touch inappropriately.”
Shen Yi kept walking, humming dismissively without a care.
“Cultivators don’t abide by that rule.”
Xu Ning tried to pull his hand free again.
Shen Yi turned to look at him once more, a hint of smugness in her eyes.
“Don’t bother. You’ve only just introduced qi into your body. How could you possibly break free from someone at Complete Qi Refinement?”
Hearing this, Xu Ning had no choice but to give up.
It wasn’t just because of Shen Yi’s advice—people around them had already begun to look their way.
A man being led by a young woman toward the side entrance of the Registry Hall would invite speculation from anyone who saw it.
Xu Ning asked curiously, “Is the gap between Complete Qi Refinement and Qi Introduction really that vast?”
Seeing that he had stopped struggling, Shen Yi’s expression softened somewhat.
“Qi Introduction is merely the first step into cultivation.”
“After all, if you can’t even achieve that step, what talk is there of cultivation?”
Completely indifferent to the stares of others, she led him past a few outer disciples.
“Once you pass Qi Introduction, that’s when you reach Qi Refinement.”
“Qi Refinement has nine layers: the first three nurture qi, the middle three open meridians, and the last three condense essence. At Complete Qi Refinement, the spiritual energy in your body can form a Minor Heavenly Cycle, making it difficult for ordinary mortal weapons to get near you.”
Xu Ning listened attentively.
“And beyond that?”
“Foundation Establishment—establishing the innate Dao foundation and embarking upon the boundless immortal path.”
Shen Yi counted on her fingers as she explained.
“After Foundation Establishment comes Core Formation, and beyond that is the Golden Core.”
“Once the Golden Core is formed, the three treasures of essence, qi, and spirit return to the furnace, and your spiritual mechanism forms its own world.”
“A Golden Core cultivator is called a True Immortal. Beyond that, breaking the core to form an infant is called an Infant Transformation Lord, and one step further is the Divine Transformation True Lord realm.”
At this point, Shen Yi glanced at him sideways.
“As for what lies beyond Divine Transformation, knowing it now wouldn’t do you any good. Devoting yourself to cultivation is the true path.”
Xu Ning was somewhat curious why Infant Transformation was called “Lord” and Divine Transformation was called “True Lord,” but he didn’t press further.
“Immortal Shen is a Golden Core True Immortal, then.”
“Mm-hm.”
“Then you’re still far behind Immortal Shen, miss.”
Shen Yi halted mid-step.
She turned to look at him, the corners of her eyes upturned with displeasure.
“If my master weren’t more powerful than me, why would I have taken her as my teacher?”
She felt like this fellow’s every word was dripping with disdain for her.
Xu Ning pressed his lips together, barely suppressing a smile.
“Junior Senior Sister speaks truly.”
Shen Yi huffed indignantly.
“That ‘Junior Senior Sister’ of yours doesn’t sound sincere at all.”
Xu Ning glanced at his captive wrist.
“I wouldn’t dare. I’m completely at your mercy now.”
Shen Yi gave him a cold look.
“Xu Ning, do you think I can’t protect you?”
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
“It’s just that you arrived too conveniently, miss—and in too much of a hurry.”
Before the Registry Hall, the noise of the crowd was clamorous.
Yet between the two of them, there was a sudden moment of silence.
Xu Ning’s expression was calm, all traces of his earlier playfulness gone from his eyes.
Shen Yi lowered her gaze briefly.
When she looked up again, her face had regained that girlish brightness.
“So you’re actually quite cautious after all.”
“Then you should remember to stay this way from now on. Don’t let strangers take you anywhere.”
Xu Ning looked at her, about to say something.
But Shen Yi seemed to have guessed what he was thinking and let out a dissatisfied huff.
“Today is the exception, though.”
“Why?”
“I’m already here.”
“…”
That was hard to argue with.
Xu Ning looked at her, unable to find words for a long moment.
Before long, Shen Yi had led him through the side entrance of the Registry Hall.
Inside, a formation blocked out the clamor, and the noise from outside faded the moment they crossed the threshold.
“Let me see… it should be—over there!”
Shen Yi looked around, then pulled Xu Ning toward a long desk.
He was surveying the hall’s furnishings when a cold voice rang out from not far away.
“Xu Ning.”
His steps halted.
Shen Yi stopped as well and turned to look.
On the other side of the side entrance, Lu Hanyi stood before a long desk for mission settlements, a jade slip in her hand.
She wore a thin outer robe, her complexion still pale.
She seemed not yet recovered from her illness, yet her face showed no sign of frailty—on the contrary, it made her cold, ethereal features seem even more otherworldly.
Lu Hanyi’s gaze landed on the hand Shen Yi had wrapped around Xu Ning’s wrist.
Shen Yi blinked.
She didn’t let go.
The hall fell silent for a moment.
Lu Hanyi raised her eyes to Xu Ning, her voice icy.
“Why are you here?”