‘This…’
Lu Li stared at his own fingers, which had already changed a great deal.
This was only a week since he had transformed into a woman’s body.
Originally, he thought that forty-odd days, about the same as the Saintess Enthronement Ceremony before, would pass if he just endured it.
“Master, can you shorten this time?” Lu Li asked in a low voice.
“I wouldn’t recommend it. You already have a Yin-Yang imbalance. If you take any medicine with strong Yang Qi, it might cause serious problems. As for pure, gentle Primordial Yang Qi, it’s either found in men… or extremely hard to come by.” Lin Yin’s tone turned serious.
“Right now, Yin Qi is stagnating inside you. You have to rely on daily Breathing Cultivation, slowly expelling the excess Yin Qi bit by bit, allowing the natural Yang Qi from heaven and earth to seep in.”
“If you rush, and a large amount of blazing Yang Qi enters your body, the Yin Qi will counterattack and seep into your internal organs, tangling up in your meridians. I’m afraid you’ll be a woman for the rest of your life.” After saying this, Lin Yin tried to console him.
“But then, you are the Saintess of the Yin Yang Sect, and your Spiritual Root is the Charm Spiritual Root. From that perspective, it’s actually…”
“Yes… Master, I understand. I’ll be as careful as possible.” After hearing Lin Yin’s instructions, Lu Li made a bitter face and cut off the communication through the Mystic Token. Then he lay down on the bed and let out a long sigh.
“Over two hundred days…” Lu Li stretched out his hand, feeling the Light Gauze slide from his wrist and fall softly onto his shoulder. “By then… will I still be able to adapt to my original life? And if something happens in the middle…”
At these thoughts, Lu Li’s mind was in chaos. He could only shake his head, sit up again, and cross his legs to meditate.
“Regardless, at least my cultivation speed is faster. I’ll take this time to see if I can break through to Mid Foundation Establishment, or even Late Foundation Establishment.” After a few breaths, he quickly adjusted his disordered thoughts, dividing the night into three parts: cultivation, Sword Zen, and absorbing the knowledge about the Saintess from the Yin Yang Sect that filled his mind.
The night was busy. By the time Xiao Li came running to the entrance of Lu Li’s courtyard with her new shoes going pata-pata, a new day had arrived.
“Fellow Daoist Lu, Xiao Li heard that we’re setting out today, so she still wanted to see you,” Xiu Popo said as she watched Xiao Li expertly spread her arms, while Lu Li crouched down to pick her up.
“It’s fine. After all, we don’t know how long this trip will take.” Lu Li comforted Xiao Li, feeling the warmth in his arms, which eased some of his frustration from last night about being temporarily unable to change back to a male body.
“Alright, Xiao Li. Holy Maiden Lu needs to prepare to leave. If you miss her, then while I’m away, study human knowledge diligently.” Xiu Popo looked at Xiao Li, who was finally willing to leave Lu Li’s side. “Can you do that?”
“Mm… I’ll wait for you to come back.” Xiao Li looked at Lu Li with watery eyes, rubbed against his wrist one more time, then returned to Xiu Popo’s side.
“Then you have to be good before we return.” Lu Li gently stroked Xiao Li’s hair. “We’ll be back.”
As his words fell, several white-clad female disciples of the Heavenly Deduction Sect arrived, following Liu Qingxi.
They glanced at Xiao Li, crouched down to say a few words to her, then took the girl’s hand and flew toward the Ascending Heavenly Palace.
During the small talk, Liu Qingyun and Yuan He also flew in from the direction of the Market Square and landed in the Small Courtyard.
“Since everyone is here, let’s set out.” Xiu Popo moved her wrist, and Lu Li noticed that she also wore a bracelet, quite similar in style to the one the sect had issued to him.
“Wow, so this is a Flying Boat?” Yuan He looked at the three-zhang-long spindle-shaped object. “Does it have the effect of Space Storage?”
“I’m just a servant attending to the Saintess, not even at the Golden Core Stage. Acquiring a Space Storage item isn’t that simple.” Xiu Popo reached out, pulled the Flying Boat down to the ground, then flashed inside. “Please, everyone.”
Lu Li was the most curious. After sweeping his Divine Sense over it, he stepped into the Flying Boat and examined everything inside.
The interior was larger than he had imagined, similar to a cabin.
There were simple partitions in the middle. Though a bit cramped, it was indeed enough for the five of them to have their own space.
“It’s still quite spacious,” Liu Qingxi said as the second one to enter. “Our Heavenly Deduction Sect prefers to use Jade Disks. That space is a bit more suitable.”
“At least it’s much more comfortable than the ones from our Imperial Sword Sect,” Liu Qingyun remarked as he looked around.
“Definitely better than ours,” Yuan He added, pointing at the soft cloth laid out and the tables and chairs in the resting rooms. “Ours has nothing at all.”
“I’m relieved that you all don’t disdain this Flying Boat.” Xiu Popo stood in the center and casually formed a few rays of mystic light.
The Flying Boat then lifted into the air, quickly leaving the Ascending Heavenly Palace, speeding north toward the Demon Beast Territory.
“Alright, since we’ve left Heavenly Deduction City,” Xiu Popo said as she sat down in the middle of the Flying Boat, “we can now discuss in detail the matter of this Ten Thousand Demons Conference.”
“Finally, we get to understand.” Liu Qingxi let out a long breath and took a Spirit Talisman from her Jade Disk. “Before we truly enter the Demon Beast Territory, the signal from the Heavenly Listening Platform can still barely connect. True Master Li said that some things are not suitable to discuss in the city.”
With a flick of her finger, a beam of mystic light landed on the Spirit Talisman, and Li Zhengshen’s face appeared before them.
“Oh? You actually all took on this mission. That’s somewhat surprising.” Li Zhengshen’s projection swept over them. “I will now explain the specific details of your trip to the Ten Thousand Demons Conference. If anyone wants to leave now, you may do so without consequence.”
“But if you choose to continue, you will gradually become involved in some secrets of the Immortal Realm… As Holy Sons and Holy Daughters, you should know that as your cultivation increases, the secrets you learn will multiply.”
“And many secrets in this world need to be protected with your own life.” Li Zhengshen scanned the group. “Have you all made your decision?”
“Yes.” Lu Li could vaguely guess that this trip was closely related to the Beast Tides and the affairs of the Yao Race.
Not only Lu Li, but the others also nodded.
“Good. Then what I’m about to explain is classified as a Grade-B secret among the Human Race, but common knowledge among the Yao Race,” Li Zhengshen said. “That is, what exactly the Beast Tide is.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Li’s fingertips trembled, and he dug them into his palm.
“On the borders of the Human Race, many commoners suffer from the Beast Tides, with heavy casualties,” Li Zhengshen narrated as Lu Li sat upright and listened carefully. “But for the Yao Race, it’s not the same.”
“Yes. Our Yao Race originally had no Beast Tides.” Xiu Popo sighed deeply as she brought up the topic. “But in recent years, a terrifying change has occurred in the children born to our Yao Race.”
“What is it?” Lu Li asked instinctively.
“That is, many Yao children…” Xiu Popo lowered her head. “Have no Spirit Soul.”