Chapter 555 - 35: Inheritance

Yu Cheng Taoist, Ruan Chunzi, and Yuan Zheng Taoist took their leave after Shen Xiaozhu’s condition stabilized.

Two days had passed by the time Shen Xiaozhu fully awoke and assimilated the Secret Technique she had gained from her advancement. Liu Shuang, Xia Wen Yi, and Xuanling all came to congratulate her at the first opportunity.

Wang Ping carefully examined Shen Xiaozhu’s body. After finding nothing amiss, he said, "First, familiarize yourself with the changes from your advancement. Then, come find me at the Mountain Peak Dao Field, and I will arrange the next stage of your cultivation."

As he spoke those words, a deep memory was stirred. He recalled that when he had just advanced, Yu Cheng Taoist had said the very same thing. Looking at Shen Xiaozhu’s respectful and grateful expression, he felt as if he were seeing his former self.

"Yes, Master!"

Shen Xiaozhu cupped her fist in a salute and let out a long sigh of relief. She had been on edge throughout her years of seclusion. Now that her advancement was successful, she could finally relax and take a proper look at the world around her.

Just like his master before him, Wang Ping gave this instruction and then returned to the underground grotto with Yu Lian.

"Senior Sister, how does it feel to advance?"

Xia Wen Yi asked eagerly as soon as Wang Ping had left.

Shen Xiaozhu extended her hand. With a gentle touch of her finger, a wisp of Wood Spirit Qi materialized at its tip. As Xia Wen Yi watched with envy, she said, "I feel as if I’ve just been born."

"What do you mean?" Xia Wen Yi didn’t understand.

"Exactly what I said. It’s as if I’ve been reborn, and the world itself has undergone a marvelous change." As she spoke, Shen Xiaozhu formed a hand seal for a Spell. As the Wood Spirit Qi spread, her slightly aged face slowly grew youthful, and her silver hair turned lustrous and black once more.

"Take your time to experience it, Senior Sister. I must return to my meditation," Xuanling said, politely cupping his fist in a salute before taking his leave.

"Alright!" Shen Xiaozhu nodded.

"I’ll take my leave as well," Liu Shuang added, feeling a sudden urgency to press on with her own cultivation.

"I’m heading off too, Senior Sister." Xia Wen Yi had wanted to stay longer, but since everyone else was leaving, it felt awkward to remain.

「Three days later.」

After the joy and excitement from her advancement had subsided, Shen Xiaozhu went to the Mountain Peak Dao Field as arranged. Wang Ping was already waiting for her; he had specifically paused his cultivation for the past two days in anticipation of her arrival.

"Have some tea."

After Shen Xiaozhu paid her respects as a junior, Wang Ping invited her to sit across from him, taking out a cup and filling it with tea for her.

As soon as Shen Xiaozhu sat down, Yu Lian asked, "Are you feeling any discomfort?"

"I’m doing very well, Martial Aunt."

Yu Lian followed up with a series of questions about cultivation, mainly to see if any issues had arisen. Then, she secretly used her Primordial Spirit to inspect Shen Xiaozhu’s soul.

Wang Ping had remained silent. When Yu Lian finished her questions, he pointed to the teacup and said, "Drink your tea. It’s getting cold."

Shen Xiaozhu obediently drank the tea.

"Are you still reading the *Annotations on Heaven and Man* that your Grandmaster gave you?"

"To answer, Master, I studied it constantly during my Qi Cultivation and Marrow Cleansing stages. Before I went into seclusion, Grandmaster told me to set it aside for a while, so I haven’t read it since."

"Hmm..."

Wang Ping nodded gently and continued, "Now that you have entered the realm, are you aware of your own shortcomings?"

Shen Xiaozhu lowered her head. After a long moment of thought, she offered a cupped-fist salute and said, "Perhaps I am too untalented. My cultivation speed is too slow. I fear I may never reach the Second Realm."

"You are not untalented. Your innate aptitude was enhanced once by the Upper Dan Sect, and you’ve entered the realm at only one hundred and twenty years of age. You still have more than two hundred years to prepare for your next advancement. With Qianmu Temple’s current resources, reaching the Second Realm should be no trouble at all."

