Chapter 152 - 104: Trip to Jade Altar Temple

Chapter 152: Chapter 104: Trip to Jade Altar Temple

Inside Mu Xiaoyu’s bedroom at Xuanzhen Temple, she slowly woke up in her bed. She subconsciously clenched her fists. A power countless times stronger than before surged from her muscles, bones, and Qi Blood. Then, she looked toward the side of her bed to see her senior brother watching her with a beaming smile. Mu Xiaoyu clenched her fists even tighter.

"Are you awake?" Li Yinsheng asked. "Through the Refinement of the Blood Jade Fruit, you broke through to the Fourth Layer of the True Blood Secret Scripture in one breath. The overlapping pain of Refining Body caused you to faint. Fortunately, it’s nothing serious. You’ve slept for two hours and are perfectly fine now."

Mu Xiaoyu sat up, genuinely feeling an unprecedented abundance of energy. "So this is what it feels like to be a Body Cultivator?" she wondered. Although she felt incredibly strong, it still didn’t seem worth the excruciating pain she had just endured.

"Senior Brother," she looked at Li Yinsheng, her face full of pleading. "Can I stop Refining Body from now on?"

"Oh? Why?" Li Yinsheng asked, looking puzzled.

"It hurts! It hurts too much!" Mu Xiaoyu cried with a miserable expression.

"Don’t you want to become prettier?" Li Yinsheng asked.

Mu Xiaoyu shook her head repeatedly. "Enduring so much pain just to get better hair is too big of a loss!"

"Next time, once you advance to the Sixth Layer, the changes will show on your face," Li Yinsheng said unhurriedly. "You’ve already reached the Fourth Layer, and because the medicinal efficacy of the Blood Jade Fruit is extremely potent, you’re already halfway through this stage."

He coaxed her gently, "Truth be told, you’re only a layer and a half away from the Sixth Layer."

"Hmm... Is it really just that little bit?" Mu Xiaoyu wavered slightly.

"It really is!" Li Yinsheng said. "If you give up now, all the pain you’ve endured since reaching the Third Layer will have been for nothing."

"Then what exactly will change when I reach the Sixth Layer?" Mu Xiaoyu asked, her eyes rolling as she pressed for details.

She had already been tricked by her senior brother once, ending up with nothing but better hair. She absolutely refused to be scammed again!

"Pearly white teeth and ruby red lips," Li Yinsheng replied. "Take a look at your own teeth. Aren’t they a little yellowish?" As he spoke, he handed Mu Xiaoyu a palm-sized Small Crystal Mirror.

Mu Xiaoyu bared her teeth, staring at her reflection in the mirror. They were very neat and quite white. However, unlike her senior brother’s teeth, which resembled White Jade, hers indeed had a faint, almost imperceptible hint of yellow. She had never noticed her teeth before, but after Li Yinsheng pointed it out, that slight discoloration suddenly became glaringly obvious. She couldn’t help but scrunch up her little face.

Beside her, Li Yinsheng quietly looked away. There was one thing he had forgotten to tell her. A normal person’s teeth were naturally white with a slight yellowish tint; compared to an ordinary person, his junior sister’s teeth were already incredibly white.

"Oh, by the way, you love eating sweets, right?" Li Yinsheng added. "Eating sugary things also easily makes your teeth yellow.

"You’re still young, so you don’t feel the effects yet, but once you get a few years older, it’ll be hard to say.

"However, if you cultivate the True Blood Secret Scripture to the Sixth Layer, you won’t have to worry about this anymore."

Mu Xiaoyu stared at her teeth in the mirror. They were clearly already very white, but taking one look at her senior brother for comparison made her feel like they weren’t white enough.

"Then... I’ll try a little harder and cultivate to the Sixth Layer?" Mu Xiaoyu said. "But can I take it slowly? Senior Brother, please don’t look for any Heavenly and Earthly Treasures for me!" she added earnestly.

"Don’t worry, I don’t have any more Heavenly and Earthly Treasures that can assist with Refining Body on hand anyway," Li Yinsheng chuckled.

