Chapter 13: Well, Her Filial Piety Has Transformed

Ji Yang and Ji Lanruo lived a simple life.

They worked at sunrise and rested at sunset.

They attended theory classes in the morning, cultivated in the afternoon, and played games in the evening.

The process of theory lessons and cultivation was dry and tedious.

The games they played at night were similar to pitch-pot.

Although the fun could not compare to modern electronic games, Ding Nan found them quite interesting.

They would use inexpensive materials to create Missile Talismans and then fire them at a group of targets.

The more targets they hit and the more missiles they launched, the higher their score would be.

Two Jade Detectors would respectively calculate the amount of barrage sprayed by the Talisman Cards and the number of missiles that missed the targets.

‘So, it is a Talisman Card game, huh,’ Ding Nan thought as he watched his own body unleash a flurry of colorful barrages, unable to resisting.

The winner could decide one thing for the following day.

For example, what to eat, or who would wash the dishes.

The interactions between Ji Yang and Ji Lanruo did not have complete memory records.

For instance, the memories of them playing the Talisman Card game every night focused more on how to craft the cards themselves.

It was the same for the rest of their memories.

However, Ding Nan could clearly see Ji Lanruo’s state through the captured fragments; she was growing up to be a fine young woman.

This segment of memory was very long, and there were too many knowledge points to absorb.

It was not just the Flowing Cloud Manual and the Sunset Sword Technique.

There was artifact refining, alchemy, and talisman making.

From time to time, he could even see Ji Yang clutching a book on formations and pondering over it.

Ding Nan was overwhelmed, feeling as though his brain was not large enough to hold it all.

In the Cultivation World where Ding Nan resided, artifact refining, alchemy, talismans, and formations held special significance.

Among the Hundred Arts of Cultivation, artifact refining, alchemy, and talismanic formations were the three major branches, with all other skills falling under them.

Artifact refining was related to clothing and travel.

Common items like dharma robes, magical artifacts, and flying ships all came from the hands of an Artifact Refiner.

Alchemy was related to food and medicine.

Classic pills and the food prepared by spiritual chefs—as well as the supporting planting and breeding industries—all belonged to the branch of alchemy.

Talismanic formations referred to talismans and arrays.

The two were originally one entity, as a talisman was essentially a simplified array.

Astronomy, feng shui, and other studies were all related to talismanic formations.

“I suppose I should expect nothing less from the Founder of a first-rate sect?”

Ding Nan said in admiration.

“No wonder the Xishan Sect could become a first-rate sect within a few hundred years.”

Did one have to satisfy the basic needs of clothing, food, housing, and travel just to establish a sect?

Ding Nan was curious about how deep Ji Yang’s foundation actually went.

‘Wait, did he not say earlier that he was only twenty-five years old?’

Ding Nan suddenly snapped back to reality.

Could a twenty-five-year-old truly master artifact refining, alchemy, and talisman making?

In Qingquan City, where Ding Nan lived, there were many Artifact Refiners, fewer Alchemists, almost no Talisman Masters, and a Formation Master had never even visited.

This was entirely because artifact refining was the easiest to start learning, which was why Qingquan City had so many of them.

But even for the most accessible path of artifact refining, the amount of knowledge required was not small at all.

Ding Nan had heard about it since he was young because his eldest uncle was an Artifact Refiner.

First, one had to know how to identify minerals, then study the forms of weapons, learn carving, and master the physical properties of each ore…

In the later stages, it became even more difficult.

One had to study formations and integrate them into the artifacts.

Even after transmigrating, interdisciplinary studies could still give Ding Nan a headache.

So, was it possible to master all of this by the age of twenty-five?

A normal person would spend one-third of those twenty-five years learning to read and write, another third on basic education, and only during the final third could they possibly specialize in a single subject.

Ding Nan looked at his hands drawing a formation and the alchemy furnace being heated by a gentle flame nearby.

‘Is he a soul-snatching expert or a reincarnated powerhouse?’

Ding Nan did not believe that an ordinary twenty-five-year-old youth could be proficient in so much knowledge.

Because humans have limits, the human brain must also have limits—unless one transcends humanity.

However, as for what kind of person he truly was, Ding Nan only needed to keep watching.

After all, the memory was primarily from Ji Yang’s perspective.

Therefore, Ji Yang would not hide anything from Ding Nan.

Ding Nan just had to continue observing.

Soon, Ji Lanruo grew up.

Her bust became larger by the day, and though she was not yet fully developed, it was already quite substantial.

The young Ji Lanruo had a slender figure due to years of martial arts practice.

Recalling her staggering appetite, Ding Nan guessed that all the fat had migrated to her chest—even in her early teens, one could already see the shadow of her future elegance.

Even though Ji Lanruo wore loose, oversized practice robes, there was still a significant amount of swaying that left Ding Nan feeling dazed and dizzy.

This continued until Ji Lanruo reached Foundation Establishment.

At this time, Ji Lanruo was twenty years old.

She looked no different from her portrait, with the only distinction being that her hair hung loose instead of being styled up.

During this period, Ji Lanruo was not yet a wife or a mother.

Upon her reaching Foundation Establishment, Ji Yang asked her what gift she wanted.

Ji Lanruo asked him for a whole box of Beauty Preserving Pills.

“Very well. You have reached Foundation Establishment and are now an adult. It is time for me to expand our enrollment,” Ji Yang said.

Due to the perspective, Ding Nan could not see Ji Yang’s face or know his age, but looking at his youthful hands—which looked like those of a young boy and had not changed in twenty years—Ding Nan suspected that Ji Yang had not aged at all.

When Ji Yang spoke those words, Ji Lanruo nodded in agreement, but her brow furrowed.

This expression was caught by Ding Nan.

“Hiss—”

Ding Nan took a deep breath, his eyes widening.

‘No way, right? Surely not?’

—

Before long, the scene shifted.

Ji Yang headed down the mountain.

Just as he had with Ji Lanruo, he searched for homeless children.

Ji Yang selected two children with firm characters who still maintained a spark of humanity even while lacking proper clothing.

The two children were a pair of sisters who looked very similar, only four or five years old.

After bringing them back to the Xishan Sect, Ji Yang intended to continue teaching them slowly.

However, Ji Lanruo took it upon herself to intercept the responsibility.

“I am their First Disciple now,” Ji Lanruo stated.

Ji Yang agreed to her request.

From that day on, Ji Lanruo’s appearance in the Xishan Sect changed from an extra-large cup to a medium cup.

‘So she knows how to use chest wraps, does she?’

Ding Nan could not help but comment.

With more people around, their original lifestyle began to change.

“Master, there is no need to trouble your elderly self with the physical forms of the Flowing Cloud Manual. I will handle it.”

“Master, there is an order to seniority. Please act like a teacher! Do not be too indulgent with them!”

“Master, the sect’s finances are a bit tight. Leave the Junior Sisters’ matters to me. You should focus on refining pills to increase the sect’s income.”

“Master, men and women should keep their distance, even if Ji Xinyue and Ji Xinran are only six years old!”

“Master, they are too mischievous. If we do not make them do more chores and work harder, they will not be able to sleep at night.”

Ji Lanruo was extremely strict with her Junior Sisters.

Having watched several scenes now, Ding Nan always saw her hovering nearby.

Ding Nan watched with wide eyes as Ji Lanruo tucked her chin and lowered her head while looking up at him.

Seeing those rippling, longing eyes, Ding Nan would have to be an idiot not to realize what she was thinking.

“Well, her filial piety has definitely spoiled.”