Wang Ping refuted her. He had been about to launch into a long explanation but suddenly stopped. After a two-breath silence, he asked, "Do you know why our sect’s Ancestral Master left behind the *Annotations on Heaven and Man* to complement the cultivation of the *Taiyan Talisman*?"

"Grandmaster once taught me to maintain the humanity of a normal person. I don’t understand why, because humanity is something I was born with."

This was a common problem for cultivators who had just entered the new realm. They were confident they would not lose their humanity because they could still feel the full range of emotions. But humanity isn’t lost in an instant; it is eroded away, bit by bit, by the passage of time.

From their perspective, this line of thinking made sense. Before entering the realm, they were no different from mortals. What they forgot was that the very reason they cultivated so desperately was to escape the fetters of humanity, seeking longer life and greater power.

Wang Ping could vaguely grasp these principles because he possessed a vast repository of complex memories absorbed during the information explosion of his past life. Even so, it wasn’t until he reached the Third Realm that he truly began to understand what humanity was.

But such principles cannot be explained with words alone.

So, Wang Ping didn’t press the issue. He glanced at Yu Lian, then said, "According to the sect’s rules, an Entering Cultivator must go out into the world for ten to twenty years of training to represent the sect. Even though you are one of my Direct Disciples, I cannot easily break this rule. What are your thoughts on the matter?"

’In truth, there would be no real consequences if I broke this rule for her,’ Wang Ping thought. ’But she is severely lacking in humanity. She needs to walk among the mortals for a time, or her future cultivation will only become more difficult.’

"I’d like to return to Hu Mountain Country first, then travel to the Yunhai Grassland. Once, in Hu Mountain Country, I heard a merchant from northern Zhongzhou speak of the vastness of the Yunhai Grassland and their wars with the Northern People. Though I suspect most of what he said was exaggerated, I still want to see it for myself."

Yu Lian thought for a moment, then asked, "Why do you want to go to the Western Continent?"

Shen Xiaozhu was silent for several breaths before replying, "Back when I was a Jianghu Traveler, I learned that many famous wanderers went to the Western Continent to seek opportunities for cultivation."

She then elaborated, "In the eyes of most Jianghu Travelers in Hu Mountain Country, the sects of Zhongzhou are too concerned with lineage and offer them no opportunities. The Western Continent is different. It may be chaotic, but it is also full of opportunity."

Wang Ping reached for the teapot to pour Yu Lian a cup, gesturing for her to hold her tongue. He then looked at Shen Xiaozhu and said, "When I first entered the realm, my master taught me the ’Seven-Star Killing Array’."

As he spoke, a stream of light shot from his finger into the center of Shen Xiaozhu’s forehead. He continued, "Furthermore, don’t neglect your cultivation while you’re away. This is the Secret Technique from the second volume of the *Taiyan Talisman*."

While he spoke, a Talisman materialized before him. The moment his voice faded, the Talisman shot into Shen Xiaozhu’s Spirit Sea.

"Thank you for imparting this technique, Master!"

Shen Xiaozhu rose, about to perform a grand bow of respect, but Wang Ping waved her off. "It’s just us here; there’s no need for such ceremony. In addition, here are seven ’Iron Bamboo Swords’ and two Golden Armored Puppets. The swords are used to form the Seven-Star Killing Array and are immensely powerful. The Golden Armored Puppets can help you withstand several attacks from a Second Realm Cultivator."

Wang Ping took a storage pouch from within his robes and handed it to her.

Shen Xiaozhu did not refuse.

Finally, Wang Ping formed another hand seal, materializing two more Talismans. "These are two Transfer Talismans. If you encounter danger, activate one with your Spirit Vein. If you are in the Southern Cultivation Realm, I will sense it immediately. Anywhere else, you will be randomly teleported dozens of kilometers away, and it will conceal your aura."

Yu Lian added, "Of course, it could also teleport you right next to your enemy, so use it with caution!"