Mu Xiaoyu breathed a sigh of relief. She hopped out of bed and patted the Qiankun Bag at her waist, causing several materials to fly out. She had previously promised to make a bracelet for both her Martial Uncle and Shangguan. If she started the refinement now, they should be finished by tomorrow!

The next morning, inside Li Yinsheng’s bedroom, Shangguan Ling’Er and Li Yinsheng sat across from each other at a desk.

"You’re still going to Jade Altar Temple to discuss the Dao?" Shangguan Ling’Er asked. "You’ve been so busy lately, running between Zulu Temple and Cangfeng Temple."

She stretched her arms. "I just got back yesterday, so I won’t go with you.

"Besides, my Major Cultivation isn’t the Array Dao. Listening to you discuss the Array Dao at Jade Altar Temple would be way too boring for me. I’d rather stay at Xuanzhen Temple and keep Ningzhi company."

Li Yinsheng nodded. "I’m only going to Jade Altar Temple this time to exchange insights on Arrays anyway. I’ll be back in a few days, so there’s really no need to trouble you, Shangguan."

Shangguan Ling’Er nodded. "Then come back soon."

"I’m not leaving right this moment," Li Yinsheng shook his head. "The Fellow Daoist who invited me gave me a Magical Artifact that allows for simple communication with Jade Altar Temple.

"Before heading over, I still need to give them a heads-up."

As he spoke, he took an exquisite and delicate Small Crystal Mirror from his Qiankun Bag and infused it with Magical Power. A white light flashed across the mirror before quickly fading away. This Small Crystal Mirror was left to him by Meng Yu. Although it couldn’t be used to freely send messages, it could transmit a few simple signals.

"All done." Li Yinsheng was just about to put the mirror away when Shangguan Ling’Er leaned forward slightly, staring at it.

"This mirror is the Communication Magical Artifact the Fellow Daoist who invited you gave you?" she asked. "Is it something they use personally?"

The mirror was crafted with such exquisite and delicate detail that, no matter how one looked at it, it seemed like a Magical Artifact meant for a Female Cultivator. In her memory, Jade Altar Temple did indeed have an overwhelming majority of women; two of their three Daoists were Female Cultivators.

"Maybe, I’m not too sure," Li Yinsheng replied casually.

After hesitating for a moment, Shangguan Ling’Er said, "Actually, I’ll go with you to Jade Altar Temple."

"Ah?" Li Yinsheng was taken aback. "Miss Shangguan, why the sudden change of heart? Didn’t you say you wanted to keep Martial Uncle company?"

"I gave it some more thought. Ningzhi has a quiet personality, so it’s best not to disturb her," Shangguan Ling’Er said with a straight face.

Li Yinsheng nodded. "True, Martial Uncle has always preferred tranquility."

Although she and Miss Shangguan often joked and messed around together, in Li Yinsheng’s memory, his Martial Uncle was generally a very serene person.

"In that case, Miss Shangguan, let’s depart at Noon. By then, the bracelets Xiaoyu is making for you and Martial Uncle should be finished."

On the way to Jade Altar Temple, Li Yinsheng hitched a ride on Shangguan Ling’Er’s Qiluo Dian once again. Although this Magical Treasure’s Escape Light was somewhat flashy, its speed was incredibly fast. Standing next to Li Yinsheng, Shangguan Ling’Er repeatedly examined the bracelet on her wrist.

The design of this bracelet was essentially the same as Li Yinsheng’s and Mu Xiaoyu’s, with only a difference in color scheme. The colors of the bracelet on her wrist perfectly complemented her gorgeous attire and beautiful ornaments. Five different colors intertwined, flowing and shimmering, decorated with five-colored leaf patterns. When Mu Xiaoyu gave her this bracelet, the girl looked exceptionally proud, claiming it had taken great effort to perfectly balance the five colors so they would match her clothes.

Shangguan Ling’Er had to admit that, in terms of appearance alone, the bracelet was indeed stunning and suited her perfectly.

It was just that...

She glanced at the rather plain and minimalist black bracelet on Li Yinsheng’s wrist, then looked back at her own colorful one.

"Miss Shangguan, Jade Altar Temple is just ahead," Li Yinsheng spoke up. "The Fellow Daoist who invited me should already be waiting at the entrance with people to welcome us. This time, please don’t announce your title like you did before," he urged.

He was visiting Jade Altar Temple to exchange insights on Arrays and buy an Array Book along the way. It would be entirely too awkward if Shangguan Ling’Er shouted at the entire Daoist Temple, "I am the Zhengyang Dharma Vein’s Grand Daoist Linghuang! Where is the patriarch of Jade Altar Temple?"

"Waiting to welcome us at the entrance?" Shangguan Ling’Er paused in surprise.

She didn’t ask who this Fellow Daoist was, but anyone Li Yinsheng referred to as such had to be one of the Daoists from Jade Altar Temple. A dignified Daoist waiting at the entrance of their own Daoist Temple in advance? Even if two Grand Daoists were visiting, wasn’t this level of etiquette a bit too humble? Usually, a Vice Temple Master would greet guests; having the Temple Master personally receive them was already considered a huge sign of respect.

The Qiluo Dian flew to the front of Jade Altar Temple and landed. Sure enough, two rows of Jade Altar Temple disciples were already standing at the entrance, waiting respectfully. At the forefront stood a middle-aged woman and a young Female Cultivator with a delicate and beautiful appearance.

Shangguan Ling’Er was taken aback. She couldn’t sense any Daoists among those present.

"Jade Altar Temple’s Temple Master, Shen Qiu, pays respects to Elder Li, and pays respects to... this Senior." The Temple Master leading the group bowed toward Li Yinsheng before her gaze landed on Shangguan Ling’Er, who stood beside him. Not knowing her Daoist title, she could only address her as a senior.

Beside Shen Qiu, Meng Yu and the disciples behind them all bowed deeply.

Li Yinsheng stepped off the Qiluo Dian and offered an explanation, "This is my close friend, the Dharma Vein’s Daoist Linghuang."

"It’s Grand Daoist Linghuang," Shangguan Ling’Er corrected as she put away the Qiluo Dian.

"Yes, yes, yes. Grand Daoist," Li Yinsheng agreed.

Shen Qiu, who was still bowing, felt a shock ripple through her heart. As the Temple Master of Jade Altar Temple, she naturally understood the significance of a Grand Daoist. Jade Altar Temple had produced a few Grand Daoists in its history, but as a Daoist Temple whose Major Cultivation was the Array Dao, they were not renowned for their Cultivation base and couldn’t guarantee the emergence of a Grand Daoist in every generation.

In the current generation of Jade Altar Temple, all three patriarchs were merely Daoists. After receiving Li Yinsheng’s message that he was coming, she immediately organized the disciples to welcome him. But she never expected that not only would Li Yinsheng arrive in person, but he would also bring a Grand Daoist of the Dharma Vein.

"Paying respects to Grand Daoist Linghuang!" Shen Qiu quickly added.

"Master Shen, Meng, please rise," Li Yinsheng said.

Shen Qiu and Meng Yu straightened their backs. Meng Yu’s gaze carefully swept over Li Yinsheng before landing on the flamboyant and radiant Shangguan Ling’Er beside him. She pursed her lips gently, then slightly lowered her head.

"Yinsheng, which one is the Fellow Daoist you mentioned?" Shangguan Ling’Er took a step forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Li Yinsheng, holding her head high with her chest puffed out, her bright eyes scanning the crowd.

An invisible aura spread outward with her at the center. Even though the people of Jade Altar Temple had already risen, they felt an indescribable, oppressive weight pressing down on their hearts. Although Shangguan Ling’Er was stunningly beautiful, not a single person dared to look at her.

"It’s this young Meng here," Li Yinsheng pointed at Meng Yu with a smile. "I previously spent some time treating her as a peer."

Shangguan Ling’Er followed the direction of Li Yinsheng’s finger, her gaze landing on Meng Yu, who was staring fixedly at the ground. She was stunned for a moment before a brilliant smile bloomed on her face. In an instant, the inexplicable heaviness pressing down on everyone’s hearts vanished without a trace.